Designing Skill Challenges

Skill Challenges basically constitute any obstacle that requires one or more skill checks to overcome, and can include a locked door, a deep crevasse, a sheer cliff, or a rushing river. They are meant to test the Player Character's (PCs) abilities while also providing them an opportunity to problem solve.

Like with most challenges, progression of a story should not be dependent on the success of a Skill Challenge and there should be contingencies should the PCs fail. Instead, failing a Skill Challenge should cause a consequence, but not something that would impede the story's progress. This could include requiring the PCs to take a more circuitous route, or having them waste time finding another solution. Sometimes failing a challenge has harmful consequences (see Consequences of Failed Checks below).

Determining Skill Difficulties

When designing a challenge, the first step is to determine the Difficulty Factor (DF) of challenge you wish to present, on a scale of 1 to 10. The higher the Difficulty Factor, the more difficult the challenge. For a Difficulty Factor of 1 (DF 1), the average person should be able to complete the task most of the time. A DF 10, on the other hand, is extremely difficult and something that only the highest of Grand Masters can complete. Consider the following scale when trying to determine appropriate Difficulty Factors for your PCs.

DF 1: The average untrained person will complete this task easily.

DF 2: The average untrained person has a 50% chance of completing. This task is easy for the Apprentice and very easy for the Novice.

DF 3: This is a moderate challenge for the Apprentice and a moderate to easy challenge for the Novice.

DF 4: This task is very difficult for the Apprentice and difficult to moderate challenge for the Novice. The task is easy for the Journeyman.

DF 5: This task is very difficult for the Novice and difficult to moderate for the Journeyman. The task is easy for the Master.

DF 6: This task is very difficult to difficult for the Journeyman. The task is difficult to moderate for the Master.

DF 7: This task is very difficult to difficult for the Master. The task is moderate for the Grand Master.

DF 8: This task is very difficult to difficult for the Grand Master.

DF 9: This task is very difficult for the Grand Master.

DF 10: This task is extremely difficult. It can only be accomplished by the highest of Grand Masters.

If you're not sure what the difficulty of a task should be, each Skill page includes a list of sample DFs (and their corresponding DCs) that can help. Try to choose a Difficulty Factor that is possible for your PCs at their current level (unless you want it to be impossible). For example, most PCs will not be able to reach the Master ranks in skills until level 12, so it would typically be inappropriate to use tasks with a DF above 6 before then.

Determining Skill DCs

The Difficulty Class (DC) of a skill determines the Skill check result that a PC must meet to succeed the check. This is easily calculated as five times the Difficulty Factor (DF).

When the PC attempts to complete the Skill Challenge, they will then make the appropriate Skill Check and be required to meet or exceed the DC that you assigned. If the task is particularly long or arduous, it may require multiple checks to complete (usually with the same DC), with each check representing progress toward the end goal. For example, when climbing a cliff face, each Climb check usually constitutes movement equal to half the PCs Skirmish Speed. If the Cliff Face is higher than that distance, it would require multiple checks. Similarly, fording a deep river may require multiple Swim checks, depending on its width.

Consequences of Failed Checks

Typically, when the PCs fail a skill challenge, there is some sort of consequence: the PCs must take a longer (and usually easier or safer) route, or the PCs cannot open the door and must find another way in. Sometimes these consequences can cause the PCs harm, such as falling into the crevasse, being swept away by the river current, or springing the trap that is being disarmed. In most cases where failure results in some harmful consequence, there are two levels of failure: Failure and Critical Failure.

Failure of a check occurs whenever the PCs check fails to meet or exceed the required DC. Critical Failure occurs when the check is failed by 5 or more (i.e. the PCs Skill check result was 5 or more under the required DC). In this case, Failure represents failure to progress towards the goal, but does not bring harmful effects to the PC. Critical Failure, on the other hand, triggers the harmful effects of the challenge.

If the consequence of Critical Failure is potentially deadly to the party, make sure that they are well aware of that fact before hand. While the height of cliffs or depth of ravines are usually self explanatory in the consequences of failure, other things like river currents or traps can be more subtle. In these cases it helps to have some sort of foreshadowing indicating the danger ahead, a log quickly moving down the rivers center or a large blood stain in the hallway.