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The Path of the Giant Mighty Impel says:

As a bonus action while raging, you can choose one Medium or smaller creature within your reach and move it to an unoccupied space you can see within 30 feet of yourself. An unwilling creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) to avoid the effect.

If, at the end of this movement, the thrown creature isn’t on a surface or liquid that can support it, the creature falls, taking damage as normal and landing prone.

This seems to indicate you CAN just fling a creature 30' up into the sky and let it fall. Or am I missing something?

Nobody the Hobgoblin
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  • 'and move it to an unoccupied space' ... I wonder if this means a kind of throw (then we could estimate the maximum height a vertical throw could reach) or a strong push, so that the victim slides 30 ft. - which would require a floor of some kind in between. – Flynxer Dec 12 '23 at 08:01
  • @Flynxer the first sentence alone makes me think they have to carry the victim, but the second sentence clarified it as a throw. – SeriousBri Dec 12 '23 at 13:37
  • @flynxer Its about throwing them around, the missing first sentence says Your connection to giant strength allows you to hurl both allies and enemies – Nobody the Hobgoblin Dec 12 '23 at 13:49

1 Answers1

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This might work, but check with the DM

What constitutes an unoccupied space is not that well defined, the rules only talk about space in relation to what a creature controls. Going by that, any space that is not controlled by another creature is unoccupied, and that would include spaces above the ground.

From a balance perspective, being able to deal an extra 3d6 damage per turn and possibly inflict the prone condition as a bonus action is strong - not only does it give you an automatic use for your bonus action, it also deals considerable extra damage, it also reduces the creatures movement by half for needing to stand, unlocks tactical options from clearing movement paths, and other characters are able to attack with advantage until the creature can stand up again, which can translate into even more damage.

Caveats

The combat rules in 5e are are mostly written as if you operate on a 2D plane, not really considering the 3D-aspect of combat. For example, the rules for space in the PHB (p. 191) are only talking about 2D-areas creatures occupy as space, like 5 x 5 feet, not about 3D volumes. The DMG on page 250 says

You can draw tactical maps with colored markers on a wet-erase vinyl mat with 1-inch squares, on a large sheet of paper, or on a similar flat surface.

And the intro of Mighty Impel says

Your connection to giant strength allows you to hurl both allies and enemies on the battlefield.

"On the battlefield" might imply that you cannot hurl them avove the battlefield, and when the ability talks about falling, the idea might be that you can move a creature over a chasm, off a platform etc. not that you throw it up into the air.

Because throwing up would be powerful, and because it deals with an aspect of position in combat that is not well covered by the rules, I'd check with the DM how they interpret this: are they OK with throwing up, or are they ruling you can only move them over the mat, and need a pit or something to drop them into. Best do so before game so you do not find out in a tense combat situation. If you are the DM yourself, you have to decide what you think makes for a better game.

Nobody the Hobgoblin
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    The battlefield note is a bit odd, you seem to be assuming it literally means the field itself and not the air above it, which I find an odd interpretation of the word. It just means area of battle, which usually includes the sky when things can fly like in DND or when aircraft are involved. – SeriousBri Dec 12 '23 at 10:55
  • Also wouldn't you throw them up from their current location rather than your own location? So they would still land adjacent to you? – SeriousBri Dec 12 '23 at 13:41
  • @SeriousBri I think you are right about the throwing up from their position, I‘ll remove that part. The Caveat section is overall about most of tge time the game not considering above 2D, so a DM who thinks this is over the top has some more support for their take, but as the answer says, overall methinks it would work – Nobody the Hobgoblin Dec 12 '23 at 13:44