Climb vs base speed

[joeyfixit]

This may be a weird question, but how can a creature's base speed be lower than it's climb speed? I'm thinking of a serpentine Eidelon, which starts w/ base 20/climb 20. If one puts extra evo pts into climb, climb speed can be 60+ (to a RAW max of 520, if u want to be ridiculous). Can this scaly lightning bolt really still have a sluggish 20 on level ground with no obstructions?

[joeyfixit]

More cheese: that critter has a hasted climb of just under 62.5 mph, and slithers on level ground at the same rate as a dwarf?

[Mojorat]

for the same reason turtles swim faster than they walk. some creatures are just better at certain modes of travel

[SlimGauge]

Yes. Imagine something like a giant sloth with curved claws suitable for climbing, but terrible for moving on the ground.

[Vendis]

Birds fly faster than they walk.

[BigNorseWolf]

May or may not make sense for the creature in question. Chimpanzee using brachiation to swing through the trees? Yes. A racing snail thats faster on the ceiling than on the ground? Not so much.

[Exiton_Pi]

Well lets try to resurrect a dead forum for a few questions.

1. Can you climb along the ground at full climb speed or do you have to be climbing to use the climb speed. What is defined as climbing vs not. When is something steep enough to transition between walking and climbing?

2. The rules for climb speed state the following "The creature must make a Climb check to climb any wall or slope with a DC higher than 0, but it can always choose to take 10, even if rushed or threatened while climbing. If a creature with a climb speed chooses an accelerated climb (see above), it moves at double its climb speed (or at its land speed, whichever is slower) and makes a single Climb check at a –5 penalty."

so if you had an eidolon with a base speed of 20' and a climb of 40' then either you slow down when using accelerated climbing or your climb speed can never exceed your base speed. But if you can never exceed your base with climb then why does the ediolon climb evolution specifically allow you to go over your base speed by taking it more than once?

[blahpers]

1. No. You have to be climbing--i.e., using the Climb skill. Moving along the ground isn't climbing unless it's on a slope too steep to walk.
2. Accelerated climbing is useless if a creature's climb speed is equal to or greater than its land speed. The creature is already climbing as optimally as it can.

[GreatGraySkwid]

BigNorseWolf wrote:

May or may not make sense for the creature in question. Chimpanzee using brachiation to swing through the trees? Yes. A racing snail thats faster on the ceiling than on the ground? Not so much.

Would Climb be the relevant skill for brachiation? My Vanaran's GMs have generally ruled Acrobatics as the roll to make, there...

[Adjoint]

GreatGraySkwid wrote:

Would Climb be the relevant skill for brachiation? My Vanaran's GMs have generally ruled Acrobatics as the roll to make, there...

I would use Climb skill that reflects the creture's good grip. Acroatics is used for balance and jumping, and it would be used if you are running on the branches (with your legs), but not when you're swinging from one to another using your arms.