Balance - Revision history

Arianna: Created page with "NOTE: This skill is primarily usable with DM assistance, and as such, may be less frequently useable than hardcoded skills directly referenced by the game engine.
2021-12-06T10:26:47Z

Created page with "<b><i>NOTE: This skill is primarily usable with DM assistance, and as such, may be less frequently useable than hardcoded skills directly referenced by the game engine.</b></i..."

New page
<b><i>NOTE: This skill is primarily usable with DM assistance, and as such, may be less frequently useable than hardcoded skills directly referenced by the game engine.</b></i>

Balance (Dex; Armor Check Penalty)

Check:
You can walk on a precarious surface. A successful check lets you move at half your speed along the surface for 1 round. A failure by 4 or less means you can't move for 1 round. A failure by 5 or more means you fall. The difficulty varies with the surface, as follows:

Narrow Surface Balance DC
7-12 inches wide 10
2-6 inches wide 15
Less than 2 inches wide 20

Difficult Surface Balance DC
Uneven flagstone 10*
Hewn stone floor 10*
Sloped or angled floor 10*

1. Add modifiers from Narrow Surface Modifiers, below, as appropriate.
* Only if running or charging. Failure by 4 or less means that the character can't run or charge but may otherwise act normally.

Narrow Surface Modifiers:
Surface DC Modifier*
Lightly obstructed +2
Severely obstructed +5
Lightly slippery +2
Severely slippery +5
Sloped or angled +2

These modifiers stack.

Being Attacked while Balancing:
You are considered flat-footed while balancing, since you can't move to avoid a blow, and thus you lose your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). If you have 5 or more ranks in Balance, you aren't considered flat-footed while balancing. If you take damage while balancing, you must make another Balance check against the same DC to remain standing.

Accelerated Movement:
You can try to walk across a precarious surface more quickly than normal. If you accept a -5 penalty, you can move your full speed as a move action. (Moving twice your speed in a round requires two Balance checks, one for each move action used.) You may also accept this penalty in order to charge across a precarious surface; charging requires one Balance check for each multiple of your speed (or fraction thereof) that you charge.

Action:
None. A Balance check doesn't require an action; it is made as part of another action or as a reaction to a situation.

Special:
If you have the Agile feat, you get a +2 bonus on Balance checks.

Synergy:
If you have 5 or more ranks in Tumble, you get a +2 bonus on Balance checks.

There are a number of areas scripted in ALFA to require a Balance check.