DWS Rules

Goal
Don't Wake the Sentries is played over a series of turns. The starting player is determined by an initiative roll, and the turn order can either be based on initiative or clockwise around the table to keep things simple.

There is a predetermined number of "spaces" on the board. Each of these spaces represent rooms or obstacles the players must get through. They take turns moving along this track of spaces and defeating the challenge in each of them. Each space calls for a specific set of skills the player must use to defeat the challenge.

Each group of spaces are numbered 1-5 (in sequential order). The number of groups can be varied based  on how long the DM wants the skill challenge to last. The players' goal is for one of the players to reach the final space. Once this happens, the players have succeeded and the first player gains a reward.

Anatomy of a Turn
On a player's turn, he follows these steps:
 * 1) Move: The player rolls a d6 and moves their character to the next space labeled with the number they rolled. If they roll a six, they move to the space in front of the current leader.
 * 2) Backtrack: The player may move backwards by spending one healing surge per space they wish to move.
 * 3) Skill Check: The player makes a skill check against a Hard DC using one of the skills associated with the space's skill group. Allies in the same or adjacent spaces may "Aid Another" as per the normal 4e rules.
 * Success: On a successful skill check, the player is "Safe".
 * Failure: On a failed skill check, the group accumulates "Risk" and may need to make some saving throws.

Safe
When a player is "Safe" they have conquered the space's challenge with their amazing skill. The character remains in the space they moved to this turn. As a reward for succeeding on the challenge, the player then gains a +2 untyped bonus to their next skill check. You also gain the bonus if you land on a Safe room, or if you roll a natural 20 (critical) on a saving throw.

The player's turn is then over. However, if the player wishes to, they may Press the Advantage!

Press the Advantage
A player may choose to Press the Advantage! if they want to test their luck by rolling a d8 against the following table:

Risk
Risk is a group-wide resource that accumulates (mainly) by failing a space's Skill Check. Every space has a Risk rating, which determines how much Risk the group gains when a player fails the check. When the group gains Risk, the character that caused the Risk must make a saving throw for each Risk gained that put the group over a total of 3 Risk.

For example, if the group is at 0 Risk and 4 Risk is gained, 1 saving throw must be rolled. If the group is at 4 Risk and 1 is gained, 1 saving throw must be rolled.

The result of the Saving Throw depends on what was rolled:
 * 20 or higher: Critical Success! Stop making additional saving throws and reduce total Risk by 1. You are now "Safe".
 * 10-19: You have succeeded in not screwing up! Bask in the glory that is the lack of failure. You are now "Safe".
 * 1-9: You Wake the Sentries!

Wake the Sentries
When a player Wakes the Sentries, they have failed part of the challenge. The sentries, obstacle, villian, or whatever threat the characters were trying to avoid finds them and does something unpleasant to them. Their character is moved to the beginning of the track, loses one healing surge, and Risk is reduced to 0. For the rest of the encounter, the character gains a +5 bonus to the skill group associated with the room they were in, and one of their allies takes a -5 penalty to that same skill group.

Aid Another
You can aid a skill check made by an adjacent ally. Make a DC 10 skill check. If you succeed, you give a +2 bonus to your ally's next check using the same skill or ability. This bonus ends if not used by the end of the ally's next turn.

Note on Skill Challenges
Since there are so many skill challenges, something the DM can do to keep their job from becoming too confusing is to allow the players to describe the nature of the challenge they are to overcome, and when a player does a particularly good job to offer a +1 bonus to that particular challenge. This also gives the players a chance to use their imagination and connect with the story instead of simply rolling dice again and again.