Tome of Prowess (3.5e Sourcebook)/Athletics
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Athletics
The athletics skill is a movement skill. It allows you to ascend surfaces, swim through waters, or swing through a jungle on vines that would otherwise block you. Those with a lot of skill in athletics can even climb walls of force or swim against tsunamis and in other conditions that have no terrestrial analogue.
Key Attribute: Constitution
Base DCs and Check Modifiers
| Climbing Surface | Example | DC |
|---|---|---|
| Surface with hand and foot holds | Very rough rocks, ship’s rigging, surface with pitons or carved holes | 10 |
| Knotted rope | Standard rope with knots in it (not attached to most grappling hooks) | 15 |
| Unknotted rope | Standard rope (attached to most grappling hooks), sufficiently long hair | 20 |
| Hanging cloth | Tapestry, curtain, giant clothing | 20 |
| Uneven surface with narrow holds | Typical dungeon or ruin walls, brick buildings | 20 |
| Overhang with handholds | Butcher’s ceiling with meat hooks | 20 |
| Rough surface with no regular holds | Natural, smooth weathered rock; Maximum climb DC of wall of stone |
25 |
| Rough overhang without handholds | Cavern ceiling | 30 |
| Perfectly smooth, flat surface | Wall of force | 30 |
| Perfectly smooth, flat overhang | Ceiling of force | 35 |
| Swimming Condition | Example | DC |
| Calm | Placid lake, calm sea, acid pool at the bottom of a trap | 10 |
| Rough | Average river, choppy sea, lava flow down a mountain | 15 |
| Stormy | Fast moving river, stormy sea, quicksilver flood in dungeon | 20 |
| Hurricane | Sea in a hurricane, raging river in a large storm | 25 |
| Tsunami | 50’+ speeding waves, flash floods | 30 |
| Unthinkable | The worst roil, chop, and current imaginable | 35 |
| Climbing Condition | Example | Check Modifier1 |
|---|---|---|
| Climbing an Inclined Surface | Any slope between 45 and 60 degrees | -5 |
| Climbing a Chimney Setup | There is another wall to brace against within reach of your legs that is parallel to the one you are climbing (or your rope) |
+5 |
| Climbing a Corner Setup | There is another wall to brace against within reach of your legs that is perpendicular to the one you are climbing |
+2 |
| Climbing Surface Slightly Slippery | Frozen ice without gloves, a wall damp with morning dew | -3 |
| Climbing Surface Very Slippery | A wall covered in oil, rigging of a ship while it is raining | -5 |
| Falling Past an Inclined Surface | Slipped off a slope, and are rolling down it | 0 |
| Falling Past a Vertical Surface | Lost grip on a wall, and are falling through space | -3 |
| Climbing Surface Very Slippery | A wall covered in oil, rigging of a ship while it is raining | -5 |
| Swimming Condition | Example | Check Modifier1 |
| Swimming, 1 Needed Hand Occupied | Swimming with a long-sword in hand | -5 |
| Swimming, 2 Needed Hands Occupied | Swimming with a short sword and a small shield | -10 |
| Particularly Dense Liquid | Lava, mercury | +3 |
| Particularly Thin Liquid | Feathers | -3 |
| General Conditions | Example | Check Modifier1 |
| Fatigued | Character is fatigued from exertion or a spell or attack effect | -2 |
| Exhausted | Character is exhausted from exertion or a spell or attack effect | -5 |
| ||
Untrained Uses
Climb and Hang
Walls and barriers are meant to be overcome, and it’s often easier to climb over, along, or around it than it would be to smash it down. You can move up, down, across, or even just cling desperately to a slope (an inclined surface of 46 to 60 degrees), a wall (an inclined surface of 61 to 120 degrees), or overhang (an inclined surface of 121 to 180 degrees). With this level of skill, you can not even attempt to climb surfaces with a base DC greater than 20 and automatically fail them with the worst result.
You must roll an athletics check each round that you are climbing or hanging onto a surface, even if you don’t want to go anywhere. The DC is indicated in the table above, and you gain a bonus or penalty to your check based on conditions. Your check result determines how quickly you progress across the surface with a move action. Even if you do not want to make any progress, you must spend a move action to remain attached to the surface, or you simply let go and fall if you are not secured. This is why most climbers secure themselves with ropes and pitons — they allow a climber to rest in addition to reducing the maximum possible falling distance on a failure.
You are less able to dodge blows while you are holding on to a wall, and are considered flat-footed while climbing. You need to use both hands and feet to make any progress while climbing. While you may use one hand to steady yourself while attacking, casting a spell with your other hand, or bringing a shield to bear, you may not progress along the surface regardless of how good your check result was and must content yourself with remaining in position. Because you need both of your hands to assist in the climbing, it is difficult to charge while climbing unless you have a bite attack, tail swipe, or similar ability.
Taking any damage ends your movement immediately in the space you suffered the damage. If you take damage exceeding twice your athletics ranks while holding on to a surface, you begin falling. You must immediately make a new check against the surface’s DC. Your results determine how far you slip, it at all, and if you are required to make any other checks. Future checks are made with a penalty, as indicated above. You may also attempt to grab others who slip and fall past you, in which case you do not suffer a penalty for their falling.
Long-term climbing is very difficult if the conditions are too difficult for you to take 10 on the check; the likelihood of failing and falling to the bottom in as short a period as one minute is simply too high. If you can take 10, you probably won’t fall off if you’re not attacked, but you run the risk of fatigue instead. Unless you reach an area that you can sit comfortably or secure yourself to the side of the surface with rope and pitons, you can not rest while climbing. Because of this, your greatest enemy while climbing a surface that isn’t particularly difficult is time. See the revised movement and fatigue rules for more information.
Special: Creatures with a climb speed do not need to make checks to move up, down, or across an inclined surface, always move their full climb speed as a move action, and are not flat-footed while climbing. They may charge and take flat-out movement actions with their climb speed that otherwise mimics the run action. Climbing is no more tiring than walking for these creatures, and they may rest at any time while climbing a surface. Unless otherwise noted in their description, they may use a limb for both movement and attacking in the same round, though they may not perform a charge with a limb used for movement. A creature with a climb speed must still make a check to remain on the surface if they suffer damage greater than twice their ranks in athletics, however. A creature is always considered to have ranks equal to their CR for the purposes of climbing only if they do not have more ranks in athletics. These virtual ranks may also be used to avoid special hazards or perform special maneuvers, if necessary.
| DC: Surface DC + conditons | |
| Check | Result |
|---|---|
| DC+10 and above | As a move action, you climb up to your full base speed. You may use a second move action this round to proceed at the same pace without an additional check. If you are falling or sliding past a surface, you are able to grab on and end your fall immediately. If you are trying to grab a falling target, you successfully grab them and stop their fall. They may reattach themselves to the surface on their turn with a climb check. |
| DC+5 to DC+9 | As a move action, you climb up to one half of your base speed, rounded down to the nearest 5' increment. You may use a second move action this round to proceed at the same pace without an additional check. If you are falling or sliding past a surface, you are able to grab on and end your fall immediately. If you are trying to grab a falling target, you successfully grab them and stop their fall. They may reattach themselves to the surface on their turn with a climb check. |
| DC+0 to DC+4 | As a move action, you climb up to one quarter of your base speed, rounded down to the nearest 5' increment. You may use a second move action this round to proceed at the same pace without an additional check. If you are falling or sliding past a surface, you are able to grab on and end your fall after only 1d4 × 10 feet. If you are trying to grab a falling target, you successfully grab them and stop their fall. They may reattach themselves to the surface on their turn with a climb check. |
| DC-1 to DC-5 | You spend a move action attempting to make progress up the surface, but fail to do so. You just can’t quite find places to grip to move ahead. If you are falling or sliding past a surface, you fail to grab hold but manage to slow your descent. You fall 2d4 × 10 feet and must make another grab attempt immediately if you have not reached the ground. If you are trying to grab a falling target, you slow their fall but fail to hold them. They fall 2d4 × 10 feet and must immediately make another grab attempt if they have not reached the ground. |
| DC-6 and below | You thought you had a good hold, but were very wrong. You lose your hold of the surface, and begin falling. You fall 2d4 × 10 feet and immediately make a check to see if you can grab hold. If you are falling or sliding past a surface, you fail to even slow your descent past the surface, and fall all the way to the bottom. If you are trying to grab a falling target, you fail to grab or slow them and must immediately make a climb check as if you had taken damage in excess of twice your ranks in climb. |
Swim
Sometimes the moat is too wide or you’ve walked the plank, and water is just one more obstacle to overcome. The swim ability is used to traverse liquids you can’t generally walk on or need to dive into, like water, acid, lava, and other fun things. With this level of skill, you can not even attempt to swim in conditions with a base DC greater than 20 and automatically fail them with the worst result.
You must roll an athletics check each round that you are suspended in liquid, even if you don’t want to go anywhere. The DC is indicated in the table above, and you gain a bonus or penalty to your check based on conditions. Your check result determines how quickly you move through the liquid with a move action, or which action you must spend to tread water and remain afloat. You must either spend the move action to traverse the liquid or the indicated action to tread water, or you fail to keep your head “above water” and sink one-half of your height into the liquid.
You are less able to dodge blows while you are trying to pull and kick yourself through a liquid, and you are considered flat-footed while swimming. As it is difficult to quickly bring a shield to bear in the water, you do not benefit from its use while swimming unless you spend the round treading water. You need both hands to make significant progress while swimming. The penalties for not keeping your hands free are shown in the table above.
If you take damage while swimming, it ends your movement. If you take damage exceeding twice your athletics ranks while swimming, you must immediately make a new check against the current DC. Unlike the standard check, if you do not succeed on this check by a significant amount, your swim is interrupted and you slip beneath the surface. Repeated attacks can not cause you to sink a distance greater than your height in a single round.
Long-term swimming is very difficult if the conditions are too difficult for you to take 10 on the check; the likelihood of failing and drowning in as short a period as one minute is simply too high. If you can take 10, you probably won’t drown if you’re not attacked, but instead you run the risk of fatigue. Unless you are skilled enough to tread water as a free action in the conditions, you can not rest while swimming. Because of this, your greatest enemy in even calm water is time. See the revised movement and fatigue rules for more information.
Special: Creatures with a swim speed do not need to make checks to swim in a liquid, always move their full swim speed as a move action, and are not flat-footed while swimming. They may take flat-out movement actions with their swim speed that otherwise mimics the run action. Swimming is no more tiring than walking for these creatures, and they may rest at any time while floating within a liquid. Unless otherwise noted in their description, they may use a limb for both movement and attacking in the same round, though they may not perform a charge with a limb used for movement. A creature with a swim speed must still make a check to retain their position if they suffer damage greater than twice their ranks in athletics, however. A creature is always considered to have ranks equal to their CR for the purposes of swimming only if they do not have more ranks in athletics. These virtual ranks may also be used to avoid special hazards or perform special maneuvers, if necessary.
| DC: Liquid DC + conditions | |
| Check | Result |
|---|---|
| DC+10 and above | As a move action, you move up to your base speed through the liquid. You may tread water as a free action, which also allows you to rest if you’re so inclined. If you made this check in response to taking damage in excess of your athletics ranks, you suffer no ill effects. |
| DC+5 to DC+9 | As a move action, you move up to one half of your base speed through the liquid. You may tread water as a free action, which also allows you to rest if you’re so inclined. If you made this check in response to taking damage in excess of your athletics ranks, you suffer no ill effects. |
| DC+0 to DC+4 | As a move action, you move up to one quarter of your base speed through the liquid. You may tread water as a swift action. If you made this check in response to taking damage in excess of your athletics ranks, you sink one-eighth of your height. You begin holding your breath if this moves you beneath the surface. |
| DC-1 to DC-5 | As a move action, you can tread water. You don’t make any progress, but you don’t lose any either. If you made this check in response to taking damage in excess of your athletics ranks, you sink into one-half your height. You begin holding your breath if this moves you beneath the surface, and lose rounds from your breath holding count equal to half your constitution score if you were already beneath the surface. |
| DC-6 and below | You fail to stay at your current level in the liquid and sink into the liquid a distance equal to your height. You begin holding your breath if you were on the surface, but forfeit a number of rounds from your breath holding count equal to your constitution score. If you made this check in response to taking damage in excess of your athletics ranks, you sink the indicated distance and forfeit any remaining rounds of breath holding. You begin making constitution checks on your next turn to continue holding your breath. |
Rank 4 Uses
Brachiation
There are lots of places where it’s easier to swing around instead of walk. Swinging by your arms and occasional leg, you can move through tree branches, jungle vines, banquet hall chandeliers, complex monkey bars, etc. at half of your base land speed. This is considered a natural base speed, so you can run and charge at no penalty, but you need both of your arms free to assist your movement. If one hand is full, you may only take a single move action in this fashion before you have to return to the ground. The objects used to brachiate must be able to swing within one square of each other to be usable for movement in this way.
Rank 6 Uses
Combat Athlete
You’re getting the hang of moving in different ways while people try to fill you with arrows or spears or whatever. You are no longer flat-footed while climbing or swimming.
Fleet of Arm and Leg
You are quite proficient at dragging and kicking yourself through liquids. You may swim, and make progress, in any conditions with a base DC of 30 or less.
Touch of a Spider
Your fingers are amazing at finding things for you to grip. You may climb any surface with a base DC of 30 or less.
Rank 8 Uses
Arms of a Monkey
You’ve got some nice coordination and muscle strength. Your brachiation speed is now equal to your land speed. You may also brachiate with one hand occupied at half your base speed. The objects used to brachiate must still swing to within one square of each other.
Ein Hander
You only need one hand free to climb walls or swim, and freeing up a hand comes with a few perks.
While swimming, you no longer suffer a penalty if you have a hand occupied with a weapon or other implement. While climbing, you can still progress up a surface in the same round as you use your other hand for a non-climb action. You may benefit from a shield bonus at any time while climbing or swimming. You can also use both hands for an action while climbing, but you can not make any progress up the surface for that round. Additionally, you only need one hand free to catch yourself if you begin falling.
Just because you only need one hand free to climb or swim, doesn’t mean you should only keep one hand free. You can make quite a bit of progress if you dedicate both hands to the job. If you climb or swim with both hands free, you may take a flat out action similar to a run. You make two checks for the round, using the better result, and also quadruple the speed at which you would move based on your check result. As this is a flat out action, it tires you out as if you were running.
Rank 10 Uses
Touch of a Gecko
Your fingers are amazing at finding things for you to grip. You may climb a surface of any DC; there really isn’t much that stops you.
Torpedo
You swim better than most fish. You can swim, and make progress, in any liquid conditions regardless of DC.
Rank 12 Uses
Nein Hander
Your toes, feet, and legs are very strong and well adapted. They're about all you need to to swim against a tsunami or stand on a cliff overhang.
You suffer no DC adjustments for swimming with both of your hands full. You also suffer no penalties for fighting underwater. You still have to manage breathing normally though. Similarly, you don’t need any hands free to climb walls, and can progress up a surface even while swinging a greatsword. You do not need any free hands to catch yourself if you begin falling.
You may gain the one-handed benefits of Ein Hander with no hands free, and the two handed benefits with only one hand free. You gain no additional benefits for having both hands free, however.
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