Swimming up waterfalls!

[Hammerhead]

Or instead of spending all of that time Swimming and Balancing, you could just cast a Fly spell...

 

[Henry]

If a 30th level character is succeeding at DC120 checks at all, OF COURSE it's magical in nature - he couldn't even accomplish the task in an anti-magic field, because the extra skill-boosting items he had would not let him do it. So, yes, the ability to walk on clouds is magical, in a manner of speaking.


Even considering the level 90 or 100 PC who could pull it off, I would rationalize it through magic anyway - just like a Golem would not become inert in an AMF, the character has magic so ingrained in them they can accomplish some impossible tasks just though sheer technique and force of will.

Paul Bunyan was able to change the course of rivers; the big bad wolf blew down houses of straw and wood; Daedalus builds wings out of wax that can fly; ninja could walk on water; and Beowulf carries grendel's head, which takes four strong men to carry otherwise. In other words, there is precedent for outlandish tasks by heroes.

 

[Umbran]

A few nitpicky comments, some of which actually support Ackem's position...

There are fish that can swim up small waterfalls.

I think you'll find that those fish are actually more jumping than swimming.

Now consider that, without magic, at level 20:

-A Barbarian will likely be far stronger then a Bear. I'ld like to remind you that Bears are strong enough to rip open a car like it was a can of sardines.

A typical brown bear has a strength of 27. A human barbarian may have an 18 strength at 1st. By level 20, he's got a strength of 23. He only exceeds the bear with Rage. While this ability is not spell like or supernatural, it isn't exactly normal, run of the mill stuff either.

-A Fighter could kill a T-Rex with a kitchen knife. I'm not even going to get into the feats that a Monk could pull off with his fists alone.

Well, technically, so can a 1st level fighter, if he gets really, really lucky. One on one vs the T-rex, even the 20th level fighter might need a bit of luck.

-A Rogue could take NO damage from that nuclear weapon that just went off next to it.

If and only if the DM were stupid enough to allow a reflex save against being at ground-zero of a nuclear explosion. Anyone can survive things if the DM is dim

-Just about any character could withstand falling off the Empire State Building. Most melee characters could go skydiving from a 747, without a parachute, walk away from it, then do it again without any healing or rest.

Considering that there are real-world people that have done this sort of thing, it's not so odd that a maximally-powered character in an epic action-adventure world can do it, too.

 

[LGodamus]

No one has ever , ever walked away from falling from a plane without a chute...lived yeah, but never ever walked away, much less be able to get up and do it again.

 

[AeroDm]

I have to admit that I actually really like these tables. They will never see use in our games because we play low-level stuff (under 10) and thus DC 30 is pretty damn high, but it is still fun to visualize. I find that the 'realistic' ones are more enjoyable though, like the open a lock as a free-action. Good stuff and certainly not game breaking.

 

[Numion]

No one has ever , ever walked away from falling from a plane without a chute...lived yeah, but never ever walked away, much less be able to get up and do it again.

Didn't one survive with minor injuries, IIRC? Not that anyone would risk it again after the fact

 

[MerakSpielman]

No one has ever , ever walked away from falling from a plane without a chute...lived yeah, but never ever walked away, much less be able to get up and do it again.

Does anybody know what the furthest distance is that somebody has fallen and survived? Just curious. There are probably 2 records - one for solid ground, and the other for water. Water acts almost as a solid if you're going fast enough, but it should still be less damaging than solid ground.

 

[takyris]

I agree with Henry on the folk-tale aspect of the high-level feats, and I like 'em. A 90th level rogue should be able to do that kind of crazy stuff, balancing on clouds and using Escape Artist to get through a wall of force or whatever. To say that melee attacks and spells can scale up to absurd levels while skills cap out at what we modern folks think is reasonably possible is a bit of a slap in the face for the skill-using classes.

 

[LGodamus]

Does anybody know what the furthest distance is that somebody has fallen and survived? Just curious. There are probably 2 records - one for solid ground, and the other for water. Water acts almost as a solid if you're going fast enough, but it should still be less damaging than solid ground.

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/index.asp?id=43941

there ya go....and an instuctor to skydivers I know says, not to aim for water , you will have less chance of survival than if you hit the ground.

 

[Jolly Giant]

Just wrote a rather longish post on an epic game i dm, where I give my view on epic characters, skills etc.

Just follow the link:

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?t=71134