Can you cast spells while falling? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Can you cast spells while falling? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Norrin
12-20-07, 05:48 PM Can you cast spells while falling?
Mindolin
12-20-07, 05:50 PM If the fall is long enough, I would say yes, with a concentration check. But make certain you apply the penalty on concentration checks for violent motion.

Swift, Immediate, and Free casting times are always quick enough to be used during a fall. Otherwise Feather Fall is useless.
Goof
12-20-07, 06:55 PM as long as you don't hit the bottem first. When falling you fall 150 feet the first round, 300 the rest of the rounds.

I don't see anything in SRD about needing a concentration check, and I wouldn't really consider falling a "violent motion" unless have some other force acting on you. The only thing about falling that is violent is the ending.
Seeker95
12-20-07, 07:31 PM I would require the concentration check. It may not be a violent motion, but it is most definitely unnerving.
Dheran
12-21-07, 04:37 AM as long as you don't hit the bottem first. When falling you fall 150 feet the first round, 300 the rest of the rounds. You're off by quite a bit, Goof. You fall 500' the first round, and 1200' each subsequent round. It's in the FAQ.

The figures you referenced are for winged creatures that stall (not free fall) due to insufficient forward speed.
Salla
12-21-07, 05:02 AM If you couldn't, Feather Fall wouldn't be very useful, now, would it? :D
Estand
12-21-07, 09:28 AM If you couldn't, Feather Fall wouldn't be very useful, now, would it?

Feather Fall is an exception to the rule. It's SOLE purpose is to prevent you from falling to your death. :eek:

Range: Close
Target: One medium or small Free Falling Creature per caster level, no two of which can be 20ft apart.

In the description Large creatures counts as two Medium, and Huge creatures counts as two Large creatures. It also works on falling objects (not to be confused with propelled/thrown objects).

considering some of the elements of this spell... it's a "free action" and a Verbal only spell. I would allow other similar spells - free action and verbal only. But you only have one in a round...

So other then Feather Fall, what would you cast to save your life? Unless your jumping off a cliff to cast some funky spell and then do a half gainer dive into the dark blue pool.... the 10,000 orcs freezing in horror at the top of said cliff not daring to get closer Zeebulba :D
Seeker95
12-21-07, 11:34 AM So other then Feather Fall, what would you cast to save your life?Etherealness, ethereal jaunt, gaseous form, air walk, alter self, control winds, limited wish, levitate, fly, iron body, meld into stone, miracle, overland flight, passwall, phantom steed, phase door, plane shift, gate, polymorph, reduce person, reverse gravity, shadow conjuration, solid fog, stoneskin, summon ally, summon monster, teleport, whirlwind, wind walk, wind wall, word of recall.
Goof
12-21-07, 12:28 PM You're off by quite a bit, Goof. You fall 500' the first round, and 1200' each subsequent round. It's in the FAQ.

The figures you referenced are for winged creatures that stall (not free fall) due to insufficient forward speed.

I know terminal velocity for a skydiver is about 1000-1500 ft/second. And that it takes about 10 seconds to reach that speed, but could not find anything in core/srd other than what I gave for falling speed. Not being the first time dnd not make sense with real world mechanics, we just worked with that we had in the books.
Estand
12-21-07, 12:51 PM Phantom Steed ... 10 minutes to cast :eek:

None of these slow your movement, so you would still take falling damage:
control winds, iron body, meld into stone, passwall, phase door, reduce person, stoneskin, teleport, whirlwind, wind wall, word of recall

These are standard actions... it's just not fast enough in my mind unless you fall more then one round. And if they have material component requirements I wouldn't allow it:
Etherealness, ethereal jaunt, gaseous form, air walk, alter self, limited wish, levitate, fly, miracle, overland flight, plane shift, gate, polymorph, reverse gravity, shadow conjuration, solid fog, wind walk,

Any plane shifting must be to one that has either no or subjective directional gravity.

Reverse gravity is dangerous... I might say that because you are already in free fall and now hit a force strong enough to make you go the other way it's like hitting the ground and rebounding backwards.

Hey why not add Summon Monster to the list. It's a full round to do so though... similar to Shadow Conjuration.
Seeker95
12-21-07, 01:54 PM Phantom Steed ... 10 minutes to cast :eek:Quicken or sudden.None of these slow your movement, so you would still take falling damage:Your houserule stating that these would not work is as legitimate as my houserule that says they could.
These are standard actions... it's just not fast enough in my mind unless you fall more then one round.Exactly.And if they have material component requirements I wouldn't allow it,Again, the houserule is the determinant.Any plane shifting must be to one that has either no or subjective directional gravity.Of which there are plenty. Plane of air, astral plane, ethereal plane, anyone?Reverse gravity is dangerous... I might say that because you are already in free fall and now hit a force strong enough to make you go the other way it's like hitting the ground and rebounding backwards.Dangerous versus death. Which would you pick?Hey why not add Summon Monster to the list. It's a full round to do so though...Consider it added.
Loren Pechtel
12-21-07, 02:35 PM I would have no problem with casting spells while falling assuming you have enough time. The one thing I wouldn't allow is any form of sonic attack--it's going to be swept away by the wind.
mvincent
12-21-07, 04:36 PM You're off by quite a bit, Goof. You fall 500' the first round, and 1200' each subsequent round. It's in the FAQ.The RotG later revised this to 500' and 1000' (i.e. nice, round numbers).
mvincent
12-21-07, 04:38 PM Can you cast spells while falling?Yup.

I would require the concentration check. It may not be a violent motion, but it is most definitely unnerving.Agreed.
VulcanStormwrath
12-21-07, 07:15 PM Yup.

Agreed.

Had a wizard in my game have to make a DC 25 concentration check to cast Fireball while falling through an enlarged Bat Swarm, then casting Feather Fall when he was cleat of the blast radius.

And yes Fireball is a sphere. And he pulled it off. This same wizard refused to light his smokes with anything other than Prestidigitation. I love my players.
mvincent
12-21-07, 07:46 PM Had a wizard in my game have to make a DC 25 concentration check to cast Fireball while falling through an enlarged Bat Swarm, then casting Feather Fall when he was cleat of the blast radius.Here's an anecdote with the (aforementioned) Summon Monster spell:

After being ambushed on sheer cliff (i.e. the Blue dragon encounter in Red Hand of Doom), the party's halfling paladin (and her little dog, too) were sent into freefall. Although she dismissed her dog (meaning no more spirited lance charges), she still "had the rest of her life to learn to fly".

My Thaumaturgist wanted to summon a celestial giant eagle under her, but had to get close enough to do so (and also avoid having the spell disrupted by a dragon attack)... so he dove off the cliff after the Paladin and cast the spell while free-falling.

It worked, and she was even able lance charge the (otherwise untouchable) flying dragon from the back of the eagle, preventing an almost certain TPK.
VulcanStormwrath
12-21-07, 08:30 PM Here's an anecdote with the (aforementioned) Summon Monster spell:

After being ambushed on sheer cliff (i.e. the Blue dragon encounter in Red Hand of Doom), the party's halfling paladin (and her little dog, too) were sent into freefall. Although she dismissed her dog (meaning no more spirited lance charges), she still "had the rest of her life to learn to fly".

My Thaumaturgist wanted to summon a celestial giant eagle under her, but had to get close enough to do so (and also avoid having the spell disrupted by a dragon attack)... so he dove off the cliff after the Paladin and cast the spell while free-falling.

It worked, and she was even able lance charge the (otherwise untouchable) flying dragon from the back of the eagle, preventing an almost certain TPK.

Who needs action movies when you've got D&D and a smart DM?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Norrin 12-20-07, 05:48 PM	Can you cast spells while falling?
Mindolin 12-20-07, 05:50 PM	If the fall is long enough, I would say yes, with a concentration check. But make certain you apply the penalty on concentration checks for violent motion. Swift, Immediate, and Free casting times are always quick enough to be used during a fall. Otherwise Feather Fall is useless.
Goof 12-20-07, 06:55 PM	as long as you don't hit the bottem first. When falling you fall 150 feet the first round, 300 the rest of the rounds. I don't see anything in SRD about needing a concentration check, and I wouldn't really consider falling a "violent motion" unless have some other force acting on you. The only thing about falling that is violent is the ending.
Seeker95 12-20-07, 07:31 PM	I would require the concentration check. It may not be a violent motion, but it is most definitely unnerving.
Dheran 12-21-07, 04:37 AM	as long as you don't hit the bottem first. When falling you fall 150 feet the first round, 300 the rest of the rounds. You're off by quite a bit, Goof. You fall 500' the first round, and 1200' each subsequent round. It's in the FAQ. The figures you referenced are for winged creatures that stall (not free fall) due to insufficient forward speed.
Salla 12-21-07, 05:02 AM	If you couldn't, Feather Fall wouldn't be very useful, now, would it? :D
Estand 12-21-07, 09:28 AM	If you couldn't, Feather Fall wouldn't be very useful, now, would it? Feather Fall is an exception to the rule. It's SOLE purpose is to prevent you from falling to your death. :eek: Range: Close Target: One medium or small Free Falling Creature per caster level, no two of which can be 20ft apart. In the description Large creatures counts as two Medium, and Huge creatures counts as two Large creatures. It also works on falling objects (not to be confused with propelled/thrown objects). considering some of the elements of this spell... it's a "free action" and a Verbal only spell. I would allow other similar spells - free action and verbal only. But you only have one in a round... So other then Feather Fall, what would you cast to save your life? Unless your jumping off a cliff to cast some funky spell and then do a half gainer dive into the dark blue pool.... the 10,000 orcs freezing in horror at the top of said cliff not daring to get closer Zeebulba :D
Seeker95 12-21-07, 11:34 AM	So other then Feather Fall, what would you cast to save your life?Etherealness, ethereal jaunt, gaseous form, air walk, alter self, control winds, limited wish, levitate, fly, iron body, meld into stone, miracle, overland flight, passwall, phantom steed, phase door, plane shift, gate, polymorph, reduce person, reverse gravity, shadow conjuration, solid fog, stoneskin, summon ally, summon monster, teleport, whirlwind, wind walk, wind wall, word of recall.
Goof 12-21-07, 12:28 PM	You're off by quite a bit, Goof. You fall 500' the first round, and 1200' each subsequent round. It's in the FAQ. The figures you referenced are for winged creatures that stall (not free fall) due to insufficient forward speed. I know terminal velocity for a skydiver is about 1000-1500 ft/second. And that it takes about 10 seconds to reach that speed, but could not find anything in core/srd other than what I gave for falling speed. Not being the first time dnd not make sense with real world mechanics, we just worked with that we had in the books.
Estand 12-21-07, 12:51 PM	Phantom Steed ... 10 minutes to cast :eek: None of these slow your movement, so you would still take falling damage: control winds, iron body, meld into stone, passwall, phase door, reduce person, stoneskin, teleport, whirlwind, wind wall, word of recall These are standard actions... it's just not fast enough in my mind unless you fall more then one round. And if they have material component requirements I wouldn't allow it: Etherealness, ethereal jaunt, gaseous form, air walk, alter self, limited wish, levitate, fly, miracle, overland flight, plane shift, gate, polymorph, reverse gravity, shadow conjuration, solid fog, wind walk, Any plane shifting must be to one that has either no or subjective directional gravity. Reverse gravity is dangerous... I might say that because you are already in free fall and now hit a force strong enough to make you go the other way it's like hitting the ground and rebounding backwards. Hey why not add Summon Monster to the list. It's a full round to do so though... similar to Shadow Conjuration.
Seeker95 12-21-07, 01:54 PM	Phantom Steed ... 10 minutes to cast :eek:Quicken or sudden.None of these slow your movement, so you would still take falling damage:Your houserule stating that these would not work is as legitimate as my houserule that says they could. These are standard actions... it's just not fast enough in my mind unless you fall more then one round.Exactly.And if they have material component requirements I wouldn't allow it,Again, the houserule is the determinant.Any plane shifting must be to one that has either no or subjective directional gravity.Of which there are plenty. Plane of air, astral plane, ethereal plane, anyone?Reverse gravity is dangerous... I might say that because you are already in free fall and now hit a force strong enough to make you go the other way it's like hitting the ground and rebounding backwards.Dangerous versus death. Which would you pick?Hey why not add Summon Monster to the list. It's a full round to do so though...Consider it added.
Loren Pechtel 12-21-07, 02:35 PM	I would have no problem with casting spells while falling assuming you have enough time. The one thing I wouldn't allow is any form of sonic attack--it's going to be swept away by the wind.
mvincent 12-21-07, 04:36 PM	You're off by quite a bit, Goof. You fall 500' the first round, and 1200' each subsequent round. It's in the FAQ.The RotG later revised this to 500' and 1000' (i.e. nice, round numbers).
mvincent 12-21-07, 04:38 PM	Can you cast spells while falling?Yup. I would require the concentration check. It may not be a violent motion, but it is most definitely unnerving.Agreed.
VulcanStormwrath 12-21-07, 07:15 PM	Yup. Agreed. Had a wizard in my game have to make a DC 25 concentration check to cast Fireball while falling through an enlarged Bat Swarm, then casting Feather Fall when he was cleat of the blast radius. And yes Fireball is a sphere. And he pulled it off. This same wizard refused to light his smokes with anything other than Prestidigitation. I love my players.
mvincent 12-21-07, 07:46 PM	Had a wizard in my game have to make a DC 25 concentration check to cast Fireball while falling through an enlarged Bat Swarm, then casting Feather Fall when he was cleat of the blast radius.Here's an anecdote with the (aforementioned) Summon Monster spell: After being ambushed on sheer cliff (i.e. the Blue dragon encounter in Red Hand of Doom), the party's halfling paladin (and her little dog, too) were sent into freefall. Although she dismissed her dog (meaning no more spirited lance charges), she still "had the rest of her life to learn to fly". My Thaumaturgist wanted to summon a celestial giant eagle under her, but had to get close enough to do so (and also avoid having the spell disrupted by a dragon attack)... so he dove off the cliff after the Paladin and cast the spell while free-falling. It worked, and she was even able lance charge the (otherwise untouchable) flying dragon from the back of the eagle, preventing an almost certain TPK.
VulcanStormwrath 12-21-07, 08:30 PM	Here's an anecdote with the (aforementioned) Summon Monster spell: After being ambushed on sheer cliff (i.e. the Blue dragon encounter in Red Hand of Doom), the party's halfling paladin (and her little dog, too) were sent into freefall. Although she dismissed her dog (meaning no more spirited lance charges), she still "had the rest of her life to learn to fly". My Thaumaturgist wanted to summon a celestial giant eagle under her, but had to get close enough to do so (and also avoid having the spell disrupted by a dragon attack)... so he dove off the cliff after the Paladin and cast the spell while free-falling. It worked, and she was even able lance charge the (otherwise untouchable) flying dragon from the back of the eagle, preventing an almost certain TPK. Who needs action movies when you've got D&D and a smart DM?