Charging up a slope.

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

The rules for slopes have me a tad confused.

I was under the impression you can't charge or run through difficult terrain. Difficult terrain being defined as terrain that costs movement.

Can you charge up a slope? How about run?

 

[Bagpuss]

Technically I think you need a balance check. Although the Climb skill, mentions something about a slope being something you can't walk up, but that is probably refering to a different degree of slope.

To me there's a shallow slope, no effect on movement.
Gentle slope, half movement but no balance check needed and you can run and charge.
Steep slope, requires balance check as defined by link above, but you can run and charge with successful check.
Vertical slope, requires climb check as defined by link above.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Can you charge up a slope? How about run?

What's the movement going up a slope? Is it hampered? If so, then no.

If it's not strictly hampered, but requires a balance check, then you can charge by accepting a -5 penalty on the balance check. Nothing in the balance rules mention running, so I'd say you can't run up the slope in such a case. But, perhaps a houserule of allowing running with a -10 penalty would be okay.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Based on the SRD, you can do so if you make a Balance check (DC 15). Generally, conditions that apply to charging apply to running as well (so I figure the same Balance check).

Cover, concealment (eg undergrowth), obstacles, scree, etc, could all make running or charging up a hill impossible or difficult.

I wish they had included that in the terrain rules, though.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Generally, conditions that apply to charging apply to running as well (so I figure the same Balance check).

In many case perhaps, but not all. Running is usually about twice as fast as when you charge, so in the case of balancing I can easily see not allowing running at all. However, doing that causes a potential paradox when a character tries to run through a grease spell (not knowing it's there). Not allowing running in such a case makes it almost like a grease detector.

But, I would certainly increase the penalty for running as opposed to charging.

 

[Bagpuss]

What's the movement going up a slope? Is it hampered? If so, then no.

If it's not strictly hampered, but requires a balance check, then you can charge by accepting a -5 penalty on the balance check. Nothing in the balance rules mention running, so I'd say you can't run up the slope in such a case. But, perhaps a houserule of allowing running with a -10 penalty would be okay.

Did you follow my link? You only need to make a balance check on a wide slope if you run or charge. Otherwise you don't even need to make a check. The DC is 10, fail by 4 or less and you can act normally but not run or charge, fail by more than that and you can't move.

Speed appears to only be restricted if it 12 inches or less wide, in which case you take a -5 to move at full speed for a move action, so you can double move or charge but not run.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Did you follow my link?

You mean your link to a huge amount of text, of which you quoted none and referenced nothing specific? It would be more helpful next time to be more specific, like pointing out that the table footnote differs from the text, which I did not notice at first.

The reasons why all three non-shallow slope suggestions in your initial response don't work:

1. You cannot run or charge while climbing, period.
2. If your movement rate is reduced, your movement is hampered and thus you cannot run or charge. You need to somehow overcome that movement reduction.

Speed appears to only be restricted if it 12 inches or less wide, in which case you take a -5 to move at full speed for a move action, so you can double move or charge but not run.

There's no such restriction. Speed is half normal on any "precarious surface." Unfortunately, the Accelerated Movement section doesn't mention running, despite the mention in the footnote, so that creates a conflict. (You cannot run while hampered and if you are moving on a precarious surface you are hampered unless you can accelerate, but running is not explicitly called out to accelerate.) This last part is what is missing from the Balance skill and explains why I responded the way I did.