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

[doctorhook]

WotC's official May 2010 Rules Update changed how the "Aid Another" action works. Should this change the way Obsidian works at all, given that Aid Another is one of the options available in Obsidian? Do you intend to update Obsidian to sync with these changes, if necessary?

 

[Stalker0]

WotC's official May 2010 Rules Update changed how the "Aid Another" action works. Should this change the way Obsidian works at all, given that Aid Another is one of the options available in Obsidian? Do you intend to update Obsidian to sync with these changes, if necessary?

Obsidian as written should use the old aid another rules, as all the math was designed with that in mind.

However, it would be interesting to see how the Obsidian and the core skill challenge system would be affected by the new change.

 

[doctorhook]

However, it would be interesting to see how the Obsidian and the core skill challenge system would be affected by the new change.

I agree! Have you reviewed the changes to Aid Another yet? Would you care to offer your expert opinion about how Obsidian is affected?

 

[SabreCat]

Obsidian as written should use the old aid another rules, as all the math was designed with that in mind.

Wait, what? Is Aid Another even allowed in Obsidian other than in the context of an in-combat Skill Challenge? I saw no mention of it, I thought that was just part of the "players should always be included"--if you're aiding, you're rolling a skill toward the needed successes.

 

[Stalker0]

Wait, what? Is Aid Another even allowed in Obsidian other than in the context of an in-combat Skill Challenge? I saw no mention of it, I thought that was just part of the "players should always be included"--if you're aiding, you're rolling a skill toward the needed successes.

You are exactly correct, that's what I meant by the old rules, use the ones obsidian currently uses.

 

[SabreCat]

Oh, okay. I read that as "the old Aid Another rules" rather than the old Obsidian rules, i.e., the core Aid Another rules prior to the May rules update.

 

[simen]

A flaw in the orginal and all alternative systems as I see it is that every party should from a roleplaying perspective leave the guys that are bad in a skill out, unless the weak characters are loose canons. Metagame people might join even if they are very bad in social skills just for XP.

What is your thought about this? In combat everybody contributes, because everyone is good in combat and even if you are not (badly designed PC) you aren't hurting the party; maybe on healing if you have low AC and NADs and do very little damage. But you see my point?

Your system works good in combat. The guy/guys that are good in thievery would disable the trap, while the rest would fight, and everybody should share the XP. The problem is pure skill challenges.

In physical encounters everybody might contribute. Say you are escaping a dungeon or something. You are required to contribute or else you are caught. So that one is ok... I am thinking more about social and knowledge...

In social I have thought about what if the skill challenge goes both ways? That the NPC/NPC's makes contact with say a guy that says nothing... That is both realistic and would include more people, and also might lead to a fail if the main talking character is very good in say diplomacy (cha 20@lvl 1, trained, +2 racial, +2 background, +3 skill focus).

The problem is knowledge challenges though. I don't see how you could include the inactive party members here at a

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Simen,

Social and Knowledge skill challenges are indeed tough to do right. IME there are three things the DM needs to keep in mind when running one of these kinds of skill challenges

1 - Do not force everyone to join in. It is, after all, a social thing and some strong and silent types just stand in the background doing nothing. If that what they want thier character to do... let them. Not saying that their silent presence can't make it harder for the others in certain circumstances.

2 - Inventive use of 'Aid Another', which in Obsideon really means a chance at a success. I have seen a PC demonstrate thier combat acumen by shooting another PC {he criticaled!} as an 'aid another' action do a diplomancy check. THe NPCs were barbaric nomads who admired strong, fearless combatants.

3 - Does it matter enough for a skill challenge, or should it be a complex skill challenge for one or two PCs, then move on? IMC there is a Bard who is the Diplomancy king. There have been some challenges written into the modules that I just hand-waved, ensuring that the Bard got the credit but not wasting session time to make any dice rolls

 

[Joshua Randall]

Stalker0 -- very belated kudos on your most recent (ver. 1.2) system.

Removing the "3 strikes and you're out" aspect of the by-the-book 4e skill challenge, and replacing it by counting up the number of successes, is brilliant. And so simple! -- like most brilliant ideas seem in retrospect.

I haven't field tested your version 1.2 yet, but I'm looking forward to doing so.

Once again, great job.

 

[Nytmare]

So what do the updated DCs per level guidelines do to the Obsidian numbers?