The links to his two articles are HERE and HERE.
I am going to use my current group consisting of a Half-orc Brutal Scoundrel Rogue, a Dragonborn Baravura Warlord, a Dragonborn Virtuous Paladin, a Tiefling Marauding Fighter (er Weapon Master), a Drow Wild Sorcerer, and a Kalashtar Psion. I am using my party because I have the data handy and in my opinion because running a published adventure requires you to make some adjustments based on your party’s strengths and weaknesses.
The above chart is taken from my current 1st level group. The first chart is a graph of the probability of the best individual making a successful 1st level skill check. The party is strong in Intimidation and weak in Endurance and Nature. Arcana, Religion and Streetwise are secondary weaknesses. Every other skill has a 95% or more chance of succeeding on an easy Skill check. Only the weak skills will be used at the easy DC in my skill challenges. I do use these DC for checks, both passively and actively, to dole out information to the whole party or the SME (subject matter expert) during exploration and role-playing encounters.
This second chart is used to look for the overlap between the best roller (Orange) and the worst roller (Blue). The dot represents the passive mark (Skill bonus +10). The Green, Yellow and Red lines are the DCs with the max DC for 30th level in blue at the top of the chart.
My worst roller in Arcana has a +0 and my best a +4. The overlap of the two varies from DC 5 to DC 20. That means my worst roller has a 5% chance of succeeding on DC 20. It also means that the best roller has a 5% chance of failing on DC 5. When designing a skill challenge involving a single Arcana check I will aim at a DC that allows success 50% to 75% for the SME and 25% to 50% for the Worst roller. This range is the sweet spot of fun for my group. Adjust it thru experimentation for your own group. For us this encourages skill use by anybody in the party for any skill but still rewards the SME for his skill choices. It also follows along the guidelines for monster defenses. A first level moderate DC 12 fits this criterion providing a 60% chance of success for my SME’s (Psion/Sorcerer). It gives a 40% chance of success for the worst rollers (Paladin/Warlord/Rogue), but a 45% chance for the Fighter. This is where the math for the DCs works well, mainly because there is no Wizard in this party.
Now let’s look at thievery. There is a rogue in my party i.e. a character class that’s primary attack stat matches his training options. Looking at the chart I know the Rogue will always succeed at an easy check. He has a 90% chance of making Moderate DC and a 50% chance of making the hard DC, and this is without his thief tools (an additional +2 for some checks). The worst roller in the party can not make the hard check with a roll of twenty. Normally, your thief is going to pick the lock or disable the trap or pick pockets so you could just set the Hard DC and go on down the road. This same logic applies to stealth or diplomacy or what ever other skill your SME has training and a primary stat in. Part of the purpose of building a skill challenge instead of calling for a single skill check is to engage the entire party. Maybe the party has to make two simultaneous thievery checks to unlock the vault. Just for fun, imagine making two pick lock checks instead of turning the keys in the Skynet vault (Ref: Terminator 2). The thief can’t make both checks. How do you challenge both characters? Splitting the difference between the overlap arrives at a DC of 14. This gives the thief an 80% chance of success and if the worst rollers (Paladin/Fighter) step forward a 14 gives them a 20% chance of success. My Warlord and Psion are in between with a 25% chance and the Sorcerer has a 45% chance. Logically the party will have the Sorcerer be the second roller. (Er, but there is always that outside chance of miscommunication that is both painful and fun to watch as the DM)
So this is the theory lets put the theory into practice. I am going to use the cliché moment where the Fellowship has to get into King Theoden’s presence and warn him of an impending orc attack. (Refer to the Two Towers to see how Aragorns’s party accomplished this feat) Theoden’s advisor Grima has poisoned his mind against the party. His guards are on high alert due to the growing threat of war. My party isn’t Aragorn’s. They may use similar tactics or something completely unexpected, I won’t know until the actual session. Therefore, I prepare all the DC’s. (Note: the DC for intimidate is based on my players awesomeness not on how hard it is to intimidate the king, his guards or advisor) I don’t follow the typical use skill A in manner B methodology. Here is what I have come up with.
Scene 1 – Access the hall – 2 Successes before 2 failures
Setup – “Somewhere inside the Hall of Eodras is King Theoden, probably still mourning the loss of his eldest son. Hama and two of his gate guards patrol the great bronze doors to the hall. A half-dozen archers are on the walls around you. The city buzzes with worry for the on-coming war, guards and peasants alike are alert and wary. Somewhere the king’s advisor lurks ever vigilant for those that would break his hold over the king’s mind. You must alert the king before the sun rises to have time to prepare a defense, the sun has just begun to set. How will you get in to see the king?”
Primary Skills
DC 12, 19 –Endurance, Arcana, Nature, Religion, Streetwise
DC 13, 20 - Athletics, Perception, Insight, Dungeoneering, History, Heal
DC 14, 21 – Acrobatics, Stealth, Thievery, Diplomacy, Bluff
DC 22 – Intimidate
Kick off Skills
DC 8
First Failed Check – Raise DCs by 2 except intimidate
Full Success – The party gains access to the hall with weapons
Partial Success – The party gains access to the hall, but without weapons or some members are caught and arrested (non social encounter)
Total Failure – The party is driven off if negotiating with the Door warden or taken captive if attempting to enter via subterfuge/B&E – Raise the DCs by 2 and repeat the challenge or move to Scene 2 taking place in the prison with raised DCs
So for Scene 1 the party has to come up with a way to enter the hall. I have no idea what skills are going to be used or in which way. I list to DCs one for the intended use of the skill and one for using it as a replacement skill. A player using athletics to impress the gate guard, in place of a social skill, can earn a success by making the Hard DC listed second. Since, players typically do this with their primary attack stat + training combo I have no compunction about using the higher DC. I give the scene a kick off skill in case nobody has any ideas about how to get into the place. Using Insight as a kick off skill to determine the gate guard’s mood, body language or just to get a hint of about Rohirim culture is a free easy check without real chance of success or failure. Likewise, using Perception to walk the perimeter and find an open window could be a kick off skill, I might also call for a stealth or bluff check to hide or act inconspicuous while doing this. The perception check is at no risk but the bluff/stealth is a normal check with risk of failure.
Ok so getting a little too much into running the challenge, going to pull it back a touch. With scene one designed as a two minion encounter I move on to scene two. Scene two is a little tougher. I intend it to be the confrontation with Grima. No matter when the PCs try to enter the Hall, scene 1 applies. Scene two is contingent on when the PCs decide to break in. Scene two could occur in the throne room directly after scene 1, or it might occur when the king summons his adviser from his bedchambers or even possibly after the PCs are arrested and the adviser comes down to the dungeons instead of the king. I know I want it to occur but when is flexible. There is also the possibility of Scene 2 and Scene 3 occurring simultaneously.
Scene 2 – Confronting Grima – 2 successes before 1 failure
Set-up – “Grima appears, he is pale and greasy of skin and hair. He walks with a hunch and speaks with a silky-toned voice. “Why do you trouble my lord in his time of grief?” The words seem to seep into your mind, you feel bothersome and shallow for bringing this matter to the king.
GM Note: Grima is using charm magic to slowly sap the strength of the king and his loyal subjects. Eowyn is the least affected by this spell, checks to break the hold on her gain a +2 circumstance bonus. The spell can be countered with divine, psionic, or arcane magic once detected by the party or countered by social skills.
Primary Skills
DC 12, 19 –Endurance, Arcana, Nature, Religion, Streetwise
DC 13, 20 - Athletics, Perception, Insight, Dungeoneering, History, Heal
DC 14, 21 – Acrobatics, Stealth, Thievery, Diplomacy, Bluff
DC 20 – Intimidate
Kick off Skills
DC 8 – to initially detect the magic of Wormtongue’s voice
Full Success – The party breaks the hold of Grima on Theoden his amulet shatters. The heroes still must convince Theoden of impending doom. Move to Scene 3
Total Failure – The party fails to break the magician’s hold on Theoden. The party must now defend themselves against the Rohirim present. Slaying anyone during this encounter will raise the level of scene 3 by one level.
Again the DCs are very similar but I only give the party a single opportunity of failure. A fight could occur here; this would add no XP to the skill challenge but moves the story forward. During the fight the PCs will need to find that the source of Grima’s magic is the amulet about his neck.
Scene 3 – Convincing the King – 3 Successes before 2 failures
Set-up – “Orcs are coming and the hour grows late. You have but little time to make your voice heard and convince the King of your sincerity. Choose your words and actions wisely.”
Primary Skills
DC 12, 19 –Endurance, Arcana, Nature, Religion, Streetwise
DC 13, 20 - Athletics, Perception, Insight, Dungeoneering, History, Heal
DC 14, 21 – Acrobatics, Stealth, Thievery, Diplomacy, Bluff
DC 22 – Intimidate
Kick off Skills
DC 8 – None
Total Success – Theoden summons the door warden and has his nephew released from prison. He means to make ready a ride against the Orcs
Partial Success – Theoden summon the door warden and has his nephew released. He orders defenses to be readied and you to be given rooms as his guests.
Failure – Theoden is not convinced by your words, the Rohirim are doomed. The only question is do you stay and fight and maybe die with them, or do you take matters into your own hands and try something else?
Now that I have done the prep I run through the scenario several times and look for at least three possible methods I would use to solve this problem. I create a total victory condition. I.e. if the party comes up with a solution that short cuts the process what happens. “King Theoden orders his forces marshaled and kick Wormtongue down the front steps of his Hall, banishing him forever on penalty of death."
I check each PC’s skills and ensure they have something they can offer. I use spider web charts like this one. The graph represents the 50% chance result a PC could get (ie Passive).
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