Skill Challenge Feedback

[GameDoc]

I am designing a skill challenge for a 2nd level party and would appreciate any feedback or adivce. Skill Challenge design isn't my string suit.

THE SETUP: At the end of the last session, while searching the forest for components for an antidote to save a poisoned ally, the party is attacked by a troop of elves. This is unusual given that the elves are allies of their community. The party defeated the elves fairly easily and fought to subdue rather than kill.

THE SKILL CHALLENGE: By interrogating the elves, the party can learn a few things that might help them with the actual combat challenge looming ahead. The elves seem a bit delerious and tell a tale of being harried through the forrest by drow for several days. They attacked the party (who has one drow member) on site assuming they were part of this force.

A heal check can reveal that the elves cloudy perception and thinking is not the effect of poison or exhaustion.

A perception check will reveal one of them is in possession of an odd piece of quartz.

A nature check reveals the quartz is not of a type that would be found locally and a critical success indicates it's not even natural.

An arcana check reveals the quartz is emitting psychic energy and may have originted in the Far Realm.

A history check allows a character to recall there is an area in the nearby forest called the "Grove of Dread" that is supposedly haunted by bad memories and nightmares.
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Logically, the players should be able to peice together that the elves passed through the grove and became disoriented. The drow were illusions or tricks of the mind. One of them picked up the quartz in the grove and it's managed to perpetuate the effect on the group since.

If the players figure it out, I was planning on giving them a bonus to defenses and saves agains any psychic effects they encounter when they reach the grove themselves.

The grove holds a meterotite fragment that fell from the Far Realm and has mutated some of the local flora and fauna. In particular, there are id fiends (borrowed from Dark Sun) that like to confuse and manipulate anyone who passes through.

I am also toying with the idea that the "drow" were actuall Wilden who have recently manifested to destroy the meteorite, but the Id Fiends' managed to prey upon the elves' inherent fear and hatred of drow and make them see the Wilden as dark elves and attack.

 

[Piratecat]

I like this a lot. What's the result of failure?

 

[Riastlin]

I like it myself. One question I guess would be how complex do you want the SC? Because one thought that came to mind is having to use Diplomacy, History, Bluff and/or Intimidate to even get the elves to start talking. Set it up as a staged SC wherein the first stage is getting the elves to even talk by convincing them that the party is friendly (or intimidating/bluffing them into thinking they'll be killed or worse if they don't talk). Second stage is figuring out that the elves are being influenced by the crystal rather than poison, etc., and the final stage is analyzing the crystal and recalling the history of the grove, etc.

Going this route, you could even potentially give partial rewards for completion. If they get through the first two stages, perhaps they have some idea of what's coming, albeit not everything, so they get a +1 to defense, whereas if they make it all the way through, they get a +2.

Just a thought, but I do like the design you have should you be looking for something a bit simpler.

 

[GameDoc]

I like this a lot. What's the result of failure?

Getting you butt whooped by Wilden and Id Fiends?

Not sure yet. I am still trying to figure out the benefits of success and the cost of failure.

Like I said my initial benefit would be some resistance to psychic manipulation since they would be walking in ready for it.

Would the consequence of failure be a penalty against the same effects? Maybe they walk in with a disatvantage the first round and have to save to end it.

 

[surfarcher]

I'm an advocate of the unobtrusive, fast and loose approach to Skill Challenges.

So I believe that how well this actually plays out will depend on how you implement it, more than the planning (but yes you do need to define the consequences of failure). If you use the SC mechanic primarily as an accounting tool and have a roleplaying focus you'll allow the PCs to accumulate successes with a variety of skills, action, powers, logic and anything else you judge to be appropriate. Get them to describe what they are doing, then negotiate a skill and DC with them and let them roll. This makes for a more flexible, fluid and natural SC than announcign "Skill Challenge!" and giving them a menu of skills to choose from.

Just my 2cp. YMMV!

 

[Dungeoneer]

Information skill challenges are tricky. Make sure that the players have clearly defined objective, otherwise this is likely to deteriorate into "Uh, I roll diplomacy again" or worse they give up, not realizing there was more to learn.

 

[GameDoc]

I like it myself. One question I guess would be how complex do you want the SC? Because one thought that came to mind is having to use Diplomacy, History, Bluff and/or Intimidate to even get the elves to start talking. Set it up as a staged SC wherein the first stage is getting the elves to even talk by convincing them that the party is friendly (or intimidating/bluffing them into thinking they'll be killed or worse if they don't talk). Second stage is figuring out that the elves are being influenced by the crystal rather than poison, etc., and the final stage is analyzing the crystal and recalling the history of the grove, etc.

Going this route, you could even potentially give partial rewards for completion. If they get through the first two stages, perhaps they have some idea of what's coming, albeit not everything, so they get a +1 to defense, whereas if they make it all the way through, they get a +2.

Just a thought, but I do like the design you have should you be looking for something a bit simpler.

Good call on the skill check to even initiate a conversation, and the progressively better reward.

Also, thanks to surfarcher and Dungeoneer for the input.

 

[mudlock]

Information skill challenges are tricky. Make sure that the players have clearly defined objective, otherwise this is likely to deteriorate into "Uh, I roll diplomacy again" or worse they give up, not realizing there was more to learn.

This is a good point, especially since all your skill listings are: Use "this skill" and it tells you "this". That may just be how you've written, not how you plan to approach it in game, but if that's how you're approaching it, that's also how your players will probably approach it. "There are elves; what do you do?!" "Uhh... I use arcana?" "Roll it!"

While that's fine and within the boundaries of the rules, I find it's lacking a certain story-based element. Do you want your players "using skills" or do you want them "asking questions"? Some may disagree, but I want mine to be asking questions.

For instance: If they vigorous search the elves, I'd just give them the bit about the funny rock. Then, when someone asks "What's up with the rock?" tell them they can roll nature or arcana (their pick).

Really though, although you've listed a lot of information here, there's one, and ONLY ONE piece that's relevant: the next stage of your quest is to go to the Grove of the Dead.

Additionally, you've got the "no plan for failure" problem. If the PCs need to go to the Grove of the Dead next, and they fail this challenge, then... ummm. What?

I love skill challenges. So, I'm sorry to say this, but... this probably shouldn't be a skill challenge.

 

[LostSoul]

A heal check can reveal that the elves cloudy perception and thinking is not the effect of poison or exhaustion.

A perception check will reveal one of them is in possession of an odd piece of quartz.

A nature check reveals the quartz is not of a type that would be found locally and a critical success indicates it's not even natural.

An arcana check reveals the quartz is emitting psychic energy and may have originted in the Far Realm.

A history check allows a character to recall there is an area in the nearby forest called the "Grove of Dread" that is supposedly haunted by bad memories and nightmares.
​

This is great backstory, but to really make it work as a skill challenge you need some kind of opposition to push at the PCs. I think that's why you don't know what the result of failure might be; there's nothing in the situation trying to get its way.

I would add the quartz in as a character who is trying to confuse and push at the PCs as hard as it can. You'll have to define what it wants and what it can do.

 

[Dungeoneer]

Although it seems a bit gauche to link to my own post, this is a checklist I use that might be helpful: is it a skill challenge?