Cliff Diving (sage ability)

Cliff diving is an amateur-status ability that enables the character to leap safely from extraordinary heights into deep water. A good platform is required and the character must strip so that no more than 3 lbs. of clothing and equipment is carried. For every 3 lbs. more, or part thereof, the character will suffer +1 point of damage.

High dives can be attempted by characters without the ability, though it can be very dangerous. The highest safe jump for an unskilled character is aboout 18 ft. For those with sage-status, jumps up to 98 feet or more can be attempted.

Unskilled Divers

Diving describes leaping head first, arms outstretched and hands held together to break the water's surface before entering.

Unskilled Damage

Distance (ft.)	Damage
5-8	1
8-13	1d4
14-18	1d6+1
19-27	3d4
28-34	4d6+1
35-45	6d6+1
46-55	8d6
56-72	11d6
73+	15d6

This takes practice and training; the benefit is that the diver is able to use his or her momentum after striking the water so as to surface a significant distance from where the water was entered. This is safer, when being pursued, than jumping, which grants no such momentum.

However, unskilled persons often make the mistake of going into with their arms apart, their head at the wrong angle and their legs bent. The table shows the effect of this poor technique: even a dive of 5 feet can result in a light injury. As the height increases, this lack of technique becomes crippling or deadly. Characters should be cautious before deciding to dive for other reasons as well ... damage may be sustained from hitting a ledge beneath the surface, or the bottom may be much closer than imagined. Therefore, characters without skill will find it safer to jump into water. Still, a healthy player character can expect to survive in a jump up to 18 feet, even if the dice are bad.

Skilled Divers

The more knowledge points a character has, the more capable they become.

10 to 29 pts. (amateur)

The character is able to accurately guess the water's depth with a successful wisdom check. The minimum depth for a dive of 10 ft. is twelve feet of water. One foot should be added to this for every 5 ft. above ten. For example, a jump from a height of 25 ft. would require 13 ft. of water. For every foot of depth lacking, count the damage as equal to a fall into water of ten feet. Therefore, a jump of 25 ft. into 11 ft. of water would cause damage equal to a fall of 20 feet.

Amateur

• Ensures the diver is confident and focused in making the dive. This will eliminate any possible damage for a jump or a dive from any height up to 30 ft., provided the character is unencumbered. For all other jumps, the character halves the damage received. For other dives up to 40 feet, reduce damage to 1/3rd normal. Dives above 40 feet are not affected.

Authority

• The character no longer needs to make an ability check to determine if the depth of water is safe.
• Eliminates any possible damage for an unencumbered jump or a dive from any height up to 40 ft. For all other jumps, the character reduces damage to 1/3rd normal. For other dives up to 60 feet, reduce damage to 1/4 normal.

Expert

• Increases safe heights for unencumbered dives up to 60 ft.

Sage

• Increases safe heights for unencumbered dives up to 100 ft.

See Athletics