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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 7750268" data-attributes="member: 42582"><p>I often see people assert that D&D/PF worlds are governed by gravity. But all they seem to mean by this is that (some) unsupported objects will fall to the ground. I say <em>some</em> because birds, dragons etc can fly - and given that dragons can fly, we already know that real world physical laws of fluid dynamics, lift etc don't operate in D&D/PF.</p><p></p><p>In the real world, gravity is <em>not/I] just "unsupported objects fall". It is a phenomenon that (i) establishes the rate of motion between masses, (ii) involves all masses exerting force on all others, (iii) explaining planetary motion, etc. What causes planets to move in D&D? I have no idea how Gygax thought of this in his GH campaign (except that his DMG suggests that he would allow flying to the moon on a pegasus), but from what I know of Spelljammer it does not put forward a Newtonian theory of planetary motion.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>When a high level PF2 character falls and survives, what explains it? A pact with air elementals? The ability to land on one's feet combined with strong bones and ligaments? Maybe the rulebooks will answer this or maybe, much as with high level PCs' hit points, they'll leave it as a table thing. But given that the musculature of dragons somehow allows them to fly, the idea that the musculature of a legendary thief allows him/her to land without being hurt seems tenable enough.</em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 7750268, member: 42582"] I often see people assert that D&D/PF worlds are governed by gravity. But all they seem to mean by this is that (some) unsupported objects will fall to the ground. I say [I]some[/I] because birds, dragons etc can fly - and given that dragons can fly, we already know that real world physical laws of fluid dynamics, lift etc don't operate in D&D/PF. In the real world, gravity is [I]not/I] just "unsupported objects fall". It is a phenomenon that (i) establishes the rate of motion between masses, (ii) involves all masses exerting force on all others, (iii) explaining planetary motion, etc. What causes planets to move in D&D? I have no idea how Gygax thought of this in his GH campaign (except that his DMG suggests that he would allow flying to the moon on a pegasus), but from what I know of Spelljammer it does not put forward a Newtonian theory of planetary motion. When a high level PF2 character falls and survives, what explains it? A pact with air elementals? The ability to land on one's feet combined with strong bones and ligaments? Maybe the rulebooks will answer this or maybe, much as with high level PCs' hit points, they'll leave it as a table thing. But given that the musculature of dragons somehow allows them to fly, the idea that the musculature of a legendary thief allows him/her to land without being hurt seems tenable enough.[/I] [/QUOTE]
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