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<blockquote data-quote="Man in the Funny Hat" data-source="post: 2989699" data-attributes="member: 32740">Regarding the setting of DC's you were on the right path, as it were, but working improperly from the top down.&nbsp; That is, you were starting with the maximum that you figured a _PC_ would be able to roll for the check.&nbsp; That's the wrong way to go about it.&nbsp; What you need to do is think of what a normal, average person could accomplish - what the MULES could accomplish.&nbsp; What chances does the mule or the mundane, lvl 1 NPC have in crossing this scree slope?&nbsp; THAT'S where you set the base DC.&nbsp; The problem after all is not can the PC's alone get across, but can they somehow safely get the entire pack train across and that has diddly to do with the _PC's_ skills and modifiers and everything to do with animals and NPC's skills and modifiers. From there you need to look at running the game from BOTH potential paths - the PC's proceed across, or the PC's turn and try and go around the obstacle.&nbsp; The CR then becomes based on how difficult it is to OVERCOME the obstacle - and that means overcoming it by crossing OR by going around it.&nbsp; Either is a perfectly valid solution to the problem/obstacle that the scree slope represents and the CR and associated XP award must be the same either way.&nbsp; It is therefore irrelevant HOW the PC's endeavor to cross the scree.&nbsp; That's THEIR problem - NOT YOURS.&nbsp; Yours is simply to determine A) if it's possible, B) if YOU can think of a reasonable way to do it that you will allow them to succeed with, and C) whether simply going around is comparable in difficulty and that it qualifies as a viable &quot;solution&quot; to the &quot;obstacle&quot;.Whether you PREFER one option over the other must not be a stumbling block to your plans.&nbsp; You MUST be able to handle the game REGARDLESS of what choice they make when you face them with this obstacle.&nbsp; If you really want them to go around - MAKE them go around.&nbsp; Don't even give them a choice about it.&nbsp; When you face them with a &quot;false choice&quot;, an obstacle that is so difficult and so dangerous that they really don't have a choice of even attempting it, then it seems like you're railroading them.&nbsp; Once you remove the false choice it seems more like plot development rather than beating them with a stick to make them keep to the rails.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Man in the Funny Hat, post: 2989699, member: 32740"] Regarding the setting of DC's you were on the right path, as it were, but working improperly from the top down. That is, you were starting with the maximum that you figured a _PC_ would be able to roll for the check. That's the wrong way to go about it. What you need to do is think of what a normal, average person could accomplish - what the MULES could accomplish. What chances does the mule or the mundane, lvl 1 NPC have in crossing this scree slope? THAT'S where you set the base DC. The problem after all is not can the PC's alone get across, but can they somehow safely get the entire pack train across and that has diddly to do with the _PC's_ skills and modifiers and everything to do with animals and NPC's skills and modifiers. From there you need to look at running the game from BOTH potential paths - the PC's proceed across, or the PC's turn and try and go around the obstacle. The CR then becomes based on how difficult it is to OVERCOME the obstacle - and that means overcoming it by crossing OR by going around it. Either is a perfectly valid solution to the problem/obstacle that the scree slope represents and the CR and associated XP award must be the same either way. It is therefore irrelevant HOW the PC's endeavor to cross the scree. That's THEIR problem - NOT YOURS. Yours is simply to determine A) if it's possible, B) if YOU can think of a reasonable way to do it that you will allow them to succeed with, and C) whether simply going around is comparable in difficulty and that it qualifies as a viable "solution" to the "obstacle". Whether you PREFER one option over the other must not be a stumbling block to your plans. You MUST be able to handle the game REGARDLESS of what choice they make when you face them with this obstacle. If you really want them to go around - MAKE them go around. Don't even give them a choice about it. When you face them with a "false choice", an obstacle that is so difficult and so dangerous that they really don't have a choice of even attempting it, then it seems like you're railroading them. Once you remove the false choice it seems more like plot development rather than beating them with a stick to make them keep to the rails. [/QUOTE]

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