Tome of Prowess (3.5e Sourcebook)/Physical Skills

Skills

Acrobatics

Acrobatics is a movement skill. It allows you to land a fall more gracefully, maneuver around opponents, and move over terrain that would otherwise block or simply not support you.

Base DCs and Modifiers

Narrow Surface	Example	Base DC
Full to half shoulder width	12” – 6” for most small & medium characters	5
Half to fifth shoulder width	6” – 2” for most small & medium characters	10
Fifth to tenth shoulder width	2” – 1” for most small & medium characters	15
Tenth to twentieth shoulder width	1” – ½” for most small & medium characters	20
Less than a twentieth shoulder width	Less than ½” for most small & medium characters	25

Surface Conditions	DC Modifier	Example
Light Obstruction	+2*	Uneven flagstone, hewn stone floor
Severe Obstruction	+5*	Upturned bar tables, battlefield fortifications
Slightly Slippery	+2*	Frozen ice, thin patch of water
Very Slippery	+5*	Melting ice, oil on thin patch of water
Strongly Angled Surface	+2	10 to 30 degree incline
Slightly Sloped Surface	+5	30 to 45 degree incline (also reduce speed by half)
Strongly Sloped Surface	***	Surfaces at a greater than 45 degree incline must be climbed
Cross Breeze	+2*	High wire in a 10 mph breeze
Cross Wind	+5*	High wire in a 30 mph wind
Cross Gusts	+10*	High wire in a 50 mph storm
Head/Tail Wind	+2 per 25% increase or reduction in base speed	Trying to cross a ledge while moving directly into or away from a Gust of Wind spell would be a +8 DC for a medium creature, because it cancels out their movement

*Do not stack condition modifiers arising from similar circumstances, like both slightly and very slippery. Simply use the most appropriate one.

Untrained Uses

Run Over Difficult Surface

Slippery or obstructed surfaces don’t lend themselves to heroic charges, since heroic slipping isn’t awesome. You can not run or charge over obstructed or uneven surfaces without succeeding on an acrobatics check. The base DC to charge or run over an uneven or sloped floor is 10, modified by the surface conditions as normal. This DC already includes the DC adjustment for light obstruction or slightly slippery (but not both), which is the entire reason for forcing the check to begin with.

Base DC: 10 + conditions (some of which are already included)

Check Result:

• DC and above: You may run or charge over the surface without issue.
• DC-1 to DC-5: You may run or charge up to the difficult surface, but you stop after the first space. If you use less than a single move action reaching it you may spend your remaining actions normally.
• DC-6 and below: You fall prone in the first difficult square you reach. If you use less than a single move action reaching it you may spend your remaining actions normally.

Rank 1 Uses

Cross Narrow Surface

Once in a while you need to stick to a narrow ledge on a crumbly cliff or walk across a tight rope across a gap between buildings. As a move action, you can make an acrobatics check to cross narrow, precarious surfaces. The DC for this check is determined by the surface width, as indicated in the table above, and further modified by the surface conditions as listed above. Please see the check results below for the actions required to cross the surface.

While moving on a precarious surface you are flatfooted. If you take damage exceeding your acrobatics ranks while moving or standing on a narrow surface you must immediately make a new balance check against the surface’s DC. Unlike the standard check, if you do not succeed on this check by matching or exceeding the DC you fall immediately in the space you took the damage. Additionally, taking any damage while crossing a narrow surface ends your movement in the space where you were damaged, whether you pass the check or not.

Note: While it is possible to charge across a narrow surface, it is difficult since you must declare a charge action before you begin your movement. Taking a charge action requires two successful acrobatics checks (or one really good one) because you need to make a check per movement action, and minor successes may not grant you the distance you need to reach your target. If you declare a charge action but fail to reach your target, you still suffer the -2 AC penalty (unless you fell down, in which case you take the prone penalty instead).

Base DC: Surface width DC + conditions

Check Result:

• DC+10 and above: You may take a Run action to cross the surface, or may take two move actions at full speed without making additional checks. You must make an additional check for any further move actions to cross the surface.
• DC+5 to DC+9: You may take a single move action to cross the surface at full speed. You must make an additional check for any further move actions to cross the surface.
• DC+0 to DC+4: You may take a single move action to cross the surface at half speed. You must make an additional check for any further move actions to cross the surface.
• DC-1 to DC-5: You are unable to find footing, and your move action ends immediately before you would have entered the narrow area. If you are already in the area, you make no progress. If you made this check in response to taking damage in excess of your acrobatics ranks, treat this result as if you had rolled the worse result below.
• DC-6 and below: You slip and fall in the first space of the narrow area you enter, falling off of the surface and landing prone on the ground beneath it. You suffer damage from the fall as normal.

Reduced Impact

Sometimes there’s just no avoiding a fall, so it’s a good thing you know how to roll with them. If you succeed on a DC 15 acrobatics check, you treat your fall as if it were shorter than it was.

Base DC: 15

Check Result:

• DC+10 and above: Treat your fall as if it were 30’ shorter.
• DC+5 to DC+9: Treat your fall as if it were 20’ shorter.
• DC+0 to DC+4: Treat your fall as if it were 10’ shorter.
• DC-1 and below: You gain do not reduce damage from the fall.

Rank 4 Uses

Tumble Around Opponents

Opponents with weapons generally stab you when you try to move around them. This ability allows you to move through threatened spaces, both occupied and unoccupied, without provoking attacks of opportunity, though you may not use this ability in liquid that rises above your knee. This check is made per creature you are tumbling past as a non-action occurring during your regular move, but you do not make the check until your first action that would provoke an attack of opportunity from them. The DC is 10 + their base attack bonus, +2 for each enemy you have previously attempted to tumble past this round, and further modified by the surface conditions as indicated above.

Base DC: 10 + the opponent’s BAB + conditions, +2 for each prior opponent attempted this round

Check Result:

• DC+10 and above: For the remainder of this round you may move through spaces threatened or occupied by this opponent as if they were clear spaces. None of this movement provokes attacks of opportunity from this opponent.
• DC+5 to DC+9: For the remainder of this round you may move through spaces threatened by this opponent as if they were clear spaces, and through spaces occupied by this opponent as if they were difficult terrain (spending 2 squares of movement for each space). None of this movement provokes attacks of opportunity from this opponent.
• DC+0 to DC+4: For the remainder of this round you may move through spaces threatened by this opponent as if they were difficult terrain (spending 2 squares of movement for each space). This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity from this opponent, though you do still provoke attacks of opportunity if you choose to move at your full speed through their threatened area or if you move into the space that they occupy.
• DC-1 to DC-5: Any movement through their threatened area will provoke attacks of opportunity as normal.
• DC-6 and below: Any movement through their threatened area will provoke attacks of opportunity as normal, and they gain a +3 bonus to attacks of opportunity made against you.

Rank 6 Uses

Competent Balancer

You are no longer flatfooted when balancing on a narrow surface. You must still make a check when you take damage while crossing a perilous surface, but you suffer much less from these interruptions. If you succeed on the check you may continue your movement (if the attack interrupted it). If you fail this check by 5 or less, you end your movement where you were damaged but do not fall. If you fail the check by more than 5 points you fall from the space where you were injured.

Base DC: As Cross Narrow Surface

Check Result: Special. Modifies special check results from Cross Narrow Surface ability.

Rank 8 Uses

Tumble Into The Wind

If you know how to orient yourself, you can ride the air to the ground from nearly any height. With a DC 24 acrobatics check, you function as if under a variant of the feather fall spell, significantly reducing the damage you suffer from the fall. You may dismiss this effect at any time, resuming a normal fall, but you suffer a cumulative +2 penalty to the check DC each time if you wish to resume the effect.

Base DC: 24, +2 for each prior dismissal of the effect during this fall

Check Result:

• DC+10 and above: You function as if under the effects of a feather fall spell, falling only 60 feet per round, until you reach the ground.
• DC+5 to DC+9: You function as if under the effects of a feather fall spell, falling only 60 feet per round, for up to 4 rounds. After this time you resume falling as normal unless you succeed on an additional check.
• DC+0 to DC+4: You function as if under the effects of a feather fall spell, falling only 60 feet per round, for 1 round. After this time you resume falling as normal unless you succeed on an additional check.
• DC-1 to DC-5: You fall up to 200 feet this round, benefitting from a minor form of feather fall. After this time you resume falling as normal unless you succeed on an additional check. If you hit the ground while under this limited effect, you only suffer damage for half of the distance fallen at this rate up to a maximum of 10d6 damage.
• DC-6 and below: You fall the maximum 2000 feet this round, suffering damage as normal from a fall of whatever height you began the round at (maximum 20d6 damage). On the off chance that you don’t hit the ground this round you may make another check next round

Rank 10 Uses

Light As A Feather

You can balance on an object that shouldn’t really be able to support your weight, like the top of a tree, your opponent’s outstretched sword, or an arrow that someone shot at you. While you are defying gravity like this, you treat the object supporting you as solid ground. This allows you to leap from treetop to treetop, stab your opponent in the face while standing on his blade, surf a ballista bolt right into the enemy lines, etc. You can jump off of it, walk along it (though many are treated as narrow surfaces), etc.; any action that you could perform with an object that could support your weight is a valid action to take while under this effect. The length of time you can ignore gravity in this way is dependant on your check result. When the duration expires you may not attempt to extend the effect with another check, you either fall to the ground or maintain your position with other skills.

Balancing on treetops or other largely stationary objects is something that simply that occurs when your movement ends on them. Attempting to balance on an object passing through your square or an adjacent square requires an immediate action, and may also require some setup. If you wish to perch on a weapon after it misses you, you must have spent your turn fighting defensively or taking the full defense action. If the attack misses you by more than 5, the defensive setup is not required. Attacks that are not aimed at you, but pass through your square, are considered to have missed you by more than 5. Attacks that originate below you, which you can simply hop down onto, are included in this group. It should go without saying, but if an attack hits you, you may not attempt to balance on it.

Once you have a qualifying attack, you may need to hop up to it. If the attack was aimed at your approximate level, you must succeed on a DC 15 jump check to hop upon the object before you can attempt to balance on it. Objects beneath you do not require this jump check, you simply land on them (and may suffer falling damage depending on the distance fallen). No additional action or roll is needed to intercept something in mid air, it happens automatically as part of the ability.

Base DC: 26

Check Result:

• DC+10 and above: You can stand atop the object for as long as you like.
• DC+5 to DC+9: You can stand atop the object for up to 4 rounds before gravity catches back up to you.
• DC+0 to DC+4: You can stand atop the object for up to 1 round before gravity catches back up to you.
• DC-1 to DC-5: Gravity never lets go of you, and you land on the ground normally. If you were attempting to land on a projectile you run it into the ground.
• DC-6 and below: Gravity is a harsh mistress. Not only does it not let you go, but you land prone. If you were attempting to land on a projectile you run it into the ground.

Run on Water

Moving across things that you normally fall into requires a keen sense of balance and a bit of momentum. You can move across liquids without sinking into them, but unlike a narrow ledge it is easiest to do this while running. The base DC for this check is 28, and already includes the DC adjustment for slightly slippery surfaces. It is modified by additional surface conditions as normal; choppy water might be considered light obstruction, for example. Generally you must begin outside or above the liquid to balance upon it, though it is possible to climb out of it with a sufficient check. Once you declare that you are using this ability you must use the minimum action listed in the check result, though you can use a more effective movement action if you like.

Damage from spells or weapons still prompts an immediate check. The results of this check replace your original check if they are worse, indicating that the distraction caused you to miss a step. If you take damage after you have taken your turn, you fall in if your new check result requires a greater action than you used on your turn. You can use this ability to move over the surface of a damaging liquid, like acid or lava or whatever, but you’re not entirely protected from it. You take only minimum damage from the liquid, and are only required to make saves for conditions arising from exposure, not from immersion. This damage does not prompt a new acrobatics check.

Note: In some really fantastic cases it’s possible for the Run on Water and the Cross Narrow Surface ability to apply to the same situation, such as when you need to walk on a narrow stream of water drifting through the void. In those cases, add the DC for the narrow width or the slant of the surface to the DC to Run on Water and subtract 5 from the total. This new DC is the DC to Run on Water on the surface in question, and all of the regular penalties and rules for running on liquids apply.

Base DC: 28 + conditions

Check Result:

• DC+10 and above: You need not use any movement action to remain balanced upon the liquid’s surface. You can really just stand there looking awesome if you want to. You may spend your turn on the liquid’s surface doing whatever you like, this writer recommends break dancing. You may also climb out of the liquid and balance atop it as a move action if you were swimming in it previously.
• DC+5 to DC+9: You must use at least a move action to remain balanced upon the liquid’s surface. You may use your other action to do whatever you like. You may also climb out of the liquid and balance atop it as a double move action if you were swimming in it previously.
• DC+0 to DC+4: You must use a Run action to remain balanced upon the liquid’s surface, even if the stream is only 10 feet wide. This uses up your turn, but keeps you dry.
• DC-1 to DC-5: You must use a Run action to remain balanced upon the liquid’s surface, even if the stream is only 10 feet wide. Which is good, because you lose 20% of your maximum run distance for each point that you failed the check by. If you are still on the liquid’s surface when you reach the edge of your reduced run action, you fall in immediately. At that point you can begin swimming on your next turn.
• DC-6 and below: You must use a Run action, but it doesn’t really help you. You fall in as soon as your feet try to balance on the surface of the liquid. You can begin swimming on your next turn.

Rank 12 Uses

Dance on Clouds

Once you can run on water, dancing on clouds is the next step. With an acrobatics check you can run on clouds, smoke, exhaust, snowflakes, etc.; if you can see it in the air you can use it as a floor. The base DC is 30 and already includes the DC for slightly slippery surfaces (air is hard to keep in place), but should otherwise be modified by conditions as appropriate. This ability has the same action requirements and success thresholds as the Run on Water ability. Movement with this ability is subject to the same restrictions as the Air Walk spell, though inclines do increase the DC as indicated in the surface adjustments.

In all other respects, including taking damage while using the ability and walking on a damaging cloud, this ability function as the Run on Water ability.

Base DC: 30 + conditions

Check Result: As Run on Water ability

Rank 14 Uses

Skip on air

After you can dance on clouds, it’s not really a stretch to skip on the air between them. With a DC 32 acrobatics you can balance on the air itself, no longer needing to see it to make things work. This DC already includes the DC for slightly slippery surfaces, but should otherwise be modified by conditions as appropriate. This ability has the same action requirements and success thresholds as the Run on Water ability. Movement with this ability is subject to the same restrictions as the Air Walk spell, though inclines do increase the DC as indicated in the surface adjustments.

In all other respects, including taking damage while using the ability and walking on a damaging invisible gas, this ability function as the Run on Water ability.

Base DC: 32 + conditions

Check Result: As Run on Water ability

Rank 16 Uses

Ride the Rays

Even lightning will hold you up for a time. In addition to the physical objects that you can stand atop with your Light as a Feather ability, you can also balance upon rays and bolts of energy. Any energy or ray attack that requires an attack roll or line effect that allows a reflex save is a valid object for you to balance atop and ride, but requires a DC 37 acrobatics check to stay atop. This ability functions in all other ways as your Light as a Feather ability, including setup requirements.

Base DC: 37

Check Result: As Light as a Feather ability, except as follows

• DC-6 and below: Gravity is a harsh mistress. Not only does it not let you go, but you suffer full effects from the ray, bolt, or line effect you were attempting to balance upon, and do not get a save against it. You do not land prone, however, and that’s something right?