4e Skill Challenge playtest
Saishu_Heiki
First Post
"It was quite the extraordinary performance, he even mimicked Riardon's facial tic. I thought I was the only one who noticed that..."
Skamos looks towards the town gates ahead, his mouth drawing to a thin, tight line.
"But we may soon get a chance to repay the score..."
Skamos looks towards the town gates ahead, his mouth drawing to a thin, tight line.
"But we may soon get a chance to repay the score..."
Kathra's cheeks burned at the memory of waking up to find her comrades-in-arms leaning over her. The last she remembered was finding Riardon standing over Corrin's unconscious body; when she turned to call the others, she heard a scuffle, a sharp pain to the back of her head, and then darkness.
When Erias explained that a skin dancer had assumed the guise of the ranger and was tricking the party into splitting up to make them easier to defeat -- Corrin was on the mend but Riardon was in far dire straits -- Kathra was fuming inside; partly for falling for the ruse and partly for letting her comrades down.
She didn't have the tendency for sadistic imagery that Tira had; instead, she looked forward to salving her injured pride with the satisfying crunch of her warhammer as it ended the abomination's life.
Kathra scowled at the town gates. Now, all they had to do was find a shapeshifter in a town of complete strangers...
When Erias explained that a skin dancer had assumed the guise of the ranger and was tricking the party into splitting up to make them easier to defeat -- Corrin was on the mend but Riardon was in far dire straits -- Kathra was fuming inside; partly for falling for the ruse and partly for letting her comrades down.
She didn't have the tendency for sadistic imagery that Tira had; instead, she looked forward to salving her injured pride with the satisfying crunch of her warhammer as it ended the abomination's life.
Kathra scowled at the town gates. Now, all they had to do was find a shapeshifter in a town of complete strangers...
LostSoul
Adventurer
Very nice!
Let's get into the rules. This is what I'm thinking about going with; any suggestions for changes are very much welcomed. If everything's cool, try and let me know too, okay?
1. The DM declares the goal of the skill challenge to the group for open negotiation. The group discusses if the goal is acceptable. The DM has final authority over what the goal is going to be. He decides what the DC for the skill challenge is, and how many successes are needed before a set number of failures for overall success in the skill challenge.
2. The DM sets up the initial opening scene with a masterful display of prose.
Then he asks for initiative checks.
3. Players, in initiative order, role-play the actions their characters are taking. Players can choose to delay their turn, like the normal Delay action from 3.5.
4. The DM determines if the task (the described action + skill check) is Easy, Normal, or Hard. He then compares the result of the skill check to a set DC and determines failure or success.
Success:
The DM reveals failure or success for the task. Someone narrates what success at that task means in the game world. Doesn't have to be the DM, or even the player who rolled the skill check. The DM has final authority over what is narrated.
Success or failure is added to the tally, and if the success or failure threshold for the overall skill challenge has been reached, the DM reveals this. Someone narrates the outcome of the skill challenge, with the DM having final authority:
Any thoughts?
Let's get into the rules. This is what I'm thinking about going with; any suggestions for changes are very much welcomed. If everything's cool, try and let me know too, okay?
1. The DM declares the goal of the skill challenge to the group for open negotiation. The group discusses if the goal is acceptable. The DM has final authority over what the goal is going to be. He decides what the DC for the skill challenge is, and how many successes are needed before a set number of failures for overall success in the skill challenge.
2. The DM sets up the initial opening scene with a masterful display of prose.
3. Players, in initiative order, role-play the actions their characters are taking. Players can choose to delay their turn, like the normal Delay action from 3.5.
- The active player states, out-of-character, the skill they are going to roll.
- The DM can object to the skill if he feels it doesn't match up with the role-played description. He gives the player another chance to pick another skill or change his character's action. If the player is stuck, he can decide to Delay.
- Once the skill has been approved, the player makes a skill check.
4. The DM determines if the task (the described action + skill check) is Easy, Normal, or Hard. He then compares the result of the skill check to a set DC and determines failure or success.
- Easy and Normal - a success is added to the tally.
- Hard - a success is added, and another skill check gets a +2 bonus to the roll.
- Easy - two failures are added to the tally.
- Normal and Hard - one failure is added to the tally.
Success or failure is added to the tally, and if the success or failure threshold for the overall skill challenge has been reached, the DM reveals this. Someone narrates the outcome of the skill challenge, with the DM having final authority:
- A full success (no failures) means the stated goal comes to pass.
- A partial success (some failures) means that the stated goal comes to pass, but there is some sort of complication; or, the stated goal is only partially completed.
- A partial failure (some successes) means that the stated goal does not come to pass, but there is some sort of concession.
- A full failure (no successes) means that the goal does not come to pass, and there is no concession.
Any thoughts?
Last edited:
OOC: This will be my OOC color.
The skill challenges preview is up at the Wizards site!
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4ex/20080505a
The skill challenges preview is up at the Wizards site!
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4ex/20080505a
Graf
Explorer
I admit that I've read the wotc article so that may be coloring my response.
Having said that
1. I think we should skip rolling intitiative. It doesn't make much sense in this context, isn't supported by anything from the wotc rules exerpts (that I know of) and inititative is physical intitative anyway. You're speed drawing a sword doesn't seem like it would really have any bearing on your actual speed. Certain actions will just take different amounts of time anyway.
2. I don't think that "easy" checks should involve two failures. If they're easy then missing the check is penalty enough (given that we have to get a finite number of successes in a limited time). I'm pretty sure that a +2 for a hard check isn't comisserate with two failures anyway.
I appreciate what you're aiming for with the clearly stated results section I think.
The wotc page seems to focus on the idea that even failure doesn't "end" the game, so I think that even if we fail then we should still author an ending of some sort (even if it's a significant setback).
Having said that
1. I think we should skip rolling intitiative. It doesn't make much sense in this context, isn't supported by anything from the wotc rules exerpts (that I know of) and inititative is physical intitative anyway. You're speed drawing a sword doesn't seem like it would really have any bearing on your actual speed. Certain actions will just take different amounts of time anyway.
2. I don't think that "easy" checks should involve two failures. If they're easy then missing the check is penalty enough (given that we have to get a finite number of successes in a limited time). I'm pretty sure that a +2 for a hard check isn't comisserate with two failures anyway.
I appreciate what you're aiming for with the clearly stated results section I think.
The wotc page seems to focus on the idea that even failure doesn't "end" the game, so I think that even if we fail then we should still author an ending of some sort (even if it's a significant setback).
Saishu_Heiki
First Post
I will use Olive Drab for my OOC!
I used Initiative in my demos more to ensure that everyone had a chance to act then to actually represent the speed of people's reactions. Everyone here should be capable of not jumping on other's actions, so I think it is completely optional here.
It looks like Easy checks are possibly only available after a different check has been made, but that could be an aberration based on the one skill challenge they showed. Also, two failures for failing an Easy check makes the challenge really swingy, so I am not a big fan of that.
Other than that, I am ready to get going!
I used Initiative in my demos more to ensure that everyone had a chance to act then to actually represent the speed of people's reactions. Everyone here should be capable of not jumping on other's actions, so I think it is completely optional here.
It looks like Easy checks are possibly only available after a different check has been made, but that could be an aberration based on the one skill challenge they showed. Also, two failures for failing an Easy check makes the challenge really swingy, so I am not a big fan of that.
Other than that, I am ready to get going!
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