Dramatic Fall [3.5 Spell] PEACH

[Milo v3]

Destructive Fall
Transmutation
Level: Asn 1, Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V
Casting time: 1 Immeditate Action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets: One Medium or smaller freefalling object or creature/level, no two of which may be more than 20 ft. apart
Duration: Until landing or 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) or Will negates (object)
Spell Resistance: Yes (object)

"Quick cast Feather Fall before we die!"
"No! It isn't dramatic enough!"

This spell acts as the Feather Fall spell, except as noted. Destructive Fall doesn't reduce the speed of the falling subjects.

In addition if a target reaches the ground while this spell is still in effect, the fall damage that is negated by the spell is instead dealt as sonic damage to the 5 foot cube below the subject. The amount of damage dealt with this spell cannot be greater than 1d6 per caster level, if the amount that would be dealt would be greater than this limit then it is reduced to the maximum.

If this damage destroys the ground the target is standing on, then this spell acts as though the subject was still falling.

[TuggyNE]

Casting time: 1 free action

I suspect you want the more modern form of an immediate action, as feather fall now uses. Free actions can't be taken off-turn....

Duration: Until landing or 1 round/level

I assume this is "up to" 1 rd. / level?

Looks more or less OK to me.

[Gamer Girl]

Too powerful as written. What is to stop someone from simply falling on top of a creature to do 100d10 sonic damage. How do you stop someone from doing that?

[Virdish]

If they were ingenuitive enough then why not? That would be quite a risk to take for a one shot but in reality if you have someone fall on you from that high up your dead anyways. All this spell is doing is makimg it so that the person falling survives the fall.

[Welknair]

If they were ingenuitive enough then why not? That would be quite a risk to take for a one shot but in reality if you have someone fall on you from that high up your dead anyways. All this spell is doing is makimg it so that the person falling survives the fall.

I'd be inclined to agree if I wasn't aware how crazy players tend to be. Carpet of Flying+1 random small animal/level=1 dead thing/level, no save. OOH OOH. Bag of tricks! This would make an excellent bomber-spell! As a first-level spell, you could make a Wand of it, and just spam it on a bunch of tiny critters you drop on your unsuspecting foes. Or through their doom-fortresses.

Yeaaaah, you may want to limit this.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Perhaps you could set it to only be cast on yourself, as the spell syntax seems to describe. That way you can't become a B-52 with explosive sonic weasels.
(they might even be starving and crazed after being in the bag for that long) /reference

Even so, I don't see this as being dramatic. I wonder if you could instead look at it as a bonus to a skill such as tumble, and perhaps a fascination? Eh. Sticking to what you have here, though, I'd raise it in level at the very least, or maybe make it a touch spell.

[Milo v3]

I suspect you want the more modern form of an immediate action, as feather fall now uses. Free actions can't be taken off-turn....

Was that in an Errata?

I assume this is "up to" 1 rd. / level?

Yes it is. I'll change it to make it more apparent.

I'd be inclined to agree if I wasn't aware how crazy players tend to be. Carpet of Flying+1 random small animal/level=1 dead thing/level, no save. OOH OOH. Bag of tricks! This would make an excellent bomber-spell! As a first-level spell, you could make a Wand of it, and just spam it on a bunch of tiny critters you drop on your unsuspecting foes. Or through their doom-fortresses.

Yeaaaah, you may want to limit this.

I'll limit the damage.

Perhaps you could set it to only be cast on yourself, as the spell syntax seems to describe. That way you can't become a B-52 with explosive sonic weasels.
(they might even be starving and crazed after being in the bag for that long) /reference

No as then it wouldn't function as a very good replacement for feather fall, and stops you from being able to protect your allies.

Even so, I don't see this as being dramatic. I wonder if you could instead look at it as a bonus to a skill such as tumble, and perhaps a fascination? Eh. Sticking to what you have here, though, I'd raise it in level at the very least, or maybe make it a touch spell.

Its dramatic in that you fall from a huge height, the force of the fall cracks the ground you land on, and you are perfectly fine. Its very dramatic to see someone leave an impact crater after a fall and them being fine.

Also should I increase it to level two, I've added in a limit to the damage and I don't think it is worth a second level slot.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Its dramatic in that you fall from a huge height, the force of the fall cracks the ground you land on, and you are perfectly fine. Its very dramatic to see someone leave an impact crater after a fall and them being fine.

Also should I increase it to level two, I've added in a limit to the damage and I don't think it is worth a second level slot.

I was referring to if unchanged to up the level. Lowering the damage works. I do like the fact that it naturally explains the increase of damage per level. The higher level you are, the longer you can fall before the effects wear off.

Curious - does the spell end if someone breaks the ground since the damage is made? or if they still have more rounds that the spell is in effect, and since they are "still falling" the spell continues? As in, someone dramatic falling through several layers of scaffolding.

[Welknair]

Curious - does the spell end if someone breaks the ground since the damage is made? or if they still have more rounds that the spell is in effect, and since they are "still falling" the spell continues? As in, someone dramatic falling through several layers of scaffolding.

I think this was the intention with that wording.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

I think this was the intention with that wording.

Yeah...it's just worded sparringly. So each time they hit something, the sonic damage happens...?

[Welknair]

Yeah...it's just worded sparringly. So each time they hit something, the sonic damage happens...?

That's what it sounds like.

Another potential exploit: Drop your bomber-weasels from your flying carpet, but only after releasing several giant sheets of paper or similar material. Perhaps have a frame for each? When the weasels hit the paper, it causes mid-air explosions. You could improvise a sort of flak-weapon in this manner.

[Milo v3]

Curious - does the spell end if someone breaks the ground since the damage is made? or if they still have more rounds that the spell is in effect, and since they are "still falling" the spell continues? As in, someone dramatic falling through several layers of scaffolding.

Yes the spell will continue. Note, that while the spell acts as if you were still falling, you technically are falling a second time, thus fall damage will have to be recalculated from the new fall height, meaning that it is a lot less likely to destroy anything a second time around unless it is a good distance down.

[TuggyNE]

Was that in an Errata?

I'm not sure, but the SRD listing has the current form.

[Milo v3]

I'm not sure, but the SRD listing has the current form.

Strange, seems D&D Wiki hadn't updated it. I'll change this to an immediate action.