D&D 5E Falling/Diving into Water

[Quickleaf]

I've just searched thru my PHB and DMG and haven't found any guidelines for the classic "dive/fall into water" beyond the standard falling rules (1d6 bludgeoning damage per 10 ft)...which obviously don't accommodate real life diving, much the less cinematic-style diving. Since I'm running a pirate-themed campaign, I'm pretty sure this will come up soon, so I wanted to come up with a solution before play.

So far, I am looking at the Mariner class from Dragon 107 IIRC, which has a detailed table for amount of damage dealt by a dive/fall into water given the height of the drop.

I'm curious, how would you handle this in 5e?

 

[jadrax]

Make Dexterity (Acrobatics) check, falling Damage n fail. DC based upon height and other circumstances.

 

[S_Dalsgaard]

When falling/diving into water, I would say the first 20 feet are "free" (no damage) and do the regular 1d6 per 10 feet if falling further (1d6 at 30 feet, 2d6 at 40 feet, etc). You could say that a successful athletic check (DC 10) adds 20 feet before damage is taken (due to the creature making itself streamlined instead of going in stomach first).

 

[Viking Bastard]

Sounds like a DEX check to me if diving and DEX save if falling in. d4 bludgeoning damage per 10 feet.

 

[Cernor]

I think that if you're falling from more than a certain distance (say, 20 feet like [MENTION=6785541]S_Dalsgaard[/MENTION] suggested) then you take damage as normal without a save to mitigate it... Other than the Athletics or Acrobatics check you make to not fall in the first place, or if you fall from an excessive distance and have time to redirect your fall.

As far as diving is concerned, an Athletics check with varying degrees of success could work well: DC 5 to not fail the dive and fall instead, DC 10 to double the distance you can dive without taking damage (dive 40 feet without damage instead of 20 feet), DC 15 to triple the original distance (60 feet instead of 20), DC 20 to quadruple it (80 instead of 20) and DC 25 to negate the damage, regardless of height fallen. That way if they jump off the top of a mast into the sea (like in the movies or Assassin's Creed) they still have a decent chance to reduce their damage taken.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

first real world... after a high enough fall hitting water is worse then ground... the tension of the water is like hitting concrete, but then you sink after impact...

But really who cares about real life, that's boring. so I would start by using the 4e rule of an athletics or acrobatics check to negate damage, then add in water makes you 'resistance' to damgae...

lets see


so a 50ft drop does 5d6 (5-30 average 18) a skill check is 1d20+ stat mod/and prof so from 0-36 an agile proficient diver would be rolling 1d20+6 so negating 7-26 damage and could assume to absobe 10-17 pretty regular... so could 'jump 50ft' safely

add the water in for 1/2 damage and you double the drop to 100ft. in theory a legendary hero (say a high level rogue with a 20 dex and expertise) rolls 2d20 (advantage) takes the higher and adds 17 (12 double prof 5 stat). Now I have been told by people way smarter then me advantage is about +5 so on average you get a 10-15 on that roll, +17 is 27-32 pts negated... and half from water=resistance. could jump 200ft (20d6/2 is 10-60 damage average 35)

you could then tell the cinematic story of the 400ft drop into water (40d6/2= 20-120 damage nat 20 roll negates 37... within range of a lucky set of rolls)

 

[Joe Liker]

I really, REALLY wish people would stop saying "Athletics or Acrobatics." They are not the same, and they should never apply to the same situation (except for escaping a grapple, where there are different ways to accomplish the same goal).

Diving (and safe falling in general) is clearly, unequivocally an Acrobatics situation. If a DM allows you to pick the skill you're best at in every situation, it only waters down the game and encourages Dump Stat Syndrome.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I really, REALLY wish people would stop saying "Athletics or Acrobatics." They are not the same, and they should never apply to the same situation (except for escaping a grapple, where there are different ways to accomplish the same goal).

Diving (and safe falling in general) is clearly, unequivocally an Acrobatics situation. If a DM allows you to pick the skill you're best at in every situation, it only waters down the game and encourages Dump Stat Syndrome.

the problem is that isn't clear at all... infact I would think that most divers I know are more likely to be athletic then acrobatic, and most acrobats I have seen in no way make for good divers... I use both because there is a theroticl way to do both

 

[aramis erak]

Diving would be, for me, Acrobatics test to dive, For each full 5 points of roll over 5, reduce one die of falling damage.

Depth of water matters; you need at least 3' per die removed or to make an athletics DC 15 or take half that damage anyway as you crack the bottom.

 

[Plaguescarred]

I'd also go with a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to halve or negate damage.