D&D 5E Swimming, Breathing, and Drowning... (ruling question)

[Stormonu]

I like most of this, think I'll give it a go - though I would likely rule movement uses breath points (probably 1 for 1/2 move, 2 for moving your full speed).

Besides using underwater, I've been flustered attempting to have creatures that use chokeholds and other attacks where the character or monster can't breath and is being strangled out, and these rules look like they might help in that department.

 

[emeraldbeacon]

For real-world examples, you can look at the "survival rule of threes," in terms of how long you have in certain situations. The average person can survive no more than three minutes without air, hours without shelter (in extreme conditions), days without water, or weeks without food. Given that your average D&D hero (outside of Fighters, Barbarians, and other tanks that explicitly ramp CON) can't hold their breath for a full three minutes does imply that SOME degree of strenuous activity is already implied within that timer.

That's why I allowed regular movement in water (which is treated as difficult terrain for anyone without a swim speed) without extra breath expenditure, while taking the Dash action would cost you some extra air.

 

[LordEntrails]

My only concern is around spell casting. I don't like rules that effectively make a class, or category of classes, effectively useless. If you (edit: you=DM) are planning on a fight underwater, what are the casters going to do? Wave and smile?

 

[Stormonu]

My only concern is around spell casting. I don't like rules that effectively make a class, or category of classes, effectively useless. If you are planning on a fight underwater, what are the casters going to do? Wave and smile?

Hope that they took Silent spell?

I mean, exactly how useful is a fighter in an aerial battle if they don’t have wings or flight magic? Why do we have to be inclusive for spellcasters if they are in an environment that’s natively hostile to them?

 

[Laurefindel]

For real-world examples, you can look at the "survival rule of threes," in terms of how long you have in certain situations. The average person can survive no more than three minutes without air, hours without shelter (in extreme conditions), days without water, or weeks without food. Given that your average D&D hero (outside of Fighters, Barbarians, and other tanks that explicitly ramp CON) can't hold their breath for a full three minutes does imply that SOME degree of strenuous activity is already implied within that timer.

That's why I allowed regular movement in water (which is treated as difficult terrain for anyone without a swim speed) without extra breath expenditure, while taking the Dash action would cost you some extra air.

If I remember however, "surviving three minutes without air" does not necessarily imply that you are conscious all that time. You may have drowned in the meantime, but you should survive without permanant damage if you can somehow be reanimated within 3 minutes.

Your proposed houserule takes into consideration that under adrenaline, you burn through your oxygen much quicker. Making it past 30 seconds of strenuous fighting underwater would be remarkable in a real-life scenario so I wouldn't worry about realism; you're close enough to make it relatable.

Another commonly used houserule is a number of rounds equal to Constitution score under stress, or twice as much without outside sources of stress.

 

[emeraldbeacon]

My only concern is around spell casting. I don't like rules that effectively make a class, or category of classes, effectively useless. If you are planning on a fight underwater, what are the casters going to do? Wave and smile?

If you're PLANNING on an underwater fight, then you should invest in potions of water breathing, or a cloak of the manta ray, or something similar. But when you're just trying to travel downriver, and your rowboat gets capsized by a troupe of sahuagin and your mage gets dragged under, you'd best be able to quickly balance the risk/reward equation of casting a spell.

 

[Plaguescarred]

The breathing rules were designed to be simple yet provide a mechanic for holding your breath. If a DM think its not enought realistic or complex and think its more appropriate to have breathing points or other alternate mechanic, then he can always go fot it.

 

[Nefermandias]

Presumably the Paladin was the one in the full plate.

Nonsense!

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

My only concern is around spell casting. I don't like rules that effectively make a class, or category of classes, effectively useless. If you are planning on a fight underwater, what are the casters going to do? Wave and smile?

Klaatu Verata blub blub .......oops

 

[GMMichael]

Does anyone else have thoughts about how to better adjudicate suffocation?

DC 15 Con save at the end of your turn or take 1 point of damage. If you did anything other than defend during your turn, that save has disadvantage. Each additional time you take damage, it's double what you suffered before.

On a parallel note, what's your collective takes on floating or sinking based on what armor you're wearing?

I don't know about the hive-mind, but if a character holds more than 5 pounds of gear (or the weight of a basic set of clothes) she sinks. So casters may be "scrooged," but at least they can float...

My only concern is around spell casting. I don't like rules that effectively make a class, or category of classes, effectively useless. If you are planning on a fight underwater, what are the casters going to do? Wave and smile?

Swinging weapons underwater isn't exactly a walk in the park. I think everyone's useless underwater. Unless they have sharp teeth or can discharge electricity at will.