How to Calculate Jump Distance in D&D 5e
Long jump Generally, your character’s Strength affects how far they can jump. Making a long jump means you can cover a number of feet up to your character’s Strength score, so long as they get a running start for at least 10 feet before jumping. If you make a long jump without a running start, you can cover half the distance you’d normally get. For example, if your character’s Strength score is 16, they can long jump up to 16 feet with a 10-foot running start. However, if your character makes a standing long jump (without the 10-foot start), they can jump up to 8 feet (half of 16).
High jump When making a high jump (leaping up into the air), you can cover a number of feet up to 3 + your character’s Strength modifier (not their Strength score). However, you must move at least 10 feet for a running start to get this distance; if you make a standing high jump, you can cover half the usual distance. For example, if your character’s Strength score is 16, their modifier is a +3. So, with a 10-foot start, your character can jump 6 feet into the air (3 + 3). Without a 10-foot start, your character can jump 3 feet into the air. Characters can also extend their arms (covering half their height) while doing a high jump. So, if your character is 5½ feet tall and can jump 6 feet, they can reach 2¾ feet above that and grab onto something up to 8¾ feet in the air. Want to jump higher (or longer) than you’d normally be able to? Ask your DM! They might let you try by making a Strength (Athletics) check.
How does jumping work in D&D 5e?
Every foot you jump costs a foot of your overall movement speed. This applies whether you’re doing a long jump or a high jump. Every character in D&D has a movement speed, which determines the number of feet they can move in a single turn. While jumping doesn’t cost an action or bonus action, it’s a type of movement—so it counts toward your movement speed. For example, if your character does a 15-foot long jump, they’re spending 15 feet of their movement speed. And, if they had a 10-foot running start, that means they’re spending 25 feet of movement total. If your character has a 30-foot movement speed (which is standard), they’d only be able to move another 5 feet after making the jump above. Remember: even if your character’s Strength score is higher than their movement speed (although it’s unlikely), they’d still be limited by that movement speed while doing a long jump.
Landing in difficult terrain requires a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. Difficult terrain is any type of terrain that could be considered difficult to stand or move in—such as icy ground, a steep, rocky slope, a thick forest, or a ruined dungeon chamber filled with rubble. If you make a jump and land in difficult terrain, you’ll have to make a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to land on your feet. If you fail the Acrobatics check, you’ll land prone (meaning you’ll fall to the ground and have to spend extra movement to stand up again). Similarly, the DM may call for a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check if you’re trying to jump without hitting a low obstacle (like a fence or short shrub).
Jumping past an enemy can provoke an attack of opportunity. When you leave an enemy’s melee range, they can use a reaction to make an attack of opportunity against you—and that’s still the case if you’re jumping (rather than running). If you jump away from an enemy while in their melee range (or jump past an enemy so you go in and then out of their range), they can attack you for it. You can still choose to jump, even if it means taking an enemy’s attack of opportunity. Just be aware of the consequences and make sure it’s something you can afford to do!
How to Extend Your Jump Distance
Jump spell Jump is a 1st-level transmutation spell. When cast, the target’s jumping distance is tripled for the spell’s duration (up to 1 minute). So, for example, say your character can normally make a 16-foot long jump (with a 10-foot head start). When affected by the Jump spell, you could make a 48-foot long jump (16 x 3) instead! Spells like Haste and Longstrider don’t directly affect your jump distance, but they grant extra movement speed, making it easier to get a running start and make a long jump (and still have movement left over).
Magic items Two magic items in 5e can directly affect your jump distance: the boots of striding and springing and the ring of jumping. The boots of striding and springing automatically triple the distance you can jump—but you still can’t jump further than your movement speed. Meanwhile, the ring of jumping lets you cast Jump on yourself as a bonus action.
Racial abilities Depending on your character’s race, you might get an innate bonus to your jump distance! Satyrs can roll a d8 and add the result to the distance they move while making high or long jumps. Grungs (a race of frog-like humanoids) have an impressive flat 25-foot long jump and 15-foot high jump—with or without moving 10 feet first.
Athlete feat Feats are extra perks or abilities you can choose for your character periodically when leveling up. Giving your character the Athlete feat will reduce the distance they need to move before a jump from 10 feet to 5 feet. So, for example, if your character usually has to move 10 feet for a 16-foot jump, they’d only have to move 5 feet with Athlete.
When to Use the Jump Movement in D&D 5e
Jump over, under, or away from dangerous obstacles. While jumping isn’t necessarily something you’ll do every session of D&D, you never know when your character might have to jump up to a ledge to reach an enemy, jump over a deadly trap on the floor of a dungeon, or jump across a pool of lava while deep underground. Look out for obstacles you could avoid by jumping as you adventure!
Jump to avoid difficult terrain. If you don’t want your character’s movement speed to decrease (especially in a fight), one of the easiest ways to avoid it is simply to jump over any difficult terrain! This includes any areas affected by enemy spells (like Spike Growth) that could restrict or deal damage to your character if they ran through the space.
Attack flying enemies by jumping. If an enemy can fly, it might stop you from hitting them (especially with a melee weapon). However, if an enemy isn’t hovering too high about the ground, you could use your jump distance to reach (and attack) them on your turn! And, if your enemy is higher in the air, you could use the Jump spell (or a similar effect) to reach them. For example, say an enemy wizard casts Fly and is currently flying 15 feet above the ground. If your character can jump that high (or jump up to a ledge that gets them level with the wizard), they can make an attack anyway!
Other Types of Special Movement in D&D 5e
Swimming and climbing both cost extra movement speed. Running, walking, and jumping aren’t the only types of movement in D&D. You might also need your character to swim to an underwater cave or climb to confront an enemy at the summit of a mountain—and while swimming or climbing each foot of movement costs an extra foot of your movement speed. Essentially, characters must move at half speed when swimming or climbing. For example, if your character’s regular movement speed is 30 feet per round, they can only move 15 feet per round while swimming. However, your character doesn’t have to move at half speed if they have a specific swimming or climbing speed (which is separate from their walking speed). For example, triton characters have a swimming speed equal to their walking speed, which means their movement isn’t slowed while swimming.
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