Rules for Falling Objects

[Gansk]

From the SRD:

FALLING OBJECTS
Just as characters take damage when they fall more than 10 feet, so too do they take damage when they are hit by falling objects.
Objects that fall upon characters deal damage based on their weight and the distance they have fallen.
For each 200 pounds of an object’s weight, the object deals 1d6 points of damage, provided it falls at least 10 feet. Distance also comes into play, adding an additional 1d6 points of damage for every 10-foot increment it falls beyond the first (to a maximum of 20d6 points of damage).

So a 40 ton dragon can do 400 d6 damage to another 40 ton dragon if it falls 10 feet on top of it?

Meanwhile the falling dragon only takes d6 damage?

Meanwhile collapsing ceilings and cave-ins only do 12d6?

How can I interpret or house rule this so I don't have kamikaze dragons squashing everybody? Am I supposed to cap it at 20 d6 like falling? Is the cap for both sentences in the paragraph?

 

[Goldmoon]

How can I interpret or house rule this so I don't have kamikaze dragons squashing everybody?

Great mental picture.

 

[IcyCool]

How can I interpret or house rule this so I don't have kamikaze dragons squashing everybody?

1. Dragons of substantial size already have rules for this sort of attack. Look at the Crush attack in the dragon description in the MM.

2. I don't think it explicitly states it, but capping the damage from a falling object seems reasonable to me. Also note that in the event of a cave-in, it isn't always the damage that kills you, but the fact that you are buried (which is a condition in the DMG).

Edit - Turns out that buried isn't a condition (could have sworn it was). You can find out the details of being buried on pages 66-67 of the DMG under the cave-ins and collapses header.

 

[Gansk]

1. Dragons of substantial size already have rules for this sort of attack. Look at the Crush attack in the dragon description in the MM.

So should I extrapolate these rules to non-dragons of substantial size?

 

[Stalker0]

maximum damage for a falling object is 20d6.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Great mental picture.

More evidence that half-dragons shouldn't exist.

I would use the D20 Modern SRD rules for falling objects. They are sane.

maximum damage for a falling object is 20d6.

Before you take the object's mass into account, yes.