Balance

You can keep your **Balance** while walking on a tightrope, a narrow beam, a slippery slope, or an uneven ledge.

**:** Dexterity File:HandIcon3.png

**T:** No

**AP:** Yes

**:** Battle Mind, Daredevil, Fast Hero, Infiltrator, Martial Artist, and Shadow Slayer.

**:** Athlete, Emergency Services, and Rural.

## Checks

The character can walk on a precarious surface. A successful check lets the character move at half their speed along the surface as a move action. If the failure is less than 5, the creature may try again. If 5 or more, then they fall and must return before attempting again. A failure of less than 5 indicates that the character spends her move action keeping her balance and does not move. A failure by 5 or more indicates that the character falls. The difficulty varies with the conditions of the surface.

Being Attacked While Balancing
While balancing, unless the character has 5 or more ranks in Balance, the character is flat-footed (the character loses her Dexterity bonus to Defense, if the character has one). If the character takes damage, he or she must make a Balance check again to remain standing.
Accelerated Movement
The character can try to cross a precarious surface more quickly than normal. The character can move their full speed, but the character takes a -5 penalty on their Balance check. (Moving twice the character's speed in a round requires two checks, one for each move action.) The character can attempt to charge across a precarious surface. Charging requires one Balance check at a -5 penalty for each multiple of the character's speed (or fraction thereof) that the character charges.

**Table: Balancing Held Objects**
 Smooth Objects | 15 + # of Objects x3

Objects that are too hard to keep in hand due to size, quantity, or awkward grip might be balanced in hand or even on the head or foot. If any objects is larger than one less the creatures size, add +4 to the DC per size larger (this is based on the wieldiness size, not the real size). If the creature is balancing on a difficult surface, first make the surface check. If that fails, then every objects is also dropped, however, they may attempt to catch the first object and then subsequent objects as using balance with a DC 15 (+3 for every object past the second).If objects are designed to be stacked, they provide a +4 to the balance check if properly stacked. If the check fails, a number of items are dropped for every point the DC was missed (if the DC as missed by 3, then 3 objects are dropped). A check cannot be made again until the creature has time to pick them up. Objects that hit the ground take damage as normal.

Defense and Balancing Objects
Balancing objects in this way leaves the creature Flat-footed. If the creature succeeds by 5 or more on the balance check, they are treated as with normal defense. Every time the creature is hit (even if no damage is taken), they must make an additional balance check to hold the objects.
Combat Using One Hand
A creature may choose to use one hand to hold objects best held with two while also attacking with the other hand. If making a ranged attack with a light weapon, the creatures takes a -2 penalty per attack on their turn (-4 for 2 attacks, and so on). If making a melee attack or a ranged attack with a weapon greater than light, the creatures takes a -4 penalty per attack on their turn (-8 for 2 attacks, and so on). The GM may impose other penalties.

Objects may be balanced on the ground or a raised surface. Use "Table: Balancing Held Objects" for the base DC and "Table: Balancing Held Objects" for the modifiers. Balancing Objects during Combat imposes a -5 penalty.