Aquatic-subtype Star Shamans

[jabberwoky]

Starfinder Alien Archive wrote:

KALO RACIAL TRAITS

Size and Type: Kalos are Medium monstrous humanoids with the aquatic subtype, meaning they require water to breathe.

Starfinder Core Rulebook wrote:

STAR SHAMAN

Walk the Void (Su) 1st Level

You are immune to the harmful environmental effects of outer space and vacuum. You also gain a fly speed of 20 feet while in space. In addition, whenever you can see the stars, you can determine your precise location. Finally, add Piloting to your list of class skills.

Simple question: can a race with the Aquatic subtype (say for instance, a Kalo) that is a Mystic of least one level with the Star Shaman connection exist in an environment and atmosphere comfortable for normal humans without the need to make constant fortitude saves?

The rules on this are vague, but my assumption would be yes, an aquatic-subtype Mystic with Star Shaman could survive indefinitely out of water. My reasoning in this: aquatic animals "breathe" through their gills as water containing dissolved oxygen is forced over their gills. The oxygen is diffused into the aquatic animal's bloodstream, where it is taken by blood cells to the various organs of the animals body to continue its existence. Carbon dioxide is diffused out through the gills, thus allowing the fish to "breathe".
Humans also consume oxygen to survive. Fish and other aquatic animals suffocate out of the water because their gills collapse and there is not enough surface area for diffusion of oxygen to take place.

The rules for "Walk the Void" state quite clearly that a player character is immune to the asphyxiating effects of a vaccuum, so it would make sense that an aquatic creature would also be immune to the asphyxiating effects of a normal human environment. Otherwise, a Kalo Star Shaman Mystic could survive underwater (which has oxygen), or in a vaccuum (which has no oxygen) but would die in a room filled with oxygen!

Is my assumption correct?

[David knott 242]

Not necessarily. Can't a non-aquatic Star Shaman still drown in water?

[jabberwoky]

David knott 242 wrote:

Not necessarily. Can't a non-aquatic Star Shaman still drown in water?

As I said before, the rules on Star Shaman are kind of vague. It honestly depends on whether or not a Star Shaman needs to breathe (like androids who are immune to asphyxiation because they don't breathe) or constantly has a Life Bubble effect surrounding them specifically keyed only for open space and vacuum environments.

[Ellias Aubec]

I'd say they they could not survive in normal air - you are immune to vacuum etc, not normal air. I imagine that they have a magical field that only activates once a vacuum is detected, but does not activate in the presence of an atmosphere.

[Saros Palanthios]

jabberwoky wrote:

David knott 242 wrote:

Not necessarily. Can't a non-aquatic Star Shaman still drown in water?

As I said before, the rules on Star Shaman are kind of vague. It honestly depends on whether or not a Star Shaman needs to breathe (like androids who are immune to asphyxiation because they don't breathe) or constantly has a Life Bubble effect surrounding them specifically keyed only for open space and vacuum environments.

It seems pretty clear to me that Walk the Void only provides its benefit in space/vacuum. RAI that's obviously the intention, but even by RAW, the actual description says "You are immune to the harmful environmental effects of outer space and vacuum." Other harmful environmental effects aren't mentioned or covered-- whether they be the harmful effects of air for a water-breather or the harmful effects of being underwater for an air-breather.

[Agent Eclipse]

Walk the Void points out where it works specifically and in normal atmosphere it has no effect. You could still suffocate a Star Shaman. Thus an aquatic type would still suffocate in the normal atmosphere.

[EC Gamer Guy]

The reverse is also true. A human star shaman can't breathe water.