Krenshar Ambush Detection (skill challenge)

[dangerous jack]

Last night's session involved a simple skill challenge to determine whether the PCs were surprised by a Krenshar ambush as they travelled on a merchant's wagon through a field filled with massive boulders. I'm actually quite happy with the result, so thought I'd share.

There was a cold driving rain, so I told the group they would all have to make moderate Endurance checks to avoid fatigue, but that they could get a bonus to this check by huddling up on the wagon (with the merchant and other passengers) and sacrificing the ability to make a subsequent Perception (general scanning for movement) and/or Nature (identifying recent tracks, changes in bird calls, etc.) checks. Sacrificing one check, and huddling a little, gave a +3 bonus to Endurance. Sacrificing both checks, and huddling a lot, gave a +5 bonus to the Endurance check. And they all had to declare before anyone rolled.

Endurance check results:

• Critical Fail (miss by 10+ or natural 1): -2 healing surges & -3 to Perception/Nature
• Fail: -1 healing surge & -3 to Perception/Nature
• Critical Success (pass by 10+ or natural 20): +3 to Perception/Nature

Perception/Nature results:

• Successes < half party size: all are surprised except those that made one of the checks
• Successes >= half party size: none are surprised
• Successes > party size: none are surprised, those with successes in both perception & nature surprise the enemy

And how did it work out for my party of 3 PCs?

• The half-elf paladin of Kord embraced the storm and managed a critical success on the Endurance roll, and subsequently used the +3 to Perception & Nature to gain 1 success.
• The halfling rogue huddled up on the wagon, foregoing both Perception & Nature, and used the +5 to barely make Endurance check.
• The dragonborn cleric clutched his cloak around him and kept his head down, trying to keep an eye out for tracks but not generally looking about. He made the Endurance check and the Nature check for 1 success.

2 successes, which was greater than half the party size, so they noticed some muddy paw prints on a nearby giant boulder seconds before the Krenshars appeared and had time to call a warning. None of them were surprised.

Of course, after that I couldn't manage to hit the PCs for the life of me, but at least the Krenshars managed to frighten 1 of 2 horses so badly that it broke its harness and ran off into the storm, and the two NPC guards were brought to within a few hp of negative bloodied before the PCs used resources to save them.

I was glad to see 2 of the PCs by tempted by the siginificant bonuses to Endurance to give up on Perception/Nature, and equally glad to see the Paladin of Kord do some great roleplaying (backed up by a great roll). I might consider changing the bonuses to +2/+5 (more in line with standard bonuses) in the future.

 

[Quickleaf]

Neat feel to the scenario. Having used Krenshar extensively in my last game, your setup makes me happy.

Actually, I could see applying this "complex group skill check" idea for other situations between a full-blown skill challenge and a single skill check.

 

[dangerous jack]

Neat feel to the scenario. Having used Krenshar extensively in my last game, your setup makes me happy.

I love Krenshar, and have made them sacred to Vecna in my game, so the PCs may encounter them again.

Actually, I could see applying this "complex group skill check" idea for other situations between a full-blown skill challenge and a single skill check.

I haven't been happy with any traditional skill challenge I've played in or run. The worst being the ongoing one in Dark Sun Encounters, where I just rolled an easy Endurance each turn until I was so bored that I started making sub-optimal choices, just to see if different skills would have a different effect, and ended up losing healing surges for my trouble :-(.

But this semi-skill challenge engaged the players and myself, so I plan on adapting and expanding on it in the future. Moving through a hostile city might require Stealth from everyone and Streetwise from one (to plan the route) with options for scouting ahead (Acrobatics to be stealthy AND quick, Perception to spot opportunities).

(Thanks for the comments)

 

[Quickleaf]

I love Krenshar, and have made them sacred to Vecna in my game, so the PCs may encounter them again.

Cool. IMC they were being bred by a tyrant as war "hounds" with a chilling penchant for killing their trainers with their baying.

But this semi-skill challenge engaged the players and myself, so I plan on adapting and expanding on it in the future. Moving through a hostile city might require Stealth from everyone and Streetwise from one (to plan the route) with options for scouting ahead (Acrobatics to be stealthy AND quick, Perception to spot opportunities).

Stealth and scouting are two great examples of how this could apply to a broader range of common adventuring party tasks. Setting up camp or guard-duty would be another.

Actually, for your example, it would be neat to include an option for relative positioning at the start of the encounter. Either this could be part of the Nature/Perception check or it could be another "dial" on the SC (like how you have Endurance working).

Overall, it's a cool idea.

 

[Tchoepi]

Brilliant idea, great execution, congrats! I bow my head in front of You.