Stalker0's Obsidian Skill Challenge System (NEW VERSION: 1.2!!!)

Stalker0 · Apr 21, 2009

A good question. I would handle it a couple of possible ways:

1) Let the players decide, everyone just picks an order and goes with it.

2) Normal initiative rolls. Seems a little out of place, but everyone knows what to do.

3) Everyone rolls the primary skill. If the challenge has diplomacy as the primary skill, everyone rolls a quick diplomacy check to determine what order people go.

Neubert · Apr 21, 2009

The problem with players going in a set order is that player 3 might not be able to come up with something on the spot to fix what player 2 said, whereas the next player in line has a great idea.
On the other hand, this simply serves to postprones the problem, as at some point the player has to act.
It did feel a little weird when I was running a social skill challenge, because after the first couple of players had acted (the ones who are more "outspoken" in character), a few players was left that took longer to come up with what to do/say.

I would argue that it is easier to go first, so the best option might be to direct who speaks first, and ensure it is the people that like to stay in the background. This might also lead to some complicated situations for the more "outspoken" players to fix (and hence, challenging them).

77IM · Apr 21, 2009

I've had challenges where I allow the players to roll as soon as they declare instead of rolling all at once at the end of the segment. A player who incorporates a previous player's success or failure often gets a +2 bonus for teamwork and/or creativity. Thus, there is some incentive to let fellow players go first, OR if you are going first, to do something that fellow players will be able to build off of. It seems to work about as well as rolling all at once.

-- 77IM

Asmor · Apr 22, 2009

I really wanted a one-sheet summary of the important bits, and I figured others might also appreciate it.

Thanks for the awesome system, Stalker0. I love it!

Stalker0 · Apr 23, 2009

Asmor said:
I really wanted a one-sheet summary of the important bits, and I figured others might also appreciate it.

Thanks for the awesome system, Stalker0. I love it!

Asmor, gold star!! Heck I'll use that for my games, its embarrasing how often I forget the DCs for my own system

Lord Welkerfan · Apr 29, 2009

Is this still better?

I don't know how much any of you follow what Wizards publishes, but they seem to have made some progress in understanding what exactly a skill challenge is and how to implement it in games.

For example, they've recently moved towards using a series of low complexity skill challenges instead of one high complexity one.

So I ask, is this system still better than the (many times revised) core system?

AbdulAlhazred · Apr 30, 2009

I've been using it and it seems fine.

The only thing I can say for the DMG system is that there are times when you can hang some concrete narrative on the three failures. Basically though with Obsidian you have 3 rounds of the challenge to do things with.

Even after the big patch there are still math issues with the DMG system too. So why not use something that has simpler and more reliable math?

Overall I've developed my encounter building to the point where I can confidently build encounters of either combat or skill challenge type and have them work equally well. In a way skill challenges are really nice to use a lot because failing them generally isn't lethal. Failing significant combat encounters usually initiates a TPK. At best it usually means an awkward extended rest or DM cheese (exodus knife!).

Now, skill challenges CAN kill characters and can certainly beat up the party or even thwart them entirely. I would do it rarely, but if you don't make SC as first class encounters then you will end up with a lot of heavily combat oped characters running around. Even the more RP oriented players will go with combat options if those are the only ones that REALLY matter in the long run.

77IM · Apr 30, 2009

This is kind of a side-issue, but one of the reasons I prefer Obsidian is that it's free. I would need to pay for a DDI subscription in order to read about all the latest and greatest enhancements to the core system. Even with the errata the info presented in the DMG is not enough to make it work for me.

But the main reason I like it is that the 3-round structure prevents having some characters make all the checks while others sit on their hands, which was my main complaint with the core system.

-- 77IM

Mistwell · May 28, 2009

Lord Welkerfan said:
I don't know how much any of you follow what Wizards publishes, but they seem to have made some progress in understanding what exactly a skill challenge is and how to implement it in games.

For example, they've recently moved towards using a series of low complexity skill challenges instead of one high complexity one.

So I ask, is this system still better than the (many times revised) core system?

I'm curious to read more feedback on this question as well.