In some areas, the river’s water level is much lower than normal. Rock formations, debris, and other barriers can lurk just below the sur-
CHAPTER SEVEN: Waterways
CHAPTER SEVEN: Waterways
face. Creatures that attempt to enter a sandbar or area choked with debris count as having col- lided with it if they are aboard a boat. Otherwise, they can swim or walk over it. Sunken debris is difficult to spot. A character must make a Spot check (DC 10) as a standard action to notice submerged hazards. If a char- acter moves within 20 ft. of sunken debris, he can automatically make a Spot check as a free action (DC 20) to notice it.
Waterfall
In mountainous regions, waterfalls pose a threat to anyone who travels down an unex- plored river. Luckily, experienced outdoorsmen can note this hazard’s presence before it threat- ens the party. When the group comes within 400 ft. of a waterfall, each member of the party can make a Survival (DC 15) or a Listen (DC 20) check to hear the waterfall or notice the change in the river’s flow. Decrease the DC for these checks by 2 for every 100 ft. the party moves closer to the waterfall. Obviously, when the party comes within sight of the waterfall they no longer need skill checks to notice it. The water around a set of falls moves slightly faster. Increase its speed by 10 ft. within 400 ft. of the falls and by 20 ft. within the final 100 ft. This heightened flow makes the falls more dan- gerous, as the PCs might have to paddle furi- ously in order to reach shore or some other safe spot.
If the characters go over the falls, treat this as a normal fall into water. Consult the core rules for complete rules for resolving damage and the effects of landing in water.
The character guiding the party’s craft can attempt to maintain control of it as it goes over the fall. He must make a Strength, Survival, or Profession skill check (player’s choice) with a DC equal to the distance fallen in feet. If this check succeeds, the craft lands right side up and its cargo remains in place. Anyone aboard the craft avoids falling in the water, counts as landing in water for purposes of falling dam- age, and takes only half damage from the fall. Otherwise, its cargo and passengers fall into the water (unless they were tied down) and there is a 50% chance that it overturns in the water. The craft suffers damage for the fall as normal in either case.
Weeds
Some waterways are choked with aquatic veg- etation. These areas offer some comfort to characters swept away by a strong current but they can be trouble for rafts and boats. If a creature moves through an area choked with weeds, it can use a standard action to grab hold of them. The creature can make a Strength check (DC 10) to avoid any compulsory move- ment due to the current. Even if this check fails, the creature or character moves only half the normal distance due to the current. Watercraft that move through weeds can become caught in them and have difficulty maneuvering. If the DM rules that the weeds are thick enough to hinder a boat’s movement, it costs two squares of movement (10 ft.) to enter the weed-choked square. This movement is paid from either the movement available to the pilot or from the current, as appropriate. Immediately after a craft leaves a square with hindering weeds in it, its pilot must pay double the standard move- ment cost for any maneuvers he attempts. For example, if the character guiding a canoe wants to move it 5 ft. to the right, he must have 10 ft. of movement available to use.
Whirlpool
A whirlpool can form in any area where a nar- row hole or channel in a river’s bed drags water downward. Perhaps an ancient cavern opened beneath a river, giving the PCs a chance to delve into a flooded cave in search of treasure. A gateway to the elemental planes could suck water through to another world, possible drag- ging along any travelers unlucky enough to fall into it.
To design a whirlpool, you must first determine its size and speed. A whirlpool can range from the width of a river to a small area at its center. Usually, it is best to give the party some space to maneuver around a whirlpool unless you plan on their falling through to another realm. A whirlpool’s speed determines how fast water flows into it. Increase the river’s flow around the whirlpool by 10 ft. for small or minor whirlpools, 20 ft. for moderate ones, 30 ft. for major ones, and 40 ft. for intense whirlpools. The water flows at this speed within the whirlpool and at a distance equal to four times its width upstream. The water’s speed returns to normal downstream beyond the whirlpool’s reach, though the
water level might be lower due to drainage caused by the pool. Intense whirlpools might drag all of the river’s flow down into the earth, ending the river in a muddy, empty channel. Swimmers and boats move as normal through a whirlpool, though the current drags them towards its center. When the whirlpool catches an object, it drags it along a spiral from its outer edges to its central point. The current whips a swimmer or a boat along its outer edge. Once the object has completed its first circuit, it moves 1d4 squares down the whirlpool and makes another lap. Continue this process until the whirlpool sucks the object into its central opening.
Objects move within the whirlpool at their nor- mal rates as per the speed of the current within the pool. Escaping a whirlpool is no easy task. A swimmer cannot move against the flow, nor can a boat maneuver within it. A Swim check (for characters caught in the water) or a Survival, Profession, or Strength check (for those in boats) with a DC of 25 allows a char- acter to slip one square towards the whirlpool’s edge. For every 5 by which the check beats the DC, the character can move an additional square towards the edge. This check counts as a full-round action.
Characters caught in a whirlpool automatically count as dragged under by rapids (see above). They may make a Swim check (DC 20) to take any actions in the water. A character can always attempt to swim to safety even if this check fails, though that is the only action he can take.