The game rules for drowning/suffocation are both thin in providing detail in how holding your breath works (do you always manage to hold your breath even when you're surprised?) and cumbersome in timekeeping duties for the DM. Below are my house rules on the topic - any feedback is appreciated:
Drowning and Suffocation
Holding One’s Breath
When a creature voluntarily enters an environment where it cannot breathe (for example, deliberately diving off the deck of a ship), it can hold its breath for a number of minutes equal to 1 + its Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 minute). This is represented by breath points. When a creature holds its breath, it gets a number of breath points equal to 60 + 60*Constitution modifier (for a minimum of 60).
When a creature involuntarily enters an environment where it cannot breathe (for example, being unexpectedly tossed off the deck of a ship or engulfed by a Gelatinous Cube), it must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a success, the creature gets its full compliment of breath points, as described above. On a failure, it receives ½ the breath points. If the creature fails the saving throw by 5 or more, it receives 0 breath points.
Losing Breath Points
A creature can lose breath points in a number of ways:
Time. At the end of its turn, a creature loses 6 breath points.
Taking Damage. If a creature takes damage, it must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a success, it loses breath points equal to ½ the damage taken. On a failure, the creature loses breath points equal to the damage taken.
Casting a spell with verbal components. Casting a spell with verbal components in an environment where the creature cannot breathe is difficult. To successfully cast such a spell, the creature must succeed in an ability check using its spellcasting ability. The DC of the check is 8 + the spell’s level. On a successful check, the spell is cast as normal. On failure, the caster fails to correctly speak the verbal components and the spell is lost. Whether the check fails or succeeds, the caster loses 6 breath points for a spell with a casting of 1 action or 3 breath points if the casting time is 1 bonus action. Spells without verbal components can be cast as normal.
Running out of Breath Points
When a creature runs out of breath points, 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.
I REALLY like these rules I am running a bioshock inspired dnd game and these rules will make that situation way easier to keep track of. Thanks!!!! Well thought out. The only thing I'm changing is increasing the number of breath points lost per round to 10 instead of 6 since I want to create a greater sense of urgency in those moments.
These would be way too time consuming and complicated to implement into a D&D game for me. You mention that the core rules are "cumbersome in timekeeping duties for the DM" but these are much more complex, with each player having to calculate how many breath points they have and then keep track of them every turn thereafter.
I like the idea about voluntary/involuntary, but I'd go with something like "If you are involuntarily moved into an area in which you cannot breathe, make a constitution saving throw. On a success you have breath for 1+Con modifier minutes, or half as much (rounded down) on a failure."
Keeping track of breath in combat is usually very easy, as few combats last a full 10 turns.
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The game rules for drowning/suffocation are both thin in providing detail in how holding your breath works (do you always manage to hold your breath even when you're surprised?) and cumbersome in timekeeping duties for the DM. Below are my house rules on the topic - any feedback is appreciated:
Drowning and Suffocation
Holding One’s Breath
When a creature voluntarily enters an environment where it cannot breathe (for example, deliberately diving off the deck of a ship), it can hold its breath for a number of minutes equal to 1 + its Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 minute). This is represented by breath points. When a creature holds its breath, it gets a number of breath points equal to 60 + 60*Constitution modifier (for a minimum of 60).
When a creature involuntarily enters an environment where it cannot breathe (for example, being unexpectedly tossed off the deck of a ship or engulfed by a Gelatinous Cube), it must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a success, the creature gets its full compliment of breath points, as described above. On a failure, it receives ½ the breath points. If the creature fails the saving throw by 5 or more, it receives 0 breath points.
Losing Breath Points
A creature can lose breath points in a number of ways:
Running out of Breath Points
When a creature runs out of breath points, 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.
Like these....borrowed for my campaign. thanks for your work ;-)
The D&D Revolution,................Art over Science......... Humanity over Systems,............Friendship over Victory
Hey, glad you liked them.
I REALLY like these rules I am running a bioshock inspired dnd game and these rules will make that situation way easier to keep track of. Thanks!!!! Well thought out. The only thing I'm changing is increasing the number of breath points lost per round to 10 instead of 6 since I want to create a greater sense of urgency in those moments.
These would be way too time consuming and complicated to implement into a D&D game for me. You mention that the core rules are "cumbersome in timekeeping duties for the DM" but these are much more complex, with each player having to calculate how many breath points they have and then keep track of them every turn thereafter.
I like the idea about voluntary/involuntary, but I'd go with something like "If you are involuntarily moved into an area in which you cannot breathe, make a constitution saving throw. On a success you have breath for 1+Con modifier minutes, or half as much (rounded down) on a failure."
Keeping track of breath in combat is usually very easy, as few combats last a full 10 turns.