mattcolville
Adventurer
A PC Hexblade is starting the game as a graduate of a college of Sorcery and I wanted to begin the game by rewinding the clock back to when he started at school and doing 4 years at University as a Skill Challenge.
I figured 8 successes was proper, breaking each Year up into 2 Semesters.
I'd like each Semester to have a specific subject or event. Not just a series of rolls, but some kind of narrative.
I want to give him the opportunity to get "back on track" if he fails, use some skills to grant a bonus to the next Semester's roll, etc...
The character's trained skills are:
Arcana (7) - I figure this is the bulk of the rolling. He's at a College of Sorcery. His personal goal is to unlock the secret of the floating Sky Elf cities which I could explain, but I feel is sorta self-explanatory. I think the best he should be able to do is get a hint of who might know. As this would be a revolutionary discovery.
Diplomacy (4) - I feel certain negotiation can play an important role here, but I'm not clear exactly what. Seems like the "come on, give me a second chance" style of thing? Or negotiate to gain admittance into a special program? That sounds goods.
Intimidate (9) - Like Diplomacy, I'm certain there's a dramatic use for something like this, perhaps intimidate a fellow student, or a professor who's being a dick, or some college admittance dude.
Stealth (7) - Certainly he should have the opportunity to cheat.
Or find out who's cheating off him, or trying to torpedo him.
History (5) - Seems to me like this is a useful skill to have in a University Skill Challenge and could be helpful in his goal of unlocking the secrets of the Floating Cities he's interested in.
I want to give him multiple levels of success, but I have only a rough idea what these are.
I like the idea that if he does well enough, his Professor will become a sort of ally.
If he does well enough, he graduates at the top of his class and gets a special Ring, a kind of Signet Ring, and the Theme "Graduate of the College of Sorcery." Which I've got a power worked out for.
I also liked the idea that he could enroll at the end for post-graduate work. Sort of a Traveller style of thing. But there would have to be some risk. It would be a Risk/Reward style of thing. Failure shouldn't mean, like...death or anything, in fact he should still get something if he fails, but also some kind of drawback like...I don't know, he loses an eye in a Wizard's duel and gains -1 to hit at range. That's an extreme example, but you get the idea. A limp and -1 movement. That style of thing.
The player would know that post-graduate work is dangerous.
So success would be some obvious benefit, failure would be a benefit and a drawback.
Some rough sketches of the personalities involved.
His professor is a sort of pre-Islami Arabic Wizard Prince named Mushafar el Arash.
There's a girl involved, but she's betrothed to another student, another nobleman. The PC is the son of a Baron. He gets the girl, so the other student is a Rival and that sounds good for some treachery.
I'm using this post to sort of work the ideas out as I ask for help, so any ideas are useful!
I figured 8 successes was proper, breaking each Year up into 2 Semesters.
I'd like each Semester to have a specific subject or event. Not just a series of rolls, but some kind of narrative.
I want to give him the opportunity to get "back on track" if he fails, use some skills to grant a bonus to the next Semester's roll, etc...
The character's trained skills are:
Arcana (7) - I figure this is the bulk of the rolling. He's at a College of Sorcery. His personal goal is to unlock the secret of the floating Sky Elf cities which I could explain, but I feel is sorta self-explanatory. I think the best he should be able to do is get a hint of who might know. As this would be a revolutionary discovery.
Diplomacy (4) - I feel certain negotiation can play an important role here, but I'm not clear exactly what. Seems like the "come on, give me a second chance" style of thing? Or negotiate to gain admittance into a special program? That sounds goods.
Intimidate (9) - Like Diplomacy, I'm certain there's a dramatic use for something like this, perhaps intimidate a fellow student, or a professor who's being a dick, or some college admittance dude.
Stealth (7) - Certainly he should have the opportunity to cheat.
Or find out who's cheating off him, or trying to torpedo him.History (5) - Seems to me like this is a useful skill to have in a University Skill Challenge and could be helpful in his goal of unlocking the secrets of the Floating Cities he's interested in.
I want to give him multiple levels of success, but I have only a rough idea what these are.
I like the idea that if he does well enough, his Professor will become a sort of ally.
If he does well enough, he graduates at the top of his class and gets a special Ring, a kind of Signet Ring, and the Theme "Graduate of the College of Sorcery." Which I've got a power worked out for.
I also liked the idea that he could enroll at the end for post-graduate work. Sort of a Traveller style of thing. But there would have to be some risk. It would be a Risk/Reward style of thing. Failure shouldn't mean, like...death or anything, in fact he should still get something if he fails, but also some kind of drawback like...I don't know, he loses an eye in a Wizard's duel and gains -1 to hit at range. That's an extreme example, but you get the idea. A limp and -1 movement. That style of thing.
The player would know that post-graduate work is dangerous.
So success would be some obvious benefit, failure would be a benefit and a drawback.
Some rough sketches of the personalities involved.
His professor is a sort of pre-Islami Arabic Wizard Prince named Mushafar el Arash.
There's a girl involved, but she's betrothed to another student, another nobleman. The PC is the son of a Baron. He gets the girl, so the other student is a Rival and that sounds good for some treachery.
I'm using this post to sort of work the ideas out as I ask for help, so any ideas are useful!
