Fishing

Fishing (Per/Easy) is the skill to catch fish – with a net, hook and line, or whatever method is used in your culture.Basic Set: Characters, p.195 If you have proper equipment (and there are fish, of course), you can catch 'em. If you lack equipment, you may improvise. A fisher can make up to five Fishing rolls a day if stationary,High-Tech, p.58. See also: Foraging (Basic Set p.427)Dungeon Fantasy 16: Wilderness Adventures, p.42 or two times if on the move (such as wandering or boating along a river).Dungeon Fantasy 16: Wilderness Adventures, p.44
* Default: Perception-4
* Additional Fanon default: Animal Handling (Fish)-4 -- Used for simple fish husbandry, and for gaining a defense bonus against big, fighting fish
Fishing is the only applicable skill for foraging for food in the open sea -- outside of directly hunting edible marine monsters, that is.DFRPG: Adventurers, p.76 Fishing is one of the "lowest-tech" skills, appearing in the mesolithic period.Low-Tech, p.6
== Modifiers ==
* Modifiers: -5 if wholly unequipped, or -2 if using improvised tools (e.g. a sharpened stick)Low-Tech Companion 3, p.8
* Fanon Modifiers: Bonuses from using the appropriate lure, especially if the lure is also an important item that's being risked (such as a ring).
Fishing with rod and line is likely a patient task, and might require Will rolls from characters with Short Attention Span -- unless the fish in the setting are just as active and impatient as the characters!Fanon suggestion
== Basic Use ==
A successful Fishing roll typically catches about 1/2 a meal of edible fish, plus another 1/2 per point of success -- a success by 5 would give 3 meals. A two-person net (or mechanical equivalent) can triple this!
== Other Uses ==
Title 	Description
Yoink! 	You may use a DX-based Fishing roll to use hooks or weighted lines to fetch distant items, such as pulling levers or retrieving items from the bottom of a well. Feel free to allow highly-skilled anglers to pull stranger things out of the water...Fanon
Slippery Fish 	Fishing might be usable for adding to Wrestling rolls when grappling fish
Tall Tales 	Try using Fishing as a Complimentary Skill for Public Speaking -- and don't forget to get that bonus from Outdoorsman to impress other naturalists
"Scale" Armor 	Both real and fictional fish can have their skin made into leather. While most small fish would be impractical for this, there are likely a lot of fantastical fish that are perfect for armor. Note that making armor with fish parts would require the Armoury skill!
Nature's Treasure	In the style of Dead Monster Bits, it's possible to extract pearls with Fishing. For actually diving for pearls, a good aquatic move and the Swimming skill may be recommended.
== Types of Fishing ==
In shallow or shaded areas, it may be possible to fish by hand, such as muddying the water and whacking the fish as the retreat to the surface.Low-Tech Companion 3, p.7 Fish can be harpooned in shallow water, or from boats or rafts, and they can be caught via hook, or in large groups via nets. All these methods use the Fishing skill.
== Equipment ==
* Fishhooks and Line (TL0). Basic gear for the fishing skill; needs a pole. $50. Negligible weight.
** Lower tech fishhook (TL0). A small bit of barbed bone – or possibly metal, at TL2+. $6, neg.Low-Tech, p.29
* Pole, 6' (TL0). Can be used to pitch tents or prod items, but in this case, is used to fish. $5, 3 lbs.
* Fish Trap (TL0). Many traps were developed to capture fish while the fisherman was busy elsewhere. Most were anchored baskets with hinged, inward-opening doors; fish could enter but not escape. Fish wheels, used on North America’s Pacific coast, incorporated several nets or baskets on spokes around an axle. The wheel was partly submerged, and the force of the water rotated it like an undershot waterwheel. Fish were scooped out of the water and retrieved by an attendant. Fish traps – particularly fish wheels – worked well when fish population density was high; +2 to Fishing skill in such areas. Trap capable of catching fish up to 10 lbs.: $14, 2 lbs.
* Fishing Spear (TL0). A thin, spear-like tool used to catch fish near the surface of the water. The point may be forked (perhaps extensively – some designs have a cluster of points) and/or barbed to counteract the effects of refraction on aim. Treat as a javelin, but poorly balanced for throwing (-2 to skill). Net (TL0). Per square yard: $20, 10 lbs.
* Modern fishing vessels may use hydrophones (TL6+), which can determine the location and amount of fish in the water. High-Tech, p.49
* Fishing Kit (TL5). A few hooks and sinkers, and a length of fishing line. Basic equipment for Fishing, and often found in survival kits. $5, neg. LC4High-Tech, p.58
* Fishing Outfit (TL6). A pole with reel, plus a toolbox with an assortment of jigs and lures. Gives +2 (quality) to Fishing. $200, 10 lbs. LC4.
=== As A Weapon..? ===
* In Shonen-anime-style settings, a character may be able to use supernaturally tough fishing lines as a whip. Your results may vary.Fanon
* Sturdy fishing line might work as an improvised garrote.
* If using a net as a weapon, use net!
** Perhaps Fishing could default to Net in this use, but at a penalty.Fanon
== Examples ==
=== Talents ===
* Fishing is found in the Outdoorsman talent
=== Characters ===
* Xing La has the Fishing skill -- as well as several nautical skills like navigation (sea), scuba, and Electronics Repair (Sonar)
* Fishing is seldom a "main skill", although it is used as a background skill for self-sufficient traveling assistants, such as ServantsDungeon Fantasy 15: Henchmen, p.23-24, CultistsDungeon Fantasy 15: Henchmen, p.18-19, and the more experienced InitiatesDungeon Fantasy 15: Henchmen, p.12-13
== See Also ==
=== Getting There ===
* For fishing far from shores and docks, use Boating.
=== Related Equipment Skills ===
* Scrounging can turn fishing sinkers into lead shot, or vice versa
* For particularly huge fish and aquatic predators, see Speargun (which uses the Crossbow). Harpoon guns are much too large for fishing--at that point, it's whaling.
== References ==
Category:Skills