Help me find examples of skill-based situations for the PCs to solve?

[Alex1983]

So, I'm DMing a DnD 3.5 game for the first time, (only did 1 session) and I want to include opportunities for players to use all the different skills to make the game more involved. I'm thinking about different situations in which skill checks are key, what I would really like would be something like a random skill based encounter table. Here is what I have so far. Any suggestions?

Appraise
Someone insists on selling something, but the pc’s are not sure whether it is as good a deal as the seller says.

Balance
The pc’s have to cross a rope bridge of some kind, perhaps while being attacked.

Bluff
A powerful giant (or other creature) finds the adventurers and wants to eat them or get something in return. They might be able to trick the giant and get away.

Climb
A child has climbed up somewhere dangerous like a tree or a building and cannot get down safely. The family is looking for some kind of help.

Decipher Script
Something important for the locals has disappeared, the only thing they find is a note left behind written in an ancient strange form of writing by the mysterious thieves.

Diplomacy
Two local young men get into a violent fight. They might listen to an able mediator.
Someone they meet on the road is unnecessarily aggressive to them for some reason and wants to start a fight.

Gather Information
An opportunity to gain info about a quest, an important place or person.

Handle Animal
Calm a giant animal who is angry and confused for some reason and is behaving destructively in a populated area.

Heal
They meet some creature who is diseased or poisoned and asks them if they can help it.

Hide
Some powerful creature is approaching and might attack if it sees the adventurers.

Knowledge
They meet someone with a magical curse asks the pc’s if they know a cure.

Listen
An invisible pixie taunts the adventurers and decides to play a game in which they have to detect where she is. If they lose she might play some kind of trick on them.

Move Silently
A sleeping giant is close by and will awake unless the pc’s move silently.

Open Lock
Some important key has been lost in a populated area and the owner needs someone to open the door without breaking the lock.

Perform
Strange mischievous apparitions from another plane are looking for fun in a populated area and are causing havoc. They might be pleased if the pc’s entertain them with a good performance.

Ride
Some theif steals a horse and can only be caught by an able rider.

Search
Some elderly person has lost a key in a muddy dark area like a well or a pigsty, and is looking for someone to help them find it.

Sense Motive
A fey (or another intelligent playful creature) decides to play a trick on the pc’s and tells them to set out on some invented quest, unless the pc’s can sense that it is a trick.

Sleight Of Hand
The pc’s happen to find themselves in a situation in which with a successful sleight of hand check they can hide some small object that might be incriminating for them or some ally.

Spot
A powerful wild creature is sleeping, if the pc’s don’t see it they will disturb it and it will attack.
Some enemy is spotted in the distance going to attack a town or heading back to their camp.
An enemy is following the pc’s and waiting for an appropriate moment to attack if not spotted first.

Survival
A magical talking animal says he might be able to help the pc’s if they can bring it some special food (rabbits, pheasants, or a special type of fruit).
An unnatural storm hits while the town the pc’s are in is attacked. The magical storm doesn’t affect the attackers but the pc’s have to pass survival checks to move and defend themselves.
Someone or something steals something from the pc’s camp at night, the only way the can find the thief is to track them in the morning.

Swim
A helpless commoner or noble is drowning in a body of water of some sort and needs help.
Some important object has been lost in a river or lake and needs to be found.
The pc’s fall into a water pit trap, quicksand, or some other body of water and might drown.

Use Rope
They need to cross a river and might be able to successfully attach the rope on something on the other side with a successful rope check.

 

[Alex1983]

I edited and changed the font, maybe it's visible now?? It's weird because I can see it...

 

[GMMichael]

I'm thinking about different situations in which skill checks are key, what I would really like would be something like a random skill based encounter table.

Great ideas! These would all make for great encounters.

One caution though: your players might cough up the word "railroad." If a situation comes up and you tell the players that only one skill with resolve it, they will 1) feel like they're playing a game, instead of roleplaying, and 2) feel like they have lost their player-agency to solve the problem in their own way.

You might try a slightly different approach: instead of choosing the skills that work, choose the skills that DON'T work. Namely, combat. In each situation, decide why resorting to the blade would be detrimental to the PCs' cause. Then let them choose the skills they want to use.

 

[Koloth]

Don't lock the PCs into a single solution. In the Horse Thief = Ride check example, A PC might use Rope Use to lasso the thief. Or Acrobatics + Jump to knock the thief off the horse. Or Handle Animal to convince the horse to stop. While not exactly a skill use, some version of Charm Critter spell to stop the horse and/or thief, maybe requiring a Concentration check to cast while on a pursuing horse. Don't overlook skills like Craft Armor/Weapon to keep those suits of chain in top shape and those swords sharp.

 

[Alex1983]

Ok, I should be careful not to limit pc's arbitrarily and railroad them or stifle their creativity, those are valid points that I should I keep in mind.