D&D 5E Why is there a limit to falling damage?

[Paul Farquhar]

High level PCs in my view are Captain America or an 80s action hero. Stronger, more capable, able to survive things normal people could not. But when fighting giants they're dodging or deflecting blows while trying to cut Achilles tendons or aiming for the major artery that runs down the leg. They're really good at their job.

But they aren't superman. They're still relatable, they can still die.

An 80s action hero can die?!

 

[Fanaelialae]

1st level Wizards have an (optional) class ability that would allow them to survive that fall some X number of times per day, depending on how they prepared for the day. By the time a Barbarian can survive it once, a Wizard could theoretically prepare to survive it dozens of times... without depending on another character for magical healing.

This is like saying that a high level barbarian should be able to perform open heart surgery on himself because a cleric can potentially cast Cure Wounds dozens of times a day. If that's how you want to run your game that's your prerogative, but I don't think it's unreasonable for a GM to rule that your character can't perform open heart surgery on themself regardless of how high level they are.

 

[DND_Reborn]

An 80s action hero can die?!

Not the Last Action Hero!

 

[Azzy]

Because fantasy characters are more resilient than real people.

 

[Maxperson]

I'm an old WFB player 20d6 is just getting warmed up!

I laughed at your post, because the player pointed out the same thing!

Heh. I would have been like, "Okay. Let's go with that. Let's figure out the chances of his survival were and give you the same random chance to live."

 

[Maxperson]

I would put falling damage at 20% of max HP per 10 ft.
a 50ft drop on your head WILL kill you.

if you jump down intentionally, reduce the fall by 10ft and another 10ft with DC15 athletics or acrobatics check, 20ft less with DC30 check.

If this is 5th edition, it would still take 100 feet. You have to go negative maximum hit points in one hit to die outright. 50 feet would just put you at 0 and have you start making death saves.

 

[Azzy]

I'm an old WFB player 20d6 is just getting warmed up!

Having been a 40K Ork player, I have to laugh, too.

 

[Maxperson]

Back then, a level 4 Fighter hero was a match for 40 trained soldiers. Complete incompetents can beat Olympic-level fencing masters with restricted rules of engagement at that ratio in the real world.

I've been playing the game since 1e and unless 4e was different, there has been no edition where a level 4 fighter could take on 40 trained soldiers and win. Not without the gods of luck cursing the DM and bless the players dice.

A T3 barbarian should be able to jump off a 10,000 foot cliff and break the ground when he lands.

And the OP agrees with you! It's just that there would be red barbarian smear leaking into that broken ground

 

[doctorbadwolf]

High level PCs in my view are Captain America or an 80s action hero. Stronger, more capable, able to survive things normal people could not. But when fighting giants they're dodging or deflecting blows while trying to cut Achilles tendons or aiming for the major artery that runs down the leg. They're really good at their job.

But they aren't superman. They're still relatable, they can still die.

Cpt America would have a chance of surviving falling from an airplane. In fact, in the comics he simply can be assumed to be able to survive such a fall.

Huh. Does that mean that the Balor in LOTR was really a Bumble? Or did Gandalf just know he would only take 20d6 damage?

Let me clarify. In the book (not the movies) Gandalf is a politician. He organizes, pushes people into doing things they wouldn't normally do. Then when things go to hell in a hand basket because Bilbo retrieved a ring that had been perfectly well hidden for centuries he bumbles around sending people hither and yon. Yes, he has a fast horse. He talks people into doing stupid things and had access to some cool resources, like a good fireworks manufacturer.

But the Balor. Gandalf does one big magic thing, breaking the bridge. Which, cool. But he can only do it by breaking his staff which as far as we know was the most magical thing about him.

But he's a fakir. His really cool stuff (fighting the balor is a good example) takes place off screen. As far as we know the balor was really a bumble and he just bounced. He also took credit for other people's achievements. For example when Merry and Pip convince the ents to help, he takes credit. Because he somehow knew they'd be captured and then escape? Right.

But on screen? When people can see what he actually does? He doesn't ever really do much magic. He uses a flash bang to scare off some goblins. In Minas Tirith he keeps mumbling about opening up that can of wupp-ass that never really materializes. He has allies like the giant eagles, but that's it.

So my whole point of this overly long post is that Gandalf is a politician and a fakir. Wait ... no that wasn't it. It's that in the fiction everybody thought Gandalf should die falling that far. Because he should, there's no logical reason why even the most powerful wizard (and not even a human one) should be able to fall that far and survive.

It would break the tenuous backdrop of a world that works like our own except with magic. It would change it from something we can relate to to something that is obviously a Bugs Bunny cartoon. That's why I wouldn't stop falling at 20d6 and the barbarian would die.

Gandalf doesn’t die from the fall. He dies from fighting the balrog.

 

[Oofta]

Cpt America would have a chance of surviving falling from an airplane. In fact, in the comics he simply can be assumed to be able to survive such a fall.

Gandalf doesn’t die from the fall. He dies from fighting the balrog.

According to Gandalf. But if you assume he might be an unreasonable narrator, who knows?