D&D 5E Casting spells with a Verbal component underwater

[iserith]

I keep it simple. If you can breathe underwater, you can cast spells with Verbal components underwater. If you can't breathe underwater, then you can't cast spells with Verbal components underwater. Prepare yourselves accordingly.

 

[toucanbuzz]

I ran into this issue past session. I made a call then looked it up. My holding was the same as the Jeremy Crawford tweet answering how to adjudicate, based on the rules as a whole:

You can cast underwater, but if you're casting, you're not holding your breath (the per minute rules). You're now in the per seconds rules (Con modifier) where you have no air in your lungs.

I'd also rule that you can't cast once you're in the "no air in your lungs" part, though in my scenario (spoiler for anyone who plans on playing Tamoachan):

Spoiler

The party was surprised. They met a nereid who tricked them into thinking they could only get through a door by answering her riddle, which I made super simple (the classic "river" riddle, runs but cannot walk...) She then parted the waters of her pool to let them by (making a path to the wall they could climb to the door, hiding the actual path along the wall). Once they were in the waters, she sent them crashing down. I had everyone make a d20 roll against my d20 roll to see if they managed to take a breath. Everyone failed (I rolled a 17) and a water creature attacked. My casters wanted to cast, and I generously ruled they had just enough air to get out one spell (in effect, I added 1 round to the Con modifier rule).

EDIT (Summary): If you held your breath (air in), you can get 1 verbal spell out. After that, you're out of air (air out), likely close to drowning, and can't cast anymore.

 

[Oofta]

For those who state that you can't talk under water (or that you immediately start to drown) I'd suggest viewing this video.

 

[GMMichael]

Was your magic tutor a fish? No? Then you can't cast spells underwater. The real issue here is the disenfranchisement of the sahuagin. There's a reason they prefer lightning spells, and don't come out of the water much. Just look at this sad face.

 

[toucanbuzz]

For those who state that you can't talk under water (or that you immediately start to drown) I'd suggest viewing this video.

You know, there's a hobby for everyone, including practicing speaking underwater...

 

[Oofta]

You know, there's a hobby for everyone, including practicing speaking underwater...

It may be an odd hobby, but I remember doing it now and then in the swimming pool when I was a kid. Did I ever mention that I grew up in a really, really boring small town?

My point is that it's possible and not really all that difficult if a 4 year old can do it. When the rules are silent I fall back on "is it physically practical", in this case the answer is yes.

 

[DemonSlayer]

Should you be able to cast spells with a Verbal component underwater? On first thought, I don't think so. The PHB specifically says that you can't cast Verbal spells if you're gagged, so it would make sense that you couldn't cast Verbal spells underwater either.

On the other hand, Jeremy Crawford says that you can cast Verbal spells underwater as long as you can breathe underwater. And I guess that makes sense, but it raises other questions as well (Can characters that can breathe underwater speak normally underwater as well?).

Personally, I think it would be a cool restriction for players to work around in an underwater adventure if they couldn't cast Verbal spells. The only problem is that pretty much every spell in the game has a Verbal component. That's a pretty big restriction.

You can talk under water, but it's not very clear. With a bit of practice, this is easy to do. If you can breathe underwater, there should be no restriction. I allow my players to cast under water if they make a concentration check, but if they fail they lose the slot.

 

[Prakriti]

You can talk under water, but it's not very clear. With a bit of practice, this is easy to do.

True, but you can also talk through a gag, and the PHB explicitly says that a gag prohibits the use of Verbal spells. So by RAW, it's not a question of whether the character can speak or not, it's a question of whether their speech is hindered in any significant way. And being underwater would seem to meet that requirement.

 

[Shadowdweller]

And since the water distorts the sound, how does that affect magic use? Since per the Silence spell, it IS the sound aspect of speech that is necessary to cast spells.

tries to cast water breathing underwater but instead explodes

 

[Maxperson]

Should you be able to cast spells with a Verbal component underwater? On first thought, I don't think so. The PHB specifically says that you can't cast Verbal spells if you're gagged, so it would make sense that you couldn't cast Verbal spells underwater either.

On the other hand, Jeremy Crawford says that you can cast Verbal spells underwater as long as you can breathe underwater. And I guess that makes sense, but it raises other questions as well (Can characters that can breathe underwater speak normally underwater as well?).

Personally, I think it would be a cool restriction for players to work around in an underwater adventure if they couldn't cast Verbal spells. The only problem is that pretty much every spell in the game has a Verbal component. That's a pretty big restriction.

That's how I've run it since 1e, which is why I answered that it depends.