Is it possible to climb while grappling an enemy (essentially climbing with just one hand and feet)?
Does it matter if the one climbing has climbing speed equal to its walking speed like the tabaxis? What if the ability also lets you climb difficult surfaces without an ability check like the path of the beast barbarian? And lastly, can you do it with spider climb?
Up to DM as written, climbing doesn't require two hands free so it's possible to climb with one hand while grappling a creature with the other but a DM might rule against it or require a successful Strength (Athletics) check.
Also it'd be very slow since while doing so your speed is halved (unless the creature is two or more sizes smaller than you) and each foot of movement costs 1 extra foot You ignore this extra cost if you have a climbing speed but the other feature would still be up to DM since dragging or carrying another creature while climbing could still be an additional difficulty in and of itself that could require a check.
you have to have one free hand to grapple....so that means you're climbing with 1 hand (at most) at half speed...holding a creature that is more than likely actively trying to escape the grapple. RAW, no...but:
unless you already have a climbing speed or are already rigged up with climbing gear (which it sounds like you do), i'd say it'd be somewhere around a DC 25 or 30 Athletics or Acrobatics check...just for the climbing check. Not RAW or RAI, but i'd say climbing speed assumes the use of two hands....so even if you do have a climbing speed, i'd say it'd still be around a DC 20 or so.
Saying you only need 1 hand to climb without some kind of penalty is like saying you only need 1 leg to walk or 1 wing to fly....sure, there's no rule that says you have to have 2 legs for your given walking speed......its outside the scope of the rules.
It is a DM call, it is a situation not covered directly by the rules since the rules for climbing do not specify whether you require one, two or even possibly no hands in some cases.
A DM might decide to allow it through rule of cool since it sets a neat scene. Another DM might say absolutely not unless you have a magical climb ability like spider climb where hands are not needed.
As far as rules go: "Moving a Grappled Creature. When you move, you can drag or carry the grappled creature with you, but your speed is halved, unless the creature is two or more sizes smaller than you." .. it does allow a grappled creature to be carried or dragged. The rules also only require a single free hand for grappling. "Using at least one free hand, you try to seize the target by making a grapple check instead of an attack roll".
So, it entirely comes down to whether a DM decides you can climb with one hand or whether two would be required. Personally, I would probably at least consider giving the grappled creature advantage to escape the grapple if they are being carried in a circumstance where the creature grappling only has one hand available to grapple and can not freely move their feet to respond to the movements of the grappled creature (eg climbing). I would also likely require an athletics check (and also check the encumbrance and carrying capacity of the creature grappling) to see if they even have the minimum ability to carry another struggling creature up a vertical surface while using one hand to maintain the grapple and the other hand and both feet to climb.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Is it possible to climb while grappling an enemy (essentially climbing with just one hand and feet)?
Does it matter if the one climbing has climbing speed equal to its walking speed like the tabaxis? What if the ability also lets you climb difficult surfaces without an ability check like the path of the beast barbarian? And lastly, can you do it with spider climb?
Up to DM as written, climbing doesn't require two hands free so it's possible to climb with one hand while grappling a creature with the other but a DM might rule against it or require a successful Strength (Athletics) check.
Also it'd be very slow since while doing so your speed is halved (unless the creature is two or more sizes smaller than you) and each foot of movement costs 1 extra foot You ignore this extra cost if you have a climbing speed but the other feature would still be up to DM since dragging or carrying another creature while climbing could still be an additional difficulty in and of itself that could require a check.
you have to have one free hand to grapple....so that means you're climbing with 1 hand (at most) at half speed...holding a creature that is more than likely actively trying to escape the grapple. RAW, no...but:
unless you already have a climbing speed or are already rigged up with climbing gear (which it sounds like you do), i'd say it'd be somewhere around a DC 25 or 30 Athletics or Acrobatics check...just for the climbing check. Not RAW or RAI, but i'd say climbing speed assumes the use of two hands....so even if you do have a climbing speed, i'd say it'd still be around a DC 20 or so.
Saying you only need 1 hand to climb without some kind of penalty is like saying you only need 1 leg to walk or 1 wing to fly....sure, there's no rule that says you have to have 2 legs for your given walking speed......its outside the scope of the rules.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
It is a DM call, it is a situation not covered directly by the rules since the rules for climbing do not specify whether you require one, two or even possibly no hands in some cases.
A DM might decide to allow it through rule of cool since it sets a neat scene. Another DM might say absolutely not unless you have a magical climb ability like spider climb where hands are not needed.
As far as rules go: "Moving a Grappled Creature. When you move, you can drag or carry the grappled creature with you, but your speed is halved, unless the creature is two or more sizes smaller than you." .. it does allow a grappled creature to be carried or dragged. The rules also only require a single free hand for grappling. "Using at least one free hand, you try to seize the target by making a grapple check instead of an attack roll".
So, it entirely comes down to whether a DM decides you can climb with one hand or whether two would be required. Personally, I would probably at least consider giving the grappled creature advantage to escape the grapple if they are being carried in a circumstance where the creature grappling only has one hand available to grapple and can not freely move their feet to respond to the movements of the grappled creature (eg climbing). I would also likely require an athletics check (and also check the encumbrance and carrying capacity of the creature grappling) to see if they even have the minimum ability to carry another struggling creature up a vertical surface while using one hand to maintain the grapple and the other hand and both feet to climb.