While reading Challenge of Champions 6 in the latest Dungeon, I can't help but think it would be cool to have all 6 of the Challenge of Champion adventures in one bound book.
Even though I have most of them in issues of Dungeon, I think these fun adventures would make a great soft/hardbound book with player handouts, sample PCs, maybe even maps for use with miniatures.
Anyone agree? (or disagree?)
A semireal problem with compiling them is that the first four aren't 3.x compliant.
I have yet to receive the latest version but the Challenge of Champions has always been a great way to test various parties against each other. I'd like to hear the stories of DMs with multiple group who uses the CoC on both groups and have a low level (1-3) group destroy a very high level group.
Well, I might be slightly biased, but I also think this would be a cool product. :)
Incidentally, the fact that the first four Challenges of Champions were written for AD&D 2nd Edition isn't an insurmountable problem: I'm standing by willing to convert all of the previous scenarios to 3.5 should this hypothetical compilation project ever get the "go ahead" nod from WotC/Paizo.
Johnathan M. Richards
Author, Challenge of Champions series
The adventures should be easy for Mr. Richards or someone at Paizo to convert to 3.5 edition.
Great work, as always, Mr. Richards!
Hmm . . . maybe revising older CoC's to 3.x mechanic's isn't enough. I still want to see the stat block for the dreaded tickpole!
I have yet to receive the latest version but the Challenge of Champions has always been a great way to test various parties against each other. I'd like to hear the stories of DMs with multiple group who uses the CoC on both groups and have a low level (1-3) group destroy a very high level group.
I started getting Dungeon just before the last one came out and ran it with two separate groups. They were comparable in level, so I didn't have the situation you're describing above, but they much enjoyed having a REAL team whose score they were trying to beat.
One idea I'm kicking around for the current one is to have our current group split into two teams and alternate scenarios in the same session (one taking the odd numbered, one the even). Five scenarios each and none of them the same so no one gets the advantage of watching the others try it first. I think it would heighten the sense of competitiveness in actually WATCHING their competition try to solve the puzzles.
A lot more work on my end, though, as they would have to run it with only three each group this way so I'd have to re-read them from that perspective to ensure it's doable, plus adjusting down the NPC group scores to account for 5 scenarios with a max 30 possible. I think the results may be worth it, though.
That sounds pretty cool, Tiger Lily. If you end up doing it that way, let us all know how it turned out!
Another way I've heard people run it is to have two teams, with one running through scenario #1 (while the other team is banished off to another room), then the second team goes through scenarios #1 and #2, then it's back to team one with scenarios #2 and #3, and so on. That way no one team is always going first. On the down side, the team not currently running through the scenario doesn't get to watch the other team, which is a definite advantage your way of doing it has over this way.
I once ran my two sons through one of the Challenges of Champions (III, I think), each one solo and running the 4 pregenerated characters, just because they wanted to see which of them could get the better score. Oddly enough, my older son won, even though in normal play it's usually my younger son who comes up with the best strategies for whatever adventure they're going through.
I have yet to receive the latest version but the Challenge of Champions has always been a great way to test various parties against each other. I'd like to hear the stories of DMs with multiple group who uses the CoC on both groups and have a low level (1-3) group destroy a very high level group.
I started getting Dungeon just before the last one came out and ran it with two separate groups. They were comparable in level, so I didn't have the situation you're describing above, but they much enjoyed having a REAL team whose score they were trying to beat.
One idea I'm kicking around for the current one is to have our current group split into two teams and alternate scenarios in the same session (one taking the odd numbered, one the even). Five scenarios each and none of them the same so no one gets the advantage of watching the others try it first. I think it would heighten the sense of competitiveness in actually WATCHING their competition try to solve the puzzles.
A lot more work on my end, though, as they would have to run it with only three each group this way so I'd have to re-read them from that perspective to ensure it's doable, plus adjusting down the NPC group scores to account for 5 scenarios with a max 30 possible. I think the results may be worth it, though.
Tickpole
CR 2XP 600
N Medium vermin (aquatic)
Init +1; Senses blindsight 30 ft., scent; Perception +5
DEFENSEAC 16, touch 11, flat-footed 15 (+1 Dex, +5 natural)
hp 19 (3d8+6)
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +2
Immune mind-affecting effects
OFFENSES swim 40 ft.
Melee bite +4 (1d6+3 plus attach)
Special Attacks blood drain, disease
STATISTICSStr 14, Dex 12, Con 15, Int —, Wis 13, Cha 1
Base Atk +2; CMB +4 (+12 when attached); CMD 14 (can't be tripped)
Skills Perception +5, Swim +10; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Attach (Ex)
When a tickpole hits with a bite attack, it latches onto its target and automatically grapples. The tickpole loses its Dexterity bonus to AC and has an AC of 15, but holds on with great tenacity and automatically inflicts bite damage each round. A tickpole has a +8 racial bonus to maintain its grapple on a foe once it is attached. An attached tickpole can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself—if its prey manages to win a grapple check or Escape Artist check against it, the head of the tickpole breaks off and embeds itself into the flesh of the victim. The body then dies, but the embedded head is difficult to remove. The embedded head cannot bite with full force but the mandibles dig deeper and deeper into tissue and organs, inflicting 1d3 points of damage each round the head remains embedded. A DC 15 Heal check removes the tickpole head.
Blood Drain (Ex)
A tickpole drains blood at the end of each turn it is attached, inflicting 1 point of Strength and Constitution damage.
Disease (Ex)
Red Ache: Bite—injury; save Save Fortitude DC 13
Onset 1d3 days; Frequency 1/day
Effect 1d6 Str damage; Cure 2 consecutive saves
The save DC is Constitution-based