Fall damage is environmental damage inflicted upon a player when he falls from a certain height. Death caused by fall damage causes the same 10% durability loss to equipment as a normal PvE death.
Fall damage no longer causes Stealthed units to lose Stealth.
Damage mitigation
Fall damage can be completely avoided by falling into a body of water (just make sure you land in deep water if you're falling from a very high place; falling far enough will cause you to become submerged, meaning shallow water might not save you). Fall damage can also be mitigated by various items, abilities, and skills. As with all other environmental damage (except fire damage), fall damage cannot be mitigated by regular damage absorption abilities such as [Power Word: Shield] and [Ice Barrier], or the effects of the [Talisman of Arathor], [Defiler's Talisman], and [Gnomish Harm Prevention Belt].
Items
- [Noggenfogger Elixir] has a chance to apply an aura that reduces fall damage completely.
- The [Colossal Parachute] is an expendable un-equipped item that slows fall speed. It is sold by a vendor in Feralas.
- [Olaf's All Purpose Shield] can be used to slow fall speed for 10 seconds, on a 1 hour cooldown. It is a drop from Olaf in Uldaman.
- The [Parachute Cloak] can be used to slow fall speed for 10 seconds, on a 30 seconds cooldown. It is only available to Engineers with 225 skill.
- The [Skyguard's Drape] can be used to slow fall speed for 10 seconds, on a 30 minutes cooldown. You must be revered with the Sha'tari Skyguard to purchase this item.
Abilities
- The Priest level 34 ability [Levitate], among other things, applies an aura that slows fall speed. It requires the reagent cost of a [Light Feather] and has a 2 minute duration.
- The Mage level 12 ability Slow Fall applies an aura that slows fall speed. It requires the reagent cost of a [Light Feather] and has a 30 second duration.
- Mages can also use the level 20 spell [Blink] right before impact with the ground to reset fall speed to zero, although it must be timed carefully.
- The mage spell [Ice Block] makes the caster immune to falling damage.
- A Warrior can use the [Charge] or [Intercept] abilities to complete their fall shortly before landing to avoid taking any falling damage, this of course requires something at the bottom of the fall to charge at and will put the warrior into combat with that target.
- Paladins' [Divine Shield] makes the paladin immune to all damage, including fall damage. [Hand of Protection] works too.
- A Druid may also be able to use their [Feral Charge] ability to avoid the falling damage, but this requires careful timing and is thus rarely done: see RAWRbomb for details.
- In Outland, a druid can instantly switch into flight form during a fall, unless in combat.
Skills
- The Rogue passive ability [Safe Fall] applies a -17 modifier to fall damage.
- The Druid passive ability [Feline Grace] applies a -17 modifier to fall damage when in [Cat Form].
Uses of damage mitigation
Reduced damage from falling opens up several opportunities for players. Among other things, players with enough fall damage mitigation can avoid waiting for lifts in Thunder Bluff, Thousand Needles, Searing Gorge, and Shattrath City.
Damage mitigation is of particular use to Rogues and Druids due to the fact that fall damage breaks [Stealth].