Technically, yes -- the Dungeon Master is allowed to make a ruling like that. I think there's a lot more that could be unpacked from this question, but to put it plainly, yeah.
One could argue that the wording in the spell doesn't specify a creature is allowed to do that, but the DM has full authority to say otherwise.
That is what the saving throw is for. Was the creature successful on its saving throw? If yes it probably was because it held its breath, avoided getting the poison in its eyes, etc.
A DM can make a ruling like that but should have a very good reason and they should have thought about the implications of that ruling.
The DM can do whatever they want, but constantly changing the rules on players can undermine their fun.
Spells do exactly what they say; no more and no less. If a spell doesn't say that holding your breath avoids its effects, then holding your breath doesn't avoid its effects.
To every rulinh there are drawbacks. For example, he could say that doing so you have to close your eyes as a reaction, Blinding you until the end of your next turn, effectively disabling you as the swarm of Orcs slaughter your limp blind body.
Basically he can not ignore the Saving throws...? I guess i'm trying to work out...
The DM is going to have the final word in their own game but usually it’s a bad idea to change how a spell or spells work. Most spells that cause poison damage have a saving throw for no damage or half damage. In the case of the cantrip Poison Spray, it is a Con save. Fail the save, take 1d12 damage*, succeed and take zero damage (*higher level casters do more damage). You could describe succeeding on a Con saving throw in this case as managing to hold your breath but just saying “I hold my breath” doesn’t make you immune to the spell. I suppose a DM could rule that if you use your action to Ready holding your breath, then you automatically succeed on the saving throw but that seems like a poor use of an action.
One thing a DM could do is create a poison gas trap and say that holding your breath is effective at countering the trap, but that is something of their own creation and not a spell in the PHB.
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Can a DM rule that for a spell e.g. Poison gas...a creature/ enemy can hold it's breath and not be effected by it...?
Technically, yes -- the Dungeon Master is allowed to make a ruling like that. I think there's a lot more that could be unpacked from this question, but to put it plainly, yeah.
One could argue that the wording in the spell doesn't specify a creature is allowed to do that, but the DM has full authority to say otherwise.
That is what the saving throw is for. Was the creature successful on its saving throw? If yes it probably was because it held its breath, avoided getting the poison in its eyes, etc.
A DM can make a ruling like that but should have a very good reason and they should have thought about the implications of that ruling.
The DM can do whatever they want, but constantly changing the rules on players can undermine their fun.
Spells do exactly what they say; no more and no less. If a spell doesn't say that holding your breath avoids its effects, then holding your breath doesn't avoid its effects.
To every rulinh there are drawbacks. For example, he could say that doing so you have to close your eyes as a reaction, Blinding you until the end of your next turn, effectively disabling you as the swarm of Orcs slaughter your limp blind body.
Extended Signature! Yay! https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/3153-extended-signature-thread?page=2#c21
Haven’t used this account in forever. Still a big fan of crawling claws.
Basically he can not ignore the Saving throws...? I guess i'm trying to work out...
The DM is going to have the final word in their own game but usually it’s a bad idea to change how a spell or spells work. Most spells that cause poison damage have a saving throw for no damage or half damage. In the case of the cantrip Poison Spray, it is a Con save. Fail the save, take 1d12 damage*, succeed and take zero damage (*higher level casters do more damage). You could describe succeeding on a Con saving throw in this case as managing to hold your breath but just saying “I hold my breath” doesn’t make you immune to the spell. I suppose a DM could rule that if you use your action to Ready holding your breath, then you automatically succeed on the saving throw but that seems like a poor use of an action.
One thing a DM could do is create a poison gas trap and say that holding your breath is effective at countering the trap, but that is something of their own creation and not a spell in the PHB.