How difficult is it to climb a rope?

[johnsemlak]

We had an game situation where a couple of characters were up a tree and needed to get down. We were on a platform 50 ft. above ground, and like all good adventurers we had a 50 ft rope. We wanted to throw it over the edge, tie it to something, and climb down.

My character doesn't have ranks in climb. According to the SRD, the DC for climbing down an 'unknotted rope' is 15.

Is it REALLY so difficult to climb down a normal rope that an average person has a 75% chance of falling in normal circumstances? Climbing up is different, I'll grant, but I would think that in normal circumstances where a PC can climb carefully, the character ought to be able to succeed automatically, or set the DC at 0 and apply modifiers (armor penalty for example). I have climbed down ropes and it doesn't seem that difficult.

Thoughts? Am I way off, or am I misunderstanding the rules?

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

D&D characters are better at everything else than real-world characters.

It's only in the descending down ropes that we Real-Worlders excel, relative to our fictional counterparts.

 

[S'mon]

I never noticed that - I always used DC 5 for climbing or descending a rope, which seemed reasonable to me; assuming everyone could be taught how to brace their feet on the rope given a couple of minutes. I agree DC 15 seems too high, that means the average STR 10 person falls on a 10 or less, which seems unlikely; especially if STR 10 is "average 18 year old human male". Maybe 5 is a bit low, but I think works ok. I'd think climbing a heavily knotted rope would be DC 0 since a person of average fitness unencumbered should be able to do it routinely.

Edit: I guess descending unknotted rope could be DC 10 and be generous in allowing take-10. Another point - D&D climbing movement is incredibly fast, 15'/round for a speed 30 character. Maybe DC should be lowered if moving 5'/round, with less frequent checks.

 

[johnsemlak]

The SRD bit on 'Climb' is here:
http://systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/skillsAll.html#climb

the DC is 5 for a rope with a wall to brace against, 15 when teh rope is just hanging with nothing around it. Admittedly, that does make it harder, but DC 15 just seems unreal.

 

[S'mon]

It's weird - it says DC 15 "an unknotted rope, or pulling yourself up when dangling by your hands" - but the latter is vastly harder than the former, surely? I dunno, maybe in movies they're presented as equivalent difficulty and movies seem to be WoTC's main source material... :\

The weird thing is that as a sedentary 13 year old with maybe STR 7 I could easily climb an unknotted rope with just my hands and never fall, albeit I was very light. Once I learnt the foot-brace trick it was extremely easy. Foot-bracing you don't move 15'/6 seconds, though. So maybe DC 15 at full 15' speed & DC 5 at 5'/round would work for climbing up, DC 10 for descending at full 15' speed.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Climbing a rope has not really changed over the years, you either have done it or you have not and it is not as easy as it seems, if you have not become use to it, there is a fear factor, distance to the ground look too far, the mind locks, you grip too tight and then let the rope burn you hands as you slide down it (and let me tell you your hand burn quickly). Yes, yes it is.

 

[dave_o]

I'm pretty much in agreement with the current system. Free-climbing a rope is really tough, trust me. BUT! I also totally agree that you should give dudes some bonuses for climbing at less than half their speed (15'/round) because climbing fifteen feet in six seconds is really busting ass. Especially free-climbing that fast.

The DC, however, should still be about where it is because someone without a decent amount of upper body strength isn't climbing anything.

 

[johnsemlak]

Climbing a rope has not really changed over the years, you either have done it or you have not and it is not as easy as it seems, if you have not become use to it, there is a fear factor, distance to the ground look too far, the mind locks, you grip too tight and then let the rope burn you hands as you slide down it (and let me tell you your hand burn quickly). Yes, yes it is.

I can imagine it would be diffiicult. And there is considerable hardship. But DC 15? (falling on a 10 or less). I'd say a DC of 5 (falling on a 1) is more reasonable (perhaps a tad higher). My feeling is there should be a low, but tangible chance of failure.

BTW, your points also suggest the check shoudl be CON based, not STR. I might consider houserules that allow a synegy bonus for ranks in Concentration.

 

[Tatsukun]

I can imagine it would be diffiicult. And there is considerable hardship. But DC 15? (falling on a 10 or less). I'd say a DC of 5 (falling on a 1) is more reasonable (perhaps a tad higher). My feeling is there should be a low, but tangible chance of failure.

BTW, your points also suggest the check shoudl be CON based, not STR. I might consider houserules that allow a synegy bonus for ranks in Concentration.

Well, aren't most people in the world going to be taking 10 for climbing ropes (outside of combat)? A DC of 10 means your average farmer can do it every time, if not distracted. That seems fine for me, no reason to go to 5.

Of course, 15 is right out. Then again, why do going up and going down have the same DC?

-Tatsu

 

[cmanos]

did you evern have to climb ropes in gym class? I HATED that. I could barely get 5' off the ground. Granted, yes D&D characters are better than real-life...but still...that mage with the 8 Str and zero ranks in climb is going to have a difficult time.