Vrecknidj
Warlord
10430 Posts
    
United States
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Loquacious1
Sneak
61 Posts
San Diego, CA
| | 06/20/2008 8:09 AM |
| | I've only played two, but I thought they were pretty fun! They got the whole party involved; we each had something to contribute (though I realize that will not be the case every time). Since skill points are a thing of the past, there's less metagame whining about "why didn't your Rogue spend more points on blah blah blah" or what not. It's hard to realize at first that the numbers are comparably less, but I got used to it pretty soon. | | | |
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Kaya Kenobi
Underboss
1304 Posts
San Jose, California
| | 06/20/2008 8:11 AM |
| meh.... I'm a bit on the decision of saying...... Whatever!
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Just a simple traveler from the swamps of Dagobah otherwise known as Florida. Also known as Hurricane Alley!
I always try to send through delivery confirmation, and I expect the same. It's only 55 cents extra, so it's just a little more than a pay phone call, so just do it for the Kai.  I prefer to trade with people in the US and Canada, sorry everyone else.
http://www.maxminis.com/Forums/tabid/104/forumid/53/postid/655406/view/topic/Default.aspx - references | |
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Most Edumacated
zenthrus
Warlord
5091 Posts
SLC, UT
| | 06/20/2008 2:25 PM |
| | I like the concept in theory. Haven't played any out yet so can't firmly comment yet. | |
Knight Warlord a.k.a. Commander (#32) in only 6 months. Where's my pie?
Champion of Dwarven Thunderlashers
Knight of the Large Dire Chicken
Have/Want List
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Master of the
Awesome Sauce
Teflon Jeff
Warlord
7617 Posts
Sector 2814
| | 06/20/2008 2:35 PM |
| Posted By zenthrus on 06/20/2008 2:25 PM
I like the concept in theory. Haven't played any out yet so can't firmly comment yet.
Hit it exactly on the head.
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Official Delegate, Wizards of the Coast
Icons Called Shot: Gargantuan Prismatic Dragon
"Rejoice, for bad things are about to happen." | |
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MarioCleanstuff
Warrior
325 Posts
San Diego, CA
| | 06/21/2008 10:20 AM |
| I've gone through one with my players. It's interesting, but they were unfamiliar with skill challenges and the thinking they require. It started off slow, but then they started actually thinking of skills to use and reasons why.
So I guess I have to say that, at least for my group, they're good once everyone knows what they're doing. | |
Completed trades: Brenigin, desiderata, HockeyFan, MikeyChraal, Raland, GuJiaXian | |
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bshugg
Underboss
1832 Posts
| | 06/21/2008 11:45 AM |
| | I like them a lot, but don't think I would ever use one of my own thats more than a 4 success, 2 fail deals. Maybe one in a book with lots of prewritten flavor test would last longer. My groups usually have a really, really hard time coming up with good uses for their skills in 3.5 adventures choosing to either make 1 check and RP everything or else just wait for the plot hook to snag them and drag them along. It's been a bit frustrating over all in the past. During playtesting I was really intrigued by the concept of skill challanges but when the books came out they were missing a lot of filler and examples. I'm hoping to see a lot more online content and maybe a book chapter in the future on them. | |
Looking for someone to cosponser a midwest DDM event. let me know if your interested!
Check out my brand new blog:
http://bshugg.blogspot.com | |
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True_Blue
Underboss
2386 Posts
| | 06/26/2008 7:16 AM |
| I actually need to learn to use skill challenges more. Most of my DMing and playing end up being battle-centric. I think this would give the PC's a nice break, but still let them be doing things that matter and require rolls. It would almost be like a pseudo-battle.
I agree with bshugg that I hope the online content picks up the ball on this and keeps rolling. The online content has a lot of potential, and if it can add to this aspect, I for one would be very grateful. | |
Champion of a Knight of Takhisis/Knight of Neraka | |
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The Great
Choco Monster
Ghendar
Warlord
12367 Posts
The G Spot
| | 07/07/2008 12:39 PM |
| | Skill challenges just feel wrong to me somehow but I can't put my finger on why. Maybe after more experience with them, I'll have a better handle on what I think. | |
WotC - making me wish more and more every day for a return to the TSR days. :(
I fought the snark and the snark won. I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!
Some of my favorite Maxminis quotes
I actually love to be swallowed. - Posted By gss_000 on 09/04/2007 2:32 PM
Could somebody explain Snatch to me? I understand the basics, but not how to enter/use it. - Posted by orcmonk220
G's the man. - Posted By greyhaze on 11/11/2008 8:58 AM
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Knight of Wuzz
Wuzzard
-827 Posts
| | 07/07/2008 10:15 PM |
| | Strangely, may players *think* they have been doing them but in thruth we have only been doing normal skill checks. | | | |
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bshugg
Underboss
1832 Posts
| | 07/08/2008 1:17 PM |
| I've tried putting a couple in my homebrew campaign and finding that they add a good amount. It took a bit for players to realize they were IN a skill challange so i had to bluntly tell them at first, but not they kind of get the feel for them like a regular combat. I'm waiting to see them pick up their character sheets and begin asking "what can I use History for?" when in the middle of a challange.
I think they will feel awkward for both DM and group until they have run a few. Also if you don't get practice with a few premade ones they will be mostly skipped by DM's. That could be a shame because they really can do neat stuff to your games. | |
Looking for someone to cosponser a midwest DDM event. let me know if your interested!
Check out my brand new blog:
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Most Edumacated
zenthrus
Warlord
5091 Posts
SLC, UT
| | 07/08/2008 8:03 PM |
| I like that skill challenges can serve as a quantifiable way for players to "choose" to avoid combat. I try to have skill challenge alternatives for key (but not climatic) battles. If the challenge fails the combat still occurs (or is occurring during the challenge).
I've also found that skill challenges are useful for generating a roleplaying situation for players who are normally roll-players. Having a scenario that is partially role-based and partially roll-based works well as a bridge.
As bshugg stated they are a bit awkward to incorporate at first. | |
Knight Warlord a.k.a. Commander (#32) in only 6 months. Where's my pie?
Champion of Dwarven Thunderlashers
Knight of the Large Dire Chicken
Have/Want List
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Master of the
Awesome Sauce
Teflon Jeff
Warlord
7617 Posts
Sector 2814
| | 07/09/2008 9:51 AM |
| In my very limited experience, I'm finding the same problem we've typically had.
Most players would rather RP their way through it and ignore their skills.
It's why most players ignored skills in 3.5 except combat related ones. They would just RP their way through the knowledge and bluff checks.
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Official Delegate, Wizards of the Coast
Icons Called Shot: Gargantuan Prismatic Dragon
"Rejoice, for bad things are about to happen." | |
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Vrecknidj
Warlord
10430 Posts
United States
| | 07/09/2008 7:40 PM |
| Force them to use skills by making skill challenges that combine role playing with skill roles. And, give them loads of XP for doing it.
Incentivize the program and it will work.
Dave | |
Knowledge Arcana editor issues 5-9, Phoenix Lore Magazine editor, assistant editor for Rite Publishing;
My Trade Thread and My Reference Thread; Winner of WBC IV, IX and XIII; Rule #0: bshugg is always right! | |
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StormKnight
Sneak
85 Posts
| | 07/21/2008 12:40 PM |
| I've only tried one skill challenge, but it did not go well. (In fact, it went so not well that partway through a player declared "I'm bored, I'm frustated, I never want to play D&D again").
While I tweaked the numbers to be more manageable that the somewhat absurd difficulties given in the DMG, trying to actually match up the 'story' - what was going on - to tasks in the challenge was like hitting our heads on a brick wall. We just weren't coming up with anything coherent after maybe the second skill check. It all felt very awkward and clunky.
I have some ideas about things that went wrong, and I'd love to see one done well to get an idea for how to work it, but I can't see risking including one in a game again.
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Fun Guy from Yuggoth
Cthulhufnord
Warlord
10987 Posts
Umass Amherst Baby!
| | 07/21/2008 7:47 PM |
| I don't like the way they set up.... the whole trying to get a set number of successes before failures seems like way too much dice rolling. I've been going with either a set DC or a Skill "Attack" vrs a npcs Save.
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Pathetic Earthlings. Hurling your bodies out into the void - without the slightest inkling of who or what is out here. If you had known anything about the true nature of the universe - anything at all - you would have hidden from it in terror. | |
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Jeb McDonald
Sergeant
402 Posts
Central New Jersey
| | 08/03/2008 7:54 PM |
| | I like the idea of them and have run two skill challenges while DMing KoTS. I can see a skill challenge coming up to give the party an option of avoiding combat (perhaps tricking the troll into letting them cross the bridge without paying, for example), or to try to get more information out of an NPC. Awkward right now, but perhaps better and more useful later on. | |
The man who thinks he can, and the man who thinks he can't are both right. Which one are you? | |
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wicked cool
Underboss
2123 Posts
| | 08/04/2008 5:39 AM |
| | i liked rolling for skill challenges in 3.5 and theres not a big difference in 4.0 | |
The ROCK layeth the smacketh down. Long live Farscape
Vindicated-CHAMPION of the INTELLECT DEVOURER
i will change my avatar when martin completes dances with dragons | |
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