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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pukunui" data-source="post: 4501334" data-attributes="member: 54629">LostSoul -- I'm hoping you can help me out a bit more. I love your ideas, but I'm still not fully sure how to implement them. How do I know when something counts as a success or a failure for the skill challenge? And how do I know when something should a "group" check vs. an individual's check? Do I only count "group" checks towards total successes and failures, or do individual checks count too? So if PC A makes a check for something but none of the others do? Or what if I have them all make a check as a reaction to something and some of them succeed and some of them don't? How do I determine if that's a success or a failure? Is it a matter of doing what it says in the DMG, where the person with the best modifier makes the actual determining check and everyone else just effectively uses "aid another"?Here is a revised "hobgoblins at the door" scenario:[sblock]Skill Challenge 1: Prevent the hobgoblins from breaking through the barricadesLevel: 2 (625 XP)Complexity: 2 (best 3 out of 5*)Setup: A hobgoblin patrol alerted by Balgron has discovered the PCs in their hiding place and tries to break through the barricaded doors. If the PCs can’t keep them out, they’ll have to fight them.When the hobgoblins first arrive, they will shout out to the PCs: “Hello in there! We have you surrounded. You’d best give yourselves up if you want to come out alive. If you don’t surrender, we’ll have to break down the door and take you by force.”At this point, the PCs can talk to the hobgoblins.They can use Bluff, Diplomacy and Intimidate (all DC 20) to trick, reason with, or scare the hobgoblins.They can also take some time to reinforce the barricades using Dungeoneering to identify (DC 10) and fix weak spots (DC 15).They can also use Arcana / Religion to identify (DC 10) and cast magical wards to strengthen the doors/barricades (DC 15).History can be used to recall stories of other heroes persevering in similar circumstances (DC 10; adds +/-2 to next PC’s skill check).Stealth can be used to trick the hobgoblins into thinking there’s no one in the room (DC 20; PC with best Stealth modifier makes actual check, everyone else just aids).If the PCs are not able to convince the hobgoblins to go away by talking, the hobgoblins proceed to attempt to open the doors. Because Balgron escaped, he has the key to the main doors, so the hobgoblins can simply unlock it and then attempt to push it open and smash through the barricades. The PCs can repeat some of the above actions to strength the barricades or they can simply give up and fight the hobgoblins.Special: PCs can attempt to rig traps in the barricades using Dungeoneering, Nature, or Thievery. Doing this does not contribute to the skill challenge in any way but should they fail and the hobgoblins break through, then the traps can attack and deal damage.Dungeoneering / Nature (DC 15): Set up a trap in a barricaded square. The first time an enemy enters this square, roll a Dungeoneering or Nature vs Reflex attack. On a hit, the trap deals 2d10+3 dmg.Thievery (DC 20): Set up a trap in a barricaded square. The first time an enemy enters this square, roll a Thievery vs Reflex attack. On a hit, the trap deals 3d8+3 dmg.Success: The PCs keep the hobgoblins out of the room and can continue to rest. They may still have to fight the hobgoblins when they come out, though.Failure: The hobgoblins break through and a fight ensues.*I've decided I'm going to try using a "best out of" system for skill challenges. So best 2 out of 3, best 3 out of 5, best 4 out of 7, etc.[/sblock]And, finally, here is my actual "survive the night in the dungeon" challenge![sblock]Skill Challenge 2: Survive a night in the haunted dungeonLevel: 2 (625 XP)Complexity: 5 (best 6 out of 11)Setup: The restless spirits of Shadowfell Keep and the malevolent influence of the nearby rift make it difficult for the PCs to get a good night’s sleep in the dungeon.As the hours pass while the PCs hang out in the barricaded room, they begin to get the sense that they’re not alone in the room – occasional shivers, the sensation of someone breathing down their necks, footsteps, things flitting around in the corners of their eyes. After a while, Ariiat sees actual spirits floating around.Everyone makes an Endurance (DC 15) check. Success means the PC shrugs it all off. Failure means the PC gets creeped out and can’t regain one healing surge after a rest. Arcana / Religion can be used to identify that there are restless spirits and/or some sort of malevolent influence in the area (DC 10) and cast magical wards/recite prayers to ward them away (DC 15).Streetwise / History can be used to tell ghost stories (DC 10). Success means the PC has told a story about heroes persevering against ghosts (+2 to next check); failure means they’ve only succeeded in spooking their allies (-2 to next check).Other skills/skill uses as required.Even if the PCs succeed at the first part of the challenge, the ghosts start to materialize. They are really only residual spirits, so they can’t physically harm the PCs. Although they are aware of them all, they focus their attention on Ariiat the wizard, since he still has one foot in the Shadowfell. These spirits murmur restlessly. Then one, who appears first as a beautiful eladrin woman, comes close to Ariiat. Suddenly, she transforms into a horrible, skeletal ghost and shrieks: “You will die just like we did! Innocents slaughtered by madness!” More Endurance checks as above (DC 15).Bluff / Diplomacy (both DC 20) can be used on the ghosts to trick/calm them. If the topic arises, the PCs can placate the ghosts by assuring them that they will find their disturbed bodies (the zombies in Area 5) and put them to rest. Intimidate only angers the spirits and they “attack” (failure to resist results in more lost healing surges).Religion can be used to keep the spirits at bay (DC 20 when used as a turn undead style effect or DC 15 to prove that the PCs are good people, followers of the Sovereign Host, etc).Other skills/skill uses as required.Whether or not the PCs fail the second part, an apparition of Sir Keegan and his wife and children materializes. The PCs must witness the mad knight slaughtering his family (he calls his wife a succubus and his children demon-spawn). The PCs feel the pain of his sword blows and his wife and children’s cries chill them to the bone. He then turns to them, again addressing the wizard: “Traitors! Evil-doers! You will all die here!”Endurance again (DC 15).Religion again (DC 20) +2 to check if PC mentions being a follower of Dol Arrah).Bluff / Diplomacy again (DC 20). Failure here results in another healing surge that can’t be regained after resting.Finally, the PCs sleep. The malevolent influence of the nearby Shadowfell rift haunts their dreams with mad visions of death and destruction and such.Endurance checks (DC 15). Anyone who fails does something creepy like tries to strangle an ally in their sleep or dreams about killing another PC. -2 to next person’s check. “Target” can’t regain a healing surge after resting.Arcana / Religion can be used to ward people’s dreams (DC 20).Other skills/skill uses as required.Success: The PCs survive the night and gain the benefits of an extended rest (less any healing surge penalties they may have accumulated during the challenge).Failure: The PCs aren’t able to get a good rest and don’t gain the benefits of an extended rest.[/sblock]</blockquote>

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