History Main / FallingDamage

* ''[[SpinningPaper spinning newspaper]] saying "JONTRON QUITS" appears''*

** Landing in [[SoftWater water]], vines or spiderweb cancels the damage--with quick reflexes, you can survive a fall unharmed by emptying a bucket of water under yourself--and Feather Falling-enchanted boots will reduce it.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'' plays with this trope in the final Thieves Guild quest. Usually, you take damage proportional to the length of the fall upon landing, which is mitigated by your Acrobatics SkillScore. In the end of said quest, you are supposed to leap off an insane height that would kill you--had it not been for a pair of magic shoes you acquired earlier and are supposed to put on before the jump. Too bad they are [[SingleUseShield destroyed upon landing.]] ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' does away with the Acrobatics skill but has a heavy armor perk that reduces fall damage, there is also the shout "become ethereal" which temporary makes you immune to all damage, allowing you take short cuts by jumping off mountains.

* Parodied in an Creator/AchievementHunter LetsPlay of ''VideoGame/TroubleInTerroristTown'' when Creator/RayNarvaezJr, hunting for the last terrorist, idly wonders if there's fall damage in the game just after he jumps off the roof. [[spoiler:There is, he dies and the terrorists win the round.]] In fact, this was actually one of Ray's RunningGags in their Let's Plays.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'', falls deal 1 point of damage per block (meter) fallen after the third, so a 23-block fall will kill you even at full health. This may sound unlikely, but since the game involves a lot of exploration of enormous, dark caves full of monsters that love to unexpectedly knock you off of things, death by falling is extremely common. However, landing in [[SoftWater water]], vines or spiderweb cancels the damage--with quick reflexes, you can survive a fall unharmed by emptying a bucket of water under yourself--and Feather Falling-enchanted boots will reduce it.

* 3DRealms games ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D'', ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}'', ''VideoGame/ShadowWarrior1997'', and ''VideoGame/RedneckRampage'' all have falling damage inflict death and other hazards, complete with the player character screaming his lungs out when falling from great heights.

* ''[[SpinningPaper spinning newspaper]] saying "JONTRON QUITS" appears''*

-> ''"Was that...was that falling damage? They put ''falling damage'' in their motherfucking 2D ''platform game!?''"''
-> *''spinning newspaper saying "JONTRON QUITS" appears''*

-> ''Was that...was that falling damage? They put ''falling damage'' in their motherfucking 2D ''platform game!?''''
-> *''Spinning Newspaper saying "JONTRON QUITS" appears''*

** Fortunately, there's several ways to negate fall damage. Landing in [[SoftWater 2-block deep pools of water]] or cobwebs does not incur damage (neither does falling in lava, but that has its own problems). This can be exploited by placing a block of liquid or a cobweb underneath you while falling.
** Using an item like a [[DoubleJump Cloud in a Bottle]], Rocket Boots, or a grappling hook resets your fall distance. Amusingly, grappling hooks still prevent fall damage even if you [[HitTheGroundHarder grapple onto the ground]].
** Featherfall potions and the Umbrella item slow your fall to speeds that don't incur fall damage. The Frog Leg increases the distance you can fall before taking damage and decreases the damage you take from falling.
** Finally, some items completely negate fall damage when equipped: the Lucky Horseshoe (and its variant, the Obsidian Horseshoe), the Djinn's Curse, and all types of Wings.

Most video game characters, especially in 2D games, seem to have incredibly durable legs; they can survive just about any fall that isn't into a BottomlessPit.

* Used weirdly in ''VideoGame/ZanZarahTheHiddenPortal'': Amy doesn't have HitPoints, so she can fall from crazy heights and act like nothing happened; however, if the fall takes too long, the game thinks you fell into a BottomlessPit and resets Amy's position back to the location entrance.

* ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'' and ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'' has fall damage, though it is not too common since most maps rarely have different elevations. Depending on the length of your fall and your current health, you'll either take some damage, a lot of damage, get incapacitated, or just outright die. Getting punched by a Tank can send you flying and if there's any elevation difference, you'll also suffer additional fall damage.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'', falls deal 1 point of damage per block (meter) fallen after the third, so a 23-block fall will kill you. This may sound unlikely, but since the game involves a lot of exploration of enormous, dark caves full of monsters that love to unexpectedly knock you off of things, death by falling is extremely common. However, landing in [[SoftWater water]], vines or spiderweb cancels the damage--with quick reflexes, you can survive a fall unharmed by emptying a bucket of water under yourself--and Feather Falling-enchanted boots will reduce it.

* ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' Zigzagged this trope. While you did take falling damage, it was incapable of [[HPToOne actually killing you.]] Savvy players without appropriate flying powers would take shortcuts to ground level by jumping off buildings, crashing to the ground, and waiting to heal up.

* ''VideoGame/AuraAuraClimber'' takes this concept [[UpToEleven way further than some others do]], as if you fall for just long enough for your fall to be damaging, it doesn't matter whether you're going at terminal velocity or light speed, Aura-Aura is dead when he hits the ground.

* ''VideoGame/ConkersBadFurDay'' had some nasty fall damage - if Conker falls from any height above his own jump height, he will take damage, to the extent that falling off a raised ledge will cause the fall damage. Falling from a high enough place also causes instant death, complete with Conker's whole body splattering into LudicrousGibs.
* [[OlderThanTheNES This goes at least as far back as the original]] ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'' arcade game (1981). If Mario falls through a hole in the floor, goes over the edge of a platform, or falls too far before hitting a surface while jumping onto or off an elevator in Screen 3, he dies on impact. In general, a fall height of more than two girders is fatal. [[VideoGame/DonkeyKong94 The Game Boy version]] is a bit more generous, after falling for a little while Mario will begin to spin, if he lands on his face he'll simply be stunned momentarily, he won't die unless he lands on his head.
** And speaking of which, ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'', being the SpiritualSuccessor of the below-mentioned ''Mario 64'', also has this whenever a Kong falls from a great height. Of course, unlike the latter game, this game allows the Kongs to fall at a limit of at least 50 feet to the ground without taking damage. Anything above that, however, will elicit some damage, via losing only a quarter of a melon.

-> *''SpinningNewspaper saying "JONTRON QUITS" appears''*

* ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'' has this. In this case, Mario can GroundPound just before impact to avoid this. Later games just have characters get stuck in the ground after falling long distances, stunning them briefly.

* ''VideoGame/ConkersBadFurDay'' had some nasty fall damage - if Conker falls from any height above his own jump height, he will take damage, to the extent that falling off a raised ledge will cause the fall damage.

** Falling in water [[SoftWater completely negates the damage]]... unless you have a spell that grants the ability to WalkOnWater [[RealityEnsues active at the time of impact]]. Some abilities, like the Paladin's Divine Shield, [[NotTheFallThatKillsYou can also be used to]] [[BlockingStopsAllDamage negate the damage]].

* The original ''{{VideoGame/Borderlands}}'' does have falling damage; it was later removed on ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'' and ''VideoGame/BorderlandsThePreSequel''. The lack of fall damage is also lampshaded in ''Borderlands 2'', where after finishing a quest that requires getting to the top of a huge, tall tower overlooking the rest of the level, if you decide to just jump away towards the level exit, Brick will be shocked at how badass you just looked.
* 3DRealms games ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D'', ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}'', ''VideoGame/ShadowWarrior'', and ''VideoGame/RedneckRampage'' all have falling damage inflict death and other hazards, complete with the player character screaming his lungs out when falling from great heights.
* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'': The player does not take fall damage in ''{{VideoGame/Halo 2}}'', ''{{VideoGame/Halo 3}}'', and ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians'', but does in ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved'', ''VideoGame/Halo3ODST'', and ''VideoGame/HaloReach''. There are still BottomlessPits in the former games, though.