Strength checks: tug of war... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Strength checks: tug of war... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
thrinidel
05-10-07, 10:18 AM How do opposed Strength checks work when there are multiple people holding onto or pulling on a rope? It seems like in other cases one might add +2 for the help and then pick the best strength bonus, but I'm thinking it would have to be a bit more cumulative than that for a group strength check, right? (thinking of tug-of-war as the canonical case of this, for example)

Thanks again in advance...
ShinAkuma2
05-10-07, 01:52 PM In some cases, an action is a straight test of one’s ability with no luck involved. Just as you wouldn’t make a height check to see who is taller, you don’t make a Strength check to see who is stronger.

I'd go with this...Only in the case of a tie should a d20 come into play.
Xeviat-DM
05-10-07, 02:43 PM Technically you'd want to use Aid Another in this situation. But as Akuma said, it's tough to see someone with a 20 str (+5) being beaten by someone with an 8 (-1), but that can happen on a d20 roll.
thrinidel
05-10-07, 09:05 PM Thanks!

But how does one handle the cuumulative effects of multiple people pulling on the rope, for example? Do I just take the highest Strength score and then +2 for each helping person or something? Or should it be a straight sum? Should two 10-strength characters be able to out-tug an 18-strength character?
Lixith
05-10-07, 09:15 PM Hummm.... in a 1 v 2 situation i'd say for the side with 2 people....
Have them both make their rolls.... count the person with the highest modifier as '100%'... then add '50%' of the person with the lower midifier....

Would make it HARD for the single person to win, But not impossible if they get a pretty good roll
Toast_recon
05-10-07, 09:30 PM No rolls. I would ad them up but maybe after a lot of pulling you could make a constitution check to keep pulling, or a fortitude save.
bobothechimp
05-10-07, 09:32 PM I suggest taking the total strength modifier of either side, then add a d20 to each side.
Lixith
05-10-07, 10:09 PM I suggest taking the total strength modifier of either side, then add a d20 to each side.

But what if one person had a 6 STR... total. They'd have a negative modifier.... but they could still help a little, certainly not make the other guy pull less.
bobothechimp
05-10-07, 10:23 PM I guess I didn't consider that one. In that case, take strength scores instead of modifiers.
Lixith
05-10-07, 10:25 PM Ya that sounds good....
Toast_recon
05-11-07, 03:23 PM yeah but you don't roll for an arm wrestle so you wouldn't roll for a tug of war either.
just take the total score on each side. No variables.
Wait, whta about balance checks to stay standing, constitutionto hold on? Blisters?
JulesCARV
05-11-07, 03:33 PM Well, the whole d20 system can be a bit screwy like that. If you try to jump vertically with a +0 jump modifier with a 20 foot running start, there's a 5% chance you can jump 5 feet up, and there's a 15% chance you can't even jump a single foot. Similarly, if you try to jump horizontally with a 20 foot start, there's a 5% chance of jumping 20 feet, and there's a 20% chance you won't even be able to clear 5 feet.
Toast_recon
05-11-07, 03:34 PM but raw says that you don't make checks to see who's stronger, and use arm wrestling as an example. Isn't this the same thing?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
thrinidel 05-10-07, 10:18 AM	How do opposed Strength checks work when there are multiple people holding onto or pulling on a rope? It seems like in other cases one might add +2 for the help and then pick the best strength bonus, but I'm thinking it would have to be a bit more cumulative than that for a group strength check, right? (thinking of tug-of-war as the canonical case of this, for example) Thanks again in advance...
ShinAkuma2 05-10-07, 01:52 PM	In some cases, an action is a straight test of one’s ability with no luck involved. Just as you wouldn’t make a height check to see who is taller, you don’t make a Strength check to see who is stronger. I'd go with this...Only in the case of a tie should a d20 come into play.
Xeviat-DM 05-10-07, 02:43 PM	Technically you'd want to use Aid Another in this situation. But as Akuma said, it's tough to see someone with a 20 str (+5) being beaten by someone with an 8 (-1), but that can happen on a d20 roll.
thrinidel 05-10-07, 09:05 PM	Thanks! But how does one handle the cuumulative effects of multiple people pulling on the rope, for example? Do I just take the highest Strength score and then +2 for each helping person or something? Or should it be a straight sum? Should two 10-strength characters be able to out-tug an 18-strength character?
Lixith 05-10-07, 09:15 PM	Hummm.... in a 1 v 2 situation i'd say for the side with 2 people.... Have them both make their rolls.... count the person with the highest modifier as '100%'... then add '50%' of the person with the lower midifier.... Would make it HARD for the single person to win, But not impossible if they get a pretty good roll
Toast_recon 05-10-07, 09:30 PM	No rolls. I would ad them up but maybe after a lot of pulling you could make a constitution check to keep pulling, or a fortitude save.
bobothechimp 05-10-07, 09:32 PM	I suggest taking the total strength modifier of either side, then add a d20 to each side.
Lixith 05-10-07, 10:09 PM	I suggest taking the total strength modifier of either side, then add a d20 to each side. But what if one person had a 6 STR... total. They'd have a negative modifier.... but they could still help a little, certainly not make the other guy pull less.
bobothechimp 05-10-07, 10:23 PM	I guess I didn't consider that one. In that case, take strength scores instead of modifiers.
Lixith 05-10-07, 10:25 PM	Ya that sounds good....
Toast_recon 05-11-07, 03:23 PM	yeah but you don't roll for an arm wrestle so you wouldn't roll for a tug of war either. just take the total score on each side. No variables. Wait, whta about balance checks to stay standing, constitutionto hold on? Blisters?
JulesCARV 05-11-07, 03:33 PM	Well, the whole d20 system can be a bit screwy like that. If you try to jump vertically with a +0 jump modifier with a 20 foot running start, there's a 5% chance you can jump 5 feet up, and there's a 15% chance you can't even jump a single foot. Similarly, if you try to jump horizontally with a 20 foot start, there's a 5% chance of jumping 20 feet, and there's a 20% chance you won't even be able to clear 5 feet.
Toast_recon 05-11-07, 03:34 PM	but raw says that you don't make checks to see who's stronger, and use arm wrestling as an example. Isn't this the same thing?