Do you allow Acrobatics and Athletics to be used interchangeably?

[Tallifer]

Do you allow to a certain degree and in some cases Acrobatics and Athletics to be used interchangeably?

Climbing for example seems to be either Athletic and Strength-based or Acrobatic and Dexterity-based. A squirrel is not strong, but it climbs with the greatest of ease. A circus acrobat comes to mind as well.

I understand that for game balance, Dexterity does not need to be more powerful than it already is, but...

 

[iserith]

No, not usually. Leaving aside that climbing doesn't actually require an ability check except in certain conditions, if a character is not good at a task, then in my view he or she should take that into consideration rather than lobby to apply a skill proficiency that is inappropriate to resolving said task. Either don't perform the task, ask another character to work together with for advantage, use a spell or class feature to mitigate risk of failure, or spend Inspiration.

 

[guachi]

I usually wouldn't.

Anything involving moving - actually moving and not how you move - seems to be the purview of Athletics.

Breaking a grapple is one case where using either not only makes sense it's actually in the rules. Do you muscle your way out or squirm your way out of the grapple?

How you move (or don't move) is a good use of Acrobatics. Keep your balance on a ship or on a tightrope. Flip through the air. Gracefully dance.

 

[dave2008]

Do you allow to a certain degree and in some cases Acrobatics and Athletics to be used interchangeably?

Climbing for example seems to be either Athletic and Strength-based or Acrobatic and Dexterity-based. A squirrel is not strong, but it climbs with the greatest of ease. A circus acrobat comes to mind as well.

I understand that for game balance, Dexterity does not need to be more powerful than it already is, but...

At times yes, but definitely not in all situations.

A squirrel is not strong, but it climbs with the greatest of ease. A circus acrobat comes to mind as well.

What D&D and most, if not all, rpgs have a problem simulating is that a squirrel is strong for its size. So an Athletics check could make sense despite been weak compared to an ogre. The squirrel has less mass and thus needs less STR to climb.

The truth is that something like climbing could require a combination of athletic and acrobatic checks, but personally I would make them all Athletics and might require a combination of Str, Dex, and possibly Con checks. So to me it could be an Athletics (STR) and/or Athletics (DEX) and/or Athletics (CON) checks, all depending on the nature of the climb.

 

[DEFCON 1]

No, because I removed Acrobatics from the skill list. I attach Athletics to either Strength or Dexterity checks depending on the action the character is taking.

 

[Jester David]

No.

Climbing, swimming, and jumping are called out as aspects of Strength. Dexterous creatures might climb, but that’s often the result of a climb speed rather than succeeding at checks. Simmilarly, no matter how apathetic you are, you’re not any better at balancing or wriggling through a tight space,

Some things.... maybe. Like escaping a grapple. There are times where you can force or finesse through situations and either could be used. But most of the time, it’s either a reflection of muscle power or agility.

 

[ad_hoc]

Do you allow to a certain degree and in some cases Acrobatics and Athletics to be used interchangeably?

Climbing for example seems to be either Athletic and Strength-based or Acrobatic and Dexterity-based. A squirrel is not strong, but it climbs with the greatest of ease. A circus acrobat comes to mind as well.

I understand that for game balance, Dexterity does not need to be more powerful than it already is, but...

Most of the time climbing is automatic.

When a check is required it is usually to hang on.

As others have said I think proficiency should always be Athletics. I'd say 99% of the time Strength is appropriate too.

 

[Shiroiken]

It really depends on what is being tried. Some things can be accomplished with either, depending on how it's being attempted (grapple is the best example of this). Some things are always going to be athletics (such as swimming), while other things are always going to be acrobatics (such as tightrope walking).

If a player can give me a reasonable method to use one over the other, I'll consider it for that roll only. I do not allow blanket assumptions, because that's how stuff falls apart.

 

[flametitan]

I don't. Even outside of what the game defines as acrobatics versus Athletics, Dexterity is already considered one of the "best" stats in the game (improving To hit & Damage, AC, one of the more common saving throws in the game...) To me it helps keep strength from being nearly useless to non fighter/paladin/barbarians to at least make the climbing checks related to strength.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

No. If you allow that, Str based characters lose their main advantage over dex based ones.
That said there are tasks you might be able to do with both skills. You can climb down and up a wall or you could balance over a rope without climbing.
If you jump from small ledges to small ledges, you might need both. Str for the jump. Dex to balance on top of the ledge.