D&D 5E Can you use misty step to arrest a fall?

[UngainlyTitan]

This falls into a zone where madness lies. Option 1: 5d6 damage (full fall). Option 2: 2d6 damage (20 foot fall). Option 3: 0 damage (no fall). If you try to figure out which is right, you have to start applying "physics" to magic, and that is inherently going to result in contradictions, disagreements and frustration. Accordingly, I udsually avoid this by turning to the dice.

Tim: "I just off the cliff, and once I fall 20 feet I Misty Step to the ground. Will I take damage from that? If so, how much?"
DM: "You're normally going to take 2d6 from the 20 feet of falling, but you could try to adjust the Misty Step spell as you cast it to arrest the momentum. If you get it right, you'll take no damage. If it is a little wrong you'll still take 2d6. If you botch it, you may end up taking 5d6. It is a pretty hard trick to pull off. It would be an Arcana roll."
Tim: "I'll go for it. Ouch. Natural one for a 7."
DM: "You're timing is off and you smash into the ground full force, taking the full 5d6 for ...14 damage."

... or ...

Tim: "I'll go for it. Nat 20 for a 26!"
DM: "You time it perfectly and manage to arrest your momentum as part of the spell. You hit the ground on your feet. You can do a Black WIdow or Iron Man Super hero landing if you'd like."
Tim: "Widow. I'm a poser, eh?"

Excellent compromise. Also agree, applying real world physics to D&D magic is the path to madness.

 

[Tonguez]

Why? Obviously I can choose the alignment of the exit of my teleportation. If I've fallen 20ft, and I come out aimed upward at a 45 degree angle, I can't imagine taking more than a single d6, at most.

How is shooting yourself up in to the air going to help you not fall? Once you complete your upward shot you are again falling - Dex save to tumble?

Exactly. In my group, the number one rule is "don't let rules hold back the game".

personally I think having a person still fall after teleport is part of the game.
If a PC wants to jump of a cliff then they should invest in skills and cool toys that let do so.

Like I’d allow a PC to use teleport to jump further or move them upwards, but using it to jump off a cliff is just naff (ie not rule of cool) imho

And if momentum is conserved then a teleportation linear accelerator planet killer system is also possible.
I would allow the OP maneuver because it is cool. Don't allow it if you want but leave real world physics out of it. That way leads math, madness and corner cases.
D&D magic is not compatible with real world physics.

Nah, its localised as momentum is conserved relative to the teleport zone (entry/exit) only

 

[Sacrosanct]

I changed my mind. It's a cool use of a spell. A 2nd level slot when FF is only first level. I'd totally allow it.

 

[Nefermandias]

I would never let a spell do more than it's supposed to do, so it's a hard no.

 

[ECMO3]

I would never let a spell do more than it's supposed to do, so it's a hard no.

But what it is supposed to do?

"Briefly surrounded by silvery mist, you teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space that you can see."

I teleport from where I am to the ground, or maybe a ledge. I would agree if the spell is not supposed to do that then no, but I don't see that really stated or implied. If you look at the rules on falling:

"A fall from a great height is one of the most common hazards facing an adventurer. At the end of a fall, a creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it fell, to a maximum of 20d6. The creature lands prone, unless it avoids taking damage from the fall"

If you misty step you never reach the "end of a fall" right?

 

[Tonguez]

But what it is supposed to do?

"Briefly surrounded by silvery mist, you teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space that you can see."

I teleport from where I am to the ground, or maybe a ledge. I would agree if the spell is not supposed to do that then no, but I don't see that really stated or implied. If you look at the rules on falling:

"A fall from a great height is one of the most common hazards facing an adventurer. At the end of a fall, a creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it fell, to a maximum of 20d6. The creature lands prone, unless it avoids taking damage from the fall"

If you misty step you never reach the "end of a fall" right?

Well, you have fallen and so you reach the ‘end of the fall’ at the point you teleport.
BTW, I also just noticed that as written the creature takes damage for ever 10 feet it fell - it doesnt actually have to hit a surface for that damage to occur

 

[AtomicPope]

I would say "Yes". As a DM, I try to say "Yes" as often as I can as it encourages players to be creative.

I'm saying this because it's obvious that the rules give enough leeway for DMs to decide, but I side with player creativity. When I was a kid and playing D&D with adults I remember early on how bad it felt for a DM to rule against a clever idea. It feels like they're snatching victory right out of your hands with arbitration. Encouraging the players to be heroic is good for the game.

Does this bite me in the butt? I definitely say "Yes" to that too!

 

[doctorbadwolf]

How is shooting yourself up in to the air going to help you not fall? Once you complete your upward shot you are again falling - Dex save to tumble?

You aren’t going to go all that high, so you aren’t falling 20ft anymore. Your momentum will be fighting gravity, and thus much of it will be cancelled out.

personally I think having a person still fall after teleport is part of the game.
If a PC wants to jump of a cliff then they should invest in skills and cool toys that let do so.

Cool toys like, a second level spell.

Like I’d allow a PC to use teleport to jump further or move them upwards, but using it to jump off a cliff is just naff (ie not rule of cool) imho

Eh. I’m not trying to convince anyone. Do you.

 

[Horwath]

I would say yes, you stop the momentum. Or you can chose to keep it.

It looks cool.

 

[Maxperson]

Why? Obviously I can choose the alignment of the exit of my teleportation. If I've fallen 20ft, and I come out aimed upward at a 45 degree angle, I can't imagine taking more than a single d6, at most.

Where are you getting that from? Nothing in Misty Step says anything about angles. All you can do is pick a square to appear in. It's not some sort of gate that spits you out where an opening is angled. Nor does Misty Step say that it stops momentum, so it doesn't.