Blatant abuse of the five foot step?

[SBMC]

Just copy/paste into notepad, then copy/paste into the ENworld editor. Since the ENworld editor does have a paste special option, you need some method to strip the Word formatting. Alternatively, and I haven't tried this, highlight your post in the editor and select "Remove Text Formatting."

The yellow is a little better since it has a better contrast than the ghost-white thin text, but I'm still an old man at 36 with poor eyesight. Why, back in my day . . .

Thanks for the constructive advice - I did not think of using notepad.

It seems some folks are more interested in handing out negativity than being helpful. I personally would have sent a PM to the person before publicly complaining about it - you get more bees with honey...

 

[dcollins]

Ah, sweet relief...

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

My 2 cents:
Falling should happen when a character is no longer supported and has a place to fall. No matter how that character got into the position, the results should be similar.

So... you fall 500' the first round, 1,000' for other rounds.. until you hit something.
1D6 damage per 10' of fall
Jump Check {as part of movement} can negate 10' worth of damage
Tumble check {as part of movement} can negate 10' worth of damage

Falling interupts normal actions at the moment the character can fall.

{HR} Intentential falling with no attempt to properly land, such as 5' step into the air leaves the character prone and adds 1D6 damage.

Simple, easy to remember. Wham, thud.. move to next action.

Add the alternate falling rules where each additional 10' doubles the dice instead of just adding +1d6 and you wont have many players trying this over a decent drop. A 50' drop would be 16D6 of damage. OUCH!!!


Acting while falling.. 'Feather Fall', Jump checks, and Tumble checks aside, you have no time to do anything while falling unless you fall greater than 500'. In that case the falling burns a move action and you get one standard/move action.
.. yelling, screaming, and praying are all free actions so go right ahead!

 

[Raven Crowking]

Sure, why not? The downside is that you land prone at the feet of the guys you just stuck daggers into. They're probably not dead, and may just punish you with AoOs when you attempt to stand.

WtS

Arguably, you are potentially also moving through a threatened space. If you imagine the spaces as 5' x 5' x 5' cubes that extend both horizontally and vertically, you would potentially be "adjacent" not only to the space the PC lands in, but also the space he falls through just prior to landing. I would certainly allow an AoO on the round the PC falls.


RC



EDIT: Should have read through this thread first...the point has already been made.

 

[anton1066]

Come on man. Jumping from a building while chucking daggers at a group of mooks is tottaly cool. As a DM i would allow it just for the style. But maybe it is a question of stule. If you Group enjoys a fun action packed game (my way, the right way) with characters doing heroic stuff then allow it, if your group enjoys rules lawering, making things seem real, then go ahead make your plausible game just keep it away from my table.....the kool table. (As a side note when anyone spells 'cool' with a 'K' you know, 1000% that they are indeed 'cool')

 

[Mercule]

Without even reviewing the RAW, my ruling would have been that the character cannot use a 5' step to walk into open air. Use a move action. The distance traveled is not relevant, the type of action is a Jump or Tumble, not a 5' step.

Otherwise, yup, a very cool move.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Coolness vs. Realism

Sure, I can see that this is a "coolness vs. realism" issue....but I imagine that the same players who invoke "coolness" for their characters' actions might prefer a bit of "realism" when the NPCs start doing the same sorts of things.

Saying that there are consequences for a cool action actually increases its coolness IMHO. Falling damage, being prone, and AoOs mean that the campaign's greengrocers and mooks won't be copying the PC's performance. If the PC is built for this sort of action (monk levels, appropriate feats such as Instant Stand from Kingdoms of Kalamar Player's Guide, enough hps to absorb the damage) then you could certainly be KEWL with all-caps misspelling!

On the other hand, just because its a cool idea doesn't mean it should work. I could imagine a really cool scene where a fighter spontaneously starting casting fireballs, but it doesn't mean that I should allow a fighter in my campaign to do this.

You can build a character to do all sorts of things. Allowing a character to do anything simply because it is cool removes the benefit of effective character design.


RC

 

[Nail]

On the other hand, just because its a cool idea doesn't mean it should work.

Exactly.

For this particular case, the movement off the cliff is a move action, not a five-foot step.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

5' Step, all the way.

If there was a platform overhanging the edge of the building, you'd allow him to 5' step to it, right?

Now make that platform illusory.

 

[reveal]

5' Step, all the way.

If there was a platform overhanging the edge of the building, you'd allow him to 5' step to it, right?

Now make that platform illusory.

I see that as different though. If the PC truly believes the terrain is there, it would count as "real" for the 5' step.