SKill checks as encounters?

[Happycamper]

How do people use skill checks within the program?

If I want some as an encounter, can I create a skill check in an encounter?

Maybe if I want skill checks during combat, can I add that in?

Is it possible to add in a skill check of some kind as an NPC or something?

Basically, can I do something to set up skill checks ahead of time beyond just writing notes to myself in the story window, etc...

[Zacchaeus]

From question 2 the answers are No, No, No and depends on what you are talking about.

Skill checks are usually made by the players if it is an individual check. If it's a group check then you could use the party sheet rather than have each player make the check. There isn't a way to create an effect to make a check for any particular skill; you can set effects to give advantage/disadvantage on all or specific skill checks.

It might be helpful if you gave us some idea of what kind of checks you are thinking about and what kinds of scenarios you envisage these being used..

[Moon Wizard]

In most of the adventures from Wizards, when there are skill checks, they are noted in story text entries.

Then, when encountered, people just roll as needed, or the GM can group roll from the party sheet.

Regards,
JPG

[Happycamper]

Well, I have an encounter set up where they fight a few kobolds in the woods.

After that I wanted them to do a skill check or two to follow the tracks to the lair.

-----

Another example:

In the middle of combat there is a chandelier, a character could swing on it to get over an overturned table shielding a kobold with a sling. I want a DC check associated with it.

-------------

Currently, all I see is to simply type the idea into the text portion of my quests into the story portion of my campaign... (ie. skill DCs for whatever...)

I haven't looked but another idea would be to hack the traps into various DC checks...

-----

In dreamland there would be something like a skill check encounter where I can list the skills applicable and the associated DCs for using that skill to solve the problem... maybe additional notes or something... (ie. persuasion vs intimidate...) If it tracked multi-level skill checks (success & failure tracking) that would be an exceptional bonus...

[Trenloe]

Just put them in as text in your story entry. Doing it any other way doesn't provide any level of automation, it's just telling you "DC 25 Perception (wisdom) check" in text somewhere, whether it's in a NPC, trap, effect, story entry, etc. it's still just text that you have to read.

The best approach I find is to write location specific details: descriptions, skill checks, GM info, links to encounters, images, treasure parcels, etc. all in a story entry, one per location. Then drag that story entry to my map to provide a link (pushpin) to that story entry. Then when the PCs approach that location I can click on the pushpin to open the story entry that has all the info I need to handle that location.

Re your "dreamland": there is a skill tracker in the 4E ruleset: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/wiki/index.php/4E_Skill_Challenge_Tracker But, this is specific to the skill challenge mechanic from 4E. With a bit of work it might be possible to bring that over to the 5E ruleset to track complex/multi-skill tasks. But I doubt if the amount of work it took to do that would give reciprocal benefits in game... At least that's my view. If you used it all the time then it might be worth your time to migrate the 4E code over to 5E.

[Zacchaeus]

As noted above there isn't a way to automate skill checks via effects or NPCs. You can certainly create NPCs to do traps since in most cases a trap will require a saving throw (which you can set up an effect for) and then it will do damage which again you can set up. However if you want a player to make an Acrobatics check, for example, then that player will need to make the check via his character sheet. You will need to note down whatever DC you want for it but you can also do this on the fly since, because of bounded accuracy, DCs are fairly straightforward in 5e (see the DC difficulty class table on p157 of the PHB).

For following tracks or other such perception or survival type checks you can use the global roll on the party sheet which allows for a check to be rolled for every party member.

I think, perhaps, you are over complicating things. Skill checks aren't difficult to get the hang of. A medium difficulty will always be DC 15 and easy will always be DC 10. The only consideration might be which skill to use but that too is detailed in the skills section of the PHB.

[Happycamper]

Sounds good.