How to handle.... (Siege checks)

[Ozreth]

Swimming?

Party escaping a landslide?

Building a boat?

Hunting, foraging etc?

A few of these things will be happening in my game soon, possibly even all three tomorrow and I'm just trying to brainstorm good ways to handle with them siege checks.

[alcyone]

Swimming:
Player: I swim.
CK: Ok, you are swimming.

Unless they are overburdened or have some other reason for not being able to do it, it doesn't require a check. If they are doing some fancy swimming; like going upriver or dodging walrus or something, then you might call for rolls. In my game I had some swimming going on, and the barbarian did the all out physical exertion thing and could do extra things, like chase after a boat and overturn it. The others may have made checks when doing those things.

Note that fairly complete rules for swimming are in CKG, p. 145. Discussed are those unfamiliar with swimming, aquatic creatures, specific encumbrance effects, and drowning rules.

Escaping a landslide:
It's a wisdom check for surprise. Then it's a matter of moving fast enough to get out of the way. If you are caught in the zone of the slide, it's a dexterity check. Base the CL on the overall competence of the adventurers instead of the actual level of the challenge (if you intend it to be beatable). e.g. for 1st level characters, make it a CL 0 check. If you want to base it on reality, I have no advice .
For examples of intelligent rocks out to get you, look to the module D0: Dwarven Glory - Looking Stones

Building a Boat:
For some value of boat. Considerations are time, materials, and expertise. Have you ever built a boat? Have you ever seen a boat? Are there trees, tools, etc? Again, CKG has information (p. 57) Time to build is in _months_. No throwing together a canoe overnight. Assuming materials, tools, and some expertise is present, I'd just wing it. No check, just time. Of course, once it's on the water I'd make a roll to see if it falls apart, maybe roll above a 10 to stay afloat, modified at +/- 1 per important aforementioned concern addressed in construction.

Can they sail it? Int or Wis taking into account their background.

Hunting, foraging:
These are class skills (Survival, Wilderness Survival, Nature Lore). If no one has them, they don't add level.

Sorry if the responses are simplistic. If you have more information maybe we can do better.

[rickyh]

Party escaping a landslide?

'I'd require dex checks'

Building a boat?

How big? If small like a raft, or canoe I'd have them do an Int Check. If its too big or complex and it's not in the background they probable don't possess the skill to do it and no check will necessarily alleviate that.

Hunting, foraging etc?

If they have a ranger, maybe even a druid or barbarian shouldn't be a big deal. Otherwise I'd say WIS checks.

A few of these things will be happening in my game soon, possibly even all three tomorrow and I'm just trying to brainstorm good ways to handle with them siege checks.

[alcyone]

By the way, if you can get your hands on the AD&D Wilderness Survival Guide, there are rules for all of these situations you can readily adapt; that's probably what I'd end up doing.

[Lord Dynel]

I agree with Aergraith when it comes to swimming. If a character is not overburdened (and I guess the CK can determine what that means) then I'd say no check is necessary. If the PC is not in metal armor (or any weighingless than 20 lbs) and not carrying too much gear, then I'd be okay with no check. Now if the PC is tryign to swim fast to catch someone or something or the water of turbulent then I would require checks, most likely a Strength check.

For a landslide, I'd say it's a Desterity saving throw. Success would mean they can escape it. If the situation requires, maybe they'd have to make a wisdom save instead, representing not escaping it, per se, but surviving it (finding something to get under, etc.)

Building a boat? That might be a little tougher. Does one of the players have any boatbuilding experience in his or her history? Any sailing experience? If no to either one, I'd say they could make something very rudimentary (like a raft) but nothing any fancier. If they do have experience, I'd have them make a series of intelligence checks to determine how long it would take, how well it's built, etc.

Hunting/foraging? I concur with the previous answers on this thread.

[Relaxo]

Swimming?
As the others, unless wearing armor, being shot at, trying to save a baby floating away etc...

Party escaping a landslide?
I like LD's suggestions, that's a tough one. Dex to get away or something, or wis to scramble up a tree that's strong enough to stay standing, or to spot a cave (with any luck a boat is hidden in the cave, ha!) or something in which to hide and dig out later.

Building a boat?
Like the others have said, a boat and something that floats enough so you're not exhausting yourself swimming constantly are very different... but i really have no idea, honestly. It should take a day or 5 to make a real boat or raft, probably.

Hunting, foraging etc?
Got Ranger?
Barbarian, druid or halfling or gnome or elf might work in a pinch, even 1/2 orc with enhanced smell, but since Ranger is the best at it, and even they can fail, without one, I'd rule the party can just barely survive, and be really hungry and thirsty. and it will take all day just to survive, if there is food and water to find. Or a benevolent wood spirit might help with an appropriate sacrifice.


A few of these things will be happening in my game soon, possibly even all three tomorrow and I'm just trying to brainstorm good ways to handle with them siege checks.

Sounds like a fun session!