removing the need to breathe, is type change the only way?

[newguydude1]

i think breathing is a huge huge weakness. no oxygen you die. lots of places has no oxygen. volcanic areas. high atmosphere. different planes. shoved underwater or underground. so if my character needs to breath i am very uncertain.

so i do go out of my way to somehow get a type thats immune to breathing even if it costs me spellcasting levels.

i also worry about using spells as a crutch to this because dead magic zone, amf, or dispel magic and your dead.

so.... is there a way to remove the need to breath other than spells (iron body) or changing type to undead/construct/elemental?

[The Viscount]

A 20th level shadowcaster or 8th level Child of Night (ECL 13) does not need to breathe. (Hard to attain, I know, but for completeness)

The periapt of the sullen sea (MIC) lets you hold your breath for 12 hours, which will be enough for a lot of situations.

[Troacctid]

Several magic items will do it, notably iridescent spindle ioun stone and necklace of adaptation. (The latter doesn't remove the need to breathe, but it enables you to breathe regardless of your environment, which is close enough.)

Air gnomes and air goblins, both from Unearthed Arcana, do not need to breathe.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Vow of Poverty removes the need to breathe at 12 and you eschew wealth anyway.

[Calthropstu]

There is a status condition that any and all characters can recieve that removes the need to breathe. It is called "dead."

[Darg]

Oxygen is a nutrient. Ring of sustenance provides life sustaining nourishment. Therefor ring of sustenance provides the nourishment needed from breathing.

Buuuut, good luck getting that to fly even though it is true.

Even though it provides nourishment, it doesn't say that it stops your body from making danger signals such as growling stomachs and the burning sensation of not having oxygen in your lungs.

[Jack_Simth]

There's the Cerebral Hood from Fiend folio, although it has some drawbacks....

[denthor]

Necklace of adaptation.

You can breathe in quicksand or under water. If needed

[Gruftzwerg]

Just be a warforged. No need to eat, sleep and breathe.

Or use a reverse Diving Helmet (filled with water^^) with some kind of water-breathing as workaround xD

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Several magic items will do it, notably iridescent spindle ioun stone and necklace of adaptation. (The latter doesn't remove the need to breathe, but it enables you to breathe regardless of your environment, which is close enough.)

Air gnomes and air goblins, both from Unearthed Arcana, do not need to breathe.

Huh. Apparently any air race (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/elementalRacialVariants.htm#racesOfAir) doesn't need air to survive. That's kinda the opposite of how I'd expect that to shake out.

Also, I was under the impression that the "shared traits" were like a template that could be applied to races, but now I'm thinking I was mistaken. It looks like you can only take the variants actually presented there. So, goblins and gnomes, like Troacctid pointed out, unless your DM wants to make a different one for you (which would, in fairness, be very easy).