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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mesh Hong" data-source="post: 4847719" data-attributes="member: 73463">The following is a skill challenge I used recently for my group of 6 level 16 characters (note: at this point in the adventure they had lost all their magical items and had fought a series of encounters without them, their stolen magical items are behind the door) The Gate of Anguish (inside the Ziggurat of Kurrel)(Rated as above standard difficulty - 9600 xp - equivalent to level 17 encounter for this group) Trapped and multiple locked door skill challenge The PCs approach a massive set of metal doors, as they move in a solid wall of shadow moves in behind them, trapping them in a ten foot by forty foot area. Their only option is to open the ominous looking doors, and as they draw nearer they hear multiple grinding and clicking sounds. Four sections of the door start to rotate, fill with liquid, glow, hum or have strange pictograms on metal plates spin into position. It looks like if they don’t act quickly something bad is going to happen…. The set of doors is separated into four quarters each with its own set of puzzles or tasks to perform, and each has its own name plaque attached. Lock 1: The 3 KeyholesLock 2: The Path of KurrelLock 3: The Resolve of the Master ThiefLock 4: The Mind of a Killer Every 4 rounds, each active lock generates an attack from the door: Lock 1: Burst of needles; attacks each PC; Attack +21 vs. Reflex; 2d6+7 damage; on hit target takes 10 ongoing poison damage (save ends) Lock 2: Searing Light; attacks each PC;Attack +20 vs. Fortitude; 3d6+7 radiant damage Lock 3: Spectral Assault; shadowy figure appears and strikes each PCAttack +21 vs. AC; 2d10+7 necrotic damage; on hit target loses a healing surge Lock 4: Mind Bomb; psychic assault on the brain of each PCAttack +17 vs. Will; 2d6+6 psychic damage; on hit target takes a -2 penalty to their next skill check. Once all the locks have been defeated the door opens revealing the room beyond. Lock 1: The Three Keyholes  Level 16; standard DC 27; 4 successes required, resets to 0 successes on 3 failures A series of 3 key holes, each slightly more elaborate than the last. These are rotating and vibrating making them more difficult to pick. If 3 fails are reached before 4 successes everyone hears the demoralising sound of all the locks clicking back to their locked positions as the door section resets. Primary (each required)Thievery DC25; First keyhole, one success required; 1 success or 1 failThievery DC26; Second keyhole, one success required; 1 success or 1 failThievery DC28; Third keyhole, two successes required; 1 success or 1 fail SecondaryAthletics DC 24; hold a lock steady as it rotates to grant an ally a +2 bonus to their next thievery check for that lock; +2 bonus or 1 failArcana DC 25; Magically weaken a lock to grant an ally a +1 bonus to their next thievery check for that lock; +1 bonus or -2 penalty Lock 2: The Path of Kurrel  Level 16; standard DC 27; 4 successes required, resets to 0 successes on 3 failures A strange series of pictogram based puzzles that are hard to decipher. Once understood they appear to be based around the Kurrel tenants of Jealousy, Theft and Revenge but it will still take some keen insight to understand their correct order. If 3 fails are reached before 4 successes then everyone sees the puzzle pieces magically change to a new and different set as the door section resets. RequiredInsight or Religion DC 20; required to understand the pictograms on the puzzle lock, allows a character to attempt to solve the lock on subsequent turns; success required before other skills may be used PrimaryReligion DC 27; select the next correct puzzle section; 1 success or 1 failInsight DC 28; select the next correct puzzle section; 1 success or 1 fail SecondaryDiplomacy or Intimidate DC 20; Explain the workings of the lock to an ally to grant them a bonus to their required Insight or Religion check; +2 bonus or no effectHistory DC 24; Grant an ally a +2 bonus to an Insight or Religion check for solving the puzzle; +2 bonus or -2 penaltyThievery DC 24; Examine the lock to grant an ally a +1 bonus to an Insight or Religion check for solving the lock; +1 bonus or 1 fail Lock 3: The Resolve of the Master Thief Level 16; standard DC 27; 4 successes required, resets to 0 successes on 3 failures A set of physical tasks to be performed, there is a heavy lever to be pulled down requiring strength, a metal ring to be negotiated around a curved metal wire without the two touching requiring dexterity, a spiked rod to pull out and hold requiring endurance and a small handle inside a deep hole to pull requiring stealth. If 3 fails are reached before 4 successes each part of the mechanism resets requiring each task to be performed again. Primary (each required)Athletics DC 27; Apply enough force to pull down a lever, one success required; 1 success or 1 failAcrobatics DC 27; Manoeuvre a metal ring around a twisting track without touching the sides, one success required; 1 success or 1 failEndurance DC 27; Pull out and hold a jagged metal rod that is rotating painfully in your grip, one success required; 1 success or 1 fail and 10 damageStealth DC 27; Carefully reach into a dark hole and pull a handle, one success required; 1 success or 1 fail and lose a healing surge Lock 4: The Mind of a Killer Level 13; standard DC 25; 4 successes required, resets to 0 successes on 3 failures A series of tasks requiring knowledge, you must identify; 3 kill points on a humanoid body, the creature a particular poison gland comes from, the weakness of a particular aberration and the attack strengths of a particular magical beast. If 3 fails are reached before 4 successes then everyone sees the puzzle pieces magically change as the section of the door resets. Primary (each required)Heal DC 25; Correctly identify 3 kill points on a humanoid body; 1 success or 1 failNature DC 25; Correctly identify from what creature a particular poison gland is from; 1 success or 1 failDungeoneering DC 25; Correctly identify the weakness of a particular aberration; 1 success or 1 failArcana DC 25; Correctly identify the attack strengths of a particular magical beast; 1 success or 1 fail SecondaryPerception DC 28; Grant an ally a +1 bonus to their next Heal, Nature, Dungeoneering or Arcana check; +1 bonus or -2 penaltyInsight DC 28; Grant an ally a +1 bonus to their next Heal, Nature, Dungeoneering or Arcana check; +1 bonus or -2 penalty   I was pretty happy with this skill challenge, it was varied and quite exciting due to the obvious (and damaging) time restraints.</blockquote>

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