Dispel Magic vs. Wings of Flying

[Tom Cashel]

Situation:

PC activates Wings of Flying and ascends to do battle with flying NPC wizard. NPC wizard hits wings of flying with a targeted dispel magic, rendering them "nonmagical for the duration of the effect." PC plummets to the ground. WHAM!

The Issue:

Activating Wings is a free action. The wings allow PC to fly "as though using a fly spell." Fly spell states that if dispelled, user floats gently downward for 60 ft. before falling.

The Ruling:

Since wings of flying do not actually cast a fly spell, but only use the fly spell to describe their function, I ruled that rendering them nonmagical would instantly deprive the PC of flight.

Well? Does the PC fall down or float down?

cf. Wing of Flying, Dispel Magic, Fly

 

[hong]

The PC would float down. Wings of flying basically emulate the fly spell. One of the features of the fly spell is that you float down if dispelled.

Bad Tom, trying to screw over your players! No donut for you.

 

[mkletch]

The PC would float down.

From the SRD, Magic Items: Wonderous Items
Wings of Flying: A pair of these wings might appear to be nothing more than a plain cloak of old, black cloth, or they could be as elegant as a long cape of blue feathers. When the wearer speaks the command word, the cloak turns into a pair of gigantic wings (bat or bird, 20-foot span) and empower her to fly as with a fly spell.

So there it is. Now, an antimagic area would be a different effect entirely, suspending the spell is not the same as dispelling it.

-Fletch!

 

[Sagiro]

I agree with hong and mkletch.

It says "as with a fly spell," not "as with a fly spell in some regards, but not in others." I would rule that the feather fall kicks in.

-Sagiro

 

[Tom Cashel]

Hmm.

All good points.

Except that "Wondrous" is spelled wrong in the SRD, and I don't eat donuts.

Dalabrac Bramblefoot thanks you, since I am going to change the ruling!

 

[warpmind]

How do you handle the widespan of the WoF? I suppose that they occupy a space, some squares at the back of the guy. If he can't spread his wing he would not be able to fly. The problem is: which squares do the WoF occupy?

If WoF were 25 feet wide I would say they occupy the square the guy is in plus two on his left and two on his right, but they're only 20 ft. So which squares around the WoF's owner must be free in order to use them?

 

[Corwin]

How do you handle the widespan of the WoF? I suppose that they occupy a space, some squares at the back of the guy. If he can't spread his wing he would not be able to fly. The problem is: which squares do the WoF occupy?

If WoF were 25 feet wide I would say they occupy the square the guy is in plus two on his left and two on his right, but they're only 20 ft. So which squares around the WoF's owner must be free in order to use them?

That's exactly the ongoing joke at our table.

My PC has them and we are always making fun of the fact that the wings are lop-sided.

One wing must be 5-feet long and the other 10-feet. This is because they spread out to either side of my character's 5-foot square.

 

[Thanee]

Activating Wings is a free action.

Where did you get that from?

I always thought activating a magic item was a standard action, unless specifically mentioned otherwise.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Tom Cashel]

I got it from listening to what my players tell me.

Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[hong]

I got it from listening to what my players tell me.

Oh, well in that case, feel free to have the fly spell go poof instantly