Rope Spool

Ultimate  Equipment Guide II

Author Greg Lynch, J. C. Alvarez

Publisher Mongoose Publishing

Publish date 2005

The rope spool was created after untying one too many snarls in ropes. It consists of a large metal spool inside a wooden case. One end of the rope is attached to the spool, and turning a small lever on the side of the spool retracting the rope. The spool spins just as easily in the other direction, allowing the user of the rope spool to pull out as much of the rope as he requires. A choke on the front of the wooden case is used to pinch the rope, to keep it from unspooling any further.

The rope spool can be used to quickly and safely descend from a great height. By tying or otherwise anchoring one end of the rope at the top of whatever height the adventurer needs to descend, the adventurer can quite literally jump off the side of a cliff, holding on to the handle on the back of the rope spool and allowing it to unspool as he descends. By holding the choke halfway closed (which requires a Strength ability check, DC 10), the user of the rope spool can slow the speed of his descent. However, there is a 10% chance that the choke on the front of the rope spool will break at some point during the descent. Should the choke break, Games Masters should randomly determine at which ten-foot increment of the descent
this happens.

A rope spool can hold 100  feet of hemp or leather rope, or 200 feet of silk rope.

Rope Spool: 30 gp; 10 lb.