[Retric]

D&D has rules for fall damage that make no sense, worse they encourage people to jump from extreme heights because the risks are well understood.

In 5e players fall at 500 feet per round which works out to 57 MPH, take the same damage falling 30 feet onto a stone floor, pile of hay, or a lake and ignore what you’re carrying. The temptation is to codify more realistic rules IE you fall up to 500 feet in the first round and up to 1,000 feet every round after that but complex rules don’t necessarily add much to the game and it’s always going to be a massive simplification.

By comparison ‘No Rules’ just means do something reasonable for the situation, arguing about it is more an issue for your table not the game.

[thaumasiotes]

> D&D has rules for fall damage that make no sense, worse they encourage people to jump from extreme heights because the risks are well understood.

This has nothing on MMOs, where everybody constantly takes jumps that they know will cause severe damage (say, 30-80% of the amount that would kill you) because it's faster and damage heals.

[NavinF]

> same damage falling 30 feet onto a stone floor, pile of hay, or a lake

Pretty sure it's the DM's job to adjust that. Eg "You break a toe from hitting the stone floor. Roll 2d6 for damage"

That aside, I'd say DnD is more like video games than real life. Most games have minimal fall damage because it's fun to jump. Also consider Mario games where you can kill an enemy by landing on them, but never kys by landing on bricks