D&D 5E Risk of Suffocating

[Plaguescarred]

The Rug of Smothering has the ability to smother targets, who become at risk of suffocating. What do you think it means rule-wise? They can't breath and must hold their breath? They run out of breath and will suffocate at the start of their next turn? If i compare it to the Whelm's attack of a Water Elemental, it actually mention it's unable to breath and therefore must hold it's breath but the Rug of Smothering is not that clear.


Smother: Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, blinded, and at risk of suffocating, and the rug can't smother another target.

Whelm: Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and unable to breathe unless it can breathe water.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

I take smother to mean the character is holding their breath, and as a result will run out of breath and suffocate if they don't get out of the grapple soon enough.

 

[Dualazi]

I would rule it as them being in the final stages of suffocating (out of breath) so it has CON = rounds to free itself or drop to zero. While it's obviously not the only interpretation, it's the only one that makes sense to me, since every character can hold their breath for a minimum of 30 seconds, to a hypothetical cap of 6 minutes. With how fast 5e combats go, 5 rounds as a best cast scenario for team monster isn't even remotely threatening, and given how many people like to have good CON scores, it's much more often going to be in the neighborhood of 20 rounds to choke them if you default to the characters holding their breath.

 

[Plaguescarred]

The monster's attack is nastier if instantly putting out of breath (since you can normally hold your breath for much longer than any fight usually last) so i like it better and think i will use it this way.

Thanks guys

 

[Rhenny]

The monster's attack is nastier if instantly putting out of breath (since you can normally hold your breath for much longer than any fight usually last) so i like it better and think i will use it this way.

Thanks guys

That's for sure. I have basically ruled that creatures will not be able to hold their breath when they have to srtuggle or exert themselves. When in doubt, I give them a con save DC 13. I like the number 13 (superstitious). If they can't hold breath I jump to suffocate rules ( 1 round min con bonus rounds until reduced to 0 hp).

 

[Plaguescarred]

Me too my personal ruling is that under combat or other stressing situations a creature can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 1 + its Constitution modifier (minimum of1 round) before suffocating.

 

[Tormyr]

I allow the full time for holding breath if the creature was prepared for it. A creature going for a swim or Houdini ready for the rug of smothering as part of his escape act would qualify. When a creature takes a hit, makes an attack that would have disadvantage for the reasons listed in Underwater Combat, uses the Dash action, or does something a bit strenuous, I count off an additional round of air.

If the creature is not ready, I would probably start whelm and smother at the drowning phase but still probably use the full holding breath (or half if they are not ready, minimum 30 seconds) if they were pushed into a body of water. So I guess the distinction for me is whether this is part of an attack or someone falling in the water.