Level Up (A5E) Climbing Rules - Would love some help!

[Latejune27]

Hey Hey, good morning!

I've recently started playing A5E, and I've been having a blast!
I think our group has got most the rules right, but we seem to be in disagreement about one thing:

The Climbing Rules.


"Special Movement Climbing, Swimming, and Crawling.

Movement using these three methods is similar to traveling through difficult terrain though there are some key differences.
First, it costs a creature an extra foot to move for every foot spent.

Worse, if a creature is moving in actual difficult terrain, it costs two feet to move for every foot spent. Moving by climbing or swimming through normal terrain by a creature with the corresponding speed costs no additional movement.

A Narrator may apply additional checks in certain scenarios, such as climbing a particularly slippery surface or swimming in
churning water."

The way I interpret this, is that climbing by itself does not require a skill check if you have a climbing speed, but certain scenarios will add a skill check.
The way my DM interprets this, is that a climbing speed simply removes the movement penalty, and that any movement checks would still apply.

Is there any other errata or rules which clarifies this?
Would love any help you can give <3

 

[Distracted DM]

The way my DM interprets this, is that a climbing speed simply removes the movement penalty, and that any movement checks would still apply.

Unless you have Spider Climb, the spell or a similar effect, all a climb speed does is eliminate the half-speed move penalty. That's what spider climb is for, or, perhaps more easily attainable, a potion of climbing:

Potion of climbing gives you a climb speed- as well as advantage on checks made to climb

 

[Latejune27]

Makes sense, thank you!