D&D 4E Converting a 4e skill challenge to 5e: looking for suggestions...

[arjomanes]

I think a skill challenge was kind of like the outline of a series of tests/trials/quests. The missions in Tyranny of Dragons could have been combat encounters and skill challenges. I'd take the skill challenge as a rough outline, and then find a way to flesh it out.

So outline the scenarios, flesh them out a bit, and let the players tell you what they want to do to interact with the challenges.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Except for one thing: there is a skill challenge right before a major epic battle, where the PCs go around making war preparations (via skill checks) and if they succeed the skill challenge, they get Victory Points towards the outcome of the war.

I want to include this war preparation concept (which includes scouting locations, inspiring the troops, and recalling battle tactics) and I want the PCs to be able to earn the VP for doing well (so I don't want to just brush off the event) but I don't know how to handle determining successful planning outside of the skill challenge system.

Sound like side-quests, to me.

Actually play through scouting each location. One or more characters make stealth and perception checks, describe what they do, you describe what they see, they report back & you judge how useful the information they gleaned was and reward VP accordingly.

Inspiring the troops is an RP opportunity. Let one of the players give his best speech, assign a bonus or penalty to an appropriate skill check based on it, and dole out points depending on the RP and/or the modified roll. Obviously, a Bard can just hand out Inspiration - if the PCs will be participating in the battle, he could do so for "the troops" gaining a VP, instead of the usual use to give someone a die.

Battle tactics are just that - tactics. They don't have to be tactics that'd work mechanically, but if a player suggests good tactics, let him make a check to see if his character can 'recall' them. Again, you could award VP for the idea, or the successful roll modified by how good the idea was, or both.

 

[nomotog]

They have 2 days, so maybe give each player the ability to do two actions a day. One in the morning, and one after dark. (Advantages and disadvantages based on time of day.) If you have 4 players, then that is 4x4 16 attempts so trying to fit that around the old 10 successes before 3 fails model you can fudge it so players need 10 successful actions out of the 16 possoble in order to get the victory points. (You can also award half credit for getting close.) Then you can just have your players think of what kind of actions would be helpful. They can scout, booster moral, maybe set traps, make a pact with some local wood nymphs. Odds are that your players will surprise you with what they think of. Each action they complete successfully gives them a point to try and make it to ten. (You could depermin that an extra risky action adds two successes or a low risk only adds 1/2.)

 

[jgsugden]

If you like the 4E mechanic, there is no reason not to use it as is. Many people find that it limits the role playing and detracts from the storytelling in the game by making it a "choose which bonus to use" situation rather than a free form problem solving exercise, but I've seen the mechanic used well at times to tell fun stories.

 

[aramis erak]

If you like the 4E mechanic, there is no reason not to use it as is. Many people find that it limits the role playing and detracts from the storytelling in the game by making it a "choose which bonus to use" situation rather than a free form problem solving exercise, but I've seen the mechanic used well at times to tell fun stories.

The Climbing DC's are the primary reason it needs conversion. Other than the difference in DC's and the difference of skill lists, the mechanic itself works just fine.

 

[Remathilis]

This is what I came up with...

Battle Preparations

The adventurers' goal is to get the Collinwood rebels ready to fight! They have three days to do so. Each day, each PC can attempt one meaningful action. Each time they succeed, they earn one point. If they make 8 successes, they earn 1 VP. If they make 10, they earn 2 VP. Below is a list of actions they can take to prepare the Collinwood rebels.

Entertain the Troops: A character can use performance or proficiency in a musical instrument (DC 15) to put the rebel’s nerves as ease. This skill can be used to gain 2 successes. Casting Calm Emotions automatically grants 1 success.

Military Tactics: A character can use History (DC 11) to identify relevant lessons from past wars, to apply broad rules of strategy to the rebels' circumstances, or to draw up plans for rudimentary defenses based on what other people have done in the past. This skill can be used to gain 3 successes. Casting Augury automatically counts as 1 success.

Minister to the Faithful: A character can use Religion (DC 13) to conduct an invocation to the deities, to council fearful fighters, or to lead the Collinwooders in seeking divine favor in the battle to come. This skill can be used to gain 2 successes. Casting Bless automatically counts as 1 success.

Project Confidence: A character can use Intimidate (DC 15) to project self-confidence and competence, to challenge uncertain rebel leaders and push them to do better, or to reassure nervous rebels by making light of the threat posed by the Iron Circle attack. This skill can be used to gain 3 successes. Casting Enthrall automatically counts as 1 success.

Rally the Troops: A character can use Persuasion (DC 13) to convince certain rebel factions to put themselves under Mathew Bishops’ overall command, to smooth personal rivalries and jealousies, or to persuade certain rebel bands to take on tasks that are particularly dangerous, difficult, or unpleasant. This skill can be used to gain 3 successes. Casting Suggestion automatically counts as 1 success.

Scout the Battlefield: A character can use Nature (DC 13) to study potential battlegrounds, to anticipate weather conditions, or to supervise camouflage efforts. This skill can be used to gain 3 successes. Using Primeval Awareness automatically counts as 1 success.

Other Actions: PCs can try to use other actions they can think of, such as aiding in getting supplies, training rebels in basic drilling, or spy on enemy troops. Most of these should be either a DC 15 skill check or require some form of magic or class ability if they wish to earn a success. Some actions may seem helpful, but aren’t (Arcana to determine optimal spell placement is mostly wasted, there are no casters among the rebels) and some could be detrimental (Carousing before the battle, open contempt for the leadership, picking fights) which can subtract successes.

 

[epithet]

Rather than giving your players a menu of tasks to choose from, I would set out the scenario and give them the intel I wanted them to have on the approaching enemy, then simply ask each of them what they want to do and how long they plan to spend doing it. Maybe suggest half-day or full-day efforts. Let them come up with the ideas.

For each effort, give them a die roll based on a skill or stat. If they're using a spell, let them add their proficiency bonus to their spellcasting stat bonus. Set a reasonable DC and for each half-day give them 1 VP for a success, 2 VP if they exceed the DC by 5 or more. If they really get into it and come up with something creative, either give them an automatic success or add a point per half-day.

When the battle finally happens, make sure you describe the fruits of their efforts, then recap them again when you describe the outcome. Make them feel as if the battle were won or lost by their successes or failures in preparation.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Those DCs remind me how odd Bounded Accuracy feels sometimes, which isn't useful, but it did make me think about an Everyman just plugging away, making his +0 Military Tactics roll to get 3 successes on about 6 rolls... and that reminded me:

What about consequences for failure? Are you going to the 'before 3 failures thing?' Or will you have failed checks of each kind do something else negative? Cancel successes?

 

[epithet]

I was imagining a series of victory thresholds, like 10 VP gives one outcome, 15 another, 20 might be a complete victory.

Taking Tony's idea of negative VP for failures, though, you could have your end result be based on whether the VP total was positive or negative at the end of the battle. If it's zero, your party gets one more die roll!

If you want to put a little more imagination into it, for each of your PCs' efforts you can assign a benefit or a consequence. For example, a failed effort to fortify a wall might result in a favorite NPC leading a force to hold the resulting breach at the cost of his own life. A failed effort to reconnoiter the enemy might lead to the capture and interrogation of a scout, giving the enemy knowledge of a weakness in the defenses.

 

[Remathilis]

Those DCs remind me how odd Bounded Accuracy feels sometimes, which isn't useful, but it did make me think about an Everyman just plugging away, making his +0 Military Tactics roll to get 3 successes on about 6 rolls... and that reminded me:

What about consequences for failure? Are you going to the 'before 3 failures thing?' Or will you have failed checks of each kind do something else negative? Cancel successes?

They make one roll a day, success is +1, failure is +0. They have to make the requisite number in total before times up.

So a group of 5 PCs get 15 rolls, 3 each, 1 per day. They can do one of the suggested activities or come up with their own. (But they don't know the DCs nor the spell cheats before hand). After 3 days, tally up the successes; 8 gets 1 VP, 10 gets 2 VP. There is no penalty for failure other then not getting enough successes.

The idea was to remove the "3 strikes" rule since most of the time; it encourages "I give help" from people who don't have the highest skill. This way, failing just means you don't progress, rather than counting against them.

Oh, and the DCs are from the actual skill challenge. (Its for 3rd level PCs).