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

[Maxperson]

I like @doctorbadwolf 's position where the caster decides if momentum is conserved or not. I would also say that since this is essentially using a 2nd level spell slot for a worse featherfall (since it only effects you), then I don't mind increasing the utility of Misty Step in this way.

Featherfall was made for a reason. Misty Step was made for different reason that wasn't Featherfall. If you're misusing(using for a purpose other than intended) Misty Step as a substitute for Featherfall, being level 2 shouldn't make a difference.

 

[Maxperson]

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

You ever hear the saying, "It isn't the fall that kills you. It's the sudden stop at the end."? Well, in 5e it really is the fall that kills you.

 

[Maxperson]

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?

Remember Crawford's recent See Invisibility ruling? Even though you can see the invisible person, that person still get advantage when attack you because the spell doesn't say that the advantage is negated like Faerie Fire does.

This is similar. Misty Step says you appear in an unoccupied space 30 feet away. It doesn't say you can angle yourself, so you can't. It doesn't say that it arrests movement, so it doesn't. It doesn't say it ends falls, so it doesn't. A strict RAW reading is that since the person fell 20 feet, he's going to take 2d6 at the bottom.

That said, this is a rulings over rules edition and it wouldn't be unreasonable to just rule that the person takes no damage.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Yes and no. Misty Step is a bonus action so it can only arrest a fall on your turn.

This.

This boils down to "does the fall last longer than 6 seconds"? If no, the character hits the ground before they can get the spell off. Casting Fly or Levitate is also an option for a long fall.

As a rule of thumb, 500 ft. per round is a reasonable approximation.

 

[Plaguescarred]

For example, on your turn you use movement to jump off of a 50 foot cliff. Then after you have dropped 20 feet you use misty step to misty step to the ground and land without taking any falling damage.

Would you allow this?

No because when falling you immediatly drop and no action or bonus action could be taken being instantaneous (exception is Feather Fall specifically being a reaction to falling)

RAI

@JeremyECrawford The basic falling rules in D&D assume a fall is instantaneous. If you'd like rules for a very long fall, take a look at the section called "Falling" in "Xanathar's Guide to Everything" (p. 77).

RAW

XGtE Falling: When you fall from a great height, you instantly descend up to 500 feet. The rule for falling assumes that a creature immediately drops the entire distance when it falls.

 

[Lyxen]

No because when falling you immediatly drop and no action or bonus action could be taken being instantaneous (exception is Feather Fall specifically being a reaction to falling)

I'm torn, because your explanation is very convincing from the RAW perspective, and at the same time I think that I will let the rule of cool apply. After all, reducing fall damage by 20 feet is not hugely overpowered...

 

[Nefermandias]

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?

You fellas are missing the point that falling is instantaneous in D&D, except maybe if you are using Xanathar's variant falling rules and the initial height is higher than 500ft.

RAW, you reach the ground as soon as you leave the edge of the cliff, leaving no room for a Bonus Action spell.

 

[Lyxen]

No because when falling you immediatly drop and no action or bonus action could be taken being instantaneous (exception is Feather Fall specifically being a reaction to falling)

Although, thinking about it, there is one way to go around that limitation. It does not work if you are so completely surprised by the fall that you can't ready something, but if you suspect that you might be falling, you could ready the spell to be cast when you fall and come to 20 ft. of the ground. Technically, I think this works, the spell is "pre-cast" and the trigger is perceivable...

 

[UngainlyTitan]

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

That is not how momentum works, Now you are handwaving away physics. Rule what ever way you like but do not bring Physics into it.

 

[Burnside]

The question of inertia aside, I wouldn't allow this unless the creature had some ability to Misty Step or otherwise teleport as a reaction. Because unless it's a fall of 500 feet or more, it happens too quickly to get an action or bonus action spell off. I WOULD, for example, allow the Fey Pact Warlock to do this using their Misty Escape ability (which is a reaction). If the teleport happens as a reaction, I would rule the creature could do it more or less the instant they realized they were falling, thus eliminating the question of inertia.

Teleporting in mid-fall to escape a huge drop of 500+ feet isn't a situation I've had come up in one of my games so far. Misty Step, which only allows 30' of teleportation, isn't likely to help in that situation anyway. So the question is more about a more powerful teleport spell such as Dimension Door. I think I'd probably allow Dimension Door to work, and rule that magic > physics in that case.