Skill Challenges

[klofft]

I don't own 4E and I don't really plan to. However, I have spent an appreciable amount of time with the books in a local B&N.

One of the things I read in advance and which I have seen praised by others since the release of 4E was the rules for skill challenges. These were hailed by the designers as a system to make non-combat situations as interesting and tactical as combat challengers. OK, I'm paraphrasing liberally, but that was the gist I got.

Anyway...

For those of us sticking with 3.5, my reading of those rules is that, if you like the idea (and I kinda do), there is nothing distinctly 4E about these rules, is there? The concept could be lifted straight out and ported, yes?

How have people's experience been with these rules, positive or negative?

 

[Ahnehnois]

I am likewise in the 3.5 camp and liked the idea of skill challenges, but ultimately, they sound kind of like complex skill checks (UA). Just check out and learn that rule-I quite like it.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I think the 3E house rules forum has a few ideas around them.

The basic idea is simple and not exactly new, as far as I know, but it benefits strongly from the way skills in 4E work. The range of skill modifiers are easier to predict, thus it's easier to set generic DCs for skill challenges.

 

[Ycore Rixle]

We started using skill checks a while ago in our 3.5 game. They work great.

I don't use set DCs according to what 4e advises. I just make them up according to how I see the difficulty of the situation. Generally my DCs for skill challenges of the 4/2 variety are around 15 to 20 for a 10th-level group that includes a skill-heavy rogue and ranger. The players usually win, but not always.

Also, I ignore the line from the 4e DMG that says something like "all players must participate in a skill challenge." If some people want to pass or sit out or do something unconnected to the challenge, that's fine by me. I'm still not sure if that 4e line about "all players must participate" really means what it says. 4e, after all, has a problem with words meaning what they say (for example, it being said that "fear is utterly alien to a demon's mind" and "survival is not important to demons" and then, later on the SAME PAGE, "weaker demons obey balors out of fear of death").

Another thing is that we tend to stick to 4/2 skill challenges. There tends to be a lot of description, aiding another, etc. 8/4 or something like that strikes me as too long.

 

[hamishspence]

they are akin to Unearthed Arcana's complex skill checks

With a stonger focus on not allowing you to repeat checks too often., and having everyone take part, than Incantations (UA, d20 Modern) which work in a similar way.

Be warned: math of skilll challenges appears to have problems according to many posters. May need careful workaround.