Surviving a mile under the ocean

[Lightlawbliss]

So our lvl 10 party has found from a potentially reliable source that [a maguffin] was in a ship that sunk in an area the artificer and high-knowledge-skill-warblaade both say is about a mile deep. Does anyone know of a way to go that deep and stay there long enough to find and loot this sunken ship? (The artificer is able to give us darkvision to 60ft and the ability to breathe water)

[Troacctid]

The transformation of the deeps spell (sorcerer/wizard 5, druid 5, Blackwater domain 4) from Stormwrack makes you immune to damage from water pressure. It also gives you waterbreathing and darkvision. It affects one creature per 3 caster levels and lasts for hours/level.

Alternately, polymorph into whales. (It was good enough for the Animorphs.)

Some deep-dwelling creatures are completely immune to pressure damage. Aberrations, elementals, and outsiders with the aquatic subtype are generally immune to pressure damage, as are certain other creatures adapted to the environment (such as giant squids or whales).

Either way, waterbreathing alone won't cut it, unless you can handle taking 52d6 damage per minute from water pressure.

[The Grue]

Obligatory Iron Heart Surge.

[Lightlawbliss]

...
Either way, waterbreathing alone won't cut it, unless you can handle taking 52d6 damage per minute from water pressure.

I wouldn't be making a thread asking for help If I didn't already know waterbreathing isn't enough.

Anyone know an option that works without Stormwrack being in use? The paragraph making whales immune is only in there as is that spell.

[Flickerdart]

Teleport should be able to get you there just fine. Once you're there, you've basically just got the cold, the pressure, and mobility to worry about. It's not going to be that cold - temperature at 6600 feet is about 40F so endure elements or a warm robe will take care of it. Make sure you have legit Swim speeds, since moving at 1/4 your speed (which is what you get with swim checks) is horrible, and there will probably be combat.

To deal with the pressure damage, you'll need to either prevent or heal tons of damage every minute (since the Fort save goes up every minute, even a high Fort save won't help for long). 52d6 is an average of 182 damage, which even heal doesn't quite cover, but fast healing 18 or higher will pretty much take care of. Druids would do well here - one with Frozen Wild Shape could become a cryohydra and use enhance wild shape to gain its fast healing. You could also persist delay death and then just make sure you get a whole bunch of healing before the end of the day.

The alternative is to pop something like a forcecage around the party and mind control a giant squid to carry you down.

[VeggieWombat]

Warblade & stuff implies 3.5, but in PF there's a couple spells for that (to argue with DM/research)
- Ride the waves give you a swim speed + underwater breathing for h/CL
- Life bubble gives immunity to temperature/pressure problem (divideable 2h/CL)

[Wacky89]

I wouldn't be making a thread asking for help If I didn't already know waterbreathing isn't enough.

Anyone know an option that works without Stormwrack being in use? The paragraph making whales immune is only in there as is that spell.

I really dont think there is any way to do it without stormwrack. What I've found is the only other way is also from Stormwrack :D Blackwater Domain granted power grants immune to pressure damage from ocean depths which can be gotten by Planar Touchstone - Catalogs of Enlightenment

[Bronk]

I wouldn't be making a thread asking for help If I didn't already know waterbreathing isn't enough.

Anyone know an option that works without Stormwrack being in use? The paragraph making whales immune is only in there as is that spell.

We don't know the complete composition of your party, but other things that would work would be to a) polymorph, alter self, or wild shape into something that can survive that depth, b) get a few fairly expensive 'apparatus of the crab' devices, or c) to buy everyone 'necklaces of adaptation', which create a shell of breathable air around you.

[Flickerdart]

b) get a few fairly expensive 'apparatus of the crab' devices
The Apparatus is only useful to a depth of 900 feet, nowhere deep enough unfortunately.

[Lightlawbliss]

We don't know the complete composition of your party, but other things that would work would be to a) polymorph, alter self, or wild shape into something that can survive that depth, b) get a few fairly expensive 'apparatus of the crab' devices, or c) to buy everyone 'necklaces of adaptation', which create a shell of breathable air around you.

The party is an artificer, a factotum/warblade, a illusionist/shadowcraft mage, and a bard/(I'm not sure what).

Alter self and all spells based on it (including polymorph) don't exist due to abuse in multiple previous campaigns. Our teleporting needs so far have been covered by wizard who charges insane danger pay if we ask him to take us anywhere dangerous, and even more if we ask him to stay there.

Where are Apparatus of the crab and necklace of adaptation? I know I've seen the Apparatus before but not seeing it looking around now.

[Bronk]

The party is an artificer, a factotum/warblade, a illusionist/shadowcraft mage, and a bard/(I'm not sure what).

Alter self and all spells based on it (including polymorph) don't exist due to abuse in multiple previous campaigns. Our teleporting needs so far have been covered by wizard who charges insane danger pay if we ask him to take us anywhere dangerous, and even more if we ask him to stay there.

Where are Apparatus of the crab and necklace of adaptation? I know I've seen the Apparatus before but not seeing it looking around now.

Both are right in the DMG or SRD. I didn't notice the 900 foot depth limit on the apparatus, but at 90000 gold it is more of a joke item anyway.

The necklace is 7000g, and creates a shell of breathable air around the wearer. No depth limit is listed, and it clearly keeps the water away from your body.

[Andion Isurand]

You could also persist delay death and then just make sure you get a whole bunch of healing before the end of the day.

However, there aren't any effects that I know of that can keep you conscious beyond -9 hit points.
And unfortunately, delay death doesn't have a fixed or personal range.

[Mongobear]

Hah! I think for once, I am finally able to lend useful info to a GitP forum discussion.

Monster Manual 3, pg 156-157 Siege Crab/Greater Siege Crab

Theyre Gargantuan(or Larger) Vermin with a surgically created compartment in its belly that can be used to transport passengers in a safe environment.

Here's the relevant bits for your needs of survival:

Shielded Compartment (Ex): Much of the
interior tissue of a siege crab has been surgically removed and replaced with a sealed compartment for passengers or cargo. The compartment
is accessed by a ventral hatch, and is air- and watertight.
Water-breathing creatures using a siege crab can flood the
compartment with seawater, while air-breathing creatures
keep the chamber filled with air. The passenger space is
about 10 feet by 10 feet by 10 feet; it can hold 1 Large creature or 4 Medium or Small creatures.
Creatures riding within a siege crab’s inner chamber
have cover and concealment from opponents outside
the crab when the hatch is open. While it is sealed, they
instead have total cover and total concealment. The hatch
is 10 feet in diameter, and the chamber’s occupants can
make ranged attacks from within the crab while it is open.
Opening or closing the hatch is a standard action for an
adjacent creature.
The death of a siege crab does not compromise the cover
or concealment of passengers within its shell. However,
since the crab’s death usually results in it collapsing on
its belly, it is diffi cult for occupants to exit through the
hatch. Creatures trapped within the crab’s carcass must cut
through the tough carapace to escape; the shell has hardness
15, and breaking through it requires dealing it 30 points of
damage from a slashing weapon.

Now the real issue is probably just going to be subdueing/acquiring the Crab to begin with, and they are rather high CR, which depending on your party level might be impossible/quite difficult and its own adventure in and of itself.

[Hiro Quester]

Get a few scrolls of detect animals and plants. Sail around until you find a squid. Perhaps a giant one, even.

Cast magic jar. (Hopefully your mage has not banned necromancy and can cast magic jar. If not, maybe the Bard can UMD a scroll. )

Possess the squid's body. They have a terrible will save. Lasts hour/level.

Go get the McGuffin.

[Andion Isurand]

I wonder if airy water would spare you from pressure damage. (sor/wiz 5, stormwrack)

I would also check out raise from the deep (sor/wiz 4, SpC 165) once you find the shipwreck.

[Yahzi]

Does anyone know of a way to go that deep and stay there
You want the Airy Water spell. It's only 5th level; unfortunately it's from a previous edition. But Water Breathing was supposed to replace it; personally, as a DM, I would rule that anybody with Water Breathing can function at any depth. It's magic after all.

But hey - your water breathing wears off, you're a gonna die quick.

[Inevitability]

Mindrape should do the trick. How? No idea. :smalltongue: