Category: Skill Challenges

A recent earthquake has uncovered a temple from a long-forgotten age. Rogues from a nearby town immediately tried to loot the temple, but were injured or killed by magical traps still active within. The head of the local church believes that if magic preserved the traps, perhaps it also preserved books, tomes, or other magical artifacts. He has been trying to put together a party to explore the temple, but the local folk are too afraid to do it.

Setup

• The party’s Cleric or Paladin is requested by his order to help his fellow worshiper and recover any books in the temple.
• The head of the church hires the PCs to recover any books that might be preserved in the temple.
• The PCs fear that powerful undead may dwell inside the ancient temple. If they don’t act quickly to destroy the evil, it will threaten the welfare of the nearby town.

The PCs travel through a particularity hazardous section of underground passages.

Setup

• The PCs are searching for a long lost treasure or artifact. Their search has led them deep underground.
• Miners from a nearby community discover a preexisting passage that leads deep underground. The PCs are hired to explore the cavern and see where it leads.
• An escaped criminal flees through a cavernous mountain passage. The PCs are hired to capture him.

This skill challenge is broken into five encounters. In order to overcome the skill challenge the PCs must complete all five encounters. The DM can present the encounters in any order he sees fit. Each encounter will indicate the maximum number of successes that can be earned during that encounter. Failures are cumulative and carry forward through the entire skill challenge.

The lord of the land is ill and dying. The man next in the line of succession is a tyrant. There are rumours that the lord has an illegitimate son who could challenge for the throne.

Setup

• The reputation of the PCs honesty and fairness has reached the ear of the lord’s loyal aide. Since the PCs are neutral and have no stake in the outcome, he hires them to find the rightful heir if he exists.
• The PCs have had run-ins with the tyrant before. His rise to power would be the beginning of huge long-term problems for the PCs. A different heir would make their lives easier.
• A letter from a close friend or family member arrives explaining the situation, pleading for the PCs to help in any way they can.

This skill challenge can be run in both urban and rural settings. They are similar, but in some circumstances make use of different skills. Both variations are presented below.

The Missing Ingredient (Urban)

This Skill Challenge can easily be adapted for any scenario where the PCs need to find an item or object that is rare, dangerous, hard to find, illegal, etc.

Setup

The PCs need to find a rare or illicit ingredient needed to complete a ritual.

This skill challenge can be run in both urban and rural settings. They are similar but in some circumstances make use of different skills. Both variations are presented below.

Ditch the Tail (Urban)

Setup

The PCs are being chased through city streets and need to loose their pursuers. This can be accomplished by outrunning or outsmarting those giving chase.

Hostility between two neighbouring countries is still fresh in everyone’s mind despite the conflict’s recent resolution. The border guards often take out their pent up frustration on foreigners with legitimate reasons for crossing the border.

Setup

The PCs need to move through the check-point without delay and without arousing any unwarranted attention. Each PC needs to identify himself to the border guard, show appropriate travel papers, and state his reason for crossing.