Drowning proposal for meeting

[John Hogg <johnhogg@expert.cc.purdue.edu>]

Gotta work this saturday too (found out last night)
Here's what I got for drowning and water movement.  The first few sections
I'd like voted on en masse, but everything after (marked (optional)) can
go picemeal if/when we vote on it in two weeks.

Later,




Skill Check:
============
In most situations, a character will drown while attempting to swim in a
body of water.  As such, if the character succeeds in his check or
default, he doesn't drown.

Failing the Check:
==================
If the character fails his swimming check, or the GM otherwise states the
character is drowning, at the beginning of the next round, the character
needs to make a 1d6 health check to remain conscious.  If the character
succeeds, the GM may allow the charcter to have actions, including a 1d6
harder swimming check.  If the check is made, and the surface is within
10 ft and unobstructed (see sinking, below), assume the character
resurfaces and is successfully swimming.

Each consecutive round of drowning increases the difficulty of the
following round's health and swimming checks by 1d6.

Example:	5 rounds of drowning = 5d6 HEA check and +5d6 swimming
		check.

The health check must be passed before that round's swimming check can be
attempted.

Continue health checks until the character fails or begins swimming.

Unconsciousness:
================

If the character falls unconscious, the GM should secretly roll 1D6.
This is the number of minutes between unconsciousness and death for the
character.  At the end of the D6 span, if the character is still in
harm's way, allow a DI.

Waterbreathing:
===============

As stated in the swimming skill, creatures with water breathing take 2d6
off swimming skill checks.

While lizards and other waterbreathers CAN drown, they don't usually.
Assume they can voluntarily sink and find sufficient oxygen under normal
circumstances.  Drowning should only occur when waterbreathers fail their
swimming check under treacherous cirumstances.  
The fact that it would take a ballpark of 4d6 swimming check to even
realistically BEGIN to drown for waterbreathers tends to support this.

Under normal circumstances, waterbreathers may cast as normal.  Ignore
casting penalties (see casting, below).

Non-breathers can't drown.  Treat them as waterbreathers for sake of
swimming checks for movement.

Swimming Underwater:	(Optional)
====================

The GM determines the difficulty for the distance the character wishes to
swim underwater, usually +1 or 2d6 for those needing to breathe air,
against Swimming.  Great distances require even larger checks.

Very short distances (GM Discretion) may be swum underwater without the
penalty for breathing.

The check may be reduced by 1d6 for every breath the character wants to
surface to take, but not below the difficulty of a swimming check at the
surface of that location.

Success indicates the entire distance has been covered.
Failure indicates that the character begins drowning  after swimming only
a fraction of the distance.

Waterbreathing characters may swim below the surface of fresh water as
easily as they would swim at the surface of that location.

Casting:	(Optional)
========

Casting spells while swimming may require some hefty skill checks.  Add
an additional 1d6 against the original swimming difficulty for each hand
the caster is using to cast rather than swim.

Provided the character is making the health checks, spells may be cast
while drowning.

Assistance:	(Optional)
===========

An attempted rescue disrupts spellcasting for both rescuer and victim.

Make a skill check at 1d6 higher for assisting an unconscious victim,
2d6 higher for a conscious victim (attempting health checks).  This check
must be made before the victim can move/be moved, and may be modified by
the victim's armor or equipment.

If the rescuer is successful, he arrives with the victim in tow at their
intended destination at half his applicable water movement rate.  The
consciousness of the victim is unchanged.

If the rescuer fails the new swimming check, he may disengage from the
victim the next round.

Upon disengaging, the rescuer needs only to make a swimming check of the
original difficulty.

If the victim is unconscious, he remains unconscious.
  
If the victim is conscious, allow him a swimming check of original
difficulty as well.  If this check is failed, restart the drowning sequence.  That is, health checks restart at 1d6 and swimming checks at +1d6.

Sinking:	(Optional)
========
If a character cannot breathe water, it is assumed they do not willingly
sink.  That is, they begin to drown if they cannot keep their head above
water.  Sinking is intended to gauge not only how fast an unconscious
victim will sink, but also to consistently apply the difficulty of
swimming with varying degrees of encumbrance.

Assume that, while characters are still conscious, and reasonably 
unencumbered (GM discretion) they remain within 10 ft (in depth) of the
point they began to drown in calm water.

Characters who are naked, or practically naked (no armor bonus for
clothing) and do not have a large quantity of gear will sink slowly, and
will likely remain within 10 ft of the surface anywhere from minutes to
hours.  However, those with heavy equipment will sink faster, making it
more difficult to stay afloat, in nearly all circumstances.

Armor and swimming don't mix well.

Armor type:		Additional f/rnd sunk:
Clothing			1d6
Leather				2d6
Chain				3d6
Plate				4d6
Shield			+1d6 (plus unavailability of one arm)
Weapons and equipment	unavailability of arm holding equipment, 
			and potential additional penalties for 
			exceptionally weighty gear

For every extra d6 rolled against the swimming skill, subtract 1d6 from
the additional feet sunk before the roll.

Further encumbrance MAY add dice to the rate the character sinks (GM
discretion)

Certain magic spells, speecifically those that affect gravity or buoyancy
of the target may increase or reduce these checks.

Sinking takes place at the end of the round.

Water Movement Rates:	(Optional)
=====================

If 150 ft in 30 sec is a good time, then 160 ft in 32 seconds is good as
well.  That is, 160 ft in 8 rounds, or 20 ft/rnd.

Assume base movement in water, naked, is 20 ft/rnd.  Each element of
armor progressively subtracts 5 from this rate.  Each d6 above the
original difficulty may add 5 to this rate.  Common sense dictates that
those in plate with shields do NOT move backward 5 ft/rnd.

That is,
Clothing		-5
Leather			-10
Chain			-15
Plate			-20
Shield			- additional 5 (note unavailability of arms)
Gear			- GM discretion.


Examples:

Warrior in plate with shield and heavy gear in calm water (base 1d6 swimming)

Character wishes to swim 5 ft/round and not sink:
1d6	base difficulty
3d6	to move 5 ft/round ( 20 + 15 - 20 - 5 - 5 ) 
7d6	to counteract sinking (plate, shield, equipment, one arm)
----
11d6  Damn impossible ... Warrior begins drowning (and sinking like a rock)

Lizard Warrior in plate w shield and heavy gear in calm water
11d6  same situation as above
-2d6	waterbreathing
----
9d6	still nearly impossible ...Lizard begins drowning sequence.
	Next round, lizard remembers he can BREATHE water, succumbs to gravity,
	and allows himself to sink.  (now, if pressure or temperature damage the
	lizard, that's up to the GM)

Mage in robes casting 2 round spell in calm water
1d6	base difficulty
2d6	unavailability of 2 arms
1d6	avoid sinking (robes)
----
4d6	tough, but do-able

Marine with maroglaive swimming from longboat to shore, calm water.
1d6	base difficulty




John Hogg					johnhogg@expert.cc.purdue.edu
I'll tell you what I've learned today!  I've learned Nature can be cruel ...  
BUT I CAN BE CRUELER!!!!!!    BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
		-Ren Hoek	"Lumberjerks"	The Ren & Stimpy Show