D&D 4E How should falling be handled in 4E?

[Ruin Explorer]

Based on the Gravity thread, I'm interested to see some numbers on what people think.

(If the poll isn't visible, it will be soon)

 

[Sundragon2012]

Any of these would suit me. If I didn't like it I would houserule it immediately anyway.

1. Just damage, but to a much higher limit (e.g. 210d6)
2. Stat damage instead of just HP damage.
3. Saving throw based on height, with success = crippling damage, failure = death.

I don't DM Marvel/DC Supers and Dragons. I certainly don't DM superheroic D&D...never even heard of that before. I have yet to see 10th level fighters or any level fighter take on armies so appealing to this myth isn't going to work. Eventually everyone without the aid of powerful magic will be cut to pieces.



Sundragon

 

[HeinorNY]

I voted to keep the way it is, it works just fine.
My logic:

If a D&D character can survive colossal dragon crush attack and squeeze damage, he should be able survive a "deadly" fall.

Why? Think like this:

If you squeeze a rat in your hands and step on it with all your strength, and that rat is still alive after all that, trust me, throwing it out of the window won't kill it either.

 

[Grazzt]

If you squeeze a rat in your hands and step on it with all your strength, and that rat is still alive after all that, trust me, throwing it out of the window won't kill it either.

If the window opens onto the street, say 300 feet below, Im pretty sure it will.

 

[Delta]

Other. Damage is cumulative per increment, per Gygax Unearthed Arcana (10 ft = 1d6, 20 ft. = 3d6, 30 ft. = 6d6, etc.). Ditch massive damage & similar saves & effects. Apply also to environmental dangers (heat, cold, starvation, thirst).

 

[HeinorNY]

If the window opens onto the street, say 300 feet below, Im pretty sure it will.

Not THAT rat.
My mass is 90 kg. If I jump on that rat, considering my feet get 1 meter from the ground, the average force of impact on him will be 8820N.

If that rat's mass is 0.5KG, and I throw him from a height of 90m or 300 ft. the average force of impact when he hits the ground will be only 4410N. That rats is gonna make it just fine.

If a 2Ton dragon jumps 30ft. high (9 meters) and land on a D&D character dealing crushing damage, the average force of impact is 1764000N.

That's the same force of impact if the D&D character with 90 kg falls from 650ft !!
If he makes against the dragon, he survives the fall. He is a D&D character after all

And the rat? Probably Super Mouse

 

[Geron Raveneye]

Well, it at least should be capped, since you reach terminal velocity after roughly 17 seconds and 700 meters of fall for a 90 kg person at around 195 km/h. The big question is if you want it to be survivable for somebody to fall that distance and impact the ground with the speed of a very fast car without airbags. I'd say some kind of massive damage is appropriate at the very least.

 

[Szatany]

Other - HP damage basen on distance fallen, but damage is not rolled (perhaps 1 damage per 1 yard fallen).

 

[Aloïsius]

other :saving throw based upon height, with result depending of success margin :

> safe
> bruised
> wounded
> blooded
> disabled
> dying
> dead

or something like that. The HP loss will be based upon the condition track.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

I think that both HPs and some sort of lasting penatly should apply. I wanted to vote for both:

- removal of the damage cap, allowing for the falling character to reach terminal velocity.. Based on distance fallen per round {500' in the first round and 1,000' in the following rounds} ..well, terminal velocity is obviously 1,000'... which makes for alot of D6's.
A 310' fall would be 31D6 damage...

- Institute Stat damage... this would emulate the crippling effect. I don't think my overly drastic suggestion in the original thread is appropriate {1D6 damage to each stat} but would like something that can impact on a variety of abilities. Perhaps a random # of damage dice applied to a randomly selected stat.. not sure.
Of course, if there are SWSAish condition penalties...that might work just as well.