Something I've Never Seen in an RPG System

[Pyrex]

So, I haven't read Keep on the Shadowfell yet, but has anyone tried running a skill challenge in the middle of a combat encounter?

On one side of the room you've got the BBEG and his cronies.

On the other side, you've got the PC's.

Each round on their action, each participant chooses whether to make a skill check to contribute to the skill challenge, or to spend their actions attacking an opponent.

Either side can win by either gathering N net successes (either completing or foiling the ritual) or by wiping out the other side.

Thoughts?

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

So, I haven't read Keep on the Shadowfell yet, but has anyone tried running a skill challenge in the middle of a combat encounter?

On one side of the room you've got the BBEG and his cronies.

On the other side, you've got the PC's.

Each round on their action, each participant chooses whether to make a skill check to contribute to the skill challenge, or to spend their actions attacking an opponent.

Either side can win by either gathering N net successes (either completing or foiling the ritual) or by wiping out the other side.

Thoughts?

Not to specific to your idea, but a general idea had was using "compensatory skill challenges". The purpose of the challenge would be to give the PCs some extra benefits, basically for free, to get some extra benefit against their enemies. This could be used in particularly tough fights.

The example for the KotS skill challenge that was online at WotC could be rigged to do this - instead of dealing damage to the PCs on a failure, it could damage the enemy on a success.

Of course, using such challenges logically isn't always possible - interrupting a ritual is a situation where it works, but it probably won't work that well in a regular combat.

In the KotS example, ending the ritual would stop opening the rift, but would it stop Kalarel? Would he give up, or would he contine to fight? Would he just flee?

 

[Pyrex]

In that case it's a question of objective.

The high priest has the objective of completing the ritual.

The PC's have two objectives; stopping the ritual and demolishing the cult.

 

[apoptosis]

Shadow of Yesterday addresses this situation pretty well with their Bringing Down the Pain mechanic