Exploration & Skill Challenges

Skill Challenges

Throughout your adventures in the world of Orr you and your companions may find yourself in any number of situations where the odds are stacked against your endeavor, where time is of the essence, or where careful planning and long-term subterfuge is necessary to complete a goal. These challenges cannot be overcome by the efforts of just one person, but of all the heroes and allies they involve. Failing these challenges may bolster your enemy, or create unforeseen complications as you continue on your quests.

Step 1: Define the Approach

The approach is the technique used to overcome the challenge. Sometimes the players will have the ability to define the approach themselves, and at other times the challenge itself will dictate what approach must be chosen. There are four possible approaches:

• Haste
• Guile
• Force
• Precision

Acting against the approach often leaves the players at a disadvantage or confers a penalty. Acting with the approach often helps them overcome the adversity. Certain challenges may be naturally more difficult to complete depending on what approach is chosen, and the players will not necessarily know all of the facts before they choose which approach to attempt.

Step 2: Begin the Round

Every player must roll once before a new round can begin. The skill check used to determine the order of the round varies depending on the type of challenge. Rounds are of varying time intervals between each challenge. A character is assumed to have fully rested at the beginning of each challenge and may not benefit from a rest until the end of each challenge.
Once a resource is consumed during the challenge, it is gone, and cannot be used again. A resource is any skill, class ability, spell, or item that the player possesses. Once it has been used, someone must 'Create and Opportunity' for the player to be able to use the resource again. The DC of skill checks increases as failures increase.

Step 3: Acting in the Round

Brave Adversity: A character does something inherently risky to bring the challenge to a resolution. You cannot Brave Adversity without first establishing an Opportunity.
Create an Opportunity: A character does something to promote success

• Allowing a skill or ability to be used to Brave Adversity.
• Give advantage to a roll by applying the approach.
• Allow a player to add their proficiency bonus to their roll.

Address Obstacle: A character does something to mitigate consequences. Obstacles addressing an individual can be addressed by an individual. Obstacles addressing the group must be addressed by the group.

Step 4: Scoring the Round / Obstacles

At the end of each round the Dungeon Master will score the number of successes versus the number of failures. Each round requires a specific number of successes to prevent an Obstacle from occurring. Obstacles increase the DC necessary to score successes, create penalties, and sometimes prevent characters from being able to perform actions.
The Skill Challenge ends when the party scores a specific number of failures, or a specific number of successes throughout the challenge.

Giant Trees by Jorry Rosman

Exploration Challenges

Exploration in unknown or inhospitable terrains can be dangerous and treacherous. Everything that can go wrong, often will.

Step 1: Begin the Round

Unlike a skill challenge, an Exploration Challenge uses 'food' as a resource. Food is often simply represented in the form of rations, but if the heroes have access to other sustenance items they may need to be assigned a specific amount of food stores.
At the beginning of each round each player reduces their total food stores or rations by 1. If a character does not have any remaining food stores, they gain 1 level of exhaustion. If they gain 3 or more levels of exhaustion their character rolls a Death Saving throw at the beginning of each Exploration round thereafter. Failing three death saving throws during exploration means the character has died from starvation or other elements. Characters must consume 2 food stores to remove 1 level of exhaustion, and 3 food stores to reverse 1 failed death saving throw.
Players roll to determine their position in round either using Survival, Nature, Perception, or Athletics.

Step 1: Define the Approach

During an exploration challenge, the character at the top of the round chooses the day's approach. The approach may be changed from round to round.

• Haste: Trying to reach a destination or learn about a new area as quickly as possible. Haste allows you to travel twice as quickly (at the cost of expending twice as many food stores).
• Stealth: Try to reach a destination unseen or without arousing anyone of your presence; a useful approach when there is an expectation of dangerous foes or factions in the area. Stealth allows you to ignore all but surprise encounters or encounters from becoming prey (at the cost of moving twice as slowly through a terrain)
• Patience: A leisurely mode of exploration useful if one intends to learn as much about the surrounding area as they can and to discover otherwise hidden landmarks. Exploring with patience lowers the DC for hunting wild game and discovering exotic locations.
• Survival: Sometimes getting to where you want to go, or finding somewhere hidden isn't as important as being prepared for the danger that the natural elements and scarcities of the region may present; A useful approach if the area is known for being a particularly dangerous environment or where resources such as food and water are not plentiful. The survival approach allows the party to ignore Unforeseen Injuries.

Step 3: Exploration Actions

During your turn during an exploration round you can choose one of the following actions and can use any skill, spell, item or class feature to determine the outcome. Items and class features often automatically succeed but cannot be used again in the exploration skill challenge unless otherwise stated (Such as using a Winter Coat to negate the effects of a Difficult Weather penalty).
Skills, such as survival, can be refreshed each round if the character is well fed. Reduce your total rations or other food stores by 1 to refresh a skill for the next Exploration round.

• Address an Obstacle: Use one of your skills, abilities, items, or class features to help address a daily obstacle.
• Explore: Exploring your natural surroundings can uncover a wealth of exotic locations, hidden places, important landmarks and other aspects of the surrounding territory. Different regions are more difficult to explore and different types of checks may allow you to discover difficult types of important locations.
• Hunt / Gather: Hunting for game or to gather wild ingredients to replenish food stores is an important part of survival. The DC for determining success is based on the scarcity of the area you are hunting and gathering, and the number of food stores you return with is determined by how much you succeed that DC by. Abundant = DC8, Average = DC12, Difficult = DC16, Scarce = DC20
• Scout: Scouting can alert your party to the dangers of the surrounding area, whether by informing them of likely monsters that may lair in the region, or by discovering the campsites or tracks of a dangerous faction nearby.
• Forge a Path: Regardless of any other reasons you may be exploring a region, an adventuring party's ultimate goal is usually to reach a destination of some kind. To make headway on your journey, someone must forge a path. The nature of the skill check used to press forward may change depending on the particular aspects of the region, and if the party doesn't possess the required skills they may be forced to spend additional time hunting and foraging to recoup their strength and refresh that skill.

Step 4: Daily Obstacles

At the beginning of each Exploration Round the character with the lowest initiative rolls a d12 to determine the adventuring day's most pressing obstacle (A character may spend inspiration to reroll the daily obstacle). Certain obstacles such as becoming "Prey" to something in the region may continue to affect your chance of success in overcoming other obstacles.

1. Severe Weather -- Severe weather is determined by the region in which you are exploring. A snowy mountain may be struck by a sudden blizzard, a desert may be subject to a sandstorm, a low valley may become flooded by rains. Severe weather always lasts for 1d4 additional exploration rounds.
Severe weather is also the only obstacle that cannot be braved and overcome.Severe Weather Penalties: ALL STRENGTH CHECKS AND SAVING THROWS ARE MADE AT DISADVANTAGE + You do not recover hit dice during severe weather unless a class ability, skill, or spell is used to circumvent this.
2. Surprised -- THE PARTY IS ATTACKED DURING THE ADVENTURING DAY AND IS TAKEN BY SURPRISE + Depending on the nature/abilities/disposition of the assailants this encounter occurs at an appropriate time during the adventuring round.
3. Rough Terrain -- THE PARTY ENCOUNTERS A DIFFICULT TERRAIN ASPECT + This could take the form of a natural phenomenon such as a chasm between you and your destination, or a circumstantial phenomenon such as the woodland you're traveling through having become overgrown. If the obstacle is not addressed during the Exploration round, the party's journey is delayed by 1d2 days as they seek a way around or through this difficulty. Required Successes to Overcome: 3
4. Lost -- THE PARTY HAS BECOME LOST IN THE TERRAIN THEY ARE EXPLORING.
Lost Penalties: BECOMING LOST IN A TERRAIN CONFERS DISADVANTAGE TO ALL WISDOM BASED CHECKS AND SAVING THROWS. The party remains lost until they have succeeded in addressing this obstacle. Required Successes to Overcome: 2
5. Prey -- THE PARTY HAS BECOME THE PREY OF A DEADLY MONSTER OR FACTION IN THE REGION. Roll 1d4 to determine the number of exploration rounds this foe tracks the party. If the party does not overcome the obstacle or reach their destination before this time lapses, they enter into a deadly encounter with their pursuer during the next exploration round.
Prey Penalties: ALL DEXTERITY CHECKS AND SAVING THROWS ARE MADE AT DISADVANTAGE. Required Successes to Overcome: 3
6. Spoiled -- THE PARTY'S FOOD STORES HAVE SPOILED. Spoiled Penalties: Half of all food items such as rations or food harvested from local game have spoiled and are removed from the party's character sheets. Without food, exploring becomes much more deadly.
7. Encounter -- THE PARTY ENGAGES IN A RANDOM ENCOUNTER AGAINST LOCAL MONSTERS, BEASTS OR FACTIONS. The party can attempt to overcome this obstacle and not participate in the encounter using their skills, spells, and class features.
Successes to Overcome: 2
8. Difficult Weather -- DIFFICULT WEATHER PLAGUES THE PARTY'S FORWARD ATTEMPTS. Encountering difficult weather such as snowstorms, an exhausting heat-wave, or heavy rain can dampen the mood of any adventure and make it more unlikely that the party can explore at their full capability, but it shouldn't be difficult to liven everyone's spirits once more.
Difficult Weather Penalties: CHARISMA BASED CHECKS AND SAVING THROWS ARE MADE AT DISADVANTAGE. Required Successes to Overcome: 1
9. Unforeseen Injury -- A PARTY MEMBER EXPERIENCED AN UNFORESEEN INJURY, roll a die to determine who has had an unfortunate accident, and 1d6 to determine the nature of the injury. An unforeseen injury lasts 1d4 exploration rounds, or until the obstacle is addressed.
Unforeseen Injury Penalties: THE PARTY MEMBER WHO HAS EXPERIENCED AN UNFORESEEN INJURY HAS DISADVANTAGE ON ATTACK ROLLS AND ALL CHECKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE INJURED STAT (roll 1d6 to determine which stat has been injured for the party member). Required Successes to Overcome: 3
10. Restless Night -- A PARTY MEMBER HAS HAD DIFFICULTY SLEEPING IN THE UNKNOWN TERRAIN, roll a die to determine who has gone without sleep. This condition is removed once the party member has completed another exploration round (with food) or completes a long rest outside the exploration round.
Restless Night Penalties: The party member who has foregone sleep has their movement speed in combat reduced by half and HAS DISADVANTAGE ON MENTAL-BASED ABILITY CHECKS (INT, WIS, CHA).
11. No Where To Make Camp -- THE PARTY IS UNABLE TO LOCATE A HOSPITABLE PLACE TO MAKE CAMP FOR THE EVENING. When a part has trouble locating a proper campsite it can effect their performance in the days to come. No Where to Make Camp Penalties: On the following Exploration Round the party's remaining hit dice are reduced by 1. If a member of the party has no more hit dice, their current HP is reduced by one hit die (roll your class hit die to determine how many points to subtract from your current hit points).
12. No Obstacle Encountered