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Is there any 5e love for skill challenges??
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<blockquote data-quote="iserith" data-source="post: 7290686" data-attributes="member: 97077"><p>At it's heart, a skill challenge is just a series of tests that make up a broader challenge. Each test can be something like an objection from an NPC or an obstacle in the environment.</p><p></p><p>Some of the core resolution mechanics in D&D 5e make it somewhat unsuitable for 4e-type skill challenges. For one, it's not an expectation that player ask to make checks in D&D 5e (nor should they want to in my view). Rather, they just state a fictional goal and approach and shoot for automatic success since the DM must first decide on uncertainty before calling for a check. Remove that uncertainty by way of describing what you want to do and you get an automatic success. It's unwise as I see it to push to make a skill check since the fickle d20 is nobody's friend.</p><p></p><p>Even so, the basic structure still works more or less as long as you allow for automatic success or automatic failure on each of the individual tests, based on what the players describe the characters as attempting to do. You just need to decide on the difficulty of the challenge - the number of successes to overcome the challenge before a set number of failures. The higher the number of successes relative to the number of failures sets the difficulty. You'll then need to set up objections or obstacles equal to the number of successes required plus the number of failures minus one. Those are the discrete tests you must present as part of the broader challenge. You can decide on the DC when the players have stated their goal and approach for each test. The victory and defeat conditions should be clear at the outset so the PCs can orient themselves properly and aim for a win and strive to avoid a loss. Generally speaking, I prefer success at a cost or success with a setback for the defeat condition.</p><p></p><p>Based on the circumstances, you may sketch out some ways the characters can get reliably get advantage when they want it. I often tie that to spending a resource - a bribe of gold to an NPC, a hit die to push just a little bit harder than usual, or something like that. Plus of course Inspiration. That will help them offset the difficulty of the challenge and is similar to the Advantages in a D&D 4e challenge.</p><p></p><p>And that's basically it. Presenting it still follows the basic conversation of the game: The DM describes the environment (the objection or obstacle). The players describe what they want to do. The DM narrates the result of the adventurers' actions. Repeat, until you come to a resolution.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?602005-Need-Advice-for-Running-Social-Skills&p=7289322&viewfull=1#post7289322" target="_blank">Here's a social interaction challenge structure</a> that may work for you as well.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="iserith, post: 7290686, member: 97077"] At it's heart, a skill challenge is just a series of tests that make up a broader challenge. Each test can be something like an objection from an NPC or an obstacle in the environment. Some of the core resolution mechanics in D&D 5e make it somewhat unsuitable for 4e-type skill challenges. For one, it's not an expectation that player ask to make checks in D&D 5e (nor should they want to in my view). Rather, they just state a fictional goal and approach and shoot for automatic success since the DM must first decide on uncertainty before calling for a check. Remove that uncertainty by way of describing what you want to do and you get an automatic success. It's unwise as I see it to push to make a skill check since the fickle d20 is nobody's friend. Even so, the basic structure still works more or less as long as you allow for automatic success or automatic failure on each of the individual tests, based on what the players describe the characters as attempting to do. You just need to decide on the difficulty of the challenge - the number of successes to overcome the challenge before a set number of failures. The higher the number of successes relative to the number of failures sets the difficulty. You'll then need to set up objections or obstacles equal to the number of successes required plus the number of failures minus one. Those are the discrete tests you must present as part of the broader challenge. You can decide on the DC when the players have stated their goal and approach for each test. The victory and defeat conditions should be clear at the outset so the PCs can orient themselves properly and aim for a win and strive to avoid a loss. Generally speaking, I prefer success at a cost or success with a setback for the defeat condition. Based on the circumstances, you may sketch out some ways the characters can get reliably get advantage when they want it. I often tie that to spending a resource - a bribe of gold to an NPC, a hit die to push just a little bit harder than usual, or something like that. Plus of course Inspiration. That will help them offset the difficulty of the challenge and is similar to the Advantages in a D&D 4e challenge. And that's basically it. Presenting it still follows the basic conversation of the game: The DM describes the environment (the objection or obstacle). The players describe what they want to do. The DM narrates the result of the adventurers' actions. Repeat, until you come to a resolution. [URL="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?602005-Need-Advice-for-Running-Social-Skills&p=7289322&viewfull=1#post7289322"]Here's a social interaction challenge structure[/URL] that may work for you as well. [/QUOTE]
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