How much damage can I take by running headfirst into a wall?

[Noumenon]

Due to a mixup between an earth elemental and a water elemental, it's possible for adventurers in Castle Whiterock to get their head completely encased in hardened mud. It requires 10 points of bludgeoning damage to break off, but I thought "someone is going to be more creative than just waiting for someone to hit them with a club... what if they run straight at the wall head first?" I have no idea what a comparable attack or damage expression is. My friend suggested a hill giant's thrown rock, on the theory that sometimes you hit the wall, sometimes the wall hits you.

 

[Vascant]

I would probably go with something more along the lines of a club for damage...

Reasons..
Just seems about the same basic idea
You can throw something with more force then you can carry it or run.
Just makes for an easy ruling that has a little common sense to it in my opinion.

 

[Richards]

Yep, I'd go 1d6 - the same as one 10-foot increment of falling damage.

Johnathan

 

[Umbran]

I would expect that if they actually hit the wall, the block of mud would take the damage for them - that is kind of the point. If they over-kill, then the PC can take the remaining damage.

Imagine he's making an unarmed charging attack against the wall, and apply that back on the character/brick, I'd say.

 

[Croesus]

If you're running this as standard high-fantasy and/or swashbuckling fare, then I agree with the 1d6 + character has a headache for a while. It's a dramatic choice to allow the character to do something stupid, while still having plot protection. Think of John McClain in Die Hard.

If you're trying to treat it more "realistically", treat it as a coup de grace with a club. My reasoning is that running into a wall with your head is likely to cause a concussion at best, and break the neck at worst. It's only a good idea in the movies.

 

[Noumenon]

The only problem is the module's requirement of 10 bludgeoning damage (it says "the victim receives an equal amount of damage from each successful attack on the mud"). This is a level 7 adventure so 10 hp is a quarter of your hit points, more than a headache. Perhaps I should lower it to 5 so your friends don't have to hit you so hard (and you won't have to hit your head on the wall over and over), or just not have a strict threshold at all.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I would treat it as falling damage based on move rate,that is if you want to treat it D&D style. Realism is a whole 'nother ball game.

 

[Summer-Knight925]

1d4 for every 10 feet charged.

 

[Kzach]

I really think this is a case where someone should try it and find out.

Volunteers?

 

[SnowleopardVK]

1d4 for every 10 feet charged.

Eventually though you'd be running at full speed and the extra feet beyond what it took to reach that point would mean nothing as far as damage goes. How long does it take to get up to full speed at a run. Probably only 20 or 30 feet.