Actual-play podcasts or videos of awesome skill challenges?

[OnlineDM]

I know that skill challenges are endlessly debated and analyzed. Lots of great ideas are out there to make them better. But all of the ideas I've seen have been in writing; more theoretical than anything else.

Can anyone point me toward actual-play podcasts or videos that include awesome skill challenges? For instance, are there any skill challenges in the games that Chris Perkins ran for the Robot Chicken writers or Acquisitions Incorporated? I know that Icosahedrophilia does actual-play podcasts; are there any especially well-done skill challenges in there?

I ask because I have my own thoughts about good twists on skill challenges, and I'm curious to see how the people who do it well have run their challenges.

 

[Feetz]

I would really like to see this too. Especially an instance where a skill challenge was part of a combat encounter.

 

[pemerton]

I'll leave others to judge the awesomeness or otherwise, but I've had several actual play posts over the past few months. Here is the most recent.

 

[OnlineDM]

Thanks, Pemerton! Are there particular podcasts where skill challenges have been run that you felt went particularly well? That's what I'm specifically looking for.

 

[Madaxemat]

Hi,

I've posted elsewhere on this forum that my favorite actual play podcast is The Thursday Knights. This group has a very heavy roleplay/narrtive focus and make skill challegnes a big part of their play.

Thought recently they've adopted a new skill challenge system, in which the players success are tracked on a board and they move along this board by the number of success they make. (it works for their style but i'm not sure i'd adopt it).

The best examples of which are :

Episode 12: Doom Island where the party descover a large molevalnt sea creature that attempts to sink their boat.

and

Episode 75: Buried in the past which uses their new skill challenge system in which the party is trapped inside the mind of a powerful psychic.

Hope this helps somewhat,

Matt

 

[wlmartin]

I know that skill challenges are endlessly debated and analyzed. Lots of great ideas are out there to make them better. But all of the ideas I've seen have been in writing; more theoretical than anything else.

Can anyone point me toward actual-play podcasts or videos that include awesome skill challenges? For instance, are there any skill challenges in the games that Chris Perkins ran for the Robot Chicken writers or Acquisitions Incorporated? I know that Icosahedrophilia does actual-play podcasts; are there any especially well-done skill challenges in there?

I ask because I have my own thoughts about good twists on skill challenges, and I'm curious to see how the people who do it well have run their challenges.

Have you looked at the Robot Chicken Podcast as there was a Skill Challenge in there.

It is on the Wizards Youtube Channel

Chris basically had them up against 2 skill challenges. One was to figure out the arcane magic behind an arcane balista and the other was to perform an Arcane Skill Challenge whilst being attacked by beasties

 

[OnlineDM]

Ah yes, I do recall those now. Okay, those were pretty straightforward, but Chris ran them well and made them entertaining. Thanks for the reminder!

 

[herrozerro]

Hi,

I've posted elsewhere on this forum that my favorite actual play podcast is The Thursday Knights. This group has a very heavy roleplay/narrtive focus and make skill challegnes a big part of their play.

Thought recently they've adopted a new skill challenge system, in which the players success are tracked on a board and they move along this board by the number of success they make. (it works for their style but i'm not sure i'd adopt it).

The best examples of which are :

Episode 12: Doom Island where the party descover a large molevalnt sea creature that attempts to sink their boat.

and

Episode 75: Buried in the past which uses their new skill challenge system in which the party is trapped inside the mind of a powerful psychic.

Hope this helps somewhat,

Matt

I have to agree TK is my favorite as well. Though I suspect the reason their skill challenges go so well is also die to the players themselves as much as the DM.

Another good challenge is the first episode. the assault on the temple of elemental evil. Awesome Chalenge.

 

[jshaft37]

I have to agree TK is my favorite as well. Though I suspect the reason their skill challenges go so well is also die to the players themselves as much as the DM.

Another good challenge is the first episode. the assault on the temple of elemental evil. Awesome Chalenge.

Was just about to post the same thing. The first episode mass battle is very interesting. I wish the DM would post a summary of the challenge and the mass combat rules he used.

 

[herrozerro]

Was just about to post the same thing. The first episode mass battle is very interesting. I wish the DM would post a summary of the challenge and the mass combat rules he used.

You are in luck, I emailed them a while ago and he gave me a link to a resource:

ThursdayKnights.com/resources/Episode%201%20-%20War%20for%20the%20Temple.pdf