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<blockquote data-quote="OnlineDM" data-source="post: 5698375" data-attributes="member: 90804">Short answer: It's all up to the DM.In my own adventures, I tend to run skill challenges more as scenes. For an example, look at page 9 of my <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6875434/The%20Stolen%20Staff.pdf" target="_blank">Stolen Staff adventure</a>. Each scene requires just one or two skill checks, and then it's over. The DM can pick and choose which scenes to run, but this works just as well in cases where the scene is more linear.I like skill challenges where each skill check, success or failure, changes the state of the adventure. Then it becomes obvious whether the same skill will be useful again, or whether a PC can act again.The one exception I make is for in-combat skill challenges. See the in-combat skill challenge on page 18 of my <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6875434/Descent%20into%20Darkness.pdf" target="_blank">Descent Into Darkness adventure</a>. In that skill challenge, you can have a single PC working with the same skill turn after turn, or multiple PCs alternating with the same or different skills.If you have a static skill challenge like, &quot;Climb the Mountain. 4 successes before 3 failures. Primary skills: Athletics, Nature, Perception. Secondary skills: Dungeoneering, Endurance.&quot; Well, that's a lame skill challenge, in my opinion. I'm one of those DMs who doesn't like to announce &quot;You're in a skill challenge; here are the relevant skills.&quot; I prefer to say, &quot;Okay, here's the situation you're in. What do you want to do?&quot;If the players are at a total loss, I might offer suggestions. &quot;Well, you could try to sneak past the sleeping goblins with Stealth if you like, or you could try to run past them with Athletics or Endurance...&quot; If the player says, &quot;Can I use Perception?&quot; I'll say, &quot;Sure, you can try to take a close look at which goblins are sleeping lightly and make the Stealth check a little easier.&quot; But I won't say, &quot;X is a primary skill. Y is a secondary skill. Roll some dice.&quot;</blockquote>

[QUOTE="OnlineDM, post: 5698375, member: 90804"] Short answer: It's all up to the DM. In my own adventures, I tend to run skill challenges more as scenes. For an example, look at page 9 of my [URL="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6875434/The%20Stolen%20Staff.pdf"]Stolen Staff adventure[/URL]. Each scene requires just one or two skill checks, and then it's over. The DM can pick and choose which scenes to run, but this works just as well in cases where the scene is more linear. I like skill challenges where each skill check, success or failure, changes the state of the adventure. Then it becomes obvious whether the same skill will be useful again, or whether a PC can act again. The one exception I make is for in-combat skill challenges. See the in-combat skill challenge on page 18 of my [URL="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6875434/Descent%20into%20Darkness.pdf"]Descent Into Darkness adventure[/URL]. In that skill challenge, you can have a single PC working with the same skill turn after turn, or multiple PCs alternating with the same or different skills. If you have a static skill challenge like, "Climb the Mountain. 4 successes before 3 failures. Primary skills: Athletics, Nature, Perception. Secondary skills: Dungeoneering, Endurance." Well, that's a lame skill challenge, in my opinion. I'm one of those DMs who doesn't like to announce "You're in a skill challenge; here are the relevant skills." I prefer to say, "Okay, here's the situation you're in. What do you want to do?" If the players are at a total loss, I might offer suggestions. "Well, you could try to sneak past the sleeping goblins with Stealth if you like, or you could try to run past them with Athletics or Endurance..." If the player says, "Can I use Perception?" I'll say, "Sure, you can try to take a close look at which goblins are sleeping lightly and make the Stealth check a little easier." But I won't say, "X is a primary skill. Y is a secondary skill. Roll some dice." [/QUOTE]

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