D&D 5E Knocked out while Flying

[Maxperson]

This is not accurate. The rules note two situations when the flyer does not fall: when it can hover and when it is held aloft by magic.

"If a flying creature is knocked prone, has its speed reduced to 0, or is otherwise deprived of the ability to move, the creature falls, unless it has the ability to hover or it is being held aloft by magic, such as by the fly spell."

Those situations are not the same as unconscious. When you are knocked unconscious, you have not had your speed reduced to zero, been knocked prone, or had your ability to move taken away. What that rule is referencing is something like paralysis, where you can't move, but still have your faculties about you to keep in the air if you have a fly spell on. Being knocked unconscious prevents you from being able to think about staying in the air, so you fall.

 

[Ganymede81]

Those situations are not the same as unconscious. When you are knocked unconscious, you have not had your speed reduced to zero, been knocked prone, or had your ability to move taken away. What that rule is referencing is something like paralysis, where you can't move, but still have your faculties about you to keep in the air if you have a fly spell on. Being knocked unconscious prevents you from being able to think about staying in the air, so you fall.

This is not accurate. For one, the Unconscious condition is black-and-white explicit that "an unconscious creature... can't move." So when you say a flying creature knocked unconscious has not had "your ability to move taken away," you are verifiably wrong.

Secondly, this rule makes no mention of "faculties" or even implies anything of the sort. It has a simple, bright line test: are you being held aloft by magic, such as the Fly spell?

You don't have to believe me, though: Jeremy Crawford has already answered thus question. https://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/02/03/conditions-affecting-fly/

 

[Stalker0]

I appreciate the fly spell quote, I didn’t realize that magic was an exception to the prone rule.

So based on that seems thst the unconscious guy would float

 

[Maxperson]

This is not accurate. For one, the Unconscious condition is black-and-white explicit that "an unconscious creature... can't move." So when you say a flying creature knocked unconscious has not had "your ability to move taken away," you are verifiably wrong.

Secondly, this rule makes no mention of "faculties" or even implies anything of the sort. It has a simple, bright line test: are you being held aloft by magic, such as the Fly spell?

You don't have to believe me, though: Jeremy Crawford has already answered thus question. https://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/02/03/conditions-affecting-fly/

It's a nonsense ruling in my opinion and I won't be using it in my game. They created that rule to softball combat in the air.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

I think this case is a rare one at best. In most encounters, smart enemies are typically going to target the caster instead of the flier anyway. That's usually the squishy one in the back, in case anyone was wondering.

 

[Tormyr]

It seems more like a liability to me. Your unconscious buddy is floating in the air and making death saving throws. Bad guys can take pot shots at him, but he might be out of range of healing, and the only way to get him down might be to drop concentration.

 

[Maxperson]

It seems more like a liability to me. Your unconscious buddy is floating in the air and making death saving throws. Bad guys can take pot shots at him, but he might be out of range of healing, and the only way to get him down might be to drop concentration.

A more likely scenario is the entire party flying, or the PC with fly on going 30+ feet into the air for whatever reason. Falling from a height like that as at least one auto failed death save AND may take you out of range of healing. Depending on how high you are, the DM may make it more than one failed save or just death. It's more of a liability to fall when unconscious.

 

[Coroc]

If i were to DM this i totally would introduce some small rodent, a pack rat or something like that starting to tickle the bard and make him lose concentration, just for the luls

 

[Rya.Reisender]

Well, dropping concentration is free and it's always good to give players a choice.

 

[Herosmith14]

If i were to DM this i totally would introduce some small rodent, a pack rat or something like that starting to tickle the bard and make him lose concentration, just for the luls

Her, but yes that could be fun. I'll have to tell DM that.


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