A couple questions dealing with the Immovable Rod
- If you jump up and plant the rod, what is the DC to pull yourself up so that you are standing on top of it?
- What is the DC to stand and attack on a single rod?
- What is the DC to climb in the air using two immovable rods?
- What is the action to get a moveable rod to move again?
- using climbing and jumping can you move up the air with just a single rod?
Are any of these answers different if I was using a weapon with anchoring?
1) Climb Skill: "Climb DC15 Any surface with adequate handholds and footholds (natural or artificial), such as a very rough natural rock surface or a tree, or an unknotted rope, or pulling yourself up when dangling by your hands."
2) I would require an Acrobatics check to maintain balance standing on such a Rod each round (including the round you climb up and move onto Rod), DC 20 for less than 2" width. You would also be liable to make another check if you are damaged while so balancing, per the Acrobatics skill (if you failed it, I would allow a Climb check to grab the Rod when you fall). And of course you would be Flat-Footed/lose DEX to AC while so balancing.
3) The Climb DC aren't super clear, but I would use DC 5, as I would for a ladder, which it supposedly works like.
(a character with zero Climb modifier should never fall with DC 5, they just fail to progress ~20% of the time)
(alternately, you could rule that a ladder is DC 0)
4) Looking into it, I believe that you aren't supposed to be able to turn off the Rods - because if you were able to, why would anybody ever bother with the STR check to move them, if a minor tap could completely free the Rod? If it wasn't for that, then sure, either a Move Action or no action at all, but by RAW there is no indication that there is any way to turn it off.
5) I believe 1) and 2) answer that.
6) I don't see why, since it says it works like a Rod... Only difference Swift vs. Move.
5000gp is an expensive cost for a 1 shot item (though there are other items, but other items like that usually have some form of direct combat application for significant damage). I believe the intent is you can deactivate the rod in the same way you activate it - which is also why only two rods are needed to form a ladder with them (though I suppose that could have meant you can form a very short ladder with only 2).
of course, the wording implies that you very well might use more than 2 for a ladder - which would have very little point if they can be freely moved/re-activated ad nauseum. honestly, it does seem problematic either way.
ruling freely, i'd be inclined to allow using the same action to de-activate it, or in case of Anchoring weapon, I would allow either Swift or Move Action. realize you'd also need to spend a Move action to jump and climb up on top of the Rod/weapon... so weapon = 1 jump/round + activate/deactivate, rod = 1 jump/2rounds + activate/decativate (with some spare actions).
to be fair, it should be considered how item is de-activated, and in fact enemies should be able to attempt that if they wish (intead of STR check), although it seems plausible to require a CMB check to do so, at least when you are hanging from rod (holding it in hands).
I always thought the STR DC is given for the situation where you can't reach the button, for example, if the rod is placed to block a door or so.
Hmm, i never thought of immovable rods as a 1 shot item... but i guess it never does talk about getting it to move more than the 10 feet when pushing it...