Im making a small challenge for my party on the way to a Dwarven camp. While travelling they encounter a 20ft wide river that they must cross. I'm just gonna improvise the whole thing to give them some creativity in how to solve this problem.
My question is what happens if they fall in? The river has a strong current as it leads to a section of white-water rapids that is also being fed by an adjacent river making the current more deadly.
If they fall in I am giving the chance to make a Saving throw to try and swim across. What would make more sense: a dexterity or strength saving throw, or even maybe a check instead like athletics.
Also what DC for this check would you recommend for an 8th level party?
Best Answer
Depending on what the players try to do, you could call for saving throws and/or ability checks.
Saving throws are generally made to resist some consequence, and success means avoiding or reducing that consequence. Dexterity saving throws usually imply trying to move away, and Strength saving throws usually imply trying to not move.
Either could come into play here; perhaps the bridge sways, and you tell PCs near the edge to make a Dexterity saving throw to avoid falling off. Or a PC falls in the water, and you call for a Strength saving throw to not be pulled by the river's current.
Ability checks (or skill checks) are generally made when someone tries to accomplish some goal, and success means making progress toward that goal. If you want to give the players some creativity here, then consider that they may want to jump into the water anyway and swim across. Strength (Athletics) would be appropriate, or perhaps a different ability such as Dexterity (Athletics) for more dexterous characters. You could give advantage on the check to PCs who already have swim speeds, to reflect their innate swimming ability.
The skill could also vary depending on what the PCs are trying to do. For example, Stealth may be appropriate if they intend to swim quietly, or Nature or Survival if they try to find some calm path through the rapids.
The DC of the saving throw or ability check should not depend on the party's level, but instead be based on the nature of the task. The Basic Rules provide a table of Typical Difficulty Classes, and most moderately challenging tasks could have a DC between 10-20.
The consequences of failure are up to you. Is there risk of drowning? Do PCs in the current take damage from sharp rocks? Are they pushed back harmlessly? Remember that if the DC is high (20+), failure is more likely, and you should consider the severity of the consequences appropriately.