Eek. Skill challenges, the bane of optimized combat characters!

So, do I make checks based on Cal's stats, or on the horsey's?

Well that entirely depends on what you're trying to do, doesn't it? I mean being on a horse makes Stealth kind of tricky but I can see it being handy for some forms of Athletics.

Just go with what makes sense to you and I'll apply bonuses/penalties as appropriate. You won't really know for sure what worked until the challenge is over.

http://www.saxypunch.com/missile/madroll.gif

Yeah, being mounted puts a damper on my preferred use of stealth. Oh well, let's wing it and see...

I guess it's too late to say I handed Radcliffe the sword, eh?

Also, have you received the PM I sent regarding Inventory categorization on the wiki?

Luckily Cal isn't optimized for combat! Since the changeling is a better fit for melee ranger or bard :)

Guys, just go ahead and make all three checks in one post, that way there's less waiting around for other people to take their turns. :)

Rearranged it according to your liking now.

We can also make a straight strength check for this, right, Pang? Or does all strength fall under endurance or athletics now?

Oh Lordy. That's 2 successes (Bluff; Endurance) with six more to go and six skill checks remaining.

I don't think it's doable anymore. We may need to prepare for combat... :/

Well, it is a skill challenge; it'd be kind of goofy to include ability checks. STR checks only really come into play for "brute strength" sorts of applications; holding open a portcullis, kicking down a door, that sort of thing. Use skills unless none of the skills reasonably apply: holding shut a dragon's jaws requires you to be strong, for example, but there's nothing especially athletic about it.

Additional Spam:
don't worry too much Zerg I know a guy that can deliver you three natural 20s guaranteed

But we need two guys who can deliver us three natural 20s guaranteed :mad:

The Garr for Admin campaign starts here

Worst. Sneaking through a crowd. Ever.

I approve of more skill challenges though, if only to completely negate all the time Zerg spends worrying about how to maximise his (and everyone else's) character's combat stats.

Meh, I'm not gonna worry about everyone else's stats. I mean, if they try to optimize theirs and thus increase the party's average to-hit rate, then Pang would obviously need to increase monster defenses to compensate. Why bother getting into an arms race (which we can never win) with the dungeon master? :)

Won't stop us from allocating treasure in a mechanically optimal way, of course. But then these parcels are there by the grace of Pang.

Oh and Shin, the crowd is certifiably insane. Therefore only unconventional methods should work :D

Psst Pang. In Skill Challenges, do we get to do "Aid Another" just as we do in regular encounters?

Yeah, you can choose to do Aid Another instead of making one of your three skill checks, if you think that would be more effective. I should have made that clear at the outset, so if any of the three of you who have made your checks want to rescind one for an Aid in retrospect go ahead.

Yay!

Though unfortunately most rolls were so bad, I don't think I'd be able to help :/

Let's see if Garr has a roll that fails by 2 though!

Cal:
Thievery = 5 + 8 = 13 fail by 10
Athletics = 5 + [indeterminate but doubtful Denny has 18 athletics; best guess is about 9 (strength mod +4 and training)] = 14 fail by 9
Bluff = 2 + 5 (changeling disguise) + 14 = 21 fail by 2

Glock:
Athletics = 8 + 4 = 12 fail by 13
Bluff = 16 + 14 = 30 pass!
Endurance = 16 + 8 = 24 pass!

Gheth:
Perception = 10 + 7 = 17 fail by 6
Heal = 3 + 12 = 15 fail by 8
Athletics = 1 + 5 = 6 fail by 17

Denny has no training in anything and he's level 1 besides, so all his skill bonuses are essentially as his ability bonuses. Ergo his Athletics bonus is 4.

Which is still better than Cal, sadly

Dang, I was hoping a horse would be much better in knocking people down than I am, not just marginally so. Wrong decision, should've used Cal's acrobatics, but que sera sera :(

Of course, that has absolutely nothing to do with sneaking through the crowd unnoticed, and everything to do with just escaping from said crowd!

Also, a Skill Challenge is a form of encounter like any other, so by all means use any of your items / powers that have utility outside combat! Glock has a Lucky Charm, Gordok has Skittering Sneak, etc etc

Heh, didn't know that. I think of all the current players, only Garr has played through a skill challenge...

So, what does combat advantage do for you in a skill challenge? (Wanna use changeling trick, but...)

It does nothing. It says "combat" right on the label, doesn't it?

yes

but it also says "advantage" so zerg wants to use it

Aw shucks, so it's just shapeshifting for me then... What a useless racial encounter power Changeling Trick is for ranged people :mad:

Now's a good time to bust out that Bard Utility 6! Too bad you already used Bluff so that Words of Friendship is useless!

Zerg, the fatal flaw in your maths party is the unspecified modifiers Pang said he'd apply to the rolls. Insane villagers might be incredibly susceptible to feats of thievery but almost immune to bluffing for all you know.

Also, I'm amazed none of you suggested some Shaun of the Dead style zombie impersonation.

Nah Shin, I'm resigned to the fact that we'll have to indulge in more mass slaughter, or lose some healing surges at the very least. There's no way you can handwave such awful rolls...

(Errrm, he did post a DC. 'Sides, the DM's best friend rule states that any favorable circumstance gives a +2 to whatever you were trying to do, with the reverse for unfavorable circumstances. I can only think of a few exceptions to this +2/-2 thing: trying to steal anything from someone while in combat has -10; shooting something you can't see is -5; being blinded or deafened has -10 to perception, running before attacking gives -5 to attack rolls; and being unconscious gives -5 penalty to all defenses.)

Anyway, a maddened crowd may not look kindly on someone trying but failing to snatch away their weapons. Buuuut they might just follow such an inspirational leader! :)

I figure such spectacular roll failures justify actions which are anything but sneaking quietly through a crowd :33:

Running before you attack nets you a -2 penalty to defenses and -5 penalty to attacks, until the end of your next turn.

Question, do these also apply to the PC if the mount's the one doing the running?

The rules don't really seem to address it, but I'd say no. Lowering that horse's already-pathetic defenses is punishment enough.