Before I take this feat, I was wondering if a character would need to thematically "dive" or if another fall type would work (like a canonball) and what the water depth needs to be at minimum for this to work (I assume you can't dive off a cliff into a puddle for example).
I don't see anything stopping you. Cannonball away!
For the minimum water depth, I don't think there's a general rule that currently interacts with this. I'd assume the minimum depth your GM would allow you to swim.
For the minimum water depth, I don't think there's a general rule that currently interacts with this. I'd assume the minimum depth your GM would allow you to swim.
Actually there is a general rule for falling into water.
In addition, if you fall into water, snow, or another relatively soft substance, you can treat the fall as though it were 20 feet shorter, or 30 feet shorter if you intentionally dove in. The effective reduction can’t be greater than the depth (so when falling into 10-foot-deep water, you treat the fall as 10 feet shorter).
If this interacts with the feat and if so how I leave for others to decide.
I'd say it's any depth of water, so an inch will work. Compare it to cat fall once. Cat fall only takes distance of your fall based off your acrobatics rank but it #1 doesn't require an action to use and #2 doesn't have any landing requirements. So unlimited falling in exchange for an action and requiring some kind of water to be the landing spot seems like about the same power level.
If a depth was added it's be purely Dm fiat as there isn't any possible way to figure out a 'reasonable' depth outside of feeling.
A shallow dive can get you into the water without ever getting your back wet, if you start just a few inches above the top of the water.
The record for a 36-foot-high start is 12 inches of water.
17 March 2011. A US shallow diver has broken his own world record by swan-diving 36ft (11m) into a paddling pool containing just 12in (30.5cm) of water.
Shallow dive record
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I think there are several rule elements at play all at once
This assumes a small or medium creature
Diving in to water:
We go from 2 dimensional to 3 dimensional. As such I would rule at least one cube of water (5x5x5 feet).
Most GMs I'm aware of round up/down if an area is partly occupied to determine difficult terrain etc. So that would make it > 2.5 feet.
Having said this
In the case it seems you actually fall / jump <10 feet down anyhow. So more or less it is a leap/drop prone combination you do. You can drop prone into a puddle of mud and you only get damage to your self esteem - not HP damage.
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I'd say it's any depth of water, so an inch will work. Compare it to cat fall once. Cat fall only takes distance of your fall based off your acrobatics rank but it #1 doesn't require an action to use and #2 doesn't have any landing requirements. So unlimited falling in exchange for an action and requiring some kind of water to be the landing spot seems like about the same power level.
If a depth was added it's be purely Dm fiat as there isn't any possible way to figure out a 'reasonable' depth outside of feeling.
So would you allow the following?
Jump head first down a cliff while holding a water sack in your outstreched hands - just squeeze while falling to ensure you don't take falling damage as you now fall on a wet surface.
Water will fall as fast as you - outstretched hands to ensure the water hits the ground ahead of you.
So would you allow the following?
Jump head first down a cliff while holding a water sack in your outstreched hands - just squeeze while falling to ensure you don't take falling damage as you now fall on a wet surface.
Water will fall as fast as you - outstretched hands to ensure the water hits the ground ahead of you.
I wouldn't as the majority of the time that wouldn't end up with a "Leap or otherwise fall into the water" as that amount of water will splatter, run off, get absorbed into the ground, ect and not leave enough standing water to moments later to land in. Getting the ground wet doesn't get you a depth of water: you don't think of a glass wet with condensation a glass of water. Secondly, what you ask can't happen as Perfect Dive is an action so you are unable to use a free action to Release during that action.
Now if you create water or toss down multiple sack beforehand and there is enough water to cause a big enough puddle to "Leap or otherwise fall into", I'd say good to go.
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I like the thought that you would at least need enough water to reduce the distance of your fall. It would basically change the rule that says "It can't reduce more than it's depth" to "you take no damage"
Falling damage is only calculated in feet, so you would likely need at least a foot of water, like that world record that was mentioned earlier. (Also that's INSANE that they can dive into a foot of water.)