So, I think Graydon's about ready to get on the isle and is all for tying the boat up.

This is basically what the stairs look like....minus the chains.

History Check:

- To remember what Thibor know about the Isle of Serpents.

OH CRAP you weren't kidding?? Hell, Graydon's probably the only person who could climb that. How high up does it go?

Those aren't stairs. That's just a particularly oddly shaped ladder. I hope anyone who says we climb them brought climbing gear on this little adventure.



Well despite all appearances Agamemnon is basically an acrobat so I could prolly take it as well. I'd have to hold my maul in my teeth or something though.

Graydon doesn't have a climbing kit, but he gets to roll athletics checks to climb twice and take the higher roll. Since there are handholds, what would the DC even be?

The Isle of Serpents is an almost impenetrable fortress. It is surrounded on all sides by a massive black stone wall that appears by all accounts to be a natural formation, though ancient stories exist that tell of a long forgotten serpent god that shed it's skin to create the fortress. There is no mention of any staircase remotely like the one before you, and the only well-documented way to enter the Isle is to climb the rock face. You have however heard of an underwater tunnel that can also bypass the stone barrier. Few have gotten past the walls and even fewer have survived to return to tell about it, though there are accounts of the place being inhabited by all forms of serpents, both the tiny natural variety and gigantic unnatural monstrosities. Presumably, this is what gives the isle its name. There is said to also be an ancient civilization of Yuan-Ti (snake people) that inhabits the isle that still worship the ancient serpent god and perform all variety of unholy rituals in her name. But most of this is conjecture.

And it is a moot point anyway, because you are quite certain the Isle of Serpents has no such landmark like the stairs that jut up before you.


About a hundred feet, give or take a dozen or so. It's a bit hard to tell at this angle.


All the makings of a climber's kit exists within your shared wagon of goods...that is back on the boat. Plus, the sailors should have the requisite gear as well.


Does your maul not have some kind of strap or hook to put it on your back?


Slightly easier than scaling a rock wall. Slightly harder than scaling a ladder. It isn't particularly tough to scale a few steps, the question is how tough it will be when you're 80 feet up and still have 20-some feet to go... You can expect to make Endurance checks in addition to the regular climbing checks.

Geez, first Graydon didn't have ranged weapons, and now doesn't have climbing gear...did he prepare at all before he came on this adventure?

He can borrow my climber's kit if he wants.

Will IC getting it out. But we might need one more...

Quinn is also not the most athletic person around, and doesn't possess a climber's kit.

Though, he's more athletic than Jiardem... lol

EDIT: scratch that, Quinn is actually the second highest athletic score in the group. lol

In theory, everyone could tie themselves together with a rope. This would increase the odds of everyone getting up safely, but has the added danger that, if you should be so unlucky that enough of you roll poorly at the same time, you will all fall together.

Well, Graydon has a high endurance too... 100 feet is 20 squares, shouldn't be too bad. The question is how to get everyone else up? Lash two ropes together and drag people up one-by-one?

I say Graydon goes up first, uses his rope to help the other players, and then we cumulatively "assist" characters as they climb (Graydon helps one, Graydon+1 helps the next, Graydon+2, etc.)

Graydon probably has a decent chance of making it to the top, yes. Barring unforeseen dangers or obstacles, he could make the climb.

Jiardem realizes there are some things he just isn't the best at. Like being untrained in athletics. The kit to lessen that problem.

I'm really going to laugh if I'm the only one who packed one.

Edit: Okay, I'm laughing. But someone does have a 100 ft rope though.

OK, so I rolled IC... what should I do for Endurance? The checks listed in the PHB are about treading water after an hour or holding your breath--I'm not sure what the DC is for a couple minutes worth of climbing is...?

Just make a single Endurance check in here.

Here goes: 13!!!

Is that the kind of fail that means I fall or the kind of fail that means I stop mid-climb? Or is it a fail at all?

It's the kind of fail that means you lose a healing surge.













And you fall.

Right from the last step too. Make an acrobatics check to see if you can catch yourself on the wall. Failure means you're falling 100 feet.

On page 182 of the PHB:

✦ Catch Hold: If you fall while climbing, you can make
an Athletics check as a free action to catch hold of
something to stop your fall. The base DC to catch
hold of something is the DC of the surface you were
climbing plus 5, modified by circumstances. You can
make one check to catch hold. If you fail, you can’t
try again unless the DM rules otherwise.

So... Athletics check OK?

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