Falling - Do you land prone or standing up?

[Olaf the Stout]

Pretty simple question, if a creature falls do they end up prone in the square they land in or are they still standing up? I couldn't find anything in the rules that said one way or the other.

Would this answer be different if the creature jumped rather than fell?

Thanks in advance,

Olaf the Stout

Edit: I found something in the FAQ (I know, I know ) which states that it is reasonable to consider a creature still standing after a fall if they avoid damage due to a successful Jump or Tumble check.

The one situation it doesn't cover is if a flying creature falls due to stalling. In general I wouldn't think that they would land on their feet. However, if the fall was only from a small height (say 10 feet) I could see it being acceptable for them to remain on their feet. Thoughts?

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Your way of handling it sounds fine. I might even allow a creature that takes damage but only falls a short distance (10-20 ft) to remain standing. You can land on your feet and still damage your knees and joints really badly.

 

[Starbuck_II]

Pretty simple question, if a creature falls do they end up prone in the square they land in or are they still standing up? I couldn't find anything in the rules that said one way or the other.

Would this answer be different if the creature jumped rather than fell?

Thanks in advance,

Olaf the Stout

Edit: I found something in the FAQ (I know, I know ) which states that it is reasonable to consider a creature still standing after a fall if they avoid damage due to a successful Jump or Tumble check.

The one situation it doesn't cover is if a flying creature falls due to stalling. In general I wouldn't think that they would land on their feet. However, if the fall was only from a small height (say 10 feet) I could see it being acceptable for them to remain on their feet. Thoughts?

Officiall you fall on face not on feet. After all, trip makes you fall prone.

The Psionic Power Catfall lets you always land on feet. That means it is assumed that you don't.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

The Psionic Power Catfall lets you always land on feet. That means it is assumed that you don't.

A ring of feather fall means you never take falling damage from any height. Therefore, clearly without a ring of feather fall, you always take falling damage from any height.

EDIT: Houserule idea! When free falling (as opposed to being slammed to the ground, dropped telekinetically, etc...), you land on your feet unless you suffer falling damage equal to or greater than your constitution score, in which case you land prone. Hmm...an average human would then on average land standing up to almost 30 ft... if that's too high, could just do half constitution score. Or should dexterity play a factor, too?

 

[Constance Clochard]

Edit: I found something in the FAQ (I know, I know ) which states that it is reasonable to consider a creature still standing after a fall if they avoid damage due to a successful Jump or Tumble check.

If you are using the Jump/Tumble to avoid damage, why not tack on a Balance check to see if they land on their feet or not. If they make the Tumble/Jump check and the Balance check they land standing (like a gymnast dismounting the rings or the parrallel bars) without damage. If they make the Tumble/Jump check and fail the Balance check they finish with a stumble (no damage) and a fall. If they fail the jump/tumble they'll take damage, the balance check determines if they are standing or not.
Ever see a kid jump off a garage roof or a deck or a porch? Either they stick the landing (hit the ground, roll, and stand or squat upright) maybe hurting themselves but standing or they hit the ground and bounce to a prone position - from which they shake it off or a trip to the ER follows.

I guess it all depends on the type of fall and how much "preparation" the PC had for it - did they willing jump or did they get pushed? Dropped or did they let go? I'd say something similiar for a flying monster - was it crash landing with a chance to prepare for the upcoming ground or doing a nose dive spiral to the ground?