Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 drizzt_zylo Apr 04, 2015 13:57:51	I'm gonna be a heavy armor dwarf paladin or fighter or Mc both since this character started in the story that was gonna be a one shot. He is 5th level now (I only mention fighter or paladin cause I thought I might reimagine him and DM OKed it). So how would u keep from drowning with this character if fallen overboard or forces into water? So far any mundane equipment is allowed and able to be had if wanted and I have a custom magic item that basically casts bless. Thanks in advance. PS my idea is to have a rope around my waist grappling hooked to whatever I need it to be hooked to for an encounter or whatever kinda like an anchor point for rock climbing I guess
#2 Tempest_Stormwind Apr 04, 2015 14:21:01	...My question is, if you know you're going to be on a boat, why focus on heavy armor? It's fine mechanically, but seems unwise, given the setting. (Mind you, that's working solely off of weight and density estimates - heavy armor gives you disadvantage on Stealth, but apparently not on Athletics when you're swimming. I imagine I'm just missing something.)   It's probably worth noting that historical sailors, including pirates, didn't necessarily need to know how to swim to know their way around a boat. They would just hope they didn't go overboard in the first place.   It's also hypothetically possible to petition the DM for quick-releases on your armor, similar to what modern divers use on weight belts, though this can get expensive if you rely on it since it involves scuttling your armor every time you'd go overboard.   You can also ask if you can bring back the Bottle of Air from earlier editions. Paired with a bit of clever engineering or slightly different magic (modelled after the Decanter of Endless Water), you can hook it up to an expandable bladder and basically make yourself a compressed-air float - an inflatable buoy that "in the event of a water landing, can be used as a floatation device". This is doable with a mundane item if you have the equivalent of an air compressor and a tank (the vest or drysuit that scuba divers wear let us do this to regulate buoyancy, and we often use it at the surface to conserve energy instead of treading water - as long as you aren't breathing from compressed air at depth, you won't need to worry about the bends or anything.). Just make sure the bladder itself isn't ruptured.   There's also the other solution - existing uncommon magic items are quite findable by level 5. The Cloak of the Manta Ray, Gloves of Swimming and Climbing, Ring of Swimming, and Mariner's Armor are all uncommon items that grant you a swim speed (well, the gloves don't, but they give you a whopping +5 on athletics checks made to swim; if you're proficient and pair that with your Bless, you're basically outdoing Michael Phelps) and all of them can operate while wearing heavy armor. Some even let you breathe underwater, but others don't, so if you'd rather find items that just stop you from sinking instead of items that transform you into a submarine, you've got options either way.
#3 drizzt_zylo Apr 04, 2015 14:41:27	Not trying to focus on heavy armor it just so happens I got low dex and had heavy armor on a character that was supposed to be a 1 shot campaign also some really helpful suggestions thank u. Anyone else?
#4 Nevvur Apr 04, 2015 15:45:32	He keeps a potion of water breathing handy at all times, or at least when wearing armor. At level 5, he's probably savvy enough to avoid fights near the rails of a ship, and cautious enough to know he can still go overboard (or the ship might go down). The potion will give him enough time to get out of his armor, and if he ever ends up using it, getting another potion is a top priority. Fortunately, he's been doing this naval combat thing long enough that it rarely comes up.
#5 BRJN Apr 04, 2015 17:06:39	A long rope tied to the mast of the ship will keep him from falling hopelessly overboard.  If your DM is too harried by all the action to notice, Team Other Ship will not think to cut the rope.  OTOH if you seek the spotlight and/or just reminded everybody that you want to be on a longish leash ...   edit: P.S. It takes 1 minute to get out of heavy armor.  How long can you hold your breath?  (Check for CONmod > 0)
#6 drizzt_zylo Apr 04, 2015 17:38:01	New info my DM isn't allowing swimming in armor needing a str score n armor that gives disadvantage to stealth gives disadvantage on swim checks n I imagine maybe other movement based skills. Any new ideas?
#7 OrwellianHaggis Apr 05, 2015 1:10:05	Make friends with mer-people. Wear lighter armour, maybe? Half plate?
(Reply to #7) drizzt_zylo	OrwellianHaggis wrote: