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Message: <blockquote data-quote="coyote6" data-source="post: 4829052" data-attributes="member: 1225">As they said, if the character fails by 5 or more (that is, the Athletics check total is 0 or less), then they fall. But that's only possible if the character is clumsy and/or wearing very cumbersome armor & gear (with a high check penalty), *and* rolls bad. Any failure by 4 or less just means they get hung up/wobbly/freaked out, and don't get to move that round; try again next round.Also, if the character isn't in a rush and isn't threatened or distracted, then the character should be able to "Take 10" (p. 179 of the Players Handbook); then the skill result would 10 + total Athletics bonus. Then they'd fail only if they somehow had a -6 Athletics; I don't regularly play 4e, so I don't know if that's even possible, let alone feasible, but it doesn't seem likely. From looking at the Equipment chapter, it seems like the highest check penalty you could get would be -4 (for heavy armor and shield), and I think the lowest Str you can start with would be 8. So if you're a scrawny weakling who for some reason still wears the heaviest armor and carries the biggest shield, you're looking at a -5 penalty, so you'd still (barely) make it taking 10. You'd have to have some additional penalty, from a curse or disease or the like, to fail while taking 10.In other words, if the character isn't being chased or menaced by a monster, isn't afflicted, and isn't in a hurry or distracted -- which probably boils down to any time they're between encounters -- then  they can take 10 and climb down safely.</blockquote>

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