Do any spells protect a character from suffocation in an environment that lacks breathable air? The closest things I can find are Protection from Poison (if the DM rules that "unbreathable air" is close enough to poison) or Water Breathing (if the DM rules that the spell isn't limited to water), but both of those are a real stretch to the rules as written. The only thing I can find that clearly covers this situation is the Necklace of Adaptation, which works in "any environment." Am I missing anything? Has anybody else had to deal with that kind of thing? I could always homebrew something, but I'm wondering what other DMs might have done for it.
What level party are you concerned for and for how long?
The easiest option would probably be water breathing and a fish tank of water to act as a helmet. For a short term needs, Bottled Breath negates the need to breathe for an hour.
Right now the party is level 8, but I'm just considering the idea for sometime in the future- not for anytime soon. I'd like to send them somewhere very strange and inhospitable, where they have to do some exploring - at least within a limited area - and deal with a few challenges: a puzzle or two, some combat, and possibly rescue someone. I'm thinking the timeframe would be a few hours.
As you pointed out, Water Breathing plus a big bucket of water could solve a lot of their problems. Using that as a reference point, I might rule that a caster could modify "Water Breathing" into a general "Breathing" spell for this (possibly with an Arcana check, or by up-casting it with a 4th-level slot). Although, I'd never heard of Bottled Breath before... and I like the idea of modifying an existing consumable more than creating a specialized homebrew spell.
Yeah, Air Bubble is perfect. 😆 Looks like I also need to check out the new spelljammer spells.
The only thing worth noting is that water breathing can help the whole party, and it can be cast as a ritual, which may be relevant, depending on circumstances.
Yeah, Air Bubble is perfect. 😆 Looks like I also need to check out the new spelljammer spells.
The only thing worth noting is that water breathing can help the whole party, and it can be cast as a ritual, which may be relevant, depending on circumstances.
There are only 2 spelljammer spells: air bubble and create spelljamming helm... Luckily, you are not likely to need either of these in a spelljamming campaign. There is only no air inside solar systems, the space between them is astral plane where the air is breathable and you don't age or need to eat, and the a helm doesn't cost much more than the components to make one...
While wearing this necklace, you can breathe normally in any environment, and you have advantage on saving throws made against harmful gases and vapors (such as cloudkill and stinking cloud effects, inhaled poisons, and the breath weapons of some dragons).
While wearing this necklace, you can breathe normally in any environment, and you have advantage on saving throws made against harmful gases and vapors (such as cloudkill and stinking cloud effects, inhaled poisons, and the breath weapons of some dragons).
maybe you could mimic that effect somehow...
You read the title, but not the actual post didn't you?
OP mentioned the necklace of adaptation by name and asked for anything else.
The wish spell can do anything if you are willing to risk it.
I mean at that point you could probably get a divine Blessing or an Epic Boon to do it too
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Active characters:
Edoumiaond Willegume "Eddie" Podslee, Vegetanian scholar (College of Spirits bard) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator (Assassin rogue) Peter "the Pied Piper" Hausler, human con artist/remover of vermin (Circle of the Shepherd druid) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
The wish spell can do anything if you are willing to risk it.
I mean at that point you could probably get a divine Blessing or an Epic Boon to do it too
The OP asked for spell specifically
They also mentioned a magic item as a possible solution in their initial post, so they were at least open to other options
The point is, suggesting wish is barely more practical than saying, "You're the DM, just declare they no longer need to breathe"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Active characters:
Edoumiaond Willegume "Eddie" Podslee, Vegetanian scholar (College of Spirits bard) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator (Assassin rogue) Peter "the Pied Piper" Hausler, human con artist/remover of vermin (Circle of the Shepherd druid) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Spelljammer ships have a specific set of air problems that this spell is designed to protect you from:
1) air that has gone from Fresh to Foul to Deadly/Poisonous . I understand this to mean air that has been breathed by too many creatures so as to rob it of Oxygen and fill it with byproducts like carbon dioxide
2) The absence of air, or vacuum. Here a bubble of fresh (oxygenated) air surround the head and can be breathed for 24 hours.
Both of the circumstances thwarted by Air Bubble involve suffocation of one sort of the other. It's pretty reasonable to assume that your DM will allow protection from atmospheres or poison gases that pose a threat of suffocation to be effectively countered by air bubble. It should also work in unbreathable, but non poisonous, atmospheres or under water. Toxic atmospheres that are made toxic by creatures breathing them and expelling waste gases (CO2, CO, sulfur dioxide or some such) is exactly what this spell was meant to protect characters from. A green dragon's poison breath does not work this way and might diffuse through the spectral barrier or be absorbed by the skin. It's worth testing out with a DM even if they just decide to give you advantage on a con save. This would make the spell roughly equivalent to Protection from Poison but only with respect to gaseous poisons.
There might also be some downsides, like not being alerted to danger by the smell of a dangerous creature. Or, because of diffusion, the DM might rule that disadvantage is imposed on perception checks made with smell. Perhaps the direction of the emanation of brimstone cannot be determined because of the air bubble ! A good DM will cut you with your own precautions !
Do any spells protect a character from suffocation in an environment that lacks breathable air? The closest things I can find are Protection from Poison (if the DM rules that "unbreathable air" is close enough to poison) or Water Breathing (if the DM rules that the spell isn't limited to water), but both of those are a real stretch to the rules as written. The only thing I can find that clearly covers this situation is the Necklace of Adaptation, which works in "any environment." Am I missing anything? Has anybody else had to deal with that kind of thing? I could always homebrew something, but I'm wondering what other DMs might have done for it.
Spells
Air Bubble
Depending on the environment/need, Polymorph or Wild Shape into a Space Eel (doesn't require air), Space Guppy (creates air envelope in a vacuum), or Space Mollymawk (can hold breath for 15 minutes)
Water Breathing + Water (Head in a bucket of water). Maybe you could use the Shape Water Cantrip to envelope your head in water. I'm not sure if that would work.
Etherealness. This is sort of cheating by moving to another plane where you can view and move through the old plane.
Items
Necklace of Adaptation
Ventilating Lungs (Rare, Eberron) - As Necklace of Adaptation + Gust of Wind
Do any spells protect a character from suffocation in an environment that lacks breathable air? The closest things I can find are Protection from Poison (if the DM rules that "unbreathable air" is close enough to poison) or Water Breathing (if the DM rules that the spell isn't limited to water), but both of those are a real stretch to the rules as written. The only thing I can find that clearly covers this situation is the Necklace of Adaptation, which works in "any environment." Am I missing anything? Has anybody else had to deal with that kind of thing? I could always homebrew something, but I'm wondering what other DMs might have done for it.
What level party are you concerned for and for how long?
The easiest option would probably be water breathing and a fish tank of water to act as a helmet. For a short term needs, Bottled Breath negates the need to breathe for an hour.
Air bubble feels like what you're looking for.
Right now the party is level 8, but I'm just considering the idea for sometime in the future- not for anytime soon. I'd like to send them somewhere very strange and inhospitable, where they have to do some exploring - at least within a limited area - and deal with a few challenges: a puzzle or two, some combat, and possibly rescue someone. I'm thinking the timeframe would be a few hours.
As you pointed out, Water Breathing plus a big bucket of water could solve a lot of their problems. Using that as a reference point, I might rule that a caster could modify "Water Breathing" into a general "Breathing" spell for this (possibly with an Arcana check, or by up-casting it with a 4th-level slot). Although, I'd never heard of Bottled Breath before... and I like the idea of modifying an existing consumable more than creating a specialized homebrew spell.
Yes, that's something more like I was thinking! I haven't seen any of the Spelljammer content yet, so apparently I need to check that out. Thank you!
Yeah, Air Bubble is perfect. 😆 Looks like I also need to check out the new spelljammer spells.
The only thing worth noting is that water breathing can help the whole party, and it can be cast as a ritual, which may be relevant, depending on circumstances.
There are only 2 spelljammer spells: air bubble and create spelljamming helm... Luckily, you are not likely to need either of these in a spelljamming campaign. There is only no air inside solar systems, the space between them is astral plane where the air is breathable and you don't age or need to eat, and the a helm doesn't cost much more than the components to make one...
not a spell, sorry.
The Necklace of Adaptation.
While wearing this necklace, you can breathe normally in any environment, and you have advantage on saving throws made against harmful gases and vapors (such as cloudkill and stinking cloud effects, inhaled poisons, and the breath weapons of some dragons).
maybe you could mimic that effect somehow...
You read the title, but not the actual post didn't you?
OP mentioned the necklace of adaptation by name and asked for anything else.
A Wish spell could do it too.
The wish spell can do anything if you are willing to risk it.
I mean at that point you could probably get a divine Blessing or an Epic Boon to do it too
Active characters:
Edoumiaond Willegume "Eddie" Podslee, Vegetanian scholar (College of Spirits bard)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator (Assassin rogue)
Peter "the Pied Piper" Hausler, human con artist/remover of vermin (Circle of the Shepherd druid)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
The OP asked for spell specifically
They also mentioned a magic item as a possible solution in their initial post, so they were at least open to other options
The point is, suggesting wish is barely more practical than saying, "You're the DM, just declare they no longer need to breathe"
Active characters:
Edoumiaond Willegume "Eddie" Podslee, Vegetanian scholar (College of Spirits bard)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator (Assassin rogue)
Peter "the Pied Piper" Hausler, human con artist/remover of vermin (Circle of the Shepherd druid)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Spelljammer ships have a specific set of air problems that this spell is designed to protect you from:
1) air that has gone from Fresh to Foul to Deadly/Poisonous . I understand this to mean air that has been breathed by too many creatures so as to rob it of Oxygen and fill it with byproducts like carbon dioxide
2) The absence of air, or vacuum. Here a bubble of fresh (oxygenated) air surround the head and can be breathed for 24 hours.
Both of the circumstances thwarted by Air Bubble involve suffocation of one sort of the other. It's pretty reasonable to assume that your DM will allow protection from atmospheres or poison gases that pose a threat of suffocation to be effectively countered by air bubble. It should also work in unbreathable, but non poisonous, atmospheres or under water. Toxic atmospheres that are made toxic by creatures breathing them and expelling waste gases (CO2, CO, sulfur dioxide or some such) is exactly what this spell was meant to protect characters from. A green dragon's poison breath does not work this way and might diffuse through the spectral barrier or be absorbed by the skin. It's worth testing out with a DM even if they just decide to give you advantage on a con save. This would make the spell roughly equivalent to Protection from Poison but only with respect to gaseous poisons.
There might also be some downsides, like not being alerted to danger by the smell of a dangerous creature. Or, because of diffusion, the DM might rule that disadvantage is imposed on perception checks made with smell. Perhaps the direction of the emanation of brimstone cannot be determined because of the air bubble ! A good DM will cut you with your own precautions !
Spells
Items
That's what I can come up with.
How to add Tooltips.
My houserulings.