Horizontal falling objects?

[PenguinKing]

We have d20 rules for damage from falling objects, but what about objects travelling horizontally? For example, let us say that a relatively solid object massing about fifty tons travelling at a constant velocity of about six and a half miles per hour smacks into a stationary character dead-on - how much damage would it inflict, if any?

- Sir Bob.

 

[kreynolds]

We have d20 rules for damage from falling objects, but what about objects travelling horizontally? For example, let us say that a relatively solid object massing about fifty tons travelling at a constant velocity of about six and a half miles per hour smacks into a stationary character dead-on - how much damage would it inflict?

- Sir Bob.

What are we talkin' about here? The Monolith?

 

[Crothian]

Or a moon that is really small and really close to the ground.

 

[Gromm]

If your mathematically inclined you can figure out the physics behind it and use the falling rules.

F=ma

F-Force (ie damage from falling)
m=mass
a= acceleration (due to gravity when falling 32'/sec roughly)

Also useful is
s=1/2 at^2

t=time in seconds
s= distance fallen


I'm sure you could work out a formula, but I'll be damned if I'm going to figure it out. Just need to relate the 2 and figure the damage.

 

[Christian]

Very little, I'd say. Unless it smushed him against something, in which case the damage would be 1,000,000,000,000 d6 or so.

6.5 mph is about the impact speed from a ~2 foot fall. The character would say, and I quote, "Oof!", and then be carried along with the big-ass rock.

 

[Gromm]

Very little, I'd say. Unless it smushed him against something, in which case the damage would be 1,000,000,000,000 d6 or so.

6.5 mph is about the impact speed from a ~2 foot fall. The character would say, and I quote, "Oof!", and then be carried along with the big-ass rock.

I'll get a loaded tractor trailer and hit you at about 6.5 miles per hour and you see if you say oof or we rush you to the emergency room.
Another example would be running into a wall (without knowing it was there and stopping yourself or preparing for the impact). Only the wall would keep going through you and pushing you along.

Mass makes a big difference in the force applied to something.
Most car accidents that you see in crash tests are only at about 20 miles an hour and look how much force is applied to the car.
If someone ran full force into you, they wouldn't be going too much faster than 6.5 miles per hour (say a football player). Now imagine its not a football player but a house.
The house doesn't really have to take note of your mass, it just steams THROUGH you. The damage would be significant, though not neccessarily high by D&D terms.

 

[kreynolds]

I'll get a loaded tractor trailer...

I'd expect an Iowan to say somethin' like that, yesirybob.

 

[kreynolds]

Or a moon that is really small and really close to the ground.

ROTFLMAO

 

[Magus_Jerel]

an object of THIS size?

20d6

with one provision - it manages to move more than 5 feet to start.

When dealing with the physics behind collision damage - it matters very little wether you hit the rock - or the rock hit you. The angle of impact has a great deal to do with the exact "type" of damage done - but HP are an abstraction.

Your physical body is still in "one piece" once you are dead in most cases in D&D.



BTW - a legally loaded tractor trailer is no more than 80,000 lbs... and he said this was about 50 tons, not 40

Might have to overload the thing a bit

 

[Crothian]

It's only moving at about 57ft per round. But the sheer mass will do alot.

Exactly what is the situation? That would actually help a lot.