Falling Damage

[atpollard]

Surfing around on Pinterest, I saw a graphic on falling damage that had distances fallen converted into D&D dice of damage (d4 through multiple d20). That made me curious about what falling damage would calculate to in Traveller xd6 dice.

Some basic assumptions:

• Damage is proportional to kinetic energy.
• KE is proportional to distance fallen.
• 15 meters fallen = 50% mortality chance (from OSHA safety)
• 30 meters fallen = 100% mortality chance.

Crunching the math for acceleration (10 m/s2) and velocity and 15 meter fall = 6d6 damage (50% survival rate) …

Each 2.5 meters of fall = 1D6 damage.

So an average person will have 777xxx and die with 21 points of damage.
A super person might have CCCxxx and die with 36 points of damage.
A 15 meter fall = 6D6 = 21 points damage on average.
A 30 meter fall = 12D6 = 42 points of damage on average.

 

[kilemall]

Good work.

Now calculate with different gravities.

Or imagine losing grip/unbuckling on an accelerating ship without inertial dampeners/gravity floors and essentially the ship back wall is coming at you at 6Gs.

100% dead at 5 meters? A large stateroom or bridge could get you.

 

[Vargr Breath]

You may want to add in age. I've reached a point in life where if I was to fall down people wouldn't laugh but would run to see if I was alright.

 

[Grav_Moped]

You may want to add in age. I've reached a point in life where if I was to fall down people wouldn't laugh but would run to see if I was alright.

Roll for Aging crisis effects...

 

[kilemall]

You may want to add in age. I've reached a point in life where if I was to fall down people wouldn't laugh but would run to see if I was alright.

I’d think aging stat reduction covers that.

Used to think the aging table was funny as a teen rolling characters in 1978. Not as much now.

Probably all hits for falling should go to STR first as that’s all about muscles and related bone structure.

 

[atpollard]

Now calculate with different gravities.

Each 2.5 meters of fall = 1D6 damage.

6D6 = 0.04 x (10m/s2) x 15 meters (50% mortality at 15 meters)
1D6 = 0.04 x (10m/s2) x 2.5 meters

1D6 Damage Fall Distance at other gravities:

[6G] 2.5 / (6) = 0.4167 meters
[5G] 2.5 / (5) = 0.5 meters
[4G] 2.5 / (4) = 0.625 meters
[3G] 2.5 / (3) = 0.83 meters
[2G] 2.5 / (2) = 1.25 meters

[1.2G] 2.5 / (1.2) = 2.1 meters
[1.1G] 2.5 / (1.1) = 2.3 meters
[1.0G] 2.5 / (1.0) = 2.5 meters
[0.9G] 2.5 / (0.9) = 2.8 meters
[0.8G] 2.5 / (0.8) = 3.1 meters
[0.7G] 2.5 / (0.7) = 3.6 meters
[0.6G] 2.5 / (0.6) = 4.2 meters
[0.5G] 2.5 / (0.5) = 5.0 meters
[0.4G] 2.5 / (0.4) = 6.3 meters
[0.3G] 2.5 / (0.3) = 8.3 meters
[0.2G] 2.5 / (0.2) = 12 meters
[0.1G] 2.5 / (0.1) = 25 meters

 

[atpollard]

For anyone interested in the math ...

a = acceleration due to gravity (10 m/s2 at 1G in Traveller)
KE = kinetic energy (damage is assumed to be proportional to Kinetic Energy)
m=mass of person (treated as a constant for Falling damage)
s = distance fallen in meters
v2 = velocity squared


KE = (1/2)mv2
v2=2as

Combining ...
KE = (1/2)m2as = mas

Therefore ...
XD6 = constant x G x Distance

For 50% survival [6D6 and 15 meters]
6D6 = constant x G x 15 meters = Constant x 10 x 15 meters = 0.04 x 10 x 15

That gives ..

6D6 = 0.04 x (10m/s2) x 15 meters (50% mortality at 15 meters)
1D6 = 0.04 x (10m/s2) x 2.5 meters
Each 2.5 meters of fall = 1D6 damage.