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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Magus Coeruleus" data-source="post: 4412804" data-attributes="member: 1704">A week from today I'll be running my 3rd Obsidian skill challenge and I wanted to share the plan in case of useful feedback beforehand or just to give others ideas.  I'll update after the fact as well.Setup:  The party is going to the site of a lumber camp destroyed by goblins of the Wolfskull and Redblade tribes working together.  It is the last known location of their uncle, Stephan, and they want to look for any clues as to whether he was killed, captured, etc.  When the arrive they will find the captain Kalanos, who used to transport the lumber from the camp.  During the attack his boat was sunk and crew killed/captured.  He hid and was witness to the massacre and destruction and it has driven him mad.  When approached he will be wandering aimlessly among the corpses and, upon seeing the party will run screaming into the woods, hacking randomly at trees with his axe.  The challenge is to calm him down so they can get the information they need as well as get him back to their homestead so he can be looked after and hopefully recover.CALMING KALANOS(a.k.a. getting an NPC with PTSD to help rather than attack)Primary skill: DiplomacyVictory: Kalanos is placated and will travel with the PCs to their homestead.  He remembers and tells them that he saw Stephan among humans captured by goblins of the Wolfskull clan.Partial Victory: Kalanos will go with the party and reveals that he thinks Stephan was captured but is not sure and in any case cannot remember details that would indicate which goblin clan took him away.  Not until time has passed at the homestead where he can rest and regain his wits will he remember that it was the Wolfskulls.Failure: Kalanos, in his deluded state, is convinced that the PCs are goblins under some magical disguise or some other sort of assailants and attacks.  The party must subdue him and after doing so will get no information at all until he rests back at the homestead.Example anticipated uses of skills:Arcana: Check for signs of magical influence on Kalanos.  There are none, thus good for 1 success max.Bluff: Tell him that the goblins have been defeated and it is safe to go with the PCs to the homestead.Diplomacy: Primary skill for convincing him that returning with them and telling them what he knows is the best course of action.Heal: Use as Knowledge check to infer from his behavior and appearance that he is uninjured by emaciated and appears to be suffering from posttraumatic stress, which would assist in how to best placate him.History: Used to remember relevant connections between him and the lumber camp, e.g. that he had family members here that were killed/captured.Insight: Infer his mental state so as to better empathize and interact him .Intimidate: Discourage him from attacking the party.Perception: Notice his boat is not at the dock, which will yield Kalanos' explanation that it was sunk and the crew killed, better enabling the party to sympathize him and interact accordingly.  Good for 1 success max.</blockquote>

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