Is there any way PC's in a flying form (druid wildshifts, polymorph) could find a way to bypass the need to make tumble checks when dealing with ropes? Seeing a bat "fail to climb the rope" and fall just seems... out of place. I figure just adding to their natural tumble ability might make them lose their balance. Or I guess you could add +10 tumble, and also -2 AC maybe?

I like the idea of adding to Tumble for those checks, but you wouldn't need to reduce the AC to compensate. The AC bonus from Tumble is calculated by the ranks alone, and not the bonuses, which merely counteract armor check penalties and help for the roll in combat.

wouldn't it be better to have ropes and all based on dexterity instead of tumble since not all dextertious people can use tumble like a fighter with good dex and such :?:

The traditional climbing checks are based on Strength, actually. I'm not sure why it's Tumble for EfU, but I was just going with it.

Strength wouldn't always make sense, either.

A halfling would likely have a low strength due to size, but would still be quite adept at climbing.

JackOfSwords ...adept at climbing...

...why?

In P&p Halflings get an automatic -2 to climb because of there small size but that is offset because of the +2 they get for being halflings. Confusing aint it?

This is one of these times when you need to show sence. Halflings have climb bonus in DnD because climbing dosnt have to be simply pulling oneself up a thing but could be seen as being nimble enough to scramble up it as well. It is in this respect halflings get the bonus being as thay are predisposed to being nimble little buggers. But in respect to the tumble question i think its simply the best skill based check that the game engine has seeing as climb dosnt feature in the mechanic. Although it would be nice to have perhaps another option that didnt require it to be used... Tumble check with bloke in full plate armour... not good idea.

maybe you could give the feat epic skill focus : tumble to flying creatures, that way they dont receive the AC bonus but they have a +10 or +20 not sure on their tumble check.

All Tumble bonuses are wasted without at least a single rank invested in the skill, though, since Tumble is a trained-only skill.

I think thats reasonable since you would think that any druid should be sort of adept at climbing/tumbling/etc. and taking one rank in it would be something that is needed and worthwhile if you want the benefits in a different form.