How Does Underwater Work in D&D 5e? - Ultimate Guide to Underwater Combat

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Kobold reading a scroll art by Novatonix:

[.jiggawatts]

You know what Air Bubble is good for? Hiding in a Bag of Holding. Artificers can learn this spell and make a bag of holding, so once you reach Lv 5, you can hang out in your bag indefinitely and never run out of air.

[jaceg]

The thing I love most about underwater combat is that it specifies net as a weapon that does not incur disadvantage from being used underwater.
To explain why I think this is hilarious, a net has a range of 5/something, we can ignore the long range, since it is removed because underwater. Now we are left with a ranged weapon that has 5 feet of range. This is terrible, since if you make a ranged attack while a hostile creature is within 5 feet (so if you have a valid target).You get disadvantage on the attack roll. Thus, throwing a net is always (unless crossbow expert) at disadvantage.
To have the sheer grit, the sheer determination and hubris to specifically list the net as a weapon that does not incur disadvantage from being used underwater, specifically when said weapon always had disadvantage to begin with, that's just something.

[JustBenUnofficial]

Because of your birthday wish here's my fix for the casters are too strong underwater problem: "You can't cast spells with verbal components while submerged in water, unless you have an ability that allows you to breath underwater such as Amphibious or Gift of the Sea."

Edit: punctuation

[TheTank]

I love the fact that you can cast spells with verbal components while holding your breath underwater no problem but heaven forbid you swing a sword.

[Found]

It's really funny to me how every time you look closer at a mechanic in 5e you realize it's almost specifically designed to screw martials.

[shawncarnes]

My favorite underwater combat story was my party fighting deep in the sea. As I described the scene, I paid special attention to the blood and such clouding the water as a result of the frenzied battle. Suddenly, one of my players realized, “HEY! We’re breathing this!” She literally wretched sitting at the table. It was an unintended victory for me.

[CivilWarMan]

It wasn't mentioned, but there are also class and subclass abilities that will let you either breathe underwater or not need to breathe.

For water breathing, there are Beast Barbarians, Storm Herald Barbarians of the Sea, high level Aberrant Mind Sorcerers, Alchemist Artificers (though that's dependent on RNG), Artificers using a Replicate Magic Item infusion to create something like a Cap of Water Breathing, Fathomless Warlocks, and Warlocks with the Gift of the Depths invocation.

For not needing to breathe, there's the Undead and Undying Warlock (though Undying almost doesn't count, since Undead gets the ability sooner and also has better abilities in general).

[KiithnarasAshaa]

Kobold: "I don't recommend this feature as an entire campaign"

The McElroys: "So we've got this idea for a campaign where it is all underwater." (TAZ Ethersea)

[leodouskyron]

Ranger points- don’t forget rangers can get a swim speed (Tasha) so combat for you is easier. Also, they can read a scroll 📜 underwater and also spell tattoos also can be purchased for using the Water breathing spell. As a Ranger, use these for casting your Water breathing spell. Have one or two you only need it when crossing water if dealing with water traps. (Also, talk to your dm and see if they are good with you making a scroll for said purposes).

[Ash.King.Y]

Happy birthday. Funny that the monk water walking was not mentioned because it's terrible.

[meltingskeleton]

As a forever DM who loves Sinister secret of Saltmarsh and the follow ups (Ghost of Saltmarsh book I see as one of the 5 essential books for 5e.) Underwater combat is best served over several courses.
You have them fight something light underwater, maybe an early encounter so they know water combat can be a rough go.
Then you award them things that help with, like giving them swim speeds.
When you give your martials swim speeds and they get a little practice in, you can have some fun, 3-D fights.

[lukenator]

I usually rule that verbal components are impossible underwater, because the sound doesn't come out right.

Air bubble would allow verbal spells while water breathing wouldn't. Now it has a use!

[JohnMusgrave-mq]

Happy Birthday, Kobold and Gator!!!! 😃

[hiden]

Gator gotta be in the next playtest lol

[aidenk.]

I fixed this problem for my martials with a homebrew “Wave Breaker” fighting style. Simply negates disadvantage on melee underwater. I feel like being good at fighting underwater should be something you have to intentionally customize for, but doesn’t cost too much.

[TDfluffyR]

I feel magically compelled to comment Happy Birthday!!

[skelyjack]

The optimizer spelled Triton as "Tirton." Lol
Happy Birthday!

[amazingjedi]

3:00 One benefit that Air Bubble has that Water Breathing doesn't is that it only has somatic components. If you unexpectedly find yourself underwater you probably wouldn't be able to cast Water Breathing, but you definitely would be able to cast Air Bubble.

[Uranium_Diet]

Thanks Gator, I'm about to start playing in an actually challenging campaign where optimizing is encouraged :)

[ArchAngelxDemonChao]

Happy Birthday, Kobold! Thanks for the info! I'm actually running an "Adventures on the Azure Sea" campaign which combines the Tales from the Yawning Portal and Ghosts of Saltmarsh quests together as one long campaign with several customizations to make things exciting and fresh. The crew chose to become a pirate ship though, so hopefully Saltmarsh can handle them, lol. I'm treating each location as its own island in the Azure Sea which makes the use of the boat and sailing combat/underwater combat quite frequent. I hope you have a wonderful birthday, you and Gator both!

Also, I hope we get that Gator race too, Gator.