Climb Walls (sage ability)

Climb walls is an amateur-status sage ability in the study ofAcrobatics, and an authority-status ability in the study of Sure-footedness, that allows characters to climb a vertical surface, with or without equipment, provided that surface retains cracks or mortared separations at least ⅓ of an inch deep. Surfaces that are polished or plastered smooth, made of metal or glass, or that possess a vertical slope greater than 95°, are not included in the ability. Unskilled climbers will not be able to perform this feat without equipment; doing so with equipment is called mountain climbing.

The distance that may be climbed safely, without requiring a die roll of any kind, equals the character's dexterity, +3 ft./level of the climber. Thus, a 3rd level climber with a 14 dexterity would be able to climb a 23 ft. vertical wall without trouble. Each foot of climbing would require 1 action point, so that at best a character would be able to climb 5 ft. per round. If, at any point within this distance, the climber is able to rest upon a surface that is at least 4 in. wide (a window ledge or a tree branch), and does so for a period of not less than three rounds, the climber may reset the distance they may climb safely from that point.

For example: Kaitlyn, who is able to safely climb 23 feet, wants to climb a 40 foot cliff. She sees that there is a narrow but sufficient sized ledge just 18 feet above the ground. She climbs to it and rests, without having to make a die roll. From there, it is just 22 feet to the top of the cliff. This is within her range, so she continues up the cliff from the ledge, reaching the top without, again, needing a die roll.

To climb walls, the character may not be encumbered beyond the subtraction of 2 action points.

Fatigue Rolls

Beyond the point where a distance may be climbed safely, the character risks a dangerous fall due to accumulated fatigue in the character's fingertips and toes. In the example above, if there were no ledge, then Kaitlyn would be strained to continue when she was still 17 feet from the top. At this limit, the character must rely on their strength to successfully continue. For each additional three feet to be gained, until a rest can be taken, the character must make a roll on a percentage die. The chance of success equals 100%, modified by 20 minus the character's strength, cumulatively each time the die is rolled.

For example, Kaitlyn's strength is 14. We calculate 20 minus 14, which equals 6; that number is subtracted from 100, so that Kaitlyn's chance of climbing the first 3 ft. beyond her "safe limit" is 94%. The second 3 ft. equals 88%, the third 82% and so on, until Kaitlyn reaches a place where she can rest or she falls. Note that once she has begun, an attempt to climb down without resting will be as hard as climbing up, so that she may still fall if she climbs up 23 feet and tries to climb down from there without rest. Of course, it will mean that she would likely fall from a lesser height.

The character will do well to carefully choose places to climb that will not put them at excessive risk, especially if they lack a better than average strength.

Waiting

Climbers may wait for up to five rounds at any point of their climb, even if fatigued; this does not count as a rest, nor does it put the climber at risk. After five rounds are up, however, the climber must move at least three feet up or down before they will be able to wait again. When resting, the climber identifies their "free hand"; this must switch with progressive waits that are less than three rounds of movement apart. During a rest, the climber may manipulate any object that can be grasped and used one-handedly, up to a weight of 3½ lbs. (such as a dagger, a light-weight rope, a small grapple and so on).

Elements

If the character attempts to climb a wet surface, the safe climbing distance is halved between resting places, and each further gain of 1½ feet will require a fatigue roll. This includes wet surfaces following a rainfall, or one that is made damp by a steady mist created by fog or a waterfall.

For every grade of temperature below cool, the safe climbing distance is reduced. This would mean that if the temperature were brisk, the distance would be -10%; if chilly, -25%; if frosty, -45%; and if icy, -70%. Colder than that would be a minimum of -12°C, which is too cold to climb for persons with this degree of ability. Climbing in chilly conditions requires thin gloves; in frosty or icy temperatures, leather gloves with lining.

See also,
Acrobatics (sage study)
Sure-footedness (sage study)