Underwater casting

You do realize that water is a better sound conductor than air?

Any spell or effect that allows the caster to breath underwater will allow the verbal component of casting. What you have to watch for is material components or elemental effects (such as fire) that will not work underwater.

Hypersmurf said:


Yeah. Basically anything with the [Language-dependent] descriptor, I think. Something like Shout that does sonic damage, but doesn't need to be intelligible, I'd have to think about.

-Hyp.
 

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From the SRD

The character emits an ear-splitting yell that deafens and damages creatures in its path. Any creature within the area is deafened for 2d6 rounds and takes 2d6 points of damage. A successful save negates the deafness and reduces the damage by half. Any exposed brittle or crystalline object or crystalline creature takes 1d6 points of damage per caster level (maximum 15d6). Crystalline creatures are allowed Fortitude saves to reduce the damage by half, and creatures holding fragile objects can negate damage to them with successful Reflex saves.

A deaf character, in addition to the obvious effects, suffers a –4 penalty on initiative and a 20% chance to miscast and lose any spell with a verbal (V) component that he tries to cast.

The shout spell cannot penetrate the spell silence.

END

A creature that has no sense of sound would take damage from the spell but would not suffer any further adverse effects. Unless they are supposed to be able to hear. But in the case of a creature that simply has no sense of sound, it would only take damage and would not suffer any penalties to initiative. Though if the creature can't hear, it is quite likely it can't cast spells anyway. Unless, of course, it has a special ability to do so otherwise. Makes sense.
 


A creature that has no sense of sound would take damage from the spell but would not suffer any further adverse effects.

I agree with that - it fits with the way a spell like Sound Burst works.

Your initial post of "is not affected" implied no damage or deafening effects.

-Hyp.
 

"A spellcaster who has been deafened has a 20% chance to spoil any spell he tries to cast if that spell has a verbal component."
PHB 151

If you allow casters to cast spells with verbal components underwater, then I think this should be taken to heart.

Since the 20% miss chance comes from not being able to hear the words he is saying, then giving a similar chance to casters unable to clearly hear what they are saying wouldn't be out of the question.

You do realize that water is a better sound conductor than air?

You do realize that including a phase chage plays some pretty hefty havoc with transmitted waves don't you? ;)

They will tend to be reflected much more than they are transmitted, assuming that the (constant that I can't remember the name for right now) is lower on the originating side of the phase change. Therefore, applying some "real-world" knowledge to a game that should never be burdened with it, the mage could cast Shout, but his head would explode.
 



Hypersmurf said:


Penance is required!

I'll require a 2000 word essay on the topic of "Why Haste does not allow more than one 5' step in a round". By Monday, thank you.

:)

-Hyp.

HAHAHAHAHAh naughty Smurf!!! :p

Albereth
 



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