Cool idea for more narrative combat

Killing Minions with Style, which I got to from another good post, 4th Edition and the Case of the Hideously Long Combat. Both worth a read. (They're short.)

Skill Challenge: Eberron (10th level)

Along the lines of what Dave posted, here's my skill challenge that I used for my Eberron group. It's the first skill challenge I've written. I've run a couple out of the new D&D adventures, but honestly, I wasn't crazy about any of them. They did teach me a few pitfalls to avoid in creating my own, however, and I was pretty pleased by how these worked out.

Encounter Complexity: 3 (8 successes before 4 failures -1,500 XP)
The Shifting Blades are rumored to be in Trolanport. Find out where they are and what they're up to, all while dodging the Trust, who would be treaty-bound to turn the Wolves over to Brelish authorities.

Primary Skills:
Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Streetwise

Bluff (DC 20, +1 for every success): Pretending to be with the Korranberg Chronicle, or seeking to hire the Shifting Blades, or something of that nature, could gain some information.

Diplomacy (DC 17): Seeking help from Aundarian diplomat Neya ir'Krell or trying to deal with local officials without tipping off the Trust could net information. Note: Failure in this case counts as two failures, as it will more easily bring the Trust down on the players' heads)

Endurance (DC 21): Some lusty carousing could get any of the information about the Kraken's Eye, in other words anything in the 1-5 area. After 5 has been dispensed, carousing won't earn any more answers, but it also won't incur any more failures.

History (DC 25): Once the name of the Kraken's Eye has been revealed, someone versed in history might be able to recall information about it from studies of the Lhazaar or Zilargo areas. Only information #2 and #3 can be revealed in this way. Any other attempts will fail, but will not be counted as failures against the skill challenge total.

Insight (DC 21): Once contacts have been found (via a single success in Diplomacy, Streetwise or Diplomacy), an Insight check could provide some hints that lead to the right questions about the gang of shapeshifters or the Kraken's Eye. Only two successes can be earned this way.

Intimidate (DC 20, +1 for every success): Once the gang is known of (after #5 has been revealed), intimidation can be used on the street to garner any of the information from 6-8.

Perception (DC 17): Once #1 is available, careful surveillance of the Kraken's Eye could reveal #2-3. Only those two successes are possible with perception.

Streetwise (DC 21): All of the information about Gerand, what he was up to, and the gang he probably got involved with, is available through streetwise checks. Any number of successes or failures can be achieved through this skill.

Information that can be gained (one per success, starting with the top)
1. Gerand Moor asked around at a tavern called the Kraken's Eye
2. The Kraken's Eye is only open at night, and generally caters to lowlives and thugs
3. The Kraken's Eye is run by an ex-pirate from Lhazaar and his wife, and they don't cooperate with law enforcement
4. A contact remembers Gerand mentioning that he had a meeting set up at the Kraken's Eye, and no one has seen him since
5. There's a small gang of shapeshifters in town with ties to the Tyrants, and they operate out of the Kraken's Eye
6. There are six members of this gang, which is primarily made up of changelings
7. The leader of this gang is rumored to be some kind of powerful magic creature, but anyone who has gotten close has been found with their throat ripped out
8. There is a succubus in the gang

Success: The Wolves learn valuable information that not only points them in the right direction but gives them hints as to what they might be up against

Failure: The Wolves have trouble keeping a low profile while digging for information. Any further pushing to determine answers either brings down an ambush whenever they are resting at their inn (or whatever base of operations they've chosen) from the Trolanport Tyrants (if they've gotten up to #5 or more) or agents of the Trust (3 gnome entropists, 2 gnome wolverines and a human pirate captain).

Skill Challenge Sample of Play

Okay, here's the D&D Skill Challenge example I wrote up for my players. I've house-ruled Skills Challenges to allow for Ability rolls and even Attack/Power rolls in lieu of Skill Checks - as long as they fit the story. I've pretty much dropped the differentiation between Primary and Secondary Skills, opting instead for variable DCs based on what the players are attempting.

Three first level adventurers, a Dwarven Fighter, Half-Elf Wizard, and Halfling Rogue, are in pursuit of a Goblin who's got information they need. The Goblin races into the heart of the city and the chase is on. The DM knows that this is a fairly easy 4/3 Skill Challenge (the players need four successes before three failures), but the players don't. I put notes about dice rolls in blue.

DM: The Goblin's bolting into the crowded marketplace. What do you want to do?

Halfling Rogue: I'm too short to be pushing through big-people crowds - can I hop up on top of the marketplace stands and awnings and spring across them?

DM: Sure, make an Acrobatics Roll!

[the DM decides this is fairly easy to do and secretly sets the Difficulty Class at 10; the Rogue rolls low, but he's trained in Acrobatics and still pulls off a total of 12, succeeding; this is the first success in the Challenge.]

DM: The rest of the party can only be impressed as you leap and cartwheel over the venders. You're able to keep a close eye on the Goblin and after the rest of the group pushes through the crowd, you lead them down a street in pursuit!

Dwarven Fighter: Grr, I don't want to chase this little bastard. I want to intimidate him into stopping. I shout out, "If you don't stop right now, every damn member of my clan will swear a death-oath against you!"

DM: What's a death-oath?

Dwarven Fighter: I don't know - I'm just messing with his head! Oh wait, does that make it a Bluff check?

DM: Nah, you're still trying to intimidate him. But I am going to give you a +2 for having a good, fake oath.

[the DM decides the Goblin flight instinct is strong and sets a moderate DC of 15; the Dwarven fighter rolls a 1, so even with his good Intimidate Skill and a +2 bonus, he fails; there has now been one success and one failure in the Skill Challenge]

DM: A 1, eh? Not only does the Goblin not stop, he responds to your threat with a crude gesture.

Dwarven Fighter: Oh, you're dead!

DM: He's darting in and out of alleys and pulling a little ahead of you guys.

Halfling Rogue: Can I make a Streetwise check and figure out where he's going?

DM: Hmm, Streetwise as a skill is really more about figuring out a city's movers and shakers, finding the black market, stuff like that. It's not literally the layout of the streets.

Halfling Rogue: Fair enough. What about an Insight Check to "get inside" his head and figure out where he'd go?

DM: Sure!

Halfling Rogue: Oh wait, my Insight sucks.

Half-Elf Wizard: I wanna do something, and my Insight's pretty decent!

[the DM sets a moderate DC of 15; the Half-Elf Wizard rolls well - a 22 - making for the second success of the Challenge]

Half-Elf Wizard: I've fought enough Goblins to know how those little beggars think. Between gasps for breath as we run, I tell the rest of you guys I think he's headed for the slums so he can hole up in some lowlife den!

DM (picking up on the player's idea): Good thinking. It does seem likely, so you let the Goblin vanish from sight and instead make for the slums to head him off. As you scan around between the poor laborers, hooligan kids and beggars, the Goblin darts from an alley and almost runs right into you! He curses in Goblin and races back toward the center of the city.

[the DM decides to have some cruel fun and have a small side event: hooligan kids from the slums try to pickpocket the players amidst the chaos! He makes a single Thievery roll to represent the kids and attacks the players' Reflex Defense with it. It only succeeds against the Dwarven Fighter, and the mean ol' DM rolls a D20 to see how much gold they got from him: 16 pieces. He lets the Dwarf make a Perception Check against the kids' Thievery roll to see if he notices. He makes the roll, so he does.]

DM: Dwarven Fighter, a grimy-faced half-orc kid appears to've reached into your coin purse and absconded with a big handful of gold.

Dwarven Fighter: First the Goblin gives me the finger, now this?! I go after the little bastard!

DM: Really? In the middle of the chase?

Dwarven Fighter: Hell yes! You don't take a dwarf's gold!

DM: Ha! Okay, you can chase after the kid, but you'll be unable to assist in the rest of the Skill Challenge.

Dwarven Fighter: Sorry, gang. Gold comes first.

DM: Okay, I'm definitely giving you some experience for doing something so "dwarfy", and we'll resolve the stuff with the kid in a minute, but for now let's stick to the chase. The Goblin's still getting away!

Halfling Rogue: Son of a -- ! Well, I think I just want to use Perception to track this guy by all the chaos he's making as he pushes past people.

[the DM against sets a moderate DC of 15; the Halfling Rogue roll only totals a 13; there have now been two failures as well as two successes in the Skill Challenge - one more failure and they lose him]

DM: This guy's wily. The chase has veered toward the docks, but he's tipping over crates behind him and creating an uproar that makes it really hard to see where he's going. You're on the verge of losing him.

Half-Elf Wizard: We can't let him get off the docks.

Halfling Rogue: Agreed, but I'm drawing blanks on ideas. Can I throw a dagger at him, try and trip him up from an injury?

DM: You can, but there're lots of people around and he'd probably be at long range for a thrown dagger. This will be a very tough shot [the DM's thinking DC 25, and the Rogue would need to roll extremely well to make it]

Halfling Rogue: Hmm. Maybe I shouldn't...

Half-Elf Wizard: It gives me an idea, though. My Flaming Sphere attack has a range 10, so maybe that'll give me a better chance. I actually want to use it to set the docks aflame ahead of the Goblin and box him in.

DM: It'll still be a tough shot to avoid hitting people, but you've got the range, so it'll be a bit easier than the dagger throw.

[the DM decides to go with a DC of 20, still pretty tough; the Half-Elf Wizard just makes it, though, coming in with a 21 when all bonuses have been added; there have now been three success and two failures in the Skill Challenge; the next roll will decide it all]

DM: Your fiery sphere appears in front of the Goblin and streaks across the docks, creating a wall of fire! He skids to a stop.

Halfling Rogue: It's funny, I probably drew my little dagger and was halfheartedly taking aim when our wizard here puts a hand on my shoulder - "Allow me" - and blows up half the docks!

DM: Ha!

Half-Elf Wizard: Damn right!

DM: Okay, so he's skidded to a halt and looks panicked, but he could still slip through your grasp with a sly maneuver. The next few seconds will decide everything...

Halfling Rogue: Would it be too cheesy to use Acrobatics again and to vault over the crates and right into him? I want to knock him flat and I'm really good with Acrobatics.

DM: Seems reasonable to me. This is pretty different from the first time you used it.

[the DM sets an average DC of 15 for the roll and the Halfling Rogue aces his roll, totalling 24]

DM: Major takedown, you've won the Skill Challenge! What are you picturing?

Halfling Rogue: The Goblin skids to a stop in front of the fire, spins around to look for a way out, and there I am, hand-vaulting, parkour-style over the crates! I give him both boots to his hideous face.

DM: Rockin'. Goblin teeth fly and he flops onto the docks, out cold. In the meantime, you can hear shouts for the city watch as a small section of the dock burns and collapses into the water.

Half-Elf Wizard: Oops. Uh, we'll make amends later. Lets scoop this guy up and race into some cheap inn before the watch arrives. We can question the goblin once we're out of sight.

Dwarf Fighter: Kill him!

DM: Hey, you're not even with them! But we do need to quick see how you dealt with your little pickpocket right after I hand out experience...

[and the game continues...]