Skill Challenge #10: Prison Break: The Armoury

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You’ve escaped your cell, now it’s time to get your weapons before making an escape. So…where did they put your gear? You’ll need to find your equipment and abscond with it before the enemy catches wind of your plans.

This is the second part in a series of skill challenges that begin with the party imprisoned and breaking their way out of the enemy headquarters.

Complexity: open (multiple skill challenges)

Goal: get your gear before making your final break for freedom!

Where is our Stuff??!?!?

The party most likely doesn’t want to leave without their gear. If they do, skip to the next skill challenge, “Freedom”. The enemy has taken the PC’s weapons to the armoury, for later divvying up amongst their troops and leaders. If it had stayed there, it would be significantly easier. But some of the gear is just too good to keep greed at bay…

From Place to Place

The PC will need to move from place to place to find their gear. To get to the Armory and/or each Complication, allow the players to make a Perception, Insight, or Streetwise check against moderate DC to figure out where the next piece of their gear will be. If a check is failed, roll 1d10 or choose from the following chart:

Can’t walk around in the open — each player must make a Stealth check (moderate DC). If more than half the party fails this check, then they encounter guards/sentries (Encounter Level: PC level -2)

1-4 Navel-gazing –the group is really at a loss what to do. Make another check.
5 Not what you were looking for… –While looking for their stolen equipment, the players run into a high ranking officer with only a few of his bodyguards. There are just as many people in the group as there are PCs, and even the sizes match up…Creative PCs can acquire suitable disguises here, or valuable information.
6-7 Noticed you were gone. –the party’s escape was noticed by their captors, and the entire base is on alert. All Perception, Insight, and Streetwise checks are made at a -2 penalty when moving from location to location.
8 Fool’s Gold — the PCs happen upon a great treasure –a lost sword, a precious gem– attached to very powerful elite warrior (Solo Encounter Level: PC level +1). If a fight goes over five rounds, the warrior will call in for 2d10 minions of PC level -4 for assistance. They will arrive on the seventh round of the fight.
9 Spitting Distance — the players find themselves within spitting distance with the leader of the enemy! If the players remain hidden, they can overhear his latest scheme and/or gain some insight into how they can find their gear and escape. Each player gets a +2 bonus token that can be used on any one roll in this skill challenge or the next.
10 Cart of Freedom — the adventurers are near a caravan that is leaving the enemy base. If the players decide to board and leave, nominate one character to make a Stealth check against a hard DC+2. Other PCs may aid him. If the check succeeds, the players board the caravan in secret and are able to ride out of the village unharmed, though without much of their gear, and little control over where they will end up. If they fail, they are found and locked back up!

The Armoury

The most sensible place to find your weapons is the enemy’s armoury. Hopefully it’s still there….

Complexity: 1 (4 successes before 3 failures)

Encounter Level: (PC level -2)

Goal: Grab your equipment without being caught in the process.

Skills used:

Perception (moderate DC, maximum one success): Finding your equipment is the easy part.

Athletics ( moderate DC, maximum one success): You need to be quick about whatever you’re doing.

Streetwise (moderate DC, maximum one success): You use the layout of the base to your advantage.

Stealth (hard DC): You’ll never find your equipment if you get caught.

Bluff (hard DC): You create a distraction to get the guards to leave their posts.

If the PCs have disguises, the following skills can be used:

Intimidate (hard DC) : “Do you know who I AM?!?? If you don’t, you’re going to learn shortly. I suggest you let me pass.”

Bluff (moderate DC): “The captain wants to take a look at what we took of these prisoners. We’re here to take them to him.”

Success: The party gets their gear, but not everything’s here…

Failure: The party is unable to get their gear.

Complications.

The PCs have recovered almost all their gear. But as always, there are complications. All of their money is gone, and one of the PC’s most valuable items could not be found. The following complications allow them to retrieve the last of their items.

The Greater Greed

Weapons and armour are great, but having your treasure would ease the inconvenience of having been caught. If you can’t get your money, you could take some from here…

Complexity: open (6 successes with as few failures as possible)

Encounter Level PC level -1)

Goal: Remunerate yourself with gold and treasures taken from the enemy.

Skills Used:

Stealth (moderate DC): You move through the base without being noticed to find choice bits of gear you may have missed.

Perception (hard DC): Knowing where to look for riches is the first challenge.

Arcane (hard DC, only if trained, counts as 0 successes, maximum one check): You search for items of magical interest. Erases one failure.

Thievery (moderate DC): Stealing is proving adequate catharsis for your capture.

Endurance (hard DC): You wait for the perfect opportunity to grab something of value.

The following can be used if the party has disguises:

Intimidate (moderate DC): You shake down some low ranking soldiers for their money.

Bluff ( moderate DC): It’s too easy and too fun to trick the enemy.

Diplomacy (hard DC): You talk your way to the enemie’s coffers.

Success: Consult the following chart to see what the PCs get for wealth.

0 failures: 100% of player wealth is returned.
1-2 failures: 50% of player wealth is returned.
3-4 failures: 25% of player wealth is returned.
5+ failures: 10% of player wealth is returned.

Keep it in the Family

Where could your ancestral sword be ? It wasn’t in the armoury…You can’t leave without getting it back.

In this complication, a PCs highest level item has been purloined by someone in the enemy base.

Complexity: 1 (4 successes before three failures)

Encounter Level: (PC Level)

Goal: Find your most valued item and take it from the enemy who has claimed it.

Skills Used:

First the who has the item must be discovered. A combination of any of the following two skill checks can locate the item):

Perception (moderate DC)
Insight (moderate DC)
Stealth (moderate DC)

Once the item has been located with an enemy captain (Elite of level equal to the PCs), the party has the following options:

That’s Mine, Thank You: Declare combat against the enemy and take your item by force.

While He’s Not Looking( Bluff (moderate DC) followed by Stealth (hard DC)): You set up a a distraction and steal the item while the enemy is looking somewhere else. If the Stealth check is failed, a combat starts.

Take a Nap (Stealth (moderate DC) followed by Attack Roll (14 + PC level)): You knock your foe out and slip away.

I Outrank You (Bluff(hard DC) or Intimidate (hard DC), counts as two successes, only if the party has disguises): You convince the enemy to give you the item by convincing him of your superior status and rank.

Once the players have gotten their gear, it’s time to get out of here!