D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5] What did they do to improve Spider Climb?

[Elder-Basilisk]

There are plenty of plus points for Levitate too--you don't need a wall (and can't be attacked by creatures with burrow/tremorsense), you can levitate objects (try using Spiderclimb to raise a portcullis), you can use it to cross chasms or water (contact with the top few inches of water should be enough to allow you to move), etc. And the attack penalty is largely irrelevant if you're tossing spells instead of arrows.

Spider climb does have its advantages but it still seems significantly weaker than levitate.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Seriously, we played it that way. Which kept the wand of spider climb from getting out of hand

Yes, I can see that. With your hands being more sticky than the "what stats for Orc/Elf crossbreed"-threads, you'll have serious problems getting that wand out of your hand.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Spider climb gives you a climb speed of 20 feet. You no longer need to have bare hands and feet to use it (which is good, because nobody I know of played it that way).

Heh. It was just yesterday a DM told our wizard "Sorry, I hate to be a stickler, but..." when he tried to cast Spider Climb in boots...

-Hyp.

 

[blakwind]

Characters in my campaigns have always needed to kick off their boots before Spider Climbing. IMO, removing that restriction justifies the level change.

 

[Destil]

I've been alllowing spider climb with only your hands, but then you can't hold or use anything else with them IMC as an alternitive to taking off your boots.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Noone will cast it in my games because they don't want to eat a live spider.

 

[Branduil]

Noone will cast it in my games because they don't want to eat a live spider.

Eh, you're not one of those guys who makes players act out what they're doing in order to succeed in game, are you?

*Has visions of ThirdWizard gleefully grinning sadistically as a player states they wish to cast spider climb, then pulling out a jar full of spiders from behind the DM screen, saying "All right, here's your spell components. I've got enough here to last for 50 castings. Hahahahahahahaha!!!..."

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Noone will cast it in my games because they don't want to eat a live spider.

The single best reason why you should have Eschew Materials.

Especially if you're a (male) drow and live in a Lolth-dominated area: If you kill a spider as a drow male, the high priestesses of the Spider Queen will kill you on the spot.

 

[Nifft]

KaeYoss: Presumably, Drow have a Surfacer Substitution Feat, whereby they can do mean things to surfacers instead of spiders.

-- Nifft

 

[James McMurray]

Actually drnuncheon, on page 69 phb it says that creatures with the climb speed or characters under the effects of a spider climb spell still have to make climb checks. Although they can take 10 and also get a +8 to their check. Hmm, the spell says they don't though, so, *sigh* errata.

Why does that require erratta? If creatures with climb speeds normally require climb checks, but the spelld escription specifically overrides this rule, doesn't that just mean that casting the spell is better than actually having a listed climb speed?

I admit that I have just gotten my 3.5 PHB though, and haven't even reached the spells section, so if I'm missing something here, just let me know and I'll shut the heck up.