Figures the concept only needed zombies…

(or non-common survival skills)
.-= Eric Maziade´s last blog ..Hocksprocket Corporation’s Claw of Elevation [R&D Report] =-.

The basic idea is the group is trapped in a house with zombies outside trying to break in. If they pass a skill check they keep the zombies out for one round and get 1 healing surge. On the 4th success they get encounter powers back, on the 5th they get dailies and are ready for a fight with a solo zombie who breaks in. Every time they fail a skill check a random number of zombie minions break into the house and interrupt their rest meaning they don’t get healing that round. 3 failures would result in the solo zombie hulk breaking in early.
It worked really well.

T.
.-= Thadeous´s last blog ..A freaken exciting week! =-.

I think that sounds like it could be fun. The best way to get the rest of the party into it might be to have them play the “villains” in each vignette. That way people can get involved (I always have less fun when people aren’t involved, even if they are playing munchkin or whatever. The party is where the people are), and there could even be a bit of give-and-take since each person gets to be both the villain and the hero in an encounter.

I like the idea of a skill challange to avoid a random encounter in a threatening area, and a failure is interrupted extended rest by action or even combat. Rest is the reward but the experience is for sleeping during the night in the goblin lair. Not a perfect tool but a great way to approach hostile environments, thanks for sticking the idea in my head.

1. Random Encounter – usually tied to an upcoming story or bad guy
2. Side Mission – Offer of a secondary mission thats usually 1 skill challange and 1 short encounter long = 20-30 minutes. I use these to flesh out PC stories and also reward some really unique gear upon completion
3. Bonus – Good fortune shines upon the PC’s and they are helped by a good samaritin, stumble upon some treasure, Overhear some key information
4. Boon – Usually a silent event that has the BBG achieving a key victory while the PC’s sleep. for example: The Necromancer kills the Princess before the PC’s can rescue her. No the aim of the mission completely changes. Do they make a deal with the Necromancer to revive the princess? at what cost? Do they kill the Necromancer and inform the King of the unfortunate news? How does the king react.

So far both myself and the players have enjoyed this system, with some very interesting unforseen events occuring.

On a Bonus roll they slept in a circle of Psychic power which had them enter the minds of the BBEG’s while they were asleep. They then got to control the BBEG’s for 6 hours or so. that was a fun.

A Side mission saw them assaulting a young red dragon! which turned out to be a young sickly copper dragon… with a substantial hoard i might add. They chose to help it and now have a very powerful ally that they can call on within the dragon… they were also rewarded with their choice in loot, obviously.

Scott W.

(Chatty DM Edit: I see what you’re trying to do here Eric… don’t even try buddy. he he he)

.-= Eric Maziade´s last blog ..Hocksprocket Corporation’s Claw of Elevation [R&D Report] =-.

@Eric: Man, I really hate arguing with coders. Actually I think you’re just baiting me to DM for you again. I think the one element the post has failed to clearly convey to you (and possibly others), is that the challenge does not start with “We rest here” unless you want to. And I wouldn’t for the exact reason you mentionned.

The challenge should, IMO, start when players say “We rest” and you answer “oh yeah? Where?” and then you start the challenge that creates kind of a Montage scene where the PCs find the spot, chase huge lizards from it, etc. Then, as soon as a failure hits, you go ‘Mission Impossible’ on the PCs and you screw the plan and see how they react…. without resorting to another fight (remember they just concluded one)… unless they feel like it. But then, you decide if they can rest here or maybe new monsters arrive.

In the end, the challenge mechanic shows you the overall quality of the rest they got, like all those numbers that pile up too fast to read in those casual Pop Cap games.

I like this idea a lot! A lot of the time I’d include hidden rooms just for the purpose of keeping the characters in the dungeon and not having them leave the dungeon to continue on.

I still have problems with the continuity of the scenario when the players want to take a rest when I didn’t expect it. (e.g. just before the BBEG room. Wouldn’t he leave room at some point in those 6 hours and discover the massacre then quadruple the guard? Or just leave…)

Would you award XP on a success as well?

That buddy, in my book, beats a random encounter check when you apply this challenge at the right time in a campaign.

I’d have to try it to believe it past the concept point… as I still feel the “random encounter” (which does not need to be so random) is a good, simple abstraction of failing to do properly perform all the repetitive tasks of setting up camp.

In most cases, I would prefer to assume the experienced PCs set up their camp properly. If they set it up in an obviously bad spot, I’d tell them. If they insist, they risk getting an encounter.

I see roughly three basic camp types : in the wilds (most often during travel – I rarely see the need to do encounters there), within enemy grounds (if they haven’t cleaned up the place or didn’t pick a clever hiding spot, encounters could happen here).

Third type would be “unconventional locations”.

Now, if they choose rest in an unconventional location – where the normal experienced adventurer wisdom does not apply – I can start seeing the skill challenge work and be interesting.

Maybe I just need a solid example to see it for other cases
.-= Eric Maziade´s last blog ..Hocksprocket Corporation’s Claw of Elevation [R&D Report] =-.

I like the idea behind it though, and maybe trying this would give me more to like about SCs. There would at least be a legitimate reason for each check roll, and it wouldn’t be the same characters making the check repeatedly using the group’s best score (with the Aid Another addition.)

When you say “random” encounters, do you mean old-style “roll the dice and compare against this table” or do you mean more like wandering monsters that are specific to the situation that show up? For example, if the party is camping in a dungeon and they fail the check have you predetermined that a pack of rats and a couple spiders come in through holes in the walls/ceiling and this exact encounter happens the first time the party fails the check/challenge?

I really need to have a look at Galaxy of Intrigue