Piloting (Sea) measures your ability to steer and control watercraft, from rowboats and fishing vessels to sailing ships and massive war galleys. This skill covers immediate, hands-on maneuvering—turning, tacking, docking, and avoiding hazards—not long-distance route planning or position-finding.
Navigation gets you across the sea. Piloting keeps you off the rocks.
When You Use It:
Piloting applies when:
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Steering a vessel accurately along a heading or course
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Executing tight turns, tacking, or rowing maneuvers
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Docking or beaching safely
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Holding position near other vessels for boarding or avoiding attacks
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Maneuvering through hazards (reefs, crowded harbors, ice floes)
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Maintaining control during storms, strong currents, or rough seas
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Conducting boarding or ramming maneuvers during naval combat
Stat Used:
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Always Dexterity.
Mechanical Effects:
Piloting checks are required when conditions are poor, maneuvers are complex, or tactical control is contested.
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Success: You maintain control and execute the desired maneuver.
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Failure: You lose position or control. Results may include drifting, collisions, running aground, or vulnerable positioning.
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Critical Success (01): You execute with precision and may gain advantageous position or speed (GM discretion).
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Critical Failure (00): You lose control entirely—collisions, grounding, capsizing, or dangerous exposure may result.
Piloting checks may be contested when opposing another vessel, such as during chases, races, or combat maneuvers.
Situational Modifiers:
Apply the standard Difficulty Ladder (+50% to –50%) based on conditions:
+20% — Calm waters and maneuverable ship, basic turn or course adjustment
0% — Average conditions, moderate seas and maneuver
–10% — Tight turns at speed, crowded harbor, moderate waves
–20% — Storm winds, precise combat maneuvering, piloting large or unresponsive ships
–30% — Dangerous terrain (reefs, shallows) with poor visibility
–40% — Severe storm, damaged ship, or extreme hazards
Untrained Use:
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Small, simple craft (rowboats, rafts, canoes) may be piloted untrained using Dexterity as a percentage.
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Larger or more complex vessels (anything with sails, galleys, or warships) are impossible to pilot untrained, except in the most rudimentary and desperate fashion, which usually results in immediate failure.
Companion Skills:
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Navigation: Determines course and avoids large-scale navigational hazards.
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Lore (Sea/Ships): Knowledge of ship handling, weather, currents, and maintenance.
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Command: Directing crew to assist in sail handling, rowing, or emergency actions.
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Perception / Vigilance: Spotting hazards, enemy ships, or sudden changes in weather and sea state.
GM Note:
Piloting rolls should only be called for when conditions demand it—routine travel in good conditions rarely requires checks. However, in storms, combat, dangerous terrain, or high-pressure situations, Piloting is essential to avoid disaster or gain tactical advantage.
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File Created: 05/01/2025 Last Modified: 05/01/2025