grandexperiment ([info]grandexperiment) wrote,
@ 2009-06-09 14:12:00
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[D&D4e] Critique my Skill Challenge
I am about to running The Demon Queen's Enclave for a group of 14th level PCs. I am hoping to open with a combined dream sequence Skill Challenge. The PCs best skills are around +20. Their trained skills are roughly around +15 and untrained normally around +10.

Signs and Portents

Goal: The PCs receive a myriad of signs and portents of the future and a rising evil. However, these are not merely the stuff of dreams but ripples from the Realm of Dreams. The PCs must try and glean what information they can from the maelstrom with their sanity and courage intact.

Complexity: 3 (8 successes before 3 failures)

Encounter Level: 14

Initiative: The PCs act in the following order (being an Initiative based on Wisdom).

Aid Another: A PC may forego their turn to aid another PC instead. If this is done, then only the PC making the roll gains the success. Also, when that reroll is used the PC who aided is dazed (save ends) as their mind is jarred by a dreadful sense of déjà vu of what they saw.

Skills Used:
• Arcana (DC 20, maximum of one success): You know the stuff of dreams is dangerous, but also malleable. You can shape the raw elements of dream to your advantage. You also gain a +2 to all further rolls in this Skill Challenge.
• Athletics (DC 25, maximum of three successes): You meet the ferocity of the dream with a ferocity of your own, smashing your way through the tendrils that try to bond you.
• Endurance (DC 25, maximum of one success): Buffeted by the gruesome forces arrayed against you, you simply grit and endure it.
• Insight (DC 18, maximum of two successes): You see right through the obfuscating and confusing symbols and images that confront you into the truth of the matter.
• Intimidate (DC 22, maximum of one success): You face the sense of growing dread with a stalwart determination to vanquish it.
• Perception (DC 18, maximum of one success): You avoid distraction of the weird and wondrous around you and notice the one true image that tries to evade you like
• Religion (DC 20, maximum of two successes): Contact from beyond this world is something you are familiar with, and you take comfort in your faith.
• Stealth (DC 25, maximum of one success): Surrounded by nightmare you become one with it, dancing out of sight like a mad god.

All other skills are available at DC 28. Each skill is maximum of one success.

Success: For each success, the PC who made the roll gains a reroll that can be used at any stage in the adventure. If the reroll is made then the results of the second roll must be kept.

Failure: For each failure, the DM may force a PC to make a reroll that can be used at any stage in the adventure. If the reroll is made then the results of the second roll must be kept.



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[info]wyldcard
2009-06-09 02:55 am UTC (link)
Is this the Kapiti College group?

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[info]grandexperiment
2009-06-09 03:07 am UTC (link)
No, this is for a play by post game. My previous one ended due to 3 players leaving. I have restarted with a more reliable group.

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[info]mr_orgue
2009-06-09 03:24 am UTC (link)
How did you get your DCs? don't have the books to hand, just wondering which variation of the rules you used.

Seems like a cool plan; the Success/Failure conditions seem especially nasty and I'm not sure about them. Can you stack rerolls, i.e. DM forces a reroll, PC responds to use one of their rerolls? As written no...

Put this on Gametime dude. Some 4E heavy hitters on there, as you mighta noticed!

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[info]grandexperiment
2009-06-09 03:37 am UTC (link)
The standard system has DCs - easy 11, med 18, hard 23. IME these are generally a little too easy, so I have gone with easy 15, med 20, hard 25 as a baseline, added in quite a few skills and added an Aid Another option (with cost) to the equation.

The idea is for the Skill Challenge to grant both the PCs and DM with some "drama points" for use during the adventure. Moments when they can seemingly intepret their vision for their benefit (without me having to actually foreshadow anything :) ).

Its a full module (so 20+ encounters). On average PCs will have no more than 2 rerolls each.

I have already added that rerolls can't cancel each other out. Nice catch though.

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[info]mr_orgue
2009-06-09 03:40 am UTC (link)
Yeah, 8 rerolls stacked through 20+ encounters is pretty flexible, especially with the GM rollin' with some counterstrike drama points.

Basically, I like it a lot. There's something quite potent in the setup - "run this initial sequence which generates your interpretative framework and your drama points for the coming session". Heh.

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(Anonymous)
2009-06-09 03:39 am UTC (link)
This is nice but do the PCs actually glean information from these scenes. I understand the mechanics but not the story purpose. Is there story purpose?

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[info]jarratt_gray
2009-06-09 03:40 am UTC (link)
Stupid LJ, that was me.

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[info]grandexperiment
2009-06-09 03:46 am UTC (link)
Yes, its serves a myriad of purposes.

There is a level of narration that is not covered in this base mechanical description. Essentially, its a dream sequence so I will inserting all kinds of imagery that will appear in some form later in the adventure. People, events, items, plot twists etc. However, given the vagaries of the future, I won't be tied to making any of it come true the way it appears.

Also, the players themselves will be given the freedom to narrate ideas into the dream sequence without me worrying if what they are saying is accurate or not. This will help give me a better insight into their PCs at the very start of the game.

Mechanically, the main effect is to give the players some influence over the story later, as if they had some kind of drama points, without getting into the difficult task of trying to link specific vsisions with specific events.

In addition, the start of the adventure is kind of slow, so this will be a good way to pick up the pace from the get go without throwing in an action scene or combat.

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[info]jarratt_gray
2009-06-09 11:15 pm UTC (link)
On one of the failed checks you should definitely portend the death of a character. Be specific. It would be interesting to see how far the characters go to protect and save that character. Also you could use it as a guide for the person that all of your bad guys go after if the opportunity is right. It could be fascinating.

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[info]grandexperiment
2009-06-09 11:20 pm UTC (link)
Cool idea. I am careful not to get too specific as I don't want to tie myself down to trying to have one event occur. Something like a sense that one of the PC's companions is about to die unless they act now, but their uncertainty prevents them from doing so.

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[info]jarratt_gray
2009-06-10 09:44 pm UTC (link)
Yeah but is a dream portent so it can come true or not. Threatening a particular character (and it could be based on who fails) could really ramp the tension, but then this is going to be pbm right so perhaps it is a different thing.

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[info]grandexperiment
2009-06-10 10:07 pm UTC (link)
True. I still prefer to be less focussed and uses a battery of images, any of which can be used most appropriately when the time comes.

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