I am currently prepping for a nautical themed campaign and would like clarification on some info.
Swimming
Unless aided by magic, a character can’t swim for a full 8 hours per day. After each hour of swimming, a character must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion. (DMG)
Is this saying they can't swim for more them 8 hours a day and need to make a con save every hour?
they can swim for 8 hours and every hour after that they make con saves?
I am currently prepping for a nautical themed campaign and would like clarification on some info.
Swimming
Unless aided by magic, a character can’t swim for a full 8 hours per day. After each hour of swimming, a character must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion. (DMG)
Is this saying they can't swim for more them 8 hours a day and need to make a con save every hour?
they can swim for 8 hours and every hour after that they make con saves?
so Tritons... not only can’t swim for 8+ hours in a day... but living underwater they don’t have dark vision.
The quoted excerpt is from DMG Chapter 5 - Unusual Environments - Underwater. It is quite possible that that section was intended to apply only to underwater swimming, not all swimming, especially given the third paragraph that describes the effect being enhanced for especially deep water. Also, the second paragraph makes clear that that rule does not apply to anything with a swimming speed (such as a Triton):
Swimming
Unless aided by magic, a character can’t swim for a full 8 hours per day. After each hour of swimming, a character must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion.
A creature that has a swimming speed — including a character with a ring of swimming or similar magic — can swim all day without penalty and uses the normal forced march rules in the Player’s Handbook.
Swimming through deep water is similar to traveling at high altitudes, because of the water’s pressure and cold temperature. For a creature without a swimming speed, each hour spent swimming at a depth greater than 100 feet counts as 2 hours for the purpose of determining exhaustion. Swimming for an hour at a depth greater than 200 feet counts as 4 hours.
Elsewhere, DMG Chapter 8 - Using Ability Scores - Proficiency describes swimming very differently, describing Atheltics (Constitution) checks for distance swimming rather than Athletics (Strength) checks, but making no mention of Constitution saves.
For example, you might decide that a character forced to swim from an island to the mainland must succeed on a Constitution check (as opposed to a Strength check) because of the distance involved. The character is proficient in the Athletics skill, which covers swimming, so you allow the character’s proficiency bonus to apply to this ability check. In effect, you’re asking for a Constitution (Athletics) check, instead of a Strength (Athletics) check.
Each foot of movement costs 1 extra foot (2 extra feet in difficult terrain) when you’re climbing, swimming, or crawling. You ignore this extra cost if you have a climbing speed and use it to climb or a swimming speed and use it to swim. At the DM’s option, climbing a slippery vertical surface or one with few handholds requires a successful Strength (Athletics) check. Similarly, gaining any distance in rough water might require a successful Strength (Athletics) check.
From all of this, I gather that the Con save/hour rule is intended for underwater swimming, and only intended for characters that don't have a swim speed (whether from a racial feature, a spell, or a magic item). It's a niche rule for a niche environment, and very unlikely to come up in a game.
Hmm it may be that the second and third swimming rule are referring to ability (the second rule is really just an expansion of the the third) while the first is referring to endurance.
But you may be right. In context with the rest of the rules and section, it could be referring exclusively to underwater swimming.
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I am currently prepping for a nautical themed campaign and would like clarification on some info.
Swimming
Unless aided by magic, a character can’t swim for a full 8 hours per day. After each hour of swimming, a character must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion. (DMG)
Is this saying they can't swim for more them 8 hours a day and need to make a con save every hour?
they can swim for 8 hours and every hour after that they make con saves?
No, they can't swim for 8 hours (they can walk for 8 hours a day to travel). After swimming for 1 hour they make a save and repeat it every hour.
I guess it is for if someone goes overboard or something.
so Tritons... not only can’t swim for 8+ hours in a day... but living underwater they don’t have dark vision.
5e really did Tritons weird.
The quoted excerpt is from DMG Chapter 5 - Unusual Environments - Underwater. It is quite possible that that section was intended to apply only to underwater swimming, not all swimming, especially given the third paragraph that describes the effect being enhanced for especially deep water. Also, the second paragraph makes clear that that rule does not apply to anything with a swimming speed (such as a Triton):
Elsewhere, DMG Chapter 8 - Using Ability Scores - Proficiency describes swimming very differently, describing Atheltics (Constitution) checks for distance swimming rather than Athletics (Strength) checks, but making no mention of Constitution saves.
Finally, within the Basic Rules Chapter 8 - Movement - Special Types, we have a description of swimming which again makes no mention of any saves.
From all of this, I gather that the Con save/hour rule is intended for underwater swimming, and only intended for characters that don't have a swim speed (whether from a racial feature, a spell, or a magic item). It's a niche rule for a niche environment, and very unlikely to come up in a game.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
Hmm it may be that the second and third swimming rule are referring to ability (the second rule is really just an expansion of the the third) while the first is referring to endurance.
But you may be right. In context with the rest of the rules and section, it could be referring exclusively to underwater swimming.