Under water spell casting

[Realmslord]

This is a 2 part question.
With water-breathing in effect. (I'm assuming the potion is exactly the same as the spell effect.)
Can you talk (part 1) and cast spells (part 2) while under water, with waterbreathing active?

There is a 1/2 of a page involving casting under duress, casting while grappled, in an earthquake, in viloent motion, while falling, while chewing food with a cigarette in your mouth.....etc... everything except casting under water.

Can it be done. or are casters just usless under water, while fighting Sauhagin, sharks, Kraken, etc.
This may come up a lot in the new Savage tide Adaventure.

Any direction to some rules/ideas home brew or otherwise would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Vegepygmy]

With water-breathing in effect. (I'm assuming the potion is exactly the same as the spell effect.)
Can you talk (part 1) and cast spells (part 2) while under water, with waterbreathing active?

Yes. You can also do these things without water breathing.

Now, spells with Verbal components require that you "speak in a strong voice." (It doesn't say anyone has to be able to understand you. Besides, if you've ever had a friend shout at you underwater, you know it's entirely possible to do so.) If you don't have the ability to breathe underwater, though, you're probably holding your breath, which would be incompatible with speaking in a strong voice. So a spellcaster who is holding his breath and decides to cast a spell should probably have to start making Constitution checks to avoid drowning, but that's kind of a gray area.

Can it be done. or are casters just usless under water, while fighting Sauhagin, sharks, Kraken, etc.

Officially, the only special rules for casting spells underwater are (found on page 93 of the DMG): spells with the fire descriptor require a Spellcraft check to cast, and the water's surface blocks line of effect for such spells.

 

[Storyteller01]

Yes. You can also do these things without water breathing.

Now, spells with Verbal components require that you "speak in a strong voice." (It doesn't say anyone has to be able to understand you.

If this were the case, gagging a mage wouldn't prevent them from casting.


I'd say no. The spell transmutes you (allowing you to breathe water freely), not the water. There's no air in the lungs, so there's no air to speak with. Vocal cords surrounded by water also don't vibrate, at least not well enough to speak. I'd invest a feat in Silent Spell.

This opens up a whole slew of other problems (where does the water in the lungs go after the spell expires, do charaters 'breathe out water' when they start breathing air, etc). I tend to see characters reenacting 'The Abyss' if they don't get out of the water in time.

You could look to the black dragon as an arguement against this though.

 

[Storyteller01]

These are some house rules I found on line a while back. They might help.



 Spells with verbal components require a Spellcraft check (DC 10 + spell level) to cast successfully, unless the caster is under the influence of a spell that grants the ability to breathe water.
 If a spell has material or focus components, consider the effect of the aquatic environment on them.
 The components can be stored in watertight containers, but casting a spell with components in such containers requires a Spellcraft check (DC 10 + spell level).
 If a spell has the Fire descriptor, it produces a cloud of steam or boiling water that deals half the damage normally caused by the spell, and that dissipates after one round.
 Spells that create mists or clouds are less effective underwater. The spell has normal effect on the first round, half effect on the second round, and then dissipates unless the spell specifies otherwise.
 Spells with the Sonic descriptor deal double damage and have double range underwater.
 Any ice created by a spell floats to the surface unless weighted down or anchored.
 Ice storm deals normal cold damage but only 1d6 points of impact damage.

Perceptions Under Water
 Sunlight cannot penetrate water at all past a depth of 650 feet. All ranges relating to vision are halved due to the diffusing effects of the water.
 Darkvision and low-light vision eliminate penalties due solely to distance from the surface. Further, low-light vision becomes useless beyond 500 feet. If it is night or the sky is overcast, this depth is halved.
 Saltwater is painful if a character’s eyes are exposed to the, a Fortitude save (DC 15) is required once per minute for the character to keep his eyes open and avoid squinting or otherwise limiting his vision.

 

[Pinotage]

In the underwater campaign I ran several years ago, I certainly allowed spellcasting with water breathing.

With the spell in effect you still couldn't talk, unless you spoke Aquan, but you could cast spells as long as you succeeded on a Spellcraft check. I think I set the check to DC 15 + Spell Level or something like that.

Pinotage