Should it be possible to swim through Solid Fog?

[Ernir]

I was thinking about what it's like being stuck in Solid Fog (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/solidFog.htm) earlier today.

The first thing I thought of was that the feeling had to be similar to the one of treading through water - extreme resistance, all movements slowed.

But... if we have a gas that offers such resistance that we have trouble walking through it, shouldn't that mean we can at least try to just... swim through it?

Obviously, this isn't in the rules. We don't have a swim DC for swimming through Solid Fog. But should we?

[Marnath]

I'd say no to swimming in it. It's a Solid Fog, not a Liquid Fog.

:smallbiggrin:

[Flickerdart]

I imagine Solid Fog is much like mud - you can't swim through it because it's too thick, but you can still muscle your way through if you're bracing off the ground.

[RunicLGB]

I imagine Solid Fog is much like mud - you can't swim through it because it's too thick, but you can still muscle your way through if you're bracing off the ground.

This makes a lot of sense to me, but now I just want there to be a new spell like:

Liquid Air: The air in the area becomes thicker, slowing movements as though moving through water and allowing swimming through it.

[Ernir]

Solid, you say? So can we burrow through it instead? :smallbiggrin:

But, on swimming, I'm reminded that liquid thickness doesn't really seem to bother people too much when swimming. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4TEqb-728k)


OK, I actually just thought of a real problem. We can't be sure that Solid Fog is very/at all buoyant.

Liquid Air: The air in the area becomes thicker, slowing movements as though moving through water and allowing swimming through it.

This could be useful. Sounds like it could be a deluxe version of Wind Wall.

[Duke of Urrel]

I consider Solid Fog to be airy like cotton candy, springy like a sponge, and gooey like taffy, though strangely it doesn't stick to you at all. Can you swim through it? I would say no. Can you crawl through it (at the rate of five feet per round)? I would say yes. As far as I know, you can also breathe inside Solid Fog, so you can't drown in it.

When I'm the DM (warning: house rules), I also allow you to use the Solid Fog spell to create a cushion under a falling creature, so as to reduce the damage they take from the fall by 1d6. I allow the same benefit if you use the Transmute Rock to Mud spell to soften the ground under somebody who's falling or at risk of falling.

[Duke of Urrel]

Oops, I just checked out the description of the Solid Fog spell, and some of those "house rules" of mine aren't house rules – they're RAW. Except that by the RAW, you reduce falling damage by 1d6 for every 10 feet of Solid Fog you fall through before you land. Trust the SRD, not me!

My memory in regard to specific rules is faulty, and I shouldn't rely on it. However, I will still stand by my fluff!

[RunicLGB]

This could be useful. Sounds like it could be a deluxe version of Wind Wall.

So with that as a baseline how about this:

Liquid Air
Transmutation [Air]
Level: Cleric 4, Druid 4, Sorc/Wiz 4.
Components: V,S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium
Area: 20ft. radius Burst.
Duration: 1 round/level.
Saves: None.
SR: Yes (Harmless)
By condensing the air in the area, you cause it to take on properties similar to water. Any creature or object moving through the effected area does so as though it were underwater, taking all the normal penalties which they would normally take in that condition. Liquid Air does not interefere with a creature's ability to breathe. Creatures can swim through the area of Liquid air spell as though it were water, even applying a swim speed as appropriate. Projectile attacks entering the area of Liquid Air are slowed as normal for flying through water, suffering a -2 on the attack roll for each 5 feet of space moved within the area. Projectile Attacks launched out of the area of Liquid air simply fall harmlessly after exiting the area. A creature with spell resistance is checked when entering the area with his spell resistance active. If the effect is resisted, the creature completely ignores any affect of that casting of Liquid Air. Liquid Air fails slowly; If a creature is swimming at the top of the area when the spell ends, they float back to the bottom of the area as though under the effects of Feather Fall. Once they exit the area where the spell had been cast, they will continue to fall at normal speed if applicable.
Material Component: The fin of a fish and the feather of a bird.

[Skysaber]

It has resistance, but not buoyancy, so I'd say no. In airplane terms you'd have thrust but not lift, and what would result would effectively be crawling, which you could do anyway.

And if you've got a burrow speed, dig under it. I'd allow that.

[Greenish]

But, on swimming, I'm reminded that liquid thickness doesn't really seem to bother people too much when swimming. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4TEqb-728k)Oh, cool, I hadn't seen that episode. Still, the "syrup" through which they were swimming didn't look all that thick to me. I imagine Solid Fog (if it acts like a liquid at all) is a quite a bit more viscous.

[Sith_Happens]

So with that as a baseline how about this:

I'd say up the level (6th sounds about right), make it SR:No, and change the area to a 10 ft cube/level (S).

[Ashtagon]

It has resistance, but not buoyancy, so I'd say no. In airplane terms you'd have thrust but not lift, and what would result would effectively be crawling, which you could do anyway.

And if you've got a burrow speed, dig under it. I'd allow that.

Pretty much this. I'd allow you to use your full burrow speed, since that doesn't rely on buoyancy, but not any fly or swim speed.

[Crake]

The proper answer to questions like this is "It's magic." If the spell description doesn't say you can swim through it, then there's no real plausible reason why you should be able to.

[Keneth]

I don't know about Liquid Air, but Pathfinder druids can swim through the sky (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/sky-swim), which is just funny because you have absolutely no reason to use this spell other than for comic relief. :smallbiggrin:

[ericgrau]

I think it's thicker than liquid, so it offers more resistance, but lighter than liquid, so you don't float. I like Duke's explanation.

[nobodez]

I don't know about Liquid Air, but Pathfinder druids can swim through the sky (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/sky-swim), which is just funny because you have absolutely no reason to use this spell other than for comic relief. :smallbiggrin:

Well, there's always the Orca animal companion.

[Eldan]

Well, yo ucan still breathe it, so it can't be completely solid, otherwise you couldn't possibly get it into your lungs.

[Dr.Epic]

You can balance on a cloud and swim UP a waterfall. It'd say yes!:smallwink::smalltongue:

[Divide by Zero]

You can balance on a cloud and swim UP a waterfall. It'd say yes!:smallwink::smalltongue:

So you can do it with an Epic-level Swim check, then :smalltongue:

[Keneth]

Well, there's always the Orca animal companion.

What about the Orca? You want to give it the ability to swim through the air for 1 min./level? That's gonna be a very short adventure. :smallbiggrin:

[gomipile]

So with that as a baseline how about this:

Liquid Air
Transmutation [Air]
Level: Cleric 4, Druid 4, Sorc/Wiz 4.
Components: V,S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium
Area: 20ft. radius Burst.
Duration: 1 round/level.
Saves: None.
SR: Yes (Harmless)
By condensing the air in the area, you cause it to take on properties similar to water. Any creature or object moving through the effected area does so as though it were underwater, taking all the normal penalties which they would normally take in that condition. Liquid Air does not interefere with a creature's ability to breathe. Creatures can swim through the area of Liquid air spell as though it were water, even applying a swim speed as appropriate. Projectile attacks entering the area of Liquid Air are slowed as normal for flying through water, suffering a -2 on the attack roll for each 5 feet of space moved within the area. Projectile Attacks launched out of the area of Liquid air simply fall harmlessly after exiting the area. A creature with spell resistance is checked when entering the area with his spell resistance active. If the effect is resisted, the creature completely ignores any affect of that casting of Liquid Air. Liquid Air fails slowly; If a creature is swimming at the top of the area when the spell ends, they float back to the bottom of the area as though under the effects of Feather Fall. Once they exit the area where the spell had been cast, they will continue to fall at normal speed if applicable.
Material Component: The fin of a fish and the feather of a bird.

I have two words to say to that: Land shark!

[RunicLGB]

What about the Orca? You want to give it the ability to swim through the air for 1 min./level? That's gonna be a very short adventure. :smallbiggrin:

It would be the best reinactment of Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy ever. :smallbiggrin:

[inuyasha]

It would be the best reinactment of Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy ever. :smallbiggrin:

it was a sperm whale not an orca :smallbiggrin::smalltongue::smallbiggrin:

[Marnath]

I have two words to say to that: Land shark!

That's already a thing in D&D (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/bulette.htm).

[Slipperychicken]

I don't know about Liquid Air, but Pathfinder druids can swim through the sky (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/sky-swim), which is just funny because you have absolutely no reason to use this spell other than for comic relief. :smallbiggrin:

Druids and Clerics don't get Fly or Levitate, so they can this spell as a substitute until Air Walk comes online.

It's kind of like if Levitate allowed you to move horizontally without bracing on a surface. Very useful if you're creative, and even if you aren't, it lets you stay far out of melee (and fire arrows, cast spells, and use other abilities like Bardic Music), scale walls quickly and quietly, avoid ground-based traps and hazards, and do other utlity tasks.

[Keneth]

Druids don't need fly, that's what wild shape is for. Or they can take the feather domain if for whatever reason they want both. Boots of Levitation are also dirt cheap. Wasting a spell slot on sky swim is pointless.

[Slipperychicken]

Druids don't need fly, that's what wild shape is for. Or they can take the feather domain if for whatever reason they want both. Boots of Levitation are also dirt cheap. Wasting a spell slot on sky swim is pointless.

At 5th and 6th level, before you have Air Walk? 7500 is more than half your WBL. Druids get one Wildshape use each day (2 at sixth level), and need to use them judiciously. Both Clerics and Druids might want to use their domains for other things.

[Keneth]

Chances are at least one player is gonna take Craft Wondrous Items so that price can easily halved. Feather is one of the better domains you can get as a druid since it gives you back your animal companion. Not the best choice but you can have your cake and eat it too. And there really is no point in using wild shape with a whole lot of forethought. You're either gonna be using it to stay away, which means you'll be flying, or you'll be using it to fight, which means you won't have to fly. That's not to say flight isn't an asset for a melee druid, but swimming at half your land speed as a full round action really isn't a spell worth a 3rd level slot, you'll have too few of them as it is.

[Deaxsa]

just wanted to point something out: i view moving solid fog about the same as trying to run in a dream. you move your legs, you try, and you just stay in the same place, barely accelerating at all. (i understand that i may have different dreams than other people).

[Keneth]

Powerlessness, including the inability to move efficiently (or at all), is common in dreams, especially nightmares. Most people are probably familiar with the feeling you're trying to convey. :smallsmile: