Fair enough, but how are you supposed to know whether something would normally require a feat or a specific class feature, unless you read everything everywhere to learn what is already codified? Every edition from 2E through 4E was loaded down with dozens upon dozens of supplements.
There was at least one 3E game, using the OGL, which had a class with the explicit power to ask questions while sounding like you already knew the answer; which was great for RP purposes, except it meant that nobody outside of that class could even attempt such a thing, and there's no way for a player to know that they couldn't attempt it unless they were somehow familiar with the powers of other classes.
For damage, grab that claymore but for cool factor I'm throwing that chair. Re-watch The Mummy.
Obligatory:
Man: Is there a name for this private little world of yours, huh? What happens there when we don't just run away? You'll kill us... with a soup cup?
Riddick: Tea, actually.
Man: What's that?
Riddick: I'll kill you with my tea cup.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CherryTapping
Forgive me, but I fail to understand the meaning of this comment. 4e had a table that existed specifically to help the DM adjudicate improvised actions, which is a lot more effective and efficient support for improvised actions than I've seen in other editions of D&D.
The damage table is for when damage is needed. The very example told about a skill check and an effect (push). It could have more than that, but negating it exists is outright false.
And that trope is lame on RPGs. If you want the guy dead, you use something appropriated. The PC won’t sound so cool if he dies while trying to be cool or takes an significant amount of damage – and demand more healing for him – just because he wanted to sound cool. In my table, everyone else would just think he/she is either stupid or a smug.
Yep, pretty much my view, though that is more of a Tavern Brawler type thing. I assumed that this discussion was for things like leaping off of buildings to add falling damage to attacks, or trying to trip someone into a fire place, or throwing a rug over someone to block their vision.
Everyone wants to be Jack Sparrow, or Aladdin, or Sinbad, and I am fine with that. I hate a game where the players just want to stand in one spot and hammer away at the bad guys. The only way that this sort of thing is 'lame' is if you are trying to run a particular style of game, serious and realistic instead of Fantastical. Also, the 'significant amount of damage' is entirely at DM discretion, and the only reason I can see for it is if the DM is actively trying to discourage that type of behavior by making Failure cost more than it should.
You're choosing between an 1d2-1d3 or so damage (mostly fake) against 2d4 (using 2e rules). Not killing enemies trying to kill you faster tends to get you hurt. The only scenario when something like that is acceptable is when you don't want to kill the target, for some reason. And that would be for practical purposes.
My games are very fantastic, thank you, but I won't raise such damage to such a level just because you want to be cool.
This is not a movie or book: you have to face the consequences.
Just for fun, I'll share my ruling as a DM to a hypothetical player who proposes trying one of these things:
(1) Falling off buildings onto someone. If you're both about the same size, I'll take the normal falling damage, and split it between you and the guy you're falling on top of. A 40' fall onto him will do 2d6 to you and 2d6 to him--but he gets a Dex save (vs. your improvised weapon attack roll) to avoid the human cannonball. If Rule of Yes applies, (i.e. first time anyone tries it) there will be no Dex save.
(2) Tripping someone into a fireplace: not that effective compared to weapons. Flaming oil only does 5 points of damage to whoever walks through it, so we can infer that 5 points of damage is actually a lot of damage (almost enough to kill a normal man). Fireplace fires are maybe slightly bigger, so I'll grant 2d6 damage; up to 3d8 damage for a large bonfire or 5d6 for a blast furnace.
You can shove someone into the fire using the normal shoving rules (or shove-aside DMG rules), so I'd allow a similar Athletics (vs. Athletics or Acrobatics) contest for a trip: it's functionally identical to a shove-aside, except that if the enemy is moving towards the fire at the instant you trip him, I'll let you avoid the usual shove-aside disadvantage OR have him land prone after the shove (your choice).
I'll let you trip anyone like that, whether there is fire present or not, and I'll let them trip you under the same conditions.
Rule of Yes is irrelevant here because I'm already giving you as much as you could reasonably expect, based on how Shoves work. It will continue to work just as well on second and subsequent attempts as on the first time you tried it.
(3) Throwing a rug to block someone's vision: if you just throw the rug, he can just bat it away, so you'll have to grapple him too and physically hold the rug over his head as a blindfold. You need two hands free, and you will spend two attacks (one to grab head using Athletics contest per grappling, one with an improvised weapon (rug) vs. Athletics/Acrobatics contest to force the rug over his head). If you don't have Extra Attack that may take you two rounds. As soon as you have two successes, the enemy is blinded for as long as you keep him grappled and the rug is intact. Rug may be attacked the same as a Net: AC 10, 6 HP for a medium-sized rug or 10 HP for a large one; immune to bludgeoning damage; any damage inflicted on the rug is shared equally between the rug and the person wrapped in it.
Similar blinding rules will apply to all manner of blindfolds, although different blindfolds will have different stats (HP/AC/etc.). You may acquire proficiency in Rug per usual rules for improvised weapons, using the Weapon Master feat or Tavern Brawler.
If Rule of Yes is in force, it's probably just a single Athletics check to grapple and blind him.
3) All I can think of is how much shaking a rug sucks. Dust flies everywhere, and I can barely see or breath. I would rule it to give the blinded condition for a single turn, at least when the enemy isn't expecting the rug. For example, Hero is being chased, rounds a corner and pulls the rug off a window sill (people like sitting on window sills, and like cushioning.), and throws the rug behind them. The enemy rounds the corner to get a face full of dusty rug, at which point I would rule them blinded.
If the enemy is expecting it, it would be an improvised attack against their AC, probably with disadvantage. A miss means you missed, and are now unarmed. Success would not make the enemy blind, since they were expecting it, but I would probably give them disadvantage on their first attack after that, much like the Viscous Mockery Cantrip.
