[RPG] How does the simic hybrid’s Manta Glide racial trait work during combat

combatdnd-5efallingmovementracial-traits

Consider a Simic Hybrid with the Manta Glide trait:

You have ray-like fins that you can use as wings to slow your fall or allow you to glide. When you fall and aren't incapacitated, you can subtract up to 100 feet from the fall when calculating falling damage, and you can move up to 2 feet horizontally for every 1 foot you descend.

If the Simic Hybrid were to fall from a 50' height while not in combat, it could unequivocally move 100' horizontally as it falls those 50'.

However, I'm unclear what should happen if the Simic Hybrid falls during combat.

Can the the Simic Hybrid move 100' horizontally while falling 50' feet even if its speed is less than 100' or even if it falls during someone else's turn?
If not, what happens?

Best Answer

Yes, it should be able to

Consider it from a practical perspective: if something is gliding (not being propelled), is it moving under its own power really? It doesn't have a flying speed, because it's not really "flying". I would rule that it doesn't consume movement at all, since the only remaining speed (land) certainly doesn't apply here. You're really just steering.

See the spell feather fall:

Its descent slows to 60 feet per round until the spell ends.

Feather fall probably a good place to start, as this spell deals with slow falling and it lists a definite speed for your fall. Other than this, the other source for a falling speed I can find is the XGTE rule (500' per round during free fall). I think it's fair to rule that Manta Glide slows your speed to 60' per round similarly to how feather fall does.

Like this, it would take only one round to finish falling for 50', and during that round you could glide 100' horizontally. It would of course take more than that if you fall from say 120' feet (2 rounds, 240' horizontal motion total, 120' horizontally per turn)

This would be a relatively quick fall, but likely not fast enough for any other characters or enemies to have issues targeting you, if they can reach that high in the air. Your DM is free to make rulings on the specifics of how far you fall per turn, but 60' per round is probably a good starting point.