Inherent Ranger Bonus to Climb Checks

[Vendayan]

A rogue or a bard should not be able to climb a wall or scale a mountain better than a ranger. I propose a ranger should have instant success on any climbing checks or rope use checks due to class proficiency.

Rangers are simply masters of their own environment.  I'll go out on a limb here to suggest that the stereotypical ranger is own who has mastered a woodland environment.  I might think that across the entirety of Faerun, mountain rangers would be no more common than desert or plains rangers.  In the case of a ranger who came out of the mountains, I could see your point.  However, few other rangers would be daft enough to choose climbing steep cliff faces over simply walking around them.  Typically, if you aren't in the mountains there are quite remarkably few cliffs that you couldn't circumvent in half the time they would take you to climb.  Such endeavors are done through sport or stupidity, not necessity.

Rogues on the other hand learn to climb because more often than not, climbing through a window or over a wall to accomplish an unlawful goal is usually far safer than taking the front door or a well guarded gate.  Thus they could be more likely to have a reason to attempt such endeavors in any part of the world.  The argument against your suggestion that rangers should be better than rogues at climbing "walls" should be all too obvious.  Rangers lack both the opportunity and motivation to learn such things.

Consider how a cliff climbing competition would play out between the rogues and the rangers of Calimport and the Calim Desert.  I'd bet my left nut on the rogues, and I'd still call if someone raised me for the right one as well.

Bottom line is that a small outdoor bonus should be appropriate for rangers.  Though automatic climbing success for all natural surfaces or even class based superiority over rogues for structured surfaces is absolutely absurd.

[Porkolt]

Rogues should get a climb bonus in civilized areas, while rangers should get these in wilderness areas, then.

[The Beggar]

I think that male bards, ladies men, and anyone with the smarmy gigolo voice set should gain climb bonus, but only when attempting to get through a ladies window in the middle of the night.

Really, you could argue these points all day. I think a little cross class skill point placement or dual classing can add a lot of flavor to a character (and get you these same skills without having to code more stuff in).

[TheBarmaid]

THREAD NECROMANCIES
 
I had an idea. Why not add an EfUSS skill, Secondary Climb, so you can spend EFUSS points and get a +5 to climb when it's maxed?

[Wrexsoul]

THREAD NECROMANCIES
 
I had an idea. Why not add an EfUSS skill, Secondary Climb, so you can spend EFUSS points and get a +5 to climb when it's maxed?

It's already there in the form of Acrobatics. And it gives more than +5, besides!

[xXCrystal_Rose]

Eh.. I don't think any -class- should have a bonus to climb. None of the classes have features that revolve around climbing enough to warrant a bonus as part of the class training where others do not. What would be cool is if strength were part of climbing though :( A spindly little 6 strength halfling can carry themselves up a cliff easier than something with 24 strength that can actually haul their weight.

[A Case Of Rapiers]

I'm pretty sure it's been said by the DMs that strength is indeed part of the equation. However, it's heavily balanced by what armor is worn, since strength relative to weight is what's most important as what the person who is climbing is lifting is themselves. A somewhat strong person who is lighter, and is in light armor can climb much better than a very strong, but very large person in heavy armor. This is simply physics.

[Spiffy Has]

Strength is not part of the equation unless you have tumble (Or maybe even with...).

When I first started trying to climb, I had -1 despite 20 strength with a bulls strength brew when trying to go down the south cliffs.

[Paha]

Strength does affect.

Remember. There are different ways of climbing. "Free climbing" with claw and then there's the rope.

[Mort]

Rope climbing takes strength.

Free climbing is more dexterity base.

The point was to help rogues/dexterity PC have more roles in a party, by climbing and then tossing a rope for others to reach them.

Perhaps the rope check is too steep?

[Pigadig]

As a new player it was something of a shock to discover that the best way for my wizard to climb out of a ditch (without the jump spell) was to have his drunken hin friend knock him out cold and carry his limp body up the rope.

[xXCrystal_Rose]

How do you do the strength climbing? Using the claw it only allowed my dex modifier rather than strength to be added to it.