Stalker0's Obsidian Skill Challenge System (Update: Version 1.1) Now with PDF!!

[Stalker0]

Is the fact that the DCs for levels 12 and 13 are one less than you expect a typo or a deliberate choice?

Hehe, when I first created the table I had to do a double take as well. It seems strange that the DC remains the same for so long doesn't it.

The reason is that the levels right before, the party's win rate is just a little low, but not so much that the DC should be lower. And towards the end of that segment, the party's win rate is just a little high, but not high enough to warrant a +1 DC. This is the area I will have to look at hard in playtesting, as its a potential trouble spot.

 

[Stalker0]

Do you think that people would like to see a separate thread functioning as a library of sorts, for skill challenges using the Obsidian system? Certainly those placed in this thread so far have given me something to think about, and will provide inspiration for skill challenges of my own in the future.

What do you think?

I don't think you'll hear me complaining about making a thread dedicated to skill challenges using my system

 

[butwait]

I loved running Obsidian; it worked really well.

Hehe, when I first created the table I had to do a double take as well. It seems strange that the DC remains the same for so long doesn't it.

The reason is that the levels right before, the party's win rate is just a little low, but not so much that the DC should be lower. And towards the end of that segment, the party's win rate is just a little high, but not high enough to warrant a +1 DC. This is the area I will have to look at hard in playtesting, as its a potential trouble spot.

Going along with the idea someone mentioned of shifting primary skills, would shifting the DC mid-challenge approximate a fractional DC?

On that note, would a shifting DC system work? It could be like a tug of war- every success raises the DC by one, every failure lowers it by one, and you must get enough successes to hit a goal DC before you accrue enough failures to hit the low DC. If neither target is hit before a set number of rolls, a partial victory can be declared. This system doesn't seem very easy to rationalize in game terms. "You just insulted the duke! He is easier to please now."

Alternatively, every success lowers the DC by one, and every failure raises the DC by one. This seems very "slippery slope".

 

[dammitbiscuit]

Don't overcomplicate a good, clean system. It's okay if there's a tiny bit of variance or drift from the sweet spot that's a non-integer. Decide for yourself whether it merits an actual +1 or -1 of difference, and run it that way. If you feel it works better nudged one way or the other, tell us so.

 

[Magus Coeruleus]

Hey Stalker, looking at the errata that just came out and their very low DCs, I was just wondering whether in your Obsidian system it would be feasible to have lower DCs across the board but increase the number of successes required for partial and full victory. I'm not saying you should change it but I'm wondering if that would screw up the variance optimization or not. If it were feasible, I'd consider it because I think players might feel more positive about the skill challenge experience if the succeeded more often on the individual checks even if the overall win rates were the same.

 

[Scud.NZ]

I'm amazed they have the cheek to call it an "errata" item.

Surely an errata is when there is a printers mistake or they forget to take something out of the final document. The changes that they've made to the skill system is a full blown revision! That's a hell of a lot of pencilling in I'm going to have to do...sheesh! Amateurs.

I'm still gonna stick with the Obsidian system for the next few months with my players.

 

[dammitbiscuit]

http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1052709 making a skill challenge part of an elite or solo template is a fun idea...

 

[Stalker0]

http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1052709 making a skill challenge part of an elite or solo template is a fun idea...

Definitely a cool idea, I may incorporate some of those into the combat section of my skill challenge system as that is definitely a cool idea.

 

[Stalker0]

Hey Stalker, looking at the errata that just came out and their very low DCs, I was just wondering whether in your Obsidian system it would be feasible to have lower DCs across the board but increase the number of successes required for partial and full victory. I'm not saying you should change it but I'm wondering if that would screw up the variance optimization or not.

I run a number of models trying to lower the DC. The main issue with this is that I can set it perfectly for a set number of players, but as I increase or decrease the number of players the math starts to break down. I could add "fixes" but that just increases the complication of the system, and I do not wish to do that.

The DC/success numbers are actually a very nice blessing from a math standpoint. I was able to keep the success rate relatively constant no matter how many players are in the challenge, which is no easy feat. But that is a unique combination of DCs and success numbers, its "the sweet spot".

 

[isirga eth]

So, what do you think of the changes they did? I guess we're all interested in your take.