D&D 5E Water Walk on the Elemental Plane of Water

[aco175]

I would argue that the elemental plane has no 'up' and therefore the spell would be wasted. But, I would likely go with the idea of it pulling you to an air pocket. Then the question is if the air pockets go anywhere since there is no up.

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

Traditionally, yes, but not as of 5e. Here's how the Plane of Water is described in the DMG:



So the Plane of Water is as much the surface of a sea (with a sky above) as it is the watery depths beneath the surface.

I did use the word "traditionally" for a reason... Not particularly a fan of giving the Plane of Water a surface, myself, as it implicitly also requires the Plane of Water having an infinite sky, blurring the line between it and the Plane of Air and defeating the purpose of having distinct elemental planes in the first place, but they'll do with the 5e cosmology what they're going to do...

It's still, presumably, a sea of infinite depth, though, so there's still no guarantee you'd be able to reach the surface within the timeframe of a Water Walk spell.

 

[Hexmage-EN]

I did use the word "traditionally" for a reason... Not particularly a fan of giving the Plane of Water a surface, myself, as it implicitly also requires the Plane of Water having an infinite sky, blurring the line between it and the Plane of Air and defeating the purpose of having distinct elemental planes in the first place, but they'll do with the 5e cosmology what they're going to do...

Here's an idea: what if the surface described is just the interior of one of many absolutely massive bubbles?

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

Here's an idea: what if the surface described is just the interior of one of many absolutely massive bubbles?

Now THAT I can get behind...

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Here is the map of the 5e Elemental Planes.

It's stated that mapped area here is the closest to the Material Plane and most like it.

Here is the relevant info.

At their innermost edges, where they are closest to the Material Plane (in a conceptual if not a literal geographical sense), the four Elemental Planes resemble places in the Material Plane. The four elements mingle together as they do in the Material Plane, forming land, sea, and sky. But the dominant element exerts a strong influence on the environment, reflecting its fundamental qualities.

The inhabitants of this inner ring include aarakocra, azers, dragon turtles, gargoyles, genies, mephits, salamanders, and xorn. Some originated on the Material Plane, and all can travel to the Material Plane (if they have access to the magic required) and survive there.

As they extend farther from the Material Plane, the Elemental Planes become increasingly alien and hostile. Here, in the outermost regions, the elements exist in their purest form: great expanses of solid earth, blazing fire, crystal-clear water, and unsullied air. Any foreign substance is extremely rare; little air can be found in the outermost reaches of the Plane of Earth, and earth is all but impossible to find in the outermost reaches of the Plane of Fire. These areas are much less hospitable to travelers from the Material Plane than the border regions are. Such regions are little known, so when discussing the Plane of Fire, for example, a speaker usually means the border region.

The outermost regions are largely the domains of elemental spirits barely recognizable as creatures. The creatures usually called elementals dwell here, including the Elemental Princes of Evil (primordial beings of pure elemental fury) and elemental spirits that spellcasters can bind into galeb duhrs, golems, invisible stalkers, magmin, and water weirds. These elemental creatures don’t need food or other sustenance on their home planes, because they are sustained by the elemental energies that saturate those planes.

This in turn makes the Elemental Planes much more interesting to adventure in because the border regions exist. Once you go past the borders of this map that's when you get to the areas that are just pure that element.

 

[Alzrius]

If you don't mind referencing a third-party spell, I'd say treat it like casting air walk on the Plane of Air.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Here's an idea: what if the surface described is just the interior of one of many absolutely massive bubbles?

This is a cool idea. And besides bubbles, what if its centre, it is extremely hot - up to extreme temperatures and the further to away from the centre, the colder it gets so there's caverns of ice. In between are the bubbles that are created as the centre water turns to gas and slowly floats outwards towards the edges... So you can have tropical or arctic biomes floating within the water.

 

[Raduin711]

This is a cool idea. And besides bubbles, what if its centre, it is extremely hot - up to extreme temperatures and the further to away from the centre, the colder it gets so there's caverns of ice. In between are the bubbles that are created as the centre water turns to gas and slowly floats outwards towards the edges... So you can have tropical or arctic biomes floating within the water.

So if you look up from the Isle of dread, rather than sky you would see a big dome of ice overhead?

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Well, maybe. Depends where in the plane the biome of the isle of dread is floating

 

[Eltab]

So if you look up from the Isle of dread, rather than sky you would see a big dome of ice overhead?

Depends on how big the bubble is. You might see a visual haze that fuzzes into the distance.

I think of the Elemental Plane of Air like Larry Niven's Smoke Ring novels, and the Plane of Water similar but all wet all over instead.