How to prevent/minimize falling damage on a large scale?

[lvl 1 sharnian]

For the campaign I'm designing, there's going to be a country that has higher access to magic than the rest (5-6th [only a few individuals, but hey, it's access, the rest have mostly 1st-2nd] compared to 2-3rd max) but is pretty small and basically no real standing army. What I'm having them do is have a specialized team to take care of problem areas quickly.

What I need is a way to minimize falling damage without sacrificing fall speed.

Feather Fall could work, but it's too slow.

Can you have multiple castings of Shield Other protect one creature? E.g. For this idea, I'm imagining 4 Earth Elementals (is there a low level summonable creature that can innately cast Shield Other atleast 1/day?) covering a soldier while it falls to the earth. Before the drop, a mage casts Shield Other to link each EE to the Soldier and then they jump.

The way I'm thinking:
Let's say they jump and they all take 100 damage
Soldier = 1/2 * 100 = 50 * 1/2 = 25 * 1/2 = 13 * 1/2 = 7 Damage Taken
E1 = 50 + 100 = 150
EE2 = 25 + 100 = 125
EE3 = 12 + 100 = 112
EE4 = 6 + 100 = 106

Would this work?

[Boci]

Potion of slow fall that they take just before landing? Got to love these kind of games, heroic fantasy style commando.

[deuxhero]

Ring of featherfall, 2000 something gold (3000 something if you don't have a slot free and want to stack it with another ring).

For no-featherfall, see if you can get people with fly speeds somehow to slow them.

[lvl 1 sharnian]

Sounds nice, but kinda takes away the huge impact crater. Would be great if it could keep that falling meteor flavor, rather than a deceptive dive.

[tyckspoon]

Just how far do you need them to fall? Feather Fall still gets them down at 60 feet/round.. if they're falling far enough that it'll take multiple rounds of travel, you could just issue them Widgets of Feather Fall and have them ready actions to trigger them when they're within 60 feet of the ground.

Edit: ...dude, if you want an impact crater, don't drop people. Drop rocks and don't worry about safe landings. People are for doing stuff, craters are for destroying stuff.

[deuxhero]

Sounds nice, but kinda takes away the huge impact crater. Would be great if it could keep that falling meteor flavor, rather than a deceptive dive.

So you want an impact rather than getting people into place?

And 5-6th level spells or 5-6th level characters?

[Temotei]

There's a feat from Races of Destiny called Roofwalker that allows you to take 20 feet-worth less damage if you intentionally jump and make a Jump check.

[deuxhero]

tumble (or was it jump) checks can reduce fall distance.

[nekomata2]

The psionic power Catfall (http://http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/catfall.htm) is my dive bomb of choice, since it negates the damage without slowing you down, if you can get the ML high enough...

[The Dark Fiddler]

tumble (or was it jump) checks can reduce fall distance.

Both, but Tumble is trained only.

[Totally Guy]

Cityscape has the Roofwalker and Roof-Jumper feats.

Roofwalker has an extra 10 foot benefit to your successful jump check.

And Roof-Jumper... well, you leave a crater in whoever you fall on top of.

Edit: I'm loving this Imp image with the Mortar Board... it's like I actually know things now.

[lvl 1 sharnian]

So you want an impact rather than getting people into place?

The impact is secondary, I want to get them to an area, but while still maintaining speed and maybe throw in a little intimidation.

The country's (don't have a name yet) favorite tactic during a major battle, start the battle with the front lines, and while they are distracted, drop some drop troopers on the backlines (usually archers or mages) to wreck havoc.

Also, I'd like a way that would keep them protected from possible long range attack (my main problem with feather fall from the get go, paratroopers be damned)

What are some strong flying monsters? Strong meaning able to lift heavy loads and still fly

And 5-6th level spells or 5-6th level characters?

5th-6th Level spells, but only a few individuals have access to these levels so the government would not like to risk them in open combat.

Also, I'd rather not have a discussion about how this country can automatically win any battle due to the high level magic.

[Keshay]

If the rate of falling for feather fall is too slow, either have the items granting the power enchanted so that they activate 90' off the ground, or have the paratroopers trained to put on/activate said item at whatever desired elevation.

Using a wand of feather fall would be no different from pulling a parachute, except you fall half as fast once activated.

[SartheKobold]

It may be that Roof-Jumper that he's trying to break. It grants bonus damage, but it doesn't work with Feather-Fall...

I suggest giving them a flight speed somehow, lances and draconic flavor and make them into Commando Dragoons that leap, lance and land. Brutal setup, but takes some tricky rule-mongering to get right...

Does anyone have a source for distance fallen/round?

[ericgrau]

If a flying creature falls it's 150 feet the first round and 300 each round thereafter, by the rules. Realistically terminal velocity is 120 mph = 176 ft./s = 1056 feet per round for a human. This speed is also reached in about 2 rounds, with half the speed in the first round. Denser or more aerodynamic objects will have a higher terminal velocity.

IIRC the only other source on the matter is the FAQ, which likewise tries to convert real world terminal velocity.

[lvl 1 sharnian]

Damage taken from falling caps at 20d6, right?

On a side note, I never noticed Roof-Jumper before, it sounds right nasty for the drop troopers; Originally, I was just going to drop the troopers covered with earth elementals which absorb damage and then shatter, with most of the damage coming from the Improvised Weapons rules to deal tons of initial damage and then wreck havoc, but your idea sounds good

[SartheKobold]

Damage taken from falling caps at 20d6, right?

On a side note, I never noticed Roof-Jumper before, it sounds right nasty for the drop troopers; Originally, I was just going to drop the troopers covered with earth elementals which absorb damage and then shatter, with most of the damage coming from the Improvised Weapons rules to deal tons of initial damage and then wreck havoc, but your idea sounds good

If I were a stickler, I could argue that damage from Roof-Jumper isn't falling damage, per-se. It's additional damage that comes in the form of the weapon's damage, and is powered by falling.

I wonder if it stacks if you're exceptionally heavy? Would you get falling-object damage and roof-jumper damage?

[lvl 1 sharnian]

Sounds like a good way to get past the normal DC15 Reflex save negates from Complete Warrior or Heroes of Battle

[Toliudar]

Hmm. You're DM'ing this, yes? How about handwaving a version of Resilient Sphere (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/resilientSphere.htm) that DOES move when you push on it. A 10' diameter sphere should be able to hold a decent-sized strike team. If they're protected from harm, perhaps they're not affected by falling damage either. As long as you're ready for the PC's to eventually have some kind of access to this altered spell, you're off and running.

[Slayn82]

The resilient sphere is probably the best trick, but as an alternative that punches great craters, how about giving the kingdom some way to cast over their soldiers Meld into Stone, and drop a large boulder down all the way to the target with catapults?

It puts some nice limitations, like just 100 pounds of non living gear, and some advantages, like allowing the subject to cast spells. Also, if the transporting rocks could be the source of the effect, being magically fortified to resist impact and desintegration, and allowing the guard members to meld with it, plus a teleportation effect like word of recall once per day that could be used over it to send it back to the base. And of course, the size of the rock could be a limiting factor to determine how much it could carry. And its size, weight, resistence and other possible shenigans could explain a lot of other uses, at GM discretion.

[ericgrau]

There's already a moving resilient sphere called telekinetic sphere. Not very fast though. And if you have access to high enough level spells then I'd use the spell statue. Nice long duration too. 20d6 fall damage isn't quite enough to break it, though it comes close so I expect some pain. Maybe if you encased the statue in something that cracked open upon impact. Then the person returns to flesh.

[Demons_eye]

I liked the idea of warforged commandos that used guerrilla tactics to screw with people. Built like Rogue x/Dread commando X with feats like roof jumper

DC 60 jump and tumble reduce falling damage by 80 and with Roof Jumper you lessen it by 20. With 100 feet of falling negated just max out your weight and smash some people.

[DragoonWraith]

MIC has the "Landing" property which counts a fall as 60' less.

[lvl 1 sharnian]

I liked the idea of warforged commandos that used guerrilla tactics to screw with people. Built like Rogue x/Dread commando X with feats like roof jumper

DC 60 jump and tumble reduce falling damage by 80 and with Roof Jumper you lessen it by 20. With 100 feet of falling negated just max out your weight and smash some people.

I never thought of using Warforged... that's brilliant, originally I was just gonna use humans

Although I'd prefer them to be Knights or Fighters; can they still qualify for Dread Commando?

If not, I'd split them up between Covert Ops for the rogues and Shock Troopers for the Knights/Fighters

[Zaq]

Earthen Grace is a 2nd level Druid, 3rd level Sor/Wiz spell. It makes all damage taken directly from earth and stone (such as falling onto either) into nonlethal damage, up to a certain point. Just get immunity to nonlethal damage somehow (meaning that you take 0 nonlethal from it... the spell is keyed to how much nonlethal the target takes, not how much lethal it converts to nonlethal) and make damn sure that you're landing on stone or dirt.

[lvl 1 sharnian]

Sounds nice, now just need a way to protect then while they drop,(I'm trying to minimize their exposure so they can't be shot down)

btw What lvl fighter or knight could reasonably take on 3 or 4 1st lvl soldiers and not wipe out the rest 3rd or 4th? Warforged for relevence

[bosssmiley]

What I need is a way to minimize falling damage without sacrificing fall speed.

HALO Parachutes. No magic required, only the cheap labour of weavers and seamstresses.

(and no Pratchett gags you 'orrible shower!)

[Demons_eye]

I never thought of using Warforged... that's brilliant, originally I was just gonna use humans

Although I'd prefer them to be Knights or Fighters; can they still qualify for Dread Commando?

If not, I'd split them up between Covert Ops for the rogues and Shock Troopers for the Knights/Fighters

Dread Commando entry requirements:

Base Attack Bonus: +5.
Skills: Hide 6 ranks, Move Silently 6 ranks.
Feats: Dodge, Mobility.

They can be any class but maybe have the highest guy a crusader/Dread Commando as a leader?

I second the landing property and maybe Anti-Impact as it just half's any damage you take for a static bonus of 2000 gold.