[Basic] Skill of the Week: Boating

[Icelander]

I rarely see an adventuring party where no one has this skill, no matter whether it's a modern or fantasy setting. Someone always has a background that includes having been a sailor/pirate/fisherman/smuggler/river wharf rat/Marine/rowing crew/SBS/other special operations.

In my fantasy campaign, Boating (Unpowered) sees rather a lot of use on cutting-out expeditions against ships in harbour and clandestinely landing agents on hostile shores. It's been used for the rescue of a prisoner kept in a desolate island fortress, too.

[Kromm]

Boating is extremely common in my campaigns. In fact, I've never run a GURPS campaign where multiple PCs didn't have one or more specialties of that skill.

In every fantasy campaign I've ever run, rivers and coasts have been the lifeblood of low-tech trade. Consequently, adventurers who wanted to get around always ended up knowing how to handle makeshift rafts, at least, if not barges, canoes, or faerings (all Unpowered). Usually, they went for small sailboats (Sailboat). Boating was often more common than Riding. However, nobody wanted the responsibility or expense of anything large enough to be crewed and need Shiphandling.

In my first major high-tech campaign, Boating was definitely a niche skill, but there were a couple of ex-military commando types who knew the Motorboat specialty and put it to good use whenever there was a less-guarded approach over water. One guy even knew Submarine (Free-Flooding Sub) and used it for that purpose.

In my current campaign, many of the Agents know Boating (Motorboat) for use with inflatable boats for stealthy boardings and landings and raids. It has proven indispensable. A couple also know the Large Powerboat specialty for craft large enough to carry the whole group and their gear but small enough not to need Shiphandling. This has proven to be a useful way to get around when the roads are being watched.

[cosmicfish]

Originally Posted by Kromm

However, nobody wanted the responsibility or expense of anything large enough to be crewed and need Shiphandling.

I brought this up in another thread, but maybe it should have been here:

Why is that large submarines have both Shiphandling (Submarine) and Submarine (Large Sub) to cover their operation, while large surface ships have only Shiphandling (Ship)? In addition to their respective Crewman skills, of course. It seems odd that a 30kt sub would need a helmsman with a specific skill but a 10kt surface ship does not.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by cosmicfish

I brought this up in another thread, but maybe it should have been here:

Why is that large submarines have both Shiphandling (Submarine) and Submarine (Large Sub) to cover their operation, while large surface ships have only Shiphandling (Ship)? In addition to their respective Crewman skills, of course. It seems odd that a 30kt sub would need a helmsman with a specific skill but a 10kt surface ship does not.

...As discussed in those other threads, that's not how the rules work. A large sub can be helmed either using Submarine, or using Submariner under command of someone with Shiphandling (Submarine).

[Dewey]

I was in a shirt-lived campaign about a group of people who were dropped on a supposedly uninhabited worldline as part of a survivor-type of reality show. My character was a fictional descendant of Thor Heyerdahl, and he had Boating(Unpowered). They ended up building a log raft and sailing across a small sea at one point, so it definitely came in handy.

[cosmicfish]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

...As discussed in those other threads, that's not how the rules work. A large sub can be helmed either using Submarine, or using Submariner under command of someone with Shiphandling (Submarine).

But that doesn't answer my question, it just observes the same inconsistency - if I replace "sub" with "ship" in your above statement, you see the problem:

A large ship can be helmed either using ??? , or using Seamanship under command of someone with Shiphandling (Ship)

Nor was it answered in the other thread - indeed, you yourself there asked essentially the same question:

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

The real question, I think, is why there is isn't a complete operation skill for surface ships.

And to the best of my knowledge, that hasn't been answered yet.

[Mailanka]

Originally Posted by cosmicfish

But that doesn't answer my question, it just observes the same inconsistency - if I replace "sub" with "ship" in your above statement, you see the problem:

A large ship can be helmed either using ??? , or using Seamanship under command of someone with Shiphandling (Ship)

Nor was it answered in the other thread - indeed, you yourself there asked essentially the same question:


And to the best of my knowledge, that hasn't been answered yet.

Spaceships are the same. "They can be piloted with Pilot (High Performance Spacecraft) or Spacer under the command of someone with Shiphandling (Spaceship)."

I don't know what sea vessels have.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by cosmicfish

But that doesn't answer my question,

I wasn't trying to answer your question, I was pointing out a misstatement about the rules.

Originally Posted by cosmicfish

And to the best of my knowledge, that hasn't been answered yet.

Yeah, if I could answer that question, I wouldn't have asked it myself.

Originally Posted by Mailanka

I don't know what sea vessels have.

Seems to be nothing.

Arguably, for large sailing ships, such a skill couldn't exist, because maneuvering the ship actually requires the coordinated effort of several crewmen. A single 'pilot' simply can't do it. But that's not true for large, modern powered vessels. The closest printed skill I can find is Boating (Large Powerboat), but it seems to be intended for much smaller craft.

I'd probably either use Large Powerboat, or create a new Boating specialty for the job.

[cosmicfish]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

I don't know what sea vessels have.

Nothing. It is an odd hole in the rules, and I have been trying to figure out how to fill it. Spaceships, submarines, aircraft, ground vehicles, everything else has an individual operation skill, but there is something about surface vessels that makes them an exception.

[cosmicfish]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

I wasn't trying to answer your question, I was pointing out a misstatement about the rules.

I summarized, but I do not believe I misstated anything. I listed the skills, I did not go into their relative roles.

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

The closest printed skill I can find is Boating (Large Powerboat), but it seems to be intended for much smaller craft.

Boating explicitly excludes larger craft - "For large vessels that require multiple crewmen on a "bridge", use Seamanship (see Crewman, p. 185) and Shiphandling (p. 220)."

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

I'd probably either use Large Powerboat, or create a new Boating specialty for the job.

I think a new specialty would be the right way to go.