Skill Challenges: A Second Look

A while back I wrote a post about Skill Challenges. I gave examples of Skill Challenges the way they had always been presented to me, and reasons why I disliked them. Okay, let's be honest - I hated them. But I think that has changed recently.

To begin; I still hold my opinion that Skill Challenges the way they are normally presented are not great. I still hold that running them without notifying the players that they are happening is the best way to run those. But now there's another way... Or to be more accurate, now I've discovered the other way.

At the bottom of this post is a Skill Challenge presented in a D&D 4e Adventure titled Menace of the Icy Spire. I plan on using a modified version of this adventure for my gaming group soon, so they probably shouldn't read it until after they make it through. But it is a great example of what a Skill Challenge was meant to be. It gives good explanations of the Skills used and what they are meant for. It gives both the DM and the Players a chance (and a reason) to stretch their storytelling muscles while doing something semi-repetitive.

This example Skill Challenge was written by a D&D veteran by the name of Sean Molley. I don't know if he came up with the idea or just put his own spin on it, but he did an excellent job. Combine that with listening to Chris Perkins (another veteran) DM and give tips on DMing, and I have found a new respect for Skill Challenges.

Sean gave me the well thought out tool to make this dreaded mechanic enjoyable, and Chris gave me the idea to make it more than just a mechanic. If you haven't seen or heard Wil Wheaton spend 2 minutes describing how he escapes an acid pit IN GAME, you should. Not only is it hilarious, but it got me thinking. Skill Challenges generally explain what each Skill gets you in game, but what if wasn't an explanation? What if it is an example to build on.

I don't know why it never dawned on me before, but if I set up the example then the Players can come up with the details. And the whole group can pitch in. You don't need to be a master storyteller all by yourself in a Roleplaying Game. You are one of many writers telling a cooperative story. Throw in an idea about how you Athletics roll involved you pulling someone away from danger, and the group will chime in with how the other person screamed like a girl or how you really just pulled them into more danger.

I personally would like to see my gaming group be a little more descriptive and a little less prepared to roll for success; and I think that this method of Skill Challenge meets storytelling will allow for that. I've already begun implementing this kind of Skill Challenge in several adventures I'm writing. Here's to hoping for the best!


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I also removed the DCs of the Checks in case my players do read it. Gotta keep a few secrets. ;)

The PCs find themselves in a snowstorm. The storm’s intensity continues to rise minute by minute until the PCs are caught in the middle of a full-on blizzard. To find their way through the driving snow, they must succeed on a skill challenge.
The PCs must survive the harsh conditions while staying on the right path to reach the tower. They use their skills and knowledge to choose the right direction and protect themselves against the storm’s hazards.

The Blizzard
Skill Challenge

The snow comes at you so fast that it both blocks sight and somehow threatens to mesmerize you with its chaotic patterns. A deep chill pervades the area, as well. Can you find your way through this storm to your destination?

Complexity 3 (requires 8 successes before 3 failures).

Primary Skills Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight,
Nature, Perception.
Other Skill Endurance, Heal.

Victory - If the PCs succeed, they find their way through the storm, losing no additional healing surges.
Defeat - If the PCs fail, they still survive the storm, but each character loses 2 healing surges to represent the beating they take from the blizzard.
*Acrobatics DC ?? (1 success, no maximum). A failure with this skill costs the character 1 healing surge. The PC helps guide the party over hazards such as icy patches of ground and through sudden gusts of wind that would otherwise knock party members off their feet.
*Arcana DC ?? (1 success, no maximum). The first time a character earns a success with this skill, he or she also recognizes the fey nature of the magic, which opens up the use of the Insight skill (see below). The PC senses the direction from which the arcane energy powering the storm flow and can work backward from the flows of magic to get a sense of the tower’s location.
*Athletics DC ?? (1 success, no maximum). A failure with this skill costs the character 1 healing surge. The PC helps force a way through the storm using brute strength—breaking a path through a snow drift, moving fallen trees or jumping over them, and so forth.
*History DC ?? (1 success maximum). The PC recalls a specific detail about the location of Draigdurroch Tower or discovers a unique landmark that helps orient the group to its location and guides them along the right track.
*Insight DC ?? (1 success, no maximum). This skill cannot be used until it has been unlocked by a successful Arcana check. Because this storm is partially the result of fey magic, some of its effects are illusory. A PC who succeeds on an Insight check recognizes some of these illusions and can help the group avoid traveling in circles, prevent them from choosing paths that look safe but are dangerous, and so forth.
*Nature DC ?? (1 success, no maximum). The PC relies on knowledge of the area, an ability to study terrain, an innate sense of direction, and wilderness survival skills to help lead the group through the blizzard.
*Perception DC ?? (1 success, no maximum). The PC relies on keen senses to look for safe paths, avoid hazards, spot gaps in the swirling storm, and otherwise help guide the group through the storm.
*Endurance DC ?? (0 successes, all characters must attempt). Every character must attempt an Endurance check every turn (representing 1 hour of exposure to the storm) to resist the chill winds and other hazards of the blizzard. Failure means the character loses a healing surge, but it does not count as a failure on the overall challenge. Characters who are protected by the Endure Elements ritual or who have innate cold resistance gain a +5 bonus to these checks (they are not immune, because some of the cold is magical). The PC tolerates the weather conditions.
*Heal DC ?? (0 successes, but can restore a healing surge). A character who has not attempted to use another skill (other than Endurance) during a turn can attempt a Heal check if another character fails a skill check that would cause the loss of a healing surge. If the Heal check is successful, the other character does not lose a healing surge, but that character’s failure still counts against the overall skill challenge. The Heal check does not count as either a success or a failure against the challenge. The PC helps another deal with the extreme weather conditions.