The description for this spell is about as simple as it gets: "You are immune to all damage until the spell ends."
The rules for suffocation say "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."
So, how do these rules interact? Invulnerability doesn't say it eliminates the need to breathe. However, on one interpretation, "dropping to 0 hit points" would constitute "damage."
It's probably academic, since most creatures capable of casting a 9th level spell are going to be able to hold their breath for at least 20 rounds, or are otherwise going to be able to provide some means for them to breathe.
The rules don't cover it, and that's fine. Up to a DM, so ask yours if you are concerned. I would rule that you do not lose hp but you do lose consciousness. A sort of suspended animation. The spell remains until its duration and hopefully by that time you will have been returned to a breathable location.
The rules don't cover it, and that's fine. Up to a DM, so ask yours if you are concerned. I would rule that you do not lose hp but you do lose consciousness. A sort of suspended animation. The spell remains until its duration and hopefully by that time you will have been returned to a breathable location.
That seems reasonable. Of course, losing consciousness would mean you lose concentration, at which point you would begin taking damage.
Another reasonable interpretation would be that drowning doesn't say "you take damage equal to current hit points," meaning it's not "taking damage" for purposes of the spell.
Well, RAW it is only the Incapacitated condition that breaks concentration. If the DM decides that Invulnerability-and-suffocated-suspended-animation does not count as Incapacitated, then all is well...
Well, RAW it is only the Incapacitated condition that breaks concentration. If the DM decides that Invulnerability-and-suffocated-suspended-animation does not count as Incapacitated, then all is well...
Well, you said "lose consciousness." An unconscious character is incapacitated per the rules.
The rules say what they mean. The drowning rules don't say you take damage, they say your HP becomes 0. Being immune to damage doesn't prevent that.
Damage requires a quantity and a type. There's no such thing as untyped damage.
But that's the thing, the rules say a lot of things and when they say them, they mean them. They also don't say a lot of things. For example, I don't think the rules ever say that all damage must have a type - it just so happens that a type is given for all things which are described with the word damage. Also, and pertinent to this situation, the rules for falling unconscious state that if damage drops you to 0hp then you fall unconscious. Then the rules for suffocation say that you fall to 0hp but they don't say you fall unconscious. So either this dropping to 0hp is a form of damage, or suffocation does not cause unconsciousness, or perhaps there are just a few gaps in the rules which are left to be filled by a thinking DM. We can argue back and forth for hours here, but this situation as all situations in every game falls to the DM to rule. If you are a player and are in a suffocation-likely situation then you should probably ask your DM this question before casting this spell.
But that's the thing, the rules say a lot of things and when they say them, they mean them. They also don't say a lot of things. For example, I don't think the rules ever say that all damage must have a type - it just so happens that a type is given for all things which are described with the word damage.
Also, and pertinent to this situation, the rules for falling unconscious state that if damage drops you to 0hp then you fall unconscious. Then the rules for suffocation say that you fall to 0hp but they don't say you fall unconscious. So either this dropping to 0hp is a form of damage, or suffocation does not cause unconsciousness, or perhaps there are just a few gaps in the rules which are left to be filled by a thinking DM.
The rules for Dropping To 0 Hit Points lead with also say you either fall unconscious or die "When you drop to 0 hit points, you either die outright or fall unconscious, as explained in the following sections." You're not dead yet if you just dropped to 0 hit points from suffocation, so you must be unconscious. The rules for suffocation also say you're dying, which is a reference to the Death Saving Throws section of the rules.
Ruling suffocation deals damage is also going to force you down some wacky rulings if Warding Bond or a Shield Guardian ever come into play. It's also going to presumably kill your Arcane Ward and strip off all your temporary hit points.
Whenever a creature takes damage, that damage is subtracted from its hit points.
I believe that this statement suggests that damage is merely one way to lose hit points, rather than a synonym for losing hit points. Therefore, one could conceivably lose hit points in other manners, such as having hit point max reduced by some effect. Given that the context for the falling to 0hp is in the chapter on combat, it is natural for the discussion to be about whether the hit that took you below 0 talks about whether the damage is above or below insta-kill. However, the rider is that the section begins:
When you drop to 0 hit points, you either die outright or fall unconscious
So there are only two options - death or unconscious. Note that unconsciousness is also inflicted by a creature opting to do a knockout instead of lethal damage when dropping another to 0hp.
So my opinion is that invulnerability doesn't stop suffocation. Various google searches on the topic suggest that the prevailing belief is that suffocation is not damage and would stop invulnerability (albeit inefficiently).
most creatures capable of casting a 9th level spell are going to be able to hold their breath for at least 20 rounds
How do you figure? You'd need a Constitution score of 50 to get a +20 bonus in order to last 20 rounds. I don't think most 17th-20th level Wizards have a 50 or higher Constitution. In fact, I'm not sure anything above 30 is rules legal. :D
Holding breath is Con mod+1 minutes, not rounds. Given ten rounds per minute, that equates to a mere +1 con to get two minutes / twenty rounds of held breath.
Holding breath is Con mod+1 minutes, not rounds. Given ten rounds per minute, that equates to a mere +1 con to get two minutes / twenty rounds of held breath.
Hm, true, missed that. Only time it came up when I've been playing, there was no time to "hold you breath", so the creature started suffocating immediately (creature got Polymorphed into a goldfish, hehe).
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The description for this spell is about as simple as it gets: "You are immune to all damage until the spell ends."
The rules for suffocation say "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."
So, how do these rules interact? Invulnerability doesn't say it eliminates the need to breathe. However, on one interpretation, "dropping to 0 hit points" would constitute "damage."
It's probably academic, since most creatures capable of casting a 9th level spell are going to be able to hold their breath for at least 20 rounds, or are otherwise going to be able to provide some means for them to breathe.
The rules don't cover it, and that's fine. Up to a DM, so ask yours if you are concerned. I would rule that you do not lose hp but you do lose consciousness. A sort of suspended animation. The spell remains until its duration and hopefully by that time you will have been returned to a breathable location.
That seems reasonable. Of course, losing consciousness would mean you lose concentration, at which point you would begin taking damage.
Another reasonable interpretation would be that drowning doesn't say "you take damage equal to current hit points," meaning it's not "taking damage" for purposes of the spell.
Well, RAW it is only the Incapacitated condition that breaks concentration. If the DM decides that Invulnerability-and-suffocated-suspended-animation does not count as Incapacitated, then all is well...
The rules say what they mean. The drowning rules don't say you take damage, they say your HP becomes 0. Being immune to damage doesn't prevent that.
Damage requires a quantity and a type. There's no such thing as untyped damage.
The Forum Infestation (TM)
Well, you said "lose consciousness." An unconscious character is incapacitated per the rules.
But that's the thing, the rules say a lot of things and when they say them, they mean them. They also don't say a lot of things. For example, I don't think the rules ever say that all damage must have a type - it just so happens that a type is given for all things which are described with the word damage. Also, and pertinent to this situation, the rules for falling unconscious state that if damage drops you to 0hp then you fall unconscious. Then the rules for suffocation say that you fall to 0hp but they don't say you fall unconscious. So either this dropping to 0hp is a form of damage, or suffocation does not cause unconsciousness, or perhaps there are just a few gaps in the rules which are left to be filled by a thinking DM. We can argue back and forth for hours here, but this situation as all situations in every game falls to the DM to rule. If you are a player and are in a suffocation-likely situation then you should probably ask your DM this question before casting this spell.
Nevertheless, thanks to the magic of twitter, we know all damage has a type.
The rules for Dropping To 0 Hit Points lead with also say you either fall unconscious or die "When you drop to 0 hit points, you either die outright or fall unconscious, as explained in the following sections." You're not dead yet if you just dropped to 0 hit points from suffocation, so you must be unconscious. The rules for suffocation also say you're dying, which is a reference to the Death Saving Throws section of the rules.
Ruling suffocation deals damage is also going to force you down some wacky rulings if Warding Bond or a Shield Guardian ever come into play. It's also going to presumably kill your Arcane Ward and strip off all your temporary hit points.
The Forum Infestation (TM)
invulnerability makes you immune to damage.
I believe that this statement suggests that damage is merely one way to lose hit points, rather than a synonym for losing hit points. Therefore, one could conceivably lose hit points in other manners, such as having hit point max reduced by some effect. Given that the context for the falling to 0hp is in the chapter on combat, it is natural for the discussion to be about whether the hit that took you below 0 talks about whether the damage is above or below insta-kill. However, the rider is that the section begins:
So there are only two options - death or unconscious. Note that unconsciousness is also inflicted by a creature opting to do a knockout instead of lethal damage when dropping another to 0hp.
So my opinion is that invulnerability doesn't stop suffocation. Various google searches on the topic suggest that the prevailing belief is that suffocation is not damage and would stop invulnerability (albeit inefficiently).
How do you figure? You'd need a Constitution score of 50 to get a +20 bonus in order to last 20 rounds. I don't think most 17th-20th level Wizards have a 50 or higher Constitution. In fact, I'm not sure anything above 30 is rules legal. :D
Holding breath is Con mod+1 minutes, not rounds. Given ten rounds per minute, that equates to a mere +1 con to get two minutes / twenty rounds of held breath.
Hm, true, missed that. Only time it came up when I've been playing, there was no time to "hold you breath", so the creature started suffocating immediately (creature got Polymorphed into a goldfish, hehe).