Been tinkering w/skill challenges in my campaign:
* Skill challenge requires multiple characters to make a check, but each PC chooses what they’re doing. No assisting.
* Goal is to amass points equal to # of PCs as baseline
* Check <10, 0 pts, 10 – 14 1 pt, 15 – 19 2pts, etc
— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) October 27, 2018
To resolve, go around the table and have each player describe what they do and make a check. Tally up points, then determine success or failure. If party is 1 point short, one character gets another check to save the day.
— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) October 27, 2018
If you get more points than needed, you get an even bigger benefit/level of success. Same with failure – failing by a lot triggers worse drawbacks.
— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) October 27, 2018
Example from today – party wanted to set up an ambush some orcs guarding a room. Three PCs tried to hide at the ambush point, half-orc tried to fast talk them and lure them into the ambush zone.
— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) October 27, 2018
PCs blew a couple stealth checks, but a great deception result carried them through. What I like here is that it game me a strong framework to weave a narrative. In this case – orcs spotted hiding goblin, half-orc said “Oh, that’s my servant!”, orcs believed it, fell for ambush.
— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) October 27, 2018
No idea what math looks like yet. I prefer to find a workable framework at the table when I run, then tinker with the math to see what I need to calibrate. Goal here is to be flexible, simple, easy to improvise, while also making high skill characters shine.
— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) October 27, 2018