Social / skill challenges

[Mark Hoover 330]

In this thread M Squared said the following:

master_marshmallow wrote:

3) mix up the challenges, and try and include different variety of gameplay for each 'chapter' of your narrative: I do this by separating each chunk of the game into level based narrative progression, but I also do not use XP. I gate progression by the narrative. Try and include multiple challenges for the players including combat challenges; social/political skill challenges; and environmental/exploration skill challenges. Ideally, if you mix it up enough any player can have their moment to shine in each 'chapter' of the narrative regardless of 'class tier' perception. You want the players to feel like they're being rewarded for having a fully rounded team. At any point in the game, there should be a in-game mechanical way forward, either through a skill check, or some other rule that exists. Always be prepared through the mechanics of the game and not through some predesignated expectation from a narrative standpoint.

I subscribe to this way of thinking but often find myself stymied in creating interesting social/skill challenges. Many, like traps or obstacles seem binary in my games. Others are often circumvented in ways I have trouble awarding any experience for.

An example would be: recently the PCs had to descend a vertical shaft. The PCs are level 6 but for some unexplained reason none of the PCs has a means of levitation or flight and no one has ever taken the Climb skill. They DO have a Rope of Climbing so I figured they'd just climb down so as an added wrinkle I lined the walls of the 100' descent with a few CR 2 Spider Vine Hazards.

One serious suggestion was considered by the PCs: they could get at least 20' without serious threat from the vines, so how about the party just dangles the barbarian the first 20', then drop her? She'd take about 80' worth of falling damage, which wouldn't kill her, then the PCs just use her as an anchor and slide down the descent on ropes stretched between her and a boulder up top.

No skills, no spells... no real "experience" other than surviving a fall. Plus, that's a LOT of metagaming to my brain anyway.

So how do you all craft interesting social/skill challenges and do you have any examples?

[blahpers]

Sounds like a reasonable solution, provided the barbarian was okay with it. She ought to know her own limitations. Kind of a jerk move by the party unless they're desperate or the barbarian is even more reckless than usual, though.

[DungeonmasterCal]

I'm not sure this will be a helpful answer as I'm running on fumes and painkillers right now, but I've had similar conundrums.

I think that if they'd come up with a pretty novel way of reaching the bottom of the shaft then sure they'd get some XP. Just dropping the barbarian? Not a single point, though I'm sure there'd be gasps and laughter all around by the group.

Even if someone has no ranks in a skill I'll sometimes give them a bonus of points for coming up with something really nifty to solve a problem. When that happens I give them an off the cuff circumstance bonus to the relevant skill roll. In my way of thinking it represents a moment of inspiration or a lucky break, whichever you want to call it.

When it comes to social skills I heartily prefer PvNPC interaction rather than just a dice roll, though we often have to sacrifice the more personal touch for the sake of time and convenience. My guys are the most overthinking bunch of players you're likely to meet and it often bogs things down. Even in a situation such as where I've given out a circumstance bonus I've had to drum my fingers on the table and glare at them for taking too much time.

Well, there it is. I hope there was a germ of an idea in there somewhere. Now I'm going back to bed with dreams of sugar plum painkillers in my head.

[Thedmstrikes]

Your example gives me an idea for a house rule: falling damage is maxed so there is no metagaming I got 80 HP so I will survive an 80 foot fall plus most characters cannot see that far into the darkness to know how far it is. When you think about it, most people really are afraid of taking leaps because they are uncertain of the consequences. I might even institute a percentage chance of breaking a random bone per 10 feet of falling too. Sure there is magical healing and high level characters get a large padding plus lots of nifty tools, but literally throwing the barbarian at every obstacle because they "can take it" gets old quick.
Oooh, in the middle of this reply I had a thought, ambush. When they get used to throwing that barbarian at everything, let an ambush spring on the greatly weakened barbarian to force everyone else to come to his (her?) rescue...Sometimes, you just got to metagame too...
Do not forget there are four - six minds against your deviousness. Granted you know what is about to happen and they do not, but that is still some good odds someone will have an idea to get out of anything one person is devious enough to think up.

[DungeonmasterCal]

WAAAY back in the day there was a Dragon Magazine article that offered an alternate falling damage chart. If I recall it went like this -

10' - 1d6
20' - 3d6
30' - 6d6
40' - 12d6
50' - 20d6 (the maximum).

It was done to simulate the increasing speed of falling.

[*Thelith]

Falling damage should be % damage based on your max hp. 10% for every 10'. So at 100ft you'd survive but be at 0. And anything over that is deadly, even for level 20 barbarians with 30 con. Assuming you want falling to be realistic.

However falling is kind of off topic so in response to the OP: there is no need to award xp for going down a hole, if that's where the adventure is that's where they are going. If you wanted to give up for a creative solution that's great but they were not very creative.

[*Thelith]

And shame on a group of level 6's not having access to any kind of flight!