Underwater Spellcasting

[silentspace]

In a pbp game here, material components were a big issue. We got by verbal and somatic components with spells and items, but spells that required material components that were damaged by water wouldn't work. We never got into the details, but I imagined it would be stuff like incense or powdered herbs.

 

[Thanee]

Ah yes, the pearl is certainly nice.

Interesting, that it actually mentions spellcasting unlike all the other spells and items.

Bye
Thanee

 

[ARandomGod]

Ah yes, the pearl is certainly nice.

Interesting, that it actually mentions spellcasting unlike all the other spells and items.

Bye
Thanee

Yes. That makes it especially good if you've got a GM who's prone to try to make things more difficult. With that item you can point to the text and say "It specifically says I can do it."

Plus, if you don't already have easy access to freedom of movement, this is cheaper than the ring, AND it's slotless. If you're already wearing the ring, it'd be cheaper and more efficient (useful in other situations) to get the necklace of adaptation. But that still leaves out swim speed. Sure, you can use alter self for that, but this is everything all wrapped up in one.

Edit: IMO, the part about casting spells and acting underwater without hinderance is meant to indicate that underwater you act as if you had freedom of movement cast on you, for the purposes of overcoming water effects.

 

[Arkhandus]

Casting underwater pretty much just needs Water Breathing or a Necklace of Adaptation. You can't perform the verbal component if your throat and lungs fill with water the moment you open your mouth. WB makes this a non-issue. NoA creates a small bubble of fresh air around your mouth when underwater or in a vacuum, so you can speak freely and your mouth won't flood with choking water the moment you open it.

 

[Saeviomagy]

I guess I just have a hard time imagining someone to speak while emerged in water.

Submerged. Apart from that, it works fine, if a little gurgly.

Casting underwater pretty much just needs Water Breathing or a Necklace of Adaptation. You can't perform the verbal component if your throat and lungs fill with water the moment you open your mouth. WB makes this a non-issue. NoA creates a small bubble of fresh air around your mouth when underwater or in a vacuum, so you can speak freely and your mouth won't flood with choking water the moment you open it.

What language do you speak that requires you to inhale while doing so?

Really - speaking underwater is not difficult. Doing so and having someone else understand you is. However, it's clear that magic (for the most part) doesn't require any other party to understand or even hear you. However, I DO think that a concentration check is in order - it's difficult to form words accurately when you can't hear yourself properly (see deafness). At a guess, 15+spell level sounds good. And one for rushing water (assuming no freedom of movement) is a good idea too - I'd base it off of the wind and weather effects. That's a DC of 5 to 10 folks.

And all this is just for people who cannot breathe water. Once you've got anything that lets you breathe water, you're in the clear (except for the strong currents thing...).

 

[Thanee]

Submerged.

LoL, yes, of course...

Bye
Thanee

 

[cmanos]

I guess I just have a hard time imagining someone to speak while submerged in water.

You can speak quite well, but the media around you diffuses the sound. I may consider some kind of Spell Failure Penalty. But the RAW has nothing restricting underwater spellcasting.

 

[Pinotage]

Really - speaking underwater is not difficult. Doing so and having someone else understand you is. However, it's clear that magic (for the most part) doesn't require any other party to understand or even hear you. However, I DO think that a concentration check is in order - it's difficult to form words accurately when you can't hear yourself properly (see deafness). At a guess, 15+spell level sounds good. And one for rushing water (assuming no freedom of movement) is a good idea too - I'd base it off of the wind and weather effects. That's a DC of 5 to 10 folks.

I've always envisaged speaking spellcasting words to be a rather precise thing, hence the spellcraft check to make sure you adapt the forming of the words to the new medium. Water Breathing would take away the requirement to concentrate on breathing or holding your breath while casting, but you've still got to pronounce those words properly. I'm not sure if that's how it really works, but that's the way I play it, hence the spellcraft check for casting with Water Breathing. Generally, you right, though, speaking underwater is easy - you just expel air from your lungs, but will water have the same effect on your vocal cords as air?

Pinotage

 

[green slime]

Hmmm.... excellent stuff pinotage. Real good.

Personally I'd think the DC for somatic components while submerged in a swift riverbed or in some sort of current would be harder than 5 or 10. (without Freedom of Movement)

 

[Pinotage]

Hmmm.... excellent stuff pinotage. Real good.

Personally I'd think the DC for somatic components while submerged in a swift riverbed or in some sort of current would be harder than 5 or 10. (without Freedom of Movement)

Thanks! The concentration checks would probably best be based on the relevant Swim Checks. So 10 for calm water, 15 for rough water and 20 for stormy water.

Pinotage