(dnd 3.5) Catch a falling character?

[The_Postman]

I'm very new to 3.5 and currently DMing an online game.

I can't find anything online or in the ruleset for 1 character catching another character who is falling.

Any help on this would be appreciated.

The situation is that the characters fell through a shaft full of spider webbing into a chamber. 3 characters ended up okay in the chamber but the 4th character ended up suspended in a sling of spider webbing and debris. When 2 of the other characters climbed up and tried to free him all 3 fell. The 4th character has decided to catch one of the falling characters to cushion him from any damage.

How do I work that out?

Once again, I'm very new to 3.5 as a whole not just DMing and appreciate any help or links that could help me out.

Cheers.

[Ashtar]

I'd do something like a reflex save for the character trying to catch, DC 12 maybe? And that removes 2d6 of falling damage. Any extra falling damage is shared between the two characters ? Or something like that.

[BobVosh]

I'd do something like a reflex save for the character trying to catch, DC 12 maybe? And that removes 2d6 of falling damage. Any extra falling damage is shared between the two characters ? Or something like that.

I like this. Although I would make the DC = 10 + 2/10 feet the character fell.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

It's in the rules for the Climb skill, and it's very hard to do - not at all Hollywood.

Catching a Falling Character While Climbing: If someone climbing above you or adjacent to you falls, you can attempt to catch the falling character if he or she is within your reach. Doing so requires a successful melee touch attack against the falling character (though he or she can voluntarily forego any Dexterity bonus to AC if desired). If you hit, you must immediately attempt a Climb check (DC = wall’s DC + 10). Success indicates that you catch the falling character, but his or her total weight, including equipment, cannot exceed your heavy load limit or you automatically fall. If you fail your Climb check by 4 or less, you fail to stop the character’s fall but don’t lose your grip on the wall. If you fail by 5 or more, you fail to stop the character’s fall and begin falling as well.

[john_pullinger]

It doesn't sound like the 4th guy is climbing, but rather standing underneath the other three. If he's bracing himself ready to catch one of the characters, he'd need to use a different set of rules. There's a reflex save to catch the falling guy when you're climing because, presumably, he slips suddenly and you need to react quickly to grab him.

If you're waiting underneath ready for them, I'd say you pretty much either catch them in your arms (or mouth or on your back, Savage Species fans) or get clobbered by them.

I'm no rules lawyer and I haven't DMed very much but I'd say the things you need to consider are the momentum of the falling character (product of velocity and mass), versus the sturdiness and strength of the catcher.

He'd be catching him at chest height, I'm imagining, so unless the 4th character is a dwarf or other stunty character, I'd have the fall damage be 5' less than the distance to the ground.

The falling character might want to make a tumble check to reduce the damage, too.

I'll leave the mechanics of the situation to someone with more experience than me, perhaps they can suggest a set of house rules for the occasion. It sounds like a vertical bull rush, in a way.

-John

[The_Postman]

Thanks guys. Some definate food for thought. I'll let you know what I decide.

Any more suggestions are welcome too btw.

I'm currently thinking of dispersing any falling damage depending on the die roll ie. if it's a moderately bad roll but successful, the catching character takes the falling damage. That kind of thing.

I don't want to have it arbitary that he catches the character. I like the element of "oh ****" to my rpging.

And yes, sorry if I didn't make it more obvious the fourth character (the one doing the catching) is beneath the falling characters.

[noiadodh]

maybe even with a good check the falling character would take less damage, but the 'catcher' would take 1d6 damage for each 2 or 3d6 damage prevented.

[Temotei]

A Strength check of DC 10 + 2/10 feet fallen might work too.

If the person catching the other fails the check, they take 1d6 damage, but the other person's damage is reduced by 1d6 as well.

Success means the person catching takes no damage, and the person falling takes normal damage minus however much the Strength check DC was succeeded by. If they match the DC, treat it as reducing damage by 1d6. For example, let's say a character is falling. They fall forty feet into the arms of a character. The person catching the other succeeds the DC 18 Strength check by three, reducing damage by 3d6. Final verdict: 1d6 damage.

Armor check penalties would apply--for every -2 penalty, the damage is increased by 1d6.*

*House rule of mine for falling damage in general, but it fits here.

[The_Postman]

A Strength check of DC 10 + 2/10 feet fallen might work too.

Why Strength and not Dexterity?

[Temotei]

Why Strength and not Dexterity?

Imagine catching someone falling thirty feet. You're not going to use your dexterity to catch them. You need to use strength to keep them up.

Dexterity is hand-eye coordination, manual dexterity, and your ability to dodge attacks (speed in short distances and hand-eye coordination/foot-eye coordination).

Strength fits the bill better.

[drengnikrafe]

Why Strength and not Dexterity?

When people fall, it's generally strait down. Even if it's not, it's pretty clear to tell where they're going to end up. You're not trying to move in some last-second adjustment, you're trying to absorb force. If trying to push something forward is strength, so is trying to push something up softly.

That's how I see it, anyway.

EDIT: Ninja'd!

[The_Postman]

Here's the page - http://thrbrn.com/rpg/index.php/topic,18.345.html

It all ended up in disaster.

The character trying to catch the falling character rolled a critical miss. We took this to mean that he did not catch the falling character at all and also got kicked in the head as well. This knocked him out!

The fallen character ended up stabilising himself on his own after numerous failed heal attempts by the remaining 2 characters.

[john_pullinger]

Lol! That looked like loads of fun. X-D What a great session, people must've been peeing themselves.

-John

[The_Postman]

Well, it's just the 2 of us at the moment. We're basically trying to get up to speed so that when we finally play by paper with our friends we don't look like complete *****!

As for fun - so far we've had baby monster spider conveyor belts, rooms accidentally set on fire by throwing lit torches into them (they landed on straw), a favoured NPC ripped to shreds as a story device, and the whole thing is set in a "varmit" type world resembling Mexico.

And the other guy is playing has a giant barbarian as a main character who continues to roll the worst rolls!

I am playing too, as a Halfling Sheriff complete with white cowboy hat and metal bullets for his sling shot. Sheriff Holdenbottle to be exact.

What we lack in knowledge we make up for with our sense of fun!

[JGoldenberg]

The Postman, your world seems incredibly fun, and I feel ashamed that my current homebrew campaign is so boring and cliche in comparison.

[The_Postman]

I believe in fun! I'm a bit of a left of centre guy and I'm hoping to bring a bit of that creativity to some online gaming.

I'm currently recruiting for the next chapter in the story. Dnd 3.5 and only characters that fit the basics of that. 1st to 3rd level only.

Here is the thread:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...74#post8190874

I'm excited about bringing more people into our world.

[ericgrau]

Going by the climb skill it's a melee touch attack, to which the falling character may choose to voluntarily remove his dex bonus (but not deflection bonuses). Based on the jump, pit trap and falling object rules you'd also need a DC 15 reflex save if the fall was unexpected.

/thread?