Hero's Epic Fall Damage (5e Variant Rule)

Author: Select Hero (talk) Date Created: April 18, 2022 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Let's dive right in. There are several factors to consider related to falling, each of which alter the impact.
Elevation grants matter space to accelerate; increasing the impact speed.
Mass grants the growing speed a force, leading to an exchange of energy that can disintegrate material.
Location defines the strength and slope of terrain, influencing the rate of the energy exchange at impact.
Body Position influences the fall speed, location, angle of impact, final deceleration, and position of the vital organs.

Your Fall

The fall height and your body weight form the basis of a damage factor (DF), which may be incrementally reduced by other factors.

A Fine Selection of Fall DFs

H/W	11	23	42	72	116	177	260	368	507
										682
2	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
16	5	7	8	10	12	14	16	18	20	22
64	8	11	13	16	19	22	25	28	31	35
144	11	14	18	21	25	29	33	37	41	46
256	16	18	22	26	30	35	40	45	50	55
400	16	20	25	30	35	41	47	52	58	64
576	16	23	28	34	40	46	53	59	66	73
900	16	23	31	40	47	54	61	69	76	84
1296	16	23	31	41	53	61	69	78	86	95
1764	16	23	31	41	53	65	77	86	96	106
2304	16	23	31	41	53	65	79	94	105	116
3136	16	23	31	41	53	65	79	94	111	128

Formula to Calculate your Fall DF

Cube roots are just like square roots; except for cubes, which are like squares, but in a higher dimension; actually, our own dimension.

• Fall DF = (Fall Height × Weight)^1/3

OR

• Fall DF = Fall Height^1/3 × Weight^1/3
  

Step 1: Choosing a Terrain Die

Selected for a range of likely hazards specific to each area, rolled instead of a d6.

Terrain Materials:

(d1)Waterfall: wax, snow, rubber, perlite

(d2)Moorland: sand, gravel, gypsum, balsa

(d3)Tundra: clay, dolomite, ice, cedar

(d4)Forest: travertine, cypress, hickory, elm

(d6)Urbana: sandstone, ironwood, soil-cement

(d8)Cavern: rhyolite, shale, limestone

(d12)Labyrinth: granite, slate, marble, basalt

(d20)Treasury: sapphire, gold, porcelain, coral

Step 2: Rolling a Fall Save/Check

Strength/Athletics or Acrobatics

Reduce the Fall DF by an amount equal to your roll.

Intelligence/Investigation or Survival

Reduce the Terrain die once every 10 points of your roll.

Rule 1: One skill may replace another during a multi-round fall but they do not stack. Your chosen skill represents your focus, but not the totality of your effort.

Step 3: Generating Fall Damage

Roll the Terrain Die and multiply by the remaining Fall DF.

Rolling a single time reflects one location among the terrain, reducing predictability of fall damage from great heights.

Rule 2: Preparation may be awarded with advantage.

Rule 3: Interference during the fall triggers disadvantage.

Useful Additions

Quick Jumps - Parkour

A player may spend up to 30 feet of cumulative movement per turn falling, rolling for each fall separately.

Movement Cost	5	10	15	20	25	30
Maximum Distance	16	64	144	256	400	576

Turn Order

Elevation updates are placed in the order of turns by taking yhe initiative of the failling creature minus 6, or however many seconds remain of the fall.

• Fall Duration = Fall Height^1/2/ 4
  

Terminal Velocity

Your Fall DF will not increase beyond this fall height.

• Maximal Fall Height = Weight^1/2 × 120

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