Movement

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Description

Ability Score Used: Dexterity
Armor Check Penalty Applies? Yes


You are skilled at large, powerful movements to orient your own body in space. This encompasses flying, swimming, and climbing vertical walls. "Movement" is an athletic skill that encompasses your ability to control your own body and how you are positioned. Note that this is NOT Acrobatics, which is large, powerful movements to move yourself through space. Note that the two skills are similar, and having skill ranks in Acrobatics can help with some uses of Movement. Having the Movement skill allows you to swim with a skill check, but it does NOT allow you to fly with a skill check in normal gravity and atmosphere conditions. Movement does not give you either a Swim move score or a Fly move score.

Movement is often affected by Environmental Effects.

As with all skills, the uses below are merely suggestions, and by no means the full gamut of possible ways a skill can be used. Players and GM's are encouraged to find additional ways to use each skill.

Roll Initiative

At the start of each encounter, all player characters and enemy creatures roll a special Movement skill check to determine their initiative order for that combat. Once all initiatives are rolled, each player character and enemy creature acts in order of that initiative, from highest to lowest, taking turns until everyone has gone. Once everyone has acted, the round ends, and a new one begins, starting at the highest initiative, and working down again.

In the event to that two or more characters or creatures are tied for a particular Initiative result, they are resolved using the following tie-breakers, in order, until the order is clarified:

  • The creature with the highest bonus to their Initiative check (typically their Movement skill bonus) acts first.
  • If those are both the same, the creature with the highest Dexterity score (not modifier) goes first. (Yes, even though monsters don't really use their stats, they do come in handy at times like these).
  • If both creatures are still tied, they both roll a d20, and the highest result on the die goes first. If this is still tied, reroll until someone rolls a higher number. Also, consider buying a lottery ticket.
Note that all of these tie-breakers only affect the order of the tied creatures relative to each other in the initiative. No matter what, they will still act before all other characters or creatures who rolled lower than them on the initial Initiative check.

It is possible to have modifiers to a character's Initiative check that doesn't apply its bonus to the character's entire Movement skill. An example of this is the Improved Initiative feat. Such bonuses are only applied to a character's initiative if their movement skill doesn't already have an equal or higher bonus of the same type (e.g. feat bonus). Bonuses of the same type never stack (except for Dodge, Circumstance, and Untyped bonuses); instead, only the highest bonus available is used. Also, it should go without saying that a bonus to Initiative is NOT a bonus to the character's Movement skill as a whole.

Initiative checks are always rolled at the start of each encounter, including those encounters with a surprise round. Typically, once an initiative order is set, it remains static throughout the duration of the encounter. In some rare cases, however, a character or creature may have some means of altering their initiative after the encounter has already begun, in which case, the initiative order can be rearranged. Furthermore, characters or creatures that hold their actions are moved down in the initiative order until the point at which they act; once set, they act from that spot in the initiative order for the remainder of the encounter (unless they hold their action again). Characters or creatures that ready an action do NOT alter their position in the initiative order, even though the readied action may trigger at some point outside of their normal turn.

Action Required:

Free action at the start of each encounter

DC of Check:

Opposed by everyone else's Initiative check. There is no fixed DC.

Modifiers to Check

-

Take 10? / Take 20?

No

Allows Assists?

No

Results of Success

You act earlier in the combat than those who rolled lower than you.

Note that you can critically succeed on an initiative check, as long as you possess at least 1 skill rank in the Movement skill. Normally, a critical success happens only on a result of a natural 20 on the die, and adds +5 to the final result (some feats may alter your crit range and crit bonus, if you have them).

Consequences of Failure

You cannot fail an initiative check. A low roll, even a natural 1 on the die, merely means your total roll is lower than average for someone of your ability.

Retry Allowed?

No

Provokes AOO?

No

Charge

Charge is a combat maneuver. You can never perform more than one combat maneuver per round, even if you have sufficient actions to do so. The only exception to this is spending an action point, where that action point grants you an action sufficient to perform another maneuver, in which case a second maneuver in the same round is permitted.

Charge allows you to move up to your move speed, and make an attack against one enemy at the end of the movement, all with a single standard action. While this is very advantageous, there are numerous restrictions that must be followed in order to perform a charge:

  • You must move before your attack, not after.
  • You must move at least 10 feet (2 squares) and may move up to your speed directly toward the designated opponent.
  • You may draw a weapon during the movement portion of the charge maneuver.
  • You provoke opportunity attacks as normal during the movement portion of the charge.
  • You must move to the closest space from which you can attack the opponent. If this space is occupied or otherwise blocked, you can't charge.
  • You must have a clear path toward the opponent, and nothing can hinder your movement. You must be able to draw a straight line from the center of your starting space to the center of the ending space, without passing through any object that blocks movement, slows movement, or contains a creature (even an ally) in order to charge.
  • If you don't have line of sight to the opponent prior to charging, you can't charge that opponent.

In addition, some weapons deal special damage during a charge, or are particularly effective against creatures that charge their wielder:

  • Lances and Charge Attacks: A lance deals double damage if employed by a mounted character in a charge. The weapon's base weapon damage dice are doubled. If the charge attack critically hits, the critical hit is treated as if the crit multiplier were two higher than normal for the weapon (this is instead of, not in addition to, the doubling of the base weapon damage).
  • Weapons Readied against a Charge: Spears, tridents, and other weapons with the brace weapon quality deal double damage when readied (set) and used against a charging character. The weapon's base weapon damage dice are doubled, and any adders due to high strength, feats, and weapon enhancement bonuses are doubled. If the Braced attack critically hits, the critical damage is resolved as if the crit multiplier were one higher than normal for the Braced weapon.
Action Required:

Standard Action or in place of the first attack of a full attack action.

DC of Check:

the target creature's Maneuver Defense

Modifiers to Check

-

Take 10? / Take 20?

No

Allows Assists?

No

Results of Success

You can move up to your speed, and end your movement adjacent the target creature. You then inflict the same as the damage you deal with your normal melee attacks (i.e. it includes your ability modifiers, feat bonuses, weapon enhancement bonuses, bonus damage from magic weapon properties, etc.). This is instead of the damage normally dealt by combat maneuvers (not in addition to it). However, you may not add any types of precision damage, such as a rogue's Sneak Attack, ranger's Quarry, etc., nor may you apply any effects that rely upon an attack, like a paladin's Smite Enemy, a prowler's Imperiling Jolt, or a fighter's Challenge.

You do not provoke attacks of opportunity from the target creature, but you do provoke attacks of opportunity from any nearby creatures that threaten any squares you exited during the movement portion of the charge maneuver.

Consequences of Failure

If you fail, your movement ends in the closest unoccupied square in front of the target creature's space, but you do not inflict any damage to the creature. You provoke attacks of opportunity from any nearby creatures that threaten any squares you exited during the movement portion of the charge maneuver.

Retry Allowed?

Yes

Provokes AOO?

Only if your check critically fails.

Clamber

Clamber is a combat maneuver. You can never perform more than one combat maneuver per round, even if you have sufficient actions to do so. The only exception to this is spending an action point, where that action point grants you an action sufficient to perform another maneuver, in which case a second maneuver in the same round is permitted.

You can enter a larger creature's space, to set up internal flanks by moving under, onto, or amidst the target creature. Clamber is NOT used to move through an enemy's space (you have to use the Overrun combat maneuver for that), nor can it ever affect multiple creatures.

When you spend an attack action to perform a clamber, it includes a move of up to half your normal speed. This movement must include moving into the target monster's space, but it can also include moving up to the monster. This movement is considered forced movement, and normally doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity (but see 'failure' below). In addition, since forced movement is not normal movement, the movement performed during a clamber does not prevent the use of 5-foot steps. Difficult terrain in your path still costs twice as much movement to move into, which can be costly for your already-halved speed.

The target creature must be at least 2 size categories larger than you. Note that all internal squares of a creature are considered to be threatened by that creature.

Action Required:

Attack Action (i.e. as a standard action, or in place of any attack during a full attack action).

DC of Check:

the target creature's Maneuver Defense

Modifiers to Check
  • You can move an additional 5 feet per +5 you add to your target DC, to a maximum of your normal move speed.
  • Clamber may still be performed if you are wearing medium or heavy armor, or even encumbered with a medium or heavy load.
  • You can clamber while Prone, but doing so requires a full-round action, during which you may only move 5 feet, but you can add an additional 5 feet of movement per +5 you wish to add to the DC, up to a maximum of half your normal move speed. You may never move more than half your normal speed while prone, no matter how much you increase the DC.
Take 10? / Take 20?

No

Allows Assists?

Yes (up to 1 ally). Assisting ally must be adjacent to you at the start of your clamber attempt.

Results of Success

You can move up to half your speed, and end your movement in one of the interior squares of the target creature's space (assuming you have enough movement to reach it). You do not provoke an attack of opportunity from the target creature.

In addition, for every 2 by which you exceed the target creature's Maneuver Defense, you can avoid one attack of opportunity from a different enemy creature that threatens any of the squares you are exiting during the movement of the Clamber maneuver.

In addition to the special effects of the chosen maneuver, you may also deal damage to the creature equal to the base weapon damage of the weapon you are wielding, not including any adders (such as enhancement bonuses, STR modifiers, feats, spell effects, precision damage, bonus damage, etc). Note that base weapon damage increases at 6th, 11th, 16th, 21st, 26th, and 31st levels, which also improves the damage done by maneuvers. If you want to do more damage with a combat maneuver, you can take feats to improve your combat maneuvers, or use weapons which are good at certain combat maneuvers.

If you have natural or class-based non-weapon attacks, you may roll just the dice you would normally roll for an attack you are allowed to make during an attack of opportunity, not including any adders (such as enhancement bonuses, STR modifiers, feats, spell effects, precision damage, bonus damage, etc).

Example: a 3rd level fighter would roll just the dice from their +1 longsword (1d8), while a 3rd level Monk would roll just the dice of their Echoing Strike attack (2d8), and a 3rd level Brawler would roll just the dice of their Cross attack (also 2d8).
Consequences of Failure

If you fail, your movement ends in the closest unoccupied square in front of the target creature's space, and you provoke an attack of opportunity from the target creature, and from any other nearby creatures that threaten any squares you exited during the movement. Any remaining movement in your attack action is lost.

Retry Allowed?

Requires another attack action. Retrying does not negate checks which have failed.

Provokes AOO?

Yes, if your check fails, or you do not exceed the target DC enough to avoid the attacks of opportunity of nearby threatening creatures.

Climb Vertical Surface

With a successful Climb check, you can advance up, down, or across a slope, wall, or other steep incline (or even across a ceiling, provided it has handholds) at one-quarter your normal speed. A slope is considered to be any incline at an angle measuring less than 60 degrees; a wall is any incline at an angle measuring 60 degrees or more.

You need at least one hand free to climb, and 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 are flat-footed against any attacks. If you are using a light shield or buckler, and are using the hand carrying that shield to climb, you also lose your Shield Bonus to AC.

Action Required:

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.

DC of Check:

The DC of climb checks is based on the surface you are attempting to climb:

Surface Movement DC
A slope too steep to walk up, or a knotted rope with a wall to brace against. 0
A rope with a wall to brace against, or a knotted rope, or a rope affected by the rope trick spell. 5
A surface with ledges to hold on to and stand on, such as a very rough wall or a ship's rigging. 10
Any surface with adequate handholds and footholds (natural or artificial), such as a very rough natural rock surface or a tree, or an unknotted rope, or pulling yourself up when dangling by your hands. 15
An uneven surface with some narrow handholds and footholds, such as a typical wall in a dungeon. 20
A typical buildings upper-story wall 21
A typical buildings lower-story wall 25
A rough surface, such as a natural rock wall or a brick wall. 25
An overhang wall with handholds but no footholds, or a typical city wall 30
A perfectly smooth, flat, vertical (or inverted) surface cannot be climbed. -
Modifiers to Check
  • Accelerated Climbing: While climb checks are normally made at 1/4 speed, you can move at half speed by adding +10 to the DC of the check. You can move at full speed by adding +20 to the DC.
  • Bracing on two opposite walls: If you are climbing a natural (or artificial) chimney, where you can brace your legs and arms against two nearby opposite walls, the DC is decreased by -10.
  • Bracing on a corner: If you are climbing in a corner, or a space with a perpendicular wall you can brace against, the DC is decreased by -5.
  • Slippery surface: If the surface is slippery (wet, covered in moss or leaves, muddy), the DC is increased by +5. If the surface is extremely slippery (coated in ice, deliberately oiled, soaked in slime or ichor) but still has handholds, the DC is increased by +10.
  • Bad Conditions: Clinging to a wall makes you surprisingly immune to bad weather. Extremely high winds and violent gusts adds +5 DC, heavy pounding hail (or similar like rocks being thrown at you) adds another +5 to the DC. Rain, fog, and snow have little to no effect.
  • Encumbered: If you try to Climb with Movement while encumbered with a Medium load, you add a +10 to the DC. If you try to Climb with a Heavy load, you add +25 to the DC. It's possible to Climb in heavy armor and while loaded down, but you won't like it. Note that if you've caught someone in the middle of a fall, their weight adds to your encumbrance until they can make a Movement check to climb out of your grasp. Best to hold still until they get themselves settled. A load heavier than a Heavy load but less than your Max Drag means you can hold on, barely, but not make any more climb checks. A load heavier than your Max Drag automatically plucks you off the wall and you fall. Be careful about trying to catch falling Giants!
  • Climb Speed: Creatures with Lesser Climb or Greater Climb get a +8 bonus on climb checks made with the Movement skill (creatures with Brachiating get a +4 bonus). This bonus does not apply to any other uses of the movement skill, unless they are specifically applicable to climbing.
  • Taking damage: Anytime you take damage while climbing, you must make an additional Climb check against the DC of the slope or wall, with any normal modifiers as above, and with an additional +5 to the DC for the Bad Conditions of getting attacked.
Take 10? / Take 20?

You can take 10 (as long as you are not in combat), but you cannot take 20.

Allows Assists?

Yes (up to 5 allies). Allies must either be adjacent to you, or adjacent to a rope or similar implement you are using to climb. If there is not enough room, they cannot assist.

Results of Success

You climb up the surface a distance equal to 1/4th your normal Walk speed, rounding down to the nearest 5 foot increment. This distance can be greater, if you increased the DC for accelerated climbing. If you reach the top of the surface at some point during this movement, you move to a standing position at the top, and may continue your movement at your normal speed, if you have any remaining.

Once at the top, you are no longer flat-footed. However, if you have a shield or buckler, because you used that hand for something besides defense this round, you do not recover your shield bonus to AC until the start of your next turn.

Consequences of Failure

A Climb check that fails by 4 or less means that you make no progress but do not fall, and one that fails by 5 or more means that you fall from whatever height you have already attained.

Retry Allowed?

Yes

Provokes AOO?

Yes, as with any voluntary movement.

Fly

You are able to perform skillful maneuvers and fly competently, remaining oriented and even fight, while airborne. This skill use pertains only to flight from either an innate ability, a spell, or a magic item which allows you to propel yourself through the air without the aid of a vehicle or other conveyance. If an item grants you a flight speed, this skill use applies to you. If an item requires you to be in/on it (e.g. a flying carpet), this skill use does not apply (see Piloting instead).
Action Required:

A move action, or part of a move action

DC of Check:
Flying Maneuver Movement DC
Move less than half speed and remain flying 10
Hover in open space (Lesser Flight only) 20

You generally need only make a Fly check on calm days when you possess Lesser Flight. Without making a check, a flying creature with Lesser Flight can remain flying at the end of its turn so long as it moves a distance greater than half its speed. At the beginning of the next turn, you can move in a different direction than you did the previous turn without making a check. Taking any action that violates these rules requires a Fly check. The difficulty of these maneuvers varies depending upon the maneuver you are attempting, as noted on the chart, and modified below.

If a creature possesses Hover they must follow the more restrictive rules of that movement type. Note that you cannot hover in open space with only Hover, no matter how well you may roll on a Movement check.

If a creature possesses Greater Flight they are not required to roll a Movement check to either fly at less than half speed or Hover in open space. If a creature possesses Greater Flight, they receive a +8 modifier on all Movement skill rolls and ignore all modifiers for winds or gusts, although they are still affected by fog, clouds, rain, snow, sleet, hail, lightning, etc.

Modifiers to Check
Modifier Movement DC
Clear, calm skies +5
Clear air or calm air +0
Strong Winds -5
Severe Winds -8
Windstorm -10
Hurricane-force Winds -20
Tornado -25
erratic gusts -10
violent gusts -20
fog or mist -5
opaque clouds -10
dark clouds -20
rain, snow, and/or sleet -5 each
hail -10
massive hail -20
lightning visible -5
lightning close -10
inside a lightning storm -20


Size Movement DC
Tiny or smaller -4
Small or Medium +0
Large +4
Huge +10
Gargantuan +20
Colossal +30
Titanic +40

Yes, a Dragon can fly through a tornado a lot better than a Fairy. Size matters!

Note that many/most of these modifiers are cumulative! A hurricane is a different environment than a thunderhead, but both are very difficult to fly through. GM's adjudicate all modifiers and conditions. A violent storm is nigh-impossible to fly through even for extremely skilled and very high-level characters and should be approached with great caution.

Take 10? / Take 20?

No

Allows Assists?

No

Results of Success

You fly up to your flight speed, or are able to perform the intended maneuver without losing altitude or orientation.

Consequences of Failure

A failed check often results in Falling (or losing altitude), as described on the Lesser Flight, Greater Flight or Hover pages, respectively.

Retry Allowed?

Varies. You can attempt a Fly check to perform the same maneuver on subsequent rounds. If you are using wings and you fail a Fly check by 5 or more, you plummet towards the ground, possibly taking falling damage.

Provokes AOO?

Yes, as with any voluntary movement.

Mitigate Falling Damage While Flying

You can attempt to lessen the damage you take from a fall while you are flying. This is different than trying to reduce falling damage when you fall off of or jump from a cliff or structure, in that you have a means to stop the fall before you hit the ground, and you are not close to a solid object. At the GM's discretion, it may be possible in crowded conditions (such as flying through trees or along city streets) to make a Might skill check to catch hold of something nearby as you plunge toward the ground.

These rules are strictly for creatures flying: Vehicles and Bogeys use the vehicle rules for all aspects of their movement. Most vehicles and Bogeys are large and sturdy enough to ignore most weather effects less severe than a full-on raging storm, for example.

Action Required:

an immediate action

DC of Check:
Flying Maneuver Description Movement DC
Forced Descent If you take damage while flying, you lose 10 feet of altitude at the end of the attacking creature's turn (or after the attack is resolved, if it was an attack of opportunity). This descent is treated as forced movement &mdash it does not provoke an attack of opportunity and does not count against your movement for the round. If you are brought all the way to the ground by forced descent, you do not take any falling damage. However, each time you are subjected to forced decent, you must make a movement check (modified by conditions, see below) to avoid falling the remaining distance to the ground, taking the appropriate damage for your flight type. 10
Avoid Falling After Collision If you are using Hover, Lesser Flight, or Greater Flight to fly and you collide with an object equal to your size or larger (whether you initiate the collision or are struck by the object or creature), you must immediately make a movement check (modified by conditions, see below) to avoid plummeting to the ground, taking the appropriate falling damage for your flight type. Your own size modifier does not apply to this roll, since the rarity of finding something bigger then size Titanic to crash into is its own advantage. 25
Negate Falling Damage If you are falling and have the ability to use Lesser Flight, you can make a Movement check (modified by conditions, see below) to attempt to start flying in mid-fall and negate the damage. You cannot make this check if you are falling due to a failed Movement check (caused by combat or any other source) or a collision. See Falling Damage if you fail this check. 10
Modifiers to Check
Modifier Movement DC
Clear, calm skies +5
Clear air or calm air +0
Strong Winds -5
Severe Winds -8
Windstorm -10
Hurricane-force Winds -20
Tornado -25
erratic gusts -10
violent gusts -20
fog or mist -5
opaque clouds -10
dark clouds -20
rain, snow, and/or sleet -5 each
hail -10
massive hail -20
lightning visible -5
lightning close -10
inside a lightning storm -20


Size Movement DC
Tiny or smaller -4
Small or Medium +0
Large +4
Huge +10
Gargantuan +20
Colossal +30
Titanic +40
Take 10? / Take 20?

No

Allows Assists?

No

Results of Success

You are able to use your ability to fly to avoid falling. If you took damage while in flight (forced descent), your altitude is still reduced by 10 feet at the end of the attacking creature's turn (or after the attack is resolved, if it was an attack of opportunity).

Consequences of Failure

A failed check often results in Falling (or losing altitude), as described on the Lesser Flight, Greater Flight or Hover pages, respectively.

Retry Allowed?

No. You may only attempt a movement check once per mishap.

Provokes AOO?

No

Overrun

Overrun is a combat maneuver. You can never perform more than one combat maneuver per round, even if you have sufficient actions to do so. The only exception to this is spending an action point, where that action point grants you an action sufficient to perform another maneuver, in which case a second maneuver in the same round is permitted.

You attempt to overrun your target, passing through its square. You move up to your speed as part of the maneuver. Overrun does not require you to move in a straight line. You must end your movement after an Overrun in an unblocked, unoccupied space. If there is no open space past your opponent in which to end your movement, you cannot perform the maneuver. You can only overrun an opponent who is no greater than one size category larger than you.

When you attempt to overrun a target, it can choose to avoid you, allowing you to pass through its square without requiring a Movement check. If all of your overrun targets avoid you, you complete your movement, as though you had degraded your standard action to a move action.

Action Required:

Standard Action, or as Part of a Move Action (special; see below).

DC of Check:

The target's Maneuver Defense

Modifiers to Check

Multiple Opponents: You can overrun multiple opponents if you have enough movement to do so. Lay out your desired path and determine how many foes you wish to overrun. Each of your overrun attempts takes a cumulative -3 penalty for each enemy after the first. Thus, if you wish to overrun one enemy, there is no penalty. Overrunning two enemies incurs a -3 penalty to both checks. Overrunning three enemies incurs a -6 penalty to all three checks.

Part of a Move Action: You can perform an overrun maneuver as Part of a Move Action. However, when you do so, you may only perform it against a single creature. If successful, you can only pass through its space. You do not deal your combat maneuver damage to the creature, and you cannot knock the creature prone, no matter how much you exceed its Maneuver Defense. If the move-based overrun fails, it is resolved as described in the 'failure' section below.

Take 10? / Take 20?

No

Allows Assists?

No

Results of Success

If your target does not avoid you, make a Movement check. If your maneuver is successful, you move through the target's space, inflicting your normal damage for a combat maneuver. If your target occupies more than one square, one overrun check will get you through its entire space, but you must have enough movement to make the whole trip. You only deal your combat maneuver damage to an overrun creature once, regardless of how many of its squares you pass through.

If your Maneuver Offense check exceeds your opponent's Maneuver Defense by 5 or more, you move through the target's space and the target is knocked Prone.

In addition to the special effects of the chosen maneuver, you may also deal damage to the creature equal to the base weapon damage of the weapon you are wielding, not including any adders (such as enhancement bonuses, STR modifiers, feats, spell effects, precision damage, bonus damage, etc). Note that base weapon damage increases at 6th, 11th, 16th, 21st, 26th, and 31st levels, which also improves the damage done by maneuvers. If you want to do more damage with a combat maneuver, you can take feats to improve your combat maneuvers, or use weapons which are good at certain combat maneuvers.

If you have natural or class-based non-weapon attacks, you may roll just the dice you would normally roll for an attack you are allowed to make during an attack of opportunity, not including any adders (such as enhancement bonuses, STR modifiers, feats, spell effects, precision damage, bonus damage, etc).

Example: a 3rd level fighter would roll just the dice from their +1 longsword (1d8), while a 3rd level Monk would roll just the dice of their Echoing Strike attack (2d8), and a 3rd level Brawler would roll just the dice of their Cross attack (also 2d8).
Consequences of Failure

If your overrun attempt fails, you are stopped in the space directly in front of the opponent that you failed to overrun. If there are other creatures occupying that space, you are shunted back along your declared path to the first unoccupied space.

Retry Allowed?

Yes

Provokes AOO?

No

Swim

You can swim in a liquid without the proper movement ability (one of Lesser Swim, Greater Swim, or Jet).

Movement is used to move around in liquids, such as water, blood, alcohol, lava, etc. The movement skill conveys no protection against the liquid (such as drowning, burning, the ick factor of swimming in blood, etc). Most movement checks in a liquid are used to swim on the surface, where there is air to breathe. If you do not need to breathe, and can withstand any environmental effects of the fluid, you may make Movement skill rolls to move in any direction below the surface.

If you are under the surface, either because you failed a movement check or because you are swimming under the surface intentionally, you must hold your breath. Outside of combat, you can hold your breath for up to a couple of minutes (subject to GM discretion), but only if you do nothing other than take move actions or free actions. If you take a standard action or a full-round action (such as making an attack), the remainder of the duration for which you can hold your breath is measured as though you are in combat, following the Holding Your Breath rules. A character who cannot hold their breath, or decides to just suck in a lungful of water for any reason, gains the Asphyxiating condition.

Action Required:

Move action

DC of Check:
State of Liquid Movement DC
Calm water at the surface 10
Rough water at the surface 15
Stormy water at the surface 201
  • 1 You can't take 10 on a Swim check in stormy conditions, even if you aren't otherwise being threatened or distracted.

Note: Each hour that you swim, you must make a DC 20 Swim check or take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage from fatigue.

Modifiers to Check
State of Liquid Movement DC
Opaque Fluids below the surface +5
Dense Fluids at the surface -10
Dense Fluids under the surface +10
Acid, Lava, other damaging fluids you cannot resist +15
viscous fluids (tar, honey, blood) +5 to +20
Violent gusts at surface +10
rain, snow, sleet at surface +5 each
Hail at surface +5
massive hail at surface +10
strong currents +5
violent currents +10
vortexes, riptides, whirlpools, rapids +20
small falls +20
large falls +30
cataracts +40

Swim Speed: A creature with a swim speed from either Lesser Swim, Greater Swim, or Jet, can move through water at its indicated speed without making movement checks. If it has Greater Swim it gains a +8 racial bonus on any movement check to perform a special action, or avoid a hazard. The creature can always choose to take 10 on a movement check to swim, even if distracted or endangered when swimming, such as moving through a damaging fluid it cannot fully resist. Such a creature can use the run action while swimming, provided that it swims in a straight line.

Note that many/most of these modifiers are cumulative! Trying to swim up a cataract of lava you cannot resist while staying under the surface is challenging even to high level adventurers. The GM adjudicates all modifiers.

Take 10? / Take 20?

No

Allows Assists?

No

Results of Success

You may swim at up to half your Walk speed as a double-move action, or at a quarter of your Walk speed as a move action.

Consequences of Failure

If you fail by 4 or less, you make no progress.

If you fail by 5 or more, you go under the surface if you were attempting to stay on the surface to breathe.

Retry Allowed?

Yes

Provokes AOO?

Yes, as with any voluntary movement.

Burrow

You are able to dig in loose solid material with or without the use of a dig based movement ability (one of Burrowing, Tunneling, or Earth Glide). This dig speed only works on loose, non-packed, non-fluid material like uncompacted loam, freshly deposited damp silt, moist talc, etc.
Action Required:

full round action

DC of Check:
Burrow Maneuver Movement DC
Move one square in loose, non-flowing material such as silt, talc, etc, without a Burrowing, Tunneling, or Earth Glide speed 30
Move one square in normal soil, sand, gravel, etc, without a Burrowing, Tunneling, or Earth Glide speed 40
Ignore rock as difficult terrain with Burrowing or Tunneling speed 50
Avoid underground hazards (pockets of deadly gas, water, cave-in's) Challenging DC for CR of Hazard
Modifiers to Check
Burrow Modifier Movement DC
Use Tunneling speed in unstable material and still leave an open tunnel +10
Use Burrowing to leave an open (temporary) tunnel behind +10
Cause tunnel left by Tunneling to collapse after a time interval +10
Dig through heavy fluids (lava, tar, marrow, quicksand, loess) +15
Burrow, Tunnel, or Earth Glide through loose, unconsolidated material (glacial debris, faultlines, volcanic ash) +5
Dig through harmful material that you are unable to resist (lava, caustic ash, shattered obsidian) +20
Dig during violent ground movements (avalanche, eruption, earthquake) +20
Using a dig speed on non-earth solids (ice, bone, flesh, leather, crystal, warp-stuff, diamond) +10 to +50

Note that many/most of these modifiers are cumulative! A volcano is a different environment than a glacier, but both are very difficult to dig through. GM's adjudicate all modifiers and conditions. Note that a volcanic eruption is nigh-impossible to dig through even for extremely skilled and very high-level characters and should be approached with great caution.

Take 10? / Take 20?

No

Allows Assists?

No

Results of Success

You successfully burrow 5-feet in the intended direction.

Consequences of Failure

You make no progress this round, if that applies to the attempted action

Retry Allowed?

Yes, assuming circumstances have not changed (such as a volcanic eruption that hurls you skywards).

Provokes AOO?

Yes, as with any voluntary movement.

Withdraw

Withdraw is a combat maneuver. You can never perform more than one combat maneuver per round, even if you have sufficient actions to do so. The only exception to this is spending an action point, where that action point grants you an action sufficient to perform another maneuver, in which case a second maneuver in the same round is permitted.

You can use the withdraw maneuver to attempt to move out of a location without provoking attacks of opportunity from nearby enemies.

To perform the maneuver, you must choose one enemy creature that you can perceive and that is threatening you. This creature is considered the 'primary target' of this maneuver. You may then move up to your speed, and the primary target may not make any attacks of opportunity against you during this movement. Each square of your movement must take you further away from the primary target (it cannot include any squares that are the same distance or closer than any previous square of your movement). This portion of the withdraw maneuver is automatic, and occurs regardless of whether you succeed or fail on the Movement skill check.

If you wish to avoid attacks of opportunity from other creatures in the path of your movement, you must roll a Movement check versus the Maneuver Defense of the target creature. If you succeed on the check, you may choose one other creature you can perceive and that threatens any squares in the path of your movement, and that creature may not make an attack of opportunity against you during the move, either. For every 2 by which you exceed the target DC, you may prevent one additional enemy creature you can perceive from making an attack of opportunity against you during your move.

Note that you do not need to move directly away from any creatures other than the creature you designated as the primary target.

Enemies you are unable to perceive may still make attacks of opportunity against you, and you can't withdraw from combat if you're blinded. Because the withdraw action is considered movement, you can't perform a 5-foot step during the same round in which you withdraw. You may not withdraw using a form of movement for which you don't have a listed speed.

Note that despite the name of this action, you don't actually have to leave combat entirely.

Action Required:

Standard Action or in place of the first attack of a full attack action.

DC of Check:

the target creature's Maneuver Defense

Modifiers to Check

-

Take 10? / Take 20?

No

Allows Assists?

No

Results of Success

You move up to your speed, and you do not provoke attacks of opportunity from your primary target, and also from one additional creature you can perceive, as a result of this movement.

In addition, for every 2 by which you exceed the target creature's Maneuver Defense, you can avoid one attack of opportunity from an additional enemy creature that threatens any of the squares you are exiting during the movement of the Withdraw maneuver.

Unlike other combat maneuvers, the Withdraw maneuver does not inflict any damage.

Consequences of Failure

If you fail, you complete your movement, but you provoke an attack of opportunity from any nearby creatures that threaten any squares you exited during the movement, other than the primary target (who does not get an attack of opportunity against you).

Retry Allowed?

Yes, but retrying does not prevent the consequences of failing a previous attempt.

Provokes AOO?

Only if you fail the check.

Climb On Inverted Surface (Epic)

You can attempt to scramble along the underside of a surface, such as an overhang or a ceiling. As with climbing, you can't move to avoid a blow, so you are flat-footed. If you are using a light shield or buckler, and are using the hand carrying that shield to climb, you also lose your shield bonus to AC.

This is an epic skill use, and requires at least 21 ranks in the skill before it may be attempted. If you have a Greater Climb speed, you do not need this skill use to climb on inverted surfaces.

Action Required:

Move action, or part of a move action

DC of Check:

45

Modifiers to Check
  • Good handholds: A surface with available hand- and foot-holds lowers the DC by -5.
  • Accelerated Climbing: While climb checks are normally made at 1/4 speed, you can move at half speed by adding +10 to the DC of the check. You can move at full speed by adding +20 to the DC.
  • Bracing on a corner: If you are climbing in a corner, or a space with a perpendicular wall you can brace against, the DC is decreased by -5.
  • Slippery surface: If the surface is slippery (wet, covered in moss or leaves, muddy), the DC is increased by +5. If the surface is extremely slippery (coated in ice, deliberately oiled, soaked in slime or ichor) but still has handholds, the DC is increased by +10.
  • Bad Conditions: Clinging to a wall makes you surprisingly immune to bad weather. Extremely high winds and violent gusts adds +5 DC, heavy pounding hail (or similar like rocks being thrown at you) adds another +5 to the DC. Rain, fog, and snow have little to no effect.
  • Encumbered: If you try to Climb with Movement while encumbered with a Medium load, you add a +10 to the DC. If you try to Climb with a Heavy load, you add +25 to the DC. It's possible to Climb in heavy armor and while loaded down, but you won't like it. Note that if you've caught someone in the middle of a fall, their weight adds to your encumbrance until they can make a Movement check to climb out of your grasp. Best to hold still until they get themselves settled. A load heavier than a Heavy load but less than your Max Drag means you can hold on, barely, but not make any more climb checks. A load heavier than your Max Drag automatically plucks you off the wall and you fall. Be careful about trying to catch falling Giants!
  • Climb Speed: Creatures with Lesser Climb or Greater Climb get a +8 bonus on climb checks made with the Movement skill (creatures with Brachiating get a +4 bonus). This bonus does not apply to any other uses of the movement skill, unless they are specifically applicable to climbing.
  • Taking damage: Anytime you take damage while climbing, you must make an additional Climb check against the DC of the slope or wall, with any normal modifiers as above, and with an additional +5 to the DC for the Bad Conditions of getting attacked.
Take 10? / Take 20?

No

Allows Assists?

No

Results of Success

You cling to the inverted surface like some sort of man-spider.

Consequences of Failure

You fall from the surface to the ground below.

Retry Allowed?

No

Provokes AOO?

Yes, as with any voluntary movement.