To clarify, the end goal, for me at the time, was simply not to fall prone. I wouldn't mind the damage.
Yes, vibes. Everyone can jump. My leonin barbarian has an 8ft vertical leap. The rules say the DM can allow for an Athletics check to jump further than your normal Strength would allow. I asked if I could jump down and make a roll, and if that would allow me to land on my feet. The DM said no specifically because of the monk's Slow Fall feature.One just has a name on it, because it's "always on". That was the revelation you hit: It's "okay" to emulate a class feature with an ability check, because the class gets it all the time without rolling.
So how's it different to "unleashing a burst of magical flame" vs. Fireball? Is it purely vibes based? If spellcasting's off the table...Wild Shape? Channel Divinity? Stunning Strike?
But yes, vibes. Totally vibes. Makes sense that someone trained in Athletics and able to jump well could jump down from something as well. Doesn't make as much sense that a samurai fighter would just be able to cast fireball all of a sudden.
Makes sense that someone trained in Deception and the Disguise Kit could make false identities, even if the Assassin subclass can already do that as a feature.