Post your skill tests!

[the Jester]

I'll start. Here's one I ran during my first full 4e session, called "Evading the Hand."

EVADING THE HAND (LEVEL 1 SKILL TEST- 100 XP/CHARACTER)

Setup: The pcs must evade the forces of the Six-Fingered Hand, an alliance of different humanoid types that is conquering the civilized world, for a week while they cross a war-ravaged land in an attempt to make it to a tunnel that passes under a mountain range and to a city that may yet stand. The pcs must use their knowledge of the terrain and their skills at avoiding detection to escape the rampaging armies of the Six-Fingered Hand as they rush across country.

Level: 1.

Complexity: 5 (requires 12 successes before 3 failures).

Primary Skills: Athletics, Endurance, History, Nature, Perception, Stealth.

Athletics (DC 15): The character is able to push his companions on more quickly. They travel hard and fast.

Endurance (DC 15): If no pcs make a successful Endurance check in a given turn, everyone in the party loses a healing surge until the first extended rest after the skill test is completed.

History (DC 15): A character can use his knowledge of history to predict where the safer travel routes will be. Only one History check, successful or not, can be made during this skill challenge.

Nature (DC 15): A character can use his nature skills to aid the party by helping them travel along more hidden paths, as well as to help forage for the group along the way. If the pcs are out of food and no pcs make a successful Nature check in a given turn, everyone in the party loses one healing surge until the first extended rest after the skill test is completed.

Perception (DC 10): Using his perception skill, the character can spy the enemy before they spy him. This skill does not generate a success but can be used to aid the next character’s roll.

Stealth (DC 10): Obviously, using this skill helps prevent discovery.

Complications: After the party’s first failure on the skill challenge, they have the encounter entitled THE BURNED-OUT VILLAGE. After that encounter, continue the skill challenge to its conclusion.

Success: The pcs reach the mountains, and the tunnel into it. Go to the encounter entitled INTO THE MOUNTAIN.

Failure: The pcs reach the mountains, but cannot find the tunnel. Go to the DEADLY CLIFF DWELLER encounter.

***

For the record, the burned-out village contained a 1st-level solo monster that I whipped up- the Orcish Murderer. That was a fun encounter! (I had extra pcs, so he also had a couple of guard drakes with him!)

If the pcs fail the skill test (which they did imc), they got routed to a tough, level 2 encounter (1st-level party, natch). Success led instead to the tunnel into the mountains. The pcs still found the tunnel despite their failure, it just took extra time and led to a tough, tough fight. First a spitting drake up on a ledge and a needlefang drake swarm (down with the pcs) started the encounter, and then a group of the Six-Fingered Hand consisting of goblins and an orc (iirc) joined in the fun.

 

[fissionessence]

Looks cool! My players like to pretend they don't have to worry about things like eating and sleeping, so forcing them to make endurance checks and perform a skill challenge for traveling long distances could be a breath of fresh air for me. Also, a challenge like this could make 'random wilderness encounters' not so random, as they are instead the result of a failed skill check.

Anyway, here's one I used at my most recent session. I like to play things by ear, so I'm not actually writing any of this up until now; excuse it if it's a little rough:

The players defeated Rapture, a succubus leader of a beauty cult, while searching for a mysterious source of power about which they know nothing . . . except that it should be somewhere around there. They suspected that it may have been contained in the pouch at Rapture's waist.

When they defeat her, Rapture collapses and a humming emanates from her corpse as a strange orb rips open her abdomen and rises, hovering, above the gaping wound it just created. One of the PCs was standing adjacent, and he is immediately subject to a +11 attack vs Reflex. Hit: 2d8+4 force damage; Effect: The target is pushed 1 square and knocked prone.

It is a complexity 2 challenge :: 6 successes before 3 failures. Its DCS are based on the levels 7-9 row of the DCs table, but consider awarding more XP considering the more dangerous nature of this particular challenge (it's half trap!)

Acrobatics DC 13: Approach or retreat from the orb without being subject to an attack. Success does not count toward the challenge, nor does failure, but failure means the approaching/retreating character is attacked with the attack as defined above. If the character approaches successfully, he may immediately try another skill, before immediately making another Acrobatics check to retreat safely.

Arcana DC 19: While adjacent to the orb (requiring Acrobatics), a character may make this check to exert magical force against the orb to weaken it. Success counts toward the challenge.

Arcana DC 24: As above, except that the character can attempt to exert arcane energy from 2 squares away (thus avoiding the necessity of Acrobatics checks).

Thievery DC 19: As Arcana DC 19, except that instead of exerting magic force, the character uses knowledge of traps, magic items, etc., to weaken it. Success counts toward the challenge but also makes further uses of Thievery useless until a successful Arcana check has been made.

History, Insight, Perception, etc. DC ?: Various other checks may be made to learn about the orb, at DM discretion, but do not count as successes or failures.

Success: When two successes have been accumulated, the attack bonus of the orb lowers to +9 and the damage to 1d8+4. With four successes, lower them to +7 and 4 damage. Each failure counts against the successes for these purposes. With a total success, the orb ceases humming and blasting energy; it drops harmlessly to the ground to be retrieved by the PCs, plus they can grab the bag at Rapture's waist (an impressive treasure parcel!)

Failure: The orb explodes violently, destroying any building it may be in and knocking the PCs unconscious, possibly draining healing surges and/or hit points. In addition, Rapture's body is disintegrated and her bag of holding destroyed (don't count destroyed treasure against the party's parcels per level). In order to get the item they sought, the party must engage in another skill challenge to gather the ambient energy of the orb into an expensive item such as a gem.

~ fissionessence

 

[Frostmarrow]

I made this for Scourge of The Rat-Men.

[sblock]Smelling a Rat 200 XP

Two nights in a row children have been abducted in the dead of night. There are no tracks nor clues of what may have become of them. A stake-out of the settlement is in order.

Setup: The characters must spot the rat-men assassins sneaking into the settlement before they can gain entry to a house and steal a child.
Level: 1
Complexity: 2 (requires 6 successes before 3 failures).
Primary skills: Athletics, Diplomacy, Perception, Thievery.

Athletics (DC: moderate 10): You climb atop the tallest building for a superior view.
Diplomacy (DC: hard 15): You convince the terrified locals to keep an eye out and raise the alarm if they spot an intruder.
Perception (DC: moderate 10, or easy 5 with low-light vision): You squint your eyes to see better in the dark.
Thievery (DC: moderate 10): You set trip-wires with bells at strategic choke-points around the settlement.

Success: The rat-men assassins are spotted before they can slip into a house or tent. The rat-men flee if they are made but fight if confronted.
Failure: The rat-men assassins are spotted after having killed and stolen a child but before they make their escape. The rat-men fight if confronted.[/sblock]

 

[the Jester]

I have another one to post, but haven't run it yet, so I'm going to have to wait. Basically, it involves moving through an underground area with toxic and hazardous fungi and growths all over without being harmed.

 

[the Jester]

Now that I've run this one...

THE DANGEROUS ZONE (LEVEL 2 SKILL TEST)

Seene: The pcs are heading underground. About an hour after they leave behind the scene of the blindheim attack (their last combat encounter), the pcs stumble into their next challenge. This consists of an area where there are thick fungal growths, some of which drip acidic or otherwise unpleasant substances.

Setup: The pcs must use their wits and skills to navigate the dangerous zone. This challenge will take about four hours’ worth of travel time to resolve.

Level: 2
XP: 375
Complexity: 3 (8 successes before 3 failures).
Primary Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Dungeoneering, Endurance, Nature, Perception. (Heal can be opened by either Dungeoneering or Nature.)

Acrobatics (DC 15): The character uses ledges, rocks and other items to leap and tumble through portions of the area without harm.

Athletics (DC 10): The character uses his ability to climb, jump, etc. to avoid hazards.

Dungeoneering (DC 10): The character uses his knowledge of dungeon hazards to avoid poisonous or toxic materials. (If a character hits DC 20, he can harvest one application of a gooey white toxin that, if smeared on a weapon, leaves its target weakened (save ends)). Using this skill also opens up the Heal skill for this challenge.

Endurance (DC 15): The character simply powers through any hazards, attempting to shrug off any effects. A character who attempts and fails an Endurance check loses a healing surge in addition to earning a failure.

Heal (DC 15): Can only be used after a successful Dungeoneering or Nature check. The character attempts to use grease, ointments, water or other easily-available materials to mitigate the effects of the hazardous materials around. In addition, if the party makes at least one successful Heal check during this skill test, the effects of failing the skill test are also mitigated (see Failure, below).

Nature (DC 15): Though less useful here than above ground, characters can still use a Nature check to aid another character’s check here. Failing an attempt to use this skill to aid another counts as a failure on the skill test. Using this skill also opens up the Heal skill for this challenge.

Perception (DC 15): A character may attempt to use their Perception to help pick out the best possible path. This can be used either to attempt to earn a success or to aid the next character’s check; either way, the DC is 15. If used to aid another, a failure does not earn a failure on the skill test.

Success: The characters successfully traverse the area without harm.

Failure: All characters lose two healing surges. If at least one success with the Heal skill was made, the characters instead lose one healing surge.

Note: I am NOT using the part of the skill test errata that lowers the DC of an easy 1st level check to 5; rather, I'm leaving it at 10/15/20. (5 is too easy imho.)

 

[Dodavehu]

Note: I'm one of fissionessence's players.

Looks cool! My players like to pretend they don't have to worry about things like eating and sleeping

Hey, I went out of my way to buy a celebratory feast when we finished our last mission

That being said, you're basically right .

In addition, Rapture's body is disintegrated and her bag of holding destroyed (don't count destroyed treasure against the party's parcels per level).

Unless the party's Artificer uses their Repair Item rote on it! High-five!

As a bit of non-spam, @the Jester: Have you had any success running the original DCs? I've only done one skill challenge for the game I run (also we've only had one session so far) and I feel that the DCs were way too hard. I ran the "chase" test from the book to get a feel of it, half way through I fudge and lowered all of the DCs by five, and even allowed an encounter spell to help out at one point, and still the party failed by a lot.
--

 

[the Jester]

As a bit of non-spam, @the Jester: Have you had any success running the original DCs? I've only done one skill challenge for the game I run (also we've only had one session so far) and I feel that the DCs were way too hard. I ran the "chase" test from the book to get a feel of it, half way through I fudge and lowered all of the DCs by five, and even allowed an encounter spell to help out at one point, and still the party failed by a lot.
--

I've had minimal success with the original DCs as being five higher than a standard skill check of that level should be. By lowering everything to the basic DCs for that level, my pcs managed to have their first two successful skill tests. This "easy DC 5" stuff is too easy, imho, except for very exceptional cases.

In other words, I'm using 10/15/20 for now. (My party is 1st-2nd level.)

 

[the Jester]

C'mon, guys, surely there are a few more examples that people have run?

Post post post!! I won't have another one for weeks, since we won't be playing the 4e game again til prolly late in the first week in September at the earliest.

 

[Rhenny]

I used both of these in Return of the Burning Plague, and they really worked to add more than just combat to the adventure.

Influence the mayor

This town has been ravaged by a strange plague that has killed a number of citizens. Many more are still suffering from its deadly symptoms. The mayor is at wits end and frazzled. He has quarantined the city and is suspicious of any strangers. You must convince him that you are allies.

DC 19 Challenge – 4 successes before 3 failures.

Insight to provide +2 on next attempt
Diplomacy to influence
Religion to sway
Healing to convince that you can help
Intimidate to scare him
Arcana to impress him and make him feel as if you will be able to figure out the mystery
History to show that you know of other examples of disease
Bluff to convince him that you can help


Escape the collapsing mine

Add a mining car on a track in the room at the end of the adventure. Also add an exit point that the car can glide into. If PCs go near the track, they feel a slight breeze from the tunnel...it smells like fresh air.

After purifying the contaminated water supply, the entire mine begins to crumble and collapse. The way the PCs entered from gets completely sealed off, and things look bad. PCs can, however, get in the mine car and push it down the tunnel. This will allow for quicker movement. The car ride is a roller coaster of twists and turns. PCs must try to pilot it out. At the end of the line, the mine car crashes through another exit about 200’ below the entrance of the mine.

DC 19 Challenge – 6 successes before 3 failures

Balance to move side to side and keep car on track
Endurance to ride the break.
Dungeoneering to understand about mining and underground caverns.
Insight to improvise a way to slow or lean the car
Perception to find something to use to slow the car down when necessary.

Each round that the PCs are in the car, with the mine crumbling around them, make a +8 AC attack against them from falling debris – A hit scores 1d8+2 damage.

Keep the Skill Challenges coming!!! They are a great way to enhance the gaming experience.

 

[Rhenny]

We need more posts here. Skill challenges are a great way to broaden the gaming experience. They help defeat the "4e is too combat centered" argument.