Rowing Rules in 3.5

[Forbiddenwar]

I started to post this on the simple thread and realized it wasn't simple:

I looked, but couldn't find any rules about rowing beside speed:
Is it a Str check? what's the DC? Isn't rowing improved by everyone rowing at the same time, so wouldn't it be improved by a Dex check?

Planning a game where players find a boat and row up an underground river and are attacked midway, so any info would help.

[Zeta Kai]

Just off the top of my head, I'd say that your rowing speed per round should be equal to your Strength score, rounded down to the nearest 5 feet. When rowing in tandem with others (up to four people), use the highest Strength score in the group. For higher number of people rowing in tandem, use the average of everyone's Strength scores.

If you want to rush, you can "charge" for one round every minute. During your charge round, you can multiply your Strength score by 1.5 for the purpose of determining your rowing speed. In group rowing, this must be done by everyone in the same round, or it has no effect. The water's current is applied to your rowing speed as a modifier.

How's that?

[Sliver]

Just off the top of my head, I'd say that your rowing speed per round should be equal to your Strength score, rounded down to the nearest 5 feet. When rowing in tandem with others (up to four people), use the highest Strength score in the group. For higher number of people rowing in tandem, use the average of everyone's Strength scores.

If you want to rush, you can "charge" for one round every minute. During your charge round, you can multiply your Strength score by 1.5 for the purpose of determining your rowing speed. In group rowing, this must be done by everyone in the same round, or it has no effect. The water's current is applied to your rowing speed as a modifier.

How's that?

Wouldn't rowing stronger then everyone else be worse overall?
Is 10 feet the normal speed a normal human crew of rowing commoners?
Maybe a Strength check+aid Dex check with a +/- 2 on success or failure..

[Kroy]

Maybe you could add everyone's strength and divide by 2 round down to the nearest 5. So a party of 22, 14, 10, and 8 (typical party) has a row speed of 25 feet a round. A group of 6 buff people (30, 27, 25, 24, 24, 20) has a row speed of 75 feet per round. On second thought, maybe this doesn't work...

[RTGoodman]

Or, you know, you could just assume everyone rows correctly and the listed speed for the boat/ship is how fast it goes with a complete contingent of rowers. You don't have to make a check to see if you walk correctly, after all, right?

[Kroy]

Or, you know, you could just assume everyone rows correctly and the listed speed for the boat/ship is how fast it goes with a complete contingent of rowers. You don't have to make a check to see if you walk correctly, after all, right?

Too convenient. *Looks both ways* *Jumps out second story window* *Gets migraine & goes home*

[AslanCross]

In RHOD, the rafts are paddled 20 ft by one character as a full round action. 2-3 characters can bring it 30 feet, 4 characters 40 feet. You could use this as a baseline.