Murphy's rules: How to survive a fall

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Varyon

Water falls more slowly than people in atmosphere (it has a rather low terminal velocity

It doesn't inherently have a low terminal velocity, it just tends to occur in small droplets and it isn't solid so it gets spread out by air resistance. If you put it in a container so it doesn't spread out, a person-sized bladder of water has similar terminal velocity to a person, a larger or better streamlined object has a higher terminal velocity.

[Rannith]

Originally Posted by cptbutton

So you need a really high-end supersoaker and the skill to fire it straight down?

Feat: Weapon Proficiency - Super Soaker

[cptbutton]

Originally Posted by Anthony

It doesn't inherently have a low terminal velocity, it just tends to occur in small droplets and it isn't solid so it gets spread out by air resistance. If you put it in a container so it doesn't spread out, a person-sized bladder of water has similar terminal velocity to a person, a larger or better streamlined object has a higher terminal velocity.

An ice spike with a thermite charge just big enough to melt it on impact?

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by cptbutton

An ice spike with a thermite charge just big enough to melt it on impact?

No, thermite burns for too long. A (very) small charge of plastic explosives should do much better.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by cptbutton

An ice spike with a thermite charge just big enough to melt it on impact?

Easier to just have it in a container that ruptures on impact.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Easier to just have it in a container that ruptures on impact.

There was one person who fell out of an aeroplane without a parachute during WWII, who apparently survived because he was at exactly the right distance above a bomb going off that it slowed his fall by just the right amount. Blanking on the source, though it fits a cinematic setting even if I can't be totally sure that it really happened.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

There was one person who fell out of an aeroplane without a parachute during WWII, who apparently survived because he was at exactly the right distance above a bomb going off that it slowed his fall by just the right amount. Blanking on the source, though it fits a cinematic setting even if I can't be totally sure that it really happened.

There are known cases of people falling out of airplanes and living, the one I remember involved tree branches and a snow bank. A bomb could slow someone down (assuming it didn't kill them), but would have the unfortunate side effect of likely clearing soft material from the landing area.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by Anthony

There are known cases of people falling out of airplanes and living, the one I remember involved tree branches and a snow bank. A bomb could slow someone down (assuming it didn't kill them), but would have the unfortunate side effect of likely clearing soft material from the landing area.

Probably, yeah - unless the faller was pushed off at an angle, and ended up in the soft material that got blown off. I wonder if an explosion could break up water enough to significantly reduce falling damage on hitting said water (which would otherwise be like hitting concrete if you're at terminal velocity), without killing the faller in other ways.

I also kind of wonder if there's a Murphy's Rule that would allow one to miss the ground when falling, like in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy setting (Book Four, I think).

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

There was one person who fell out of an aeroplane without a parachute during WWII ...

There were several cases, and a couple since the war.

[Flyndaran]

Surviving the fall is amazing enough. But surviving those injuries in 1943 is even more so, IMO. That had to be a few successful Death Checks.