Carpet of Flying free move action?

[smetzger]

Srd:
"Carpet of Flying: This rug is able to fly through the air as if affected by an overland flight spell of unlimited duration. The size, carrying capacity, and speed of the different carpets of flying are shown on the table below. Beautifully and intricately made, each carpet has its own command word to activate it—if the device is within voice range, the command word activates it, whether the speaker is on the rug or not. The carpet is then controlled by spoken directions."

So, once its activated. It seems like movement would be a free action, since speech is a free action.

What do you think of my interpretation?

*:> Scott

 

[reveal]

What do you think of my interpretation?

It's incorrect. Controlling the carpet by speaking, in and of itself, is a free action. But the actual movement of the carpet itself is a move action. The table you didn't post shows that each carpet has a movement of 40 feet.

 

[smetzger]

It's incorrect. Controlling the carpet by speaking, in and of itself, is a free action. But the actual movement of the carpet itself is a move action. The table you didn't post shows that each carpet has a movement of 40 feet.

Correct the carpet has a movement of 40 ft. But that doesn't mean that you take a move action to tell the carpet to move.

For instance it seems that one can direct the carpet without being on it and it doesn't take your move action to do so. If one can do that then one can also direct it to move while your on it and it is a free action for you to do so.

Its weakness is the silence spell.

 

[reveal]

Correct the carpet has a movement of 40 ft. But that doesn't mean that you take a move action to tell the carpet to move.

For instance it seems that one can direct the carpet without being on it and it doesn't take your move action to do so. If one can do that then one can also direct it to move while your on it and it is a free action for you to do so.

Its weakness is the silence spell.

It's the same as riding a horse. You pull the reins, tap a side with your foot, vocally say "giddyup", etc to make the horse do what you want. There's no "action" involved by you, the only action is the movement by the horse.

EDIT: And a skilled rider can attack or cast spells from horseback.

 

[Jack Simth]

"Spoken directions" could also be interperted as command words, and take standard actions to do such chores as change directions.

 

[reveal]

"Spoken directions" could also be interperted as command words, and take standard actions to do such chores as change directions.

Why should giving directions to a horse and a carpet, both methods of transportation in which the vehicle has its own movement rate, be any different? Telling the carpet to turn would be a free action because all you do is say, "Carpet, turn right." The carpet then turns based upon its manuevarability(sp?).

 

[Jack Simth]

Why should giving directions to a horse and a carpet, both methods of transportation in which the vehicle has its own movement rate, be any different? Telling the carpet to turn would be a free action because all you do is say, "Carpet, turn right." The carpet then turns based upon its manuevarability(sp?).

Should? I didn't reference should. I said that might be one interpertaion.

But consider:

(Wizard on carpet using all his nifty free movement)
Ha Ha! I have you now! Turn Right!
Fireball!
(opposing rogue on the ground, on the wizard's turn)
Stop!
(Wizard goes flying as the carpet obeys the Rogue's free action "spoken direction", and the wizard doesn't make his "Stay in Saddle" ride check)

Where does it specify that the spoken directions must come from the person who last used the command word for the carpet?

If, however, you introduce some security on the spoken directions - it's not "stop" it's a whispered Shalimagnialnklihalt; it's not "turn right" it's a whispered Shalimagnialnkliright, et cetera, then it becomes another command word - a standard action - and isn't something the opposing rogue can do on the wizard's turn (although he might make his Listen check and take a standard action to mess up the wizard's plans on the Rogue's turn....)

It's not specified - it's just one interpertaion of what is stated.

 

[reveal]

But that's really, really stretching it. Yes, the wizard would probably come up with words to say to force the carpet to move the way he/she wants it to. But they don't just get to turn right as a free action. Flying carpets have their average maneuverability, meaning, for example, it takes them 5 ft. to turn at a 45 degree angle.

And the wizard would have to make a concentration check (DC 15) in order to cast the spell while the carpet is moving.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

It's the same as riding a horse. You pull the reins, tap a side with your foot, vocally say "giddyup", etc to make the horse do what you want. There's no "action" involved by you, the only action is the movement by the horse.

This came up previously with regards to the Broom of Flying. I believe the two are the same, save that the carpet can carry multiple passengers. I rule its movement/action costs exactly as if it were a mount.

 

[Jack Simth]

You misunderstand - I didn't mean to imply that the movement was entirely free of cost - just that, interperted as a free action speaking, it's free of cost to the wizard's actions - the wizard tells the carpet to start turning right, and then goes about his business flinging fireballs at the rogue on the ground, perhaps taking a move equivalent action to draw a wand, while the carpet is turning right. If the carpet is controlled by free action spoken directions, then the wizard effectively gets free flying movement (well, it's not free - he "purchased" the carpet in some way, shape, or form, to get the movement); but he can continue to do whatever he likes.

Perhaps it is the standard free-action talking; I don't see it clearly specified.

Perhaps it's a move equivalent action, like redirecting a spell, to control the flying carpet with a "spoken direction". I don't see it clearly specified.

Perhaps it's a standard action, another command word, to control the flying carpet with a "spoken direction". I don't see it clearly specified.

Besides, why would a carpet that's defined as "moving" at an unspecified speed qualify as "violent motion"? Is it specified in the description somewhere that I missed? It might merely qualify as "vigourus motion" - in which case, a 5th level wizard with max ranks in Concentration (and seriously, how many wizards at that level don't max out concentration?) and even a single point of Con bonus will make the check on a roll of 1; it might qualify as "high wind with rain and sleet" and be a DC 5 Concentration check; it might be quite smooth, and not incur a Concentration check at all. As far as I can readily tell, it's not specified.

Or am I missing something glaringly obvious?