Damage from Falling Object: Gelatinous Cube

[MissingDividends]

I have a player who's interested in flying over an enemy and using Polymorph to turn into a gelatinous cube (or other heavy object) and fall. Luckily she warned me in advance so I could figure out how to calculate damage.

I figure it's safe to assume that if she "hits", the creature is engulfed.

Looking at the falling damage (SRD:Falling - D&D Wiki), it looks like she would take 1d6 for every 10 feet past the first 10 and the enemy would take 20d6 (the maximum) as long as she fell at least 10 feet.

Given that the gelatinous cube is, well, gelatinous, it seems like the damage might be less than that caused by a hard falling object. I considered using subdual damage and increasing the minimum height as with falling into water, but I'm not sure that makes sense.

Can anyone think of a reasonable way to reduce the damage?
Also, any thoughts on a reasonable DC for a reflex save for the target to avoid/half?

 

[roguerouge]

It's an attack roll. You're trying to cause damage by aiming to hit someone. I'd also rule that much of that falling damage would be nonlethal, although that might not be RAW.

 

[Jhaelen]

I have a player who's interested in flying over an enemy and using Polymorph to turn into a gelatinous cube (or other heavy object) and fall. Luckily she warned me in advance so I could figure out how to calculate damage.

Assuming the pc uses fly, overland flight, or similar magic to fly, this will do zero damage, since the cube will just float down slowly:

Should the spell duration expire while the subject is still aloft, the magic fails slowly. The subject floats downward 60 feet per round for 1d6 rounds. If it reaches the ground in that amount of time, it lands safely. If not, it falls the rest of the distance, taking 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet of fall. Since dispelling a spell effectively ends it, the subject also descends in this way if the fly spell is dispelled, but not if it is negated by an antimagic field.

Considering the low falling speed, I'd also suggest allowing the target to just dodge out of the way (Reflex save).

Note, that even if the player found some loophole to actually fall with normal velocity, he'd take the same damage as the target, so I'm not sure if it's actually such a great tactic.

Should a player in my game come up with such a scheme, I'd gladly allow him to obliterate himself

 

[roguerouge]

You're forgetting the fact that the Cube weighs 15K pounds, and thus the PC gets to inflict 20d6 damage by falling from 20', while taking just 1d6 damage.

But, yes, the flaw here is the fly spell. How's she going to get 20' above the opponent consistently?

 

[Herzog]

Normal falling rules apply to you falling onto the earth. Doing both 1d6 per 10 feet fallen to yourself and the earth. The damage to the earth is neglected, since it has more hitpoints then we care to count.

When something is in the way, however, other mechanics come into play.
For each 200 pounds of the falling object, it deals 1d6 damage. Both to itself and the earth (or whatever is in the way). Because 20d6 damage to the earth is still unimportant, we focus on what is in the way.

However, there are no seperate rules for when YOU are a multiple of 200 pounds.

Either you do 1d6 damage to whatever is in the way and to yourself (applying normal falling rules) OR you do 20d6 to both your target and yourself.

Alternatively, you could rule you take 1d6 falling damage and auto-engulf the target (who gets no damage, but no save or whatever either)

 

[billd91]

I can think of a way to reduce the damage. That cube's mass is huge, but so is the surface area it's hitting. You see, most creatures don't completely fill the space they're given on the grid, but a gelatinous cube does and, as a result, exerts a lot less surface pressure. Its weight is distributed equally throughout all 9 squares it sits on all the time. It's also easily permeable, like having finger jello or moderately crusty pudding fall on you.

Frankly, with all that to consider, I think I'd greatly reduce the amount of damage a falling gelatinous cube could do compared to a more solid and concentrated huge (but lighter) body like a cloud giant. Heck, I'd divide the 20d6 for weight by the 9 squares of surface area and round up to 3d6 for the mass hitting the target and call it just part of the cube's movement thus triggering the engulf ability without requiring an attack roll (after all, the character is hitting a 9 square area). The target would get his save to avoid the engulf and, possibly, be knocked clear with a successful save. I'd still apply the cube's fall damage on him though.

20d6 for falling at least 10 feet, as I see it, is simply too much for a character (or even NPC) to have readily available just for falling on someone. I don't believe the falling object rules were designed with the idea of a 5000 lb cloud giant jumping from a 10 foot height onto a PC and doing 20d6 points of damage. That's substantially better than their normal attacks and would be readily available given their levitate spell-like ability.

 

[shadyizok]

Normal falling rules apply to you falling onto the earth. Doing both 1d6 per 10 feet fallen to yourself and the earth. The damage to the earth is neglected, since it has more hitpoints then we care to count.

The earth has roughly 13,689,793,254 hp with a hardness of 8. (this taking into count the higher density of materials in more inner regions of the earth)

So don't be so easy to ignore that damage next time you drop something heavy from a great height!

 

[Jhaelen]

The earth has roughly 13,689,793,254 hp with a hardness of 8. (this taking into count the higher density of materials in more inner regions of the earth)

So don't be so easy to ignore that damage next time you drop something heavy from a great height!

Luckily earth regenerates hit points by accumulating mass from mini- and micro meteorites, otherwise the planet might be destroyed by falling gelatineous cubes at some point

 

[frankthedm]

Assuming the pc uses fly, overland flight, or similar magic to fly, this will do zero damage, since the cube will just float down slowly:

In no way does the fly spell prohibit falling of those who want to. In addition, that clause only applies when the spell ends.

 

[shadyizok]

Besides can't you just fly straight down?