Acrobatics
Full rules text, use cases, and edge-case handling for this skill.
Description
Acrobatics covers balance, tumbling, and jumping — three distinct uses unified into one skill. It replaces Balance, Jump, and Tumble from earlier editions. A high Acrobatics score lets a character walk narrow ledges without falling, dive through a crowd of enemies without triggering attacks of opportunity, and leap chasms that would stop less agile adventurers cold.
Check
Balance
When moving across a narrow surface or unstable ground, make an Acrobatics check each round. Failure by 4 or less means you cannot move that round. Failure by 5 or more means you fall.
| Surface Width | DC |
|---|---|
| 7–12 inches wide | 5 |
| 2–6 inches wide | 10 |
| Less than 2 inches wide | 15 |
| Uneven or sloped surface | +2 |
| Slippery surface | +5 |
| Moving surface (ship deck, cart) | +5 |
Tumble — Move Through Threatened Squares
You can move through a square threatened by an enemy without provoking an attack of opportunity by succeeding on an Acrobatics check. The DC increases by 2 for each additional enemy beyond the first threatening that square.
| Task | DC |
|---|---|
| Move through a threatened square without provoking an AoO | 15 |
| Move through an enemy's space (enemy must be larger than you) | 20 |
| Each additional enemy threatening the same square | +2 |
Variant — CMD-based tumble DC: Some GMs use DC = 15 + the defender's Combat Maneuver Defense (CMD) modifier in place of the flat DC 15. This is a popular variant that makes tumbling past highly trained warriors appropriately difficult. Check with your GM before assuming either version.
Jump
A running start (at least 10 ft of movement before the jump) is assumed. Without a running start, double all DCs. Your Acrobatics modifier also acts as the number of feet you can jump when the DC equals that number — effectively, your modifier sets your baseline jumping distance.
| Task | DC |
|---|---|
| Long jump — horizontal distance (1 DC per foot) | = feet jumped |
| High jump — vertical distance (4 DC per foot) | = 4 × feet jumped |
| No running start | DC × 2 |
Action
Balance and Tumble: No separate action — part of your normal movement for that round.
Jump: No separate action — part of your movement. You spend feet of movement equal to the distance jumped.
Try Again
Balance: Yes, each round of movement requires a new check.
Tumble: Yes, but failing the check means the movement provokes the attack of opportunity — you don't get to abort mid-move.
Jump: Yes, each jump attempt is a new check. Failure means you don't reach the target distance and may fall, depending on the situation.
Special
- Armor check penalty: Applies to all three uses of Acrobatics.
- Acrobatic (feat): +2 to Acrobatics (and Fly); increases to +4 in each with 10 or more ranks.
- Skill Focus — Acrobatics (feat): +3; increases to +6 with 10 or more ranks.
- Monk: Acrobatics is a class skill. A monk's fast movement increases effective speed for jump DC calculations.
- Rogue: Acrobatics is a class skill. Several rogue talents (Acrobatic Assist, etc.) build on it.
- Freedom of Movement (spell): Grants automatic success on Acrobatics checks to move through difficult terrain and escape grapples; does not help with jump DCs.
Untrained
Yes. All three uses of Acrobatics are available untrained, though characters without ranks will struggle against higher DCs.