This was originally made public by the creation of the hulking hurler, but can exist due to the current rules for falling objects. That problem is the fact that carrying capacity from strength is logarithmic, while damage due to weight is linear.
As of right now, damage due to falling objects are based purely off of weight, which means a block of steel does more damage than an equal size block of cork. Logically, this makes sense. However, for it to be purely linear allows those of high strength to perform acts of damage where 'escalating' is simply insufficient terminology.
So, basically, it should not be +1d6 per +200lbs of weight. This allows rocs to do more damage dropping boulders than is considered sane. Just taking an off-the-cuff number, it should be +1d6 damage for every doubling of weight past 200lbs.
I can go into more detail, but if you've ever been in a game where people drop things onto people, you'll see the problem very quickly unless you houseruled it.
And in case you take the falling rules damage cap, that 20d6 limit is only for the falling part of the damage, the weight contribution doesn't have such a cap.
This topic has never come up in 15 years of gaming.
I agree that the damage from falling objects should follow an logarithmic progression, not a linear progression. I would also suggest a certain maximum based on the hardness of the material (getting hit by 200 lbs of steel is more painful than getting hit by 200 lbs of pillow); that's how it worked in Champions (where getting hit by a thrown bus is more likely than in D&D).
I also agree that this is a rule I've never seen used. There aren't even any rules for avoiding a falling object. Do you use a Reflex save? A touch attack?
It most certainly has come up in gaming. In my own campaign on at least two seperate occasions, in fact. A similar situation occurs with the broken nature of the hulking hurler, and has been discussed at length in many places.
They've even given clarification for in-combat rock dropping in Heroes of Battle, which is basically make a ranged attack roll against that square and the person in that square needs to make a Reflex save (DC 15) or get hit by the falling object.
It most certainly has come up in gaming. In my own campaign on at least two seperate occasions, in fact. A similar situation occurs with the broken nature of the hulking hurler, and has been discussed at length in many places.
The Hulking Hurler was a matter of thrown objects, though (for which there exist perfectly cromulent rules).
Actually, I remember a system I proposed before which fits in with the rules just fine -- treat a thrown/falling object as an improvised weapon of the appropriate size.
My apologies. The Hulking Hurler was meant as an in-game example of using the weight-to-damage in a linear fashion, despite the fact strength is logarithmic.
As for your suggestion, that can work as well. So long as we get rid of this linear weight relation to damage.
I envy the DM whose players have not tried something for which the rules are nebulous, like pushing boulders on top of a gargoyle to help overcome its DR. "What can we do in this encounter that will make the DM go fetal?" Thank go for the multipurpose CMB.
The Hulking Hurler was a matter of thrown objects, though (for which there exist perfectly cromulent rules).
PS Nice use of the word "cromulent". You've embiggened my heart.
It doesn't have to be quite so malicious as you speak of it. I would consider it a logical option to attempt drop/hurl an item onto someone, especially since you can get objects to drop that are far beyond the "wield like a club" range in weight; and then I would be surprised at the discovery that the idea is disproportionally powerful.
This topic has never come up in 15 years of gaming.You've never had a keneticist trying to TK whip cannon balls around have you... PC's that don't push the rules to glean some advantage are not trying. That's why the game has a judge to adjudicate the proceedings.
Actually, that has happened in the past. I said, "I'm using this power to throw stuff at that guy. How much damage can I do?" and the DM responded with an amount and we continued our way.