Face the Challenge
The Narrator and players collaboratively narrate how they approach the obstacles. For each obstacle, one character takes the lead in overcoming it. They describe what they’re doing, and if necessary they’ll roll a check. The party might each go after different obstacles, or one might handle multiple, such as if a single character goes in alone.
If the character fails their check, the situation becomes perilous! The Narrator should describe how danger is looming. The adventurer can then try again, or have another party member make an attempt, but either way the DC is increased by 5 unless they come up with a new approach that is well-suited for the moment. If they fail on their second check against a given obstacle, they suffer a consequence.
Example 3: Chase, Continued
At each location a player describes an effort of how they’ll try to outpace the gnolls at each location, then they roll. In the plains, one adventurer might use Survival to use the herd as cover to make it harder for the gnolls to track. At the bridge, another might use Engineering to sabotage it. In the woods, a Nature check might recall the right offering to appease the fey, and then an Athletics check could get the party up the cliffs to reach the fortress to warn them of the approaching army.
Perhaps while sabotaging the bridge, the adventurer fails their first check, imperiling them. The Narrator describes one of the lead gnolls coming into sight, rushing for the bridge. The adventurer could keep trying to drop the bridge, increasing the DC by 5, or might decide to use Deception to feign looking eager so the gnoll is tricked into thinking the bridge is already sabotaged and avoids it out of caution. Either way, if the second check is failed, the consequence could be a small fight with one over-eager gnoll.
Even reaching the fortress isn’t the end of the adventure. The party can take a short rest before the enemy army arrives, but don’t have enough time for a long rest. This way any consequences of failure along the way actually matter.