7.4 Climb (Str)

The Climb skill represents your ability to climb obstacles. A creature that is climbing without a climb speed takes a -4 penalty to its accuracy and Armor and Reflex defenses.

7.4.1 Common Climb Tasks

Creature Climb: As a standard action, you can make a Climb vs. Reflex attack against a creature you touch. This requires one free hand, and the target must be two or more size categories larger than you. On a hit, you latch onto the target and can climb on it as if it was a surface with a difficulty value equal to its Reflex defense. The creature takes a -2 accuracy penalty with strikes against you. You must repeat this attack at the end of each subsequent round to stay climbing on the creature. For each consecutive round that you climb on a non-ally in this way, you take a cumulative -5 penalty to this attack.

Grab Surface: You can make a Climb check as part of movement to grab a surface that you are passing by. The difficulty value is 10 higher than normal for the surface if you were moving for reasons out of your control (such as if you are falling). Success means you grab onto the wall and interrupt your movement. This does not prevent you from taking falling damage appropriate for the distance you fell.

Maintain Hold: Whenever you take damage while climbing on a surface, suddenly acquire significantly more weight (such as by catching a falling character), or otherwise are significantly distracted, you must make a Climb check based on the surface. Failure means you fall off of the surface, and are prone (half speed, -2 Armor and Ref) when you land.

Move: You can make a Climb check as a movement while you are touching a solid surface. This requires two free hands, or one free hand if you take a -5 penalty. The difficulty value is based on the surface. Success means that you move along the surface, up to a maximum distance equal to the vertical size of your space (see Size Categories). Critical success means the maximum distance you can move is doubled.

Wall Jump: You can make a difficulty value 10 Climb check as part of movement to jump off of a wall you are adjacent to. This difficulty value increases by 5 for each time you have used this ability since landing on solid ground. Success means you can jump off of the wall (see Jumping). Failure means your jump fails, and your movement ends, which typically makes you fall to the ground. Critical success means that you are treated as having a running start with the jump.

Wallrun: You can make a Climb check as part of your movement while you are touching a solid surface. The difficulty value is 10 higher than normal for the surface. Success means you can move using your land speed along the wall during the current phase. You move at half speed while going up. Failure means you fall. For every phase in which you use this ability on the same wall without reaching a stable stopping point, the DV increases by 5.

7.4.2 Common Climb Modifiers

Slippery and mobile surfaces make Climb checks more difficult. If you can brace against multiple surfaces, such as in a corner or between two opposed walls, climbing can be significantly easier.

7.4.3 Climb Difficulty Value Examples

DV	Surface or Activity	Example
0	Steep slope	A hill too steep to walk up
5	Large, sturdy hand and foot holds	Knotted rope, heavily damaged stone wall, ship’s rigging
10	Small, sturdy hand and foot holds	Surface with pitons or carved holes, weathered stone wall
10	Inconsistent or unsteady hand and foot holds	Unknotted rope, unweathered natural rock, shoddy brick or brick wall
10	Only large hand holds	Tree limbs, pulling yourself up by your hands while dangling
15	Rough surface with few holds	Weathered natural rock face, quality wood or brick wall
20	Rough surface without holds	Quality stone wall
25	Smooth surface without holds	Window

7.4.4 Climb Speed

Some creatures have a listed climb speed. A creature with a passive climb speed must still make a Climb check to climb on surfaces. However, the distance it can move if it succeeds on the Climb check is equal to its listed climb speed, regardless of its size or whether it gets a critical success.