Resilient Sphere underwater

[scott2978]

Couple questions for the hive mind about Resilient Sphere.

If you cast it under water, can you breathe normally, or is it filled with water? The spell description says you can breathe normally but I see room for interpretation.

What if you fell into a lake of lava and casted it?

 

[Savage Wombat]

I think I remember Spelljammer using Resilient Spheres for instant escape pods, so as such air would be provided. But this does seem to be a DM's interpretation issue.

 

[Nezkrul]

easy solution: go with what the spell says - it creates a sphere around the target and if they can breathe normally then the sphere must be filled with whatever the target breathes normally, in the case of humans it would be air

hard solution: start interpreting and coming up with stuff that isn't written in the rules for the spell and essentially house rule it as you want.

 

[Yora]

As I see it,the spell doesn't impose additional complications to breathing, like suffocating when running out of oxygen. But I don't see how it negates already existing conditions.

 

[scott2978]

As I see it,the spell doesn't impose additional complications to breathing, like suffocating when running out of oxygen. But I don't see how it negates already existing conditions.

Yes, this is the heart of my questions.

I think simply saying "go with what the spell says" may not be suitable for every circumstance. I'm not saying every answer must be clear and concise and make perfect sense, but this spell does leave a bit of info about it's intended result out of it's description. Answering the questions, and describing how you'd adjudicate the situations would give me more insight into how others think the spell should work and help me make a decision that's right for my group. I still have no idea how Nezkrul would rule on those situations. "Ok you can breathe normally although you're immersed in a globe of force filled with water" (or even lava?) seems to make perfect sense in his game LOL!

 

[the Jester]

You can breathe normally, which means that if you can't breathe water, you'll drown.

That's my take, anyhow.

 

[GX.Sigma]

Another question: How does resilient sphere work on land? Does the sphere cut through the ground as it forms (leaving a hole in the floor)? If not, does it have to be cast in the air (so your target has to jump up before you can cast the spell)? How did this spell get past the editors?

 

[Nezkrul]

ok, first off, you can't use the phrase "make's perfect sense" when referring to the resolution of magic effects in D&D. second, the more you nitpick and interpret to not be what is plainly written in the spell is called "house ruling", and you are free to do so.

 

[scott2978]

ok, first off, you can't use the phrase "make's perfect sense" when referring to the resolution of magic effects in D&D. second, the more you nitpick and interpret to not be what is plainly written in the spell is called "house ruling", and you are free to do so.

I think you're confusing "make sense" with "be realistic". The two are not the same. Imagine what it'd be like to play in a D&D game that didn't make sense. Now imagine one that isn't realistic. See the difference? I had fun imagining games that don't make sense, it was amusing so thanks for that.

 

[delericho]

If you cast it under water, can you breathe normally, or is it filled with water? The spell description says you can breathe normally but I see room for interpretation.

As the spell description states, you can breathe normally. Presumably, the sphere pushes out from the creature's skin, displacing whatever the local environment is, creating a bubble filled with... well, with whatever it is that the creature breathes.

(I might be inclined to say "let the caster choose", were it not for 3e magic generally being overly powerful. Given that, and given that Otiluke's Resilient Sphere is primarily an offensive spell, my default is to apply the effect exactly as written, or as close as is possible.)