D&D 5E (2024) Fly and carrying

[Kobold Stew]

Unless there's an explicit distinction made between flying and other movement types, I fully expect encumbered flight and encumbered walking, swimming, or what have you to be treated the same.

What is the distinction between lifting and carrying in this case?
What factor or factors explain the limit of Medium and Heavy armor for those that fly?

 

[Stormonu]

D&D's encumbrance/carry rules have always been weird. I'd say you made an appropriate call, though I know some who wouldn't reduce the spell's flight speed as it is magical in nature and not necessarily bound to the standard encumbrance rules.

(Actually, smart thing might have been to cast the fly spell on the fighter first, whose likely to have a better strength and have him doff his plate for a later crossing).

 

[AlViking]

I rule that you can't exceed your normal carrying capacity, if you are encumbered (from the 2014 rules) by carrying more than strength times 5 your speed is reduced by 10 ft and you have to land at the end of your move.

 

[Stalker0]

If we are going RAW at this point, the book makes no distinctions with flight and carrying capacity. Flight is just another mode of movement.

So your "lift" carrying capacity would apply in this cases to carry the various people.

I think its perfectly reasonable to add more restrictions to flight to make it harder to use (as its very powerful)...perfectly reasonable, but for the OP's perspective that is not the RAW.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

What is the distinction between lifting and carrying in this case?
What factor or factors explain the limit of Medium and Heavy armor for those that fly?

I think that all the creatures that have armour rather than weight limits on their flight use physical wings to provide that flight.
It could be argued that it is the bulk or awkwardness of heavier armour that limits flight for those races.

 

[Kobold Stew]

If we are going RAW at this point, the book makes no distinctions with flight and carrying capacity. Flight is just another mode of movement.

So your "lift" carrying capacity would apply in this cases to carry the various people.

I'm not sure this follows. What we can say is that 2024 rules removed "encumbered" as a condition.

We can also note, since some posters are looking at 2014 rules as well, that the 5' movement speed was only applicable to pushing and dragging:

Push, Drag, or Lift. You can push, drag, or lift a weight in pounds up to twice your carrying capacity (or 30 times your Strength score). While pushing or dragging weight in excess of your carrying capacity, your speed drops to 5 feet.

Note that "lifting" in the earlier rules does not allow the 5' movement.

I think its perfectly reasonable to add more restrictions to flight to make it harder to use (as its very powerful)...perfectly reasonable, but for the OP's perspective that is not the RAW.

Nothing is written that answer this definitively. It's the DM's call, as I've said; but I know where I'd be putting money on what the Sage Advice would say.

 

[Clint_L]

If we are going RAW at this point, the book makes no distinctions with flight and carrying capacity. Flight is just another mode of movement.

So your "lift" carrying capacity would apply in this cases to carry the various people.

I think its perfectly reasonable to add more restrictions to flight to make it harder to use (as its very powerful)...perfectly reasonable, but for the OP's perspective that is not the RAW.

I agree, but this thread is making me think that I might want to houserule a set carrying capacity for fly, on the premise that it is the magic doing the lifting, not the character.

 

[touc]

Can someone check my rule interpretation on this?

The party comes to a 60’ wide chasm that they need to cross. Luckily the wizard still has the fly spell active on themself. They have strength 10 and are already carrying 10lbs of kit. The rogue weighs 140lbs with armor and equipment, the cleric weighs 200lbs, while the fighter weights 305 lbs with armor and equipment (big dude in plate)

The wizard can ferry the rogue across at normal 60ft speed. double move and be across the chasm and back in one rounds.

The wizard can ferry the cleric across at 5’ speed, double move it would take 5 rounds to get them across and then 1\2 round to come back.

The wizard can’t carry the fighter. He’s more than 30 x Str. He’ll have to take the long way round.

I read it the same way you do.

Fly Spell: Grants Fly speed + Hover. Hover = you don't fall if your movement is 0' (or if prone/incapacitated). It does not modify carrying capacity rules.

Carrying Capacity: 15 pounds per STR point to carry (150 pounds). Sage Advice echoes that flying and walking have no distinction when it comes to carrying capacity (responding to a question whether a character in giant eagle form could carry an ally, and in a separate question, not linked here, reminded folks to remember gear and make your best guess at weight).

• If the weight is over 150 pounds but not over 300 (STR x30), you can still "drag" the character with a reduction to 5' movement.
• Anything over 300 pounds and you cannot move it.

I also read that the wizard is "dragging" the cleric. It's a simplified term from prior editions that created categories for how encumbered you were at certain weights. Instead of categories, it's simply reduced movement for what we might call extreme weights. The only difference here is that there's no ground. Dragging something on the ground might make a difference if you're wanting to hide traces of your movement.

 

[Ferrousbones]

There is a confounding factor: Do the rules for Moving around Other Creatures apply here?

If yes, then to manage that, you would need to use the Grappling rules, namely the effects of the Grappled condition, which means the speed would be capped at 30, not 60.

So, that would mean 30-feet per turn moving the Rogue (unless the Rogue is smaller), for 2 turns, then back in 1 (3 total); followed by the 5-feet per turn for the Cleric for 12 turns, then back in 1 (16 total).

As for moving the Fighter, you are correct that the Wizard could not move them RAW, due to the rules for Carrying Capacity capping Drag at 30x Strength. For that, the Fighter would need to hand 6+ lbs of stuff to the Cleric, which would allow the 12 turns to move the Fighter (28 total), well within the duration of the Fly spell.

As for casting Fly on the Fighter: Unless they have a lower Strength than the Wizard, it would probably be easier just to target the Fighter in the first place, and let them ferry everyone across.

 

[James Gasik]

Let's not forget that encumbrance was never meant to be taken into account when moving other creatures.