Skill Challenge: Chasm

[Iconik]

Been lurking around here for awhile and I must say that a lot of you have helped me greatly over the past months! So..thanks for that.

I've always been a player and never a GM. When I decided to tackle 4e and take on a group of 5 hardened veterans I didn't quite know what I was getting myself into. All in all...the group of old vets have said that this is the most fun they've ever had playing DnD 4e. It doesn't look like the group will break up anytime soon. High level adventures here we come!

I did one skill challenge already on the fly. The party booked passage on a ship to get to another continent. Along the way a a storm struck and they had to aid the crew of the ship in maintaining the ship and steering her. According to the party they said it was one of the more epic adventures. I personally think it's my weakest. I'm ready to tackle another skill challenge.

I need some help in determining what skills to use. Basically, the party has to cross a long, thin (1-2 ft wide!) natural stone bridge in the depths of an ancient underground city. That wouldn't be too difficult...if it weren't for the ghosts of denizens past anger at their intrusion kamikaz-ing into the party trying to knock them off balance and off into the deep chasm below.

Help me get this right! I was thinking a complexity of 3. I have an idea where the party makes opposed rolls of Will against the ghosts and their arcana attacks they are employing to throw them off the bridge. If someone fails that they make an Athletics check (easy? Don't want people falling off unless THEY ALL go down) so they can either keep their balance or catch themselves from falling. Maybe a STR roll for a party member to pull them to safety?

Help me out. And thanks in advance. I've been lurking for awhile now and am seriously thinking about subscribing. This site is just too good.

 

[the Jester]

I can see Acrobatics for balancing along the ledge as a required (but easy) group check each round (assuming they rope themselves together). Maybe pcs could use Dungeoneering as a secondary skill to aid a member of the group's next Acrobatics check.

Religion could keep the ghosts at bay, while Insight, History and Diplomacy might let you keep them calm long enough to pass by.

Stealth could allow pcs to sneak past, and Bluff might help them misdirect the ghosts' anger or trick them into looking "over there!" or something.

Failures might well result in some psychic damage from the ghosts, some kind of fear effect (that pc suffers a penalty to his Acrobatics check?), etc.

 

[Arlough]

Quick question.
What happens if they fail? Does someone fall to his doom? Can the story advance?

I picked up a DM'ing gig recently, and had many epic skill challenges planned, but then I happened to observe a group at the hobby shop who's DM had made a similar challenge. The player's failed the challenge, and that was it, time to make new characters. If they couldn't pass this, the campaign was over.

As for what skills, I think the Jester had a pretty good list for this challenge.

I would go with:

Primary Skills - Count toward successes

• Acrobatics - to stay on the beam
• Bluff - misdirect the ghosts.
• Religion - Know how the ghost are likely to attack

Secondary Skills - Usable once, gives bonus to next check

• Arcana - Wrap energies around you so the ghosts can't aim well.
• Endurance - Make yourself a target and endur the attacks, giving everyone else a rest
• Intimidate - Push them back with your powerful force of will

I also usually throw in one or two skills that auto-fail, but I admit that I fudge it a little if the group is already near the limit of fails.
If you need an auto-fail, have it be something like Diplomacy (they see it as a sign of weakness) or Thievery (they are enraged that mere plunderers are coming to their city).

I should also say right now that I still use the 1/2 the number of successes is equal to the max number of fails, and I use a slightly modified DC table. It is built under the assumption that for a moderate skill, if you are talented (near max on related stat) or skilled (trained in appropriate skill), you should have about a 55% chance of success. If you are both talented and skilled, you should rarely fail, and if you are neither talented nor skilled, your chances at success are very low.

 

[Iconik]

Amazing stuff from you guys. You've helped immensely. The campaign continues tomorrow so this was all in the nick of time.

Answering the question about failure. If they failed I was going to have them fall down and down into a large pool of deep water (think Gandalf's fall but not quite as far) where they will pick up the adventure. I don't TPK. Kind of gets in the way of the story.

I have almost killed a couple characters but there's a high magic readily available that can cure the terrible status of "death" (with penalities).

Anyway...I'm really excited about your help. You'll have to highlight it. Sorry. Copy/pasted from Micro Word.


I have this much written out. Tell me if you think it can work.

The Chasm Skill Challenge

The party has arrived at a long narrow natural bridge that spans over a deep chasm. There is a faint scent of water that wafts up on cold air currents from the dark depths. The bridge is extremely narrow (1-2 ft in width) and the length is a treacherous 30 meters long. Apparitions of the ancient denizens of this buried, once great civilization have taken the party’s intrusion as an affront and have decided that the party must not get any farther. They swoop in on the group letting loose terrifying screams and wails trying to knock the members of the party off balance and into the seemingly depthless black beneath. The party must traverse the narrow bridge and make it safely to the other side. Upon reaching safety an apparition appears before them ordering the ghosts to disperse.

Complexity: 3 4/8
Primary Skills:
1. Acrobatics: For use of balance (easy check)
2. Strength: For use by a party should one lose their balance and fall
3. Bluff: For use of misdirection
Secondary Skills:
1. Intimidate: Push back the ghosts through strength of will
2. Endurance: Make yourself a target and endure the onslaught
3. Diplomacy: Used to bolster the resolve of the party (bonus to all checks for party members until beginning of the turn of the member that used Diplomacy)

*If a party member fails and Acrobatics they take a penalty to their next Acrobatics check.
*If a party member fails Acrobatics they lose their balance and fall holding on to the narrow bridge until another party member can make a Strength check to pull them to safety.

Skill challenge was a success in that it was challenging and fun. The party failed it though. 2 fell and had to be pulled up later on.