Stay Afloat
Time Required: Free Action
Trigger: You begin your turn in water that is deeper than your own height
Skill: Athletics
Under normal circumstances, you can swim at a speed equal to half your Speed, in meters. However, you may also have to roll Athletics to stay afloat in less than ideal circumstances. To keep your head above water on your turn, you must roll Athletics. This is a free action, but the TN is based on the water conditions.
| Condition | TN |
|---|---|
| Calm, clear water | 12 |
| Slight chop or waves | 15 |
| Heavy waves or high winds | 18 |
| Hurricane or tsunami | 24 |
| Character has an empty hand | -3† |
†Per hand, to a maximum of -6.
- Success: You keep your head above water.
- Failure: You sink below the surface, and are subject to suffocation.
Eldrin elects to wade into a deep pool, and discovers that it is deeper than he is tall. At the start of his turn, he must make an Athletics skill check. Luckily, the water is calm and clear, and Eldrin has one free hand, so his TN is only 9. But Eldrin lacks training in Athletics, and is forced to take slight on the check. With a roll of only 5, Eldrin risks suffocation. Luckily, he can back-pedal and get his head back above the water.