I was talking things over with my DM the other day regarding the Acrobatic skill. In the game we just played, my Rogue made an Acrobatics check to use a sconce to basically get leverage to swing herself up onto an above floor.
We were discussing Acrobatics vs. Athletics and what one could do with each. I was saying that a character could use Acrobatics to jump up a wall (parkour stye) in lieu of not having Athletics to just jump or climb the thing. The DC would be higher, but I am under the impression with a high enough Dex and a high enough roll, it could be done.
Besides what is described in the PHB (swinging from a chandelier, surfing on a shield, etc.) what have those of you with Acrobatics used it for? Am I off base using my Acrobatics as an augmented Athletics skill? What insane things have you all pulled off?
One thing someone did in my friend's game: ran up the front of a small enemy so that he could get a boost and be able to twin-strike both the enemy under him and one flying above.
I would say that if it looks like something Jackie Chan would do, then it's Acrobatics. If you want to know what happens when you mess up, watch the outtakes at the end of the movies.
Now I am glad my char doesn't have *********.
Though generally I am relieved I don't have to work with Chris Tucker.
What kind of stunts have peoples' chars personally pulled off?
What kind of stunts have people personally pulled off?
I've been known, on occasion, to run and jump so that I land inside the open door of a moving sedan... or did you mean what kind of stunts have people's characters pulled off?
My post above mentions a couple - and I am drawing a blank for others.
I'm surprised more people aren't wanting to relive their glorious encounters. I just started playing 4th and had to avoid some fiery stairs, hence my attempt at something acrobatic. I was just curious what other people have done and get some ideas flowing. I've never played someone who has Dex as a primary ability and am trying to think of creative ways to use this skill, more flavor-wise than anything else.
I guess I'll be watching a lot of anime ninjas and parkour on the youtube.
The wall jump to avoid making noise in a hall is awesome. :D
In one session he came up with a plan to choke (and pin) a dragon, and it would have worked too, if not for one player's (not the one who had the idea) insufferable ability to always roll when the needs are dire.
I mean, I'm all for characters doing cinematic stuff to liven things up. But what bothered me about the Acrobatics skill is that several of the things it mentions strike as fluff that any character should be able to do as long as it doesn't give an advantage:
Make an Acrobatics check to swing from a chandelier,
somersault over an opponent, slide down a staircase
on your shield, or attempt any other acrobatic stunt
that you can imagine and that your DM agrees to let
you try.
What I mean is, if my character wants to get from point A to point B, and I decide that it would be fun to describe them as doing so by swinging on the chandelier, sliding down the banister (instead of taking the stairs) or any other acrobatic stunt, why should it require an Acrobatics check?
I have always wondered: what exactly does the Acrobatics skill do that couldn't be accomplished through just role-playing it out?
I mean, I'm all for characters doing cinematic stuff to liven things up. But what bothered me about the Acrobatics skill is that several of the things it mentions strike as fluff that any character should be able to do as long as it doesn't give an advantage:
What I mean is, if my character wants to get from point A to point B, and I decide that it would be fun to describe them as doing so by swinging on the chandelier, sliding down the banister (instead of taking the stairs) or any other acrobatic stunt, why should it require an Acrobatics check?
There are rules about walking across a room in combat; of course there are going to be rules about swinging from a chandelier and shield surfing.
I found in 3.5 the amount of rolling and rule checking to get certain things done was time consuming; then you had to roll three things to see if you did it; you could make the first two and botch the last one, leaving you screwed over while all bad guys got AoO on you. But that is neither here nor there.
Hibiki54 and Poseph:
Those are awesome...I have always wondered: what exactly does the Acrobatics skill do that couldn't be accomplished through just role-playing it out?
It does what any other roll-based rule does: adjudicate success or failure. If you are merely adding a bit a flare to a normal action (back-flipping when you shift, tossing your blade in the air and catching before striking, etc.), then role-playing it out works just fine. But when you try to perform a stunt that would grant you a greater benefit than a normal action and/or there's a reasonable chance that you could fail, that's when the acrobatics check comes in.
What I mean is, if my character wants to get from point A to point B, and I decide that it would be fun to describe them as doing so by swinging on the chandelier, sliding down the banister (instead of taking the stairs) or any other acrobatic stunt, why should it require an Acrobatics check?
If all you are doing is adding fluff, you probably don't need an acrobatics check. But if any of those actions allowed to you overcome creatures or obstacles you normally would not be able to in similar time or action (such as swinging to the other side of the second floor of an inn instead of spending several turns going down some stairs, across the room, then up some more stairs), would probably warrant an acrobatics check.
I decided, since the stunt and attack roll to grab both succeeded, to go ahead an add total concealment instead of normal concealment for the situation (this last portion added to help illustrate why stunt have rolls, instead of just being "RPed out")
I was prone, three squares away from a crossbow trap that was making pin cushions out of my party. I wanted to delay the trap from firing, but didn't have two move actions and a standard to accomplish this. I asked my DM if I could use acrobatics to try and stand up at the end of a Tumble(rogue 2 utility) without costing me another action. It seemed like a very reasonable application of the skill to my DM and I, so he allowed it.
Another example would be my friend's ranger trying to ride down a tearing drape from a balcony to the floor(very Rush Hour-esque). The drape happened to be on fire and he happened to fail the acrobatics check, but it was still wonderful. I'd say him failing made it more entertaining than it would have been if he had succeeded.
We were discussing Acrobatics vs. Athletics and what one could do with each. I was saying that a character could use Acrobatics to jump up a wall (parkour stye) in lieu of not having Athletics to just jump or climb the thing. The DC would be higher, but I am under the impression with a high enough Dex and a high enough roll, it could be done.
Yep, that's how I 'd handle it, too.
What I mean is, if my character wants to get from point A to point B, and I decide that it would be fun to describe them as doing so by swinging on the chandelier, sliding down the banister (instead of taking the stairs) or any other acrobatic stunt, why should it require an Acrobatics check?
Even tho' it has already been answered by Fireclave:
If all you are doing is adding fluff, you probably don't need an acrobatics check. But if any of those actions allowed to you overcome creatures or obstacles you normally would not be able to in similar time or action (such as swinging to the other side of the second floor of an inn instead of spending several turns going down some stairs, across the room, then up some more stairs), would probably warrant an acrobatics check.
I just want to add: If you need a mechanic for things done out of roleplaying, just let them take 10, add their Dex and 1/2 Level and be done with it. I reckons most characters pulling off these stunts 'd probably a dex score suitable to the task too. I can't imagine a clumsy Dwarf Cleric doing any of sort o' thing...
A kobold slyblade being nearly cornered against the edge of a spiked pit by the party took a 5ft run and rolled a ridiculous number (nat 20) to clear the pit with athletics.
The ranger asked if he could spend his action point and try to shoot him in mid-jump and see if he could botch the leap. I thought that was pretty cinematic and cool so let him take a single shot (basic ranged instead of twin strike). The arrow hit the kobold and instead of neatly clearing the pit had to make an acrobatics check to cling to the far edge.
Eventually he ended up surrendering (after dropping the wizard) despite one of the two paladins trying to kill him while the surrender option was offered by the other paladin.
In our 3.0 Orc Horde campaign one of my ally PCs tried to take my kill by attacking my target. I said I wanted to flip onto his shoulders to gain a height advantage over the Orc Leader and make a point blant shot to the head. I rolled a natural 20 and succeed then finished off my target with my Daily power. My ally failed a strength check and collapsed under me with me standing on his prone body.
I have always wondered: what exactly does the Acrobatics skill do that couldn't be accomplished through just role-playing it out?
I mean, I'm all for characters doing cinematic stuff to liven things up. But what bothered me about the Acrobatics skill is that several of the things it mentions strike as fluff that any character should be able to do as long as it doesn't give an advantage:
What I mean is, if my character wants to get from point A to point B, and I decide that it would be fun to describe them as doing so by swinging on the chandelier, sliding down the banister (instead of taking the stairs) or any other acrobatic stunt, why should it require an Acrobatics check?
I'd call for an acrobatics check over just using it as fluff when being able to do it would affect battle: such as somersaulting over an opponent to move past him without AoO (aka Tumbling) or swinging to get across a ravine. In general, I'd only call for the acrobatics check if it would allow you to avoid an obstacle to normal movement.
But reading some of the replies here I might try to incorporate the skill a little more into combat. So far I've only used it to break a short fall and escape a grab; not too exciting.
Most of the acrobatic stuff my character has done hasn't been a skill check. It's usually just fluff combined into an attack roll, like when I somersault forward during a Deft Strike, or hop off the knee of a giant to slash at his throat. It makes the combat more interesting and cinematic to describe attacks this way, but I'm not getting any mechanical benefit so a skill check would be inappropriate.
But reading some of the replies here I might try to incorporate the skill a little more into combat. So far I've only used it to break a short fall and escape a grab; not too exciting.
That's my sentiment...if I took it as a Skill, i want to use it as much as I can, as it apparently comes to me naturally and I've trained to use it. That's what those pesky numbers signify. So far I have only used it twice (once, to get up that wall and once, to negate falling damage with a halfling in my arms, I might add) but we're only three games in so I'm hoping to have some fun stuff to toss up here soon..
I plan on using it as I said, Parkour style, to get away/into things. Perception to find the best route plus Acrobatics will hopefully result in some fun and harrowing rolls. I mean, who will the town guards believe got up onto the 15 ft roof and in through the window five feet away: the guy with the climb kit or the skinny girl with the coat with the huge tear in the back?
Large doorway with two dwarves fighting kobolds on the other side. Halfling rogue behind them, takes a running jump, leaps up from the dwarf clerics shoulder, bounces off the doorframe above him and with a somersault, lands directly behind the kobolds for a sneak attack and kills the first one straight off.
These are all so neat; I wish we were playing more often than every other week.
Do most people who have Acrobatics also have Athletics? Or are people taking one or the other?
I was playing a module with a friend new to the system and an experienced DM, with myself as a Psion (telepath) and the other PC as a rogue. The two of us found ourselves in a cave (as is often the case for a dugeon of sorts) that had a horrible number of HUGE holes in the ground, which were cleverly disguised as stable patches of stone (because we failed our spot checks miserably, and had very little to light our way).
While most of the time, getting out of the blasted things was an effort of imagination to find a way to change the situation after each failed dex check, I managed a critical success. According to the DM, I'd leaped up 20 feet, back-flipped twice, and landed perfectly. Of course, it was in the dark, and while I could brag all I liked, the rogue didn't buy a word of it.
About 20 minuets later, the DM rolled a similar success for an NPC in yet another pit, with similarly spectacular results.
Me: "See? That's exactly what I did!"
Rogue: "No frigging way :3."
"(T_T)"
We get to the room where the ooze cube waits in the black pool with the island loaded with goodies. Half the party says "F that" right there and leaves. The paladin wants a fight and I want the treasure.
The ooze comes out of the water and stands semi-blocking the way. I can make the jump..... but I know I'll get rocked by the aoo's.
So I run forward 20 feet, jump diagonally to the right 5 squares and hit the wall as my move action. I make a acrobatic stunt check as a standard action to pivot on the wall.
ACTION POINT
I make a move action to jump off the wall and land 4 squares to the left on the island.
SUCCESS!
I grab the loot and make a straight jump down and make a break for the door with the paladin.
I love acrobatic stunts.