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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MarauderX" data-source="post: 5357671" data-attributes="member: 9990">Overall this BBEG, his stronghold, and the array of inhabitants is very much a sub-plot that would take a lot of combats with scads of encounters.  The creatures are generally lower level than the party, but they are numerous and like any BBEG would do, put there to slow and wear out the party.  The idea, from the higher campaign aspect, is to move the plot along each session, and not to get bogged down with having to wade through each and every encounter of a fully operational stronghold, let alone figure out what to do with a bugbear harem, etc.  More of what I am looking for:  The skill challenges wouldn't be about the battles; they would be more about factors other than the creatures they are fighting: swim through underwater entrance (Endurance, Athletics), battle with terrain disadvantages (Athletics, Acrobatics), being surpised (Perception, Stealth), traps (Thievery, Arcana, Dungeoneering), vast numbers of enemies (Insight, Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Streetwise to bottleneck them, etc.), interrogate for insight into the next challenge (Insight, Intimidate), secret passages (Dungeoneering, History, Perception), find & release prisoners (Perception, Nature), bypass guard animals (Nature, Stealth), acquire keys from cryptic puzzles (Religion, History, Insight, Arcana), hold open door for others long enough to pass through (Endurance, Thievery), finding spots for short rests between fights (Dungeoneering, History, Perception) and perhaps more.  On top of that, daily powers wouldn't be taken away, but reserved for the players to use if they see a way to simply get an automatic success (such as dropping an ice storm on a vast hoard of enemies).  With each check (or set of checks) there would be a primary skill roller and any who are aiding (using the revised rules for such).  They would be ones at risk for taking some damage or shielding others from taking it (like a fighter protecting a wizard as she helps him jump over a chasm while taking fire).  Since there doesn't seem to be anything anyone has seen and read this thread, I may derive something and post it in the 4E creation forum for some feedback.</blockquote>

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