[Poll] Tumbling?

[Someone]

I think that class with tumble as class skill need the current tumbling rules to be effective in combat and be true to their shtick. Rogues and monks are supposed to be able to move freely. And anything that makes the combat easier (not having to make opposed rolls or even to roll at all) is better in my book.

 

[Winternight]

LEAVE IT!

Just leave it the way it is.
THe PHB (3.0) is one of the coolest rulebooks I have ever seen. IIt does cover most circumstances with easy rules.
SOme of them may suck, (Falling damage) but it is a fast system.
I do like your idea with the 10+attackbonus. But it is getting more and more comlicated.
Play 3.0
and not 3.7

 

[Kerrick]

You could always use the variant in Song and Silence. Specifically, if you tumble through a threatened area, anyone in that area may make a Reflex save (DC equal to the Tumble check) to be able to make an AOO against you. I rather like this variant, as it's simple, and it scales with level - a high-level (or highly dextrous) rogue/monk tumbling thrugh the area will be harder to hit than the fighter in chainmail.

 

[Enkhidu]

I voted for option one, although I use the tumbling rules from Monte's AU -- opponent's attack roll sets the DC, and if you blow the tumble check they can take the AoO and roll again, this time to hit. Very similar, but also slightly different.

Why not cut out the middleman and simply substitute the tumble check for the AC the AoO has to hit (with a minimum of what weuld otherwise be the AC of the tumbler)?

 

[Norfleet]

Why not cut out the middleman and simply substitute the tumble check for the AC the AoO has to hit (with a minimum of what weuld otherwise be the AC of the tumbler)?

Because that would be thoroughly useless at most levels? Everyone, period, has a base AC of 10, so you see NOTHING until tumble is greater than 10, and possibly much more, if your character has other sources of non-Dex AC (Dex being on both sides of the equation, so can be ignored).

Really, though, tumble is not such a big deal. It's DC15 to simply tumble by an opponent, which means figuring a +3 to +6 Dex mod, it won't actually work prior to level 8 anyway, and all it does is avoid an attack of opportunity. It does nothing to avoid the readied action "Whack the fool who tumbles through here". Attacks of opportunity are just opportunities: They don't mean you can't actually attack somebody.

Plus that I'd rule that when players tumble about the map, they start losing unsecured pieces of luggage. I'd like to see YOU try tumbling about without losing a large number of unsecured items and thoroughly jumbling the contents of your pack, and possibly breaking something if it's really fragile, like an egg.