What do you think of 'Challenge of Champions' type adventures?

[Krug]

The latest Dungeon has a Challenge of Champions style adventure. Frankly, I don't really like these. They're just elaborate puzzles, and I doubt if I'd ever like to DM or play in one. What's your take?

 

[Dr Midnight]

Yeah, why deal with puzzles and real challenges in-game when you could just attack stuff?

 

[Psion]

I won't say loathe... as Ray Winniger pains to point out, in a game the point is to challenge both the players and the characters. If you have been doing hack and slash and a little brainless, it is a nice change of pace. However, as it stands, I see it as only half an adventure.

 

[Krug]

Yeah, why deal with puzzles and real challenges in-game when you could just attack stuff?

I think there's also something called 'role-playing', rather than 'hmm.. actually the numbers correspond to the Fibonacci sequence, to which you take the square root of, might disarm the gargoyle that was in the previous room and raise the door...'

 

[bramadan]

I love them. Sure they are not something I would thrw at the party everyday but given that my campaign is rather heavily RP oriented ocassional brainwrecker does for a great change of pace. IMC Challenge of Champions is something of a yearly event in the imperial capital and PC's sometimes change their entire campaign progression in order to be there in time to participate.
Good time is had by all.
On the other hand almost entuire group are mathematicians and math-physicists so maybe we are not representative

 

[Crothian]

What exactly does Challenge of Champions mean? I've never heard of that type of adventure?

 

[Dr Midnight]

I stand corrected. Puzzles, traps, tricks and the like would certainly eliminate most, if not all opportunities for in-character dialogue and roleplaying.

*cough*

 

[Krug]

What exactly does Challenge of Champions mean? I've never heard of that type of adventure?

It's an adventure with a bunch of small puzzle-like areas to overcome. Kinda like the chess game at the end of Harry Potter.

 

[Crothian]

Then like Tomb of Horrors, but not nessisirially as deadly? Those can be fun if the groups in the right frame of mind. I took a group through that. Well a group of 4, but one guy did most of the work. The rest were not in the mood to think. So, one guy got 75% of the experince. The other didn't even bother to complain.

They can be fun, but only once in a long while. Maybe every 20 seesions if that often. It's nice to have different challenges but you have to know the group and realize if they can handle it.

 

[Dark Psion]

I like them ! If you put them all together you may have the Book of Chalenges beat