DM Effort:Making a skill challenge obstacle course?

[silverwolfer]

Meh so am sort of like -_-, in that rut of combat is okay, and wandering around as a hero getting bland. So am thinking of making a ECL 5 or so challange obstacle course, traps, doors , sneaky things.

Right now am sort of gathering books and suggetions

Dungeonscape,arms and equipment and hmmm old 2e books for annoying things.

[only1doug]

Originally Posted by silverwolfer

Meh so am sort of like -_-, in that rut of combat is okay, and wandering around as a hero getting bland. So am thinking of making a ECL 5 or so challange obstacle course, traps, doors , sneaky things.

Right now am sort of gathering books and suggetions

Dungeonscape,arms and equipment and hmmm old 2e books for annoying things.

Obvious points:

Include multiple paths so that if one test just keeps escaping them they can go a different route.

Make sure you have elements that will allow each player to shine.

Have multi-element sections where several things have to be done simultaneously so that the players work as a team.

Consider the assault course: you crawl under the netting, climb over the wall, balance on the beams and trudge through the water trap right? Wrong, you cut the netting, knock down the wall, carry the beams to the water trap and use them and the netting to build a bridge. Leave scope for multiple methods of bypassing each section and don't punish the players if they come up with methods that you haven't considered (but look out for unconventional routes that would bypass the entire course).

[mattie_p]

Be wary of spells, as well, that would be available to an ECL 5 character.

Useful ones to the players might be:

light/dark
spider climb
water breathing
feather fall
knock
jump
alter self
levitate
fly
bull str/etc
find traps
shatter

Not all inclusive, and just based on a cursory glance at the SRD.