D&D 3E/3.5 Skill Challanges in 3.5.

[xrast3u]

Looking through the various blogs on the net that feature DnD I have been reading more and more on Skill Challenges. Have any of you been creating skill challenges similar to the format of the 4th edition? I am interested in the idea, but I am very new to the 3.5 rule set, and no intention on switching to 4th. How do you all create skill challanges in 3.5? I am wondering if there is some type of template.

Also, on a side note, where is the search function for the EN World Forums? I feel guilty just blind posting without searching first. Thank you!!

 

[Aus_Snow]

They came from 3e originally, in the form of Complex Skill Checks, as found in Unearthed Arcana, but also available here at d20srd.org, thanks to the OGL. Not precisely the same in every way, but definitely the primary source.

Also, Iron Heroes is worth looking at for its 'Skill challenges' (not the same thing, but cool anyway) - and it's no coincidence that some aspects of IH can be seen (in altered states, so to speak) in 4e; Mr. Mearls had/has a lot to do with both. These 'Skill Challenges' are actually different ways of using each skill, for example by taking a penalty to the roll, and (if successful, of course) achieving something beyond what is normally possible. Mutants & Masterminds also contains this kind of 'Skill Challenges' feature, and implements it very well, IMO.

Oh, and the Search function is not available to those who have not paid to be a Community Supporter (I think that's still the name for paying site members). However, Google can do the trick to some extent: simply put 'site:enworld.org' before or after your search query, without the quote marks, and with a space between it and the query, of course. Try it out - you might be surprised how effective it is! Something else to remember for Google searches in general is the use of a " and another ", on either side of a group of words you want to be searched for in the specified order. Otherwise, they won't be. You might already know that one, but amazing numbers of internet users appear not to.