Boating

This proficiency allows the character to pilot any small boat, such as a kayak or canoe, operating it at maximum speed. It also allows him (or the character) to make minor repairs and improvements in these boats, such as waterproofing them and patching holes. A successful proficiency check enables the character to handle the craft in treacherous situations; for instance, maneuvering the boat through choppy water without capsizing it, or avoiding collisions when guiding it through a narrow channel choked with rocks or ice. Failure does not necessarily mean that the boat sinks, but it gets swept away by the current, or turned about, or moderately swamped—with everything and everyone inside getting wet. If the rough water continues, the character must make additional proficiency checks (every 1–6 rounds). The character’s proficiency rating suffers a –1 modifier for each failed check, indicating the difficulty of steering a boat that is slowly filling with water.
Note that while the navigation and seamanship proficiencies deal with ships in oceans, seas, and other large bodies of water, the boating proficiency is confined to small craft on rivers, lakes, on oceans close to shore, and over similar terrain, usually on relatively calm waters.
Category:Proficiencies