

How to Prevent or Reduce Fall Damage in 5e This optional rule comes from Tasha’s Cauldron of everything (TCoE 170).įun fact: Demon Lords like Demogorgon and Baphomet (MToF 143-4) are immune to all bludgeoning damage, making them effectively immune to the effects of fall damage. However, if the creature succeeds on their saving throw, they avoid the falling creature entirely and take no damage, and do not fall prone.įor example, if a creature falls 60 feet onto another creature and that creature fails their Dexterity saving throw, you would roll 6d6 (21 average) and divide it between each of the creatures (10 bludgeoning damage each). Both creatures are also knocked prone, unless the impacted creature is two or more sizes larger than the falling creature. So if the creature has a flying speed of 60 feet and falls 100 feet, it takes damage as though it only fell 40 feet.Īdditionally, this optional rule combines with the 500 feet per second rule, allowing a flying creature to “stand up” from being knocked prone if falls from a height of more than 500 feet by spending half of its flying speed (XGtE 77).įalling onto a creature divides the damage between the two creatures if the stationary creature fails a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw.

If you incorporate this optional rule, you subtract the flyer’s flying speed from the total fall. The logic goes that a flyer who’s knocked prone and begins falling should still have ways to slow their descent. Another falling rule that Xanathar’s introduced involves flying creatures. However, Jeremy Crawford (lead game developer) states that he halves fall damage when a player falls into water in this Sage Advice thread, so that’s something.Ī flying creature can survive a fall more easily.

Otherwise, a player cannot take actions while they are falling, unless it is in specific reaction to the act of falling (e.g., Monk's Slow Fall or the Feather Fall spell).įalling into water does the same amount of damage as falling onto a solid surface, rules as written. This allows for players to take actions while they’re falling, if they’re falling from <500 feet. The game’s basic rules assume that falling is instantaneous, but Xanathar’s Guide to Everything added an optional rule: you fall 500 feet instantly, but if you’re still falling on your next turn, you descend 500 feet at the end of that turn (XGtE 77). While jumping does use your movement, allowing for gravity to take you (i.e., falling) does not use your character’s movement for the turn.įalling is instantaneous, or 500 feet per round with Xanathar’s rules. The important distinction here is that something like a Barbarian’s Rage gives resistance to all bludgeoning damage, not just bludgeoning damage from weapons and/or attacks.įalling doesn’t use your movement. This has been confirmed in separate Sage Advice and Twitter threads from Mike Mearls and Jeremy Crawford. If a feature or creature stat block gives resistance to bludgeoning damage in general, rather than bludgeoning damage from weapons/attacks, then it does apply to to fall damage. Resistance to bludgeoning damage reduces fall damage. The point here is that fall damage is not a weapon, nor is it an attack. This was specifically confirmed on Sage Advice and in the Sage Advice Compendium (pg. Immunity to bludgeoning damage from attacks or weapons doesn’t grant immunity to fall damage. The rules for fall damage in 5e are as follows: There are also other ways to avoid fall damage via class features and spells. You can resist fall damage if you have resistance to bludgeoning damage, which will halve the damage you take from a fall. Here’s the average fall damage you’ll take based on the height of your fall: Height of Fall The maximum fall damage a creature can take is 20d6 bludgeoning damage if they fall from a height of 200 feet or greater. If you fall any less than 10 feet, you don’t take any fall damage. You take 1d6 bludgeoning damage per 10 feet you fall in DnD 5e. How Much Damage Do you Take From Falling in 5e? Popular house rules for DMs who don’t like the 5e’s base fall damage rules But this simplicity also creates such unrealistic scenarios that it sometimes breaks player immersion.Īnswers to common rules questions around how fall damage worksĪll the ways to reduce or prevent fall damage
5e tiny player rules plus#
On the plus side, it’s very easy for DMs to run and players to remember the rules. How to Prevent or Reduce Fall Damage in 5eįall damage is a simple mechanic in DnD 5e, which comes with advantages and disadvantages.How Much Damage Do you Take From Falling in 5e?.
