D&D 5E Climbing and falling

[Laurefindel]

While I read seemingly conflicting ways to DM in this thread, I don’t think they are irreconcilable. What I’ve seen is that...

1) An obstacle meant to test the adventurers isn’t an obstacle if there are no chances of failure (on an ability check).

2) There is no point tracking failures unless there are consequences affecting the characters’ story in significant ways (although the level of significance can vary).

3) There is no point imposing significant consequences if it makes the game needlessly grind to a halt, makes the story regress, or forces the DM to jump through hoops to get the game « back on track »

Now, different DMs are better or more willing to improvise the story after a significant failure. Some excel at « failing forward » in play. Some consider lesser complications as significant consequences. Some put « false obstacles » meant to bring the world to life, but aren’t supposed to hinder the PC much. But beyond those differences, I feel that everyone here plays more or less in accordance to the three points above.

 

[Flamestrike]

Isn't the whole point of a pit to trap someone or slow them down? If you allow PCs to just climb out all the time, where is the challenge? What then would be the purpose of the pit???

Well yes, they can climb out all the time.

Mate, if you, me and three other people found ourselves with one of us down a 20' pit, the person at the bottom of the pit will get out (presuming they're in good health etc).

The only time I'd call for a check would be if the pit was particularly difficult to get out of (lack of adequate hand holds, no one around to help etc) or if time was of the issue and the PC had to get out fast.

If a PC fell down a pit in the middle of combat, and wanted to get out in a single round, then I'd make it a check.

If they had time and/or people to help them get out, I dont see the need for a check at all in most cases.

Adventurers are exceptional. We're talking people who can easily wrestle and or beat to death with their bare hands Grizzly bears or Saltwater crocodiles or Great White sharks from early T2 (5th level onwards), and at early T3 can do the same against a T-Rex.

 

[LordEntrails]

You missed the point. WHY is it a hazard? Because people can fall in, injuring themselves, and possibly become trapped. THAT is the purpose of a pit.

That's the purpose of your pits. Mine are much more varied depending upon what I need. You missed the point of what I was trying to say. I understand your point, that every pit you do is the same and is a challenge and you use it the same way (maybe?). I don't.

And that's ok.

If my players reach a river, and there is no bridge and the current is strong enough or some other issue, then YES I am going to make them play it out

Exactly my point. IF

if there is a meaningful consequence to failure

Exactly. But I don't make every river my players cross have meaningful consequences of crossing.

Nor should the average PC

That is the key difference in our game styles. To me, an adventurer is heroic because they succeed against the challenge, not because I hand-wave it away and say, "Dude, you are so heroic your PC just does it, man!" and the challenge doesn't exist for them (even though it would for a commoner).

Sometimes I run the game with PCs are just average Joe's no different than anyone else until they grow beyond their mundane start. Sometimes PCs are different from the start. More than just potential, they have destinies and every one can tell they are somehow different. And of course their are other styles as well.

Different styles, all of them good at different times.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Mine are much more varied depending upon what I need.

Then what exactly do your pits do?

 

[Flamestrike]

Then what exactly do your pits do?

Drain resources. Hit points mainly.

Occasionally pose a lethal threat (spikes, long falls, sheer walls etc).

Depends if they're 'setback, dangerous or deadly' pits as per the DMG.

Even a 50' pit is easily climbed out of with a rope which all adventurers have. Unless you're doing something radically different to me, climbing out of a pit using a rope with a wall to brace on is 'DC dont bother rolling, you make it.'

 

[LordEntrails]

Then what exactly do your pits do?

Pits don't all have to have the same purpose. It could be flavor. It could be drama, it could be a hazard in the middle of a combat encounter, or it could be a challenging encounter all on it's own. Depending on the pit.

 

[Al'Kelhar]

Then what exactly do your pits do?

Well...

Geddit?

 

[Flamestrike]

Then what exactly do your pits do?

Not result in Achilles comically struggling to get out of one for 5 minutes of game play..?

 

[Lanefan]

How I actually run incidental climbs out-of-combat:

• PCs make a single successful Strength (Athletics) check to climb the entire distance (here, 20' but it could be 300' and it'd still be one check).
• A PC that fails by less than 5 takes two or three times as long to reach the top. Sometimes this matters.
• A PC that fails by 5 or more falls. They take damage as though they fell halfway (here, 10' for 1d6 damage for a 20' climb, or 150' for 15d6 for a 300' climb). Usually then I skip to the part where the party reaches the top or bottom, about five times longer than it normally takes to climb (if it's the top). I'm almost never going to make characters fall 2 or more times on the same climb. That's a boring story. You took your lumps, let's move on.
• Average climb DC is 8. Climbing with a rope is DC 5. This means that unless you have someone with negative strength and no athletics proficiency, you won't ever fall if you have a rope. That way you can handwave the whole thing as taking a few minutes.
• If the PCs tie themselves together or otherwise explain how they're working together to assist each other, they can make a group check. One character (probably the one with the highest Strength (Athletics) bonus) can roll one check with advantage.

I loathe rolling dice multiple times to determine the result of an event. One die is more than enough uncertainty to resolve most things out of combat. The last thing I'm interested in doing is making every PC roll every 15' of a 300' climb. Especially if someone falls. I have no interest in watching 5 people roll 20d20 one at a time hoping they don't roll below a 3 or whatever. I intend climbing to be an obstacle that the PCs can overcome by thinking, planning, and cooperation, not an individual skill challenge. The PCs usually aren't getting XP for it, so I'm not going to make it that difficult.

Agreed one roll per character but I've no problem at all making them roll again if they fall and try the climb again. And if they fail they fall. If the roll barely succeeds (e.g. if the DC is 8 and the roll adds to 9) then the climb will take longer but the PC will eventually get to the top. In other word, what I do on a narrow success you do on a narrow fail, which makes your system way easier on the PCs.

And once in a while they're all going to fail, meaning they're either stuck at the bottom or have to try something different.

 

[Lanefan]

Even a 50' pit is easily climbed out of with a rope which all adventurers have.

True if there's someone at the top to hold said rope or tie it to something sturdy. Not so true if the whole party is at the bottom...

...unless said rope has a grappling hook and there's something up topside that it can hook onto...