Does anyone put skill points in Jump and Climb?
- Thread starter Zerovoid
- Start date
Kobold Avenger
Legend
I'd max out on the jump skill if I had a Monk, Psychic Warrior or Bladedancer, because the answer is simple. The ability to jump really, really far. For example a Psychic Warrior/ Bladedancer (providing your DM allows the spellcasting requirement to also apply to psionic abilities) with some applications of the feats Mental Leap and Speed of Thought could easily jump more than 100 feet without any problem at all.
Tewligan
First Post
Well, I've never run a game where the characters can just burn some gold and get whatever magic items they want. Sure, the slippers may only cost 2k (or more...), but who's to say that there's a nearby shop just waiting for someone to take those darn slippers off their hands? Also, most low-level wizards don't prepare "just in case" spells - they prepare what'll probably be needed, not what _might_ be needed.Zerovoid said:
Synergy
5 ranks in Jump gives a +2 synergy bonus to Tumble and vice versa.
That's a good reason to put ranks in Jump. Tumble is one of the best "physical" skills in the game (you mostly need only a +14 check modifier).
For warriors, Climb and Jump are standard skills. It suits the flavour to add them on.
Does your DM allow free purchasing of skill-boosting magical items? I would not.
5 ranks in Jump gives a +2 synergy bonus to Tumble and vice versa.
That's a good reason to put ranks in Jump. Tumble is one of the best "physical" skills in the game (you mostly need only a +14 check modifier).
For warriors, Climb and Jump are standard skills. It suits the flavour to add them on.
Does your DM allow free purchasing of skill-boosting magical items? I would not.
When I play a style of character that needs those skills, I max 'em out. Climb, Balance, and Jump are skill sets that can be deadly to any PC who is not magically-enhanced. Swim mechanics, are IMHO as a swimmer, IRL, are a bit heavy-handed and require way too many skill points just to be able to tread water whilst holding nothing but a dagger and wearing nothing but a +2 Enhancing Speedo. I changed the Swim rules in my campaign, because everyone, and I mean everyone freaked out when they came across a 3' wide stream.
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arwink
Clockwork Golem
Cause I only get to wear one set of footware at a time, and if the choice comes down to the Slippers of Spiderclimb and boots of (Pick nearly anything else), I know which one I'd be pickin.
And cause having a high level anything running around with a pair of pink bunnies on his fight just so he can climb walls is wrong.
And cause having a high level anything running around with a pair of pink bunnies on his fight just so he can climb walls is wrong.
Elder-Basilisk
First Post
My main Living Greyhawk character has had 4 ranks of climb since 3rd level (he started with two) and he's never regretted having them. In fact, he's actually used climb on a half dozen occasions or so. (And in most of them, he was the only character who could make the climbs unaided.)
Despite being a wizard himself (ftr 2/wiz 5 at the moment), he's never been able to rely upon spider climb, levitate, etc. After all, the spider climb in his spellbook could have been shield, protection from evil, true strike, or burning hands. The levitate could have been bull's strength, flaming sphere, or glitterdust. At his next level, he plans to pick up fly but he still wouldn't use the spell to climb a tree or a cliff he could climb without magic. After all, he might need the fly spell for a combat later in the day. The less resources he expends upon overcoming an obstacle, the better.
Similarly, the opportunity cost of skill boosting or replacing items has simply been too great for him to buy slippers of spider climbing or something like that. He'd rather have a headband of intellect +2 (that gives him one extra haste spell per day and boosts his DCs). He'd rather have a magic weapon. He'd rather have a +2 mithril chain shirt. He'd rather have an amulet of natural armor.
That being said, he'll probably invest in a few cheap scrolls of spider climb and jump just in case. . . .
Despite being a wizard himself (ftr 2/wiz 5 at the moment), he's never been able to rely upon spider climb, levitate, etc. After all, the spider climb in his spellbook could have been shield, protection from evil, true strike, or burning hands. The levitate could have been bull's strength, flaming sphere, or glitterdust. At his next level, he plans to pick up fly but he still wouldn't use the spell to climb a tree or a cliff he could climb without magic. After all, he might need the fly spell for a combat later in the day. The less resources he expends upon overcoming an obstacle, the better.
Similarly, the opportunity cost of skill boosting or replacing items has simply been too great for him to buy slippers of spider climbing or something like that. He'd rather have a headband of intellect +2 (that gives him one extra haste spell per day and boosts his DCs). He'd rather have a magic weapon. He'd rather have a +2 mithril chain shirt. He'd rather have an amulet of natural armor.
That being said, he'll probably invest in a few cheap scrolls of spider climb and jump just in case. . . .
1) I've seen low Str chars with medium or heavy armor put points in Climb just so that they have enough to take '10' and still get a 10 to climb a rope.
2) Balance - if your DM doesn't think things through and just blindly follows recommendations in published adventures this is pretty much an useless skill. For example look at The Approaching Swarm http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/ch/ch20020610a
Notice that it calls for Reflex saves when moving through mud to avoid slipping. Give me a break, that just screams Balance check. I have found this to be typical of published adventures.
2) Balance - if your DM doesn't think things through and just blindly follows recommendations in published adventures this is pretty much an useless skill. For example look at The Approaching Swarm http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/ch/ch20020610a
Notice that it calls for Reflex saves when moving through mud to avoid slipping. Give me a break, that just screams Balance check. I have found this to be typical of published adventures.
Acmite
First Post
smetzger said:
I've seen and done the same...although our group more and more has a knotted rope set aside for climbing, so the check is only DC 5.
That really irritates me. I'm of the opinion that certain skills, like Balance and Concentration, should be much more used and useful in many campaigns. It really surprised me how little Balance seems to be used in the posts above--and then I thought back to my most recently finished campaign (I was a player), and I realized that despite the fact that we had an excellent DM with a strong grasp of the rules, Balance only came into play once or twice. I can think of one occasion for sure, but there must have been at least one other.
Besides, how many Pirates and Monks don't have ranks in Climb, Balance and Jump?
Most of my outdoorsy characters have ranks in those skills, thanks to my Living Greyhawk experiences: I missed jumping over one too many 2ft walls whilst using the 'it only comes up now and then'.
As a DM, I use them sparingly though. Like Acmite, I think they should be used in more situations, but I balance that against speed of play - I don't like a lot of dice rolling slowing my games down. This also helps to emphasize their need those times when they are necessary.
Gig
As a DM, I use them sparingly though. Like Acmite, I think they should be used in more situations, but I balance that against speed of play - I don't like a lot of dice rolling slowing my games down. This also helps to emphasize their need those times when they are necessary.
Gig
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