Climb
Use this sub-skill to scale a cliff, to get to a window on the second story of a building, or to climb up an antenna array after falling out of an airway at the bottom of a floating city.
Climb Surface
With each successful Climb check, you can advance up, down, or across a slope or a wall or other steep incline (or even a ceiling with handholds). A slope is considered to be any incline of less than 60 degrees; a wall is any incline of 60 degrees or steeper. You can climb at one-half of your speed as a full-round action. You can move half that far-one-fourth of your speed-as a move action.
A failed Climb check indicates that you make no progress, and a check that fails by 5 or more means that you fall from whatever height you have already attained.
The DC of the check depends on the circumstances of the climb:
| Climb DC | Example Wall or Surface |
|---|---|
|
0 |
Slope too steep to walk up; knotted rope with a wall to brace against. |
|
5 |
Rope with a wall to brace against or a knotted rope, but not both. |
|
10 |
Surface with ledges to hold on to and stand on, such as a very rough wall. |
|
15 |
Surface with adequate handholds and footholds (natural or artificial), such as a very rough natural rock surface or a tree; an unknotted rope. |
|
20 |
Uneven surface with some narrow handholds and footholds. |
|
25 |
Rough surface, such as a natural rock wall or a brick wall. |
|
25 |
Overhang or ceiling with handholds but no footholds. |
|
(-) |
Perfectly smooth, flat, vertical surface cannot be climbed. |
|
(-10)* |
Climbing inside an air duct or other location where one can brace against two opposite walls (reduces normal DC by 10). |
|
(-5)* |
Climbing a corner where you can brace against perpendicular walls (reduces normal DC by 5). |
|
(+5)* |
Surface is slippery (increases normal DC by 5). |
- These modifiers are cumulative; use any that apply.
Since you can't move to avoid an attack while climbing, opponents get a +2 bonus on attack rolls against you, and you lose any Dexterity bonus to your Reflex Defense.
Any time you take damage while climbing, make a Climb check against the DC of the slope or wall. Failure means you fall from your current height and sustain the appropriate falling damage.
Accelerated Climbing
You try to climb more quickly than normal, but you take a -5 penalty on Climb checks. Accelerated climbing allows you to climb at your full speed as a full-round action. You can move half that far-one-half of your speed-as a move action.
Catching Yourself When Falling
It's practically impossible to catch yourself on a wall while falling. Make a Climb check (DC = the wall's DC + 20) to do so. A slope is relatively easier to catch yourself on (DC = the slope's DC + 10).
Making Handholds and Footholds
You can make your own hand holds and footholds by pounding pitons into a wall. Doing so takes 1 minute per piton, and one piton is needed per meter. As with any surface with handholds and footholds, a wall with pitons in it has a DC of 15. In the same way, a climber with an ice axe or similar implement can cut hand holds or footholds in an ice wall.
Special
- Someone using a rope can haul a character upward (or lower the character) by means of sheer strength. Use the encumbrance rules to determine how much weight a character can lift.
- You can take 10 while climbing, but you can't take 20.
Jump
Use this skill to leap over pits, vault low fences, or jump down from a tree's lowest branches.
| Result | High Jump | Long Jump (running) | Long Jump (standing) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meters | Squares | Meters | Squares | Meters | Squares | |
|
0 |
0.00 |
0 |
0.00 |
0 |
0.00 |
0 |
|
1 |
0.08 |
0 |
0.33 |
0 |
0.17 |
0 |
|
2 |
0.17 |
0 |
0.67 |
0 |
0.33 |
0 |
|
3 |
0.25 |
0 |
1.00 |
1 |
0.50 |
0 |
|
4 |
0.33 |
0 |
1.33 |
1 |
0.67 |
0 |
|
5 |
0.42 |
0 |
1.67 |
1 |
0.83 |
1 |
|
6 |
0.50 |
0 |
2.00 |
1 |
1.00 |
1 |
|
7 |
0.58 |
0 |
2.33 |
2 |
1.17 |
1 |
|
8 |
0.67 |
0 |
2.67 |
2 |
1.33 |
1 |
|
9 |
0.75 |
1 |
3.00 |
2 |
1.50 |
1 |
|
10 |
0.83 |
1 |
3.33 |
2 |
1.67 |
1 |
|
11 |
0.92 |
1 |
3.67 |
2 |
1.83 |
1 |
|
12 |
1.00 |
1 |
4.00 |
3 |
2.00 |
1 |
|
13 |
1.08 |
1 |
4.33 |
3 |
2.17 |
1 |
|
14 |
1.17 |
1 |
4.67 |
3 |
2.33 |
2 |
|
15 |
1.25 |
1 |
5.00 |
3 |
2.50 |
2 |
|
16 |
1.33 |
1 |
5.33 |
4 |
2.67 |
2 |
|
17 |
1.42 |
1 |
5.67 |
4 |
2.83 |
2 |
|
18 |
1.50 |
1 |
6.00 |
4 |
3.00 |
2 |
|
19 |
1.58 |
1 |
6.33 |
4 |
3.17 |
2 |
|
20 |
1.67 |
1 |
6.67 |
4 |
3.33 |
2 |
|
21 |
1.75 |
1 |
7.00 |
5 |
3.50 |
2 |
|
22 |
1.83 |
1 |
7.33 |
5 |
3.67 |
2 |
|
23 |
1.92 |
1 |
7.67 |
5 |
3.83 |
3 |
|
24 |
2.00 |
1 |
8.00 |
5 |
4.00 |
3 |
|
25 |
2.08 |
1 |
8.33 |
6 |
4.17 |
3 |
|
26 |
2.17 |
1 |
8.67 |
6 |
4.33 |
3 |
|
27 |
2.25 |
2 |
9.00 |
6 |
4.50 |
3 |
|
28 |
2.33 |
2 |
9.33 |
6 |
4.67 |
3 |
|
29 |
2.42 |
2 |
9.67 |
6 |
4.83 |
3 |
|
30 |
2.50 |
2 |
10.00 |
7 |
5.00 |
3 |
Long Jump
The DC of a running long jump is equal to the distance cleared (in meters) multiplied by 3. For example, clearing a 3-meter-wide (2-square-wide) pit requires a successful DC 9 Jump check. If you do not get at least a 4-square running start, the DC is doubled.
High Jump
The DC of a running high jump is equal to the distance cleared (in meters) multiplied by 12. For example, landing atop a 1.5-meter-high (1-square-high) ledge requires a successful DC 18 Jump check. If you use a pole of sufficient height to help you vault the distance, the DC is halved. If you do not get at least a 4-square running start, the DC is doubled.
Jump Down
If you intentionally jump down from a height, you can attempt a DC 15 Jump check to take falling damage as if you had dropped 3 meters (2 squares) fewer than you actually did. If you succeed on this check and take no damage, you land on your feet.
Swim
Using this skill, a land-based creature can swim, dive, navigate underwater obstacles, and so on.
Swim
A successful Swim check allows you to swim one-quarter your speed as a move action or one-half your speed as a full-round action. Roll once per round. If you fail, you make no progress through the water. If you fail by 5 or more, you go underwater and must hold your breath (see the Endurance skill) until you reach the surface by succeeding on a Swim check.
The DC for the Swim check depends on the situation:
| Situation | DC |
|---|---|
|
Calm water |
10 |
|
Rough water |
15 |
|
Stormy water |
20 |