[3.5+PF] Explicit references to real world physical laws?

[deuxhero]

3.5 and PF absolutely don't work on real physics (and yet at the same time expect a lot of stuff to work based on it. Note how there's no way given to calculate what rate a fall happens at), so I instantly noticed how dead air vial (http://archivesofnethys.com/EquipmentMiscDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Dead%20air%20vi al) noted that sound does not travel in a vacuum. What other physical laws have been explicitly referenced in either system so we can be abused horribly?

[FidgetySquirrel]

When a mind flayer certain licensed creature eats your brain, you die. That's more biology than physics, but meh.

Skeletons cannot fly w/o magic because bone wings don't fly so well.

Not 100% sure this one's RAW, but falling ON someone means they take falling damage, too, because velocity and whatnot.

[Phelix-Mu]

Not sure about PF, but 3e comes right out in one of the core books and says that anything not covered by the rules should operate as it would in the real world (and thus according to the normal laws of physics).

Unfortunately, the rules are so vast that, even with minimal extrapolation, they directly contradict 90% of most laws of physics at some point or other. Magic, as ever, is a major culprit.

Ironically, one of the major areas where things make sense is environmental stuff like underwater combat and such, which is surprisingly realistic given the amount of magic that normally goes into allowing it to happen. Still, it's a far cry from actual physics.

Gravity traits in the DMG for heavy and light gravity are probably the closest the game ever comes to treating in-game gravity like actual gravity.

Finally, there are two spells that speed up or slow down the rate at which fire consumes fuel, also changing the heat produced. That seemed realistic. Considering that magic normally just tells all of combustion and thermodynamics generally to get stuffed.

[JusticeZero]

Also, while the world might be said to behave realistically, that doesn't infer that it does so for the same reason. "Sound doesn't carry in a vacuum because the energy is drained into the Negative Material Plane."

[The Grue]

In before catgirls.

[sideswipe]

honestly, a lot of real world physics "effects" happen, just rather then the designers all needing a doctorate and 20 years to discuss the new edition they decided on dumbing it down to as bare as possible.

examples -
things fall towards the ground - gravity
sound does not travel in a vacuum - waves
falling has a terminal velocity - basic physics
shocking grasp and similar show metal conducts electricity

there are many other examples and each is an incredibly small amount of real world logic but not an uber important defined law of reality so it is missed when these threads happen.

but instead of a wall of definitions and equations they decided on D6's all round!