Down a slope - In a barrel

[Sirithhyando]

Hi everyone,

We finished our last session with the players running away. Their plan of escape seems to use empty barrels to go down a steep slope.
I've searched.
What i found as a possible way is to just use the 20d6 damage since they'll go down the slope over the maximum distance anyway.

Straight up damage is juste boring.

Got any ideas?

[Kurt Kurageous]

CON save vs Poisoned, movement halved. This from nausea and disorientation.

Aside, their gods must be so proud.

[strangebloke]

3 CON saves vs. poisoned, they take half falling damage.

[Psyren]

Are any of them particularly acrobatic, like a rogue or monk with proficiency/expertise? This is a good chance to let them shine by either rolling with advantage or not rolling at all, escaping or reducing any negative effects. Don't be chained to what a guy at the gym can do, this is an easy opportunity to let the heroic martials feel heroic and superhuman (especially if they are above Tier 1.)

[olskool]

Hi everyone,

We finished our last session with the players running away. Their plan of escape seems to use empty barrels to go down a steep slope.
I've searched.
What i found as a possible way is to just use the 20d6 damage since they'll go down the slope over the maximum distance anyway.

Straight up damage is juste boring.

Got any ideas?

I'd say allow either a STR or DEX Save to halve the damage. IF you can prevent or reduce the amount your body moves INSIDE the barrel, you will take little or NO damage. This is why people who ride barrels over Niagra Falls ALWAYS add copious amounts of padding to the inside of the barrel. IF you could brace yourself with your arms and legs to prevent you from being tossed around inside the barrel, OR develop a roll that matches the barrel's movement, you could greatly reduce the amount of abrasion and impact damage you will sustain during the roll.

One other thing... IF they are rolling down a slope, the barrel will flex upon striking something and thus act as armor, Rolling DOWN A SLOPE will cause significantly less damage than just falling off of a cliff with a sudden stop at the end.

[da newt]

rolling = much less damage than falling (maybe 1/4), but very dizzy. I'd also rule it was at least 2x as fast as running down the slope.

[Chronos]

I'd go with some number of acrobatics checks, each one of which, on a success, negates one instance of some amount of damage. I don't know the exact numbers I'd use, but the total damage, even with all checks failed, should be significantly less than falling damage.

I'd also apply the Poisoned condition, or something like it, due to dizziness, either guaranteed or nearly so (like, multiple Con saves, or a very high DC).

[Sirithhyando]

Thanks everyone

I'll do 20d6 of damage and substract a number of d6 depending on their ideas and action.
I'll use the CON save too but instead of poison, if they fail, they'll get disadvantage on any rolls that would substract d6 from the damage pool.

Next game was due in 2 days but it's going to be postponed again so more time to think about the little details :)

[Psyren]

For particularly acrobatic characters I'd give them the option of rolling downhill on the barrels from the outside (think Donkey Kong Country or Mario Galaxy's Star Sphere (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRlYquIJxGg)) rather than tumbling around inside like a cat in a clothes dryer. Maintaining their orientation in this way should prevent them from having to make Con saves, in exchange for needing them to maintain their balance.

[Zhorn]

Considering people in the real world roll down hills in large tires and live to talk about it, I'd not go for high damage rolls.
Not unless there was a sudden stop at the very end.
If there was a damage roll, but no sudden stop, I'd want to specify it as non-lethal damage (unconscious but stable if you hit 0 hp)

Con save against the poisoned condition, while not actual poison, sounds like a reasonable reflection of what you'd deal with. Loosing your equilibrium can be VERY debilitating.