How long can a character hold their breath underwater?

[runtime]

PHB page 84 says, "You can hold your breath for a number off rounds equal to your Constitution score..." DMG page 304 says, "Any character can hold her breath for a number of rounds equal to twice her Constitution score." The PHB and DMG errata don't say anything about breath holding.

Assuming an average person has a 10 Constitution, the PHB implies an average person could hold their breath for 1 minute (1 turn/Con * 10 Con * 6 seconds/turn) and the DMG implies an average person could hold their breath for 2 minutes (2 turns/Con * 10 Con * 6 seconds/turn). Holding your breath for 1 minute sounds more realistic than 2 minutes.

 

[domino]

In lieu of any errata saying one way or the other, PHB takes precedence.

 

[Storyteller01]

From the SRD:

A lizardfolk can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to four times its Constitution score before it risks drowning.

The PHB makes more sense, but sources that have critters with the 'Hold Breath' ability (like the lizard folk above) are listed as being able to hold their breath for twice as long as normal, rather than four times normal.

Is the errata on this? Possibly a typo?

EDIT: also from the SRD
Any character can hold her breath for a number of rounds equal to twice her Constitution score

 

[Iku Rex]

Holding your breath for 1 minute sounds more realistic than 2 minutes.

Why? Surely 2 minutes should be easy if you're prepared (relaxed, hyperventilated) and not moving much. If you're unprepared, short of breath or swimming underwater it might be trickier, but I still say it'd be doable when you consider some added motivation beyond "holding my breath sure is uncomfortable". Throw in the 3.5 swim rule of -1 round duration per round of fighting (effectively halved duration) and I think it's a perfectly reasonable rule.

Still, the "1 round per point of Con" rule was added to the PH in 3.5, so that's most likely the 3.5 intent.

(The 3.5 DMG is filled with copy-pasted 3.0 holdovers.)

 

[dcollins]

PHB page 84 says, "You can hold your breath for a number off rounds equal to your Constitution score..." DMG page 304 says, "Any character can hold her breath for a number of rounds equal to twice her Constitution score." The PHB and DMG errata don't say anything about breath holding.

I vote for the PHB rule. This was revised in 3.5, while the DMG line was just a (possibly overlooked) copy-and-paste from 3.0.

Also, regardless of real-world time for holding breath, there's the game-balance issue that most D&D fights only last 4 or 5 rounds. In that context, 10 rounds of breath holding is long already, 20 rounds means it would almost never actually come into play.

Plus, it's just a bit more elegant and simpler to remember.

 

[Cartigan Mrryl]

Ummm... isn't it also after a certain number of rounds you roll with your CON Modifier added to the roll, as well as any bonuses you might be granted (Endurance Feat, anyone?) in order to Continue holding your breath? I know that that's the rule for Dragons (the Draconomicon) but maybe that's because of their huge lungs? I don't know... but yeah, if you use Dragons, necrocomicon is a MUST...

That sounded like an advertisment, anyways, I'm quite sure that about 2 minutes would be MAX, or around 2 minutes, anyways, whereas 1 minute would be the average.

 

[Quasqueton]

Also remember that taking action (standard or full) effectively counts off 2 rounds worth of breath holding. So if 1 round per Con point = 5 rounds of action, 2 rounds per Con point = 10 rounds of action.

Then think of removing armor. Removing most armor takes 10 rounds. So the 1-round-per-Con-point rule would have people drowning (after 5 rounds) if they fell in wearing armor edit and are trying to remove it (which one would think is an assumed smart action to take).

Quasqueton

 

[TheEvil]

Also remember that taking action (standard or full) effectively counts off 2 rounds worth of breath holding. So if 1 round per Con point = 5 rounds of action, 2 rounds per Con point = 10 rounds of action.

Then think of removing armor. Removing most armor takes 10 rounds. So the 1-round-per-Con-point rule would have people drowning (after 5 rounds) if they fell in wearing armor.

Quasqueton

Whoa! I missed that one entirely. Can you give a page citation?

 

[ForceUser]

Whoa! I missed that one entirely. Can you give a page citation?

Yeah, that's major. Where is this?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Drowning, 3.0 SRD, Environment section:

Drowning
Any character can hold her breath for a number of rounds equal to twice her Constitution score. After this period of time, the character must make a Constitution check (DC 10) every round in order to continue holding her breath. Each round, the DC increases by 1.

It's not mentioned in the 3.5 Environment section. However, in the 3.5 SRD skills section:

If you are underwater, either because you failed a Swim check or because you are swimming underwater intentionally, you must hold your breath. You can hold your breath for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution score, but only if you do nothing other than take move actions or free actions. If you take a standard action or a full-round action (such as making an attack), the remainder of the duration for which you can hold your breath is reduced by 1 round. (Effectively, a character in combat can hold his or her breath only half as long as normal.) After that period of time, you must make a DC 10 Constitution check every round to continue holding your breath. Each round, the DC for that check increases by 1. If you fail the Constitution check, you begin to drown.