Shifting into thin air...

[Diplomat123]

I play a druid who has taken the feat which allows him to change into beast form as a free action, and when he does so i shift 4 spaces. I also wear a Safewing Amulet (ignore first 30 feet of falling damage and always land on my feet).

My question is this. I am standing on top of a 20 foot high wall in my humanoid form. The first thing i do is change into beast form and shift four squares out into space. So what happens?

Shift 1, fall 20 feet immediately without damage, land on my feet and shift the other 3 seems the most logical of many possible outcomes, but i am uncomfortable using a fall mid-action as a means of accelerating my movement.

The rules on falling are not the best in any case, and deliberately falling mid action does not seem to be covered.

Any thoughts?

 

[darkadelphia]

I believe your interpretation is correct.

 

[Kingreaper]

I would make you make an athletics check to jump. Falling should end your action IMO, but if you can jump that far (and then fall safely afterwards) there'd be no problem.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Kingreaper makes a good point. There is the additional issue of whether you can shift into a space for which you have no listed speed. I can't recall off the topic of my head if that's allowable in 4E, but I believe that it wasn't allowed (5ft-step) in past editions. The rule for this might be in the DMG, too, under the unusual terrain thing. For example, you couldn't shift 2 squares up a ladder even if you made a climb check. Can you shift "jump" or a 5ft crevice?

So, on one hand maybe you can't do it. But, on the other hand, even if you could shift into air I would then follow Kingreaper's advice. I also agree that the rules on falling with respect to this are quite sketchy.

 

[Ryujin]

I wouldn't permit you to shift after the fall. I would rule that, to be consistent with my understanding of the forced movement rules, your shift would effectively end once you reached the first square beyond the edge.

I used a similar tactic myself, utilizing teleport.

 

[NMcCoy]

You can, I believe, jump as part of your shift movement, and then fall from the empty square your jump lands in.

 

[DracoSuave]

I wouldn't permit you to shift after the fall. I would rule that, to be consistent with my understanding of the forced movement rules, your shift would effectively end once you reached the first square beyond the edge.

I used a similar tactic myself, utilizing teleport.

Shift isn't forced movement. It's otherwise normal movement that does not provoke immediate or opportunity actions.

The question then becomes:

Could you use a walk action to move, fall, then continue moving?

And then

Could you use a move granted by a power to move, fall, then continue moving?

And lastly

Could you use a shift granted by a power to move, fall, then continue moving?

This is the proper logical chain of events, and depends on your DM's idea of what he'll allow. By the book, it's technically legal, but the DM has the only word on this, and he can draw the line anywhere.

 

[Scribble]

I agree mostly with Bieber feaver...

But-

For some reason I always thought that once you could no longer follow through with one part of an action then that was it for that action.

So it would be, you get the shift, but since you can only shift one square before falling, the shift action ends. To continue more movement you'd need to spend another action.

 

[Ryujin]

Shifting and jumping is not a viable option.

PHP page 292: Special Movement Modes: You can’t shift when using a form of movement that requires a skill check. For example, if you’re climbing or swimming, you can’t shift if you would need to make an Athletics check to use that kind of movement.

 

[Aulirophile]

You would shift 1, fall, and then shift 3. Falling is only a hindrance if you take damage from it.