A rope of climbing can be commanded to knot or unknot itself. This causes large knots to appear at 1-foot intervals along the rope. Knotting shortens the rope to a 50-foot length until the knots are untied, but lowers the DC of Climb checks while using it by 10. A creature must hold one end of the rope when its magic is invoked.
Can a person command a rope of climbing to wrap itself around an object, say a 3,000 lb. boulder blocking passage through a cave for example, and then have the rope move back, thereby pulling the boulder (or other object) to its owner?
I have a rogue player who is getting creative with what he can and can't do with the rope (such as sneaking it into a window and having it snatch a valuable item for him).
Could the rope snake forward at tie up around a 3k boulder? Sure...
Can said rope pull the item back? No...
It should be dependent on the character holding the rope to provide the motive force to bring an object to him.
|
The description doesn't say whether the rope does or doesn't exert force when it moves or knots itself. However, note that if it did allow this, by the same token there would be no limit to the force it could apply. That's clearly open to abuse, so it must be the other option - the rope can't move if something physically restrains it.
Also, if the rogue snakes the rope in through a window, he can't command the rope to tie around a specific object unless he knows where that object is, as the rope has no senses or intelligence. Pulling a random object out is not going to be particularly quiet or safe.
The description doesn't say whether the rope does or doesn't exert force when it moves or knots itself. However, note that if it did allow this, by the same token there would be no limit to the force it could apply. That's clearly open to abuse, so it must be the other option - the rope can't move if something physically restrains it.
Also, if the rogue snakes the rope in through a window, he can't command the rope to tie around a specific object unless he knows where that object is, as the rope has no senses or intelligence. Pulling a random object out is not going to be particularly quiet or safe.
The rope can hold 3,000 lb. That's made clear in its text. Also, the rope doesn't need intelligence. It's magical and unerringly wraps around whatever object the user wants (provided it is within range). That is also made clear in the text.
It can support 3,000 lbs... not necessarily move 3,000 lbs.
It is also quite clear in the text, that it does not state that it can move objects.
The rope can hold 3,000 lb. That's made clear in its text. Also, the rope doesn't need intelligence. It's magical and unerringly wraps around whatever object the user wants (provided it is within range). That is also made clear in the text.The description doesn't say whether the rope does or doesn't exert force when it moves or knots itself. However, note that if it did allow this, by the same token there would be no limit to the force it could apply. That's clearly open to abuse, so it must be the other option - the rope can't move if something physically restrains it.
Also, if the rogue snakes the rope in through a window, he can't command the rope to tie around a specific object unless he knows where that object is, as the rope has no senses or intelligence. Pulling a random object out is not going to be particularly quiet or safe.
Being able to "hold" a certain amount of weight is a way of indicating a breaking point. Anything up to 3000 lb's and any force applied by the PC/PC's to the rope will cause what it is attached to to move (if the PC's are able to provide appropriate force/drag/move that amount of weight). If the PC's are able to move 4000 lb's of weight and attach the rope to a 3001 boulder (because they have no way to know EXACTLY how much it weighs) as soon as they attempt to move the boulder they will need a new magical rope...
QUOTE="Ravingdork"]I have a rogue player who is getting creative with what he can and can't do with the rope (such as sneaking it into a window and having it snatch a valuable item for him).
This most certainly doesn't work that way. The first problem is, if you cannot see the item you cannot target it. If you want to allow for it to happen, obviously a judgement call, but I wouldn't. The second is, if you can see it and target it, the only thing you end up with is basically a rope tied around the object. The rope will not move back to you with the object attached. If you call the rope back it will unlatch itself and come back to you, it will not carry the item with it. At best once the rope is around the object the player could pull the rope back him/her self but it would probably be very noisy and get hooked on things just like a normal rope tied to something will not to manage possible damage to delicates from being abused like that.