Can you Jump when Levitating?

[Ditch]

I'd say you could if you were epic. Just read some of the stuff you can do with +50 to +100 DC's. Its nuts. I can't wait till I'm level 40 so I can walk through Walls of Force with my rogue!

 

[Infiniti2000]

The question then becomes 'how far can you push yourself horizontally while levitating' - I usually just rule that air resistance is your only problem (as you have more or less neutralized gravity with the spell, depending on how you rule it) - and then the answer is 'quite a ways'.

Keep this rule in mind when a levitating character is attacked. How does this affect their ability to avoid a bull rush? Apparently, it would be trivial to bull rush a levitating character. Do you ignore all the logic in your rule above when a levitating character merely gets attacked by, say, a giant wielding a club?

 

[irdeggman]

If you were on rough terrain (where you have half movement) or slippery terrain (where you need to make a Balance check to not fall prone), are you suggesting you couldn't Jump? That is not a very stable surface either...

Do these conditions have penalties (and the reasons for them) spelled out like the levitate spell does?

I am only using an existing penalty that specifically applies to the spell in question and applying the logic to a similar condition.

If terrain has a penalty spelled out for similar conditions wouldn't that also suggest to apply them too?

 

[prosfilaes]

If your speed is 0, then you get a -18 on the Jump check. Furthermore, the DC is doubled because you cannot get a running start.

So that gives one of the characters in my current campaign only a +22. Shame.

Another interesting line the Jump skill, "If you attempt a Jump check untrained, you land prone unless you beat the DC by 5 or more." If you levitate and (somehow) jump, but do not beat the DC by 5 or more, you land prone.

That's only if you use it untrained.

 

[Infiniti2000]

So that gives one of the characters in my current campaign only a +22. Shame.

With such a high jump check, he must be relatively high level, right? So, why's he need to jump while levitating, pray tell?

That's only if you use it untrained.

Right. It's still interesting, though, don't you think?

 

[spacemonkey]

Keep this rule in mind when a levitating character is attacked. How does this affect their ability to avoid a bull rush? Apparently, it would be trivial to bull rush a levitating character. Do you ignore all the logic in your rule above when a levitating character merely gets attacked by, say, a giant wielding a club?

Neither of these situations have come up in my game, but here is what I would do:

Bull Rush: I'd treat the levitating character as 2 size categories smaller for purposes of resolving the bull rush. That would simulate them being able to try and twist out of the way or turn with the blow - but it is more difficult than normal because they have no ground leverage.

Giant w/Club: I'd say that character is gonna go flying when he gets hit, based on his mass and the strength of the blow. I don't have anything worked up for this, but off the cuff I would say that a random roll for direction in a 180degree arc in front of the giant would work. This would not provoke an AOO from the giant, but would from other enemies as normal. If he hits a wall or other obstruction, determine damage for that situation (probably 1d6 like the telekinesis spell). If he doesn't hit something, he can lower himself to the ground next action (or start lowering if he is high up) and stop when he gets some friction going. I'd give him a reflex to grab onto something if the situation allowed (grab a tree branch as he went by, for example).

Obviously the above is just my take on things, but it seems reasonable to me. I would be interested to hear others' opinions as well.

 

[ARandomGod]

Obviously the above is just my take on things, but it seems reasonable to me. I would be interested to hear others' opinions as well.

My take on those situations.

For a Bull Rush I'd assume an automatic success (with the feat), for the maximum amount of movement. As the spell doesn't give you any ground at all to resist with. I would allow you to try to avoid the bull rush if the rusher doesn't have the feat, but I'd make you do a reflex save to avoid it, as opposed to normal on the ground just stepping aside.

Being hit with a club. Hrm.. For that I'm a little up in the air (heh), a part of me would want to say no movement at all, and assume there's a little stabilization in the levitation. But you can move yourself along if you've got something to push off of, and a giant club smacking into you is really an alternate version of getting a massive push...

I don't think you'd go any farther than you would if you were hit on any frictionless surface! Which could indeed be pretty far.

 

[Machiavelli]

Hockey with a wizard puck. Wow, now that's an amusing thought!

 

[szilard]

To expand the question a bit - how about jumping while using air walk?

That seems like it should work (although I'm not sure why you'd ever need to.)

To get over an zone of anti-magic?

-Stuart

 

[majustismp15]

This reminds me of a thread I saw earlier:

If you have a decanter of endless water you could use it as reliable propulsion (on geyser mode).