Overland travel as a skill challenge

[the-golem]

Hello.

I was flipping through the DMG2, and ran across the section describing skill challenges (which is better and more expansive than the DMG1 version, fwiw) and I'm kinda digging the idea of using a skill challenge that can last days. I think it would be a nice way to add a bit of spice to the campaign, allow the characters to experience the overland travel, without simply saying
"You travel for three days and reach the cave." I'm not sure if I like the example given in the DMG, however.

In short, I like the idea, but not sure I'm sold on their method. How have you (other DMs) handled something similar to this, if at all?

The way I figure it, if the PCs fail a check, it triggers a combat encounter, instead of relying on "random encounters."

I also noticed that the DMG2 has different DCs and difficulty "ratings" than in the DMG1.

 

[Ryujin]

Some of the published adventures have something similar to this. X number of failures and you have an encounter. Lose healing surges if you fail an Endurance check. That sort of thing.

WOTC issued eratta for the various difficulties fairly early on, so DMG2 reflects those new numbers.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

There are a lot of ways you could slice and dice it. All depends on what kinds of things you want happening in your overland. Random encounters sounds like it would work fine.

I haven't done a real long distance overland SC myself. I had one where the PCs tracked some monsters and failures were things like the monsters set a deadfall and the PCs didn't avoid it, etc. If they failed the challenge then they arrived at the destination with less time to prepare for a massive hobgoblin attack.

Naturally the PCs diverted from the whole SC partway through and then when they finally did get to the destination they hid in a cave instead of fighting the hobgoblins! lol.

 

[DragoonLance]

There is an interesting idea on dealing with overland travel over at Penny Arcade
Penny Arcade - A Review Of The Preview

 

[DragoonLance]

doublepost

 

[Nytmare]

My current group hasn't had to tackle real overland travel yet, but we've talked about it quite a bit.

First off we're imagining that "overland travel mode" will involve treating all daily powers and any resource that normally gets replenished with an extended rest as a "you get them back the next time we play" thing.

Then, depending on what kind of overland travel we're talking about I could easily see running it as a skill challenge (though as a warning, I run skill challenges ala Obsidian.)

My challenges tend to fall into the following framework: 3 acts, each act has 3 outcomes (good, bad, and ugly) and each act basically lands the characters in the same general place, just under different circumstances.

As an example, let's pretend that our heroes are trying to track down a forgotten relic tucked away in a hidden temple before a cult of ne'er-do-wells find it and bring about the end of the world.

Act I gets things moving, feeds the first bits of information to the players, and sets the tone for the overall challenge. The players find out about the temple and kick things off by digging around the city, researching, and asking questions.

Good - The players find out about the cult and uncover and foil a plot to princess-nap the princess. They find out about the cult's plans for the relic and rush off to stop them. They get a bonus to rolls in the second act.
Bad - Egads! During dinner, cultists try to nab the princess and there's a fight. If they stop them, they find out about the relic and temple, if they don't stop them, they must rush off to rescue her from certain doom.
Ugly - Too late! While you weren't paying attention, cultists have kidnapped the princess and have dragged her off to the temple to be sacrificed!
​

Act II is an obstacle that gets in everybody's way on the way to act III. The cultists have summoned a gibbering fiend and let it loose in the valley to kill our heroes. Players can stop and fight it if they want, but time is short and they need to get to the artifact before the cultists.

Good - The characters manage to hide from/outwit/outrun the monster. Maybe they find a way to even turn it against the cultists. Regardless, they move onwards unscathed.
Bad - They escape the monster but get pinned down or lost and lose precious time. The exertion in trying to make up that time requires that everyone make an endurance check or they lose a healing surge.
Ugly - Yikes a fight! A big scary monster and a bunch of cultists, oh no! When it's all settled and done, they move on to act III, but if they didn't finish the fight in X rounds they have penalties to their rolls because of lost time.
​

Finally, act III, the final race to the temple. Athletics, endurance, and nature checks for the final push.

Good - Our heroes must have found a super secret shortcut, cause they beat the cultists to the temple. They can set an ambush if they want, or push onward into the temple and try to get the relic.
Bad - The cultists got there first, already have the relic, and are halfway through the ritual that summons the Giant Spaghetti Monster.
Ugly - Cuthulhu eats 1d6 investigators per round.
​

 

[babinro]

This has been my groups most common use of a skill challenge.

If they do not know much about the terrain or the exact destination, the first parts of the challenge are spent in town gathering information. Making good use of Streetwise, Diplomacy checks and the like. If the information is difficult to come across these checks can lead to Intimidate, Bluff, Stealth and Thievery checks as well. Successes here often provide benefits on the actual journey. Be they +2 or +5 modifiers to rolls made. Improved terrain conditions for the PC's in encounter circumstances. Even a guide NPC who requires protection in combat along the way. Or less checks required to reach a destination. Failures of course lead to the exact opposite of the above.

The actual journey makes use of things like Knowledge checks, Athletics, Acrobatics, Perception in order to understand the terrain. I often plan to have at least one encounter on the trip for sure, but based on the performance of the PC's, they can continue the skill challenge to avoid it completely if their mastery of the terrain is sufficient. Successes here make the journey a safe one that can reward PC's with the experience that would have been gained from encounters and possibly magical items. Failures leading to things such as loss of healing surges and encounters with local wildlife in increasingly difficult terrain (fighting along the edges of a Brier patch is hard work)

The skill challenge could also go to the extent to cover matters like hunting, finding water and shelter. Failing these parts of the challenge could imbue penalties in combat such as a -1 to all die rolls until a condition is met.

I like this type of challenge as it makes the journey to a dungeon interesting and meaningful. It also places more than enough room for each type of class to excel at their skills as well as struggle with them.

 

[DanmarLOK]

Ugly - Cuthulhu eats 1d6 investigators per round.
​

I hate it when that happens!

But otherwise very nice example!