Need help putting "Ninja Warrior" into D&D

[evisiron]

Hey. I am currently running a game with 2 players (both 6th level): A gestalt Barbarian/dragon shaman (with 23 strength and 16 dex) and a gestalt Druid rogue (16 strength, 19 dex). Both players are big fans of the show "Ninja warrior" so I was hoping to do something similar in-game.

But how can I make this, and how can I make this exciting? Perhaps a serious of checks such as climb and balance would work, but I have no idea what kind of DCs to set or how to run it.

Does anyone have any advice?

Link wise:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninja_warrior
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDqY8dWsLWQ

[FlyMolo]

Conceivably, pick your favorite Ninja warrior course, and stat it out. Appropriate climb, balance, tumble checks or whatever, and attack rolls for grabbing things. A small prize at the end, mayhap?

[bosssmiley]

Traps (http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/traps.htm). Job done. :smallwink:

[Thiel]

Since it's DnD you could ad a couple of enemies that tries to bullrush them off the platform.

[HomocidalWizard]

Maybe have the players get captured and put into a gladitorial gauntlet for the local ruler's amusement?

Or maybe have the players have to go through a series of trials to win a prize of some sort? (a little generic though)

[Eldariel]

Complex skill checks from Unearthed Arcana along with player options on how to exactly approach an obstacle (thus giving you creative options of choosing the skills to use on said obstacles) should make it interesting enough. Players need some control on what they're doing for it to work out.

[Enlong]

Don't forget to plop the thing in a huge Antimagic Field. Expeditious Retreat and Spider Climb would wreck the whole course.

[ashmanonar]

Or you could simply put the PC's into a D&D version of MXC.

If you wanted to drive them to madness.

[Burley]

Well, for the zig-zag jumpy bit that's usually at the beginning, that'd be 5ft jump checks with a running start for the first one, but without it for the next few.

Then, the log roll would be a grapple check.

Then, there'd be a running balance check, because no matter how they change the course, there's always something that you have to balance and run across right here.

Then, a running vertical jump for the warped wall.

A standing long jump check, plus some climb checks for the hanging ropes.

It's all rushed, so, no taking 10. It's pretty hard to put a time limit in game, especially because the players are constantly gonna be asking what they need to roll for next. So, I'd say that there isn't a "timer." However, the hard part is: On most checks, if you fail, you're disqualified. I'd say the Warped Wall is the only one that they won't lose if they fail, but they're only allowed to fail it a set number of times before "time runs out."

[Tokiko Mima]

You need to put acid and acid-born sharks instead of water; because ordinary people don't want to get wet, adventurers don't want to be dipped in acid and eaten by sharks. :smalltongue:

[Soup of Kings]

This is an interesting idea. I'll try and make one and put it up here. It'll likely need to be heavily tweaked, though, as I'm a fairly new DM. Also, I'm starting with just the first stage, and I'll probably use the most recent one if I don't mix-and-match obstacles.

[Eldariel]

Speaking of time; you could allow the characters to use time to prepare for some of the challenges, giving them some circumstance bonuses (or just Taking 10 and so on). One thing that could be used to make it more exciting is to make them unaware of exactly how much time is remaining; run it "real-time" instead of in rounds so that the player doesn't know exactly how much time he has left and therefore cannot simply count the optimal way to go about the obstacles.

Either way, to make it interesting, you need to give the player some part in the competition. Just rolling dice is damn boring; the player needs to have made the decisions that lead to those dice rolls for it to truly remain interesting. A course of rolling dice a dozen of times is about the most boring you can get, so you indeed need to spice it up and most importantly, give the player something to do other than to just hope. Make it clear to them that they have to explain how they're passing the challenge; for example, you could concievably use either Dexterity- or Strength-based skills in the six-step part.

[Soup of Kings]

I was considering using six-second rounds for time. This makes 20 rounds in the first stage by the most recent tournament rules (120 seconds). Then, penalize players in rounds for failing checks by less than a certain amount (Worse failures dunk them). And depending on how they go about each obstacle, make them take more or less rounds. This increases randomness (They may have to modify their strategies and hurry if they make poor rolls) and allows for player participation.

[EDIT]

Alright, here is a VERY rough version of the first three obstacles. I haven't tested this at all, and I'm a pretty crappy DM :smalltongue: so someone might go over it and revise it, or use it to help with their own, or just ignore it. I just whipped it up fairly quick, so it likely sucks, and hard.


The PC starts with a total time allotment of two minutes (120 seconds, 20 rounds). The amount of time required to complete each obstacle varies. The competition takes place in a large antimagic field, which renders spells, magic items, supernatural or spell-like abilities and the like useless. Competitors aren’t allowed any equipment during the competition; it is purely a contest of physical strength, endurance and agility.

Sextuple Step
The first obstacle is a series of 5 platforms, alternating from right to left and angled 45 degrees down and inward. The competitor must jump (with a running start) from the Start pad to the first platform, and carry their momentum through the obstacle. They jump from the final angled platform to the safe zone marking the end of the obstacle. The obstacle is 20 feet long.
• Time to complete: 1 round
• Completion method: The obstacle is a series of six jump checks, starting at DC 4. Each successive jump increases the DC by 3, up to DC 19 for the final jump.
• Check failure penalty: Failing a check by 1-4 is a fumble. A fumble adds a round to the time taken to complete the obstacle and incurs a -2 circumstance penalty to the rest of the jump checks for this obstacle. Failing a check by 5 or more means falling into the water and failing the course.
• Special check failure: Failing the final jump check allows a DC 20 Reflex save to catch the ledge and keep from falling into the water.

Log Grip
The competitor must grip a vertical log with their hands and legs (It has handholds). The log then slides down a track, dropping twice while it goes. The competitor must hold on while being jarred by the drops in the track.
• Time to complete: 1d3 rounds (The log doesn’t necessarily fall at the same speed every time.)
• Completion method: The player starts by making either a dexterity check (By gripping the log well) or a strength check (Simply gripping tightly) against DC 15. Failing this check incurs a -4 penalty at the drops. At the drops, they make grapple checks against the log as it tries to jar them loose. Give the log a +3 on the first check and +4 on the second one. If the player loses either of these grapple checks, he can make a reflex save to stay on the log (DC 20).
• Check failure penalty: See above.

Pole Maze
The competitor must pole vault across a wide gap; the catch is that the tip of the pole swings through a maze of pipes.
• Time to complete: Varies, see check failure penalties.
• Completion method: The obstacle starts with a jump check against DC 10 to vault over the apex of the pole’s arc. Then, two strength checks are required to jerk the pole off the pipes it gets caught on. Failing one of these checks adds one round to the time to complete (The obstacle takes one round by default), but the player can attempt it as many times as he wants. On the first attempt of each check, the player may use Dex instead of Str to maneuver the pole as it bounces off the pipe.
• Check failure penalty: One extra round is spent, and the player can’t substitute Dex for Str.

[evisiron]

I was considering using six-second rounds for time. This makes 20 rounds in the first stage by the most recent tournament rules (120 seconds). Then, penalize players in rounds for failing checks by less than a certain amount (Worse failures dunk them). And depending on how they go about each obstacle, make them take more or less rounds. This increases randomness (They may have to modify their strategies and hurry if they make poor rolls) and allows for player participation.

[EDIT]

Alright, here is a VERY rough version of the first three obstacles. I haven't tested this at all, and I'm a pretty crappy DM :smalltongue: so someone might go over it and revise it, or use it to help with their own, or just ignore it. I just whipped it up fairly quick, so it likely sucks, and hard.

That is really good! The game is tomorrow, and if it is okay I would love to use that. However, to offset the 'many rolls = boring' thing I will only use this as one of the stages. I might then include a straight fight (non lethal) tournament to thin the groups finishing with a 'race to the top' with all the remaining contestants going at the same time.

Thanks again, and I will be sure to tell the players of your work so the good karma goes straight to you. :smallbiggrin:

[Soup of Kings]

That is really good! The game is tomorrow, and if it is okay I would love to use that. However, to offset the 'many rolls = boring' thing I will only use this as one of the stages. I might then include a straight fight (non lethal) tournament to thin the groups finishing with a 'race to the top' with all the remaining contestants going at the same time.

Thanks again, and I will be sure to tell the players of your work so the good karma goes straight to you. :smallbiggrin:

Alright. :smallbiggrin: Please let me know how it turns out, and FEEL FREE TO MODIFY MY VALUES if necessary. I'm no good for game balance, I just know alot of the mechanics of Sasuke. I'm thinking I can set the guidelines for the obstacles fairly well and let someone else fine-tune them. I may work on more later, but I'm busy now.