On the flying issue: I've actually been mulling over this a bit since the idea of 'flying as a gamebreaker' was first introduced as an issue on one of these posts, and I've thought of some possible methods of making it less game-breaky to have longer-term magical flight. Assuming intelligent players and DMs, of course.
The problem with flight stems from the fact that it tends, at least as far as I can tell, to be assumed that all flying will be of the free-will-to-move-as-your-mind-directs type. Why should that be the default? Why should that even be available in more than the one-move-action variety to anyone less than heroic/mid-epic level? Especially when that sort of flight -doesn't actually exist in the real world-. Helicopters can't even truly manage it, and they're about as close as you get to perfect manueverability.
Forget 'flight'. Try 'sprout magical wings'? You can lift off just fine from the ground...but since you weigh more than a couple dozen pounds, you'll need a running start to get airborne, which means space. And once you're up there... you have to keep moving. You can, perhaps, 'stall' for one round...but one round's it. Keep stalling and you....stall. And crash. Otherwise, you have to -fly around-. Which isn't particularly handy in combat, necessarily. Especially if you're trying to fight. Limited manueverability will also be an issue.
And giving something with wings a bow? There's a reason that you need a feat for mounted archery (or at least did, in 3.5, to my knowledge). You'll doubly need it for winged flight, since you also have to keep your arms from knocking your wings askew. And finding a way to draw arrows that won't knock your wings askew. And avoiding dropping anything.
On the other hand, it can also introduce new tactics. There's archers up on that ridge? Aerial charge/bullrush from a barbarian! Clifftop/Mountainy/Hilly battle? Have your ranged striker swoop from sniper point to sniper point.
...And now I'm thinking it would be a lot of fun to run/play a game where all of the PCs were winged.
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ninetydegrees
no subject
on 2009-07-22 11:31 pm (UTC)The problem with flight stems from the fact that it tends, at least as far as I can tell, to be assumed that all flying will be of the free-will-to-move-as-your-mind-directs type. Why should that be the default? Why should that even be available in more than the one-move-action variety to anyone less than heroic/mid-epic level? Especially when that sort of flight -doesn't actually exist in the real world-. Helicopters can't even truly manage it, and they're about as close as you get to perfect manueverability.
Forget 'flight'. Try 'sprout magical wings'? You can lift off just fine from the ground...but since you weigh more than a couple dozen pounds, you'll need a running start to get airborne, which means space. And once you're up there... you have to keep moving. You can, perhaps, 'stall' for one round...but one round's it. Keep stalling and you....stall. And crash. Otherwise, you have to -fly around-. Which isn't particularly handy in combat, necessarily. Especially if you're trying to fight. Limited manueverability will also be an issue.
And giving something with wings a bow? There's a reason that you need a feat for mounted archery (or at least did, in 3.5, to my knowledge). You'll doubly need it for winged flight, since you also have to keep your arms from knocking your wings askew. And finding a way to draw arrows that won't knock your wings askew. And avoiding dropping anything.
On the other hand, it can also introduce new tactics. There's archers up on that ridge? Aerial charge/bullrush from a barbarian! Clifftop/Mountainy/Hilly battle? Have your ranged striker swoop from sniper point to sniper point.
...And now I'm thinking it would be a lot of fun to run/play a game where all of the PCs were winged.