Balance [Dex;Armor Check Penalty; Gravity Check Modifier]
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 cannot move for 1 round. A failure by 5 or more means you fall. The difficulty varies with the surface, as follows:
| Narrow Surface | Balance DC1 | Difficult Surface | Balance DC1 |
|---|---|---|---|
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. |
|||
| 7-12 inches wide | 10 | Uneven flagstone | 102 |
| 2-6 inches wide | 15 | Hewn stone floor | 102 |
| Less than 2 inches wide | 20 | Sloped or angled floor | 102 |
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.
Changes in gravity can affect your sense of balance. Any time you stand up or move after you experience a change in gravity, make a Balance check. The DC is 10 plus the gravity check modifier. If the check fails, you fall prone (or float prone, if you're in zerogravity).
If you're standing on a metallic, magnetically attractive surface (like that of most starcraft hulls) in a low- or zero-gravity environment and are wearing magnetic boots, the gravity check modifier does not apply to the DC.
Synergy
If you have 5 or more ranks in Tumble, you get a +2 bonus on Balance checks.