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I've been thinking for a while now that it would be fun to make a monster that, like some of the traps in the DMG, could be partially disabled with a skill challenge. Truth be told, this sort of thing might be better as a custom-built feature for individual monsters, but I like the look of the templates in the DMG and wanted to try copying their techniques. My thinking is that, since a complexity 1 skill challenge is "equivalent to 1 monster", it would be appropriate to tack on to an Elite monster, since they effectively count as 2 monsters anyway.

I wanted to come up with a generic ability that would be useful for almost any type of big, tough monster with a weak spot, and the Juggernaut template below is my first crack at it.
Metroid Example Show
Juggernaut Template

Elite Soldier
Any XP Elite
Defenses +2 AC; +2 Fortitude
Resist 5 all at 1st level, 10 all at 11th level, 15 all at 21st level
Saving Throws +2
Action Point 1
Hit Points +8 per level + Constitution Score


POWERS

Hidden Vulnerability
[INDENT]Choose a set of 2 or 3 skills appropriate for tackling or analyzing the juggernaut. For example, Arcana and Perception for a magically-shielded beast, or Athletics and Acrobatics for a massive, climbable creature. An adjacent opponent can engage in a skill challenge to discover or expose the juggernaut's weakness. DC 20 + 1/2 level, Complexity 1 (4 successes before 2 failures). Success negates all resistances the juggernaut has. Failure triggers the Knockback power (see below.)[/INDENT]
Knockback (immediate reaction; when an adjacent opponent fails the Hidden Vulnerability skill challenge; at-will.)
[INDENT]The monster makes a basic attack against the opponent who failed the skill challenge. On a hit, the target is pushed 2 squares.[/INDENT]
Resurgence (free; when first bloodied; encounter)
[INDENT]The monster regains its resistances if they were lost. Opponents may now attempt the Hidden Vulnerability skill challenge again.[/INDENT]


Sometimes breaking through defenses isn't quite appropriate, though; maybe you need to shut off an ability the monster keeps using with annoying regularity, like a breath weapon or a spell or even just a volley of arrows. For those cases, the Besieger template is more appropriate. For this one, the monster can't recover its lost power, but it takes a complexity 2 challenge instead of 1 to remove the ability.
Lord of the Rings Example Show
Besieger Template

Elite Artillery
Any XP Elite
Defenses +2 AC; +1 Fortitude, +2 Reflex
Saving Throws +2
Action Point 1
Hit Points +6 per level + Constitution Score


POWERS

Endless Power (minor; recharge 4, 5, 6)
[INDENT]The besieger regains the use of an expended encounter power.[/INDENT]
Secret Weakness
[INDENT]Choose a set of 2 or 3 skills appropriate for tackling or analyzing the besieger. For example, Religion and Insight for a ghostly mage, or Thievery and Acrobatics for a clockwork siege platform. An adjacent opponent can engage in a skill challenge to discover or expose the besieger's weakness. DC 20 + 1/2 level, Complexity 2 (6 successes before 3 failures). Success means that the besieger can no longer use the Endless Power ability. Failure triggers the Knockback power (see below.)[/INDENT]
Knockback (immediate reaction; when an adjacent opponent fails the Secret Weakness skill challenge; at-will.)
[INDENT]The monster makes a basic attack against the opponent who failed the skill challenge. On a hit, the target is pushed 2 squares.[/INDENT]



You could combine these two templates to create a solo monster, but it might be easier to just use a single solo template to make sure it all fits together. Like this Champion Guard template; succeeding on the skill challenge breaks down its resistances and negates its special attacks, but they'll come back for phase 2 of the fight once the monster is bloodied. DM's discretion as to whether or not the monster drops a Heart Container when defeated. There aren't any Solo template examples in the DMG, so I just tried to approximate it. And to spice things up, I added a suggestion for creating a special vulnerability.
Legend of Zelda Example Show
Champion Guard Template

Solo Soldier or Artillery
Any XP Solo
Defenses +2 AC; +1 Fortitude, +1 Reflex, +1 Will
Resist 5 all at 1st level, 10 all at 11th level, 15 all at 21st level
Saving Throws +5
Action Point 2
Hit Points +30 per level + (Constitution Score x 3)


POWERS

Endless Power (minor; recharge 4, 5, 6)
[INDENT]The champion guard regains the use of an expended encounter power.[/INDENT]
Hidden Weakness
[INDENT]Choose a set of skills appropriate for tackling or analyzing the champion guard. For example, Bluff and Acrobatics for a lumbering, dumb brute, or History and Nature for an ancient hulking forest creature. An adjacent opponent can engage in a skill challenge to discover or expose the champion guard's weakness. DC 20 + 1/2 level, Complexity 1 (4 successes before 2 failures). Success negates the champion guard's resistances, and also means that the champion guard cannot use the Endless Power ability. Failure triggers the Knockback power (see below.) At the DM's discretion, the monster may be vulnerable to a specific weapon or item; an opponent using this item automatically gains 1 success when attempting the skill challenge.[/INDENT]
Knockback (immediate reaction; when an adjacent opponent fails the Hidden Weakness skill challenge; at-will.)
[INDENT]The monster makes a basic attack against the opponent who failed the skill challenge. On a hit, the target is pushed 3 squares.[/INDENT]
Resurgence (free; when first bloodied; encounter)
[INDENT]The monster regains its resistances and the Endless Power ability (which immediately recharges) if they were lost. Opponents may now attempt the Hidden Weakness skill challenge again.[/INDENT]


Questions, comments, concerns? I'd love to hear what other people have to say about this. Yes, it's a little "video-gamey," as evidenced by two of my examples, but 4th Ed has proven to me that borrowing ideas from video games can be a really good idea if done well. Whether or not I've done it well... I'll leave that up to you folks to help me figure out.

pariator wrote:

Interesting concepts... definitely.

Not sure how the balance plays out, but it definitely expanded my views on the use of a skill challenge.

Yeah. These have not been playtested, so I only have theory to go on at the moment. My intent with the templates was based on a couple of things in the DMG...
An Elite monster is supposed to be the equivalent, challenge-wise, of two standard monsters of the same level.
On page 73, it talks about complexity 1-5 skill challenges, and says "Figure that each complexity is the equivalent of that number of monsters of the challenge's level."
The templates in the DMG bump a monster up to Elite status and give it extra attacks and abilities to go along with the bonus hitpoints and defenses.
The standard traps in the DMG are also treated as the equivalent of 1 monster, and some allow for a skill challenge to disable them, phrased in much the same way as I put it, i.e. Thievery, DC 20, complexity 1, 4 successes before 2 failures.

Therefore, I decided to make these templates with the general idea that this monster, instead of getting new powers, simply gained either a thick hide or the ability to use its powers more often, and that PCs could defeat "part" of the monster with a skill challenge much as they would a trap.

Thanks for the comment, and I'm glad you got some new insights on skill challenges.

This is awesome. This is the best use of the skill challenge system that I've heard of so far. I love what people are doing with this system. I had an idea like for an earlier edition but I couldn't quite pull it off. They were supposed to fight this Iron Golem when the PCs were level 7 or so, so it was way out of their league. They were supposed to drop a ton of broken stone and rocks on top of its head but it just didn't work all that well. I couldn't figure out how to make it work. This would definitely allow me to use that concept.

Thanks.

This is genius. That said, I'm thinking that what would also work for the boss battle is a way bigger bonus to defenses, which are bypassed when you go for the weakness. This is one idea that I am going to borrow for my games. Probably with extensive modification. So for an example boss, in Metroid prime Flaagra (or whatever it was) would require a skill challenge using perception, bluff(to distract it), and acrobatics(to get around quickly enough). However you could also modify the mechanic some. So eventually you would have to get 4 points, with a success adding 1, and a failure losing 1. Perception could only be used once. Once you get there you then get the option of getting up close, which would allow you to use certain attacks. Against reflex, not AC.

With multiple characters this could get really interesting. For instance one character might use the athletics(climbing) skill, which gives that particular character the option of using strength, if that succeeds thievery(the use rope bit) becomes avaliable, if a character succeeds at that they then get to do it again, which then opens up acrobatics for anyone who succeeded at either 2 athletics (climbs) in a row or 2 thieveries(rope) in a row, letting them finally attack if they succeed. Other characters could use bluff to distract.

So the boss fight would work something like this. A massive golem attacks, the fighter climbs up, tears aside a brick, then tosses out a bunch of ropes from the interior. The rogue then climbs up the side of a chasm the golem is in, with a rope, using thievery to tie it to a post as the golem starts pulling the slack back. The golem then reels it in, and the ranger uses acrobatics saying he runs up to a wall, kicks off it, grabs a ledge, and then hooks up onto the rope, while connected to the fighter by another rope. This puts him over the rope, then he uses his weight, amplified by a heavy iron ball connected to a grapnel that the warlord tosses him. This pulls the figher up, as the rogue makes an acrobatics check to run across the rope. The fighter follows him.

Lets add another bit. They realize the top is a rune. The warlord then throws the wizard up, pulled up with the fighter and rogue assisting(strength, thievery, strength) , then uses Arcana to recognize the rune, and trigger its spell. The golems top opens, and the fighter then attacks the inside, which is missing damage reduction and high defenses. The rogue then uses thievery to tie the ropes inside together, screwing up the limbs connections. This makes the golem fall, so the ranger and warlord run in, and start hitting the crystal the fighter and rogue are hitting. The wizard meanwhile stays outside, and starts uncovering other runes, and activating them(arcana again).

So this has a lot of potiential.

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