Caving
#normal_skill
1d6, base chance depends on pace and passage size
“To cave” means the action of traversing narrow, enclosed spaces. To cave means to get down on all fours and cram yourself through very tight passageways. It is messy, risky, and claustrophobic. All caving implies only one character at a time can traverse the passage.
Pace
Characters are assumed to be moving at half exploration speed (120 ft/turn) when caving. You can choose to creep instead at 60ft better odds.
Passage Size
Grave: A passage about 5 ft wide at its narrowest. No caving roll is required, but only one character can traverse at a time. With the exception of spears, two-handed melee weapons can't be used effectively here (treat as club 1d4 w/ disadvantage).
Crawl: A passage about 2–3 feet wide at its narrowest. You have to get down on your hands and knees and crawl forward. Your knees and palms are going to be quite filthy.
Squeeze: A passage about 1–2 feet wide at its narrowest. You must lie on your belly (or back) and slither forward like a snake or shimmy sideways. You’ll feel every inch of the tunnel, mostly through your shoulders and thighs. No packs!
Caving Roll
Choose a pace and add up your modifiers. If you are at 6 or more, you automatically succeed. Otherwise, roll 1d6 + DEX and compare to the table below. If the passage is longer than the pace distance or you stop to do stuff, there might be more than one caving roll.
Chance of Success
| Pace | Crawl | Squeeze |
|---|---|---|
| Creep 60ft | 7-in-6 | 4-in-6 |
| Half 120ft | 5-in-6 | 3-in-6 |
ADD 1-IN-6 IF:
- You have a rope-line or handholds through the passage.
- You are being actively helped by someone else. This can stack if multiple people help you.
- You are small (Halflings)
SUBTRACT 1-IN-6 IF:
- You are wearing heavy armor.
- You have a pack on your back.
- You have something in your hand, like a sword or torch. This can stack if both hands are occupied.
- You are in darkness or otherwise cannot see the whole route.
- You are very large.
- The passage is underwater, filled with rubble, or otherwise is impeded.
Failure
If you fail your caving roll, make a DEX Save. If you fail, roll on this table for the consequences:
| Roll | Consequence |
|---|---|
| 1 | You misplanned your position. Until you exit the passage, you cannot access any of your gear |
| 2 | Your gear scrapes against the passage. You lose 1 randomly determined piece of gear. |
| 3 | You make a wrong move somewhere and have to twist around to fix it. Reverse your head-feet-first direction. |
| 4 | Stuck! |