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Message: <blockquote data-quote="eriktheguy" data-source="post: 5463953" data-attributes="member: 83662">Skill-linked monsters are monsters that can be defeated by skill checks. They are easy for a clever party to kill off quickly. They make up for these weaknesses by appearing in greater numbers. With skill-linked monsters combat is quicker and less grindy; they deal damage fast and die off faster. It makes players feel good to defeat foes with their wit, and gives them a chance to use skills.The Rules: How I do this?[Sblock]When you are building an encounter, you can select any number of monsters to be skill-linked. Skill-linked monsters use the stat blocks of whichever monster they are based on. They count for only 1/2 experience and are linked to a particular skill.Skill linked monsters can be defeated by damage normally, or by successful skill checks. The DC for the skill check is the Medium DC for a skill challenge of that monster's level. I strongly recommend using the skill DCs outlined in <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/4e-fan-creations-house-rules/230567-stalker0s-alternate-core-skill-challenge-system-final-version-1-8-a.html" target="_blank">http://www.enworld.org/forum/4e-fan-creations-house-rules/230567-stalker0s-alternate-core-skill-challenge-system-final-version-1-8-a.html</a>A player spends a standard action and announces their intention to use a skill to the DM. They must explain which skill they are using and why they should be able to defeat the target with that skill. The DM matches the validity of the player's argument to one of the three outcomes below.Success: The player chooses the correct skill to use against a skill-linked enemy, or makes a very good argument to use a different skill against a skill-linked enemy, or makes an excellent case to use a skill against a normal enemy.OutCome: The player can make skill checks against a group of minions in a 5x5 area, or a single standard, elite or solo monster. A success defeats a minion or standard monster, deals 1/2 max HP to an elite or 1/4 max HP to a solo.Partial Success: The player chooses the wrong skill to use against a skill-linked enemy but gives a decent explanation, or gives a very good explanation to use a skill against a non skill-linked enemy.OutCome:The player can make skill checks against a group of minions in a 3x3 area, or a single standard, elite or solo monster. A success defeats a minion, deals 1/2 max HP to a standard, 1/4 max HP to an elite, or 1/8 max HP to a solo.Failure: The player does not meet either of the above criteriaOutCome: The player can make a skill check against Medium DC for the encounter level. On a success, they spend only a minor action instead of a standard action.In general, an excellent reason is one that makes you stop and say 'Wow, that's irrefutable and I should have realized it earlier'. A Very good reason is one that makes you think 'Yeah, I can't really argue with that.' Be careful with which reasons you allow players to use. Defeating normal enemies with skill checks should be the occasional exception. If players find that they can use skills every combat to get free kills, they will probably quit using at-will powers altogether.[/Sblock]Examples: How to describe skill-linked minions[Sblock]Arcana: Among the attacking elementals is a swarm of burning, seething fire spirits. They seem different than the others, unstable, perhaps vulnerable to small fluctuations of magical energy.Defeated: With a wave of your hand you amplify the local link to the elemental fire. The unstable elementals to grow and burst, rapidly extinguishing themselves.Acrobatics: The spiders swarm towards you on spindly legs. They are covered in armour plating save for an open spot on their belly, but nothing taller than a young kobold could fit under there.Defeated: You roll under a spider, cutting upwards as you go, and managing to avoid so much as a drop of blood on your clothes.Athletics:Defeated:Bluff:Defeated:Diplomacy: The soldiers clearly don't want to fight, but diligently draw their weapons and move to flank you.Defeated: You remind the unit that they have bigger problems to handle elsewhere, and they quickly withdraw from the fray.Dungeoneering: The footing here is poor, punctuated by loose rocks hanging over dark drop-offs. The group of warriors approaching from the left seem unsteady, not used to combat on this terrain.Defeated: You lure a group over to an unstable cliff’s edge, sending them tumbling into the deep darkness with the loose rocks that they thought to stand on.Endurance: Defeated:Heal:Defeated:History: The sages launch volleys of spells at you, but a few seem hesitant. They argue among themselves of a prophecy.Defeated: The scholars have mistaken your group for prophesized heroes. You quickly inform them that you are indeed the characters from the legend they speak of, and they back away from the fray.Insight:Defeated:Intimidate: The slaves marching alongside their bugbear masters look hesitant and terrified, ready to flee from master and enemy alike.Defeated: With a yelp the terrified man drops his club and retreats.Nature: The onrushing owlbears are not in league with the attacking orcs, they just happen to be angry at your for disturbing their nesting site.Defeated: A gesture of non-aggression, a gift of food, and some subtle positioning of your group away from the nest causes the owlbears to turn back for now.Perception: The old man warned you that the small beasts were dangerous and numerous. He also told you that a red patch on their hide sits directly on top of their heart.Defeat: The patch is barely visible, but you spot enough to quickly down the monster.Religeon: The undead spirits that lurch towards you emanate feelings of sadness and longing. They are not victims of the necromancer, just lost spirits waiting for Pelor’s blessing to take them to the next life.Defeated: With a prayer you dismiss a handful of the creatures, granting them eternal rest.Stealth: The darkness of the room makes seeing the oncoming soldiers hard. As their eyes adjust to the dark, you wonder if you could make seeing you even harder.Defeated: The men don’t see you dash by in the darkness, but one feels your blade on their throat.Streetwise: The alleys and streets in Sigil are like a maze, and a body could get himself lost turning down the wrong one. The berks rushing towards you don’t seem like cagers.Defeated: You lead the bashers down a dark street before turning back and giving them the laugh. The sods might find their way back to this spot, but the fight will be long over by then.Thievery: The toys have been gutted of their internal parts and filled with all sorts of cogs and gears. The rotating pieces reveal weaknesses to those trained in traps and clockwork.Defeated: With a tap in just the right place, the toy falls to the ground inactive.[/Sblock]Options: Some optional rules to flesh out the idea[Sblock]Identifying Skill-linked minions: The correct skill to use is normally obvious. If a player needs to ask, allow them to make a skill check as a minor action (Med DC for the encounter's level) to identify monsters linked to that skill in the encounter.Leaders: Leaders help to control skill-linked monsters. A powerful sorceress might help control summoned elementals, while a bugbear torturer provides the fear necessary to keep her slaves in line. Monsters linked to a single skill can have a leader. While the leader is present, you might increase the DC to defeat the minions or make using skills against them altogether impossible. In this case, make sure to describe the effect the leaders presence and death have on the skill-linked monsters.The kobolds fighting alongside the dragon look terrified of your party, but their taskmaster, a brutish orc with a spiked whip, stands between them and their tunnels. Convertibles: You might let players gain temporary allies of some skill-linked monsters. If a player defeats a convertible skill-linked monster with a skill check, and exceeds the target DC by 5 or more, the monster joins the player's team for the remainder of the encounter.The necromancer should have known better than trying to command so many minions at once. The zombies will obey you for a few short minutes; they turn upon their former master and move to eat her flesh.Situational Modifiers: As always, players who do something smart or awesome should receive a bonus (generally +2). Depending on the level of awesome, you may also award them with additional targets affected, increased damage or automatic successes.You tear the holy symbol of Pelor off the temple wall, and brandish it at the tortured ghosts. Their liberated souls stop fighting and depart.[/Sblock]Edits: Added examples for all skills. Added an extra bonus for characters with skill focus. Clean things up a bit. 15/02/11Added details for replacing standard monsters with skill-linked standard monsters. 19/02/2011Rewrote the system, more cleanup 25/02/2011</blockquote>

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