Balance
DEX based · Armor check penalty
Player's Handbook v.3.5 (PH), p. 67
Description
You can keep your balance while walking on a tightrope, a narrow beam, a slippery ledge, or an uneven floor.
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 1 | Difficult Surface | Balance DC 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7-12 inches wide | 10 | Uneven flagstone | 10 2 |
| 2-6 inches wide | 15 | Hewn stone floor | 10 2 |
| Less than 2 inches wide | 20 | Sloped or angled floor | 10 2 |
1 Add modifiers from Narrow Surface Modifiers, below, as appropriate.
2 Only if running or charging. Failure by 4 or less means the character can’t run or charge, but may otherwise act normally.
Narrow Surface Modifiers
| Surface | DC Modifier |
|---|---|
| Lightly obstructed (scree, light rubble) | +2 |
| Severely obstructed (natural cavern floor, dense rubble) | +5 |
| Lightly slippery (wet floor) | +2 |
| Severely slippery (ice sheet) | +5 |
| Sloped or angled | +2 |
Add the appropriate modifier to the Balance DC of a narrow surface. These modifiers stack.
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.
Synergy
If you have 5 or more ranks in Tumble, you get a +2 bonus on Balance checks.
Special
If you have the Agile feat, you get a +2 bonus on Balance checks.