Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 7208348" data-attributes="member: 20323">I've run a rappelling descent as a "skill challenge" in 4e. There was no time pressure. There was risk of combat during the climb, but no actual combat occurred in my case (due to rolls on random tables).The key is to get really specific about your scenario. It's not a "climbing challenge." Don't stop there. It's "The Ascent to the Fallen Shrine of Terithran, up the Sandstone Cliffs of Insanity Riddled with Ankheg Burrows." And don't stop there either.What sort of challenges & meaningful choices are unique to your location? And what challenges do you foresee as being unique to the approach/strategy your party is taking?For example – you have a PC who can fly. "Difficult chinsy handholds and crumbling rock" isn't going to mean a lot to that PC. However, strong winds echoing with the call of sirens might blow them off or lure them into flying away. Alternately, you could have a chimney crack or similar tight space the PCs need to traverse to reach an old dwarven gate (which easy access was lost to due to an earthquake centuries ago); sure the flying PC can flying up and over the chimney crack, but that means being separated from the party until they make it through whatever tunnel lies beyond the dwarven gate. Do they want to do that? Maybe they're a chaotic type and they're fine with it? Great! That's when you can have them run into the harpy nest! Or if they decide to stay the course with the rest of the party, flying up the chimney crack, well in that cramped space falling rocks are going to be just as dangerous to the flying PC as everyone else.Normally, when I design scenarios like this, I go back to paper-and-pencil, sketching out a rough schematic map.There's a lot more points I can add (e.g. about "sight-lines" being both foreshadowing & reward, or designing in 3-dimensions), but that's a good starting point for you.EDIT: Also, don't think of a climb as "up a cliff face and done." That can work if your specific scenario calls for it, but I think drawing on real-life mountaineering is more interesting – you're going up and sometimes down, you're route-finding, you're on the lookout for terrain hazards like avalanches & rock fall, you're looking for the next place to put your anchors and where to begin the next pitch of the climb, you're commenting on views with friends and trying to assess where you've been & where you're going, you're noticing signs of past mountaineers, you're thinking about rappelling down, and if it's an extended journey you're thinking about where to rest.</blockquote>

Verification