Water Rules

OOC

This is a quick reference for various relevant rules. (Cinero will update it as needed. Suggestions welcome!)

Combat, Surface

If you are floating or on the deck of a vehicle, Unstable Platform usually applies (-2 Ranged or Thrown Attack). (See: Core Rules p. 109).

Combat, Underwater

You and the GM can confer on how an attack functions underwater. The GM makes the final decision.

In general:

• If a melee attack is not good for underwater combat, then you get -2 to Attack and -2 to Damage.
• If a ranged weapon is not good for underwater combat, then it is simply ineffectual.
• Powers: case-by-case basis.

Drowning

• If you're swimming in still water, each square/hex of movement takes double Pace. (A vanilla human has Pace 6.) Swimming up or down stream can take more Pace.
• Under hazardous conditions, you must roll Athletics to move. Failure means no progress and a Critical Failure causes a level of Fatigue.
• You can hold your breath a number of rounds equal to 2 plus your Vigor, or half that if you weren’t prepared to hold your breath.
• A life vest adds +2 to swimming rolls.
• There are also rules for how fast a drowning character dies and how to stop that.

See: Core Rules p. 126

Falling

Falling into water can reduce falling damage. But if you fall more than 20 yards, it’s like you hit solid earth.

See: Core Rules p. 127

Guns Underwater

(From ChatGPT…)

Can guns fire underwater?

Yes, guns can fire underwater, but there are some important limitations and considerations:

1. Ballistics: When a gun is fired underwater, the bullet behaves differently compared to firing in the air. Water is much denser than air, which causes the bullet to slow down very quickly. This rapid deceleration greatly reduces the range and lethality of the bullet. A bullet fired underwater typically only travels a few feet before losing most of its kinetic energy.
2. Gun Functionality: Most firearms are designed to operate in air, not underwater. However, many guns can still function when submerged, although the water can affect the mechanics. For example, water might slow down or jam the action, especially in semi-automatic or automatic firearms, which rely on the cycling of the action to eject the spent cartridge and load a new one.
3. Safety: Firing a gun underwater can be dangerous for the shooter. The water creates much more resistance than air, which can cause higher pressures inside the barrel and potentially lead to catastrophic failure (e.g., the gun could explode).
4. Specialized Firearms: There are specialized underwater firearms designed to be used by divers or in aquatic environments. These guns, such as the Russian APS underwater rifle, use unique ammunition designed to travel further and more effectively underwater.

Sunlight

Sunlight can penetrate the ocean down to about 650 feet.

Tools etc.

Powers

• Environmental Protection (Core Rules p. 161)