Optional Rule: Climb Kit is a Tool Proficiency
Climbing Requires Skill
If you feel like climbing is an activity that should require some semblance of skill to use the tools in the climber's kit (special pitons, boot tips, gloves, and a harness), perhaps you would enjoy implementing a Climber's Kit as a tool. Below the Climber's Kit is formatted similar to the tool proficiencies in Xanathar's Guide to Everything.
Climber's Kit
A climber's kit is a favored resource by climbers, thieves, and adventurers in extreme terrains. Proficiency in climber's kit allows you to navigate difficult terrain on sheer surfaces more easily than those without it, by adding your proficiency bonus. Many climbers view difficult climbs as challenges to their skills and can easily assess terrain from a glance.
- Components. A climber's kit includes 10 special pitons, boot tips, gloves, 50 feet of hempen rope, and a harness.
- Athletics and Acrobatics. Your experience climbing sheer surfaces makes it easier scaling and finding purchase on perpendicular surfaces.
- Investigation. As you are climbing you're capable of discerning unstable purchases, finding hidden crevices, and identifying how difficult a climb can be for yourself and others. You can also identify whether a sheer surface is natural or artifical.
- Nature and Survival. You are able to recall lore about difficult climbs, and areas renown for their difficult sheer terrains (such as mountain fortresses, notable landmarks like seaside cliffs, etc) as well as finding efficient or shorter climbing routes.
- Cooperative Climbing. Multiple creatures within 25 feet of each other that have a climber's kit can cooperatively climb, making it easier for any participants in the climb. When climbing this way, climbers can take a bonus action while climbing to use the Help action on other climbers.
- Anchor. You can use the climber’s kit as an action to anchor yourself; when you do, you can’t fall more than 25 feet from the point where you anchored yourself, and you can’t climb more than 25 feet away from that point without undoing the anchor.
Climbing
| Activity | DC |
|---|---|
| Navigate sheer surfaces, such as minor cliffs, small mountains, or average-sized urban walls. | 12 |
| Assess the difficulty of a climb and its route. | 14 |
| Spot an anomalous (such as an illusion or magic), unstable or hidden surface while climbing. | 16 |
| Identifying a quicker or safer climbing route. | 18 |
| Navigating extreme surfaces and climbs. Such as large mountains, abnormally high walls, or magical terrain. | 20 |
Artist Credit
Illustration done for Magic: the Gathering - Battle for Zendikar. Artist: Anna Steinbauer; Art Director: Dawn Murin. 2015 © Wizards of the Coast "Seek the Wilds".