====== Climb (STR; ARMOR CHECK PENALTY) ======

**Check:** With each successful Climb check, the character can advance up, down, or across a slope or a wall or other steep incline (or even a ceiling with handholds) one-half the character's speed as a miscellaneous full-round action. The character can move half that far, one-fourth of the character's speed, as a miscellaneous move-equivalent action. A slope is considered to be any incline of less than 60 degrees; a wall is any incline of 60 degrees or steeper.

A failed Climb check means that the character makes no progress, and a check that fails by 5 or more means that the character falls from whatever height the character has already attained.

A climber's kit gives a +2 circumstance bonus to Climb checks.

The DC of the check depends on the conditions of the climb.

^ DC   ^ Example Wall or Surface ^
|    0   | A slope too steep to walk up. A knotted rope with a wall to brace against.|
|    5   | A rope with a wall to brace against, or a knotted rope, or a rope affected by the rope trick spell. |
|   10   | A surface with ledges to hold on to and stand on, such as a very rough wall or a ship's rigging.|
|   15   | Any surface with adequate handholds and footholds (natural or artificial), such as a very rough natural rock surface or a tree. An unknotted rope. |
|   20   | An uneven surface with some narrow handholds and footholds, such as a typical wall in a dungeon or ruins.|
|   25   | A rough surface, such as a natural rock wall or a brick wall.|
|   25   | Overhang or ceiling with handholds but no footholds.|
|   —    | A perfectly smooth, flat, vertical surface cannot be climbed.|
|  –10[(:table:stars:>These modifiers are cumulative; use any that apply.)]  | Climbing a chimney (artificial or natural) or other location where one can brace against two opposite walls (reduces DC by 10).|
|  –5[(:table:stars:#1)]   | Climbing a corner where the character can brace against perpendicular walls (reduces DC by 5).|
|  +5[(:table:stars:#1)]   | Surface is slippery (increases DC by 5).|
~~REFNOTES :table:stars ~~\\

Since the character can't move to avoid a blow while climbing, enemies can attack the character as if the character were stunned: An attacker gets a +2 bonus, and the character loses any Dexterity bonus to Armor Class.
 
The character cannot use a shield while climbing.

Any time the character takes damage while climbing, make a Climb check against the DC of the slope or wall. Failure means the character falls from the character's current height and sustains the appropriate falling damage.

**Accelerated Climbing:** The character tries to climb more quickly than normal. As a miscellaneous full-round action, the character can attempt to cover the character's full speed in climbing distance, but the character suffers a –5 penalty on Climb checks and the character must make two checks each round. Each successful check allows the character to climb a distance equal to one-half the character's speed. By accepting the –5 penalty, the character can move this far as a move-equivalent action rather than as a full-round action.

**Making the character's Own Handholds and Footholds:** The character can make his or her own handholds and footholds by pounding pitons into a wall. Doing so takes 1 minute per piton, and one piton is needed per 3 feet. 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 a handaxe or similar implement can cut holds in an ice wall.

**Catching the One's Self When Falling:** It's practically impossible to catch the one's self on a wall while falling. Make a Climb check (DC = wall's DC + 20) to do so. A slope is a lot easier to catch the one's self on (DC = slope's DC + 10).

**Special:** A character with 5 or more ranks in [[.:use_rope]] gets a +2 synergy bonus on checks to climb a rope, a knotted rope, or a rope and wall combination.