
Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

General Skills
Acrobatics | Arcana | Athletics | Crafting | Deception | Diplomacy | Intimidation | Lore | Medicine | Nature | Occultism | Performance | Religion | Society | Stealth | Survival | Thievery
There is a Remastered version here.

Athletics (Str)

Legacy Content

Source Core Rulebook pg. 241 4.0
Athletics allows you to perform deeds of physical prowess. When you use the Escape basic action, you can use your Athletics modifier instead of your unarmed attack modifier.

Table 4–4: Climb And Swim Distance

This table provides a quick reference for how far you can move with a Climb or Swim action.

Table 4-4: Climb and Swim Distance

Climb DistanceSwim Distance
SpeedSuccessCritical SuccessSuccessCritical Success
5-15 feet55510
20-35 feet5101015
40-55 feet10151520
60-65 feet15202025

Leap

The Leap basic action is used for High Jump and Long Jump. Leap lets you take a careful, short jump. You can Leap up to 10 feet horizontally if your Speed is at least 15 feet, or up to 15 feet horizontally if your Speed is at least 30 feet. You land in the space where your Leap ends (meaning you can typically clear a 5-foot gap if your Speed is between 15 feet and 30 feet, or a 10-foot gap if your Speed is 30 feet or more). If you make a vertical Leap, you can move up to 3 feet vertically and 5 feet horizontally onto an elevated surface.

Forced Movement

The Shove action can force a creature to move. When an effect forces you to move, or if you start falling, the distance you move is defined by the effect that moved you, not by your Speed. Because you're not acting to move, this doesn't trigger reactions triggered by movement.
Item Bonuses for Athletics - Common Items

Item Bonuses for Common items

Ability/SkillItemBonusLevelCategoryConsumable?Note
AthleticsBronze Bull Pendant+12TalismansYesAthletics to Shove
AthleticsMonkey Pin+12TalismansYesAthletics to Climb
AthleticsSavior Spike+12TalismansYesAthletics to Grab an Edge

Related Feats

To see a list of Feats related to Athletics, click here.

Athletics Untrained Actions

Climb [one-action]

Move 
Source Core Rulebook pg. 241 4.0
Requirements You have both hands free.
You move up, down, or across an incline. Unless it’s particularly easy, you must attempt an Athletics check. The GM determines the DC based on the nature of the incline and environmental circumstances. You’re flat-footed unless you have a climb Speed.

Critical Success You move up, across, or safely down the incline for 5 feet plus 5 feet per 20 feet of your land Speed (a total of 10 feet for most PCs).
Success You move up, across, or safely down the incline for 5 feet per 20 feet of your land Speed (a total of 5 feet for most PCs, minimum 5 feet if your Speed is below 20 feet).
Critical Failure You fall. If you began the climb on stable ground, you fall and land prone.

Sample Climb Tasks

Untrained ladder, steep slope, low-branched tree
Trained rigging, rope, typical tree
Expert wall with small handholds and footholds
Master ceiling with handholds and footholds, rock wall
Legendary smooth surface

Force Open [one-action]

Attack 
Source Core Rulebook pg. 242 4.0
Using your body, a lever, or some other tool, you attempt to forcefully open a door, window, container or heavy gate. With a high enough result, you can even smash through walls. Without a crowbar, prying something open takes a –2 item penalty to the Athletics check to Force Open.

Critical Success You open the door, window, container, or gate and can avoid damaging it in the process.
Success You break the door, window, container, or gate open, and the door, window, container, or gate gains the broken condition. If it’s especially sturdy, the GM might have it take damage but not be broken.
Critical Failure Your attempt jams the door, window, container, or gate shut, imposing a –2 circumstance penalty on future attempts to Force it Open.

Sample Force Open Tasks

Untrained fabric, flimsy glass
Trained ice, sturdy glass
Expert flimsy wooden door, wooden portcullis
Master sturdy wooden door, iron portcullis, metal bar
Legendary stone or iron door

Grapple [one-action]

Attack 
Source Core Rulebook pg. 242 4.0
Requirements You have at least one free hand or have your target grappled or restrained. Your target isn't more than one size larger than you.
You attempt to grab a creature or object with your free hand. Attempt an Athletics check against the target's Fortitude DC. You can Grapple a target you already have grabbed or restrained without having a hand free.

Critical Success Your target is restrained until the end of your next turn unless you move or your target Escapes.
Success Your target is grabbed until the end of your next turn unless you move or your target Escapes.
Failure You fail to grab your target. If you already had the target grabbed or restrained using a Grapple, those conditions on that creature or object end.
Critical Failure If you already had the target grabbed or restrained, it breaks free. Your target can either grab you, as if it succeeded at using the Grapple action against you, or force you to fall and land prone.

High Jump [two-actions]

Source Core Rulebook pg. 242 4.0
You Stride, then make a vertical Leap and attempt a DC 30 Athletics check to increase the height of your jump. If you didn’t Stride at least 10 feet, you automatically fail your check. This DC might be increased or decreased due to the situation, as determined by the GM.

Critical Success Increase the maximum vertical distance to 8 feet, or increase the maximum vertical distance to 5 feet and maximum horizontal distance to 10 feet.
Success Increase the maximum vertical distance to 5 feet.
Failure You Leap normally.
Critical Failure You don’t Leap at all, and instead you fall prone in your space.

Long Jump [two-actions]

Source Core Rulebook pg. 242 4.0
You Stride, then make a horizontal Leap and attempt an Athletics check to increase the length of your jump. The DC of the Athletics check is equal to the total distance in feet you’re attempting to move during your Leap (so you’d need to succeed at a DC 20 check to Leap 20 feet). You can’t Leap farther than your Speed.

If you didn’t Stride at least 10 feet, or if you attempt to jump in a different direction than your Stride, you automatically fail your check. This DC might be increased or decreased due to the situation, as determined by the GM.

Success Increase the maximum horizontal distance you Leap to the desired distance.
Failure You Leap normally.
Critical Failure You Leap normally, but then fall and land prone.

Shove [one-action]

Attack 
Source Core Rulebook pg. 243 4.0
Requirements You have at least one hand free. The target can’t be more than one size larger than you.
You push a creature away from you. Attempt an Athletics check against your target's Fortitude DC.

Critical Success You push your target up to 10 feet away from you. You can Stride after it, but you must move the same distance and in the same direction.
Success You push your target back 5 feet. You can Stride after it, but you must move the same distance and in the same direction.
Critical Failure You lose your balance, fall, and land prone.

Swim [one-action]

Move 
Source Core Rulebook pg. 243 4.0
You propel yourself through water. In most calm water, you succeed at the action without needing to attempt a check. If you must breathe air and you’re submerged in water, you must hold your breath each round. If you fail to hold your breath, you begin to drown. If the water you are swimming in is turbulent or otherwise dangerous, you might have to attempt an Athletics check to Swim.

If you end your turn in water and haven’t succeeded at a Swim action that turn, you sink 10 feet or get moved by the current, as determined by the GM. However, if your last action on your turn was to enter the water, you don’t sink or move with the current that turn.

Critical Success You move through the water 10 feet, plus 5 feet per 20 feet of your land Speed (a total of 15 feet for most PCs).
Success You move through the water 5 feet, plus 5 feet per 20 feet of your land Speed (a total of 10 feet for most PCs).
Critical Failure You make no progress, and if you’re holding your breath, you lose 1 round of air.

Sample Swim Tasks

Untrained lake or other still water
Trained flowing water, like a river
Expert swiftly flowing river
Master stormy sea
Legendary maelstrom, waterfall

Trip [one-action]

Attack 
Source Core Rulebook pg. 243 4.0
Requirements You have at least one hand free. Your target can’t be more than one size larger than you.
You try to knock a creature to the ground. Attempt an Athletics check against the target’s Reflex DC.

Critical Success The target falls and lands prone and takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage.
Success The target falls and lands prone.
Critical Failure You lose your balance and fall and land prone.

Athletics Trained Actions

Disarm [one-action]

Attack 
Source Core Rulebook pg. 243 4.0
Requirements You have at least one hand free. The target can’t be more than one size larger than you.
You try to knock something out of a creature’s grasp. Attempt an Athletics check against the target’s Reflex DC.

Critical Success You knock the item out of the target's grasp. It falls to the ground in the target's space.
Success You weaken your target's grasp on the item. Until the start of that creature's turn, attempts to Disarm the target of that item gain a +2 circumstance bonus, and the target takes a –2 circumstance penalty to attacks with the item or other checks requiring a firm grasp on the item.
Critical Failure You lose your balance and become flat-footed until the start of your next turn.

Falling

When you fall more than 5 feet, you take falling damage when you land, which is bludgeoning damage equal to half the distance you fell. If you take any damage from a fall, you’re knocked prone when you land.

If you fall into water, snow, or another soft substance, calculate the damage from the fall as though your fall were 20 feet shorter. The reduction can’t be greater than the depth of the water (so when falling into water that is only 10 feet deep, you treat the fall as 10 feet shorter). You can Grab an Edge as a reaction (page 472) to reduce or eliminate the damage from some falls. More detailed rules for falling damage appear on page 463.