The Cascading Attack Against Large Creatures

[Hypersmurf]

And, it does get old to hear players over and over again justifying poorly written or at least poorly anticipated rules with "Well, that's the way it works, hence, it's ok.". Maybe for their game, but not for mine.

Well, if you change the rule for your game, the universe no longer works that way, and expectations and actions should change accordingly.

But unless you change the rule, thousands of years of empirical evidence will back up the fact that it makes sense for the barbarian to step off the cliff. The character has no reason to think it's cheesy or silly, because 95% of high level barbarians who step off cliffs survive.

I have no problem with a DM changing the rule if that bothers him. But since the mechanics do define the world, a player can only play according to the mechanics that are in place for the game.

-Hyp.

 

[Markn]

Hyp, you just gotta get the last word in, don't you?

 

[Nail]

Askin' fer it, ain't ya?

 

[Evilhalfling]

It's like a barbarian standing on the edge of a cliff, faced with a high DC Will-save-or-die effect next round.

He has a 5% chance of making the save - a natural 20.

Now, real world common sense says that 5% is better odds of survival than stepping off a cliff. But the barbarian can take the falling damage in his sleep. In the D&D world, common sense tells him to step off the cliff, because the mechanics grant him a better chance of survival.

That's not cheese; it's observing the natural laws of one's universe, and acting accordingly.

-Hyp.

Hmmm ...
it also has certain cineamatic qualities.

"Luke I am you father" sounds like an attempt at domination to me.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Hyp, you just gotta get the last word in, don't you?

Hyp will argue until he's blue in the face.

Okay, I'm kidding, Hyp, but someone had to say it.

 

[Jeff Wilder]

Personally, I'm kinda wondering how many people the PC in question has seen fall (or jump) off 50-foot cliffs, and, of those, how many he recognized as "high-level barbarians," and, of those, exactly how he recognized them as "high-level barbarians," but that's just me.

The vast majority of people in the D&D universe who fall (or jump) from 50-foot cliffs splatter at the bottom. What is the barbarian thinking that makes him believe he won't? ("I have more hit points"? "I have a higher Constitution"? "My skin is tougher, so I won't hit the ground as hard"? "My Uncle Krusk survived this once, so I'm sure I will"?)

Stupid falling-damage rule aside, I still think it's difficult to justify a PC willingly launching himself from a cliff, and that's (at least one reason) why people are calling it "cheesy."

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

The above action is common practice in our group - it is in effect simply following the lead of the bravest man.

Versus a reach monster everyone delays for after the most armoured man, except fot the AC buffing cleric. If within 20', the tank spends a standard action to fight defensively (& activate expertise) and then moves within to toe to toe contact - deliberately provoking the AoO. All other melee types follow closely in order of AC just in case of combat reflexes.

Or the above tank deliberately allows himself to be attacked (buffing AC as best as possible) & 5' moves into contact and again everyone swarms forth.

For what it is worth, we allow this soft cover only if the foe is not more than 1 size category larger, but that is a houserule.

 

[frankthedm]

Jeff Wilder

Stupid falling-damage rule aside, I still think it's difficult to justify a PC willingly launching himself from a cliff, and that's (at least one reason) why people are calling it "cheesy."

I rule suicide attempts automaticly successfull and would declare the fool dead. The HP system is there to allow for heroics, not terminal velocity faceplants...

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

I rule suicide attempts automaticly successfull and would declare the fool dead. The HP system is there to allow for heroics, not terminal velocity faceplants...

Ha! Arh well now, I think the idea is that the barbarian is taking his chances with softening his fall somehow rather than the face-first method.

You could get all cartoony and describe the twit as bouncing 3 times on a nearby log for height, & then launching himself with hands together over his head before plumetting 500' down on to a damp patch on a slab of rock. Mind you, this description has its appeal.

 

[Infiniti2000]

For what it is worth, we allow this soft cover only if the foe is not more than 1 size category larger, but that is a houserule.

It's not a houserule. It's not even a houserule at 1 size category larger. It's called a low obstacle and is supported by the rules, but depends on the actual heights of the creatures involved (not just size categories). A 6ft human with a longspear standing behind a 3ft halfling has cover from the halfling, but creatures in front of the halfling do not have cover from the human.