Teleport while falling

[Dalebert]

I didn't ask in the RAW thread because I don't think it's addressed in RAW. Do you maintain momentum when you teleport? Do you still take falling damage for the distance you've fallen up to the point of teleporting to solid ground? I'm inclined to say "yes" because I haven't seen anything that says teleport changes your momentum.

Here's another issue. Can you hold a bonus action? I think by RAW you can't but it seems silly. What if I want to use my action AND use up my bonus action to hold a Misty Step? You could definitely hold your action to Dimension Door after falling off a cliff. That seems like the only way to teleport while falling in most cases, strictly RAW, because you'll usually hit the ground before you can cast otherwise.

A player is asking me. I suspect he might have plans to, for instance, grapple someone, jump off a cliff, and then Misty Step back to the top of the cliff as the enemy falls.

Actual cliff-side fights seem extremely rare in comparison to all the creative tactics that desire to exploit them.

[pwykersotz]

I have momentum minorly maintained. So if you're falling at terminal velocity and you teleport home, you'll collapse in a heap to the ground, but be unharmed.

[Easy_Lee]

5e doesn't have the concept of momentum. Additionally, if you fall, the rules apparently dictate for it to happen immediately. Reactions taken in response to falling, such as feather fall, also go off immediately.

So, if a player held a teleport spell to be released in response to falling, I think it goes off immediately by RAW. Hence, if momentum exists, the player wouldn't have built any before reacting.

Some house rules about falling or rulings about this sort of thing wouldn't be unreasonable, though.

[BiPolar]

I think this should be fine. THe language of Dimension Door, Misty Step, Teleport etc. let's you pick where you end up. YOu're not "falling through an open door" but selecting a destination and appearing there.

If there's a spell that says different, treat it as such :)

But I definitely would NOT let bonus actions be readied.

[Ogh_the_Second]

Teleport & momentum: you're right that the spell does not say anything about momentum, but it's not a phenomenon considered systematically in the rules. AS a DM, I would grant a PC who has just expended that 7th-level slot a safe landing.

Holding bonus actions: indeed, by RAW it cannot be done. Only 1-action spells can be readied (/held), and bonus actions can specifically only be performed during the own turn. As a DM, I might permit casting & holding a spell with bonus-action casting time, but only to the exclusion of other actions. So, no attack/other actions & casting a 'held' bonus-action spell.

By-the-by, in the first 6 seconds you'll fall about 500 ft. If the fall is deeper, you have time to cast a spell (while falling at 125 mph or so, depending on body position, so concentration checks may be in order.) :smallbiggrin:

[Dalebert]

So, if a player held a teleport spell to be released in response to falling, I think it goes off immediately by RAW.

Not necessarily. A held action can go off in response to any trigger, e.g. "After I fall 20 feet".


Hence, if momentum exists, the player wouldn't have built any before reacting.

So what about in the case above? How would you handle it? I'm surprised by the responses saying momentum is nullified.


I think this should be fine. THe language of Dimension Door, Misty Step, Teleport etc. let's you pick where you end up. YOu're not "falling through an open door" but selecting a destination and appearing there.

Hmm... maybe I'm over-thinking this but momentum is something that is separate from location. I have a rule not to mix D&D and science for down that path, madness lies. I'm I guilty of that?


But I definitely would NOT let bonus actions be readied.

I think that's the RAW but why do you feel so strongly? Seems to me that if you can ready an action, it should be at least as easy to ready something that's a bonus action. I know you can't do a bonus action in place of an action, for instance to do two bonus actions in a turn. However, what if you use your action to ready and then burn your bonus action as well so you can ready a bonus action?

[CursedRhubarb]

I would think it should work. While it's one of those areas not covered in the RAW, there is some support for it in other games.
In World of Warcraft for example, if timed right a mage can use the Blink spell to completely avoid fall damage rather than using slow fall and taking the slow way down. This would be equivalent to using Misty Step since it's a short range teleport.
The timing can be really rough since you fall fast, so perhaps if they try it a percentile roll with 1%-5% that they are just a bit to slow on the cast?

[Ogh_the_Second]

... A player is asking me. I suspect he might have plans to, for instance, grapple someone, jump off a cliff, and then Misty Step back to the top of the cliff as the enemy falls.

Actual cliff-side fights seem extremely rare in comparison to all the creative tactics that desire to exploit them.

For this particular case, though, you could allow it without any holding of spells. Grapple, move over the edge, (try to) misty-step back. I would ask for a concentration check or something similar to pull it off, though. This would make this into a gutsy action, without it being an auto-win.

[Dalebert]

For this particular case, though, you could allow it without any holding of spells. Grapple, move over the edge, (try to) misty-step back. I would ask for a concentration check or something similar to pull it off, though. This would make this into a gutsy action, without it being an auto-win.

That's a good point. If you fall purposefully on your turn, then presumably you can use your bonus action while falling because it's still your turn and you can take actions and bonus actions at any time during your turn even while moving.

[Regitnui]

Depends. Are you already falling? If so, momentum retained. If you have a readied reaction to deal with falling, it triggers before you build up momentum.

[Easy_Lee]

Interesting point that falling is a type of movement. That should mean that one can jump off a cliff and use a bonus action while falling, on their turn.

One way or another, this whole thing is pretty firmly in Ruling territory. I'd say go with what you think is best for your campaign. I only ask that DMs be fair and consistent (fair meaning the same rulings apply to everyone, and consistent meaning that a given ruling doesn't change).

[BiPolar]

Hmm... maybe I'm over-thinking this but momentum is something that is separate from location. I have a rule not to mix D&D and science for down that path, madness lies. I'm I guilty of that?

I think you're overthinking it :) Yes, you're falling and moving, but the spell let's you pick a location to be. Momentum or not, you're saying I want to be at position X,Y,Z. THerefore, you end up at position X,Y,Z. Whatever you were doing before shouldn't matter, only that you want to be at that location.

However, it is loose enough that a DM could rule momentum continues, but I think that's a dangerous move. Think about if you're moving at full speed and then bonus action misty step. You're moving at a serious clip and no one stops on a dime. It's the same sort of thing.

Maybe this is why movement rate isn't velocity based :)

[R.Shackleford]

I didn't ask in the RAW thread because I don't think it's addressed in RAW. Do you maintain momentum when you teleport? Do you still take falling damage for the distance you've fallen up to the point of teleporting to solid ground? I'm inclined to say "yes" because I haven't seen anything that says teleport changes your momentum.

Here's another issue. Can you hold a bonus action? I think by RAW you can't but it seems silly. What if I want to use my action AND use up my bonus action to hold a Misty Step? You could definitely hold your action to Dimension Door after falling off a cliff. That seems like the only way to teleport while falling in most cases, strictly RAW, because you'll usually hit the ground before you can cast otherwise.

A player is asking me. I suspect he might have plans to, for instance, grapple someone, jump off a cliff, and then Misty Step back to the top of the cliff as the enemy falls.

Actual cliff-side fights seem extremely rare in comparison to all the creative tactics that desire to exploit them.

Rule of Cool: Momentum is retained.

Totally suicide bombed a king once. Fell at terminal velocity and when I went past his thrown room tower I DD above his chair (my allies were keeping him busy)... My allies weren't aware of how I was going to do it until my character and this butt-hat king became a puddle of blood, guts, and bones.

My friends have previously said that they don't get surprised anymore... They don't say that to me as I take it as a challenge.

(Note: my PC had a sickness that couldn't be cured so wasn't exactly looking out for his own safety.

[MBControl]

As far as momentum goes, this is where storytelling comes into it, for me. The spells we're referring to also don't say what angle the door opens in relation to the ground. If the door is opened horizontal to the ground while falling, there is nothing that says it can't be opened vertically, parallel to the ground when it's opened, sending the player tumbling with the speed they incurred in the fall, while taking little to no damage.

I agree, a player has come up with a cool solution, and spent resources to do it, so I would do my best to encourage creativity. I do like the idea of a concentration check, in the same way a rogue would make an acrobatics check to do a double flip before an attack.

I'm like you, held actions are a problem for me too. I do let my players hold their turns, rather than actions. It just makes sense to me that a player can delay their turn. I still require a the PC to state their intended actions, and trigger. I often allow players to "alter" INIT rolls. If I have 3 players that are grouped together in the order, and the fastest one wants to drop lower, after an ally for the encounter, I allow that. I see that as battle strategy, within an experienced team of adventurers.

[R.Shackleford]

As far as momentum goes, this is where storytelling comes into it, for me. The spells we're referring to also don't say what angle the door opens in relation to the ground. If the door is opened horizontal to the ground while falling, there is nothing that says it can't be opened vertically, parallel to the ground when it's opened, sending the player tumbling with the speed they incurred in the fall, while taking little to no damage.

I agree, a player has come up with a cool solution, and spent resources to do it, so I would do my best to encourage creativity. I do like the idea of a concentration check, in the same way a rogue would make an acrobatics check to do a double flip before an attack.

I'm like you, held actions are a problem for me too. I do let my players hold their turns, rather than actions. It just makes sense to me that a player can delay their turn. I still require a the PC to state their intended actions, and trigger. I often allow players to "alter" INIT rolls. If I have 3 players that are grouped together in the order, and the fastest one wants to drop lower, after an ally for the encounter, I allow that. I see that as battle strategy, within an experienced team of adventurers.

Its been confirmed that if you are prone when you teleport you are prone when you arrive.

[BiPolar]

Its been confirmed that if you are prone when you teleport you are prone when you arrive.

Can you link to that?

[R.Shackleford]

Can you link to that?

If I do that then I'm going to use lmgtfy.com

[BiPolar]

If I do that then I'm going to use lmgtfy.com

funny. :smallannoyed:. You're referencing a ruling/rule but not actually citing it. I did some quick searches but couldn't find it, that's why I asked for the link.

Or is this something that "Many people have said"?:smallcool:

[Plaguescarred]

If a DM decide momentum is retained because a creature teleported after it started falling, a good way to handle momentum could be to apply 1d6 damage for each 10 feet of distance fallen prior to teleporting.

[MBControl]

Can you link to that?

Sure you can be prone coming out, but be shot out parallel so that you aren't pile driven into the ground. You'd still end up prone when you stop rolling, maybe take some damage, but far less than free falling into the ground.

[d20familiar]

There was a discussion on the topic of teleportation and momentum retaining in the 3.5 subforum. As far as I remember, consensus was like this:


"general text on teleportation subschool says that travel by teleportation-descriptor spells happen through the Astral plane"
+
"there is no momentum on the Astral plane"
=
"no momentum after teleportation"

Also if you actually start calculating momentum, you stumble in stupid questions like "should we include planet's rotation".

I, personally, like the idea of retaining a bit of momentum just for the Rule of Cool (as in pwykersotz's example).

[BiPolar]

Sure you can be prone coming out, but be shot out parallel so that you aren't pile driven into the ground. You'd still end up prone when you stop rolling, maybe take some damage, but far less than free falling into the ground.

That wasn't my issue, I just haven't seen anything that says the position you are in when misty stepping/dimension door/teleport is the position you are in when after you cast it.

I think the momentum ruling is absolutely DM related and keeping it to the rule of cool works best (situational?). But I always envisioned those spells working as you decide how/where you end up. Given that speed is done by rate and not by velocity and we don't have to "slow down" after dashing or even just a full movement forward (since we don't differentiate run vs walk), I don't see how we don't have momentum in those situations but we do when falling.

[Sigreid]

I would rule momentum is kept purely because it amuses me to interpret it that way.

As far as precedent, there was an AD&D module that had a trap with a teleport effect at the bottom to teleport you to the top in an endless loop. That trap described the fallen distance as additive for damage when the party figured out what they were going to do.

[Dalebert]

However, it is loose enough that a DM could rule momentum continues, but I think that's a dangerous move. Think about if you're moving at full speed and then bonus action misty step. You're moving at a serious clip and no one stops on a dime. It's the same sort of thing.

Maybe this is why movement rate isn't velocity based :)

I think it's that way for simplicity of math. I just take it to mean all that's figured in. Presumably the slowing down part was worked into it and if you have a destination in mind, you're already slowing down in time to stop there. That's how I do it IRL. In most cases, nothing will interfere since we go in consecutive turns, but if someone is creative, I'm all for letting them mess with someone. For example, you could use your AoO to trip someone which would be the same as attempting to shove them prone, or a caster could ready a wall spell to put it in front of a rogue or monk just as he's blazing around and using bonus action dashes. I'd give them some damage for Rule of Cool.

Falling movement, on the other hand, is out of your control. The math is already pretty simple. If you've fallen 30 feet, you take 3d6 of damage when you are stopped suddenly, either by the ground or by the floor in the house back on the top of the cliff.

That said, I do see a point here. Maybe you can't control your velocity but who's to say you can't control the direction you're moving when you completely alter your location? I think I might let someone cut the damage in half for the reasons given. If you're suddenly "falling" sideways you would tumble which would still hurt at high velocity but not as much as a direct impact, like jumping out of a moving car. Similarly, you could tilt your fall slightly upward and have gravity slow you down a bit as you arced into the ground like a tossed softball. Either way, I'd just simplify it and say you cut the damage in half.

[hymer]

I only skimmed the thread, but didn't notice this: You need line of sight to Misty Step. So Misty Stepping back to where you jumped off requires that your eyes are still above the ledge when you do it.

[Dalebert]

I only skimmed the thread, but didn't notice this: You need line of sight to Misty Step. So Misty Stepping back to where you jumped off requires that your eyes are still above the ledge when you do it.

Nah. Unless you've fallen fairly far you can still see the space just above the edge of the cliff. You don't actually need to see the ground where you're teleporting unless I'm forgetting something.

[hymer]

Nah. Unless you've fallen fairly far you can still see the space just above the edge of the cliff. You don't actually need to see the ground where you're teleporting unless I'm forgetting something.

You teleport to 'an unoccupied square that you can see' IIRC.

[BiPolar]

You teleport to 'an unoccupied square that you can see' IIRC.

Right, which could be 5' above the cliff edge. Or 10'. All depends on if you see the cliff edge.

[hymer]

Right, which could be 5' above the cliff edge. Or 10'. All depends on if you see the cliff edge.

I hadn't thought of arriving high. Thanks for putting me straight. There's usually a clause in teleporting about that, but I guess since this is self-only they felt it'd be okay not to do it.

[CursedRhubarb]

All I can think, now that all the talk of velocity being maintained with D-door, is "Now you're thinking with portals".

[BiPolar]

I'm still not sure about the momentum working (beyond rule of cool and not to be used as a penalty?)

If there is momentum, then there is carry-over movement between turns. If you choose when you do an action independently form movement (which you do), then if you Dimension Door after your full move, then there is zero movement left when you step through the door. No movement, no falling because you've used your move. And if you do it efore you move, then you aren't moving because you completed movement your previous turn and have yet to do movement for the current turn.

Am I thinking about this wrong? Or just trying to apply the rules to a situation in which they aren't equipped to be used?

[Dalebert]

If there is momentum

Are you suggesting the very concept of momentum doesn't even exist in the 5e world? I think that would be a massive misinterpretation of rules that are just built for keeping combat simple.


then there is carry-over movement between turns.

There is! Just because combat is turn-based doesn't mean everyone is literally stopping while everyone else goes. The combat turns are merely an abstraction of a bunch of stuff that's largely happening at the same time. You absolutely might be continually moving between turns. Consider a chase. DO you really think the chasee is running and dashing to go 60 feet and then stopping in its tracks while the chaser runs 30 feet, stops and fires an arrow, and then the chasee runs again in a neat consecutive order? No, of course not. That's an abstraction of what's really happening. The chasee is focused purely on running as fast as possible, thus 60 ft per round. The chaser is running while also trying to fire arrows so only 30 ft per round, but it's presumed to be continuous.

Thus momentum is very much understood to be the reason why you take 1d6 of falling damage per 10 feet fallen. It's probably way off from actual physics, but again, it's an abstraction of what's happening and simplicity has been favored over an accurate physics-compliant simulation of reality.

[BiPolar]

Are you suggesting the very concept of momentum doesn't even exist in the 5e world? I think that would be a massive misinterpretation of rules that are just built for keeping combat simple.



There is! Just because combat is turn-based doesn't mean everyone is literally stopping while everyone else goes. The combat turns are merely an abstraction of a bunch of stuff that's largely happening at the same time. You absolutely might be continually moving between turns. Consider a chase. DO you really think the chasee is running and dashing to go 60 feet and then stopping in its tracks while the chaser runs 30 feet, stops and fires an arrow, and then the chasee runs again in a neat consecutive order? No, of course not. That's an abstraction of what's really happening. The chasee is focused purely on running as fast as possible, thus 60 ft per round. The chaser is running while also trying to fire arrows so only 30 ft per round, but it's presumed to be continuous.

Thus momentum is very much understood to be the reason why you take 1d6 of falling damage per 10 feet fallen. It's probably way off from actual physics, but again, it's an abstraction of what's happening and simplicity has been favored over an accurate physics-compliant simulation of reality.

Going to throw it right back at ya. Yes, the combat turns are an abstraction to make it easier to deal with the fast pace events, but it doesn't change that you have X movement/turn. You can't carry movement over, even if you're falling.

The falling damage happens on your turn. You've fallen X feet(which includes total moves across turns) and then hit the ground at the end of your movement, you get Y Damage. I definitely think Momentum is in the 5e World, but it's definitely up to a DM if they want to create penalties for it. It's equally valid to let the Caster teleport where they want without a penalty (especially misty step, but maybe not DImension door?) It's very cool to think of a falling caster and as he approaches the ground let him step through a doorway to safety.

[Dalebert]

Going to throw it right back at ya. Yes, the combat turns are an abstraction to make it easier to deal with the fast pace events, but it doesn't change that you have X movement/turn. You can't carry movement over, even if you're falling.

I don't see what point this makes. Typically you'll be teleporting during your turn in the middle of the falling movement. Maybe you would have hit the ground after 100 ft / 10d6 of momentum, but instead you hit a different area of ground with say 2d6 of momentum because you activated your Misty Step 10 ft down. Whether you have any of your ability to move left is a separate thing. Did you move 5ft with an enemy grappled (effectively 10 because half movement while grappling) over the cliff edge? Then you can move 20 ft more after hitting the ground whether it's that ground or another that you teleported to. All the falling movement is FREE! and doesn't count against your movement.

If you held your action to do it if someone pushes you off a cliff, then you build up however much momentum before your action activates, maybe 0--an enemy shoves you off a cliff and you immediately teleport before building up any falling momentum.

[Easy_Lee]

Here's something to think about: is falling a type of movement? If so, does your movement speed limit how far you can fall in a round?

Certainly, a flying creature can only fly downwards at its flying speed per round. But, if hit with a net for instance, can it fall faster than that? What's the speed of falling.

[BiPolar]

I don't see what point this makes. Typically you'll be teleporting during your turn in the middle of the falling movement. Maybe you would have hit the ground after 100 ft / 10d6 of momentum, but instead you hit a different area of ground with say 2d6 of momentum because you activated your Misty Step 10 ft down. Whether you have any of your ability to move left is a separate thing. Did you move 5ft with an enemy grappled (effectively 10 because half movement while grappling) over the cliff edge? Then you can move 20 ft more after hitting the ground whether it's that ground or another that you teleported to. All the falling movement is FREE! and doesn't count against your movement.

If you held your action to do it if someone pushes you off a cliff, then you build up however much momentum before your action activates, maybe 0--an enemy shoves you off a cliff and you immediately teleport before building up any falling momentum.

Why would it be in the middle of your falling movement? It's in the middle of "falling", but it could be before you continue to fall that turn or after you've fallen further. I think Easy_lee's quesiton on falling speed comes into play here.

HOwever, I still think it's up to the DM what they'd like to do and it really can go either way with rules of cool applying to both.

[Dalebert]

I don't think the rules address it because it's such an unlikely and absurd scenario, but there should reasonably be some distance beyond which it takes longer than a turn to fall it. I think they just left it to DMs to figure this out if and when the time comes. As far as I can tell, it doesn't say anywhere that all falling happens in one round. There is, at least in theory, a distance of falling that would take longer than a round that might allow actions to happen during the fall. The closest I can see to stating a falling rate is that Feather Fall slows your rate of descent to 60 ft / round. That implies that there is, in fact, some actual rate of descent. It's not instantaneous. The easiest way to guesstimate is probably to take terminal velocity and assume you reach it instantly. I think it's roughly 180 ft/sec if you're trying to slow it by your body position. If you'd just take your turn before falling, then you'd fall maybe 1000ish ft before getting another turn. For simplicity, you could be nice and say after 500 ft, you get to do something before you go splat. Maybe a druid could wildshape into a flying creature or a wizard could polymorph into one.

*shrug* Just brainstorming.

[Xetheral]

In the Discworld universe, momentum is maintained when teleporting, and the complications are... considerable. Keep in mind that that's on a flat, rotating world. Trying to figure out how to safely teleport on the surface of a rotating sphere gets very complicated very quickly.

For example, even while "stationary", teleporting prograde will tend to give one a velocity vector upon arrival away from the surface of the planet. Teleporting retrograde will tend to give one a velocity vector towards the surface of the planet. Calculating the magnitude of the vector is not simple, and it gets even worse if the teleportation also involves a lattitude or altitude change.

It's simplest to just assume that momentum is not conserved, and that everyone arrives at their destination more-or-less upright. Alternatively one could define momentum (and orientation) to be conserved relative to the surface of the world, but that still produces problems if one changes altitude significantly. (I do this in my campaign world, but due to its planar arrangement altitude limitations when teleporting are sharply limited anyway, which avoids the problem.)

[lperkins2]

Teleport must adjust momentum, at least if your setting uses planets. At the equator, on the surface of an earth-like planet, you're moving about 1.7 miles per round (1040 mph). If you were to teleport to the other side of the planet, with no adjustment for reference frame, you'd hit the nearest wall with twice that speed, and roughly the same energy as a stick of dynamite. Thing is it matters even in a less extreme case. Just teleporting from the bottom of a skyscraper to the top will produce around 0.5 fps, not enough to be a problem, but enough to make sticking a landing not a sure thing. This doesn't even touch on the idea of teleporting to other planets, or teleporting to or from moving boats, airships, or anything else.

Of course, this just means the teleport spell adjusts momentum, not that it prevents fall damage. It could very well preserve the caster's velocity relative to the origin reference frame, but I would advise against it. Then again, I've got the kinds of players who would abuse preservation of relative momentum to 'port-in' relativistic projectiles to a BBEG lair if I let it work that way.

The sequence is simple:


Come up with some way to survive hard vacuum (become lich)
Prep as many teleport spells as possible, minimum 2
Select projectile, should be as dense as possible, lead or mercury are ideal
Obtain guidance lock, get a pebble from inside BBEG lair so as to allow for teleport to roll on the 'associated item' table
Strip off everything of value
Teleport self + projectile to edge of fast-acceleration part of gravity well
Wait until nearing atmosphere
Goto 6
On last teleport, teleport to BBEG lair using pebble
Wait out teleport delay or similar features that ensure you'll have a welcoming committee
Explode
Wake up at phylactery


Even if the BBEG realises something is up and escapes, it will destroy the lair.

[LordVonDerp]

Teleportation in DnD does not typically conserve momentum. If it did there would be limits on how far north/south you could teleport before the difference in the rotational speed of the ground beneath you becomes a hazard.

[Easy_Lee]

Teleportation in DnD does not typically conserve momentum. If it did there would be limits on how far north/south you could teleport before the difference in the rotational speed of the ground beneath you becomes a hazard.

I'm not sure that the D&D universe includes an Earth rotating around a sun in a moving solar system within a moving galaxy. It's equally possible that the old model, where the Earth is stationary and everything revolves around us, is true in Forgotten Realms.

[lperkins2]

I'm not sure that the D&D universe includes an Earth rotating around a sun in a moving solar system within a moving galaxy. It's equally possible that the old model, where the Earth is stationary and everything revolves around us, is true in Forgotten Realms.

That may be true, leaving aside the math issues for making it work. Of course it still leaves the problem of teleport saying anywhere on the same plane, when the 'everything' is moving relative to Earth, so the problem remains if teleporting from Earth to the moon or similar.

[Sigreid]

Teleportation in DnD does not typically conserve momentum. If it did there would be limits on how far north/south you could teleport before the difference in the rotational speed of the ground beneath you becomes a hazard.

Spelljammer in particular operated on the crystal sphere theory of space.

[Lolzyking]

if momentum is kept, just teleport so that you are just fare enough below cliff, in the opposite cliff, and ride momentum safely back up to the top.



you got to think with portals

[BurgerBeast]

I think you can rule either way, as Easy_Lee says, as long as you're consistent. I am not sure how I would rule.

For one example, a sprinting wizard may wish to misty step ahead of his current position and continue sprinting. If you rule that momentum is lost, then he has to start up all over again (no actual mechanical implication here, but seems weird to me nonetheless). This argues for maintaining momentum.

For another, I think a falling mage should be able to misty step onto a platform as he passes and land safely. This argues for losing momentum.

I will point out that you could differentiate between self-propulsion and other forms. In other words, if you are the one running, then you can maintain it, but if someone throws you or you are falling, teleporting will stop your momentum.

Is there anything wrong with just letting the caster choose? Does this make it too powerful? (I don't think it does but maybe I'm overlooking something).


5e doesn't have the concept of momentum.

Can't it be argued that damage from falling takes momentum into account?


Hmm... maybe I'm over-thinking this but momentum is something that is separate from location. I have a rule not to mix D&D and science for down that path, madness lies. I'm I guilty of that?

I don't think you're overthinking it. If you start talking about microorganisms and molecules, or electromagnetic radiation, I think you've gone too far. Momentum is a familiar enough thing to be discussed generally (as opposed to scientifically)


Depends. Are you already falling? If so, momentum retained. If you have a readied reaction to deal with falling, it triggers before you build up momentum.

This is an interesting point. It makes sense. For now, I think I will rule in my games that it is caster's choice to retain or not to retain.

[Elminster298]

I personally would rule that anything that can be done as a bonus action could be done as an action. Ex. of you wish to cast a spell with a "bonus action" casting time and dash as a bonus action I would allow both. So for this situation, I would allow you to take your move and bonus action on your initiative count then hold your action, which could then be used for anything classified as 1 action or a bonus action.

Momentum would have to be situational... If you grapple-cliff dive-misty step I would say momentum causes you to take fall damage equal to max travel distance of misty step. Reasons being: 1) fall speed+spell not intended for this situation(i.e. feather fall) would require at least that distance in time to cast and 2) misty step is INTENDED(and I personally feel it acts) as a spontaneous reaction "escape" or at least a quick shift which would be more likely to maintain momentum than dimension door or teleport. Again though, I think momentum would be very situational.

[BurgerBeast]

I've reconsidered my answer. I think it depends on the individual spell text, and if nothing is mentioned I think the quality of movement (i.e. momentum) should be preserved.

Teleportation is basically just a translation (in the math sense). There's nothing to suggest it does anything more. However, I think that in my games I'd house rule it in a more player-friendly way.