If you are DMing, remember... 1. To strongly consider giving out at least one free "tax feat," like Expertise and pre-errata Melee Training. 2. To use Monster Manual 3/Monster Vault/Monster Vault: Nentir Vale/Dark Sun Creature Catalog math. Avoid or manually update anything with Monster Manual 1 or 2 math. 3. That skill challenges have always been scene-framing devices for the GM, that players should never be overtly told that they are in a skill challenge, and that the Rules Compendium has the most up-to-date skill DCs and skill challenge rules.
If you would like assistance with character optimization, remember to tell us what the what the rest of the players are playing, what books are allowed, your starting level, the highest level you expect to reach, what free feats you receive, if anything is banned, whether or not themes are allowed, your starting equipment, and how much you dislike item-dependent builds. If you wish to talk about settings, 4e's settings are Points of Light (the planes and the natural world's past empires are heavily detailed in various sourcebooks and magazines), 4e Forgotten Realms, 4e Eberron, 4e Dark Sun, and whatever setting you would like to bring into 4e.
OP here. Can't really post about what role I prefer because I've never played 4e, only GMed it. That said, I've always loved how Leaders were kind of the backbone of a team.
As for house rules -- I've implemented a stunting system reminiscent to Exalted. Three levels of stunts. A Level 1 Stunt grants a +2, a Level 2 Stunt grants a +2 and an Action Point. A Level 3 Stunt grants a +5 and two Action Points. This quickens games too! For fights with more tension in them, I apply the Doom Dice (which is basically escalation dice) that depends on how many rounds they have before something bad happens. Whatever number is on the dice, however, they have a bonus to attack. (Usually this is 1d6 or 1d8. If it's especially tense or if the monster isn't a Brute or Soldier, it becomes 1d4.)
Now for homebrew -- I've rolled up a Theme that fits with the campaign setting we're in. Unfortunately, none of my players will be able to test it for now. Can someone give it a look over and see if it's any good? I'm no expert in homebrewing.
Brody Martinez
>players should never be overtly told that they are in a skill challenge Christ, THIS! My first (and only) 4e game was defined by the existential pain that was "It's time for a skillllll challennnnnnnnnnge!~"
Owen Ortiz
If you are running a game where you are using the inherent bonus rules and making magic items rare, how much loot/stuff do you give your PCs given the default treasure packages assume that they are going to be lit up like a Christmas Tree?
Jeremiah Peterson
Your changes sound huge. I wonder how it works out.
Owen Morales
Doing skill challenges well basically requires that the DM (and possibly at least some of the players) be familiar with e.g. Mouse Guard. Though Mouse Guard doesn't explain their shit well either so you get into a recursive cycle of "do you see what we're getting at yet?"
The key insight for SCs is that they're intended to be a time limit, not a stone wall you don't get anything from until the end. They exist to solve a specific problem, which is when you pure freeform a conversation/puzzle/etc. and the players stretch it out to eternity because they're either not understanding what to do ("well great job guys you just spent 90 minutes building a chain hoist but the chest wasn't even supposed to be booby-trapped") or want to keep retrying beyond the point of futility. Slapping a win/lose metric on means there's an agreed on point for "enough" and the DM can just go to narration instead of acting out 2 weeks of being lost in the woods.
Matthew Morales
4e is a shit narrative system good to know WotC dropped it like the hot turd it is. How do you fuckcocks feel knowing that 4e is the only edition to actually die? OSR, pathfinder, and 5e are all still going strong. 4e on the other hand...most people don't even know it exists. Lol have fun with your dead game, faggots. Maybe in a few years you'll still have more players than FATAL and VTNL. Probably not, though.
Mason Jones
Skill challenges are something people have used since always (for the group to succeed, they need X amount of good rolls), but were never (in D&D) made into a framework until 4E.
Speaking of which, is there a better framework for SC instead that of the Rules Compendium?
Ryder Long
So far I've only used the "Doom Dice" once for a boss battle. It quickened the fight, and a companion NPC dropped dead.
As for the Stunting, stunts are relative to tier. By Heroic Tier they usually pull off level one stunts reliably, but level 2 has been rare. None of my players have achieved a Level 3 Stunt yet. It helps with fights though, and they have managed to characterize their characters through combat - a life-risking warlock, a fierce and silent gladiator not afraid to Wade into the fray, and an erudite Psion who manipulates time and space museum I make sure none of their enemies take advantage of them.
Zachary Ortiz
I believe the section on inherent bonuses actually has a bit on that... though personally the fact that you still need to give just as much magic armor and magic neck item money to make the math work out bothered me.
I made my own inherent chart, that let me completely ignore magic items except when they are FUN (which also let me make up BS magic items that do fun things, instead of doing... more math.) The chart also includes a number of tax feats folded in, including improved defenses, expertise, and focus (meaning if you're using the chart, you shouldn't use those as well.)
A/D stands for bonus to attack and defense NAD stands for bonus to non-AC-defenses LAC stands for bonus to light-armor-AC HAD stands for bonus to Heavy-armor-AC OTH is for anything else that patterns off of "1 per plus on your weapon," which is mostly used for critical hits.
