Drowning and "strenuous activity"

[calebhand]

So, tonight in our game, we were in an underwater situation. The rules seem to say that you can hold your breathe for 3 min without checks. Then if you have a "strenuous activity" or take damage, you need to make an endurance check DC 20. I found this interesting since in our situation, we were able to swim, get into combat, etc. without checks, but when I picked a lock, THAT was a strenuous activity. I tried looking in the rules about what this exactly is, but couldn't find it anywhere. We basically determined that it was DM's decision what is "strenuous." Personally, I find swimming and swinging a sword more strenuous than lock picking, but I wish there was a rule about this. I mean, are all skill checks "stenuous" then? Thoughts?

Caleb

 

[Patlin]

Since the only particularly clear example of a strenuous situation on page 159 of the DMG is not only combat, but taking damage in combat, I'd say the bar has to be fairly high, and picking a lock wouldn't do it. Any insight as to why your DM concluded otherwise?

 

[Stalker0]

I would go with a basic common sense approach, any activity you would think that would cause you to start breathing heavily would count.

Can I pick a lock without getting tired afterwards? Yeah probably.

Can I engage in a big combat swinging a sword around, probably not.

 

[Stumblewyk]

I would go with a basic common sense approach, any activity you would think that would cause you to start breathing heavily would count.

Can I pick a lock without getting tired afterwards? Yeah probably.

Can I engage in a big combat swinging a sword around, probably not.

This. 100% this.

 

[P1NBACK]

I would go with a basic common sense approach, any activity you would think that would cause you to start breathing heavily would count.

Can I pick a lock without getting tired afterwards? Yeah probably.

Can I engage in a big combat swinging a sword around, probably not.

/thread

I can't give XP to Stalker0 again. Or, I would.

 

[Markn]

/thread

I can't give XP to Stalker0 again. Or, I would.

Got you coverd!

 

[P1NBACK]

Got you coverd!

Thanks, bud!

 

[Stumblewyk]

/thread

I can't give XP to Stalker0 again. Or, I would.

Contributing my part as well. Should have done it earlier.

 

[Arlough]

The other justification could be that this particular lock, while not more difficult on the DC side, took longer to pick (out of combat) and the 3 minutes had passed.

Flavor could be that moss had built up on the lock, making it harder to see or feel. The metal was pitted, and no longer slid properly, but the mechanism was still simple enough. Or even there was a hermit crab in the lock that you had to coax out lest it jam the tumblers.

Of course, in that scenario, everyone should have had to roll an Endurance check.

 

[Markn]

I think the real question here is this: Is sex considered strenuous activity?

What?