I find DC:15 for every 15' of a climb check ridiculous... We climbed rope in gym class, too, and no one in my Jr. High School class failed, not even me (the sub-ninety-five-pound weakling, nor the "fat kid")! I think DC:10 or 12 (counting STR Bonus) is enough. Please notice, there is no -5 DC Modifier for light/no encumbrance, nor penalty for more weight, so the "Well, you're doing this in armor, and with weapons" arguement holds no water... besides, I can destroy that arguement in one word: "Monks!" 
At DC:15, an average *PC*, with +2 for a 14 STR will fail, even taking 10! S/He will need at least three ranks (six, if Climb is a Cross-Class skill) in order to succeed. This is TOO MUCH!
Make the climb check DC:10, modified by Armor Penalty, if any (note that Light Armours generally don't have any). Then add a weight modifier of -5 for light encumbrance, +5 DC for Medium, and +10 for Heavy Encumbrance (although, actually, I believe the Enc., itself, already has a DC Penalty associated with it).
I have climbed, rocks, ropes, even cables. I have never fallen off anything, except once, as a child, playing in the rafters of an unfinished house (and that was when holding onto nothing, so it was a failed Balance check, not Climb). When I fail a Climb check, it means that I FAIL TO CLIMB (making no progress), NOT that I FALL!
Now I fail to climb UP something quite a bit. I can't recall ever failing to climb DOWN.
I agree with the original poster (John Semlak)... The Climb DC for an unknotted rope is too strict, and climbing DOWN should be easier. Sure, people fall, but that's generally when they do something they shouldn't be (AKA "Stupid"), or when they can't take 10 (AKA "Combat").
At DC:15, an average *PC*, with +2 for a 14 STR will fail, even taking 10! S/He will need at least three ranks (six, if Climb is a Cross-Class skill) in order to succeed. This is TOO MUCH!
Make the climb check DC:10, modified by Armor Penalty, if any (note that Light Armours generally don't have any). Then add a weight modifier of -5 for light encumbrance, +5 DC for Medium, and +10 for Heavy Encumbrance (although, actually, I believe the Enc., itself, already has a DC Penalty associated with it).
I have climbed, rocks, ropes, even cables. I have never fallen off anything, except once, as a child, playing in the rafters of an unfinished house (and that was when holding onto nothing, so it was a failed Balance check, not Climb). When I fail a Climb check, it means that I FAIL TO CLIMB (making no progress), NOT that I FALL!
Now I fail to climb UP something quite a bit. I can't recall ever failing to climb DOWN.I agree with the original poster (John Semlak)... The Climb DC for an unknotted rope is too strict, and climbing DOWN should be easier. Sure, people fall, but that's generally when they do something they shouldn't be (AKA "Stupid"), or when they can't take 10 (AKA "Combat").
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