D&D 5E Suffocating

[Jediking]

I'd treat it like someone trying to choke or suffocate someone as a baseline:

-If it's something like holding your breath under water or not breathing in toxins, aka Passive stuff, use minutes. Endurance and race-to-the-finish.

-If something or someone is trying to choke you by cutting off your oxygen or thrashing you about, aka Active stuff, use rounds. Exciting and ohshithegotmythroat.

 

[feartheminotaur]

Otherwise, what is the point of mentioning it in the monsters' statblocks?

So the DM can create an encounter that allows the chance of suffocation to be a possibility? I mean, if the water weird is just dunking someone in its little pool while the party stabs at it, what's the point of it even trying? Even if it was rounds not minutes it'd be pointless. Now, if it was dragging the PC into the pool and forcing the party to follow and fight on the weird's turns...then the 11 rounds for a Con 10 PC may not be enough to keep them from drowning.

The same for the rest of the monster abilities in any of the stat blocks - if the DM isn't going to set the encounter up so that monsters (especially intelligent ones) try to use their abilities (no matter what they are) in an advantageous way, then what's the point of mentioning just about anything in the monster's statblock?

I just don't think WoTC made those abilities with the intention that any player subject to them fell to 0 HP in anything but the most extreme of circumstances. To scare them? Sure. To force the party to react? Absolutely. To let a CR 2 rug kill a PC in a couple of rounds? Seems unlikely. That's why suffocation isn't "2 rounds then dying" for a Con 11 wizard.

 

[pukunui]

Maybe. Seems like you're in the minority at the moment, though. I have asked Jeremy for his advice.

 

[mrpopstar]

The basic rules state that a DM might call for a Constitution check when you try to hold your breath, see page 61.

 

[pukunui]

The basic rules state that a DM might call for a Constitution check when you try to hold your breath, see page 61.

That's right! I forgot about that. Thanks.

How about DC 5 + damage taken?

 

[mrpopstar]

That's right! I forgot about that. Thanks.

I have my moments of insight.

How about DC 5 + damage taken?

I'm unsure. Constitution checks are the scariest checks!

 

[mrpopstar]

Double post.

 

[pukunui]

That's how it's done with the otyugh in Castle Naerytar in Hoard of the Dragon Queen:

"Allow the attacked character to make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 5 plus the damage caused by the otyugh's tentacle attack. A successful saving throw means the character has a lungful of air when dragged into the muck and can hold his or her breath ... Failure means the character's lungs are empty, and the character falls unconscious at the end of his or her turn after a number of rounds ..."


EDIT: Regarding the double post, there seems to be some sort of glitch with the website, as it's been happening to a lot of people lately.

 

[mrpopstar]

That's how it's done with the otyugh in Castle Naerytar in Hoard of the Dragon Queen. ("Allow the attacked character to make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 5 plus the damage caused by the otyugh's tentacle attack. A successful saving throw means the character has a lungful of air when dragged into the muck and can hold his or her breath ... Failure means the character's lungs are empty, and the character falls unconscious at the end of his or her turn after a number of rounds ...")

Of course, this method of adjudication calls for a saving throw, whereas my citation above references an ability check.

Your call, but a DC equal to 5 plus the damage caused sounds reasonable. (And scary!)

 

[pukunui]

Yes, that's true. It's all about context. If one PC gets grabbed by an otyugh and dragged underwater, then a saving throw to hold onto their breath seems appropriate. If another PC then decided to jump in to rescue the first PC, then an ability check be appropriate, should the DM decide that there's a chance that the second PC might not be able to get a good enough lungful of air first, for whatever reason.