Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Jump - Should not be strength only

The jump feature is great, but also seems amiss. An 18 dex rogue unable to jump a small crevice in light armor while a paladin in heavy armor can jump twice the distance needed?

Simplified version
Allows str or dex to be the determining factor for distance

Complex/More Realistic
Take into account str or dex as well as current character load. Not sure this route would be fun, but would be more realistic

Astarion will thank you for fixing his short bunny hops turned into longer distance

Yeah, I think it should be based on athletics or acrobatics, whichever is higher. That way high strength and high dex characters could get some distance.

Dexterity represents agility and acrobatics specifically is meant to represent balancing and tumbling. Athletics (Str) specifically is used for jumping. Dexterity is already too powerful and Strength is too weak in 5e - allowing characters to use Dex in place of Str for jumping just worsens that divide. People can jump far because of their muscles.

Taking into account character load would be more realistic, but it'd also unduly punish Str-based characters because they're more likely to be wearing heavy armor. I'd want it to be a fairly minor effect: an 18-Str character wearing heavy armor should still be able to jump farther than a 10-Str character wearing no armor.

All the acrobats I know are pretty good jumpers. Better than most of the body builders I know.

Jumping distance and skill should be based on Athletics. It's literally in the name. If Acrobats are good jumpers it's probably because they also have the Athletics skill.

Armor that give Stealth Disadvantage should also give Athletics Disadvantage for jumping and climbing. A strength based warrior should get that mobility benefit wearing a Breastplate and losing 2 AC. There needs to be more reasons for an 18 Strength character to also benefit from 14 Dex and wearing medium armor.

Athletics checks should come into play in combat when you jump. Fail could mean falling prone. Heavy armor should cost you at least some aspect of mobility.

That's because they have trained to build up strength - most gymnasts I've seen have some serious muscles. In the real world you can't really train acrobatics without also training your strength, but in D&D those two attributes are decoupled. D&D does have an optional rule where you use a different attribute for skills: Strength (Acrobatics) would probably be the most apt for many of acrobats' & gymnasts' activities.