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<blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 5970167" data-attributes="member: 20323">[MENTION=17152]Syntallah[/MENTION]Ok I just read the Encounter H: Ghoul Country from Lord of the White Field (which I believe is the skill challenge you referred to) and no wonder you had trouble with it! It's terribly designed! (which is on par for the course with most of the WotC skill challenges I've read)First off, the premise of the entire group slinking thru the ghoul-infested ruins is better suited to a group skill check and NOT a skill challenge. And just because you use the group skill check format doesn't mean that everyone *must* use stealth (though most should). Second, there is no story development or complications that arise during Ghoul Country - IOW it's boring as written. No doubt a DM could add good flavor, but they wouldn't have the skill challenge to thank for that.Third and lastly, the failure condition is an easy-moderate combat and the success condition is...no combat? While I would only rarely make combat the result of a failed skill challenge, the combat should at the very least be hard (if not lethal). And the success condition should probably lead to a discovery or some improvement in the PCs' plight, not simply crossing the village ruins safely.Anyhow, if I were to run this adventure, I would replace this skill challenge with a group skill check, or else rewrite it from the ground up. IMO a skill challenge should almost never dictate possible player actions (i.e. No &quot;Streetwise DC 23, maximum of 3 checks&quot;). My two coppers.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Quickleaf, post: 5970167, member: 20323"] [MENTION=17152]Syntallah[/MENTION] Ok I just read the Encounter H: Ghoul Country from [I]Lord of the White Field[/I] (which I believe is the skill challenge you referred to) and no wonder you had trouble with it! It's terribly designed! (which is on par for the course with most of the WotC skill challenges I've read) First off, the premise of the entire group slinking thru the ghoul-infested ruins is better suited to a group skill check and NOT a skill challenge. And just because you use the group skill check format doesn't mean that everyone *must* use stealth (though most should). Second, there is no story development or complications that arise during Ghoul Country - IOW it's boring as written. No doubt a DM could add good flavor, but they wouldn't have the skill challenge to thank for that. Third and lastly, the failure condition is an easy-moderate combat and the success condition is...no combat? While I would only rarely make combat the result of a failed skill challenge, the combat should at the very least be hard (if not lethal). And the success condition should probably lead to a discovery or some improvement in the PCs' plight, not simply crossing the village ruins safely. Anyhow, if I were to run this adventure, I would replace this skill challenge with a group skill check, or else rewrite it from the ground up. IMO a skill challenge should almost never dictate possible player actions (i.e. No "Streetwise DC 23, maximum of 3 checks"). My two coppers. [/QUOTE]

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