Rope Tensile Strength

[Waker]

I'm doing a bit of homebrewing for a class that can use a web special attack and figured including the webs tensile strength might be a good idea. Decided to just use an variant on something already existing, I decided to look at the weight limit on rope. Looking at the description for rope lacks mention of how much weight it can take before breaking on the SRD, PHB or AEG. Does anyone have know of any mention of how much ropes of varying quality can handle?

[Grod_The_Giant]

I dunno about weight, but the "Carrying, Movement, and Exploration" section of the SRD lists a break DC of 23 for breaking rope bonds.

[Waker]

I dunno about weight, but the "Carrying, Movement, and Exploration" section of the SRD lists a break DC of 23 for breaking rope bonds.
Yeah, I saw that. If no one has an actual quote, I suppose I could just extrapolate the DC 23 strength check to burst through the rope as being equivalent to 23 strength's heavy load (600lbs).

[Gildedragon]

Yeah, I saw that. If no one has an actual quote, I suppose I could just extrapolate the DC 23 strength check to burst through the rope as being equivalent to 23 strength's heavy load (600lbs).

Actually it'd be more like using Str Mod: 22's max load. Even on a 1 it bursts

[rs2excelsior]

It wouldn't be the max load for 22 or 23 str, you add the modifier to the roll, not the score. I'd go at it from the other direction; strength 16 has a +3 modifier, which means a nat 20 gets you the strength check required to break it. I'd say max load is about equivalent to a nat 20 (i.e. you are taking 20 on your strength check). If you go at it the other way (the modifier required to guarantee you break it on a 1), you need a modifier of +22, so a 54 strength score.

[Waker]

It wouldn't be the max load for 22 or 23 str, you add the modifier to the roll, not the score. I'd go at it from the other direction; strength 16 has a +3 modifier, which means a nat 20 gets you the strength check required to break it. I'd say max load is about equivalent to a nat 20 (i.e. you are taking 20 on your strength check). If you go at it the other way (the modifier required to guarantee you break it on a 1), you need a modifier of +22, so a 54 strength score.

Using that logic, you'd end up with a normal hemp rope being capable of lifting a couple tons before breaking.

[Elkad]

A 1" hemp rope has a breaking str of something like 4 tons

[Grod_The_Giant]

Using that logic, you'd end up with a normal hemp rope being capable of lifting a couple tons before breaking.
Hence, I guess, using the natural-20 approach; in this case, giving you 230lb.

[Waker]

At times I worry for myself. When my hobby of homebrewing for an RPG leads me to research engineering and rope sites to figure out how much weight a rope could reasonably be expected to hold.
Alright, thanks for the help guys.

[Gildedragon]

It wouldn't be the max load for 22 or 23 str, you add the modifier to the roll, not the score. I'd go at it from the other direction; strength 16 has a +3 modifier, which means a nat 20 gets you the strength check required to break it. I'd say max load is about equivalent to a nat 20 (i.e. you are taking 20 on your strength check). If you go at it the other way (the modifier required to guarantee you break it on a 1), you need a modifier of +22, so a 54 strength score.

Thing is a static weight is less... Onerous than a sudden surge.

Though rope bindings are probably two or three looping around... So maybe halve or quarter the resulting str needed

[TheYell]

This (http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/manila-rope-strength-d_1512.html)might help.

[Gildedragon]

This (http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/manila-rope-strength-d_1512.html)might help.

According to that: between 6 and 7klb
(Hemp (close enough to sisal) being 50ft for 10lb, or 0.20lb/ft)

[Fouredged Sword]

Yeah, inch thick hemp is stupidly strong. That is ship rope, the sort of stuff used to keep sailing ships sails in position. The sail has enough forces acting on it to haul a thousand ton ship through the water. I would not be shocked to see it hold several tons on it's own.

[Gildedragon]

So ran the numbers against the data from the link... A Str Mod 22 (Str score of 44) has a max load of about 11klb, closeish to the strength of the hemp rope.

[Waker]

After seeing the numbers, I do have to wonder if the creators actually took the time to make sure that ropes breaking point matched up with the strength score or if this is one of those amusing coincidences. I imagine the latter, but it would be funny if they ignored all those other rules dysfunctions to make sure rope worked properly.