New Systems & Mechanics

Introduction

The following systems and mechanics offer guidelines for resolving certain conflicts that may arise throughout a long campaign such as White Leviathan. They are offered in the most likely order of their appearance in the campaign. The systems include:

Seasickness
Swimming Underwater
Drowning
Interrogations
Shipboard Firefighting
Attacking with a Net
Using a Torch as a Club

Seasickness

If a character is unaccustomed to sailing, or has not sailed for a long time, he may get seasick within 1D12+12 hours after leaving the shore. The greenhorn must make two rolls: Constitution and Seamanship. Together these are known as a “Seasickness Check.”

Double Success
If both rolls are successful, the character does not get seasick. If one of these rolls was a critical success, the character never gets seasick, no matter the conditions. Otherwise, the Keeper may ask for another Seasickness Check under unusual circumstances: heavy seas, turbulent weather, or a prolonged absence from sea.

Mixed Success
If one of these rolls succeeds and the other fails, the character becomes mildly seasick. He’ll feel nauseated for the next 1D12+24 hours. All physical rolls are made with a –1D10 penalty die during this time. A seaman is expected to continue his duties. Once the illness has passed, another Seasickness Check is only required for unusual circumstances.

Failure
If both rolls fail, the unfortunate character becomes moderately seasick: nausea, vomiting, and vertigo, accompanied by the general feeling of “I want to die!” All rolls—physical, mental, and spiritual—are subjected to a –1D10 penalty die. Additionally, a Sanity roll must be made for a 0/1D3 loss. This condition lasts for 1D4 days. A seaman is expected to continue his duties during this time, but kind-hearted officers are less likely to send them aloft. Once the illness has passed, another Seasickness Check is only required for unusual circumstances.

Critical Failure
A critical failure on one roll cancels the effects of the other roll, even if it was a critical success! The character becomes severely seasick. All rolls are burdened by –2D10 penalty dice. Additionally, a Sanity roll must be made for a 1/1D4 loss. This condition lasts for 1D4 days. During this time, the character cannot perform his duties. He’s confined to his quarters with a bucket, and becomes the subject of ridicule. Furthermore, a critical failure means this character has become prone to seasickness. A Seasickness Check must be made every time the character leaves port after spending more than one day ashore!

Swimming Underwater

A submerged character must hold his breath, a feat linked to the Swim skill. Every three combat/action rounds spent underwater requires another Swim roll, but each roll becomes progressively more difficult. A submerged character may also swim or dive. For the sake of simplicity, assume a character can move underwater at the rate of 10 feet per combat round. The following chart summarizes both the length of time a character can remain underwater, and the maximum distance they can travel during that time. A failed roll forces the character to the surface. If unable to surface, the character begins drowning. (See the “Drowning” mechanic below.)

Constitution Checks
Before a swimmer makes each Swim roll, he’s allowed a “Constitution check.” A success adds a +1D10 bonus die to his Swim roll. Once a Constitution check fails, no further Constitution checks may be attempted until the character breathes again.

Pushing Swim Rolls
A failed Swim roll can be pushed, but no Constitution check is allowed. A failed push inflicts 1D6 hit points of drowning damage and forces the swimmer to the surface. Alternately, the Keeper may allow a desperate character a second push, but this costs 1 Sanity point. If this push fails, the swimmer begins drowning immediately.

Mitigating Factors
Certain characters may be particularly skilled at holding their breath, and are awarded +2D10 bonus dice from a successful Constitution check. Physical exhaustion may negate the Constitution check, or may penalize the Swim roll. Rough seas, strong currents, or being weighed down or entangled may decrease the distance covered when swimming underwater.

Drowning

Although drowning is loosely described on pg. 124 of the 7th Edition Call of Cthulhu rules, a maritime campaign demands a little more detail. First of all, drowning is inherently tied to the Swim skill. A character with a Swim skill of 20% or lower does not know how to swim, and must make a Swim roll every time they hit the water. Characters with a Swim skill higher than the base 20% know how to swim, and only require Swim rolls under unusual circumstances. These include heavy weather and rough seas, but may also include exhaustion. Even for skilled swimmers, a Swim roll is required every hour of treading water, with a –1D10 penalty die applied every 4 hours until a maximum of –3D10 is reached. Failing a Swim roll begins the drowning process.

Drowning
A character who begins drowning must make a Constitution roll each round. These rolls represent flailing around, spluttering, holding one’s breath, etc. The Keeper may increase the difficulty of the roll to reflect rough seas, exhaustion, or panic. Once a Constitution roll has failed, the character begins beathing water and sustains 1D6 HP damage each round until he reaches 0 HP or breathes fresh air. When a character reaches 0 HP he begins “dying.” He is now unconscious, and must make a Constitution roll each subsequent round according to the following table. Failing any roll brings immediate death. The dying character sinks below the waves at the rate of 5 feet per round.

Revival
If a dying character is rescued, he may be revived by a successful First Aid roll. A revived character is restored to 1 HP and suffers a permanent –5% reduction to Constitution. A Sanity check is also required, with failure inviting some reasonable fear of the water!

Rescue
As seen in countless movies, rescuing a drowning character is an exciting part of nautical adventuring! There are two systems a Keeper may use to conduct a rescue attempt.

Narrative-based Rescue
If the Keeper would like to keep things simple, she should determine the number of rounds required for a rescuer to reach the drowning character, then resolve the rescue attempt with a Swim roll. This roll may be modified by rough seas, foul weather, etc. A successful rescue mercifully halts the “dying” process for a reasonable period of time—usually enough to carry the drowning character back to the surface. This system involves a minimum of dice rolling, and lets the Keeper interpreting events through a dramatic narrative.

Mechanics-based Rescue
For a more detailed scenario, the Keeper should determine the exact distance between the rescuer and the drowning character, and resolve the rescue round by round. In this system, a rescuer may swim at the rate of 10 feet/round. If the drowning character starts dying and sinking, the rescuer must dive underwater, using the “Swimming Underwater” rules. To make this system less lethal, “dying” Constitution rolls are rolled at the end of each round, with the sinking depth calculated after the rescuer has moved 10 feet. Actually carrying a rescued character to the surface requires a mandatory Swim roll. Unlike the Narrative-based System, “dying” characters continue to make Constitution rolls until First Aid is applied.

Thrilling Example of Gameplay
Quakaloo and James Cabot are knocked from a whaleboat during a Nantucket sleighride. Quakaloo has 75% Swim, but Cabot’s Swim is only 20%—he’s a “non-swimmer.” The Keeper determines the two men are 1D10 × 10 feet apart and rolls a “6.” The men are 60 feet apart. Quakaloo’s Swim skill lets him tread water automatically; but Cabot is forced to make a Swim roll. He fails, and begins drowning.

Narrative-based System
The Keeper determines that Quakaloo can reach Cabot in six rounds, providing he makes a Swim roll. He rolls a 70%, which is a Regular success. (If he would have made a Hard or Extreme success, the Keeper would have reduced the number of rounds.) Meanwhile Cabot has to make a series of Constitution rolls to avoid breathing water. He succeeds the first round, then fails on the second, taking 1D6 = 6 HP, then 1D6 = 4 HP, and finally 1D6 = 3 HP. Because Cabot only has 13 HP, he reaches 0 HP on the fourth round of drowning. He is now “dying.” On the fifth round, Cabot sinks 5 feet below the waves and makes his first CON roll. He needs a Regular success and gets a +1D10 bonus die; he makes the roll and staves off death.

Quakaloo arrives on the sixth round. Because Cabot is sinking, the Keeper asks for Swim roll to seize the drowning greenhorn. Quakaloo gets an Extreme success. The Keeper decides this represents an heroic burst of energy—Quak dives underwater and seizes Cabot before the greenhorn needs to make a second “dying” roll. Upon reaching the surface, the harpooneer gives Cabot a mighty squeeze and makes a First Aid roll. He fails! Quakaloo asks to push the roll. The Keeper informs him that a second failure results in Cabot’s immediate death. Since there’s no one else around to administer First Aid, Quakaloo agrees, and rolls a Hard success. Cabot sputters to life with 1 HP and –5% CON. He makes his Sanity roll, so there are no further repercussions—although if they’re not rescued soon, the Keeper may call for additional Swim rolls from the exhausted Quakaloo.

Mechanics-based System
Quakaloo begins swimming towards Cabot at the rate of 10 feet per round: it will take him 6 rounds to reach the drowning greenhorn. The Keeper sketches the distances on a piece of paper and uses plastic pirates to track the action. Meanwhile Cabot has to make a series of Constitution rolls to avoid breathing water. He succeeds the first round, then fails on the second, taking 1D6 = 6 HP, then 1D6 = 4 HP, and finally 1D6 = 3 HP. Because Cabot only has 13 HP, he reaches 0 HP on the fourth round. He is now “dying.” On the fifth round, Cabot sinks 5 feet below the waves and makes his first CON roll. He needs a Regular success and gets a +1D10 bonus die; he makes the roll and staves off death.

The sixth round begins with Quakaloo reaching Cabot’s position, but the greenhorn is already below the waves! He’s going to have to dive—next round. Cabot avoids extinction with a CON roll, but sinks another 5 feet. Round 7 begins with Quakaloo taking a deep breath and diving down. He makes his Swim roll (with a +1D10 bonus die) and dives 10 feet down underwater. That’s enough to intercept Cabot, but he fails the Swim roll required to seize the sinking greenhorn. Quakaloo asks to push the roll. The Keeper states that if Quakaloo fails a second time, he begins drowning as well. The harpooneer remembers that Jimmy Cabot is just an NPC, so declines to push. Meanwhile Cabot enters the third round of “dying.” He makes a Hard CON roll with +1D10 bonus die and is successful, but he sinks an additional 5 feet.

Round 8 begins with Quakaloo diving deeper to catch Cabot. He makes his Swim roll this time, and grabs ahold of the unconscious sailor. Because Cabot remains submerged, he must pass a Hard CON roll to stave off death. He does so! Round 9 has Quakaloo kicking upwards from 15 feet below the surface, covering 10 feet of vertical distance. Will Cabot survive? Yes! He passes his Extreme CON roll, but only because of the +1D10 bonus die. Quakaloo should reach the surface on the next round, but because this is the fourth round he’s spent underwater, he must pass a Swim roll to keep holding his breath. (See “Swimming Underwater.”) Quakaloo rolls an Extreme success, breaking to the surface with Little Jimmy in tow!

The Keeper points out that it’s difficult to revive Cabot while Quakaloo is treading water, so he’ll need a Hard success on the First Aid roll. Quakaloo glares at the Keeper and fails the roll. He asks to push. The Keeper says sure, but a second failure kills Jimmy stone dead, and forces Quakaloo to make a 1/1D4 Sanity roll. Quakaloo agrees to the conditions. He rolls again, and achieves an Extreme success! Cabot sputters back to life with 1 HP and –5% CON. He fails his Sanity roll, and begins sobbing in fear—poor Jimmy Cabot has become terrified of drowning. From now on, he must make a Sanity roll before attempting any Swim roll.

Interrogation

An attempt to coerce or force information from a captive NPC is called “interrogation.”

Interrogation Roll
Every attempt at interrogation ends with an Interrogation Roll. This opposes an appropriate interrogator skill against the captive’s Power score. An Interrogation roll cannot be pushed, and a critical failure shuts the prisoner down for good. If the Keeper chooses, Interrogation Rolls may be made without the players seeing the results. This allows the Keeper to trick the interrogator with false information. (“Dantooine. They’re on Dantooine.”)

The Interrogator Succeeds
A Regular success gleans basic information, a Hard success acquires sensitive and more potentially useful information, and an Extreme success learns everything the interrogator desires to know.

The Captive Succeeds
A Regular success maintains silence, a Hard success allows the captive to tell a convincing lie, and an Extreme success allows the captive to “get inside” the interrogator’s head and rattle them for 1/1D3 Sanity points.

Escalation and Multiple Attempts
Interrogation can be a drawn-out process. The number of attempts an interrogator has to break a captive depends on which approach begins the process: soft, hard, or brutal. These approaches represent a gradual escalation, each allowing a single Interrogation Roll before the stakes are raised. (For instance, if the “good cop” fails the soft touch, the “bad cop” may arrive for a hard-boiled smackdown. However, if an interrogator immediately shoots a captive in the kneecap, there’s no going back—only one Interrogation roll is allowed!) The Keeper determines the length of time it takes to conduct a single interrogation attempt.

Soft Approach
A soft approach relies on reason, negotiation, head-games, and threats. This may range from a “friendly conversation” to the classic “third degree.” The interrogator must oppose one of the following skills against the captive’s Power score—Fast Talk, Intimidate, or Persuade. He’s also allowed a Psychology roll; a success adds a +1D10 bonus to the Interrogation Roll. If there are multiple interrogators, these two rolls may be divided between characters.

Hard Approach
A hard approach relies on physical discomfort—depriving the prisoner of food and water, employing stress positions, or using a moderate amount of violence. (No Major Wounds.) When adopting a hard approach, the interrogator relies solely on his Intimidate skill. However, if the captive fails a Sanity roll, the interrogator earns a +1D10 bonus die on the Interrogate Roll.

Brutal Approach
A brutal approach disfigures the captive or inflicts a Major Wound: cutting off a finger, breaking an arm, stabbing a thigh, etc. (If the interrogator is not accustomed to this sort of dehumanizing behavior, the Keeper may call for a Sanity roll.) A brutal interrogator opposes his Intimidate skill against the captive’s Power score, but automatically receives +2D10 bonus dice to reflect the elevated stakes. A failed Interrogation Roll shuts the prisoner up for good—nothing on earth will break this man!

Mitigating Factors
While this system provides basic guidelines, the Keeper should be sensitive to a wide range of mitigating factors. A prisoner may be trained to withstand interrogation or torture, or may simply be too insane to break. Some prisoners can withstand harm inflicted on themselves, but crack if a loved one is threatened. Certain drugs can interfere with a prisoner’s willpower; so can lack of food, water, or sleep. The Keeper should assess the situation and apply bonus or penalty dice where appropriate.

Long-Term Interrogation
These guidelines are reserved for immediate or short-term interrogations, of the “Who sent you here?” or “Where did you hide the bomb?” variety. They are not intended as guidelines for long-term internment and systematic dehumanization. Hopefully player characters in Call of Cthulhu aren’t running POW camps!

Shipboard Firefighting

There’s little sailors fear more than fire! If a fire is not put out, it continues to spread, doing progressively more damage and becoming increasingly difficult to extinguish.

Rounds of Burning
To simplify the firefighting process, a fire spreads in “rounds of burning.” These “rounds” are longer and more flexible than combat rounds, and involve men springing into action, carrying buckets of water, throwing down sand, wetting sails and rigging, etc. The moment something catches fire is considered the first round of burning. This inflicts 1 HP of structural damage to the ship and requires a successful Seamanship roll to extinguish. (Damage is always inflicted before the Seamanship roll is made.) A failed roll results in the fire spreading. The second round of burning inflicts 2 HP damage and requires two successful Seamanship rolls to extinguish. Each additional round of burning contributes +1 HP to the damage total and requires one additional Seamanship roll to extinguish—a bigger fire needs more firefighters! The following chart shows the effects of 12 rounds of burning on the Quiddity, which has 75 HP of structural integrity.

Springing into Action
The Keeper must determine how many sailors are capable of fighting the fire; a general rule is two additional sailors/round of burning. Player characters should be prioritized.

Additional Hands
The number of Seamanship rolls required for each round reflects the minimum number of firefighters required to extinguish the blaze. For instance, the third round of burning needs at least three firefighters. Each person over this minimum may contribute +1D10 bonus die to any single Seamanship roll; but each roll may only be modified once. For instance, if five sailors are fighting a fire during the second round of burning, the two with the highest Seamanship skills should be appointed the main firefighters. There are three additional hands: one contributes a +1D10 bonus die to the first firefighter’s Seamanship roll, the second adds a +1D10 bonus die to the second firefighter’s roll, and the third simply supports—though he may be needed if the fire continues spreading!

Critical Success
A critical success on a Seamanship roll may not extinguish the fire—that depends on the total number of success—but it stops the fire from spreading for one round. The next round begins at the current “round of burning.”

Pushing Rolls
A failed Seamanship roll may be pushed; but a pushed roll gets no bonus die. A second failure burns the firefighter for 1D10 points of damage. Only one failed Seamanship roll may be pushed each round of burning.

Thrilling Example of Gameplay
A fallen lantern sets the deck on fire! 1 HP of damage is automatically inflicted. Because nobody was near the lantern, the Keeper rules the fire cannot be extinguished until the second round of burning. The second round inflicts 2 HP, and requires two Seamanship rolls to extinguish. The Keeper determines that only Beckett and Redburn are near buckets of water. Beckett springs into action and makes his Seamanship roll, but Redburn fails. The fire spreads. The third round of burning inflicts 3 HP on the ship and three Seamanship rolls are now required to extinguish the blaze. The Keeper allows Dixon and Morgan to join the fight. Beckett and Reburn make their rolls, but Dixon fails, even with Morgan contributing a +1D10 bonus die. Dixon’s player decides to push the roll. He fails again, suffering 1D10 = 4 hit points of damage.

It’s now the fourth round of burning. The Quiddity takes 4 HP of damage, bringing the total damage to 10 HP. Looking at the “Quiddity Damage Table,” that’s the high end of “Light Damage”—things are beginning to get out of hand! The Keeper allows two more fire fighters into the fray, Coffin and Quakaloo. It now requires four Seamanship rolls to extinguish the fire. Redburn and Beckett make their rolls, Dixon makes his (with Morgan’s +1D10 bonus die), but Coffin fails, even with Quakaloo’s bonus die. Coffin’s player decides to push, and makes the roll without a bonus die—and succeeds! That’s four Seamanship rolls on Round 4, so the fire has been extinguished.

Attacking with a Net

Using a net requires an attacker to oppose his Throw skill against the target’s Dodge skill. If the attacker is successful, the target is “entangled” and cannot fight back. Entangled characters have their Dexterity reduced by an amount that depends on the degree of success of the attacker’s Throw roll:

Attacks against entangled targets receive a bonus as described on the table above. Unless “immobilized,” entangled targets may attempt to break free with a Hard Strength roll. This roll counts as an action. If the entangled target has a blade handy, a Dexterity roll readies the blade, and the entangle character only needs a Regular Strength roll to break free. Once a target has freed himself from the net, he may attack the following round. Any attempt to re-entangle a target suffers a –1D10 penalty die applied to the Throw roll.

Sleeping Targets
If a target is sleeping or incapacitated, the attacker’s Throw roll is unopposed, and is made with +2D10 bonus dice. A success immobilizes the target; the same result as a “critical success” on the table above.

Using a Torch as a Club

A torch may be swung like a club using the Brawling skill. The base damage of a torch is 1D4+DB if unlit, 1D6+DB if burning. If the attacker rolls a natural “6” on the base damage die, the target catches fire. (The target must be flammable!) A burning target takes 1D6 hit points each round until the flame is extinguished. If no water is conveniently present, a burning target is allowed a Dodge roll each round to extinguish the flames by suffocating them or rolling on the ground. The Keeper is free to escalate the difficulty of the Dodge roll if the flame keeps spreading! Fire is always considered a Major Wound.

White Leviathan, Auxiliary Materials
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Author: A. Buell Ruch
Last Modified: 26 August 2023
Email: quail (at) shipwrecklibrary (dot) com
White Leviathan PDF: [TBD]