RangerWickett
Legend
Where are the most recent skill challenge rules published? Did the Rules Compendium have a new version?
Skill Challenges - latest version of the rules?
- Thread starter RangerWickett
- Start date
Scribble
First Post
It added Advantages I believe.
The redbox has an interesting way it uses them- not really a rules thing, but it gives several "options" based on how the pcs approach the SC...
TerraDave
5ever, or until 2024
Just to note, an advantage is NOT a secondary skill (which is also there), but more like, hitting a high DC counts for double.
The RC rules cover 6 digest sized pages, and list the basics, breaks out complexity by number of hard dcs, moderate dcs, and advantages, and also goes into secondary vs. primary skills. Talks about "stages of success"--alowing the challenge to be more dynamic and having partial success. It provides no examples of challenges, but contains an interesting example of play of trying to locate a wizards lair while avoiding his thugs. Basically it is the DM moving things along while the PCs try out various skills, ie pretty standard role-playing.
The RC rules cover 6 digest sized pages, and list the basics, breaks out complexity by number of hard dcs, moderate dcs, and advantages, and also goes into secondary vs. primary skills. Talks about "stages of success"--alowing the challenge to be more dynamic and having partial success. It provides no examples of challenges, but contains an interesting example of play of trying to locate a wizards lair while avoiding his thugs. Basically it is the DM moving things along while the PCs try out various skills, ie pretty standard role-playing.
Nikosandros
Golden Procrastinator
One of the advantages is that if you roll vs a hard DC instead of a moderate one you get two successes. Wasn't this the case back in early '08 when they were previewing 4e at D&D Experience?
surfarcher
First Post
"Advantages" are just a formalisation of stuff that was already there, as I read it.
You know "exceeding a moderate by 5 is two successes" or "success with this secondary removes a failure". That old chestnut.
You know "exceeding a moderate by 5 is two successes" or "success with this secondary removes a failure". That old chestnut.
TerraDave
5ever, or until 2024
Lets compare to the DMG II:
Overall: DMG II is much more guidance and examples, RC is more focused and specific.
DCs: The newest are in the RC, (though not actually in the challenge section). The RC is also a little more specific on how many moderate vs hard dcs for the challange.
Advantages: I am not seeing these anywhere in DMG II.
Secondary Skills: are there in both, but again, these are distinct from advantages.
Stages of success and failure: very similar.
Options beside skills: DMG II only
Getting everyone involved: DMG II only
Example challenges: DMG II only
Example of play: seems the same, but its not! Actually, that is sort of confusing.
Overall: DMG II is much more guidance and examples, RC is more focused and specific.
DCs: The newest are in the RC, (though not actually in the challenge section). The RC is also a little more specific on how many moderate vs hard dcs for the challange.
Advantages: I am not seeing these anywhere in DMG II.
Secondary Skills: are there in both, but again, these are distinct from advantages.
Stages of success and failure: very similar.
Options beside skills: DMG II only
Getting everyone involved: DMG II only
Example challenges: DMG II only
Example of play: seems the same, but its not! Actually, that is sort of confusing.
Plane Sailing
Astral Admin - Mwahahaha!
I don't know if it plays into this, but in essentials the Aid Another rules seem to have been changed so that the DC to aid another scales with level, and if you fail on an attempt to aid another you provide a penalty.
This may be significant to the 'everyone aids the best person' approach to skill challenges.
The other thing is that essentials has rules for a 'group skill check' which I don't remember seeing before, and which could also play into skill challenges well.
Cheers
This may be significant to the 'everyone aids the best person' approach to skill challenges.
The other thing is that essentials has rules for a 'group skill check' which I don't remember seeing before, and which could also play into skill challenges well.
Cheers
surfarcher
First Post
Meh I dunno man. Honestly it all reads to me as though "Advantages" are justa formalisation of the kind of thing that's always been done. I mean, I haven't seen an official SC past complexity 3 that doesn't have some way that players can recoup from a failure or two.
I think we've always seen "healing surge to negate a failure" or "success with this secondary removes a failure" or "exceeding this DC by X counts as two successes".
To be honest I suspect it was always there but either (a) they didn't tell us about it or (b) they didn't have it fully formalised and specced out.
I dunno, just the way it seems to me. Wouldn't be the first time I was wrong.
I think we've always seen "healing surge to negate a failure" or "success with this secondary removes a failure" or "exceeding this DC by X counts as two successes".
To be honest I suspect it was always there but either (a) they didn't tell us about it or (b) they didn't have it fully formalised and specced out.
I dunno, just the way it seems to me. Wouldn't be the first time I was wrong.
