Does Water Breathing allow spell casting?

[Jeremy]

Not enough for humans to speak granted. But still, it vibrates them.

Maybe this is how merfolk talk? They have more powerful diaphrams that are able to move a material 7 times more viscous than air (that being water of course) through their vocal chords at a rate high enough to produce sound?

I'd venture a wager that the magic of water breathing reproduces this effect as well sound since there isn't a 4th level spell called water speaking.

I might lose that wager, but it wouldn't be a wager if you couldn't lose.

 

[kreynolds]

Not enough for humans to speak granted.

Exactly.

But still, it vibrates them.

And? That was never my argument.

Maybe this is how merfolk talk? They have more powerful diaphrams that are able to move a material 7 times more viscous than air (that being water of course) through their vocal chords at a rate high enough to produce sound?

Quite possible. Makes sense too. After all, they evolved in water, we didn't.

I'd venture a wager that the magic of water breathing reproduces this effect as well sound since there isn't a 4th level spell called water speaking.

Maybe. But it doesn't matter how the spell does it, simply that it does. You and IceBear have convinced me that Water Breathing should allow you to speak, simply because there isn't another spell that does so.

By the way, I'm remembering a spell that basically surrounded you with a giant bubble of air. Anybody remember that spell?

 

[Uller]

Again, how can you cast spells underwater in 3E with the existing rules?

IceBear

Has anyone answered you yet? I don't think they have.

Perhaps Alterself would allow you to take on a form that can speak underwater?

As I look at the rules, I don't believe you can cast spells if your mechanism for speaking relies upon air. That is unless you interpret "speak with a strong voice" to not mean that your voice must be discernable. I can speak with a strong voice while gagged(puts hand over mouth and tries to say "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers)...but it is all muffled and the rules clearly state that that would disrupt the spell. Trying to speak underwater has roughly the same effect. The waterbreathing spell doesn't mention that it changes this. So...I don't see how waterbreathing would allow you to cast spells.

I must add that if I were running an underwater game, waterbreathing definately would allow spellcasting underwater. Why? Because I don't like(and nor do my players) to have to concern myself with this sort of minutae. Speaking underwater is clearly a problem that, in a D&D world, should be solvable with simple magic and Waterbreathing is the closest thing to it...Other than that, I'd stick with the "official" rules for underwater combat.

 

[IceBear]

Yup, I agree with you. Perhaps in 3E, there are "underwater" versions of the normal spells where the verbal components are equivalent to the sounds you would make if speaking with water in your mouth (I think there's a precedent for "differing" versions of spells in another supplement - maybe MotP?)

IceBear

 

[Xarlen]

Disclaimer: The following statements may contain sarcasm. However, there are smilies. Thus, you may take no legal or emotional recourse.

To the naked party members, I play online, so sadly, it doesn't work. Though, for the record, I do have a chick in the party! Only she's married.

As to speaking while putting your mouth on an airjet, I don't think that's an appropriate reference; the jet is shoving water down your throat.

About Waterbreathing not allowing you to cast spells, huh? If Water Breathing is supposed to be much better then Alter self, then Why can you just use Alter Self to alter your voicebox to mimic those of aquatic races so you can speak and breath, while all Water Breathing does is give you 2 hours that you can do to toher people, for a spell level higher.

And, I must ask again the question before: If Waterbreathing doesn't do the job, then what does? What allows casters to cast spells under water? 'WaterTongue'? (There is no spell called Watertongue. It is merely a suggestion. No tongues or water were harmed in the naming of this faux-spell).

Gee, I guess Tongues doesn't work underwater either. So there'll be no talking to those underwater races either.

SPEAKING (hey, a pun!) of the underwater races, how come they can speak on land And under water? If their voice boxes work with vibrations from water, then how can it work the same way with air?

Edit: There. Safe for viewing pleasure.

 

[Jeremy]

Hmmm.. Y'know at the end of the adamantine post where it says all long debates end with people not being able to agree?

I guess this is why. You agree with some points made, formulate your own new opinion, and then find a post like that at the bottom.

That's not very fun. <kicks Xarlen> Bad Xarlen. No biscuit. No using sarcasm with smiley faces to lighten the attack or at least some tags or something.

Especially when the guy agrees with you. Unless all that was directed at Uller or Henrix, in which case, bad bad Xarlen. They didn't deserve that.

Now go find hong and ask him for better ambush techniques.

Just kidding Xarlen. Little harsh though, careful you don't ruffle feathers.

Edit: Ah ha! It is fixed! Good Xarlen! Very good. ph34r teh (not the, teh) p0W33r of sm1l13z...

 

[hong]

To the naked party members, I play online, so sadly, it doesn't work. Though, for the record, I do have a chick in the party! Only she's married.

Has anyone else noticed that "the Naked Party Members" would be a great name for a rock band?

Also, I am playing with my naked party member RIGHT NOW, if you know what I mean, and I think you do.

As to speaking while putting your mouth on an airjet, I don't think that's an appropriate reference; the jet is shoving water down your throat.

The jet is shoving water down my throat RIGHT NOW, if you know what I mean, and I think you do.

And, I must ask again the question before: If Waterbreathing doesn't do the job, then what does? What allows casters to cast spells under water? 'WaterTongue'?

Gee, I guess Tongues doesn't work underwater either. So there'll be no talking to those underwater races either.

I am working my tongue RIGHT NOW, ect.


Hong "hey, I have a reputation to maintain" Ooi

 

[Magic Rub]

K.R. you've taken allot of flack.

You're completely correct, & I don't understand why you've taken the heat that you have. The spell says (though not word for word because I don't have the book in front of me) breath water in place of air. Meaning your mouth, lungs & everything in between is full of water.

How it's done? Well that's the magic part of it.

Can you speak? NO! NILL! NADA! NIX! NOT A WORD!!!!!

If you want to be able to cast spells under water why not use a spell like Fredome, or Freedom of Movement. Or a ring/item that allows the same as the afore noted spells. If that's too much, then you should be given an item that allows "Water speak". If your DM wasn't nice enough to do such a thing, then it wasn't meant to be, or you'll have to find one before you jump into the pond. It's one of those little draw backs to playing under water. Do the prep or pay the piper. You don't think a melee PC would just go walking in to the next lake to kill a sea monster without having a system in place that allows him/her to use the proper weapons freely. Then why shouldn't a spell caster have to prep for his/her weapon... (spells)

 

[Jeremy]

On second thought, don't find hong. He's weird.

 

[Magic Rub]

Has anyone else noticed that "the Naked Party Members" would be a great name for a rock band?
Also, I am playing with my naked party member RIGHT NOW, if you know what I mean, and I think you do.
The jet is shoving water down my throat RIGHT NOW, if you know what I mean, and I think you do.
I am working my tongue RIGHT NOW, ect.
Hong "hey, I have a reputation to maintain" Ooi

uh huh?