D&D 5E Wait, what IS the point of Acrobatics?

[Juriel]

Acrobatics seems to only get used for balance. In 3e, Tumbling could prevent opportunity attacks from moving past enemies, while in 4e you could reduce falling damage with Acrobatics, which are concrete listed mechanical benefits.

But Basic Acrobatics just lists 'balance on stuff. Oh yeah, DM may ask for this if you flip, roll, dive'.

Perhaps the whole point was to give a 'talk your DM into allowing you to do Athletics tasks with your Dex' way to Rogues. Which could be done by just using Athletics with Dex, surely...

Why is this skill even around?

 

[wedgeski]

A Rogue in one of my 4E games made liberal use of Acrobatics to allow himself to slide, tumble and back-flip around the battlefield. I suppose a lot of it wasn't specifically cited as an option for the skill in the rules, but when a player creates a gymnast with a sharp sword (imagine River in that bar scene from Serenity), who am I to say no?

 

[Juriel]

Yes, but the skill itself does not seem to DO anything. Why not just use Athletics with Dex?

Now it just looks like Use Rope.

 

[Li Shenron]

I would use:

Athletics > when doing a straightforward performance task (climb up, swim through, jump high, jump long, run fastest...), like track-and-field athletes who usually have to maximize a result on a task that barely carries any complexity

Acrobatics > when doing a complex task especially if it requires some real-time quick thinking, fine-movements, precision or adaption to details, like gymnasts or martial artists stunts

But they clearly blurred:
- climbing a wall just by lifting yourself up may be Strength(Athletics)
- climbing a gnarled tree may be Dexterity(Athletics)
- jumping or swinging between tree branches may be Dexterity(Acrobatics)

 

[Juriel]

Yeah, the line between the two seems really blurry, which sounds like a case for just combining them (which is what we're doing at our table).

Seriously, rules as written, only thing you can expect from it is balancing on stuff. Which can be nice, but is so not worth a skill pick.

I'm just trying to see the design thoughts that lead to it being around.

 

[wedgeski]

Yes, but the skill itself does not seem to DO anything. Why not just use Athletics with Dex?

I see your point.

 

[MortalPlague]

Acrobatics is also heavily involved with avoiding grapples and trips, for instance. It's how you avoid those things with dexterity.

I expect it'll be a skill that comes up a fair bit in adventures as a 'stay on the tilting platform instead of falling into lava' type thing. For anyone not trained, it's just a straight dexterity roll.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Perhaps the whole point was to give a 'talk your DM into allowing you to do Athletics tasks with your Dex' way to Rogues. Which could be done by just using Athletics with Dex, surely...

Why is this skill even around?

Indeed. Surprised it doesn't at least reduce falling damage (unless we missed that).

 

[sidonunspa]

Why is this skill even around?

for those characters that want to run around and fight like Ezio Auditore from Assassins Creed...

Parkour-ing, running up the back of a Giant to stab him in the back of the neck after he swag and missed a friend of yours, sliding between an orc's legs, and so on

 

[Psikerlord#]

yes, parkour, very good idea, and reducing falling damage should have been hardcoded into it. I think a check to halve falling damage would be cool.