Hello,
For the life of me I cannot find any rules concerning the use of ladders. Does anyone know where they are mentioned? Are they just considered a DC 5 Climb check?
Thanks!
That sounds about right for ladders...
Well, you are right. This doesn't seem to be listed anywhere, but as it is not, I am inclined to treat it as even easier than a knotted rope with a wall to brace against. The knotted rope with brace wall is listed under the Climb skill as a DC 0. This says to me that if there are no other factors involved, don't even make the players roll. Having climbed both a ladder and a knotted rope next to a wall, I find the ladder to be significantly easier.
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Under normal circumstances, a ladder wouldn't even be a climb check.
I'm a short, overweight man in my mid-40's, yet I've never fallen off the 20' extension ladder I need to climb up to the roof to clean the rain gutters. A DC 5 Climb check would imply I'd fall off 20% of the time. My wife would complain.
Once you start adding 'entertainment' like goblins raining rocks down on the climber, a Grease spell, unstable ground, or other mischief, then you can start taking out the climb checks.
Under normal circumstances, a ladder wouldn't even be a climb check.
I'm a short, overweight man in my mid-40's, yet I've never fallen off the 20' extension ladder I need to climb up to the roof to clean the rain gutters. A DC 5 Climb check would imply I'd fall off 20% of the time. My wife would complain.
Once you start adding 'entertainment' like goblins raining rocks down on the climber, a Grease spell, unstable ground, or other mischief, then you can start taking out the climb checks.
Also take in consideration the Age of the character...
A human that is 70+ has a cumulative -6 to DEX from Aging effects.... so while taking 10 on a Climb check for a Ladder (should be DC 0) should be automatic like NobodysHome Example above.... in 30 years he will be 70+ and a -6 to Dex will make that simple check a lot more dangerous (i.e. the Wife will Force him to get someone else to clean the Gutters).
Lots of old people fall off Ladders all the time... Luckily most Adventurers usually do not live long enough to have that problem
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Your life insurance is up to date, isn't it, hon?
Great. Thanks, guys! Now I have to watch out for Grease spells!
I forgot about the Knotted Rope...
So according to the math, a ladder is more dangerous than...a beholder!
I suggest charging all ladders on sight.
Luckily most Adventurers usually do not live long enough to have that problem
Especially if the monsters and BBEGs do their job.
And again, Monks get shafted. Thanks for nothing, Jason.
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Well, you are right. This doesn't seem to be listed anywhere, but as it is not, I am inclined to treat it as even easier than a knotted rope with a wall to brace against. The knotted rope with brace wall is listed under the Climb skill as a DC 0. This says to me that if there are no other factors involved, don't even make the players roll. Having climbed both a ladder and a knotted rope next to a wall, I find the ladder to be significantly easier.
I've been telling my players that (normal, stable) ladders are a Climb DC 0 with a 5 for half-speed, but I'm considering dropping that to -5 and 0. Ladders are easy.
Don't you have to fail your check by 5 or more to fall ? (unless, of course, you failed your initial skill check to PLACE the ladder properly.) PDF of how NOT to use a ladder
And again, Monks get shafted. Thanks for nothing, Jason.
How so?
I think Dc 0 sounds reasonable.
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I would say DC 0, and remember that characters can take 10 if they are not under stress. That means that even Joe Fighter wearing Full Plate and a Heavy Steel Shield (-8 Armor Check Penalty), with a Strength of 10 and no skill ranks, would still be able to take 10, unless he somehow got another -2 on the check.
As NobodysHome said, once you start trying to climb in combat, you can't take 10 anymore, meaning the chance of failure is significantly more.
After a bit of time to think about it, I like:
Normal climb of a good, sturdy ladder = DC 0
Shaky ladder/unstable ground: +5
Kids throwing pillows: +5
Goblins throwing rocks or small arrows: +10
Being hit with said rock or arrow: +15 + <damage taken>
Crossbowmen firing heavy bolts: +15 (personally, I think it would be far more distracting getting shot at by something that does real damage)
Getting hit: +20 + <damage taken>
And so forth...
That's quite a bit harsher than the actual rules, Nobody.
Anytime you take damage while climbing, make a Climb check against the DC of the slope or wall. Failure means you fall from your current height and sustain the appropriate falling damage.
And again, Monks get shafted. Thanks for nothing, Jason.How so?
Gorbacz.
Thanks everyone. Now I am thinking a base DC 0, and go from there.
That's quite a bit harsher than the actual rules, Nobody.
Anytime you take damage while climbing, make a Climb check against the DC of the slope or wall. Failure means you fall from your current height and sustain the appropriate falling damage.
"Actual" rules? Where would I find those? I thought I got to just make stuff up as I went along...
EDIT: More seriously, if you treat a ladder as DC 0, then getting hit while climbing has *almost* no effect in RAW, as long as you don't roll a 1. While perhaps a 1-in-20 chance of falling after taking a crossbow bolt to the arm might seem OK in your head ("I'd fall against the ladder and loop my other arm, so it's unlikely I'd fall off."), I think it's important to do something to reflect that it gets a lot harder to proceed upwards.
So I'd house rule something along the lines of what I posted in terms of how hard it is to make progress. I can accept that falling off a ladder is surprisingly difficult (as long as the ladder remains standing), but I would expect that climbing one while getting shot at is even harder.
EDIT: More seriously, if you treat a ladder as DC 0, then getting hit while climbing has *almost* no effect in RAW, as long as you don't roll a 1
Skill checks do not automatically fail when you roll a natural 1.
