Casting spells while falling? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Casting spells while falling? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Sovereign110
01-24-08, 12:12 AM Let's say that a wizard PC is snatched by a dragon and dropped ~100 ft. above ground. How would casting spells work while they're free falling? Hell, how would it work while they're in the dragon's claw?
ZiggZagg
01-24-08, 12:19 AM In the Dragon's Claw he would be grappled. Falling through the air, well he would hit the ground at falling 100 feet really before his round was up, so he really wouldn't get the chance to cast a spell unless it was a ready action or an immediate action
nightwyrm
01-24-08, 12:51 AM This is what feather fall is for.
Axiomatic_vampire
01-24-08, 04:35 AM But assuming enough time to have a rounds worth of actions while falling, it's an interesting question I've never found a great answer to. I've always thought a concentration check of 20 (listed as "extraordinarily violent motion, as an earthquake) might be appropriate, but that's just an estimate. Isn't there a rule on this somewhere?

For example, if a cleric was wind walking and wanted to attack from above, they would spend the five rounds shifting into human form, immediately start falling, and...what? It seems far from impossible. DC 20 concentration?
narack
01-24-08, 08:20 AM You can easily survive.

Casting the spell is a free action, like casting a quickened spell, and it counts toward the normal limit of one quickened spell per round. You may even cast this spell when it isn’t your turn..

that's from the spell itself.

And for the Concentration it would fall in :Extraordinarily violent motion DC20
aikimiller
01-24-08, 09:01 AM Well, if memory serves, during the first round of falling, you fall 180 feet. Casting a spell normally is a standard action,which in theory should require a little over half of your 6 seconds. Considdering that you speed up as you fall, if you're falling 100 feet I'd say you have a chance to cast a spell before you hit the ground.

definatly dc20 conc check.

In addition, remember stopping a grapple is only a free action if the person you're grappling wants to let go. If the dragon is flying, the PC should have the option of making an opposed grapple check (ya never know, the dragon might roll a 1) to hang on to the dragon and not fall to their doom. Granted, this might not be the best option because next round they will be even higher, but eh, what's life without a little excitement.
Kala2000
01-24-08, 10:15 AM Add 1 or 2 for every level of the spell the wizard/cleric/whatever is casting.
Jonas87
01-24-08, 10:19 AM One of my friends did the math and figured that your average human would fall 600~700ft in six seconds after hitting terminal velocity. If you're falling from higher than that you would probably have a round or two to do stuff.
eamon
01-24-08, 11:30 AM I think a DC 20+spell level Concentration check is pretty steep. I think 15 is more than enough. If you need to concentrate for a long time (a full round action to summon an areal mount, say), then perhaps you could add a -2 penalty for being sickened by the fall. Frankly, I doubt falling is any more violent than a galloping horse (DC 15+spell level), but that's just by instinct and judging from video's thereof... I mean, a small boat in violent water (DC 10+spell level) actually strikes me as worse. DC 20+spell level is kinda crazy (although a normal earthquake is a lot less distracting than sitting on a galloping horse, but I digress - a D&D earthquake is of course dramatically earthshaking :-) )
Hsien
01-24-08, 01:40 PM One of my friends did the math and figured that your average human would fall 600~700ft in six seconds after hitting terminal velocity. If you're falling from higher than that you would probably have a round or two to do stuff.

Not sure of that math. I've got it calculated at 176 (roughly) for the first 6 seconds using standard acceleration due to gravity 9.8 m/s/s.

Game mechanics are simpler, and sufficient. Link to SRD Movement (http://forums.gleemax.com/leaving.php?destination=http://www.d20srd.org)
First round 150 feet
Second round 300 ft

Having skydived and used a vertical wind tunnel ( which is fun f you ever get the chance ) I don't consider freefall violent movement, at least not with a little practice.
Plenty of problems (spins, twists) could occur while flailing about though, for characters that would have no real experience with freefall movement.
Anodai
01-24-08, 02:10 PM This has come up for me occasionally and we generally go with the general consensus of DC 20 Concentration.

Not sure of that math. I've got it calculated at 176 (roughly) for the first 6 seconds using standard acceleration due to gravity 9.8 m/s/s.

Game mechanics are simpler, and sufficient. Link to SRD Movement (http://forums.gleemax.com/leaving.php?destination=http://www.d20srd.org)
First round 150 feet
Second round 300 ft

This is why I like fantasy physics.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Sovereign110 01-24-08, 12:12 AM	Let's say that a wizard PC is snatched by a dragon and dropped ~100 ft. above ground. How would casting spells work while they're free falling? Hell, how would it work while they're in the dragon's claw?
ZiggZagg 01-24-08, 12:19 AM	In the Dragon's Claw he would be grappled. Falling through the air, well he would hit the ground at falling 100 feet really before his round was up, so he really wouldn't get the chance to cast a spell unless it was a ready action or an immediate action
nightwyrm 01-24-08, 12:51 AM	This is what feather fall is for.
Axiomatic_vampire 01-24-08, 04:35 AM	But assuming enough time to have a rounds worth of actions while falling, it's an interesting question I've never found a great answer to. I've always thought a concentration check of 20 (listed as "extraordinarily violent motion, as an earthquake) might be appropriate, but that's just an estimate. Isn't there a rule on this somewhere? For example, if a cleric was wind walking and wanted to attack from above, they would spend the five rounds shifting into human form, immediately start falling, and...what? It seems far from impossible. DC 20 concentration?
narack 01-24-08, 08:20 AM	You can easily survive. Casting the spell is a free action, like casting a quickened spell, and it counts toward the normal limit of one quickened spell per round. You may even cast this spell when it isn’t your turn.. that's from the spell itself. And for the Concentration it would fall in :Extraordinarily violent motion DC20
aikimiller 01-24-08, 09:01 AM	Well, if memory serves, during the first round of falling, you fall 180 feet. Casting a spell normally is a standard action,which in theory should require a little over half of your 6 seconds. Considdering that you speed up as you fall, if you're falling 100 feet I'd say you have a chance to cast a spell before you hit the ground. definatly dc20 conc check. In addition, remember stopping a grapple is only a free action if the person you're grappling wants to let go. If the dragon is flying, the PC should have the option of making an opposed grapple check (ya never know, the dragon might roll a 1) to hang on to the dragon and not fall to their doom. Granted, this might not be the best option because next round they will be even higher, but eh, what's life without a little excitement.
Kala2000 01-24-08, 10:15 AM	Add 1 or 2 for every level of the spell the wizard/cleric/whatever is casting.
Jonas87 01-24-08, 10:19 AM	One of my friends did the math and figured that your average human would fall 600~700ft in six seconds after hitting terminal velocity. If you're falling from higher than that you would probably have a round or two to do stuff.
eamon 01-24-08, 11:30 AM	I think a DC 20+spell level Concentration check is pretty steep. I think 15 is more than enough. If you need to concentrate for a long time (a full round action to summon an areal mount, say), then perhaps you could add a -2 penalty for being sickened by the fall. Frankly, I doubt falling is any more violent than a galloping horse (DC 15+spell level), but that's just by instinct and judging from video's thereof... I mean, a small boat in violent water (DC 10+spell level) actually strikes me as worse. DC 20+spell level is kinda crazy (although a normal earthquake is a lot less distracting than sitting on a galloping horse, but I digress - a D&D earthquake is of course dramatically earthshaking :-) )
Hsien 01-24-08, 01:40 PM	One of my friends did the math and figured that your average human would fall 600~700ft in six seconds after hitting terminal velocity. If you're falling from higher than that you would probably have a round or two to do stuff. Not sure of that math. I've got it calculated at 176 (roughly) for the first 6 seconds using standard acceleration due to gravity 9.8 m/s/s. Game mechanics are simpler, and sufficient. Link to SRD Movement (http://forums.gleemax.com/leaving.php?destination=http://www.d20srd.org) First round 150 feet Second round 300 ft Having skydived and used a vertical wind tunnel ( which is fun f you ever get the chance ) I don't consider freefall violent movement, at least not with a little practice. Plenty of problems (spins, twists) could occur while flailing about though, for characters that would have no real experience with freefall movement.
Anodai 01-24-08, 02:10 PM	This has come up for me occasionally and we generally go with the general consensus of DC 20 Concentration. Not sure of that math. I've got it calculated at 176 (roughly) for the first 6 seconds using standard acceleration due to gravity 9.8 m/s/s. Game mechanics are simpler, and sufficient. Link to SRD Movement (http://forums.gleemax.com/leaving.php?destination=http://www.d20srd.org) First round 150 feet Second round 300 ft This is why I like fantasy physics.