DnD Day: Pregen Character Ideas for Underwater Adventuring

[Methos of Aundair]

My FLGS has asked me to DM an adventure for DnD Day and the majority of the adventure (Legacy of the Green Regent: Tyranny) I will be running is underwater. I will be creating some pregen 6th level characters but am uncertain of how best to create them so that they are still effective for underwater adventuring. Obviously I don’t want to create a bow-based archer but don’t wish to create the character entirely for underwater adventuring (such as a fighter specialized in the trident or net). Remember this is a one-shot adventure so I want to keep the characters effective but still challenging due to the toughness of underwater adventuring. Thanks for any ideas.

Just to note some of the creatures they will be fighting underwater is advanced 4HD skum and an advanced 10 HD aboleth. Also note the sunken and flooded temple is dedicated to Bane (yes, it’s a FR adventure) so FR feats are allowed.

Any ideas would be of great help. I just received the adventure last night and I need to polish up on underwater combat rules as well as become familiar with the adventure. I’m afraid I won’t have enough time to fully think out some good and effective (yet challenged) characters.

NOTE: All attacks with slashing or bludgeoning weapons are at -2 to hit and only deal half damage. Movement underwater is halved. Vision is halved as well due to heavy silt in the water.

 

[Pinotage]

Since I run an underwater campaign, I thought I'd jump in. I think it's best to list all the things that help characters underwater, and for you to find a balance between how much you want to include. I'm not sure how long they'll be underwater.

1) Piercing weapons are obviously your friend. There are lots of those that aren't particularly 'aquatic'.

2) Give the characters decent constitution scores. There's nothing more annoying than something dispelling your Water Breathing, and you need to hold your breath to escape.

3) Shields obviously don't work, so you might want to consider two-weapon fighters, or animated shields.

4) Allow the characters to have goggles to aid with the visibility. Also make sure they have light spells or darkvision if they go deep.

5) Make sure the characters have decent Swim scores. There's nothing more annoying than having to not act because you failed a DC 15 swim check in the water. Possibly include rings of swimming.

6) A cleric with the Travel domain. That Freedom of Movement can be really useful. Water domain is also useful.

7) A bottle of air for emergencies. Helps get out of tight spots.

8) Druids that can wildshape is also an idea.

9) Consider that characters with heavy armor or heavy loads are going to be rubbish at swimming. High dexterity fighters are better.

That'll get you started. How many players is this for?

Pinotage

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Rings of Free Action (or whatever they're called in D&D these days... )?

 

[Methos of Aundair]

The FLGS is planning on four players per DM but that could easily change. The entire underwater adventure part will take place in a sunken and flooded temple of Bane with no water movement. The adventure itself merely states that so long as characters have at least 16 lbs. of equipment on them (for a medium size creature, 8 for small) that the pc will be able to walk on the bottom without too much difficulty.

Yeah, piercing weapons are the best kind for underwater combat but I hated to make it obvious I was purposely designing the characters specifically for this adventure. I was thinking about making the fighter type a sword and board with a spear as backup.

Since it is supposed to be only 4 players I was going the route of Cleric, Fighter, Rogue, and Wizard. And just in case creating a few other characters if it turns out to be more. A Druid would definitely be an extra.

Thanks for the help.

@Pinotage: How do you like running an underwater campaign? I have always thought of doing it but many of the players I have talked to stated they either didn't want to or didn't feel most players would enjoy that type of game. I started designing an underwater campaign a couple years ago but dropped it due to player lack of interest. Who knows, if the players on DnD Day enjoy this tidbit of underwater adventuring I might just have to resurrect that campaign.

 

[Chun-tzu]

Obviously I don’t want to create a bow-based archer but don’t wish to create the character entirely for underwater adventuring (such as a fighter specialized in the trident or net).

Sidetrack: There's an aquatic longbow (used by aquatic elves, of course) in Races of Faerun.

 

[Methos of Aundair]

Originally posted by Patryn of Elvenshae

Rings of Free Action (or whatever they're called in D&D these days... )?

Unfortunately the Ring of Freedom of Movement costs 40k and a 6th level character only has 13k. Thanks anyway.

 

[Murazor]

On a related issue, am I reading the table on Underwater Combat Adjustment (DMG, pg92) correctly as meaning that even creatures with the Aquatic subtype take these penalties?
For example, do aquatic creatures like a shark or a giant squid also take the -2 penalty on their attacks (shark bite deals slashing, piercing and bludgeoning damage, and a squid's tentacle deals bludgeoning damage) and only deal half damage?

Having to apply these penalties on aquatic creatures seems a bit strange to me.

 

[Pinotage]

On a related issue, am I reading the table on Underwater Combat Adjustment (DMG, pg92) correctly as meaning that even creatures with the Aquatic subtype take these penalties?
For example, do aquatic creatures like a shark or a giant squid also take the -2 penalty on their attacks (shark bite deals slashing, piercing and bludgeoning damage, and a squid's tentacle deals bludgeoning damage) and only deal half damage?

Having to apply these penalties on aquatic creatures seems a bit strange to me.

I house ruled that this wasn't the case. The table was grabbed directly from an earlier Dragon Magazine, I believe, and doesn't make much sense. An aquatic creature with natural attacks should get the full benefit of said attacks with no penalties. Since the table also refers to 'tail' but doesn't clarify what is means, once could assume that it only applies to sweeping attacks for natural creatures.

Pinotage

 

[Pinotage]

The entire underwater adventure part will take place in a sunken and flooded temple of Bane with no water movement.

Yeah, piercing weapons are the best kind for underwater combat but I hated to make it obvious I was purposely designing the characters specifically for this adventure.

Since it is supposed to be only 4 players I was going the route of Cleric, Fighter, Rogue, and Wizard. And just in case creating a few other characters if it turns out to be more. A Druid would definitely be an extra.

Thanks for the help.

Seems like most of the issues are covered, like swimming checks not being an issue. Looks like they crafted the scenario to be as land-like as possible. A few replies to your post:

1) Short sword is a piercing weapon. Designing a two-weapon fighter or rogue with two short swords is a good character to have on land and in water. Doesn't look contrived either. Same with a rapier wielding rogue. Piercing weapon and very common on land with Weapon Finesse. Heck, you could even go for Ranseur or Halberd

2) My choice for four characters would be Cleric with Travel Domain. Medium armor with a backup piercing weapon. Wizard with good, useful spells for underwater (like Fly for instance doesn't work underwater. Haste is a good option since it attacks are ineffective one more can compensate). Be prepared to handle how the Wizard talks underwater and uses spell components. Perhaps he can speak Aquan. Communication underwater will be a big issue at this level. Rogue with Rapier. Two-weapon fighter with short swords. Or heavy armor disarm/trip fighter with ranseur. Backups, as you say, with druid for wildshape and perhaps another utility spellcaster. Monks will be pretty useless, as will bards. I think you can easily design a party that looks good on land, but is useful underwater as well. No harm in that.

3) Combat underwater is 3D is characters are swimming. Much more manueverability.

@Pinotage: How do you like running an underwater campaign?

I started my underwater campaing at 10th level, so it makes it a lot easier. Freedom of Movement is available, Plate armor of the Deep affordable, Pearls of the Sirenes commonplace etc. For me the idea was to take the adventure underwater, but not have all the restrictions. Some, but not all. I wanted a different environment with a different flavour rather than a rule restricting area that doesn't allow characters to do what they're good at.

It's also a good mix of land-based adventuring and water-based adventuring, so not all time is spent underwater. Water Breathing only lasts so long. The characters are currently busy with their first real long underwater exploration of a underwater temple, although they don't know that. They're currently engaging in combat the Sahuagin Animal Handler who trains sharks and other creatures for use by the Sahuagin.

While, for instance, the wizard and cleric can nullify all the restrictions of underwater movement, it's better to help them out if you can, otherwise it severely depletes all their resources. Having to cast Endure Elements 6 times, Darkvision 6 times, Freedom of Movement 6 times etc. can be a hassle.

Overall, I generally like it. Describing underwater environments is fun (I'm a SCUBA diver) and the 3D combat offers a lot of options in terms of movement and flexibility. You also get to use all those aquatic critters in their actual environment, rather than having them wander on land to raid settlements. It helps that I liked the old 1e adventure series U1-U3

Pinotage

 

[Methos of Aundair]

The underwater campaign I was designing a couple of years ago was going to use aquatic creatures as player races. I was using the races out of Legend & Lairs Seafarer's Handbook and some of the optional rules found there. I've always wanted to run or play an in aquatic world.

One question, though I understand why in real life shields would be useless underwater I could not find any DnD rule that states they are ineffective. Did I just miss it? I don't see how allowing/disallowing shields would changed the adventure too much but I still haven't decided to rule them out.

Originally posted by Pinotage

Seems like most of the issues are covered, like swimming checks not being an issue. Looks like they crafted the scenario to be as land-like as possible.

Yeah, they almost made it too much land-like. Then again, it's an RPGA adventure and meant to be finished in 4-6 hours (I believe). The adventure is designed specifically for the FR RPGA (which I didn't even know there was one ).

Thanks for all the help and advice, I'm really looking forward to seeing how this adventure goes.