Only piercing/thrusting melee weapons can be True Dungeon: used underwater, and the only missile weapons Underwater Rules which work are crossbows. There are magics Adventuring underwater is new to True which can overcome these restrictions. Dungeon. This new environment brings with it Without some magical aid, you are very slow to new rules. No doubt there will be many propel yourself, and you may be carried along questions related to this new environment. Hopefully this document will answer those by the current. In melee combat, only characters questions. wearing Boots of Free Action (or similar device) may attack the first round. Similarly, Underwater Basics any anything requiring movement or a move You must have a way to breathe underwater. If action is not possible (without magical aid) you don’t have a magical item that lets you during the first round of combat. This is breathe underwater, you have to hold your referred to as being Hindered. breath until you can either “surface” (see It is not possible to cast spells nor to perform a below) or activate a magic item. Bardsong underwater unless you have some Some underwater rooms will have a corner magical means to create “airy water” around designated as “the surface” to represent the you or some other magical effect. Non-magical character going up for a breath of air. The fire cannot burn underwater, but magical fire player must physically stand in that corner of can. Also, any magic items which require a the room. Once characters swim to the surface, command word (including anything with a they are out of melee combat for that charge) or verbalization will not work. Even encounter—it takes too long to swim back with magical help to vocalize underwater, a down. Characters on the surface are vulnerable character cannot use scrolls because they are to attack by monsters. Surfaced characters can destroyed when exposed to water. Potions are still fire ranged weapons and cast ranged spells usable, but not Oils or Salves unless you posses at the monster. Bardsong can be performed on a magical means to apply them. See the list of the surface, but unless you have a Lyre of the underwater-related tokens below for items Siren, only other surfaced characters can benefit which can overcome these restrictions. from it. Very cold water can kill you as fast as boiling While surfaced, characters may cast spells on water, so in the adventure locale in 2011 you themselves or other surfaced characters, but not will take 1 point of cold damage when you exit on submerged characters or enemies. a room. This is referred to as Chilled Damage. Any type of cold resistance will negate this While underwater, unless they have some damage, including a Scroll of Endure Elements. magical aid, players may not talk to each other. While on the surface, any party member can talk quietly with other surfaced players, but not Tokens Which May Help You loud enough so the other players in the Underwater underwater section of the room can hear them. These items are usable only while underwater Swimming to the surface is a Free Action. or would be pointless to use above water: Air Runestone: allows ranged weapons to Ring of the Deep: allows breathing, Bardsong, function normally underwater (one use; entire command words, spell casting, and speaking adventure) underwater (permanent) Bracers of the Nixie: allows slashing weapons Sahuagin Blunt Lt. Crossbow: ranged to be used while Hindered (permanent; Wrist weapon, can only be used underwater slot) (permanent) Bracers of the Sea Elf: allows blunt weapons +1 Sahuagin Blunt Lt. Crossbow: ranged to be used while Hindered (permanent; Wrist weapon, can only be used underwater slot) (permanent) Catspaw Hat: allows spell casting & command Scroll Nymph’s Breath: allows character to words without speaking (permanent; Head breathe water; can only be cast by slot) CLR/DRU/BRD, but anyone in the party can Cloak of the Devil Ray: allows attack first benefit from the effect (one use; one room) round while Hindered (permanent; Back slot) Scroll Water Breathing: must be cast by a Gill Leaf: allows underwater breathing, but -2 spellcasting class, but anyone in the party can To Hit (one use; one room) benefit from the effect (one use; one room) Ioun Stone Coral Cube: allows activation of Sea Dragon Scroll Tube: allows scrolls to be command words without speaking, but not stored & cast underwater (permanent) spellcasting, underwater only (permanent) Wand of the Tide: can reduce enemy’s To Hit Ioun Stone Coral Sphere: protects scrolls roll by 4 (limited charges; DRU & WIZ only) from non-magical water damage while the Wand of Waves: can reduce enemy’s To Hit spell is being cast (permanent) roll by 2 (limited charges; DRU & WIZ only) Ioun Stone Emerald Prism: removes all Water Runestone: allows slashing & blunt underwater weapon restrictions (permanent) weapons to be used underwater (one use; lasts Lyre of the Siren: allows Bardsong entire adventure) (permanent; BRD only) Necklace of the Bay: allows underwater These items enhance or protect while breathing (permanent; Neck slot) underwater but are not necessarily restricted to Nixie Cloak: negates 1 point of Cold Damage underwater use: per room, may also negate Chilled Damage if Bone Scroll Case: protects scrolls from all the power was not already expended on damage while in the tube (permanent) another Cold source (permanent; Back slot) Boots of Free Action: immunity to Slow, Hold, Pearl of the Sirine: allows spell casting, and other hindrances, negates Hindered command words, and Bardsong underwater restriction, allows use of any weapon (one use; one room) (assuming you can otherwise use it), including Potion Polymorph (Shark): turns drinker into ranged, while underwater (permanent; Boot a shark, allows underwater breathing, negates slot) Chilled Damage (one use; one room; DRU & Boots of Warmth: reduces all cold damage by WIZ only) 50%, negates Chilled Damage (permanent; Potion Water Breathing: (one use; one room) Boot slot) Boots of Water Walking: wearer may walk on Potion Polymorph (Otter): turns drinker into water as if it was solid ground (permanent; an otter, negates Chilled Damage (one use; Boot slot) one room; DRU & WIZ only) Bottle of Bubbles: allows one person to breathe Pouch of Tulz: You can use a potion, oil, or air, but takes off-hand slot to use (one use; one salve as a Free Action once per round, works room) underwater (permanent) Devil Crab Armor: +3 AC & allows attack Quiver of Anointment: Lets you apply a first round while Hindered (permanent; Armor magical oil to a single missile weapon as a slot; All except MNK & WIZ) Free Action, makes that oil last for one Dire Turtle Armor: +4 AC & allows attack combat, works underwater (permanent) first round while Hindered (permanent; Armor Ring of Frost Resistance: reduces all cold slot; All except MNK & WIZ) damage by 50%; negates Chilled Damage Druid's Wild Vestments: druid can speak, cast (permanent) spells, and transform back instantly while Ring of Gaea: -1 damage from fire, cold under the effects of transformational magic; (including Chilled), or shock (permanent) this would allow spell casting underwater if Ring of Water Elemental Command: -5 polymorphed into an otter or shark damage from cold (including Chilled), does 2 (permanent; Shirt slot; DRU only) points of cold damage to any monster that hits Eelskin Armor: 4 AC & allows breathing the wearer in melee (permanent) underwater (permanent; Armor slot; All except Scroll Endure Elements: immunity to natural MNK & WIZ) fire or cold; negates Chilled Damage; must be Faerie Water: Purifies 1 cubic yard of liquid cast by any spellcasting class, but anyone in (one use) the party can benefit from the effect (one use; Flask of Survival: immune to natural cold one room) (including Chilled) and fire (limited uses; one Scroll Purify Water: removes harmful material room) from all water in room (one use; one room; Ioun Stone Iridescent Spindle: sustains CLR/DRU/BRD) character without air (permanent) Sea Elf Armor: +6 AC & allows attack first Nixie Leather Armor: +3 AC on dry land, +4 round while Hindered (permanent, Armor slot; AC while underwater (permanent; Armor slot; CLR/FTR/PAL only) All except MNK & WIZ) Sharkskin Armor: +5 AC, allows underwater Platemail of the Depths: +8 AC, allows breathing, -1 to Reflex saves (permanent; underwater breathing, -1 to Reflex saves Armor slot; All except MNK & WIZ) (permanent; Armor slot; CLR/FTR/PAL only) Vial of Ink: when unstoppered or broken Potion Endure Elements: immunity to natural underwater, mimics the effects of a fire or cold; negates Chilled Damage (one use; Smokestick (one use; one room) one room) Potion Frost Resistance: reduces all cold Underwater Q & A damage by 50%, negates Chilled Damage (one Q: Does the Weighted Net function use; one room) underwater? A: No. It can’t be effectively thrown over a monster. Q: Can an Ioun Stone Coral Cube be used in a A: Yes. Faerie Water could also be used, but dry room to silently activate a magical item? you’d need more than one as the volume of A: No. It only works underwater. water it affects is smaller. Q: Does the Ioun Stone Coral Sphere protect Q: Can a Smokestick be used underwater? the scroll being cast from any non-magical A: No. But it’s still a stick and you could shake damage? it at someone. A: No. It only prevents normal water from Q: What happens when you wear Boots of destroying the scroll. Water Walking underwater? Q: Can I use a Nixie Cloak to prevent 1 point of A: Your feet will not be visible. (They have no cold damage on dry land? special magical properties underwater.) A: Yes. It can also negate Chilled Damage but Q: The Boots of Water Walking token says the only if it was not previously used in that room wearer “may” walk on water, so can the effect to negate cold damage. be turned off? Q: If I wear Platemail of the Depths and A: Yes Sharkskin Armor on dry land, do I still suffer Q: The Boots of Water Walking token says the the -1 penalty to my Reflex saves? wearer “may” walk on water, so can the effect A: Yes be turned off? Q: Do Boots of Free Action allow all weapons A: Yes to be used underwater without restrictions? Q: Do Boots of Free Action prevent you from A: Yes, even ranged, but you must already be being carried away by a strong current? able to use that weapon. They do not allow a A: Yes wizard to use a sword, for example. Q: Will items inside a Bag of Holding be Q: Do spells with the Shock/Electricity protected from water damage as long as they descriptor automatically become Area of Effect remain inside? underwater? A: Yes, but… A: No Q: Would merely opening a Bag of Holding Q: When cast underwater, do either Cold, underwater cause everything inside to become Force, Shock, or Sonic spells function/damage soaked? differently? A: Yes A: No (though you must still have a means to Q: Does using the +2 Staff of Power’s spell cast underwater) enhancement ability require a command word? Q: Does Turning Undead work in a A: No command word is needed. silenced/underwater situation? Q: Does being Hindered only affect your 1st A: Yes. Turning mostly involves the round of melee combat? presentation of the cleric’s holy symbol. A: Yes Q: If a Vial of Ink is smashed/opened Q: So if I’m Hindered, can I attack with a underwater, the resulting effect is akin to ranged weapon on round 1, then melee in igniting a Smokestick on dry land. (Obscures a subsequent rounds? 10-foot cube of water, all ranged spells & A: Yes attacks in that area suffer -4 To Hit penalty) Can the spell Purify Water be used to negate the Q: Can a player with an underwater-usable inky water effect? weapon fire during round 1? A: Yes. Hindered has no effect on Ranged weapons. Q: Will all of the retribution effects from Rings Q: Can monks use their unarmed attack of Air/Earth/Fire/Water Elemental Command underwater? and Ring of Frost function normally A: Yes. It’s considered a Blunt or Thrusting underwater? attack. A: Yes. They will work underwater or even in a Q: Can screams be heard underwater? vacuum. A: Yes, but not understood. Q: I have tiny lungs and can’t hold my breath for very long without passing out. Can I play Underwater Scenarios this year? This section will showcase some examples of A: Yes. Holding one’s breath is more of a role- underwater adventuring. playing exercise, not a lung capacity test. Players are strongly encouraged to abide by the Scenario 1 RP suggestion to maximize your fun. Round 1: The party has entered the underwater lair of a zombie merman known as Morvo the Q: Is the Lyre of the Siren the only instrument a Moist. Since Morvo was busy feasting on the Bard can play underwater? brains of a fisherman he caught earlier, he A: Yes and No. With no other magical didn’t notice the party enter and they get first enhancements, a Lyre of the Siren is a bard’s attack. The fighter is wearing Eelskin Armor so only option. But if the bard uses both a Pearl of he can breathe, but has no ranged weapons and the Sirine and wears a Ring of the Deep, the is thus out of combat the round because he is bard could play any of the other instruments. Hindered. The cleric doesn’t have the ability to Q: Does a 5th-level barbarian’s Damage breathe underwater, but elects to Turn Undead Reduction negate Chilled Damage? before swimming to the surface for a breath. A: Yes Turning Undead is not considered melee Q: If I’m swimming in poisoned water, would combat, so the cleric can go ahead and make her an Ioun Stone Iridescent Spindle protect me skill check. She succeeds on the check then from ingesting the poison? swims to the surface (walks over to the A: Yes. This also works on land against poison designated “surface” section of the room.) gas. It does not work against contact poisons or Round 2: Morvo is now very much aware there anything which can infect via skin. are intruders in his lair. The cleric’s holy aura Q: Can a Hindered rogue use the first round to offends Morvo’s vile sensibilities so Morvo set up a sneak attack? attacks the cleric. The cleric is breathing on the A: No surface and can’t engage in combat, but Morvo can still attack her—and does! The fighter can Q: Can a rogue wearing Boots of Elvenkind now attack with his rapier and lands a critical who was Hindered on round 1 Sneak Attack on attack on Morvo, killing him outright. round 2 of combat? A: Yes Round 3: The cleric, still on the surface, casts a th small heal spell on herself while the fighter Q: Can a Hindered 5 -level rogue use Flank loots Morvo’s corpse. As he swims up to the Attack on the first round? cleric, the fighter notices an underwater cave in A: No the distance. When both are surfaced, they Q: Does a druid’s Communicate with Animals discuss their options and decide to venture power work underwater if the druid can’t down further. speak? A: Yes Round 4: Both characters move deeper into the underwater cave. Because neither of them have any items which reduce cold damage, they each suffer Chilled Damage and reduce their hit damage. The fighter wants to make up for his points by 1 as they leave this room. flubbed attack last round, crits, and Morvo lies Scenario 2 motionless. Same situation as above, but the cleric has a Round 3: There’s no need for her to swim to the Sahuagin Blunt Lt. Crossbow and the fighter surface to cast a spell, so the cleric remains has a Bottle of Bubbles and is wearing Nixie below to heal herself magically. The fighter Cloak. cannot speak, but he points out the new cave to Round 1: The fighter still can’t attack this the cleric. She can speak and says they should round, but he uses his turn to hand the cleric his investigate. The fighter nods in agreement. Bottle of Bubbles. Since she can now breathe Round 4: The cleric takes Chilled Damage through the Bottle of Bobbles in her offhand, because a Ring of the Deep does not negate it. the cleric boldly presents her holy symbol with Scenario 4 her main hand and deals 8 points of holy Adding to the equipment in Scenario 3, the damage to Morvo. cleric’s other hand sports a Ring of Water Round 2: Morvo takes his turn and attacks the Elemental Command and has a Sea Dragon cleric. Even though the cleric could engage in Scroll Tube filled with Divine scrolls in her melee combat, she has no piercing weapons so backpack. The fighter is also wearing a Ring of she chooses to fire her Sahuagin Blunt Lt. the Deep, an Ioun Stone Emerald Prism orbits Crossbow but narrowly misses Morvo. his head, and he’s carrying a +2 Great Club of Fortunately the fighter crits and Morvo the Bashing. Moist is now pushing up underwater daisies. Round 1: Normally he couldn’t attack the first Round 3: Though she can breathe underwater round, let alone with a blunt weapon, but the thanks to the Bottle of Bubbles, the cleric still Boots of Free Action and Ioun Stone Emerald can’t cast spells so she swims to the surface to Prism (respectively) grant the fighter the ability cast her heal spell. to use his +2 Great Club of Bashing the first Round 4: As they swim down into the cave, the round. He tries to bonk Morvo on the head, but cleric takes Chilled Damage but the fighter does Morvo weaves at the last second and the fighter not thanks to his Nixie Cloak. only deals minimal damage. The cleric Turns, as usual. Scenario 3 Adding to the equipment in Scenario 2, the Round 2: Morvo successfully attacks the cleric. cleric is wearing a Ring of the Deep and the Were he not undead and immune to cold fighter is wearing Boots of Free Action. damage, he would have taken 2 points of cold damage from the Ring of Water Elemental Round 1: Thanks to his Boots of Free Action, Command, but unfortunately he just shrugs off the fighter attacks during the first round. the damage. The fighter swings his massive Unfortunately he misses. The cleric’s Ring of club again and splits Morvo’s head in two. the Deep allows her to breathe without having to hold a bottle, but old reliable Turn Undead is Round 3: In an effort to save her big spells for still her first attack of choice. She fails the skill combat, the cleric pulls a healing scroll from test, so she only deals 5 points of damage to her Sea Dragon Scroll Tube, thus allowing her Morvo. to cast it without the scroll disintegrating in the water. Round 2: Morvo takes his turn and attacks the cleric. She can cast spells now (RotD), so she Round 4: The two “discuss” delving deeper (per casts Spiritual Hammer, slides her puck, and Scenario 3), but the Ring of Water Elemental hits Morvo’s AC dealing 8 points of Force Command ensures the cleric takes no Chilled Damage.