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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Loincloth of Armour" data-source="post: 5010949" data-attributes="member: 28201">This is more difficult to do, but not impossible. Think of the skill challenge as consisting of 2 stages, each with a set of skills that are relevant for that stage. ie: Stage 1: get the ghost calm enough to tell the party where the 'children' are buried. Stage 2: work on the rocks to free the 'children.' Divide the successes of the challenge between the the two scenes. Ie: for a type 2 challenge (6 successes before 3 failures), the party needs 2 successes to complete Stage 1, then they move on to Stage 2, where they need 4 successes to win the challenge. As for the skills, don't ask, "Which skills can be used?", because players will surprise you with weird uses of skills. Instead ask, "Which skills really can't be used at this stage, no matter what?" (And even then, they might really amaze you.) Acrobatics: Stage 1: uesless. Stage 2: difficult, but maybe a player can leap to someone's aid when the rocks get surprisingly heavier.  Arcana: Useless in both. Athletics: Stage 1: useless. Stage 2: Quite useful. Bluff: Stage 1: possible use to calm down ghost mom so she can tell party where the 'kids' are. Stage 2: possible use in keeping ghost mom from hysterics when rocks shift around 'kids'. I'd make the DC on both Stages harder than Diplomacy, since ghost mom is too distraught to worry about sly words. Maximum of 2 successes. Diplomacy: Same as bluff. Lower DC. Dungeoneering: Stage 1: unlikely, unless players are clever. Stage 2: Useful to recognize lever points, how rocks shift, cave-in procedures, etc.  Option: 1 success at easy DC can remove 1 failure, as you set up braces and supports: 1 use of this option only. Endurance: Stage 1: unlikely. Stage 2: Quite useful. Heal: As the ghosts are already dead, not very useful. History: No go. Reading about famous land slides in the past will not assist the party here. Intimidate: Similar to Bluff. Bonus to check if the party can show if it is strong and tough, thus more likely to move rocks. Insight: Stage 1: 'mom' is telling the truth (as it is). Stage 2: not useful.  1 success max. Nature: Stage 1: cooberating 'mom's story. Cutting through wilds to reach rock slide sooner. Stage 2: Like Dungeoneering, but harder DC since rock slides and stuff is more focused on Dungeoneering skill. Perception: Stage 1: Less useful. Stage 2: Note change in rock type as they move more rocks. Seeing which rocks could be safely moved. 1 success max. Religion: Stage 1 and 2: calm 'mother' with promise of gods help. No more than 1 success possible this way. Stealth: Stage 1: useless. Stage 2: Allow for careful movement on top of pile of stone, allows for new perch and ability to move otherwise difficult to reach stones. Theivery: Stage 1: useless. Stage 2: Similiar to Dungeoneering.  To keep the 'reveal' from people, get them busy as well. Don't let the Invoker do nothing but try Insight on the ghost, get him/her invovled by proding, "The rock pile is unstable, but you see a bunch you can move from up top. If you could only get up there you might be able to make things easier for others." Give the ones not physically moving rocks hints as to what they could do. Prompt them for action, "The mother is begging you for help. Are you just going to stand there?" If the challenge is just "moving rocks that get heavier each time a rock is moved", then yes, it won't be much fun. Add more 'layers' to the challange, and more 'things' for the party to do to get success, and fun will be had by all.</blockquote>

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