Hero's Epic Fall Damage (5e Variant Rule)
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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.
Contents
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 Height1/3 × Weight1/3
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 DC 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 Height1/2/ 4
Terminal Velocity
Your Fall DF will not increase beyond this fall height.
- Maximal Fall Height = Weight1/2 × 120
Back to Main Page → 5e → Variant Rules
Bold text
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 DC 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 Height1/2/ 4
Terminal Velocity
Your Fall DF will not increase beyond this fall height.
- Maximal Fall Height = Weight1/2 × 120
Back to Main Page → 5e → Variant Rules
