Post by Dead Greyhawk on Sept 24, 2004 21:16:05 GMT -5
Underwater Adventuring
Vision Underwater
Characters will be able to see objects and movement up to 50' away in fresh water and up to 100' away in salt water, so long as the character are in water shallower than 50'. As characters descend in depth, vision will become obscured. The extent of vision is linearly proportional to the depth, so that at 25' depth, vision is 25' in freshwater and 75' in salthingyer. Use of magical illumination allows sight to a minimum of 30' and a maximum of normal range plus 10'.
Infravision and ultravision both operate underwater as above water. They suffer the same reduction in range as a function of depth as normal vision. In the case of infravision, this is due to the prevalence of dramatically different temperature currents, while in the case of ultravision, this is due to the lack of penetration of ultraviolet radiation.
Combat on the ocean floor itself will stir up a cloud of mud, beginning 1d4 rounds after combat begins. The cloud of mud will persist for 1d6+6 rounds after combat ends. During the time of the mud cloud, vision based on light sources is ineffective.
Hearing Underwater
The ears of surface dwellers do not function well underwater. Complex communications are impossible at ranges beyond 10 feet -- though adaptive magic removes the restriction for the listener only. Simple communications, induding short, emphatic statements such as “help!” or ”look out” remain understandable up to 20 yards.
Combat Underwater
Underwater combat is difficult due to water resistance. Effective use of crushing and cleaving weapons is not possible - only thrusting weapons are of use. Human-types are also somewhat slowed underwater, so aquatic creature always win initiative unless the human-type creature has magical compensation. Most swords used as piercing weapons do reduced damage underwater as in the following table.
Net use underwater is more complicated than above water. Nets may be used by multiple characters to stretch between them and entangle large or charging opponents. Nets wielded single-handedly in combat must be weighted to open underwater and spun so as to do so. If correctly thrown, the spinning will slow and stop as the net approaches the target, unfolding the net and enveloping the target. If incorrectly thrown, the net will still be compacted when hitting the target, and will have no effect. Nets can be thrown underwater by human-types 1 foot per point of STR. Underwater races can throw nets 15', common sahaugin 20'.
The underwater combat net is a difficult weapon to use, adding an additional -4 to hit unless the character is proficient in its use. Such a proficiency must be obtained underwater.
Except for specially-made crossbows, use of missile weapons is generally impossible underwater. Above water crossbows will fire at -2 to hit and have 1/4 the normal range. No specialization bonus can be taken underwater. All other bows do not function, and all other missile weapons are -4 to hit and do 1/2 damage.
Fire-based spells simply do not function underwater, and electrical spells will be conducted to areas surrounding them. For example, lightning bolt will function similarly to fireball and shocking grasp similarly to burning hands. Scrolls and other magical paper based works that are unpreared for immersion have a chance of being damaged equal to 50% - spell level. Each spell is checked individually.
Spell casters who are actually breathing water, in contrast to magical effects allowing them to exist without air, may have difficulty casting spells with a verbal component. The spell caster must make a 3d6 check to successfully cast the spell. The 3d6 check is against INT or WIS, whichever is higher, minus the level of the spell. Thus, a caster with an 16 INT attempting to cast a level 1 spell would have to roll under 15, while the same caster attempting to cast a level 3 spell would have to roll under 13.
Vision Underwater
Characters will be able to see objects and movement up to 50' away in fresh water and up to 100' away in salt water, so long as the character are in water shallower than 50'. As characters descend in depth, vision will become obscured. The extent of vision is linearly proportional to the depth, so that at 25' depth, vision is 25' in freshwater and 75' in salthingyer. Use of magical illumination allows sight to a minimum of 30' and a maximum of normal range plus 10'.
Infravision and ultravision both operate underwater as above water. They suffer the same reduction in range as a function of depth as normal vision. In the case of infravision, this is due to the prevalence of dramatically different temperature currents, while in the case of ultravision, this is due to the lack of penetration of ultraviolet radiation.
Combat on the ocean floor itself will stir up a cloud of mud, beginning 1d4 rounds after combat begins. The cloud of mud will persist for 1d6+6 rounds after combat ends. During the time of the mud cloud, vision based on light sources is ineffective.
Hearing Underwater
The ears of surface dwellers do not function well underwater. Complex communications are impossible at ranges beyond 10 feet -- though adaptive magic removes the restriction for the listener only. Simple communications, induding short, emphatic statements such as “help!” or ”look out” remain understandable up to 20 yards.
Combat Underwater
Underwater combat is difficult due to water resistance. Effective use of crushing and cleaving weapons is not possible - only thrusting weapons are of use. Human-types are also somewhat slowed underwater, so aquatic creature always win initiative unless the human-type creature has magical compensation. Most swords used as piercing weapons do reduced damage underwater as in the following table.
Net use underwater is more complicated than above water. Nets may be used by multiple characters to stretch between them and entangle large or charging opponents. Nets wielded single-handedly in combat must be weighted to open underwater and spun so as to do so. If correctly thrown, the spinning will slow and stop as the net approaches the target, unfolding the net and enveloping the target. If incorrectly thrown, the net will still be compacted when hitting the target, and will have no effect. Nets can be thrown underwater by human-types 1 foot per point of STR. Underwater races can throw nets 15', common sahaugin 20'.
The underwater combat net is a difficult weapon to use, adding an additional -4 to hit unless the character is proficient in its use. Such a proficiency must be obtained underwater.
Except for specially-made crossbows, use of missile weapons is generally impossible underwater. Above water crossbows will fire at -2 to hit and have 1/4 the normal range. No specialization bonus can be taken underwater. All other bows do not function, and all other missile weapons are -4 to hit and do 1/2 damage.
Fire-based spells simply do not function underwater, and electrical spells will be conducted to areas surrounding them. For example, lightning bolt will function similarly to fireball and shocking grasp similarly to burning hands. Scrolls and other magical paper based works that are unpreared for immersion have a chance of being damaged equal to 50% - spell level. Each spell is checked individually.
Spell casters who are actually breathing water, in contrast to magical effects allowing them to exist without air, may have difficulty casting spells with a verbal component. The spell caster must make a 3d6 check to successfully cast the spell. The 3d6 check is against INT or WIS, whichever is higher, minus the level of the spell. Thus, a caster with an 16 INT attempting to cast a level 1 spell would have to roll under 15, while the same caster attempting to cast a level 3 spell would have to roll under 13.