Spellcasting while underwater? No water breathing...

[azhrei_fje]

Is there a RAW on this? I can't find anywhere that the rules say you can, or cannot, cast spells underwater. But I would think that without a water breathing in effect, any attempt to cast while underwater would, at the very least, have a Concentration check. Maybe using the "distracting spell effect" type of check, although there isn't necessarily a spell involved...

For background: multiple spellcasters caught under15 feet of water unexpectedly (on their part, anyway!). No water breathing or freedom of movement effects on any of them.

Any ideas?

 

[Infiniti2000]

all IMO

There are no rules on restricting casting. Whether you want to implement one is up to you.

I can see the desire, but I don't think it's really necessary. It's largely flavor, however, so be careful. For instance, isn't the fact that you're speaking that's important or how the words come out? If it's how they come out, who/what listens to it and then does background noise affect your casting?

I jumped in a pool and I found little difficulty talking under water. It certainly reduced the time I could hold my breath, however, but that would be a different modification of the rules. Now, try talking during a VERY loud noise. That's much harder than underwater. The loud noise effectively makes you deaf, but there are no rules that it does, and being deaf does carries a penalty per the rules.

So, if you decide to implement a failure chance, I'd suggest considering something like 10%, or maybe 5% (roll a 1 on d20). It's certainly not as bad as being totally deaf.

 

[heirodule]

I decided to allow one spell to be cast underwater at no penalty, but then you have exhausted your breath and begin drowning.

 

[jeffman]

Making up the rules as you go

My opinion is that it is not distracting (assuming stall or gently flowing water).

I would reduce the amount of time you could hold your breathe, though. I also reduce the amount of time you can hold your breathe if you try speaking.

The amount you reduce it by heavily depends on you. I could see a die roll (example: you lose 1d4+1 rounds of breathe) or a straight number (4 rounds).

Those numbers I gave is what I would implement off the top of my head. Reducing the amount you can hold your breathe by about 25% seems to make sense to me.

I definitely wouldn't say you start drowning the next round; I could probably say the ABCs while underwater before having to come up for air.

 

[Vorput]

I jumped in a pool and I found little difficulty talking under water. It certainly reduced the time I could hold my breath, however, but that would be a different modification of the rules.

...Please tell me this was something you've done in the past, and not simply as a way of preparation before answering this question?

Cause umm... otherwise we need to give you some sort of 'devotion to ENworld' award... and possibly get you psychiatric health

Vorp

 

[frankthedm]

...Please tell me this was something you've done in the past, and not simply as a way of preparation before answering this question?

Cause umm... otherwise we need to give you some sort of 'devotion to ENworld' award... and possibly get you psychiatric health

He lives in florida. Doing that to answer the question sounds like an excuse to cool off in this heat.

As far as using up a held breath, 6 rounds worth breath sounds about right. Fairer than auto drown.

 

[Jack Simth]

As far as I'm aware, it's not addressed in the core rules meaningfully (might be something in Stormwrack or some such), although....

Verbal (V): A verbal component is a spoken incantation. To provide a verbal component, you must be able to speak in a strong voice. A silence spell or a gag spoils the incantation (and thus the spell). A spellcaster who has been deafened has a 20% chance to spoil any spell with a verbal component that he or she tries to cast.

(emphasis added)

If you can speak in a strong voice underwater with no difficulty, then casting underwater shouldn't, in and of itself, pose much of a problem (other than the loss of held breath - which is actually less meaningful than most people think; most the oxygen in your system at any given moment is in your blood, not your lungs - having air in your lungs generally only lets you hold your breath a short while longer). Otherwise, it should.

 

[Storyteller01]

There's also the problem with somatic components. If they're as exact as some books claim, the resistance of the water might throw off the spel. Not much, but it is a factor...

 

[Len]

...Please tell me this was something you've done in the past, and not simply as a way of preparation before answering this question?

Hey I2K, is there a penalty to spellcasting if one of your arms is cut off?

 

[Stalker0]

The way we've always done it is if you can speak Aquaan your good underwater. Otherwise you cannot do it. While you can talk some underwater, speaking in a strong voice imo doesn't fly.