Can you spider Climb on solid ice?

avin · Mar 3, 2003

Can I use spider climb, go to the roof of a dungeon, stay up i my feet and use a crossbow?

Dr. Zoom · Mar 3, 2003

With Slippers of Spider Climbing, yes you can do that. The spell is not explicit about how many hands/feet must stay on the wall/ceiling to work, but I use 3. Less than 3 and you risk falling.

melkoriii · Mar 3, 2003

The spell states that “The subject can climb and travel on vertical surfaces or even traverse ceilings as well as a spider does.”

That is the wording. That means that you can climb on ice walls and ice ceilings but not ice floor as the spell does not help you there.

In 3.5 this would be a great spell to update as the wording is very bad.

Dr. Zoom · Mar 3, 2003

melkoriii said:
That is the wording. That means that you can climb on ice walls and ice ceilings but not ice floor as the spell does not help you there.

I just don't think the spell will work like that when Slippers of Spider Climbing does not allow it. I agree that the spell needs reworded.

melkoriii · Mar 3, 2003

Dr. Zoom said:
I just don't think the spell will work like that when Slippers of Spider Climbing does not allow it. I agree that the spell needs reworded.

Slippers of Spider Climb are different thus has different text.

With Slippers you dont have to have bare hands and feet ether but the spell says you do.

So they are different and read each one separately.

Dr. Zoom · Mar 4, 2003

I know the differances between the Slippers and the spell, but they both use the same ability, namely spider climbing. Shouldn't they work similarly (or identically) on an icy surface?

Ferox4 · Mar 4, 2003

Alas, MY question has been answered, but THE question remains up in the air. Explanation to follow.

When I posted this question I was not aware of the distinction between the Slippers of Spider Climbing and the Spider Climb spell. The character in question is indeed wearing the slippers, therefore making it impossible to climb icy surfaces. My question is resolved.

The greater question seems to be - can the spell allow a character to climb on ice walls/ceilings? I don't have the DMG in front of me, but I imagine the prerequisites to make the Slippers of Spider Climbing are: Caster Level 3rd; Craft Wondrous Item; Spider Climb. If this is indeed the case then why wouldn't/shouldn't they behave the same? In my mind I was all ready assuming that was the case, otherwise I would have made the distinction when I posted the question.

I mean, would an Amulet of Natural Armor behave any differently than the Druid spell Natural Armor?

Dr. Zoom · Mar 4, 2003

Not necessarily. Magic items do not always function the way their prerequisite spells work. For example, a flaming sword does not work like a fireball spell, even though fireball can be used in its creation. So even though the spider climb spell is a prerequisite spell for the Slippers, that in itself does not mean they work exactly like the spell. As melkoriii pointed out above, the spell requires bare hands and feet, but the Slippers obviously do not. When it comes to the issue of icy surfaces, I think it is reasonable to conclude that both the spell and the Slippers interact with the icy surface in the same manner, not because the Slippers have spider climb as a prerequisite, but because they actually do work in essentially the same way with the same ability, namely spider climbing (even though the spell requires hands and feet and the Slippers just feet), and the Slippers say that icy surfaces are no good. YMMV.