Underwater Adventures - Revision history

Tao alexis at 16:54, 20 April 2025

2025-04-20T16:54:08Z

Tao alexis at 16:48, 20 April 2025

2025-04-20T16:48:48Z

Tao alexis: /* Lateral & Vertical Movement */

2025-04-20T16:42:48Z

Lateral & Vertical Movement

Tao alexis at 16:42, 20 April 2025

2025-04-20T16:42:37Z

Tao alexis at 16:42, 20 April 2025

2025-04-20T16:42:29Z

Tao alexis: /* Lateral & Vertical Movement */

2025-04-20T16:41:17Z

Lateral & Vertical Movement

Tao alexis: /* Lateral & Vertical Movement */

2025-04-20T16:40:06Z

Lateral & Vertical Movement

Tao alexis at 16:37, 20 April 2025

2025-04-20T16:37:30Z

Show changes

Tao alexis at 19:33, 6 February 2025

2025-02-06T19:33:11Z

Maxwell at 00:22, 22 December 2022

2022-12-22T00:22:39Z

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 Worse, all visual range can be severely reduced by declining [[Illumination|illumination]], whether from increased depth or the natural loss of light at night. The table shown lists visibility reductions caused by either condition — and when both apply, their effects are cumulative. '''For example''', if a character is 120 feet underwater during dusk, visibility is reduced by 40% of normal.
-'''Illumination can counteract''' this decline, but any light source that relies on flame or fuel is useless underwater. Water absorbs light at a rate of 20% for every 10 feet from the source. This means a [[Light (spell)|light]] spell is only 40% effective at 30 feet, and becomes ineffective beyond 50 feet. Comparing this to the table, a -50% visibility reduction would be fully canceled within 20 feet, reduced to -10% from 21 to 30 feet, then to -30% from 31 to 40 feet, and offer no benefit beyond that distance.
+Illumination can counteract this decline, but any light source that relies on flame or fuel is useless underwater. Water absorbs light at a rate of 20% for every 10 feet from the source. This means a [[Light (spell)|light]] spell is only 40% effective at 30 feet, and becomes ineffective beyond 50 feet. Comparing this to the table, a -50% visibility reduction would be fully canceled within 20 feet, reduced to -10% from 21 to 30 feet, then to -30% from 31 to 40 feet, and offer no benefit beyond that distance.
 [[File:Underwater Adventures 02.jpg|left|350px|thumb]]
-However, a character '''can observe an illuminated object''' in underwater darkness up to a distance of 120 feet, even when nothing else is visible in the surrounding murk. This offers a crucial point of reference, helping characters orient themselves and avoid becoming lost. Such locations should serve as safe refuges for the party, ideally positioned among rocks or within a small, defensible cave. No character wants to be caught in total darkness. Many dangerous predators are fully adapted to reduced illumination and can see without difficulty, leaving the character at a severe disadvantage.
+However, a character can observe an illuminated object in underwater darkness up to a distance of 120 feet, even when nothing else is visible in the surrounding murk. This offers a crucial point of reference, helping characters orient themselves and avoid becoming lost. Such locations should serve as safe refuges for the party, ideally positioned among rocks or within a small, defensible cave. No character wants to be caught in total darkness. Many dangerous predators are fully adapted to reduced illumination and can see without difficulty, leaving the character at a severe disadvantage.
 == Sound ==
-While it's true that the suppression of voice and hearing among party members might enhance the underwater atmosphere—encouraging players at the table to rely on hand signals instead of speech—in practice, this quickly becomes frustrating and unmanageable. To avoid this, water breathing magic includes a feature that allows characters to speak with one another as they would on land.
+While it's true that the suppression of voice and hearing among party members might enhance the underwater atmosphere — encouraging players at the table to rely on hand signals instead of speech — in practice, this quickly becomes frustrating and unmanageable. To avoid this, water breathing magic includes a feature that allows characters to speak with one another as they would on land.
-Unlike sight, sound travels more effectively in water. As a result, magical adaptation enables characters to speak clearly to a distance of 120 feet, twice the usual range on the surface. Shouting can be heard up to 240 feet. Magic also enhances directional awareness of sound, allowing characters to identify where a noise is coming from. Though an enemy may be out of sight, it is still possible to detect their presence by sound alone. With vision limited but sound perception improved, the overall likelihood of '''[[Surprise (combat)|surprise]]''' remains unchanged.
+Unlike sight, sound travels more effectively in water. As a result, magical adaptation enables characters to speak clearly to a distance of 120 feet, twice the usual range on the surface. Shouting can be heard up to 240 feet. Magic also enhances directional awareness of sound, allowing characters to identify where a noise is coming from. Though an enemy may be out of sight, it is still possible to detect their presence by sound alone. With vision limited but sound perception improved, the overall likelihood of [[Surprise (combat)|surprise]] remains unchanged.
 == Movement ==
-As ever, the character's movement is determined by the number of available [[Action Points|action points]] (AP). Characters with no experience in '''[[Swimming (sage ability)|swim]]''' are at a strong disadvantage, as their [[Movement (stride)|movement]] is reduced to stride-½, requiring 2 AP per combat hex. Characters with even 1 knowledge point in swimming can paddle at a speed of 1.2 hexes per AP, with more experienced swimmers capable of even greater speed. For most other AP-related actions, no adjustments are necessary.
+As ever, the character's movement is determined by the number of available [[Action Points|action points]] (AP). Characters with no experience in [[Swimming (sage ability)|swim]] are at a strong disadvantage, as their [[Movement (stride)|movement]] is reduced to stride-½, requiring 2 AP per combat hex. Characters with even 1 knowledge point in swimming can paddle at a speed of 1.2 hexes per AP, with more experienced swimmers capable of even greater speed. For most other AP-related actions, no adjustments are necessary.
-Swimming while holding a weapon or any item in hand significantly hampers mobility. Any object gripped reduces forward movement by 60%, making it wiser to sheath items, move, and then draw them again, rather than carrying them while in motion. This limitation leads to the classic underwater trope of carrying a small knife (1-3 damage) in one's teeth, as a dagger would be too large for such use.
+Swimming while holding a weapon or any item in hand significantly hampers mobility. Any object gripped reduces forward movement by 60%, making it wiser to sheath items, move and then draw them again, rather than carrying them while in motion. This limitation leads to the classic underwater trope of carrying a small knife (1-3 damage) in one's teeth, as a dagger would be too large for such use.
 In a submerged environment, assumptions about movement must be reconsidered. Depending on its properties, a dropped item may float upward instead of sinking, or it may move slowly enough in either direction to be retrieved shortly after. Uncorking a potion to drink will allow some water to enter the flask, but the narrow neck keeps this from affecting the potion's effect. By contrast, opening a scroll case underwater would almost certainly destroy the scroll inside.

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-[[File:Underwater Adventures.jpg|right|560px|thumb]]
+[[File:Underwater Adventures.jpg|right|525px|thumb]]
 '''Underwater Adventures''' describes those parts of a game campaign that unfold in the aquatic realms of oceans, seas and lakes, environments both strange and alluring for player characters to explore. Beneath the waves lie ancient submarinal races and civilisations, dwelling in green-lit realms populated by fish-like humanoids, ever under threat from predatory [[Monster|monsters]]. Stories of lost treasure beneath the surface often tempt players with the promise of wealth that rivals or surpasses anything found in surface dungeons, from pearls the size of grapefruits to sunken ships laden with coin, scattered across the ocean floor and waiting to be claimed by bold adventurers.
 __TOC__
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 '''Illumination can counteract''' this decline, but any light source that relies on flame or fuel is useless underwater. Water absorbs light at a rate of 20% for every 10 feet from the source. This means a [[Light (spell)|light]] spell is only 40% effective at 30 feet, and becomes ineffective beyond 50 feet. Comparing this to the table, a -50% visibility reduction would be fully canceled within 20 feet, reduced to -10% from 21 to 30 feet, then to -30% from 31 to 40 feet, and offer no benefit beyond that distance.
-[[File:Underwater Adventures II.jpg|left|350px|thumb]]
+[[File:Underwater Adventures 02.jpg|left|350px|thumb]]
 However, a character '''can observe an illuminated object''' in underwater darkness up to a distance of 120 feet, even when nothing else is visible in the surrounding murk. This offers a crucial point of reference, helping characters orient themselves and avoid becoming lost. Such locations should serve as safe refuges for the party, ideally positioned among rocks or within a small, defensible cave. No character wants to be caught in total darkness. Many dangerous predators are fully adapted to reduced illumination and can see without difficulty, leaving the character at a severe disadvantage.

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 See also,<br>
-[[Free-diving (sage ability]]<br>
+[[Free-diving (sage ability)]]<br>
 [[The Adventure]]
 [[Category: Reviewed]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:42, 20 April 2025
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	[[The Adventure]]		[[The Adventure]]

−	[[Category: Reviewed	+	[[Category: Reviewed]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:42, 20 April 2025
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	See also,<br>		See also,<br>
−	[[~~The Adventure~~]]<br>	+	[[Free-diving (sage ability]]<br>
		+	[[The Adventure]]
		+
		+	[[Category: Reviewed

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:41, 20 April 2025
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	See also,<br>		See also,<br>
	[[The Adventure]]<br>		[[The Adventure]]<br>
−	~~[[Ultravision (spell)]]~~

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:40, 20 April 2025
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	Swimming upward or laterally costs the usual amount of AP. However, swimming downward costs twice as many AP. In the above example, swimming down two hexes is treated as four hexes of movement, not two. Swimming down two hexes and then two hexes laterally counts as six hexes of movement, even though the actual distance is only four — requiring the ability to swim 23 feet (4.47 hexes).		Swimming upward or laterally costs the usual amount of AP. However, swimming downward costs twice as many AP. In the above example, swimming down two hexes is treated as four hexes of movement, not two. Swimming down two hexes and then two hexes laterally counts as six hexes of movement, even though the actual distance is only four — requiring the ability to swim 23 feet (4.47 hexes).
		+
		+
		+	See also,<br>
		+	[[The Adventure]]<br>
		+	[[Ultravision (spell)]]

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 == Breathing Underwater ==
-A primary concern for the party is the ability to breathe underwater.  This can be managed in various ways.  Effective spells include [[Water Breathing (spell)|water breathing]] and [[Airy Water (spell)|airy water]], with magical items such as a [[Magic Potion|potion]] of [[Potion of Water Breathing|water breathing]], the [[Helm of Underwater Action|helm of underwater action]] or the [[Robe of the Manta Ray|robe of the manta ray]].  Another tactic would be to employ [[Shape Change (spell)|shape change]] or [[Polymorph (spell)|polymorph]], in order to take a form that's able to breathe and move easily underwater.  Specific [[Herbology III (sage ability)|herbs]] and [[Sage Ability|sage abilities]] may also provide limited means of breathing underwater.  There's always a danger with medicinal forms of altering the body, however, in that individuals may find they're able to live continuously underwater with a time limit, while finding themselves now unable to breathe air as they once did.
+A primary concern for the party is the ability to breathe underwater.  This can be managed in various ways.  Effective spells include [[Water Breathing (spell)|water breathing]] and [[Airy Water (spell)|airy water]], with magical items such as a [[Magic Potion|potion]] of [[Potion of Water Breathing|water breathing]], the [[Helm of Underwater Action|helm of underwater action]] or the [[Robe of the Manta Ray|robe of the manta ray]].  Another tactic would be to employ [[Shape Change (spell)|shape change]] or [[Polymorph Self (spell)|polymorph]], in order to take a form that's able to breathe and move easily underwater.  Specific [[Herbology III (sage ability)|herbs]] and [[Sage Ability|sage abilities]] may also provide limited means of breathing underwater.  There's always a danger with medicinal forms of altering the body, however, in that individuals may find they're able to live continuously underwater with a time limit, while finding themselves now unable to breathe air as they once did.
 == Visibility ==