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MeklorIlavator
2008-11-19, 02:39 AM
How would one obtain a climb speed? For the purposes of this question, assume normal Halfling stats form the Players handbook and that you are playing a ranger(using this rebuild (http://forums.gleemax.com/wotc_archive/index.php/t-370132)) or possibly a scout. It would be preferable to get the ability at/below level 6.

Possible methods found:
Martial Study/Martial stance(at level 6) to get the stance Dance of the Spider.
-Feat intensive, but it does allow for Shadow Blade, which is good for high-dex, low str characters(Level 12(10, but need a feat)).

PHB2 alternate class feature for the scout(Level 3).

Warlock Spider Climb Invocation(Level 1).

ClericofPhwarrr
2008-11-19, 02:43 AM
A one-level dip in Ape Totem Barbarian (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#apeTotemClassFeatures) .

Ganurath
2008-11-19, 03:23 AM
A few levels in Scout with the PHBII varient, then ranger the rest of the way with Swift Hunter and Improved Skirmish.

SoD
2008-11-19, 03:28 AM
Die, get reincarnated, rinse and repeat until you become a jungle goblin (at level 1, with really low con).

Epinephrine
2008-11-19, 07:22 AM
If you disregard the racial requirement (which is silly), the Peregrine Runner prestige class gets a climb speed, and suits a mountain dwelling scout/ranger type.

Darrin
2008-11-19, 09:24 AM
How would one obtain a climb speed?

Alter Self into a Grippli (Dragon #324, climb 20') or Mountain Spirit Folk (Unapproachable East, climb 30').

Wildshape into a baboon or monkey.

Yathchol Webrider 2 gets climb 20' (Underdark).

Slippers of Spider Climbing. Or potions might do in a pinch.

Mephit
2008-11-19, 09:27 AM
Get a climb dog from the Arms and Equipment Guide. They're essentially a riding dog, but with a climb speed.

PurinaDragonCho
2008-11-19, 09:40 AM
I think the Cloud Anchorite (?) PrC from Frostburn gets a climb speed.

Person_Man
2008-11-19, 09:45 AM
You can use the UA variant Ranger (www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantcharacterclasses.htm) to get Wildshape.

Also, Slippers of Spider Climbing (www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Slippers_of_Spider_Climbing) only cost 4,800 gp.

Another_Poet
2008-11-19, 10:21 AM
A word of caution.

I play an Ape Totem Barbarian, which gets a climb speed at level 1 instead of +10' movement. So far it has been largely worthless.

The problem lies with how a climb speed actually works. You can't automatically climb something like a gecko; you still have to make a climb check. Your climb speed gives you a big bonus (+8?) and allows you to take 10. Okay, so you can make an 18 anytime. Add 4 ranks and a +2 from ability, that's 24 at Level 1.

Not enough to climb tough surfaces without rolling, and if you roll, you will fail 50% of the time. You can fix that by buying a climber's kit, but if the surface is slippery or you are encumbered or hit by enemies, etc. etc. the DM is going to crank up that DC. Even your halfling racial bonus won't save you.

Then you have the question of what good it does you to actually climb a wall. I had hoped to use it to attack from high up where I couldn't be reached. But again, you're not a gecko; you have to hold on with something. Most DMs are going to rule that you need both feet and at least one hand on the wall (so no 2-handed reach weapons, bows, etc.) and maybe even give you a penalty to attacking with 1 handed weapons. Unless there are tree stands or vacant watch towers at every battle, you're not going to get in position to snipe.

You'll need to take off your shield before climbing too, and stow it on your back or something, so no quick escapes up a cliff unless you want to leave your shield behind.

Once on the surface you move at half your normal speed, so as a halfling you're moving 10'/round. That means enemies with reach weapons can still hit you as you ascend for the first round. If you want to move faster the climb DC increases drastically.

All in all, I've found that getting a climb speed has been a useless class feature. In the cases where climbing was helpful, everyone else was able to climb as well. In the cases where climbing might've led to an awesome strategic victory, it was either too slow or too unreliable to work. The one time I relied on my climb speed to do something truly daring, I ended up having to yell for the party to throw their only rope down to me and hoist me up before I got killed.

All in all, if I was able to go back to character creation I would skip the climb speed and get a more useful class feature instead. I would wait till level 3 or so when I can afford to buy slippers of spider-climbing. Feats and class abilities are too precious to waste on something this weak.

ap

PurinaDragonCho
2008-11-19, 10:37 AM
Wow. I've never really thought about it before, but that sucks. It doesn't seem like you should have to make a climb check if you have a climb speed - you don't have to make a walk check to move 30'.

So every time the climb check really matters, you just make the check at +8?

Fax Celestis
2008-11-19, 10:41 AM
Jungle Goblin. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/environmentalRacialVariants.htm#jungleGoblins)

Another_Poet
2008-11-19, 11:55 AM
Wow. I've never really thought about it before, but that sucks. It doesn't seem like you should have to make a climb check if you have a climb speed - you don't have to make a walk check to move 30'.

So every time the climb check really matters, you just make the check at +8?


yeah, assuming most walls are going to be DC 25, here are the pros and cons.

PROS:
+8 from climb speed
+max ranks presumably (4 at level 1)
+Str (2 or 3 at level 1)
+2 climbing kit
+2 racial bonus (if halfling, etc.)
So that's +18 or +19 at level 1, and you can take 10 for 28/29

CONS
-5 if slippery
-5 for accelerated climbing (half speed or most creatures, normal speed for creatures with a climb speed)
-1 to -3 for Armr Check penalty (I assume no one's going to wear hvy armr for this)
-??? for having a shield or weapon in one hand
-Movement rate is lowered by med armr (again, assuming no hvy)
IMPOSSIBLE if the wall is perfectly smooth (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/climb.htm), no matter how high your check
IMPOSSIBLE if both hands are full

So your normal +28 (asuming you are a halfling and can afford a climbing kit at Level 1) drops to 23 or worse in most circumstances, not enough to climb a difficult wall. You have to roll a 12 or better to make it, so you can't take 10 and you have a 60% fail rate.

Mephit
2008-11-19, 12:00 PM
Get a climb dog from the Arms and Equipment Guide. They're essentially a riding dog, but with a climb speed.

Sorry, scratch that. Apparently, a climb dog is a small animal. They do get a +19 at climb checks, though...

Epinephrine
2008-11-19, 12:21 PM
Wow. I've never really thought about it before, but that sucks. It doesn't seem like you should have to make a climb check if you have a climb speed - you don't have to make a walk check to move 30'.

So every time the climb check really matters, you just make the check at +8?

Well, you do have to make checks to walk on sloped surfaces, narrow surfaces, slippery surfaces and so on. Basically, if the DC of walking a surface is greater than 0 you need to make a check. Similar to climbing.

Since having a climb speed gives a +8 bonus and you can take 10 even when rushed, you can automatically climb trees and other DC15 objects, and with a set of climbng claws or other tools for a +2 climb bonus you can manage a DC 20 climb every time with no investment and a 10 Str. A few ranks in Climb and a Strength bonus and you'll be going up the side of a smooth stone wall in a thunder shower in combat. It's not bad at all.

vegetalss4
2008-11-19, 12:36 PM
IMPOSSIBLE if the wall is perfectly smooth (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/climb.htm), no matter how high your check


yeah riiiight:smallwink: (http://http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/skills.htm#climb)
and with an accelerated climbing and climb speed, it is double your climb speed with, or your climb speed without
no offense meant

MeklorIlavator
2008-11-19, 01:03 PM
Well, I'm starting the game at level 6, so the total would be:
+2 STR+9 Climb+8 Racial=19, 29 if I take 10. Since I do get a free Skill feat(one of the ones that adds +2 to a skill or two), I can up that to 21, a total of 31, which should allow me to climb anything non-epic.

Oh, and do racial bonuses stack? If they do, I'll add the +2 from the Halfling back in.

Curmudgeon
2008-11-19, 01:13 PM
yeah riiiight:smallwink: (http://http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/skills.htm#climb) The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer.

Sinfire Titan
2008-11-19, 01:17 PM
Well, there is one way to beat a Climb check guaranteed.

Play a Dragonborn or Raptorian at any point in the game past level 6.

Another_Poet
2008-11-19, 01:34 PM
yeah riiiight:smallwink: (http://http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/skills.htm#climb)
and with an accelerated climbing and climb speed, it is double your climb speed with, or your climb speed without
no offense meant

None taken, since I am right and what you say supports what I said :)

Your link is to epic skills, and if a game is epic the OP usually says so. In any case the OP just specified 6th level, so no way on DC70 or DC100 checks. It's impossible for the character.

Regarding accelerated climb speed, that's exactly what I said. Most creatures climb at 1/4 their normal speed; double it as you said and it's one-half their normal speed, like I said. Creatures with a climb speed climb at half their normal speed, so double it like you said and it's equal to their normal speed... like I said.

We're both right, huzzah!

:smallbiggrin:

@ MeklorIlavator: if you're starting at Level 6, I would just buy the slippers and not choose a class/template/feat around it. For your free skill feat, if it has to be a skill feat, use it on something else, since the slippers will have you covered.

Zeful
2008-11-19, 01:37 PM
Dip one level of Psychich warrior and grab this (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#upTheWalls) feat. As long as your psioncially focused (just take 20 every morning) you can walk, (or run) up walls. Then simply buff your climb as much as possible and at the end of every movement, grab the wall if it's too high.

Telonius
2008-11-19, 01:47 PM
Several skill tricks from Complete Scoundrel could help you out: Speedy Ascent (+10feet to your climb with a successful check to move 10 feet), Leaping Climber (add jump distance to start of climb), and Walk the Walls (run straight up for one round, but each square costs 20 feet of movement and you have to end on a horizontal surface).