Strenuous activity and Drowning

[calebhand]

I tried to search for this topic in the forum, but for some reason it said I was restricted from doing that.

So, tonight in our game, we were in an underwater situation. The rules seem to say that you can hold your breathe for 3 min without checks. Then if you have a "strenuous activity" or take damage, you need to make an endurance check DC 20. I found this interesting since in our situation, we were able to swim, get into combat, etc. without checks, but when I picked a lock, THAT was a strenuous activity. I tried looking in the rules about what this exactly is, but couldn't find it anywhere. We basically determined that it was DM's decision what is "strenuous." Personally, I find swimming and swinging a sword more strenuous than lock picking, but I wish there was a rule about this. I mean, are all skill checks "stenuous" then? Thoughts?

Caleb

 

[The Human Target]

A) You would have gotten way more hits on this in the 4E DnD forum.

B) The search function only works for members that have donated to the site.

C) The rules state (DMG page 159) that you can hold your breath for a maximum of 3 minutes and after that you have to make checks. But that in any round you take damage while holding your breath, you have to make a DC 20 Endurance check or lose a healing surge. It doesn't matter if its the first round of holding your breath or two and a half minutes in. So you seemingly screwed that up (unless somehow no one ever got hit.)

D) Other than taking damage, what constitutes "strenuous" is indeed up to the DM.

E) Also note that in the PHB in the Endurance skill description it says that you can hold your breath for 5 rounds and have to make a check every round after that at a DC of 10+1 per round. That has been errata-ed to fit in with the DMG explanation of how it works.

Hope that helps! I just had to look these rules up myself for my next session.

 

[Joshua Randall]

I dunno about the rules, but when I'm DMing, if you're underwater holding your breath and you get into combat, you're making an Endurance check every round. Anything else is ludicrous, IMO.

 

[Dausuul]

D) Other than taking damage, what constitutes "strenuous" is indeed up to the DM.

However, any DM who does not include combat in the definition of "strenuous" either hasn't put any thought at all into the ruling, or is a complete loon.

 

[Umbran]

However, any DM who does not include combat in the definition of "strenuous" either hasn't put any thought at all into the ruling, or is a complete loon.

Or is maybe just not paying very close attention.

 

[The Human Target]

However, any DM who does not include combat in the definition of "strenuous" either hasn't put any thought at all into the ruling, or is a complete loon.

Or is new to DMing. Or just misread a rule and is trying to play the game by the book. Or just had a brain fart.

 

[jonesy]

However, any DM who does not include combat in the definition of "strenuous" either hasn't put any thought at all into the ruling, or is a complete loon.

Hey, non-strenuous combat is loony by default:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OWCtFTeyP4]YouTube - The Kids in the Hall - Bored Robbers[/ame]

 

[Dausuul]

Or is maybe just not paying very close attention.

Or is new to DMing. Or just misread a rule and is trying to play the game by the book. Or just had a brain fart.

Okay, point taken. I'll withdraw that statement and replace it with:

I think combat clearly ought to count as "strenuous," both by the English meaning of the word and the clear intent of the rules.