D&D 5E Aerial Combat and Net

[Rya.Reisender]

So let's assume there's aerial combat at 400ft height, the adventurers against a strong flying creature. One of the adventurers uses a Net to attack and the attack succeeds. Does the creature immediately fall 400ft to the ground and take 40d6 damage? Seems a bit overpowered.

 

[rgoodbb]

A strong creature might just break out (DC 10 Strength check) or do 5 Slashing damage (AC 10) before falling the 400 feet.

 

[Ath-kethin]

Also, I don't think you can fall 400 feet in one round. But I'm AFB so I don't know know if falling rates are covered in this edition.

 

[KahlessNestor]

Also max falling damage is 20d6.

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[Storyteller Hero]

I might house rule fire damage from atmospheric friction if a creature falls more than a mile.

 

[Hastati]

A human will fall more than 500 feet in six seconds. Max damage from falling is 20d6. This will help: https://www.angio.net/personal/climb/speed.html

 

[Oofta]

As has been mentioned, the maximum damage from a fall is 20d6 (page 183 PHB).

However, the book doesn't mention how far you can fall in a single round so google can once again come to the rescue. According to how-far-does-one-travel-when-falling-for-one-round, it's around 550 feet (previous editions of D&D had it set at 500 feet per round). Assuming the answer's calculations are correct, you can indeed fall 400 feet.

The big question is, does the netted creature have a chance to break free while falling? After all, it's falling for most of an entire round and it's only a DC 10 Strength check or dealing 5 slashing damage to an AC 10 object.

In the highly unlikely scenario that this actually happens (I've never seen anyone use a net YMMV) and the creature doesn't have hover and is not held aloft by magic? As a DM I'd give the creature one chance to break free as it's falling.

 

[Rya.Reisender]

True, 20d6 is max damage. I like the reasoning that the creature will get one attempt to break free before hitting the ground. Then the players need to be very lucky to succeed.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

BTW, anyone that a net works on (Large or smaller), will be affected in exactly the same way by a Battlemaster's Trip maneuver. Doesn't work on adult dragons but hilariously awesome on young ones.

Also remember that if you take falling damage, you land prone.

 

[Kobold Stew]

One of the adventurers uses a Net to attack and the attack succeeds. ... Seems a bit overpowered.

Yeah, that's the problem. How overpowered the net is in combat.