Underwater Adventuring

Moving posts on Underwater Adventuring, the "Bends", nitrogen narcosis, sea life, etc., to this thread... From this one... http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=65404

But is MEG's DEEP a book I can use?

Frankly, I pretty much LOATHE the typical underwater adventuring books... They don't deal with nitrogen narcosis, the bends, the fact that no core 3.xe spell deals with the pressure differential, etc., etc., ad nauseum... Is this book "just another of the same", or does it deal with the real obstacles, and provide ways around them (even if they're magical)?

MEG Hal said:

We have rules for almost everything including what your -'s are for fighting in the surf, so with most of the book being information and new rules, items, creatures etc...I believe we cover most of your needs, how each spell deals with being UW I do not think so but dealing with magics UW is covered as well as magical and non magical items to enhance play. It even has a great mini-adventure in the back to let you "jump right in".

Hope you are willing to give The Deep a chance.

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I'll be willing to look at it (if I see it), but not buy it sight unseen... I did download the preview. You might want to consider throwing in the Tables of Contents on such things, in the future... From the racial descriptions included, I could see that surfacing rates and depth pressures were dealt with (which implies bends). I couldn't tell too much else, though.

What I saw wasn't a turn-off, though... which is saying quite a bit, as my usual reaction to such products in loathing!

Steverooo said:

Frankly, I pretty much LOATHE the typical underwater adventuring books... They don't deal with nitrogen narcosis, the bends, the fact that no core 3.xe spell deals with the pressure differential, etc., etc., ad nauseum... Is this book "just another of the same", or does it deal with the real obstacles, and provide ways around them (even if they're magical)?

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FWIW--Doug was kidding about the hijack.

And the book will be at our warehouse Monday-we have guarantees, so expect a week to distributors and a week to the stores and blamo (right around 10/24) -find out for yourself, we hope it is what you are looking for, we tried to cover all the bases.

Aeolius said:

Granted, it's been 15 years since I went scuba diving (The Atlantic off of NC is cold and silty), but aren't those conditions, especially the bends, the result of breathing pressurized air from scuba tanks (the bends for coming up too quickly, nitrogen narcosis for descending too deeply)? Nitrogen narcosis might make for an interesting spell effect.

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Nope! Even pearl divers and well divers, who use no equipment, must deal with nitrogen narcosis ("rapture of the deep") and the bends.

Nitrogen narcosis is caused by descending below 30' too quickly (IIRC, one minute's time). I don't recall the exact mechanics.

The bends are caused by coming up more quickly than 10'/minute. As you go down, the pressure increases, and the oxygen, and especially the nitrogen, becomes smaller bubbles in the bloodstream... When you come back up, they increase in size, again. The larger bubbles them stick in various capillaries, expanding further as you come back up, and rupture them...

All divers suffer some of these, and most are relatively harmless. Ones occurring inside the brain, of course, can be lethal. This is why you stop every 10' or so, and "decompress" for a minute, before coming up further.

The problems aren't caused by SCUBA gear. They're caused by the chemistry and physics of AIR!

There IS NO getting around them! (Of course, you can always invent a new spell to do that, but D&D NEVER HAS!)

Steverooo said:

You might want to consider throwing in the Tables of Contents on such things, in the future...

What I saw wasn't a turn-off, though... which is saying quite a bit, as my usual reaction to such products in loathing!

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Yea let me bug Doug about that and see if we can get a pic of the ToC.

Mystic Eye said:

Actually Steveroo, there is a chapter that deals with this stuff and actually details rules for everything aboce youy mention plus lots more. Imagine, this is a 256 page book dedicated to undersea adventures and presents it in great detail. If you are looking for rules on the above you will not be let down.

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Thanks, Doug! Good to know! I'll definitely look for it!

It's about time somebody did it right! (Now what's the spell that let's me explore the Marianas Trench? Water Breathing, alone, sure aint it!)

Deleted double-post.

Aeolius said:

Out of curiosity, what other elements need be present, in an undersea supplement or adventure, to prevent an outbreak of your "loathing"?

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Basically, the material has to be taken seriously, without a lot of handwaving, and "Oh, this is a magical world, so that doesn't apply, here!"

Oh really? And why not? How did magic change the laws of physics, sans a spell?

I have no problems accepting that a magical spell or item can protect a PC from cold, pressure, nitrogen narcosis, and/or the bends. I am perfectly willing to accept that, say, Armor of the Deep can do all of that... But what happens when you don't have any (99+% of the time)?

If the game world functions differently from the real world, sans magic, then it DISALLOWS PCs to extrapolate from experience... I prefer a "harder" game, not one where everything is hand-waved away.

YMMV. Many people seem to find my point of view silly, in a fantasy game. I find theirs equally ridiculous. Sounds like Mystic Eye Games may finally have put out a book for people like me!