Does height give you any advantages?

[scottchiefbaker]

Are there any (official) rules about characters that are physically above another character having any advantage? If I have a pit next to a cliff that's 20 feet below do the characters on the top gain any advantage when making ranged attacks? Conversely do the characters in the pit have any disadvantages trying to shoot out of the pit?

I would think there is some sort of cover granted by the lip of the pit? Even if you're standing right on the edge, the people at the bottom of the pit can't see your entire body to aim?

 

[Dragonbait]

Height itself does not. The environmental effects might (like the cover granted from the pit entrance that you mentioned.)

 

[DracoSuave]

There's nothing explicit, but yes, the advantage is that you get cover, and they get none. In fact, having enough of a height advantage can completely negate cover advantage they might already have.

In other words, exactly the advantage height gives in real combat.

 

[the Jester]

Well, chicks dig tall dudes.

 

[DracoSuave]

Well, chicks dig tall dudes.

And/or fat wallets.

 

[Mengu]

High Jump is the only game mechanical advantage I can think of for a tall character. If you are 7 feet tall, you only need to jump up 1 foot (DC 10/5) to grab a 10 foot high ledge. If you are 4' 6", you need to jump 4 feet (DC 40/20) to grab the same ledge.

 

[DracoSuave]

High Jump is the only game mechanical advantage I can think of for a tall character. If you are 7 feet tall, you only need to jump up 1 foot (DC 10/5) to grab a 10 foot high ledge. If you are 4' 6", you need to jump 4 feet (DC 40/20) to grab the same ledge.

Which has nothing to do with this thread tho... which has to do with the advantage of being on that ledge.

 

[vic20]

Which has nothing to do with this thread tho... which has to do with the advantage of being on that ledge.

Yeah, the title should have been "Does elevation give you any advantages?"

 

[DracoSuave]

Yeah, the title should have been "Does elevation give you any advantages?"

Height does mean elevation.

That's like saying 'Does a set of armor give you any bonuses' and replying 'No, cause you can't wear three armors at a time' just because set can mean 'three of a kind.'

It's not a malapropism to use height like that.

 

[RigaMortus2]

Which has nothing to do with this thread tho... which has to do with the advantage of being on that ledge.

Does height give you any advantages?

Seems like a relevant answer to the question posed. In fact, that is the first thing I thought of, but since Mengu beat me to it, no need to be redundant.

I'm not sure if squeezing is also an advantage/disadvantage of height, or if that is strictly by the medium/large/small size rules.

A medium sized Goliath that is 7 feet tall should have a harder time squeezing into a 4 foot opening than a 5 foot dwarf (both Medium sized characters), one would think.