Rules Lawyer question: Damage from Falling Objects

[Gol]

First of all, I'm aware of the whole "capped at 20d6" deal with falling objects, but that brings me to another question.

I've managed to create a character that (when buffed) weighs almost 25,000 pounds. I want to figure out how much pain I bring just by jumping on somebody of smaller stature.

Now, from the first sentence about Falling Object damage, just from sheer weight this would be 125d6, privided I fall at least 10 feet. I'm done some basic math on how high I can jump, and the DC on my jump is going to be approximately half the height I jump in feet. With my Str and Jump ranks, I can get 30 feet as long as I don't roll a one.

Then from the second sentence, this suggests I'd get "another" d6 per 10 feet, and I'm assuming that's a d6 per 200 pounds as well.

So, does the 20d6 cap apply only to extra height? Or strictly to extra damage? Furthermore, am I even using the right mechanics to calculate damage?

With that said, I have three questions.
First, how much damage does a 25,000 pound object (with 10x10 facing) do when dropped on somebody from 10 feet? From 20, 30, or 40 feet?

Second, how would you treat the situation mechanically if the 25,000 pound object was a Player Character trying to do damage to an enemy by jumping on them?

Third, how much damage would the Player Character take?

[zergnase]

back the abstraction in the D&D system...

back to the 16 ton acme block thrown at coyote... who survived it...

hey those are heroes....

i onced manged to build a PC which could jump 1000+ feets or so...

(which was very funny =)

[TheElf]

If you canot keep an object above yourself and it is on top of you, you have problems. Say you won't keep standing, if you have a dragon stepped on you, you will have problems with breathing to say the least or you simply die beause your bones cannot support the weight. No damage roll here, but you see how much weight a character can hold, there are checks for it. Same with a heavy enough object

[Raynon]

A bit off-topic

The dragon example reminds me of something...
When you're facing a colossal creature, they can kill you in one attack. What stops from a colossal creature from stepping on your character and killing him? One could say that's just a touch attack and then *splat* dead char. Imagine the weight of the Tarrasque or a Great Wyrm? I was told that in the Epic Character Handbook, there's another size: Colossal +...
Maybe we just don't need to go that far, maybe a Fire Giant could kill you in one "step".
Anyone used this "tactic"?

Hm, maybe we can just polymorph into a giant and start killing those damned orcs


PS: sorry for writing something totally off-topic...

[zergnase]

hill giant is not that large

large dragons have such attack called crush (landing on a 3 sozes smaller creature) but it is not a touch attack but the target gets a ref save and some LOL dmg, BUT not that lol since the dragon propably doesn´t want to take dmg while he lands on you...

[TheEvilDrSmith]

from the D20 3.5 SRD

For each 200 pounds of an object's weight, the object deals 1d6 points of damage, provided it falls at least 10 feet.

Distance also comes into play, adding an additional 1d6 points of damage for every 10-foot increment it falls beyond the first (to a maximum of 20d6 points of damage).


My interpretation of this would be your 25000lb beastie/200lb x d6 + 1d6 for every addional 10' increment.

I would check the scale against structures in your campaign and as a realitch check what weights 25000lb and what damage could it do ....

I think this rule has simplified things somewhat. What we are talking about is energy equilibrium.

Somehing has been overlooked is the deformation of the object although that maybe be modelled by and objects hitpoints. The limit on damage due to vertical flight makes some assumption regarding terminal velocity.

Its a bit late for this sort of crap so I will do some homework and post later.

TEDS

[TheEvilDrSmith]

One thought that just came to me is the logistic of jumping on someone or thing. There is a potential that unless you are on at a position somewhere above your target, you are going to have to used some sort of balistic approach to land on top of a target.

This implies that the beastie must have some forward and vertical velocity in order to launch and land on top of your target. Similarly, if your beastie can fly it could have significant forward velocity. This implies that there would be a knock back component of trying to jump on someone.

It would also seem to me that it would matter what sort of target you are attacking.

eg: a humanoid target would have a chance of falling prone and you landing on top of you where as attaing a tower there is much less chance of knocking a tower on it side but there is a chance you can impart horrizontal damage and shear the top off of the tower.

I guess horizontal damage should be cumulative that successive attempts could lead to shearing the top off. So we have an option for additional horzontal component of damage or a knock down (with some reducded horizonal damage as you absorb some of the damage).

More food for thought.

TEDS

[TheEvilDrSmith]

oh ... there is always the option. The 25000lb beastie jumps on you and you are squashed

TEDS

[TheEvilDrSmith]

This has prompted some more thoughts on the nature of determining damage that a weapon can inflict. It woudl be interesting to know the basis behind how the relative damages were set for each weapon damage class as well as the physical nature of damage from these weapons classes.

Bludgeoning
Piercing
Slashing

There are also the modifiers for critical hits, set for charge, falling objects etc.

There was a point kicking around my head as I have been writing these posts, depending upon on what you land on, you might do as much damage to yourself. eg most people could break a glass bottle with a bare foot but must would chose not to (at least prior to 20 beers and a dare in front of your mates).

TEDS

The ramblings continue ....

[zergnase]

Originally Posted by TheEvilDrSmith

My interpretation of this would be your 25000lb beastie/200lb x d6 + 1d6 for every addional 10' increment.

if, then max 20d6 ;p