Crashing Airship Skill Challenge - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Crashing Airship Skill Challenge

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zamboni
Jun 18, 2010 13:39:52 I'm planning an exciting skill challenge/combat for my upcoming game on Monday. I don't run a ton of skill challenges because my players don't normally love them. I wanted to see what the community thought about my plan and see if anyone had some tweaks or ideas they could offer up.

The PC's just battled back onto their airship and are attempting to escape the city that is floating on an island about a mile above the ocean. Picture the Neimodian blockade of Naboo from Episode I and that is what they are going to have to fly through to get out of the city. I need them to crash into the ocean far below.

One other thing, I created a Pilot Skill that all my characters are trained in as they grew up flying airships. Also, my airships are run by arcane energy. The 5 PC's are all level 2.

The PC's ship is suddenly struck by a flaming ballista and the sails start to burn. Another shot rocks the airship shooting through the hull. The pilot notices that the ship isn't responding correctly (The 2nd bolt has ruptured some important part of the ship). The ship is going down. Quickly. 4 kamikaze kenku swoop over to the airship to make sure that the PC's don't make it.

Skill Challenge: Crash Landing the Airship
    Success: The PC's are able to "land" the ship on the ocean far below. It has taken extensive damage and begins sinking, but the PC's are able to get an extended rest before the ship goes under completely.
    Failure: The airship loses all power about 20' above the ocean and free falls the rest of the way. All PC's take 1d10 damage, and the ship immediately starts to sink very quickly as it takes on immense amounts of water.

The skill challenge takes 5 rounds. Each round the PC's must make the following two checks or they will lose control of the airship and it will go careening into the ocean below. All the while fending off the kenku raiders (Level 1 Skirmisher) attacks.

Arcana (anywhere) or Pilot (from the pilot box or "engine" room) DC 17 (Standard Action): Pumping out as much power from the arcane implements/engines to keep the ship semi-powered.
Pilot DC 17 (Standard Action): Keeping the airship in control
        On a failed check everyone aboard the ship must do the following:
            Everyone roll an athletics check to grab onto something as the ship lurches into momentary free fall and begins to tip.
                Success: The PC stays where they were
                Failure: The PC is dangling from a rope over the side of the airship

So 2 of the PC's need to try and use pilot and arcana to keep the ship from free falling, and the others need to defend against the 4 Level 1 Kenku Skirmishers. The kenku are going to attempt to kill the pilot to ensure that the PC's crash.

I'm thinking 8 successes before 3 failures, though I'm not really sure. Any advice would be awesome.
#2
merchant_of_shadows
Jun 18, 2010 13:57:15 You need to add some more potentialy usable skills.

Intimidate check (usable only twice): Two of the raiders are trying to sabotage the falling ship and successful intimidate check can force their attention of each one on the PC instead (wasting a 1-2 turns or so before they attack him). After 3 rounds the keknku would have already done their damage so intimidate check can be used only before their 3rd turn. Failures does not count for the progress of the challenge, but regardless of the result of the check - the party can try to intimidate each kenky only once.

Acrobatics check (minor action): Used to keep balance on the shaking ship. Does not give additional successes but without successful acrobatics check all attacks and skill check suffer -2 penalty (reduce all DCs by one to actually make the effect a +1/-1 to the other skill checks). Does not add its success or failure to the progress of the challenge.

Perception check (usable only once): Notice easy to repair, but solid "leak" in the engines.

#3
gangisconn
Jun 21, 2010 7:56:56 There is a crashing spelljammer skill challenge during a combat encounter in the Plane Above book you should check out. It has some very interesting dynamics to the failure vs success of the skill challenge. There is real short term and long term incentive to keeping the ship under control as it comes in for a crash landing. You could use some of the skills and success rates for your air ship idea. I'm sure converting it from a spelljammer to an air ship wouldn't be too hard. You might have to adjust the DCs and consequences of failure based on your party's level.
#4
zamboni
Jun 21, 2010 8:26:31 Thanks guys for the advice. I don't have the Plane Above, but I think I'll go to my game store and page through it.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zamboni Jun 18, 2010 13:39:52	I'm planning an exciting skill challenge/combat for my upcoming game on Monday. I don't run a ton of skill challenges because my players don't normally love them. I wanted to see what the community thought about my plan and see if anyone had some tweaks or ideas they could offer up. The PC's just battled back onto their airship and are attempting to escape the city that is floating on an island about a mile above the ocean. Picture the Neimodian blockade of Naboo from Episode I and that is what they are going to have to fly through to get out of the city. I need them to crash into the ocean far below. One other thing, I created a Pilot Skill that all my characters are trained in as they grew up flying airships. Also, my airships are run by arcane energy. The 5 PC's are all level 2. The PC's ship is suddenly struck by a flaming ballista and the sails start to burn. Another shot rocks the airship shooting through the hull. The pilot notices that the ship isn't responding correctly (The 2nd bolt has ruptured some important part of the ship). The ship is going down. Quickly. 4 kamikaze kenku swoop over to the airship to make sure that the PC's don't make it. Skill Challenge: Crash Landing the Airship Success: The PC's are able to "land" the ship on the ocean far below. It has taken extensive damage and begins sinking, but the PC's are able to get an extended rest before the ship goes under completely. Failure: The airship loses all power about 20' above the ocean and free falls the rest of the way. All PC's take 1d10 damage, and the ship immediately starts to sink very quickly as it takes on immense amounts of water. The skill challenge takes 5 rounds. Each round the PC's must make the following two checks or they will lose control of the airship and it will go careening into the ocean below. All the while fending off the kenku raiders (Level 1 Skirmisher) attacks. Arcana (anywhere) or Pilot (from the pilot box or "engine" room) DC 17 (Standard Action): Pumping out as much power from the arcane implements/engines to keep the ship semi-powered. Pilot DC 17 (Standard Action): Keeping the airship in control On a failed check everyone aboard the ship must do the following: Everyone roll an athletics check to grab onto something as the ship lurches into momentary free fall and begins to tip. Success: The PC stays where they were Failure: The PC is dangling from a rope over the side of the airship So 2 of the PC's need to try and use pilot and arcana to keep the ship from free falling, and the others need to defend against the 4 Level 1 Kenku Skirmishers. The kenku are going to attempt to kill the pilot to ensure that the PC's crash. I'm thinking 8 successes before 3 failures, though I'm not really sure. Any advice would be awesome.
#2 merchant_of_shadows Jun 18, 2010 13:57:15	You need to add some more potentialy usable skills. Intimidate check (usable only twice): Two of the raiders are trying to sabotage the falling ship and successful intimidate check can force their attention of each one on the PC instead (wasting a 1-2 turns or so before they attack him). After 3 rounds the keknku would have already done their damage so intimidate check can be used only before their 3rd turn. Failures does not count for the progress of the challenge, but regardless of the result of the check - the party can try to intimidate each kenky only once. Acrobatics check (minor action): Used to keep balance on the shaking ship. Does not give additional successes but without successful acrobatics check all attacks and skill check suffer -2 penalty (reduce all DCs by one to actually make the effect a +1/-1 to the other skill checks). Does not add its success or failure to the progress of the challenge. Perception check (usable only once): Notice easy to repair, but solid "leak" in the engines.
#3 gangisconn Jun 21, 2010 7:56:56	There is a crashing spelljammer skill challenge during a combat encounter in the Plane Above book you should check out. It has some very interesting dynamics to the failure vs success of the skill challenge. There is real short term and long term incentive to keeping the ship under control as it comes in for a crash landing. You could use some of the skills and success rates for your air ship idea. I'm sure converting it from a spelljammer to an air ship wouldn't be too hard. You might have to adjust the DCs and consequences of failure based on your party's level.
#4 zamboni Jun 21, 2010 8:26:31	Thanks guys for the advice. I don't have the Plane Above, but I think I'll go to my game store and page through it.