Falling from Great Heights

[Sunseeker]

You should have a cap though.

Why? If they jump from 1000 feet I'll roll 1d10x1000. They'll die all the same as if I had waved my hand and said "you die".

 

[El Mahdi]

The thing is that actual real life human beings have survived terminal velocity falls. The idea that a demigod-slaying paladin can't take the same impact is a bit mind-bending.

Real-life survivals of such falls are extremely rare (like 1 in 1 million rare).

So, the problem isn't that the demi-god slaying paladin can survive the impact, it's that the demi-god slaying paladin can almost always survive the impact.

For many, it just doesn't make sense.

Bug? What bug?

Heroes leap off the exploding roof or window ledge of the evil headquarters and survive.

You want them to die? That's not awesome.

True.

But when a D&D player looking at the rules decides for their character that: "...yeah, no problem. I've got enough hit points to survive a jump off of this 200' cliff...". That doesn't make sense when thought about in a real world context (as many like to do).

Things that don't make sense, rarely feel awesome...instead they just seem confusing or counterintuitive.

There are people that want players to make decisions based on common sense and the reality of the situation, rather than based on an artificial construct of un-realistic rules.

 

[Sunseeker]

Real-life survivals of such falls are extremely rare (like 1 in 1 million rare).

So, the problem isn't that the demi-god slaying paladin can survive the impact, it's that the demi-god slaying paladin can almost always survive the impact.

For many, it just doesn't make sense.

Isn't the demigod-slaying paladin like, 1 in a million though?

 

[nightwyrm]

Isn't the demigod-slaying paladin like, 1 in a million though?

Don't be silly. 1 in a million means we would have around 7000 demigod-slaying paladins running around on Earth. That's not rare at all.

 

[Sunseeker]

Don't be silly. 1 in a million means we would have around 7000 demigod-slaying paladins running around on Earth. That's not rare at all.

Well, I always assumed fantasy worlds had much smaller populations. If a fantasy world had 6.5 billion people, I could reasonably expect 7000 of them to be demigod killers.

 

[Storminator]

My preferred solution is to take, say 1d6 damage per 10 feet fallen, up to a max of 20d6. But the dice explode; if you roll a 6, you roll an extra die, and keep rolling as long as you keep rolling sixes.

One I liked was falling damage is 1d20 per 10 ft, then divide the total by 1d6. So a good roll of the d6 means the damage is greatly reduced, but a 1 on the d6 means a world of pain - and there's just no way to know.

My game is currently set in Sharn of Eberron, and let me tell you! the real problem with serious falling damage is that people will defenestrate any and all foes.

PS

 

[BobTheNob]

I have said this before but I think hp is a good abstract methodology for representing damage for the purpose of combat resolution. I always find it a goofy mechanism once you step outside of it.

This only became goofier with Healing surges...
DM : The jump looks really dangerous
Player : Jump and take damage
DM : You take X damage
Player : Spend Y healing surges to recover them.

My SOD only goes so far. I dont know anyone who, in real life, just casually jumps from great heights because they know they have a reserve of hit points.

I would be intrigued to hear alternate approaches to damage from heights. Damage for non-combat scenarios in general (including traps, avalanches, stampedes, drowning, being crushed, smothering e.t.c. e.t.c.) which arent tied to hit points would intrigue me generally.

 

[Szatany]

Bug?
What bug?

Heroes leap off the exploding roof or window ledge of the evil headquarters and survive.

You want them to die? That's not awesome.

Did they leap into a chasm? If they have no parachutes or gliders or rings of feather fall, they should die.
Reward preparation, not levels.

 

[El Mahdi]

Isn't the demigod-slaying paladin like, 1 in a million though?

Yup...but still also human.

That's what's cool about the demi-god slaying any-class...it's the victory of a mortal over insurmountable, even God-Like, opposition...and having the audacity to try in the first place, despite their mortal vulnarabilities.

 

[Zaran]

Why? If they jump from 1000 feet I'll roll 1d10x1000. They'll die all the same as if I had waved my hand and said "you die".

Technically, the 4e rules would kill anyone at a 1000 feet without changing them. We are talking 550 pts of damage. I see no reason why 1d10 per 10 feet has to change. It falls back to the rule , if they are stupid they die.