Friday, July 26, 2013

Encounter: Dungeon Crawl

This is possibly the most uninspired and unoriginal post yet. This is a very simple idea, and honestly I considered not even doing it. The problem is that I really don't have a whole lot to say on the topic because it's so bland and straightforward. That all being said, the dungeon crawl skills challenge is so basic for a very good reason. It's a normal thing that most parties should have to do at least once, to get a feel for how a dungeon crawl would work instead of just pure combat. So as much as I like the idea, and really like using it...there's just not a whole lot to say about it as a skills challenge.


Type: Skills Challenge
Theme: Exploration
Goals:
  • Delve into the dungeon
  • Navigate in and out

Outcomes:
  • Succeed: Be able to physically enter the dungeon
  • Succeed: Be able to enter and exit
  • Failure: Get lost 
  • Failure: Potentially be ambushed or captured

Description:
Dark hallways loom around you. The cobbled stone looks exactly the same everywhere you lay your eyes. There is no light to be had, and a dank smell permeates every room.

Applicable Skills:
  • Acrobatics (squeeze through tight areas or make difficult tumbles)
  • Climb (get up sheer walls and spelunk)
  • Disable Device (disable traps)
  • Escape Artist (it is easy to get snagged when it's hard to see - and you need to get unsnagged)
  • Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (more like Duh-ngeoneering)
  • Perception (it's dark and hard to see, more reliant on other senses)
  • Survival (it's still a hostile environment with all kinds of natural traps and pitfalls)


Info:
This is the typical dungeon crawl skills challenge. It's one of the basics, but that doesn't mean that the idea doesn't warrant it's own post. A party of PCs is likely to, at one point or another, enter a dungeon. Or a crypt. Or an abandoned mine. One thing that's almost always overlooked is: how did they get there? It's hard to navigate those areas, to go underground and then get back out. Especially if they have twisting passages and obscured entrances.
The main goal of the skills challenge here is to not only get into the dungeon, but back out. This can involve all kinds of dangers based on the type of dungeon. Are there a significant number of traps? Do the PCs have to stealth around the monsters that patrol this area? Do they have to woo the animals that live nearby so they aren't attacked? There are lots of different options that can make this a skills challenge for many different dungeons. The important thing is to flavor it based on what you're looking for.
Example: The party wants to investigate the tomb of an ancient nobleman. First they have to find the underground crypt, and then navigate to the exact tomb they're looking for. Even once they get there, they have to get it open, get in, and find the chamber they need. Depending on how well they do, the PCs might get the jump on the enemy. Or they may avoid the monsters entirely. Or, if they fail, the monsters track them and attack before they're even ready.

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