| Climb (Thief ability) | - | Climb (DSG) | - | Climb (WSG) |
| Encumbrance & Movement | - | DSG | - | WSG |
Quote:
How did you handle situations
where a character of one class (say Fighter) was attempting to use Move
Silently or Climb Walls - Two situations that when taken literally (i.e.
- the Thief can Move with ABSOLUTE SILENCE whereas someone else might attempt
to move stealthily, and the Thief can climb SHEER SURFACES wheras someone
else might climb a rough cliff, or a tree), would
mean that only the Thief could attempt them, but when looked at in a broader
fashion, might be allowed for a character of any class ?
Generally common sense was
applied.
A fighter
in metal armor can't move silently, but without that impediment a Dex
ability roll with modifiers for surface and/or footwear, would be called
for.
Same for climbing, metal
armor makes that almost impossible, plate particularly so.
When climbing or some like
activity, was required for a group, I set a probability for all non-thieves,
and had each player roll for his PC.
The check might have been
on any die; for example jumping over a crevass might
use d6, a 6 meaning a failure, or a d10 with 9-0 or only 0 a failure.
Again, arbitrary perhaps,
but based on common sense.
the main idea was to convey
the sense of danger with a reasonable chance for success, perhaps a more
than reasonable one for the sake of the game 
| Climbing Surfaces | Rates of Climbing | Types of Surfaces | Condition of Surface | Encumbrance |
| Climbing Success Rates for Non-Thieves | Climbing Modifiers | Climbing Tools | Rappelling | Climb |
Characters who spend much time exploring
the unknown
reaches below the earth’s surface are
sure to encounter many situations
requiring climbing skills. Natural caves
&& caverns are
commonly filled with many passages blocked
by cliffs or sheer
drop-offs. While other characters cannot
approach the efficiency
of thieves at climbing, members of all
character classes have a
limited ability to move up and down steep
slopes, provided hand
and footholds are available. Only thieves
have the capability to
ascend sheer walls, cliffs, and the like.
Other characters may try
to climb very rough stone surfaces, as
well as trees, poles, ropes,
and other simple routes. The mountaineering
proficiency can
increase these abilities for both thieves
and non-thieves.
| Rates
of Climbing
The rate of a character’s movement when
climbing on a
The following table shows the rates (in
feet/round) at which
Table 2: RATES
OF CLIMBING
* These surfaces can be climbed only by thieves. In all instances, the rates given are for
thieves only.
15. |
Rates of Climbing All characters, not just thieves, have
a chance of being able to
TABLE 15: CLIMBING
MOVEMENT RATES
<added clarification notes> * -These surfaces can be climbed only by
a thief, or by
Movement rates given on this table (expressed
in feet per
In all cases, the climber is assumed to
be using no special tools
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| Climbing
Surfaces
Four types of
wall surfaces are listed on page 19 of the DMG. In
the following types of surfaces can be
climbed:
Walls that are very smooth, smooth with
cracks, or rough can
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Types
of Surfaces
Very Smooth surfaces
include faces of smooth, uncracked
Smooth but Cracked
surfaces include most types of masonry,
Rough surfaces
include most natural cliff faces, constructed
Rough with Ledges
surfaces include hand- and footholds of
Ice Wall surfaces are sheer surfaces made mostly or entirely of ice.
They are treacherous, and even thieves cannot climb ice without tools.
surfaces include poles
made of any materials, tall slender
Tree surfaces
include any trees where branches are plentiful
Rope and Wall
surfaces include any situations where a
character
Sloping Wall
surfaces represent areas that do not quite qualify
Surface Types
Moderate
slopes range from 31° through 50°.
Severe slopes
range from 51° to 70°.
Cliff refers
to any slope of greater than 70°.
A cliff of 90°,
of course, is perpendicular to the ground from which it rises.
Ledges, found
on cliff faces more often than not, are outcroppings
<note: lay in .gifs or .jpgs that visually depict the above angles> |
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Condition
of Surface
Surface wall conditions refer to the degree
of slipperiness that
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Surface
Conditions
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| Nonslippery surfaces are {dry}
and solid. They do not crumble
when touched, and a character’s chance of falling is calculated at the normal rate. |
Nonslippery
surfaces are dry and solid and present no great
peril to a climber other than the slant of the slope in question. However, some of the handholds and footholds in such a surface may be “false” - rocks or roots that come loose when they are pulled on, for instance. Thus, it is entirely possible for a character to fall on, or from, a nonslippery surface. <join with the DSG info> |
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| Slightly Slippery
surfaces are wet || crumbly.
The chance of a character falling from a slippery surface is twice normal. For example, a Cutpurse (3d-level thief) would make a normal climb walls roll at 87% (a 13% chance of failure). On a slippery surface, the thief has a 26% chance of failure, and needs a roll of 74 or less for success. |
Slightly slippery surfaces are
moist or are composed of material
that gives way easily under any significant weight or pressure - a grassy slope covered with dew or the moisture from a recent rain, or a surface with a thick covering of sand, loose dirt, or gravel. <join with the DSG info> |
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| Slipperysurfaces
can be places where water runs regularly, or
surfaces covered by slime || algae, or those coated by a thin layer of frost, ice, or {grease}.
A thief character’s chance of falling
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Slippery surfaces are thoroughly
wet or coated with ice, snow,
or some foreign substance (such as moss or lichens) that is either slippery in itself or tends to pull away from the surface when it is pressed against or pulled on. <join with the DSG info> |
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| Encumbrance
Encumbrance also plays a major role in
the success of a character’s
Encumbered characters cannot
climb sheer surfaces without
Characters with heavy gear or very
heavy gear MOVE at 1/2
Characters with no gear or normal
gear can utilize the full
<note human movement rates>
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Modifications
for Encumbrance
Any character who is severely encumbered
(thief and non-thief
A character who is heavily or moderately
encumbered cannot
A character who is lightly encumbered can
climb any slope (but
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Climbing Success Rates
for
Non-Thieves
As might be expected, characters who have
not trained for the
task are not nearly as effective at scaling
walls as are the dexterous
members of the thief class. Non-thief
characters have a base
CR of 40% and use the same procedure as
thieves,
but they have a lesser chance of success.
When a non-thief character begins a climb,
he must make a
successful CC roll on 1d100. This check
is made
against the character’s CR (with modifiers);
a result
greater than the modified CR indicates
failure, while
a result less than or equal to the modified
rating means success.
(Thieves roll against their climb
walls percentage for Climbing
Checks.) The modifiers that affect a climber’s
chance of success
are listed in the following section. These
modifiers apply to all
characters, including thieves.
If a Climbing Check fails, the character
can never climb that
wall. Even a failed attempt requires one
round of game time.
| Climbing
Modifiers
Naturally, certain aspects of a character
and his possessions can
Armor: Characters cannot
climb in any type of plate mail
Character Race: Certain character
races receive modifiers to
Climbing Surfaces: Climbing
surface modifiers apply to characters
<* The WSG has rules for slopes> |
Table 16: MODIFIERS TO NON-THIEF'S CLIMBING RATING .... Condition of Surface ....
SUMMARY
The appropriate number from this table
is added to the Climbing
Other Modifiers to Climbing Rating for Non-Thieves SUMMARY
Encumbrance: Light or none, no penalty;
Moderate, -5%;
Race: Human, elf, or half-elf, no adjustment;
Dwarf, -5%;
Armor worn: Chain, splint, scale or banded,
-15%; studded
Strength (on severe slopes or cliffs only):
+5% for each full
A character cannot climb asevere slope
or cliff while carrying a
Modifiers to Climbing Rating for Thieves SUMMARY
Whenever a thief is traveling across terrain
for which the value
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| Climbing
Tools
Certain tools can be used to aid characters
making a climb.
Two types of tools, the grappling hook
and the spike, or piton,
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| Spikes
can be hammered into a wall surface and used to <bold added>
anchor a rope that subsequently protects a climbing character against falls. The character must have a hammer, and must spend 1d4 rounds pounding in a spike. The clanging of such activity can be heard up to a mile away in windless conditions. The usual function
of a spike is to shorten the distance that a
Increasing the protection
is the fact that any character whose
Whenever a spike
is called upon to arrest a fall, as in the above
Climbing an ice
wall is adangerous act that absolutely requires
In addition, spikes
placed in ice have a 15% chance of pulling
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| Ropes
are discussed as climbing tools in combination with
spikes and grappling hooks, but there is one situation where rope alone can serve a character as an effective climbing tool. This happens when a character wishes to climb a pole that is of too great a diameter for him to ascend unaided. In this case, the character can wrap the rope around the pole and pull against it as he climbs. This technique can be used to climb a pole
whose diameter
Rope (WSG) |
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| Grappling Hooks are relatively
heavy iron tools with at least <bold added>
two, and usually three or four, separate hooks branching from the end.
The hook is designed to be thrown, and
to catch on protrusions
A character can throw a grappling hook
upward a distance
A character can throw a grappling hook
once per round. If the
The chance of a grappling hook catching
on its intended target
Table 3: GRAPPLING SUCCESS
A catch and slip result means that the
grapple seems to have
A thrown grappling hook does not make as
much noise as a
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Use of Grappling Hooks
SUMMARY
If the hook misses,
The other piece of equipment that can be
used by any climber
It takes one round to make a throwing attempt
with a grappling
A climber can climb up a rope anchored
by a grappling hook at
Table 20:
GRAPPLING SUCCESS
<
How to Use the Grappling Success Table SUMMARY
First, the DM rolls percentile dice and
refers to the
is a solid one; if the character is able
to snag it, the hook will hold
The numbers in the Condition of Terrain
columns represent the
<this following table is an alternate: compare to the above> Table 20: GRAPPLING SUCCESS
Chance Of : C. Chance to Grapple <Based on Condition of Terrain>
<~=> = <note: table is a little different. if i've done things right, then the results should be correct, mathematically> |
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| Rappelling
Rappelling is a means of hastily descending
a sheer surface by
16. In order to rappel successfully, the character
must make a successful
A character can rappel up to 120 feet per
round. All normal
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Rappelling
By applying sideways pressure against the surface being descended and using the friction of the rope as it moves around his body to additionally slow his fall, the climber can come down under control and at a base speed of 120 feet per round. To successfully rappel down a slope of
a cliff,
Rappelling down a free-hanging rope, where
the character has no surface to brace against,
Wikipedia: Abseiling (Rappelling) By securing a rope at the top of a slope
or cliff and then winding
To successfully rappel down a slope of
a cliff, the character
Rappelling down a free-hanging rope, where
the character has
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USING ROPE (WSG)
| Crossing
a Chasm on a Rope
Although a rope is
a valuable tool for crossing obstacles in a
A grappling hook
is one means, as long as there are solid irregularities
If a random determination is needed, there
is a base chance of
Table 5: Crossing With A Grapple
Other ways of attaching the rope include
a player flying to the
A thrown loop has better possibilities,
but is a tricky maneuver
Table 6: THROWN LOOP RANGES
The basic chance to hit is 20% at maximum
range. This
This attempt takes one round. If it is
unsuccessful, the coiling
Of course, catching the grapple or loop
on the opposite side
A character crossing on such a line is
in a precarious position
The rate of climb listed for “Rope and
Wall” applies to characters
18. |
Crossing a Chasm on a Rope
SUMMARY
The base chance of hitting the TARGET is
20%,
<
DM = MR - D (distance
modifier)
<compare this to the example : is the example in error, or is my formula in error?> Once a rope is securely anchored at both
ends,
Whether climbing a mountain or traversing
some other sort of
It is also possible to catch a protrusion
with a thrown loop of
The character’s xperience level determines
the maximum
Table 21: THROWN LOOP RANGES
The range figures given above assume that
the character has a
The base chance of hitting the TARGET is
20%, with a +1% bonus
Before characters can MOVE across a horizontally
anchored
protrusion must exist at the location the
characters are moving
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Perhaps a character cannot find a means
of anchoring the rope
on his side of a chasm. Or perhaps he
now holds the unenviable
position of last man on the line. Sometimes
hostile creatures
remove one end of an unguarded rope, causing
characters supported
by that rope to swing into a wall or other
unforgiving surface.
If this should happen, all is. not necessarily
lost. Of course, if
the character happens to be crossing directly
over a pit of bubbling
lava, he could be in real trouble if the
loose rope swings to
the floor. In crossing a cavern or other
open area, however, the
following procedures apply.
A rope supported at one end swings to a
point where it is hanging
straight down. If a weight (such as a
character) is attached to
the rope, momentum will carry the rope
past the straight down
point, creating a pendulum motion. It
is this momentum that gives
characters problems when they ram into
a solid object during
their swing.
If a character is holding
a rope that swings into an obstacle, he
must make an immediate Climbing
Check to see if he can hold
on. This check is modified by a -5% per
10 feet of rope between
the character and the point at which the
rope is fastened. A successful
check means that the character has held
on; an unsuccessful
check means that he has been knocked off
the rope and
has fallen.
A character thus smashed also takes 1d6
points of damage per
20-foot section of rope between the character
and the attached
rope end. Drop all fractions, so a character
on a 15-foot rope
receives no damage, and a character 35
feet down a rope suffers
only ld6 points of damage.
Any character can attempt to protect another
character against
a fall with a belay. The only tool required
is a rope, although
spikes can add to
the security of a belay.
The character to be protected must have
a rope tied securely
around him. The character performing the
belay holds the other
end of the rope, but does not tie it to
himself. Instead, he pays out
the rope slowly as the other character
moves farther away from
him. If the protected character should
fall, the character performing
the belay grabs the rope tightly and braces
himself to try to
catch the shock of the other character’s
weight.
Example of a Party Roped Together:
This party of adventurers
is trying to cross a broken region
of chasms and stalactites. They
are roped together to decrease the
chance of a dangerous fall. If
character #1 falls, then player #2
rolls a Climbing Check to see if
his character stops the fall. Failure
means that character #2 also
falls and player #3 must roll to see
if his character stops his falling
comrades. This continues until either
one player successfully
rolls a Climbing Check or all the characters
fall.
As another example, if character #4
falls, the players of characters
#3 and #5 must roll Climbing Checks.
Both must succeed to
halt the fall. If either fails, that
characterjoins #4 in the falland the
character next to him must try to halt
the fall. This continues until
one character on each side of the fall
holds fast, or all the characters
on one side (or both sides) fall.
The character performing the belay must
roll a Climbing Check in
order to arrest the fall. If the check
is successful, the rope is
held and the other character can fall
no farther than the length of
the rope. If the check is unsuccessful,
the rope runs through the
hands of the belayer too quickly, and
the fall proceeds normally.
If a character successfully holds the rope
during a belay, but
that character occupies a dangerous or
narrow spot, the character
must make a second Climbing
Check. If the second check is
successful, the character maintains his
hold on whatever surface
he is clinging to. If the second check
is unsuccessful, however,
the belayer joins his companion in a fall.
This second check is required of all belayers
who are on a
sheer surface of any kind, and also to
characters who are on a
level spot, but are within three feet
of the edge of the sheer surface,
assuming that the fall pulls them in the
direction of the dropoff.
Any number of belayers can be strung together,
in case the first
one fails to stop the fall. Each additional
falling character on the
rope subtracts 10 from the Climbing Success
chance of the character
attempting to belay.
A character performing a belay from a dangerous
spot can use
a spike to anchor himself. If he is thus
anchored, he performs the
belay normally. If he successfully arrests
a fall with a Climbing Check,
but then fails his second Climbing
Check so that he is
also pulled into the fall, the spike should
then catch both falling
characters. As when a spike is used to
protect a climber, however,
it has a 10% chance per character supported
of pulling loose.
A belay can also be used to hold one end
of a rope that a character
will be using for support, as in a chasm
crossing. If a grappling
hook is used to fasten the far side of
a rope, one character
may establish a belay on the near side
of the crossing. Characters
can then make the crossing as if the rope
were attached at
both ends. This type of belay does not
require the character holding
the rope to make any checks.
| Roping
Together
Characters can attempt to insure greater
group security by roping
Characters who are roped together must
move at the rate of
Each time the weight of a new character
is added to those who
If a character or characters on the end
of the rope fall, only the
|
Roping
Together
SUMMARY: For each character who fails his CC beyond the first, the adjacent character(s) must make CCs with a -10% penalty to their Climbing Ratings. Examples: Five characters
are strung together on a 200-foot rope, attempting to scale a cliff face.
If they both fail,
If two or more characters are roped together
while on a climb
Examples: Five characters
are strung together on a 200-foot
If the third character in
line falls, the second and fourth characters
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FALLING
+
<check image>
<image at top of page may be repeated:
try to go for singularity>
<(1. this is the WSG
rules only)
(2. You'll need the WSG
rules to follow this : go to page 33)
(3. As a concept, only use
the numbers (tables, sentences with numbers) in those 1E books ... beyond
that: whatever / make it up / forget about the text / your call)
(4. dreamcatcher:
thanks! you are a good teacher to anyone who has a dream in their heart!)>
CLIMBING
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USING ROPE FOR MOVEMENT AND CLIMBING
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The rules in this section
and the folling one are adapted
from the rules for climbing and moving
with the aid or a rope as
found on pages 14-17
of the DSG. A
summary of those rules, slightly altered
to take into account the
conditions of the wilderness, is given
here for ease of reference
and for sake of those who do not have
access to the other
book.
SUMMARY
* A character's chance of falling while
climbing is a percentage equal to 100 minus his Climbing Rating.
* A thief's CR (Climbing
Rating) is the same as his climb walls
score (see PH, page 28.)
* A non-thief without skill in mountaineering
has a CR of 40%, and
* A non-thief with skill in mountaineering
has a CR of 80% whenever he is using his mountaineering tools on a surface
that only he (or a thief) is capable of climbing.
Chance of Falling:
A character’s chance of falling while
climbing is a percentage equal to 100 minus his CR.
Climbing Rating (CR):
A thief’s Climbing Rating (CR) is the
same as his climb walls score
score (see PH, page 28.)
A non-thief without proficiency in mountaineering
has a Climbing Rating (CR) of 40%,
and a non-thief with proficiency in mountaineering
has a Climbing Rating (CR) of 80% whenever he is using his mountaineering
tools on a surface that only he (or a
thief) is capable of climbing.
Any character’s Climbing Rating can be
modified by several
conditions or circumstances, with the
result that some surfaces
can be climbed by some characters with
no chance of falling, and
other surfaces may prove practically impossible
for a certain
character to negotiate unless he can change
one or more of the
prevailing conditions in his favor. Also,
certain conditions (such
as the wearing of heavy armor; see below)
can negate the possibility
of a climbing attempt altogether.
When a character’s final Climbing Rating
(or climb walls score,
for a thief) is determined, that number
is used to determine the
success or failure of any Climbing Checks
that are called for. For
each Climbing Check, the DM or the player
of the
character rolls percentile dice. A result
greater than the Climbing
Rating indicates failure, and a result
equal to or less than the
Climbing Rating indicates success.
SUMMARY
* A character must make at least one successful
Climbing Check (CC) to manually ascend or
descend any non-horizontal surface when the total distance to be treveled
is at least 10 feets.
* A character who begins a climb must
make a successful Initial Climbing Check after traveling 10 feet
in order to be able to continue climbing.
* This Intermediate Climbing Check
may be called for when the current ascent or descent covers a substantial
distance (more than 100 feet), or when the surface being climbed is smooth,
slippery, severe, or a combination of those three qualities.
* This Final Climbing Check is
made with a +20% modifier to the character's Climbing Rating.
1. A character must make at least
one successful CC to manually ascend or descend any non-horizontal surface
when the total distance to be traveled
is at least 10 feet. A
character who begins a climb must make
a successful lnitial
CC after traveling 10 feet in order to
be able to continue
climbing. Failure on this check indicates
that he has fallen
back to the point from which the climb
started.
(2). Depending on the length and
difficulty of the climb, the
DM may require another CC to be
made at the midpoint of the current ascent
or descent. The current
ascent or descent is measured from where
the climb began
to the nearest location where a character
can assume a stable
position (standing, sitting, kneeling,
lying, etc.) without having to
hold onto the slope or cliff face to maintain
that position. This lntermediate
Climbing Check may be called for when
the current ascent
or descent covers a substantial distance
(more than 100
feet), or when the surface being climbed
is smooth, slippery, severe,
or a combination of those three qualities.
It is recommended
that an intermediate check always be made
when a
character is traveling laterally and any
of the above conditions
apply. (Brief stretches of lateral movement
do not count for purposes
of this determination, as long as the
character’s principal
direction is either up or down.)
3. Another CC is always made at
the beginning of
the round in which the character will
complete his climb if he does
not fall. This Final Climbing Check is
made with a + 20% modifier
to the character’s Climbing Rating. Failure
indicates that the
character has fallen, and if the fall
occurs while he is on a severe
slope or a cliff, he won’t stop until
he hits bottom. If the distance of
the climb and the character’s movement
rate cause this check to
come in the same round as the InitialClimbing
Check, then the initial
check (with no bonus applied) is the only
one that must be
made to determine success or failure.
On a roll of 1-3 the
character will fall; on a roll of 4-5 the
character
will manage to catch hold of the edge
and hang on. Hanging individuals must be
rescued in 1-3 rounds or they too will
fall.
On a roll of 6 the character managed to
leap
to safety.
(A1-4.88)
| Stopping
a Fall
If a character falls (for any reason) and
is next to a wall or other
A character can attempt to grab a nearby
surface by rolling
A slippery climbing surface cannot be used to stop a fall.
|
Stopping a Fall
SUMMARY
A character can attempt to halt his descent
in a fall or a tumble
Table 19: CHANCE
OF STOPPING A FALL OR TUMBLE
<C++, pop quiz: are fractions used?> The entries on this table represent the
chance of stopping a fall
A character who stops his fall will still
take impact and/or abrasion
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USING ROPE FOR MOVEMENT AND CLIMBING (DSG)
| Rope Use (Skill) | Roping Together | Rappelling | Use of Grappling Hooks | Crossing a Chasm on a Rope |
| Mountaineering (Skill) | Belaying | Ropes (DSG) | - | Skills |
SUMMARY
The standard 50-foot coil of rope is assumed
to be somewhat smaller than 1/2 inch in diameter,
and a rope of this diameter can support
up to 1,500 pounds without being in danger of fraying or breaking.
If this weight limit is exceeded,
there is a 20% chance per TURN (non-cumulative)
while the strain remains on the rope that it will break.
If the rope does not break,
there is a 10% chance, cumulative per
TURN, that it becomes weakened from the stress (10% after one turn, 30%
after two turns, 60% after three turns, 100% after four turns).
The chance of a weakened rope breaking
the next {time} it is used to support more
than its weight limit is 40% per TURN (noncumulative).
A climbing rope is 150 or 200 feet long
and 1/2 inch in diameter,
with a weight limit of 2,000 pounds.
A 50-foot rope will suffice to {tie}
two characters together,
and another character can be added to
the string for every additional 50 feet of rope in the coil.
If the {knot}
is made by anyone else,
the amount of weight the rope will hold
without weakening or breaking is reduced by 500 pounds.
If two ropes of different diameters are
tied together, the weight limit of the smaller rope (minus 500 pounds,
for the knot) applies to the combined line.
Characters are not expected to climb slopes
or cliff faces while
relying only on the strength and dexterity
of their hands and feet.
Certain equipment is available (and often
necessary) to assist a
character in climbing a severe slope or
a cliff face, and the single
most important equipment any climber can
have is a coil of rope.
The standard 50-foot coil of rope is assumed
to be somewhat
smaller than 1/2 inch in diameter, and
a rope of this diameter can
support up to 1,500 pounds without being
in danger of fraying or
breaking. If this weight limit is exceeded,
there is a 20% chance
per turn (non-cumulative) while the strain
remains on the rope
that it will break. If the rope does not
break, there is a 10%
chance, cumulative per turn, that it has
become weakened from
the stress (10% after one turn, 30% after
two turns, 60% after
three turns, 100% after four turns). The
chance of a weakened
rope breaking the next time it is used
to support more than its
weight limit is 40% per turn (noncumulative).
For mountain climbing and other uses in
the wilderness, a
longer and stronger rope is often used.
A climbing rope is 150 or
200 feet long and V2 inch in diameter,
with a weight limit of 2,000
pounds. It is also subject to weakening
or breaking as described
above.
A rope can be used to tie characters in
a group together, so that
if one character falls his comrades have
a chance of arresting his
fall (see below). A 50-foot rope will
suffice to tie two characters together,
and another character can be added to
the string for
every additional 50 feet of rope in the
coil.
It is usually not a good idea to make a
longer rope out of two or
more shorter ones by knotting them together.
Only a character
with proficiency in rope use can make
a knot that will hold the
same amount of weight as the ropes on
either side. If the knot is
made by anyone else, the amount of weight
the rope will hold
without weakening or breaking is reduced
by 500 pounds. If two
ropes of different diameters are tied
together, the weight limit of
the smaller rope (minus 500 pounds, for
the knot) applies to the
combined line.
<
if this table is revised, then update
the mirror table in the PH!
>
<
Rope
| Type | Cost | Length | Load | Characters | Weight |
| "A Rope" | 4 sp | 50' | 1500# | 2 PCs | 5# |
| "B Rope" | 12 sp | 150' | 2000# | 4 PCs | 30# |
| "C Rope" | 28 sp | 200' | 2000# | 5 PCs | 40# |
I put this table together myself, starting from the WSG info.
A: 4 $p, as per PH
B: 12 sp was multiplied
by 1.33, for 16 sp
C:
16 sp was multiplied by 1.33, for 21.33. then 27 sp, 2 cp was written =
28 sp. (check the math here)
A: 5#, as per DMG
B: 22.5#, multiplied to
30#
C: 30#, multiplied to 40#
! correct A. rope weighs 7.5#, according to the DMG
>
<These spells might be of interest: [tie], [knot], [untie], [tangle], [bind]>
Rope (DSG) +
Q: How thick and strong is a 50? rope?
A: The average adventurer's
rope is probably
9/16" hemp (judging from
the encumbrance
rules). Such a rope has
a "parting
strength" of 3,450 lbs.,
if it is in good condition.
Doug Niles, author of the
DSG,
notes that when
used to abruptly halt a
free fall, a rope's
effective strength can be
as little as 10% of
its maximum.
(126.81)
Rope Use (1, DEX,
0): A character with this proficiency has extraordinary
knowledge in the use of rope, pertaining
especially to the tying
and releasing of knots. If the construction
of a temporary shelter
involves the use of rope (which is almost
always the case), a character
with proficiency in rope use can erect
or take down the shelter
in half the length of time that a normal
character would
require. Such a shelter erected by a character
with this proficiency
is half as likely to be adversely affected
by inclement
weather (high winds, heavy rain or snow)
as a shelter erected by a normal character.
** See the section on Camping &&
Campfires for details on the effects of weather conditions
upon a temporary shelter.
If a proficient character has his hands
bound and tied with a
rope or a cord, he can escape the bonds
by making a successful
Proficiency Check. This check is made
with a +3 modifier to the
die roll if the character’s hands are
tied in front of his body, or with
a +6 modifier if the character’s hands
are tied behind his back.
A character with proficiency in rope use
gains +2 to hit on all
attacks made with a lasso. He also receives
a 10% bonus on all
Climbing Checks made while he is using
a rope, including attempts
to belay companions.
** See the section on Climbing
for details on how to determine the success of a climbing attempt.
The Mountaineering Proficiency
Mountaineering
(1, NA, NA) (DSG):
This proficiency allows a character to
climb with the aid of spikes driven into rock.
A proficient character can use spikes
as described under the rules of climbing.
The character also gains a + 10% bonus
to his Climbing Rating for each slot spent on this proficiency.
MOUNTAINEERING (2, NA, NA) (WSG):
This proficiency allows a character to
ascend
steep, rocky terrain by using spikes that
he drives into cracks in
the rock face, thereby being able to negotiate
a surface that is not
normally able to be climbed. A character
with this proficiency also
gains other benefits as described in the
text on Climbing in the
section on Encumbrance && Movement.
SUMMARY (WSG)
No matter what a piton is used for or
how much strain is put on it,
there is only a 10% chance it will come
loose.
This chance is checked the first time
the piton is called upon to support a weight of 100 pounds or more
(simply pulling on the rope will not dislodge
a piton or indicate whether it has a chance of coming loose).
If the piton passes this first check,
it will remain lodged until a mountaineer
dislodges it with his hammer --
and there is a 10% chance that any piton
will not be able to be dislodged and must be left behind.
THE MOUNTAINEERING PROFICIENCY (WSG)
A character with proficiency in mountaineering
<e>
is only slightly more accomplished than
any other non-thief character is at climbing or traversing
most non-horizontal surfaces, where the
mountaineer’s special
equipment is not needed or does not offer
any advantage. But
when a difficult surface must be ascended
or descended by one
or more members of an adventuring party,
the presence of a
mountaineer can mean the difference between
life and death.
The essential tools and skills of a mountaineer
are these:
Pitons, specially crafted metal spikes
that are pounded into
small cracks and fissures in a rock face
to provide an anchor on
which a line can be secured. Contrary
to popular conception, pitons
themselves are not used as handholds or
footholds; this is
uncomfortable at best and dangerous at
worst, since the surface
area of a secured piton is not very large.
A special hammer used to pound the pitons
into the rock face
where they will be secured. (A hammer
that serves as a weapon
will not do; it is not made out of the
right material, and is much too
unwieldy to swing while the holder is
perched on the side of a
cliff .)
And, last but certainly not least, the
knowledge of where to
place the pitons so that they will hold
and will provide the greatest
amount of support for the weight that
will be put on them. Anyone,
conceivably, can drive a piton into a
crack, but only a mountaineer
can tell which cracks will not widen or
crumble so that the piton
has only a small chance of coming loose.
If a group of characters includes one mountaineer,
that character
can enable everyone else in the group
to ascend or descend a
surface they could not climb without him,
as long as all the characters
are roped together and the mountaineer
is in the lead.
A mountaineer’s ability to use pitons
can come in handy in several
instances when a rope needs to be anchored,
or when tying it
to a secured piton would provide an extra
margin of safety. A piton
will serve as a backup for a belayer,
or provide an anchor for
someone rappelling, or serve as a place
to tie a rope before
crossing a chasm.
No matter what a piton is used for or how
much strain is put on
it, there is only a 10% chance that it
will come loose. This chance
is checked the first time the piton is
called upon to support a
weight of 100 pounds or more (simply pulling
on the rope will not
dislodge a piton or indicate whether it
has a chance of coming
loose). If the piton passes this first
check, it will remain lodged until
a mountaineer dislodges it with his hammer
- and there is a
10% chance that any secured piton will
not be able to be dislodged
and must be left behind.
Question: What is the chance for climbing walls, etc., for non-thieves?
Answer: The same chance
thieves have of knowing spells or possess-
ing 18/00 strength: none.
(I can hear all the fighters saying, “But
I can hide in the shadows:
Watch this!” Even though the thief
abilities have rather unimpressive,
mundane names, they are
indeed special abilities
and can be successfully performed only
by someone who has had,
and continues to take, training in the
thief profession.
In a standard
AD&D
campaign, there can be no deviation
from this rule —and it is
a fact of “life” as much as it is a rule of
the game. Only thieves can
employ abilities described as uni-
que to that class, just
as clerics can do only what clerics are
described as being capable
of. This is obvious, necessary (from
a playability standpoint),
and logical as well; it takes a great
deal of introductory training
— specialized training — for a
character to attain adventurer
status (first level), and continu-
ous review and training
in the chosen class(es) if one is to rise in
levels. The practice of
an adventuring profession is a serious
matter, often even a vital
one, and each profession demands of
its adherents all the interest,
energy, and effort they can muster.
Any DM who settles for less
than this attitude from player
characters and still allows
them to rise in experience levels as if
nothing was amiss is doing
the playing group and the game a
disservice.
In
extraordinary circumstances or for the sake of experimen-
tation, non-thief characters
with exceptionally high DEX
might be allowed a chance
of successfully performing certain
thief-like abilities. This
mutates the adventure or campaign,
and this fact should be
understood by the DM and all the
players: what they’re playing
isn’t an AD&D game any longer.
But it might be interesting
if, for instance, any non-thief with a
dexterity of at least 16
(and any monsters with the same trait)
was given a small chance
to use that dexterity similar to the way
the ability benefits a thief.
In this hypothetical system, the
“dexterity benefit” would
only apply to those thief abilities that
allow bonuses for high dexterity:
picking pockets, opening
locks, locating/removing
traps, moving silently, and hiding in
shadows. The percentage
chance of success for a non-thief to
perform a certain function
would be a constant, related only to
the character’s dexterity
and not to his or her level of expe-
rience. The percentage chance
for success is the same as the
number given as a bonus
on Dexterity Table II (Players Hand-
book, page 12), and success
is only possible when a number is
given. Thus, a non-thief
with 16 dexterity would have a 5%
chance of using the opening
locks ability, but no other thief-like
abilities, and a non-thief
would need 18 dexterity to have any
chance of locating/removing
traps.
In no
case could it be justified for non-thieves to have the
ability to climb walls using
this same reasoning, however. First
of all, the ability has
no direct relationship to dexterity,
or else it
would be listed in Dexterity
Table II. Second of all, climbing
walls is a thief’s bread
and butter, his claim to fame, the one
thing even a Rogue (Apprentice)
(T1) can do with a decent chance of
success. It stands to reason
that a large portion of the thief’s
training goes into acquiring
this ability in the first place; it isn’t
something a fighter-type
can pick up over a weekend of rigor-
ous wall-clutching. Climbing
walls is like riding a unicycle: It
takes forever to learn how,
and once you learn the basics you
don’t ever get a whole lot
better at it than you were when you
started. Most people (except
for thieves and diehard unicycle
riders) will give up after
taking a few spills, when it becomes
apparent that the bumps
aren’t worth the benefits.
(Update: Non-thieves
can definitely try to Climb. See Climbing, above).
(Update: Strength
affects Climbing Rating, Dexterity affects Climbing movement rate).
(Update: Using the
0-level
rules in GHA, some characters can have the abilities of other classes).
This is a process similar in some ways
to both roping together
and rappelling, in that it produces the
same effects - but those
effects are achieved in a much different
way. Belaying is a means
of helping a character slowly descend
a surface, or a means of
keeping the character from falling while
he is trying to ascend or
travel laterally.
The character to be belayed must have one
end of a rope tied
securely around his body. The character
performing the belay
holds onto the rope and pays it out as
the character moves farther
down or away, always keeping just a small
amount of slack in the
line. For an ascending climber, the process
is reversed; the belayer
pulls the rope in as the climber comes
closer to where he is
located.
If the climber begins to fall, the belayer
can halt the fall by making
a successful Climbing Check.
Failure on this check indicates
that the belayer has lost his hold on
the rope, and the climber will
fall the full distance possible. Success
indicates that the belayer
has managed to hang onto the rope, and
at worst the climber will
fall no farther than the length of the
rope.
If the belayer is himself in a precarious
position (relying on
handholds and footholds to maintain his
location), he may find
that successfully holding the rope was
not conducive to his own
continued safety. If he makes the first
Climbing Check and
thereby succeeds in halting his companion’s
fall, he must make a
second successful check to keep from being
pulled down by the
jolt of the rope going taut. If this check
is failed, both the belayer
and his companion will fall. If the belayer
is in a secure position
(such as on the top of a plateau or a
wide ledge, where he does
not need to hold himself onto the slope
or cliff), this second check
is not necessary.
A string of characters connected in pairs
with different ropes
can belay one another in sequence (except,
of course, for the last
character in line, who cannot belay anyone,
and the leader, who
cannot be belayed). However, only one
belay can be performed
at any time, and a character cannot climb
while he is belaying
someone else. As a result, this method
of ascending a slope or a
cliff is a relatively slow one, but it
has the advantage of increased
safetyfor the group as a whole. If one
character in the middle of a
string of belayers begins to fall, he
will not drag down anyone beneath
him (as would be the case if all characters
were roped together).
If the belayer of the falling character
fails to arrest his fall,
then that belayer has a chance of being
saved by the character
above who is belaying him - but nothing
can help the first character
who fell, since only two characters are
connected to the
same rope.
