Building a raft

[JDRay]

How long would it take ... to build a raft?

That depends on a lot of things. What resources are available? Are you on a beach, and there is a lot of driftwood available? Is it dry? Are you in the woods, and there are trees around? Do you have rope? Nails?

Let's just say for saying's sake that you need a small raft, 5 feet wide by 10 feet long. You're in the woods, and you run across a stand of 25-year old lodgepole pine really close to the river. Barak, the party's dwarven fighter, can have a tree fallen, limbed and cut into two usable 6" diameter, 10 foot long logs in five minutes, accounting for a short rest break at the end.

Six trees need to be fallen, and one of the 10 foot logs need to be cut in half for the crosspieces. We'll call that 30 minutes overall, with one tired dwarf at the end.

Now, with all those flying wood chips and falling logs, the rest of the party had to stay out of the way, and couldn't do anything while Barak was cutting trees. Now they go to work.

They lay the two short logs (5' long each) about eight feet apart, near the river, parallel with each other. They put one of the long logs across the ends, and tie it on with hafts of the ubiquitous 50 feet of rope that every first-level adventurer buys. They repeat this step until all logs are tied on. Two guys are good with rope, and do the tying; two other guys are hauling the logs over, and so each log only takes about four minutes to attach. Ten logs make a five-foot wide raft, so that's 40 minutes.

Total time for raft building, 70 minutes, assuming great resources and no stubbed toes. Stretch it out from there.

JD

 

[bloodymage]

1) Use Rope is cross-class for just about everyone. Not having ranks in this skill doesn't mean you can't tie knots, it just means you can't pull off fancy rope tricks (lassos, slip knots, snares, etc).

"Fancy rope tricks" like lashing poles together? Lashings use many specialized knots. Though most commoners could probably tie a number of knots they customarily use, IMO most could not effectively lash poles together, though a significant number probably could.

2) DCs that change depending on skill ranks isn't how the d20 system works.

The DCs depend on having ranks in a skill not the level of skill ranks. It's a matter of having requisite knowledge of any kind that determines DC and not one's degree of skill in any particular area. And please, you pup , don't tell me that's not how the d20 system works! My d20 system works any way I want it to! After all, this is the House Rules section.

3) Building a simple raft cannot possibly be much harder than surviving in the wild, something the average 1st level commoner can do (and they probably don't have any WL ranks either). Just because a task is outside the comfort zone for cosseted 20th century urbanised westerners doesn't mean it would be so for someone living in the low-tech environment typical of D&D.

You have a point. I'm not at all sure an "average" commoner could survive in the wild for long, but he'd last a damn sight longer than most "cosseted 20th century urbanised westerners." Considering that, my DCs could drop somewhat; maybe by 5 across the board.

No wonder people are complaining about certain classes only getting 2 skill points per level, if this sort of DC inflation is the norm.

Only takes 1 (see above).

 

[Lily Inverse]

Thinking about commoners

You have a point. I'm not at all sure an "average" commoner could survive in the wild for long, but he'd last a damn sight longer than most "cosseted 20th century urbanised westerners." Considering that, my DCs could drop somewhat; maybe by 5 across the board.

Actually, I suspect that a commoner would last indefinitely out in the wilderness, though it wouldn't be pleasant. Think about it. He has to gather food (Many of not most commoners would supplement their diets at home from roots and berries growing wild nearby.) He would need shelter (He has to build houses out of these same materials, himself. He knows what he's doing.) Clothing would be harder, but after about six months of this he'll be second level and probably a self-taught Ranger by this point. If he started off with a decent level of supplies, I can see a DC of 10 being very accurate. It shouldn't be any problem at all. After all, it's not very different from his everyday life, there just isn't anybody to call on for help if he messes up

 

[JDRay]

Okay, I know this has to be in the DMG somewhere, but mine's at home and I'm not.

What happens if someone fails their "survive in the woods check for [today, this week, this month, etc.]?" I can't imagine hearing, "You rolled a one. Sorry, you're dead." Would it be temporary CON damage? Maybe subdual damage?

 

[Happiest_Sadist]

If they fail I'd say theyu don't find enough food (say -20% of the food they need per point failed.) If the weather is harsh enough they take 1dX pt of subdual damage per point they failed by that they cannot naturally heal untill they escape the weather.

Moderate rain, ~40 degree temp, ~95 degree temp d4.
Storm, Freezing temp, Horrid heat d6.
Gale, Sub-zero temp d8
Hurricane, Blizzard, sandstorm, temperatures <-20 or >120 d10

Or they could also encounter dangerous animals. (You failed you wilderness lore check, you walk right up to a bear... what's that, a cute little vear behing you?)