So, my PC's are about to do an underwater battle and I came across something that I need a bit of help understanding. As far as spell casting in water, where there is a verbal component, Jeremy Crawford has stated that you are allowed to do that, but that you start drowning. Now, what it says about drowning is;
After 1+(con bonus) minutes of holding your breath underwater you fall unconscious, your hit points fall to 0, and you can then survive for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum 1 round). After that, you begin making your death saving throws as per the standard rules. However, if you become stable there is a problem. If you are still under water you can’t remain stable. So you must start making death saving throws again. This continues until you die unless you are saved in some way.
With spell casting, does that mean you go straight to falling unconscious, hit points 0 and you survive for a number of rounds equal to your con. modifier after casting one spell?
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‘A’OHE PU’U KI’EKI’E KE HO’A’O ‘IA E PI’I – (No cliff is so tall it cannot be climbed.)
I think this is an area where you as the DM (should) have the freedom to ad-lib on rules a little bit. Of course, there are always strictly non-verbal spells that your PCs could use. If you don't want to impose that on them, you could always say one spell=one minute of breath, or something like that.
Otherwise, interpreting the rules strictly by what you've shared, then yes, it does sound like a caster would go straight to unconsciousness after a single verbal spell.
A creature can hold its breath for a number of minutes equal to 1 + its Constitution modifier (minimum of 30 seconds).
When a creature runs out of breath or is choking, it can survive for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 round). At the start of its next turn, it drops to 0 hit points and is dying, and it can't regain hit points or be stabilized until it can breathe again.
For example, a creature with a Constitution of 14 can hold its breath for 3 minutes. If it starts suffocating, it has 2 rounds to reach air before it drops to 0 hit points.
So, according to this, once the spell is cast, the PC would have [Con Mod] rounds to reach air before dropping to 0 hp and falling unconscious.
Wouldn't everyone in the party, not just wizards, have this problem if they were engaged in an underwater battle without magical or mechanical life support? I mean if everyone say has a Puffer Fish rebreather affixed to their face, let the Wizard bellow into it, so to speak.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
A creature can hold its breath for a number of minutes equal to 1 + its Constitution modifier (minimum of 30 seconds).
When a creature runs out of breath or is choking, it can survive for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 round). At the start of its next turn, it drops to 0 hit points and is dying, and it can't regain hit points or be stabilized until it can breathe again.
For example, a creature with a Constitution of 14 can hold its breath for 3 minutes. If it starts suffocating, it has 2 rounds to reach air before it drops to 0 hit points.
Thank you, this is what I was looking for!
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‘A’OHE PU’U KI’EKI’E KE HO’A’O ‘IA E PI’I – (No cliff is so tall it cannot be climbed.)
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So, my PC's are about to do an underwater battle and I came across something that I need a bit of help understanding. As far as spell casting in water, where there is a verbal component, Jeremy Crawford has stated that you are allowed to do that, but that you start drowning. Now, what it says about drowning is;
With spell casting, does that mean you go straight to falling unconscious, hit points 0 and you survive for a number of rounds equal to your con. modifier after casting one spell?
‘A’OHE PU’U KI’EKI’E KE HO’A’O ‘IA E PI’I – (No cliff is so tall it cannot be climbed.)
I think this is an area where you as the DM (should) have the freedom to ad-lib on rules a little bit. Of course, there are always strictly non-verbal spells that your PCs could use. If you don't want to impose that on them, you could always say one spell=one minute of breath, or something like that.
Otherwise, interpreting the rules strictly by what you've shared, then yes, it does sound like a caster would go straight to unconsciousness after a single verbal spell.
According to Dndbeyond:
So, according to this, once the spell is cast, the PC would have [Con Mod] rounds to reach air before dropping to 0 hp and falling unconscious.
Wouldn't everyone in the party, not just wizards, have this problem if they were engaged in an underwater battle without magical or mechanical life support? I mean if everyone say has a Puffer Fish rebreather affixed to their face, let the Wizard bellow into it, so to speak.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
This is why you find a way to get water breathing ASAP.
Thank you, this is what I was looking for!
‘A’OHE PU’U KI’EKI’E KE HO’A’O ‘IA E PI’I – (No cliff is so tall it cannot be climbed.)