Underwater Combat

Underwater combat is difficult for normal land-born characters.

Due to water resistance, effective use of crushing or cleaving weapons will not be possible — only thrusting weapons will be of any use (this means spears, tridents, daggers, stabbing swords, etc.).

Human-types will also be somewhat slowed underwater, so aquatic creatures will always get the first chance to hit, unless the human is armed with a significantly longer weapon than the opponent. Only those characters with free action ability (from a ring, helm or otherwise) will be able to move as if above water: they can use any type of weapon they could normally use, and they receive no reaction penalty.

C2, Ghost Tower of Inverness, p15. Special Note on Underwater Combat: Any character attempting to engage in melee while under water will automatically lose initiative, unless long weapons (e.g. pole arms) are employed.

Except for certain specially-made crossbows, use of missile weapons is generally impossible underwater.

Special crossbows which will function underwater can be made by knowledgeable bowyers for ten times the normal price. Effective underwater range of these will be one-half normal (dungeon distances).

Polyhedron #18; Dispel Confusion, p. 30: ADQ: What is the underwater range of a crossbow?ADA: Maximum underwater range for a heavy crossbow is 30 feet, as in the Sahuagin monster description (Monster Manual I).

If characters intend to go somewhere where normal missile weapons could be of use (like the great air-filled domes of Atlantis), bows and missiles must be kept dry. This is doubly true of such things as scrolls and books, of course.

SPELLS/MAGIC

Spell use underwater will be limited to the same ranges and distances as in dungeons.

In addition, there are problems with spell preparation, as many material components will be altered by or will not work correctly underwater.

Some spells will be altered in effects as well. Fire-based spells (such as fireball) will not function at all underwater (except within the radius of an airy water spell). Electrical spells will be conducted to the entire surrounding area—a lightning bolt will behave as a fireball, etc. As Dungeon Master, you can alter whatever spell preparations or effects you deem necessary and reasonable.

The following spells cannot be cast or will not function underwater:

aerial servant

affect normal fires*

animal summoning I

animal summoning II

animal summoning III

atonement*

burning hands*

cacodemon*

call lightning

call woodland beings

Chariot of Sustarre

conjure fire elemental

control weather

control winds

creeping doom

delayed blast fireball

distance distortion

find familiar

fire charm

fire seeds

fire shield †

fire storm

fire trap

fireball

flame arrow*

flame strike

guards and wards*

gust of wind

heat metal †

illusionary script*

incendiary cloud

insect plague

lower water

meteor swarm

pass plant

polymorph any object*

predict weather

produce fire*

produce flame*

pyrotechnics*

speak with dead*

speak with plants*

summon insects

wall of fire

wall of fog*

weather summoning

wind walk

* spells that can be cast and will function within the bounds of an airy water spell. [ † = the cold versions will function. ]

The effects of the following spells will be substantially altered when cast underwater:

- conjure earth elemental: an earth elemental conjured underwater will have to stay in the sea, lake, or river floor from which it was conjured, and cannot venture into the water. However, it may still assault creatures or constructions resting on or in the ground.
- conjure elemental: air and fire elementals cannot be conjured under water at all. Earth elementals can be conjured only as described above under conjure earth elemental. There is no problem about conjuring water elementals, of course.
- earthquake: effects are as follows: TERRAIN, Underwater — causes shock waves stunning all within range who fail to save vs. death magic for 5-20 rounds.
- fly: this spell will enable the recipient to swim easily at any depth desired, even if encumbered or normally too heavy to float. Maximum speed is 9".
- lightning bolt: underwater, this spell resembles a fireball as pertains to area of effect. Instead of a stroke, the electrical discharge takes the form of a 2" radius sphere, centering on the point where a stroke would originate were the spell cast above water. All those within the sphere will suffer the full effect (saving throw indicates one-half damage).
- ice storm: the icy hail formed by this spell will be very large but weak in downward force, inflicting only 1-10 hit points of damage before floating to the surface. Sleet will melt instantly and have no effect.
- Otiluke's freezing sphere: this spell is extremely dangerous to the caster if invoked in its first manifestation while submerged. The globe of absolute zero matter, when formed underwater, will instantly freeze the water around the caster into a block of ice of a volume equal to 50 cubic feet per level of the caster. This will last a number of rounds equal to the level of the caster. Unless immediate aid is forthcoming, the magic-user will suffocate (the ice-entombed magic-user will immediately float to the surface, of course).
- part water: this spell can be used to form a "tunnel" through deep water, no wider than 10-ft in diameter.
- wall of ice: a wall of ice can be formed underwater, but it will immediately float to the surface and bob about like an ice floe.

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