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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Harr" data-source="post: 4290502" data-attributes="member: 47190">Well dang, I was all set to write up a detailed roll-by-roll report of our skill-scene when I saw that version 1.6 is already out in another thread. So I'll give highlights of our game. Also excuse any typoes since I'm typing this out in one go, very fast and no time to proof-read.It also bears mentioning that my games are completely transparent in that the players are aware of every rule and DC in play and I roll every die in the open. There is zero fudging of any kind. Party is level 2 and skill bonuses range from -1 to +13, withthe average being +9.*** WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS IMPLIED SPOILERS FOR KEEP ON THE SHADOWFELL ***Ok here we go...(It's been established in our KotS game that Lord Padraig and Ninaran are lovers and engaged, and that Lord Padraig has a daughter, Elisa, from a former marriage. Also the players are well-aware that Ninaran is the spy in Winterhaven, and she has taunted them a few times from her invulnerable position beside Padraig.)The skill challenges begin when the players hear the soul-tearing scream of Lord Padraig finding his daughter with her throat slit open (this having been done the previous night by Ninaran) and run to the mansion courtyard.First challenge is given by me: Calm down Lord Padraig and prevent him from going on a rampage (complexity 3/3, DC 17). Ninaran points at the party and accuses them of the deed, but with some diplomacy (+11), streetwise (+8), and bluff (+9) rolls they are able to avert the blame from themselves and onto Ninaran (1 fail, 3 wins, with 1 fail averted thanks to the use of a Critical Success). Lord Padraig is shattered yet again as his confidence in Ninaran crumbles and he orders her arrested.Ninaran is able to lay her hand on the dead Elisa's forehead before she is grabbed by the guards, and as she is marched off, Elisa opens her eyes and staggers to her knees, whispering that she wants her daddy (she is a wight now). Lord Padraig desperately runs to his daughter and has his life siphoned out from him by her, but the players protest this and thus we retcon a little bit and have our second challenge: Keep Lord Padraig from touching his daughter and convince him of what she is (complexity 3/3, DC 19).Players roll Athletics (+2), and succeed in restraining the Lord, then Intimidate (+11) Diplomacy (+11) and Bluff (+9)(aiding the diplomacy) to try to convince him that it's not really his daughter, but with the higher DC and a bad streak of luck they are down to 2 fails and only 1 win before Sister Linora bursts in on the scene and proclaims that the only course of action is to kill the little wight. The party's paladin decides to break off the challenge and buries his axe in her little head, prompting the failure of the challenge. Padraig goes almost insane with grief once again, believing his daughter dead twice, but still believing Ninaran to be responsible for everything. He orders the guards to release her, grab her and announces that he will deal with her himself, in private. This is according to my plan for Ninaran to kill him and escape so she can appear later in the graveyard combat. But the players aren't having it, and we have the third and final challenge: Prevent Padraig from leaving with Ninaran (complexity 3/3, DC 21 since I really did not want them to make it).Players roll Diplomacy (+11), Streetwise (+8), Aracana (+6), and Bluff (+9) to make different arguments to Padraig about why he should keep her there in front of everyone. But the higher DC has its effect and the players end up with 2 fails, 2 wins. Only one roll to go. The paladin decides to roll Intimidate (+11) basically saying "Either judge her here in front of us or I'll kill her right now myself", and believe it or not, rolls a 20. Critical Success. The players went fricking wild. I had no idea what to do. Then I got it. Padraig snapped, lost all semblance of control, shoved Ninaran down to the ground, took out his greatsword, and slew her on the spot. And that was that.***So! Could it have gone any better? Doubt it. Thanks to the challenges I had a great framework on which to propel the scene, I had excellent waypoints on which moments were important and which were not, and a good handle on when to push for climax. All in all: awesome.Players were engaged and freely discussed their Critical Successes, stunts, and offered to Aid Another when someone had a low roll. At no point did any kind of hopelessness set in but also at all times there was the real threat of failure. That final roll was so ridiculously exciting I still can't believe it. Picture the paladin's player (a very tall,very heavy-set guy <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /> ) jumping up to his feet and jabbing his finger and shouting at his die "YES!! YES!! THAT'S WHAT YOU GET! THAT'S WHAT YOU #$%@ING GET!!! YES!!" And high-fives all around.On the negative side, players reported that Daredevil Stunts were particularly  confusing (I get a critical success but it's not an automatic success... whaaa???) and that a Hard DC for a Recovery roll seemed kind of sucky when the only way could get to do it was with a Critical, so you have to get a Critical AND do a Hard roll?? Seems too much.Sooo anyways, I guess all this is obsolete now <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /> but hopefully you (Stalker0) enjoyed reading how your system was put to actual-play use. On Sunday I'm giving the 1.6 rules a try. We'll see which ones are better received. It's gonna be a tough sell for 1.6 after all this I can assure you <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /></blockquote>

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