Three_Haligonians
First Post
Ah Rope, item of a million uses. Well.. maybe not that many but it is very versatile. So much in fact that I've begun to wonder just how much can rope take.. and how to reflect it in D&D.
First some basics:
Rope comes in two varieties (more if you go looking outside the core rules..) Hemp and Silk.
Hemp: It has 2 hp, 0 hardness and can be burst with a DC 23 Str check.
Silk: It has 4 hp, 0 hardness and can be burst with a DC 24 Str check. It also grants a +2 circumstance bonus on Use Rope checks.
It is the Str check to burst that I'm really interested in. It makes perfect sense if your character has been bound by the villain and you say "Can I make a Str check to burst these ropes to get free?" But what about if it's just a coil on the ground - surely it is harder to burst rope that is loose than rope that is taut.
What about this situation, we've all seen it in the movies: Hero or Villain has one foot in a coil of rope, the other end is attached to something large and heavy and inevitably.. it falls. We watch as either a) the hero frantically scrambles to cut the rope and succeeds OR b) the villain tries and fails - getting pulled off the edge.
How would you work out that situation in your D&D game? It is conceivable that maybe the character is strong enough to handle the weight and so instead of getting dragged around, they are simply tethered somewhat. In that case, how do you determine if the rope is strong enough? It is possible that the rope will snap instead (being the weakest link of the three: the character, itself, and gravity).
In fact, that kind of thing could happen simply when too much weight is put on rope in the first place. The party is busy climbing a rope, the enemy starts to climb after them.. suddenly there is too much weight on the rope and it strains. No one is actively trying to "burst the rope" in this situation, but it could happen.. who is making the DC 23 Str check here?
The reasons I ask these questions is not to further complicate D&D sessions with extra rules, or bog down game play with the application of physics. I'm trying to work this out so that in my games I can throw out those nifty cinema-esque scenes. I'd like to hear my players say something like "remember that time with the rope and the statue.. man that was cool!"
Your thoughts are welcome, and encouraged.
J from Three Haligonians
First some basics:
Rope comes in two varieties (more if you go looking outside the core rules..) Hemp and Silk.
Hemp: It has 2 hp, 0 hardness and can be burst with a DC 23 Str check.
Silk: It has 4 hp, 0 hardness and can be burst with a DC 24 Str check. It also grants a +2 circumstance bonus on Use Rope checks.
It is the Str check to burst that I'm really interested in. It makes perfect sense if your character has been bound by the villain and you say "Can I make a Str check to burst these ropes to get free?" But what about if it's just a coil on the ground - surely it is harder to burst rope that is loose than rope that is taut.
What about this situation, we've all seen it in the movies: Hero or Villain has one foot in a coil of rope, the other end is attached to something large and heavy and inevitably.. it falls. We watch as either a) the hero frantically scrambles to cut the rope and succeeds OR b) the villain tries and fails - getting pulled off the edge.
How would you work out that situation in your D&D game? It is conceivable that maybe the character is strong enough to handle the weight and so instead of getting dragged around, they are simply tethered somewhat. In that case, how do you determine if the rope is strong enough? It is possible that the rope will snap instead (being the weakest link of the three: the character, itself, and gravity).
In fact, that kind of thing could happen simply when too much weight is put on rope in the first place. The party is busy climbing a rope, the enemy starts to climb after them.. suddenly there is too much weight on the rope and it strains. No one is actively trying to "burst the rope" in this situation, but it could happen.. who is making the DC 23 Str check here?
The reasons I ask these questions is not to further complicate D&D sessions with extra rules, or bog down game play with the application of physics. I'm trying to work this out so that in my games I can throw out those nifty cinema-esque scenes. I'd like to hear my players say something like "remember that time with the rope and the statue.. man that was cool!"
Your thoughts are welcome, and encouraged.
J from Three Haligonians
