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I want to create a scenario where PCs might fall from a height, let’s go with 80 ft., into the ocean.

How is falling damage handled if they fall into the water from let’s say a bridge?

What if we increase the height to 800 ft.?

What if we increase the height to 8000 ft.?

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This is covered by the Falling rules on, appropriately enough, Falling into Water:

Falls into water are handled somewhat differently. If the water is at least 10 feet deep, the first 20 feet of falling do no damage. The next 20 feet do nonlethal damage (1d3 per 10-foot increment). Beyond that, falling damage is lethal damage (1d6 per additional 10-foot increment).

Characters who deliberately dive into water take no damage on a successful DC 15 Swim check or DC 15 Acrobatics check, so long as the water is at least 10 feet deep for every 30 feet fallen. The DC of the check, however, increases by 5 for every 50 feet of the dive.

In the three scenarios—boldly assuming the ocean in question is at least 10 ft. deep—, the following could happen:

  • An 80 ft. fall deals 2d3 points of nonlethal damage and 4d6 points of damage. That is, no damage for the first 20 ft., 2d3 points of nonlethal damage for the next 20 ft., and 1d6 points of damage for each of the remaining 10 ft.
  • An 800 or 8,000 ft. fall deals 2d3 points of nonlethal damage and 20d6 points of damage. That is, no damage for the first 20 ft., 2d3 points of nonlethal damage for the next 20 ft., and 1d6 points of damage for each of the remaining 10 ft. up to a maximum of 20d6.

While it's possible the creatures could dive into the water 80 ft., 800 ft., or 8,000 ft. below, succeeding on the Acrobatics or Swim skill check so as to avoid being dealt damage is increasingly challenging:

  • The 80-ft. dive requires water that's at least 20 ft. deep and mandates a skill check (DC 20).
  • The 800-ft. dive requires water that's at least 260 ft. deep and mandates a probably impossible skill check (DC 95).
  • The 8,000-ft. dive requires water that's at least 2,660 ft. deep and mandates what will probably end up being the campaign's most impossible skill check (DC 815).

In other words, good luck if your PC's making the 800-ft. or 8,000-ft. dive.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ requires water that's at least 2,060 ft. deep, they clearly werent thinking on this kind of dive when they wrote that rule. \$\endgroup\$
    – ShadowKras
    Dec 23, 2017 at 13:16
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    \$\begingroup\$ @ShadowKras well... if you can break up the water surface at terminal velocity and not die, surely you can arrest your velocity within 600 meters of the volume. What's unfortunate is that most wristwatches aren't water-resistant in that depth. \$\endgroup\$
    – John Dvorak
    Dec 23, 2017 at 13:28
  • \$\begingroup\$ @ShadowKras It's actually even deeper than that—no surprise that my math was off—, but because I'm thorough and because I wanted to crack wise about that, too, I used the Google for How deep is the ocean? then figured whatever. ;-) \$\endgroup\$
    – Hey I Can Chan
    Dec 23, 2017 at 15:43
  • \$\begingroup\$ Oh no, I know the ocean is very deep. My concern is about how deep you dive after hitting the water at terminal velocity. \$\endgroup\$
    – ShadowKras
    Dec 23, 2017 at 23:19
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    \$\begingroup\$ Good thing Paizo hasn't developed deep sea diving (and therefore there is no increased compression by Golarion physics) \$\endgroup\$
    – Ifusaso
    Dec 28, 2017 at 19:05
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This is covered in the rules for falling. See "Falling into Water".

  • Falling into water from 80 feet up would do 4d6 damage + 2d3 nonlethal, assuming the water is at least 10 feet deep. (For shallower water fall damage is as normal, so 8d6 lethal.)

  • Falling into water from 800 feet would do 20d6 lethal damage + 2d3 nonlethal.

  • Falling into water from 8000 feet would do the same amount of damage as falling 800 feet into water, due to the 20d6 cap on falling damage.

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