I have some guys in my group who like to pull some crazy stuff. One came up with the idea of a "Human Rail-gun." The concept behind it is that since passing an item does not count as an action and depending on the amount of people in said "Rail-gun" you could pass an item from point A to point B very quickly due to a round being approximately 6 seconds.. So if the end person is to throw the item would it actually work with that momentum and is that allowed or possible?
Forget the "ooooh, I have 6 seconds in which to do munhkin stuff in". This is about simple mechanics.
From the PHP, Pg .190: "You can [...] interact with one object [...] for free, during either your move or your action." "If you want to interact with a second object, you need to use your action."
During your action, you can interact with a maximum of two objects (normally). And doing so uses your full action. Doesn't leave anything left to "throw" the object with, because to throw it (make a ranged attack) would also require your action.
Each person in the initiative has a turn. On each of their turns they could receive & pass items. But still, they (normally) can only do that with two items because of action economy, and then their turn is over.
Sure you could move the item down the line. You'd have to get everyone in perfect initiative order to take and pass on the item. But in 5e there's not really any concept of momentum. The last person would throw it the same speed any of the others before it would.
So essentially if the item was passed in in initiative order it could technically be possible? But since momentum isn't technically a thing it wouldn't be moving at anything special?
I don't know what a "rail gun" is in this discussion.
The guy at the end of the line still only has 1 action. 20 people could be passing him arrows, but he can still only fire 1 arrow on his turn. (well...)
In that case, no. People passing an item to someone does not change their speed/ability to throw that item. They can still only throw one (normally) item... no matter if it takes them 6 seconds or 2.
I think the idea is that if there are 20 people in a line. The first person passes a stone or something to the second person and so on. Each person takes up 5 ft so the stone is effectively travelling at 100 ft per 6 seconds. They're suggesting the person on the end can throw the stone with that added speed.
The answer is no - that can't be done - unless your DM says otherwise.
I think the idea is that if there are 20 people in a line. The first person passes a stone or something to the second person and so on. Each person takes up 5 ft so the stone is effectively travelling at 100 ft per 6 seconds. They're suggesting the person on the end can throw the stone with that added speed.
The answer is no - that can't be done - unless your DM says otherwise.
Yes this is essentially the situation. Thank you for the clarification.
I think the idea is that if there are 20 people in a line. The first person passes a stone or something to the second person and so on. Each person takes up 5 ft so the stone is effectively travelling at 100 ft per 6 seconds. They're suggesting the person on the end can throw the stone with that added speed.
The answer is no - that can't be done - unless your DM says otherwise.
I know I'm old, and island life has really slowed my thinking... but trying to come up with math for this is painful.
I think the idea is that if there are 20 people in a line. The first person passes a stone or something to the second person and so on. Each person takes up 5 ft so the stone is effectively travelling at 100 ft per 6 seconds. They're suggesting the person on the end can throw the stone with that added speed.
The answer is no - that can't be done - unless your DM says otherwise.
I know I'm old, and island life has really slowed my thinking... but trying to come up with math for this is painful.
Who thinks up this stuff? :)
The people I play with XD. This is essentially every session for us.
If you did it with 393,428,423 Bugbears (their arms have 10ft reach) you could make an object travel faster than the speed of light. If you included movement speed you could knock that number down a lot (especially if you use super fast characters like Tabaxi Elk Totem Barbarian (5) + Monk(14) + Druid (1) (for Longstrider) + magic haste boots for a double dashing speed of over 1,000 feet per 6 seconds).
If you did it with 393,428,423 Bugbears (their arms have 10ft reach) you could make an object travel faster than the speed of light. If you included movement speed you could knock that number down a lot (especially if you use super fast characters like Tabaxi Elk Totem Barbarian (5) + Monk(14) + Druid (1) (for Longstrider) + magic haste boots for a double dashing speed of over 1,000 feet per 6 seconds).
If you did it with 393,428,423 Bugbears (their arms have 10ft reach) you could make an object travel faster than the speed of light. If you included movement speed you could knock that number down a lot (especially if you use super fast characters like Tabaxi Elk Totem Barbarian (5) + Monk(14) + Druid (1) (for Longstrider) + magic haste boots for a double dashing speed of over 1,000 feet per 6 seconds).
Yes I am that sad.
???? My head hurts now - thank you! :p
So this is assuming that all bugbears take their action at the same time? Is that where this comes from?
Tl;dr - no, peasant railgun does not work. If you follow realistic physics, then a line of peasants can't actually accelerate a projectile by passing it between them. If you follow D&D rules, then even though you pass a projectile an arbitrary distance in 6 seconds, if it's thrown at somebody it does not get any bonuses beyond the usual rules for an improvised thrown weapon, same as if someone threw that item after pulling it out of their backpack with no railgun.
I have some guys in my group who like to pull some crazy stuff. One came up with the idea of a "Human Rail-gun." The concept behind it is that since passing an item does not count as an action and depending on the amount of people in said "Rail-gun" you could pass an item from point A to point B very quickly due to a round being approximately 6 seconds.. So if the end person is to throw the item would it actually work with that momentum and is that allowed or possible?
-Thanks
-JointLogic Gaming Enthusiast
Forget the "ooooh, I have 6 seconds in which to do munhkin stuff in". This is about simple mechanics.
From the PHP, Pg .190:
"You can [...] interact with one object [...] for free, during either your move or your action."
"If you want to interact with a second object, you need to use your action."
During your action, you can interact with a maximum of two objects (normally). And doing so uses your full action.
Doesn't leave anything left to "throw" the object with, because to throw it (make a ranged attack) would also require your action.
...cryptographic randomness!
Okay but would it be possible for the item to pass through multiple people while using actions down the line to make the supposed "Rail-gun" happen?
-JointLogic Gaming Enthusiast
Each person in the initiative has a turn.
On each of their turns they could receive & pass items.
But still, they (normally) can only do that with two items because of action economy, and then their turn is over.
...cryptographic randomness!
Sure you could move the item down the line. You'd have to get everyone in perfect initiative order to take and pass on the item. But in 5e there's not really any concept of momentum. The last person would throw it the same speed any of the others before it would.
Mega Yahtzee Thread:
Highest 41: brocker2001 (#11,285).
Yahtzee of 2's: Emmber (#36,161).
Lowest 9: JoeltheWalrus (#312), Emmber (#12,505) and Dertinus (#20,953).
So essentially if the item was passed in in initiative order it could technically be possible? But since momentum isn't technically a thing it wouldn't be moving at anything special?
-JointLogic Gaming Enthusiast
I don't know what a "rail gun" is in this discussion.
The guy at the end of the line still only has 1 action.
20 people could be passing him arrows, but he can still only fire 1 arrow on his turn. (well...)
...cryptographic randomness!
Basically throw an item at an increased speed.
-JointLogic Gaming Enthusiast
In that case, no.
People passing an item to someone does not change their speed/ability to throw that item.
They can still only throw one (normally) item... no matter if it takes them 6 seconds or 2.
...cryptographic randomness!
I think the idea is that if there are 20 people in a line. The first person passes a stone or something to the second person and so on. Each person takes up 5 ft so the stone is effectively travelling at 100 ft per 6 seconds. They're suggesting the person on the end can throw the stone with that added speed.
The answer is no - that can't be done - unless your DM says otherwise.
Mega Yahtzee Thread:
Highest 41: brocker2001 (#11,285).
Yahtzee of 2's: Emmber (#36,161).
Lowest 9: JoeltheWalrus (#312), Emmber (#12,505) and Dertinus (#20,953).
Yes this is essentially the situation. Thank you for the clarification.
-JointLogic Gaming Enthusiast
I know I'm old, and island life has really slowed my thinking... but trying to come up with math for this is painful.
Who thinks up this stuff? :)
...cryptographic randomness!
The people I play with XD. This is essentially every session for us.
-JointLogic Gaming Enthusiast
If you did it with 393,428,423 Bugbears (their arms have 10ft reach) you could make an object travel faster than the speed of light. If you included movement speed you could knock that number down a lot (especially if you use super fast characters like Tabaxi Elk Totem Barbarian (5) + Monk(14) + Druid (1) (for Longstrider) + magic haste boots for a double dashing speed of over 1,000 feet per 6 seconds).
Yes I am that sad.
Mega Yahtzee Thread:
Highest 41: brocker2001 (#11,285).
Yahtzee of 2's: Emmber (#36,161).
Lowest 9: JoeltheWalrus (#312), Emmber (#12,505) and Dertinus (#20,953).
Yo this made everyone laugh so hard.
-JointLogic Gaming Enthusiast
????
My head hurts now - thank you! :p
So this is assuming that all bugbears take their action at the same time?
Is that where this comes from?
...cryptographic randomness!
This has been, for multiple D&D editions, a standard example to show how things become silly if you push them too far and then try to bounce between using the rules and using physics. https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Peasant_Railgun http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?523335-The-Peasant-Railgun https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/3e-the-peasant-railgun-is-a-terrible-example-of-3e-design.850317/
Tl;dr - no, peasant railgun does not work. If you follow realistic physics, then a line of peasants can't actually accelerate a projectile by passing it between them. If you follow D&D rules, then even though you pass a projectile an arbitrary distance in 6 seconds, if it's thrown at somebody it does not get any bonuses beyond the usual rules for an improvised thrown weapon, same as if someone threw that item after pulling it out of their backpack with no railgun.