DbD OOC

[dabocim]

You like it when we get low modifiers for high dc?

[zachol]

Well I think I'd go more for medium modifiers for medium dcs but right now I'm just lamenting the relative lack of zombies.

I mean this adventure clearly does not have enough of them.

[zachol]

Aaaaaanyway, gonna take that as a no and continue the challenge.
Maybe next time I have a skill challenge have it be one where failure's actually an option?
And then maybe not complain when the PCs succeed?

Look I'm honestly trying to figure out the best way to work this out but I'm super stressed out right now for all sorts of reasons. It's hard to interpret reactions over the internet. Also I do try to be like actually serious in the IC posts. Also, I seem to have this thing were ideas seem like really good or at least reasonable at three in the morning and so I post them and then when I read my posts the next day I look like a complete and utter ass.

I guess what I'm saying is oh hey look an update.

Edit: Or maybe I'm just overreacting and freaking out over nothing?

[Black Plauge]

I've found that the best way to run a skill challenge usually is to not declare it as a skill challenge. Simply describe what is going on then look at the player responses. Some players will build skill checks into their responses, others may post actions which merit a skill check but they didn't realize it. In any event, keep track of the successes and failures privately and keep the scene moving.

The one problem I've discovered with this is that sometimes the group ends up jumping the gun and does something that would trigger an event that is scheduled for after the skill challenge. My best advice here is to roll with it and jump to that event. If the pass/fail of the skill challenge is supposed to be built into that event, then evaluate how well the party has been doing thus far and the nature of the "gun-jumping" action to simply declare the challenge a success or failure.

[Mercutio]

BP, are you still using a version of Stalker0's Obsidian Skill Challenge.

[zachol]

Hmmm, interesting.

I've always been suspicious of skill checks, but handling them like that seems like a very good idea.

[Black Plauge]

Merc-
No. I tried it once, but it didn't work any better in practice for me than the regular skill challenge system and added a whole bunch more prep time (to convert the challenge). In the end I found it easier to simply use the skill challenges as written and just keep the mechanics behind the screen as much as possible. The trick is coming up with the intermediate descriptions that keep the scene moving from the player's perspective yet still reflect their progress through the challenge. This is easier for some challenges than for others.

Sure, it means that the cautious party succeeds far more than it fails on these DCs, but I've found that players are far more likely to press on with incomplete information (and thus fail a skill challenge by default) than to see them through to the end when they don't know about them. The end result is that the failure rate for skill challenges is about where I would want it to be.

It also helps to build in some high DC extras into skill challenges, something that the as written skill challenges don't always include. I like to make these extras story related but not of immediate relevance to the skill challenge. In this way they reward those highly specialized characters that pour character resources into a skill, but don't affect the design of a given skill challenge.

[Black Plauge]

Well, clearly now wasn't the time to examine the statue.

Hopefully the rest of you can pick up the slack and keep those barriers intact.

[zachol]

I probably could've picked a better time to mention it, too.

[Black Plauge]

You've mentioned the whole "nagging feeling" thing several times now. I just figured I'd finally act on it.

[zachol]

See I'm winding it up for more drama.

The joke is that everyone already knows what the reveal is.

[Explosive Cheese]

Heh. It's about time I got another post in. And of course I follow up my previous 19 with a 1. Ah well, such is life.

[zachol]

Yay time for combat.
Alright gimme a bit.

Edit: Yay more zombies! Ahahahah!
Actually that's not many I bet you can get them all in one round.

[zachol]

Well, so much for that.
Better than my other games, maybe?

I'm going to try again (i.e. my awesome Pathfinder game coming in the, uh, spring) with a few things rejiggered. I think the whole setting and concept was a little too simple and uninteresting, and combat needs to be smoother.
Also the skill challenge thing was a bad idea.

Thanks a bunch, you guys were great!

[Explosive Cheese]

The skill challenge was okay for like 5 rolls or so (I liked it anyway). 8 was too much probably.

I did have a lot of fun with this though, so it certainly wasn't a failure. I kinda wish we could finish it, but eh. Thanks for running this, it was really cool.

Also, yes Pathfinder yes, I need to fill that craving. I shouldn't comit though, because well look how Dresden Files went... yeesh... But yeah, please run Pathfinder!