Skill challenge against a Purple Worm

[Ktulu]

In my next game, I'm going to have a variant purple worm used in an attack against the Empress during coronation. The heroes will be there and must stop the creature. They are very tough with a metric ton of HP, and I don't want just a slug-fest.

So, as an alternative, I've devised an encounter that will take advantage of using the palace columns to damage and hurt the worm. If the party chooses, they can damage the creature by collapsing the columns. Success means they bloody the creature and distracted it for the NPC's to escape. Failure means they've hurt themselves and the building is collapsing without having harmed the creature.

Anyway, here's what I have, so far. I would greatly appreciate any feedback:

Bring the Palace Down!
Setup: To defeat the Serpent, the heroes may attempt to bring the palace down on the creature
Level: 13
Complexity: 2 (six successes)
Primary Skills: Dungeoneering, Athletics, Acrobatics

Perception (11): You notice the serpent damaged the columns holding up the ceiling…

Dungeoneering (18): You may be able to use this to your advantage, if you could get the serpent near to one of those columns and hit it from the top.

Athletics (23): Using brute force you lung yourself against the column, knocking it into the creature.

Acrobatics (23): Rather than crude strength, you leap off a weak point, attempting to use your weight and angle to knock the column down.

Immediate Acro/Endurance (18): After hitting the column, you either attempt to roll to the ground, or steel yourself against the fall.
Acro/endurance (11): All adjacent to the serpent must also make acrobatics or endurance checks to avoid taking damage.
Failure = loss of healing surge and slowed until the end of your next turn.

 

[ukingsken]

You might want to have the dungeoneering check provide a bonus to the athletics or acrobatics rolls, by allowing them to identify a weak point in the damaged columns?

 

[the Jester]

I'd recommend trying to open up more skills to the challenge. Skill challenges are the most fun when all the pcs can contribute in a meaningful manner.

For instance, you might allow Bluff in this challenge (as the pc tricks the worm into smashing the pillars itself).

Edit: Also, "PEACH" isn't very suitable for ENWorld imho. We always PEACH. It is redundant and I hate it. I am an anti-PEACH crusader. Not to be a jerk, just saying- please, don't use it.

 

[MortalPlague]

The DCs for your skills seem a bit low for a 13th level party. They get +6 to every skill regardless of any training or attribute, and since they'd probably be using their better skills (likely trained, and probably a +4 stat bonus to back it up), characters would be getting +15 or to most skill checks. Your dungeoneering check is successful on a roll of 3. Characters bring down a pillar on a roll of 8. It just seems a bit on the low side.

 

[Ktulu]

I just used the errata DCs for a lvl 13 challenge. They might be on the low side, but since failure does mean they waste a round AND likely lose a healing surge, I'm not sure I want to go too much higher.


Great idea on dungeoneering boosting the checks. I completely forgot about doing that.


I only put the skills in that I directly focus on. The players can always suggest use of another skill in the challenge based on an idea. However, bluffing it into hitting the column itself is pretty sweet... I'm adding that one.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Athletics (23): Using brute force you lung yourself against the column, knocking it into the creature.

This sounds very painful. Besides smoking is this how a PC becomes a lunger?

Spelling joke aside, I think its a cool idea.

 

[blargney the second]

Yay, the peach is gone! Thanks for removing that.

Why make it a skill challenge? You could just page 42 the whole thing if the ultimate goal is to cause damage to the purple worm. Give the players some examples like you've done here, then let them come up with other uses for their own skills to justify getting pillar damage.

Have a given pillar do regular damage. When two adjacent columns come down, the ceiling above them drops as well dealing limited damage underneath.
-blarg

 

[Nifft]

Yay, the peach is gone! Thanks for removing that.

Yay indeed. Now I can participate.

Why make it a skill challenge? You could just page 42 the whole thing if the ultimate goal is to cause damage to the purple worm.

Yeah, this makes a lot of sense.

But you could also take it in 100% the opposite direction, and make attacks on the purple worm part of the skill challenge.

Success Metrics:

• DC 18 Dungeoneering (works up to 4 times): identify a weak spot in a pillar; allows an attack against Fortitude 28 (any attack that targets Fortitude including Bull Rush) to knock over a pillar in a useful direction.
• DC 18 Perception or Insight (works up to 4 times): identify the purple worm's next target; allows an Athletics or Acrobatics check (DC 20) to hinder or distract the worm, and let its target escape unscathed. Failure on the second check costs a healing surge.
• Once a pillar is down, a PC may make DC 20 Endurance checks each round to keep the worm pinned. Failure costs a healing surge and ends this option until another pillar is toppled.
• DC 18 Arcana (works once): identify something known to scare purple worms; allows an attack against Will 26 (must deal Psychic damage or have the Illusion keyword).
• Critical Hit (first crit vs. each defense counts as one success). Engaging in melee costs a healing surge (...melee dudes should be throwing pillars instead).

Make it an Elder Primordial Twisted Farspawn Purple Hazy Worm, and let the PCs know they have no hope of hitting it except for crits. (And crits count as a success.)

Cheers, -- N