[OOC] Return to the Rusty Rat

[DM Surranó]

two-handed for small characters and one-handed for medium characters. Lugar can use it one-handed but may use the same option as any other one-handed weapon: "If a one-handed weapon is wielded with two hands during melee combat, add 1½ times the character’s Strength bonus to damage rolls"

EDIT: if you go for the SHF you don't need a shaft; only for the original polearm.

[Lugar]

I do like the glaive personally... but Lugar will ask for the short heavy falchion from Murkatos.

[DM Surranó]

That would be fun-- a rogue with a polearm (read: sneak attack from 10' )

[DM Surranó]

OOC - What year is it? (Time of Twoubles started at 1358 DR)
OOC - I didn't found the offical rule. Can a PC retry the "determine the school of magic" spellcraft check? How often (once / day)?

For Torin and Portho, I believe I mentioned it was 1370DR but maybe I undershot the proper history records... ToT not only began; it was in 1358DR; at least that's how I took it when reading the trilogy.

Considering spellcraft in detect magic; it does not mention retries. Most entries of spellcraft say "no retry", particularly those that say something like "identify this or that". Exception is deciphering a scroll with one try per day. It may be old DM habits in my grey matter, likely from AD&D but how about once per (class) level? i.e. Torin can retry once he gained a new cleric level.

[Torin]

I found this in PF:

When using detect magic or identify to learn the properties of magic items, you can only attempt to ascertain the properties of an individual item once per day. Additional attempts reveal the same results.

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/skill...craft.html

[DM Surranó]

I thought about this and "one day" sounds like an "arbitrary amount of time" that does not seem to have anything to do with your skill. You could say you were in bad mood, too tired or whatever and retry "after next rest", it would probably make some sense. However, I don't like this approach.
The notion of using class level for this purpose doesn't feel like related to the usage of a skill so I scratched that idea as well.
Caster level comes to mind since it is related to casting Detect Magic and not to your Spellcraft skill check.
Character level also comes to mind, saying that you are more "experienced" so more likely you've encountered "such a thing" before so it's easier to recognise but this is actually what bardic knowledge is about, right?

Therefore, my new idea on retrying is whenever your ranks in the skill are increased. You could argue that in that case any arbitrary increment in your total skill modifier (e.g. the +1 granted by Guidance or the +2 granted by Fox's Cunning) but I don't want your character to be simply "better" but more "learned" in that skill.
Either that or "no retries." Whichever you prefer

[DM Surranó]

Here's a hint for Lugar's open locks attempts. If you could come up with any feasible way of granting him a little extra on his attempts and he would roll a natural twenty before the effect expires then he could be successful.
Otherwise, you have to find a different way to pry that door open.
And no, I'm not allowing "aid another" on open locks

[DM Surranó]

About climbing speed

This may be an interpretation that differs from the majority of the DMs so it's time to mention it. Some of the players are familiar with this ruling from another adventure.

The rule says:

With a successful Climb check, you can advance (...) at one-quarter your normal speed.

The problem is that speed is defined by the rules in unit of "feet" instead of "feet per unit of time" and "feet" is a unit of distance, not speed.
I find it a common misconception that the associated unit of time is one move action i.e. your base land speed (e.g. 30 for humans or 20 for dwarves) is your normal speed in feet per move action. That, however, is your hustle (or combat) speed.

A hustle is a jog at about 6 miles per hour for an unencumbered human. A character moving his or her speed twice in a single round, (...) is hustling when he or she moves.

(math says it should be 6.8mph but assume simplicity overruled math here)

Thus, getting a full round of climbing at one-quarter your normal speed means 7.5 feet per round for the average human or 5 feet per round for the average dwarf. If you want to cover 15 ft per round climbing with a base land speed of 30 that counts as accelerated climbing.
And don't forget that other factors may come into perspective; like darkness halving your speed...

Now you may feel startled by this and think something like "this is a house rule you haven't talked about in advance; if I knew--" but I consider it a rules clarification and not a house rule.

Your opinions are welcome. I did quite some immersive studies when making this decision but who knows; maybe you can show me an aspect that changes my perception of this world.

[Lugar]

You are the DM, I signed up to play under your judgement which has been good and sound thus far! You bring up valid points. Isn't climbing considered a full round action (6 seconds) and one is denied their dexterity and considered flat-footed for all intents and purposes? I may be wrong and will look it up later. On a story telling point, I think dwarve's familiarity with rock and stone would actually give them an advantage when climbing, putting those humans to shame Using a rope would probably play into a larger creatures advantages though. Also, I like whole numbers so either 5 feet or 10 feet per round sounds fair to me.

On another note, I'm sorry for my posting being spotty at best lately. I'm currently renovating my house. Just finished the kitchen!

[Toot]

It's your game and if the 'clarification' is applied universally then I don't see any problem.  Perhaps with a rope a climber should possibly be able to climb down faster than climbing up.  Even just by wearing gloves (or a glove inside a glove) you can reduce friction to allow a quicker decent.  You also don't have gravity working against you when you're climbing down.  I may even apply this to my game at least for climbing upward.  

Toot has a natural move speed of 40' so that would mean he would move 10' regular move and 20' accelerated move?

You are the DM, I signed up to play under your judgement which has been good and sound thus far!  You bring up valid points.  Isn't climbing considered a full round action (6 seconds) and one is denied their dexterity and considered flat-footed for all intents and purposes?  I may be wrong and will look it up later.  On a story telling point, I think dwarve's familiarity with rock and stone would actually give them an advantage when climbing, putting those humans to shame  Using a rope would probably play into a larger creatures advantages though.  Also, I like whole numbers so either 5 feet or 10 feet per round sounds fair to me.

You need both hands free to climb, but you may cling to a wall with one hand while you cast a spell or take some other action that requires only one hand. While climbing, you can’t move to avoid a blow, so you lose your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). You also can’t use a shield while climbing.

Action

Climbing is part of movement, so it’s generally part of a move action (and may be combined with other types of movement in a move action). Each move action that includes any climbing requires a separate Climb check. Catching yourself or another falling character doesn’t take an action.

It says it can be combined with other types of movement so it doesn't sound like it's a full round action.  Actually, it says EACH move action... so that might indicate that you could take more than one move action in a round.

Re: Dwarves climbing...
I'm not sure I agree with dwarfs moving faster while climbing.  They do get their encumbrance bonus which allows them to carry heavier loads without slowing down which would include climbing.  But if you were to follow that train of thought then would Elves get bonuses to climbing because of their familiarity with trees?