Pole Vaulting - what check to use?

[robaustin]

Have a player trying to pole vault over a pit - she is using her staff - staff will come down before the pit (5 foot wide pit) and she will propel herself over it.

Not sure if I should use a standard jump check here. I'm thinking there could be a penalty if she mis-places her staff - she could misjudge and the staff could be placed too far and land in the pit - in which case she is going to fall into the pit. So I think there's got to probably be some kind of dex check first as well as the standard jump check.

Anyone have any ideas how to handle this one?

--*Rob

 

[Murrdox]

I would probably make this a Tumble check instead of a jump check... with a +2 modifier or something for using the pole to assist.

I probably wouldn't make her do a check to "misplace" the pole, but if she fails the tumble check, she'd probably have to make a reflex save to avoid falling in the pit.

 

[Dingleberry]

I'd use two Jump checks. Set a Jump DC for using the pole (maybe 10 plus the length of the pole in feet). If the character succeeds, add the length of the pole to the jump distance resulting from a second Jump check. If the character fails, subtract it.

Effectively, the first check determines how much the pole helps (or hurts). I'd also require that the pole be at least as long as the character is tall.

 

[Mordeth]

Bah, just give them a +2 circumstance for the pole. They are still "jumping" just getting aid from an object.

I would check the ceiling height though. At the crest of the jump, they might meet Mr Ceiling and then would meet Mr Trap with extra falling damage. And if really anal, could have the pole hit them in the head too!

 

[green slime]

I'm with Mordeth; I'd go just Jump check, with a circumstance bonus.

Exactly how much depends on the length of the pole.

 

[MarauderX]

Me too, I would do the same as Mordeth. Besides, what's the DC on a 5' wide pit? 2? Most people can do a standing jump greater than that. Then again as a wizard player one time I did fireball two goblins after they were already dead, so perhaps I shouldn't be talking about overkill.

 

[Speaks With Stone]

Off hand, have you ever tried pole vaulting? Actually no jumping involved.

But in this situation, a staff does not work like a pole. I would apply a -2 situational modifier. Jamming a piece of wood into the ground to jump is not effective. If there is no catch for the staff and the character is running, the most likely outcome is the staff slides off into the pit with the character following.

I get the cool concept. If the character is very acrobatic oriented, then make no mod and let it be a neat description with no impact on the roll.

 

[Grendel]

I used to be a polevaulter.
pole vaulting is used to clear a height, not a distance

secondly speed is much more important than jumping ability. Since polevualting would be such an unusual skill set I would make it an ability check vs. str or dex, until the player decided to put some skill points toward it.

finally, the most important part about pole vaulting is the plant. slamming that pole into the ground wont do you any good, it will just slide. you have to be able to plant the pole against a brace (like a wall or a small hole).

that being said, using a pole to cross a 5' gap wouldn't require any skill at all. you have a 5' - 10' pole just grab it and go, let physics do the rest, you literally cannot fall short of height that you grabbed.

Using a 15' pole to clear a 10' wall (or chasm) would be another matter, that would require some skill.

 

[melkoriii]

Is there some reason the Player does not want to do a Jump check?


Speaks With Stone is right that a Staff will not really help and depending on teh type of ground may make things worse.

If teh pit is just a 5' pit. The Player can lay the staff across the pit and do a balence check like DC 10 to walk across.

 

[robaustin]

Heh.

Well - it's PBEM game, and I think she was being a bit fancy in her role playing, but I didn't want to just let it go at a simple jump check. It's also fun to figure out how to make these things work in D20....

--*Rob