Does anyone put skill points in Jump and Climb?
- Thread starter Zerovoid
- Start date
Furn_Darkside
First Post
Re: Re: Re: Does anyone put skill points in Jump and Climb?
Actually, I just got the idea from the item's description.
And I don't think I would allow them to work underwater- since by its nature that would be too slippery.
FD
Zerovoid said:
Actually, I just got the idea from the item's description.
And I don't think I would allow them to work underwater- since by its nature that would be too slippery.
FD
Dimenhydrinate
First Post
Zerovoid said:
but.. but.. I'm the rogue it is in my job description to climb.
Acmite
First Post
The weird thing is, I have yet to see a rogue in 3rd ed take more than 2 ranks in Climb. Ever. Regardless of level.
This is despite the fact that all the guys I game with played 2nd ed.
I know if I played a rogue, it's one of the skills I'd max out, but then again, I've always liked playing the acrobatic-thieves more than the open locks/pick pockets sort.
This is despite the fact that all the guys I game with played 2nd ed.
I know if I played a rogue, it's one of the skills I'd max out, but then again, I've always liked playing the acrobatic-thieves more than the open locks/pick pockets sort.
MeepoTheMighty
First Post
Phowett said:
Bah! What's that got to do with anything?
Lord Zardoz
Explorer
Its a problem of perspective...
For many situations, you are correct. The situations that DM's usually set before their players can be solved by the use of spells. Movement obstacles are defeated with the Fly, Levitatate, Invisibility, etc.
However, as many have pointed out, there is a price to pay for the use of magic to solve those problems. The most obvious cost is that the Spellcaster in question will need to use spells or create items to provide those effects.
The less obvious cost is that you deny yourself opportunities to use those skills to create opportunities that would not exist otherwise.
Being able to use the Jump skill to get to the roof of a low building on the spur of the moment is one such example already given. Using the Climb skill to get to an elevated position for scouting or recon purposes is another possibility to consider.
Another thing to consider is the archetypical DM favorite adventure concept: Lets strip the PC's of all their Gear and see how they deal with it. You cannot always count on the presence of your magical items, and you often cannot count on your spell casters to provide you with the relevant spells.
END COMMUNICATION
For many situations, you are correct. The situations that DM's usually set before their players can be solved by the use of spells. Movement obstacles are defeated with the Fly, Levitatate, Invisibility, etc.
However, as many have pointed out, there is a price to pay for the use of magic to solve those problems. The most obvious cost is that the Spellcaster in question will need to use spells or create items to provide those effects.
The less obvious cost is that you deny yourself opportunities to use those skills to create opportunities that would not exist otherwise.
Being able to use the Jump skill to get to the roof of a low building on the spur of the moment is one such example already given. Using the Climb skill to get to an elevated position for scouting or recon purposes is another possibility to consider.
Another thing to consider is the archetypical DM favorite adventure concept: Lets strip the PC's of all their Gear and see how they deal with it. You cannot always count on the presence of your magical items, and you often cannot count on your spell casters to provide you with the relevant spells.
END COMMUNICATION
Furn_Darkside
First Post
MeepoTheMighty said:
Bah! What's that got to do with anything?
Phowett must be one of those fancy dan city boys- drinking his bottled water and throwin around his $5 words. Pfft.
We don't need no roleplaying in these parts!
FD
Spider_Jerusalem
Explorer
Jumping is for people like bards.
Therefore, my Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil character was a bard who was utterly maxed out in jump:
2 rings of jump (yup... effects did stack)
boots of striding and springing
Basically, he got a +70 to jump checks, which was a great deal of fun (especially when you get to bound after a fleeing dragon and match speed with it). Useless a lot of the time, but he was interesting to play (lots of mindless "where can I jump to?" thoughts).
Climb, on the other hand, is boring. But essential.
Spider.
Therefore, my Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil character was a bard who was utterly maxed out in jump:
2 rings of jump (yup... effects did stack)
boots of striding and springing
Basically, he got a +70 to jump checks, which was a great deal of fun (especially when you get to bound after a fleeing dragon and match speed with it). Useless a lot of the time, but he was interesting to play (lots of mindless "where can I jump to?" thoughts).
Climb, on the other hand, is boring. But essential.
Spider.
Rashak Mani
First Post
I´ll say only this... CLIMB can be worth those skill ranks thou not commonly... but JUMP is absolutely useless because you cant jump anything reasonable unless you have loads of ranks/points.
Jump is pathetic.
Jump is pathetic.
Nish
First Post
Man, does this thread ever bring back memories for me...
Ya see, it was way back in second edition, the game had only two players and both of us were thieves. The other player's character had this cloak that gave him the ability to fly, so he never put any skill points into climb walls. On the other hand, my character concept was to be the ultimate intruder, someone who could break into anywhere, so I maxed out climb shortly after HS/MS.
Despite the fact that my character was alot cooler than his,
I was always living in his shadow, so to speak. He was always a few levels higher than me because I joined the campaign much later than him, his EQ was leagues ahead of mine, and to top it off he was playing some seriously broken kit that gave him a bunch of fighter abilities with only trivial penalties to his thief abilities. I didn't really mind so much because I was playing the character I wanted to play, and I was having a good time. Or so I thought...
Then one day he turned stag on my character and our organization. I had the singular pleasure of hunting him down and having him killed (he seriously outclassed me, remember). The man that killed him took all of his wonderful, wonderful EQ (including that cloak) except for his signature weapon, and a ring which I took for my troubles. 
Because my character still felt some degree of loyalty to the guy, she decided to spare him and get him raised, minus all memory of his betrayal and the events leading up to it (there were what might be considered "extenuating circumstances" for his actions). Things mostly went back to normal after that, and we went back to our regular routine of infiltration and assassination. However, our first mission together afterwards, had us climbing into a second story window. This was something my character could do in her sleep, but the other character, bereft of magical items, had only his base score for being a thief and his bonus from dex.
Watching him struggle round after round to make a 15' climb was better than watching him get killed. I felt truly vindicated.
And that's why you should spend skill points on climb: people who actually roleplay will someday have the opportunity to laugh at you.
Ya see, it was way back in second edition, the game had only two players and both of us were thieves. The other player's character had this cloak that gave him the ability to fly, so he never put any skill points into climb walls. On the other hand, my character concept was to be the ultimate intruder, someone who could break into anywhere, so I maxed out climb shortly after HS/MS.
Despite the fact that my character was alot cooler than his,
I was always living in his shadow, so to speak. He was always a few levels higher than me because I joined the campaign much later than him, his EQ was leagues ahead of mine, and to top it off he was playing some seriously broken kit that gave him a bunch of fighter abilities with only trivial penalties to his thief abilities. I didn't really mind so much because I was playing the character I wanted to play, and I was having a good time. Or so I thought...Then one day he turned stag on my character and our organization. I had the singular pleasure of hunting him down and having him killed (he seriously outclassed me, remember
). The man that killed him took all of his wonderful, wonderful EQ (including that cloak) except for his signature weapon, and a ring which I took for my troubles. Because my character still felt some degree of loyalty to the guy, she decided to spare him and get him raised, minus all memory of his betrayal and the events leading up to it (there were what might be considered "extenuating circumstances" for his actions). Things mostly went back to normal after that, and we went back to our regular routine of infiltration and assassination. However, our first mission together afterwards, had us climbing into a second story window. This was something my character could do in her sleep, but the other character, bereft of magical items, had only his base score for being a thief and his bonus from dex. Watching him struggle round after round to make a 15' climb was better than watching him get killed. I felt truly vindicated.
And that's why you should spend skill points on climb: people who actually roleplay will someday have the opportunity to laugh at you.
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