Free-diving (sage ability)

Free-diving is an amateur-status sage ability in the studies of Athletics and Beachcomber. The ability enables characters to hold their breath and dive to depths of up to 100 feet below the surface, remaining submerged for at least six rounds. Those skilled in this ability have trained their lung capacity and use weighted techniques to descend rapidly to their target depth. Free-divers are essential for tasks such as pearl diving, sponge collection and ocean salvage.

Free-diving has been practiced since ancient times, particularly in the Mediterranean, southern India and Japan. Divers take multiple preparatory breaths over three to four rounds to oxygenate their blood before making their final breath and descending. Wooden, bone or other types of fins aid propulsion, while animal-skin footwear helps streamline movement. Skilled divers also equalise ear pressure to reduce discomfort and conserve energy during their descent and ascent.

Unskilled

Characters without this ability cannot safely attempt deep free-diving. Without proper breath-holding training or knowledge of equalisation techniques, there is a high risk of inhaling water uncontrollably or suffering from decompression sickness (the bends), both of which could be life-threatening. A character with only cliff diving experience could reach a maximum depth of 15 feet, plus 1 foot per 8 points of knowledge. Those without any diving experience would struggle to go beyond 12 to 15 feet below the surface.

Depth

Once achieving amateur-level ability, free-divers can reach depths of 30 feet. Their maximum depth increases by 3 additional feet for every 2 points of knowledge above 10. This means:

• Authority-level divers can descend to 60 feet
• Expert-level divers can reach 105 feet
• No character can dive deeper than 120 feet, regardless of knowledge level

A diver using weights can descend at a rate of 36 feet per round, reducing the time spent reaching their target depth. Swimming downward without weights is slower, at 18 feet per round.

Controlled ascents are necessary to prevent shallow-water blackouts and other hazards. Safe ascent speeds are 15 feet per round, but characters can attempt a 30-foot-per-round ascent at increased risk. When ascending unsafely, the character must succeed on a Constitution check or suffer incapacitation, requiring immediate rescue. Any rescue attempt must be completed within the character's remaining breath-holding limit, or the diver risks drowning.

Strength	Base Rounds
3-5	4-5 (d2+3)
6-10	5-8 (d4+4)
11-13	6-11 (d6+5)
14-16	9-12 (d4+8)
17-18	11-13 (d3+10)
18% or more	13-14 (d2+12)

Time Underwater

The base number of rounds a character can hold their breath underwater is determined by their strength. This range is rolled at the moment of diving, allowing the diver to gauge their body's signals and estimate how much time remains before they must surface. For example, a character with 13 Strength would roll a six-sided die to determine their total breath-holding duration. If they roll a 6, they know they have 10 rounds available. With this knowledge, they can precisely calculate how much time can be spent at depth before needing to ascend.

This base duration is increased by 1 additional round per 6 points of knowledge beyond 10. For example, a character with 31 knowledge points would calculate: 31 - 10 = 21, which results in 3 additional rounds added to every dive, regardless of their Strength. As a diver's knowledge increases, they gain more time to search, gather resources or perform other underwater activities before needing to return to the surface.

See also,
Swimming
Underwater Adventures
Underwater Combat
Water Breathing (spell)