[4e] FR campaign ideas

[Saintjebus]

I am running a loose FR campaign(loose in the sense that I have a tendency to just handwave things away that I don't like) and I'm kind of getting a little writer's block. The campaign idea that I'm working with is that the old deity Mask(who was done away with in 4e) is back from exile in the Far Realms, and he is aiming to take over the whole material plane. I've gotten to the point where his armies have poured in from the Far Realm and are in the process of taking apart the nations. I did this mainly to get rid of the high level NPCs that were still hanging around(Elminster gets to go out in a blaze of glory). The PCs are headed to Candlekeep to find out about a book that would help them( think Book of Counted Shadows from Legend of the Seeker).
My problem is that I'm not sure how to construct the BBEG, and how to start introducing his/her minions. I'd like to ask the playground to help me with some ideas. Any idea, no matter how crazy, might spark something, or I might just use it. (The PCs are 3rd level right now.)

Also, on an unrelated note, does anybody have any good advice on how to run skill challenges? I've found them to be a little strange to run, at best. Thanks in advance!

[RTGoodman]

Also, on an unrelated note, does anybody have any good advice on how to run skill challenges? I've found them to be a little strange to run, at best. Thanks in advance!

Download the errata, which completely changes how skill challenges work, for the better. That should help out a bit.

My problem is that I'm not sure how to construct the BBEG, and how to start introducing his/her minions. I'd like to ask the playground to help me with some ideas. Any idea, no matter how crazy, might spark something, or I might just use it. (The PCs are 3rd level right now.)

Well, who's the BBEG? Is it Mask himself (or, at least, his avatar)? If so, you could take a look at some of the various gods already statted out (Orcus in the MM, Tiamat in Draconomicon I, etc.) for some ideas and then make a Level 28 Solo Lurker/Controller for him. For minions, anything from the Shadowfell that's high enough level should work.

[Yakk]

Skill Challenges: use the idea, toss the existing framework.

The Complexity of a Skill Challenge is the estimated number of characters that it would take to defeat the Skill Challenge while taking about 1/4 of their "daily resources".

The Level of a skill challenge is just that -- the Level of it.

A Complexity 3 Level 4 skill challenge should be worth as much Xp as 3 level 4 monsters.

Note that a skill challenge with no negative consequences is one that isn't really a challenge.

Note that a skill challenge with no time pressure, or need to do things in parallel, or other punishment for being idle, is a complexity 1 challenge, as any one player could defeat it.

...

A Noble who is short on patience (aren't they all!) is a good skill challenge. A chase, where people are getting away. A trap that is closing in on the party. A castle they need to break into within 3 days. A mystical set stones which guard the entrance to the crypt, and when they approached them the beasts of the forests where called to defend the crypt...

Failure (both local and global) on the skill challenge needs to be planned for.

At the core of something like a skill challenge is the concept of "stakes". What is at stake from a single skill roll?

The skill challenge has a measure of success -- accumulated successes -- that determines the scale of what one skill roll can do, with regards to that challenge. If the players ask to do X, you can work out "how close does that get the party to solving the problem? Is it too large of a step?", based off of your "success budget" for the challenge.

The core skill challenge rules use "failures" as the main consequence of failure, and have the entire challenge fail when too many failures have accumulated. Personally, I don't like this.

Having punishment in the form of healing surges or action points lost, damage, "points" that accumulate towards making the next encounter harder, opponents arriving, or other additional complications -- these can be immediate, and less plot-destroying than merely "you got 3 failures, things are hopeless now".

More later. :) I'm off to find a kitten!

[Gralamin]

Also, on an unrelated note, does anybody have any good advice on how to run skill challenges? I've found them to be a little strange to run, at best. Thanks in advance!

Don't tell your players your running them. Just give them a situation and ask them what they do. Then figure out the nearest skill or ability or ritual that allows them to do it, and ask them to roll it. The biggest problem most people have is making their players go into the state of mind where they bring forth their assumptions on how they work.

Also, the DCs in the Skill Challenge errata are borked. Some examples:
You cannot have a 3rd level Skill challenge, only a level 1, 2 or 4.
Level 4 skill challenges can either have a DC of 15 (Hard + second level) or 7 (Easy + Fifth level).
The DCs are so low that anyone with training in a skill automatically makes the check.... Since its supposed to be an encounter and therefore a challenge, that means someone trained in being a tank will always succeed on being tank, which is rarely true.

I've addressed these concerns before, and come up with some house rules that reasonably fix these problems. You can take a look here.