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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mysterious Hu" data-source="post: 4432281" data-attributes="member: 74851">Thanks for the inputI was aiming for 50% because I was looking to use the same basic DC through my games, with some slight adjustment (+/-2) to reflect complexity.  If you have a party rolling for “1 success" or “all successes” the odds rapidly go off the scale. If you have 5 characters each with a 50% chance of success and you require only one success, they will succeed 96.88% of the time. The same party attempting an action that requires them all to succeed will triumph 3.13% of the time.  The odds of success and failure are also affected by your party size; a group of three characters would succeed at an “1 success” action 87.5% of the time and at an “all successes” action 12.5% of the time. These odds would change to 93.75% and 6.25% for a four member group and 94.88% and 1.56% for a six member group. Sorry if I'm teaching my grandmother to suck eggs with the above <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> If the players complain about the requirement for a fixed number of successes, it can be explained as the effects of intra-party co-operation. <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">In an action requiring only one success, you can say that the additional success represent aid given by the less able party members to most successful one. Without this aid, the most successful character would have still failed. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">In an action requiring everyone to succeed, you can describe how the more successful characters aid their less successful colleagues. </li> </ul>In this system everything is a group effort. I am looking to use this Skill Tests as switches between combat encounters. Success will allow the party to avoid a combat encounter or gain an advantage in the fight. Failure will lead to the standard encounter. This is rather in the mood of MMORGs, with the Skill Tests taking the place of Cut Scenes that advance the plot and the combat encounters acting as obstacles between cut scenes. Here is an example (no doubt, in actual play, the party would make choices different from those given below and the GM would have to improvise accordingly): Quest: The Hunt for Red OctopusLord Greyoak has placed a bounty on the head of an infamous smuggler, known only as the Red Octopus. Encounter 1The party take up the challenge and attempt to find a clue to the Red Octopus's true identity.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Skill Test: The party attempts to find a lead (Insight, Intimidation and Streetwise to question the local criminals, Bluff, Diplomacy and Insight to ask questions around court)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Success: The party learn that strange nocturnal lights have been seen on a remove beach, know locally as Ghosthead Cove. Those in the know suspect that te cove is being used by the Red Octopus's gang as a landing place for contraband. The party's investigation is so skillful that the smugglers do not get to hear of it.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Failure: The party discover the same information; however, their hamfisted investigation attracts the attention of their prey. The party is attacked by agents of the Red Octopus. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Reward: Standard XP for an encounter.</li> </ul>Encounter 2The party attempt to stake out Ghosthead Cove.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Skill Test: The party tries to find a safe spot to carryout a covert observation of the beach and its caves (Nature, Perception and Stealth to avoid drawing attention)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Success: The party successfully stakes out the cove. A group of smugglers bring in a boat full of contraband and start unloading it into the caves. The party can attack them from ambush, gaining surprise and also choose the starting range of the encounter.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Failure: The party are spotted by the guards working for the local landowner, Squire Grimoak. Suspecting that the party are smuggers, the guards attack them. The party may be surprised  by the guards if the PCs fail a Pecreption Skill Test. The GM selects the range at the start of the encounter.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Special: Squire Greyoak is actually the Red Octopus. His "guards"are members of his gang.  They will act to protect their master and will not accept the party's surrender, nor will they be swayed by the party's protestations of innocence.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Reward: Standard XP for an encounter. If the party defeated the smugglers, they can seize the villains' contraband; (three parcels of treasure). If the party fought the "guards", the PCs can discover three parcels of treasure in the caves after the fight; contaband from a previous night.</li> </ul>Encounter 3The Red Octopus was not among the smugglers at Ghosthead Cove. <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Skill Test: Interrogate survivors to find a fresh lead (Bluff, Insight, Intimidation and Streetwise to extract information)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Success: The party find a willing stool-pigeon. They are told how to recognise members of the Red Octopus Gang; the gang make a secret "octopus" sign with their fingers to identify themselfves to each other. The informant also tells the PCs that the Red Octopus meets his underlings during the weekly prayers at the Temple of Melora in Oakton. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Failure: The party are tricked by an apparently helpful prisoner. He tells the PCs to go to a certain priest at the Temple of Melora and to tell him a password. He claims that the priest will think that the PCs are prospective customers for the Red Octopus's contraband. Actually, this is a pre-arranged trap for anyone investigating the gang's operation. The priest will direct the PCs to a rough tavern where they will be attacked by some of the Red Octopus's thugs.Once the party has defeat these thugs, they will get enough time for a short rest before the Red Octopus turns up with more henchmen; go straight in to Encounter 4 and treat it as though the party had failed the Skill Test for that encounter too.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Reward: Standard XP for an encounter.</li> </ul>Encounter 4The party follow the Red Octopus’s trail to the shrine of the seagod. <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Skill Test: Attempt to stake out the temple without attracting attention (Religion and Bluff or Streetwise to blend with the priests and supplicants. Streetwise and Stealth to lurk in the shadows).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Success: The party avoid drawing attention to themselves. They see some men making the secret "octopus" sign with their hands. One of the men keeps his face hidden by a hooded cloak. From the deference shown him by the other suspects; this man is obviously some sort of ringleader. This is the Red Octopus. The party gain surprise in the encounter and can select the starting range.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Failure: The party have been spotted. The Red Octopus leads a group of thugs to slay the party. The party is may be surprised and the GM selects the starting range for the encounter. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Special: The Red Octopus has a magic item; the Belt of Sanguine Escape. If he is bloodied, he is immediately teleported away to a safe location. During the fight, the Red Octopus accidentally drops a dagger emblazoned with a heraldic crest. This crest is very similar to the one used by the family of the Lord Greyoak.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Reward: Standard XP for an encounter and a parcel of treasure; the Red Octopus’s dagger is a Magic Item of appropriate level for the party.</li> </ul>Encounter 5The party attempt to investigate the clue of the dagger.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Skill Test: The party attempt to find out who the Red Octopus is without casting a shadow on their employer’s honour (Bluff, Diplomacy and Insight to intrigue around court. Insight, Intimidation and Streetwise to gossip with underlings, servants and local commoners. History to research the Red Octopus’s heraldry).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Success: The party discover that Lord Greyoak has a disreputable relative, Squire Grimoak. This man, the descendent of an illegitimate ancestor bears a grudge against the weathy and successful Greyoak clan. Grimoak has a castle in neighbouring wilderness; Grimoak Moor. The wild moorland sweeps down to the sea by Ghosthead Cove. As Justice of the Peace for Grimoak Parish, the squire is in charge of anti-smuggling patrols in the area.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Failure: The party discovers the existence of Squire Grimoak. However, they draw attention from the Grimoak's agents at court.  They are decoyed to a remote place and are set upon by thugs.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Special: If the party inform Lord Greyoak of their findings, he will ask them to arrest his criminal relative.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Reward: Standard XP for an encounter and a parcel of treasure (an interim reward from the Lord Greyoak).</li> </ul>Encounter 6The party travels to Castle Grimoak<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Skill Test: The party travels across the wilderness (Nature)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Success: The party see a pack of wild animals. However, they are able to avoid contact.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Failure: The party select a poor campsite and are attacked by a pack of wild animals.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Reward: Standard XP for an encounter.</li> </ul>Encounter 7The party approach Castle Grimoak<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Skill Test: The party need to get a clear look at Castle Grimoak without drawing attention to themselves (Nature and Stealth) </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Success: The party find a point overlooking the castle and can make their plans to get inside.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Failure: The party are spotted by a roving patrol and are attacked. Once they have dispatched the patrol, the party can get a look at the castle. The alarm may have been raised, possible limiting their choices and making things more difficult for the party in Encounter 8.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Reward: Standard XP for an encounter.</li> </ul>Encounter 8The party need to get close to Squire Grimoak to capture him <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Skill Test: (Acrobatics, Athletics, Dungeoneering and Stealth to sneak into the castle. Nature, Perception and Stealth to keep the castle under watch until the Red Octopus goes out hunting. Bluff to gain entry to the castle in disguise)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Success: The party get close enough to Grim Oak to attempt to capture him. They must defeat his bodyguards. The Party gain surprise and can choose the starting range of the encounter.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Failure: The party give themselves away and are attacked by Grimoak and his body guards. The party may be surprised and the GM selects the starting range for the encounter.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Special: The party need to capture Red Octopus without bloodying him. If Red Octopus is bloodied, he teleports away and the party will have to proceed to encounter 9; otherwise go straight to Encounter 10.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Reward: Standard XP for an encounter. Double the XP reward if Grimoak is captured.</li> </ul>Encounter 9If Grimoak teleported away from Encounter 8, the party need to find out where he escapes to. <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Skill Test: Determine the location of Squire Grimoak's escape route (Interrogation to question any captured henchmen. History to recall the family’s ancient holdings in the area. Arcana to calculate the end point of the teleportation by arcane geometry)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Success: The party track Grimoak to the long abandoned and most forgotten ruins of Old Grimoak Monor. This was the seat of the Grimoak family in elder, better days and contains a teleport circle linked to Grimoak's magical Belt of Sanguine Escape (if the wearer is bloodied, he automatically teleports to the circle; it only works for members of the Grimoak family). The party can attack Grimoak and his henchmen. Grimoak will have to rely on mundane means of escape.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Failure: The party find out about the temple; but too late. Grimoak has fled to safety and will plot his revenge.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Reward: If the party capture Grimoak, they gain standard XP for an encounter.</li> </ul>Encounter 10The party return to their employer to collect their reward. If they failed in Encounter 9 and you don’t want to have any loose ends, Squire Grimoak could attempt to extract his revenge by attacking the party as they go to collect their reward.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Skill Test: None</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Reward: Any remaining parcels of treasure (bounty from Lord Greyoak). If the party are attacked by Grimoak, they will gain standard XP from the encounter. The party has completed a major quest and gains XP.</li> </ul></blockquote>

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