D&D 5E Escaping from (rope) bonds... What is your ruling?

[Vaalingrade]

In 1E: hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, precision, balance, speed of movement
In 2E: hand-eye coordination, agility, reaction speed, reflexes, balance
In 3E: hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, balance
in 4E: hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, balance
In 5E: agility, reflexes, balance

Hand-eye coordination didn't get through the NEXT Playtest?

Not that I'm surprised but...

 

[ECMO3]

During some character sheet revision, I decided to double-check abilities and their uses and came across something which seems a bit odd to me: if your PC is bound, tied, etc. by ropes (typically behind their back), the PHB implies it would be a straight Dexterity check (the "wriggle free of bonds" item).

Curiousity (and boredom) getting the better of me, I thought "why not ask how others do it?"

Do you allow Acrobatics or Sleight of Hand to help with escaping from ropes when bound?



ATTENTION: Ok folks, this is an "all-age" web site, so let's keep it "clean" please and thank you!

In terms of escaping as an action would treat them exactly the same as manacles - DC 20 Dex to slip out or DC 20 Strength to break with no proficiency bonus. If it is a thin rope I might lower the strength check, or increase it for a heavy rope.

I would allow a slight of hand check to try to break free over the course of an hour by wiggling or untying the ropes. That would be a lower DC, probably 15 I think.

 

[Bacon Bits]

In, I think, either the second or third campaign we ran, someone asked if they could take Rope as a tool proficiency. Ever since then, we have played with Rope as a tool proficiency.

 

[pemerton]

maybe narrative demands capture for progress of the story, but you still want to open tiny possibility of escape if someone is so much focused on that aspect of the character.

This doesn't make sense to me. If you're going to railroad, why are you creating a risk of it failing? If your game can survive a departure from the railroad, why does it need to be very improbable that it occur?

 

[pemerton]

What I think is both a waste of time and a destroyer of fun is the GM saying "You are all tied up and in dank cells. Now what?" and then answering with "Nope, that didn't work. Now what?" ad nauseum because either there is no way out (but won't just tell them that) or the GM has one singular solution in mind and are focing the players to find it. None of that leads to more fun.

But verisimilitude!

(Just kidding. I agree 100%.)

 

[Stormonu]

In, I think, either the second or third campaign we ran, someone asked if they could take Rope as a tool proficiency. Ever since then, we have played with Rope as a tool proficiency.

Could go a little broader with climbing tools (though that wouldn't help sailors who are known for their rope/knot skills).

 

[Bacon Bits]

Could go a little broader with climbing tools (though that wouldn't help sailors who are known for their rope/knot skills).

Yeah that's actually part of what prompted it. If you read the description for climbing tools it doesn't include rope or grappling hooks. It's all stuff you use on top of that.

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

How about Strength (acrobatics) or intelligence (slight of hand)?

 

[jayoungr]

Haven't read the whole thread. But if Acrobatics can be used to wriggle out of grapples, it should be usable to get out of ropes as well.

Sleight of hand strikes me more as being about quickness and subtlety, though, so it seems less useful.

 

[Scott Christian]

Acrobatics, sleight of hand, athletics, etc. For me, any of it works as long as the player explains what their PC is doing. That said, I really believe the DC for getting out of rope binds should be much more difficult than what appears. It's always seemed to me that the hands tied in front of you without having it around your neck and ankles is silly.