# The Ascender
A warrior of of vertical prowess, the Ascender has spent their early youth living and fighting at height. So adept are they with their signature climbing picks that they have mastered movement and battle on any surface. Either from a clan of Snowmads in the deep crevasses of the ice wastes or a lone warrior in tall desert canyons surviving on their climbing abilities, an ascender specialises in movement on all surfaces and in being in the optimal position or moving enemies into it.


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##### The Ascender
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features 
|:---:|:---:|:---|:---:|
| 1st | +2 | Fighting Style (climbing pick fighting), Second Wind |
| 2nd | +2 | Action Surge (one use) | 
| 3rd | +2 | Martial Archetype (Anchor Point) | 
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 
| 6th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 7th | +3 | Experienced Climber | 
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 9th | +4 | Indomitable (one use) | 
| 10th | +4 | Ranged Grapple | 
| 11th | +4 |Extra Attack (20| 
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement| 
| 13th | +5 | Indomitable (two use) | 
| 14th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 
| 15th | +5 | Swing |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement| 
| 17th | +6 | Action Surge (two uses), Indomitable (three uses) | 
| 18th | +6 | Master Climber | 
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 
| 20th | +6 | Extra Attack (3) | 
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## Climbing Picks 
The most essential tool of the Ascender, these tools count as weapons (stat block below) but while equipped climbing on any surface incurs no ability check and no penalty to movement. As long as 2 climbing picks are equipped the dash action can be taken on vertical surfaces and climbing upside down causes no movement penalty. equipping only 1 pick induces a half movement penalty while climbing upside-down and the dash action cannot be taken but a second 1 handed weapon can be equipped (ie. hand crossbow, short sword). It takes a bonus action to sheathe one or both climbing picks and unsheath another weapon. The Ascenders have spent their lives with the climbing picks and as such always have them no matter what, the weight does not add to encumberance.
> 
>#### Climbing Pick 
> ##### Martial Melee Weapon
>| Cost | Damage | Weight | Properties |
>|:----:|:-------------|
>| 5 gb  | 1d6 piercing | 2lb | Thrown, Moving |

## Climbing Pick Fighting 
To Play the Ascender, starting at level 1 you must take the Climbing Pick Fighting style which immediately gives you 2 climbing picks. These tools have the stat block of the war pick but have the properties thrown and moving. While equipped climbing on any surface incurs no ability check and no penalty to movement. As long as 2 climbing picks are equipped the dash action can be taken on vertical surfaces and climbing upside down causes no movement penalty. equipping only 1 pick induces a half movement penalty while climbing upside-down and the dash action cannot be taken but a second 1 handed weapon can be equipped (ie. hand crossbow, short sword). It takes a bonus action to sheathe one or both climbing picks and unsheath another weapon. The Ascenders have spent their lives with the climbing picks and as such always have them no matter what, the weight does not add to encumberance.

When attacking with climbing picks if you land an attack you can spend a bonus action to either move a creature of one size greater than you 10 feet in any direction or to attempt a grapple with a strength check. You can throw your climbing picks 30 ft as a ranged attack and retrieve them using your anchor ropes
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## Anchor Point

While Climbing you can use an action to anchor yourself with rope to a point using your pick, freeing your hands. Your movement can raise or lower yourself from your anchor point, to a maximum of 30 feet. You can also continue climbing in a direction until the maximum 30 feet of your anchor rope, letting go at any point while anchored will cause you to swing.

## Experienced Climber
Your early years spent hundreds of feet above the ground means that you know how to secure a safe route. if you take a penalty of half movement to your climbing speed, and a length of rope, you can give your party an easier route. Your party will incurr no ability checks to climb the surface provided they follow the rope you have anchored to your climbing route and you have enough rope to span the distance. You can also spend an hour to build a hanging campsite on a hanging or raised surface provided you have enough material for hammocks and rope to suspend. This gives advantage on stealth checks while in the hanging camp and perception checks on night watches against being ambushed.

## Ranged Grapple

Using the anchor ropes attached to your climbing picks you can throw your picks 30 feet and make an attack roll to grapple the target and they make a dexterity saving throw to contest. If successful the target also takes your standard War pick damage.

If only 1 Pick is used then the target is held in place like a standard grapple but a further action to move them. If both picks are used then the target can be moved towards you 15 feet as a bonus action. If the creature is greater than 2 sizes of you then you will pull yourself towards them by 15 feet, they are not grappled but you can use your movement to climb the surface of them. Climbing a larger creature does not induce damage on them.

If you are anchored somewhere at height and successfully grapple a creature they are lifted 5 feet off the ground until they can break the grapple. any further actions can pull them 15 ft off of the ground.

## Swing

Mastering the ranged grapple and Anchor point has allowed you to combine them. For 1 hour per day you can use this physically intensive climbing style to throw your climbing picks their full 30 feet and anchor them onto any surface. once anchored you can either swing 30 feet in any direction from the anchor point or pull yourself 30 feet to the anchor point. to throw a pick costs a bonus action. After this hour you are considered Slowed (see spell) for an hour as your body feels intense exhaustion.

if the anchor point is on a creature then you are pulled in whatever direction it moves, an attempt to remove you or your anchor counts as an athletics contest.

## Master Climber

Your intense mastery of climbing means you can now leap from your climbing position and as long as you land an attack on a creature all fall damage is transferred to it instead of you as you transfer your momentum into your Climbing picks raking across it.

Your ranged grapple has improved such that you can spend another action to restrain creatures with your climbing rope, and creatures larger than you that could not be grappled now have to make the same dexterity check to avoid being tangled up and knocked prone. For flying creatures this is localised at the wings to cause them to fall to the ground, this does not work on creatures that are incorporeal and cannot be touched.

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<img 
  src='http://3rd-strike.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Rise-of-the-Tomb-Raider-Ice-Wall.jpg' 
  style='width:500px' />
  Credit to Crystal Dynamics, developers of "Rise of the Tomb Raider"