Fly and Strength

[Tetsubo]

Last night in my campaign a PC found himself chasing a wererat
through a sewer while the PC was under the effects of a Fly spell. The
wererat took a turn into a very small opening, too small for the PC to
follow him. The PC attempted to grapple the wererat and stop his forward
motion. This had me asking, "How strong is the PC while Flying?" The SRD
states:

"The subject of a fly spell can charge but not run, and it cannot
carry aloft more weight than its maximum load, plus any armor it wears."

The last part is the important section. It says that the subject
can't carry more than it's maximum load plus armour. This implies that
the Strength of the subject effects the spell. A weak subject can't
carry much while Flying, while a strong subject can. I can see how this
works when someone is walking on the ground. Their muscle mass effects
the amount they can carry. But why does the subjects Strength effect the
spell? Shouldn't the magic of the spell dictate how much the subject can
carry? As long as the subject can hold onto an object it should be able
to lift it while under the effects of a Fly spell.

Under Telekinesis in the SRD it states:

"Sustained Force: A sustained force moves an object weighing no more
than 25 pounds per caster level (maximum 375 pounds at 15th level)"

So why does the Fly spell function differently? Isn't it effectively
a limited form of person Telekinesis? Shouldn't the casters level effect
how much weight the subject of a Fly spell can lift and carry? This
would make the spell less effective at lower caster levels but more
effective at higher levels. It would also even out the spells
usefulness. A Halfling and a Half-orc would be able to carry the same
amount of weight.

I just can't understand why the spell is written to allow the
physical Strength of the subject to effect the magical effect of the
dwoemer.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Or can they explain the 3.5
version spells author's reasoning? TIA.

 

[Thanee]

Because carrying more than your maximum load is a mentally stressing activity, which leaves not enough to concentrate on the fly spell...

How about, because the fly spell lifts you and not your equipment.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Dakkareth]

Well, if the spell lifts only the caster, not his equipment, then he'd have to be naked to be able to fly.

Seriously though, that would have been my explanation, too. The caster is levitated and has to hold on to whatever he carries with his muscles.

 

[Thanee]

I know, it's a scientifically challenging explanation, but it's the best I could come up with!

The spell just lifts the (naked) caster with no weight restriction, but the equipment is still carried by the caster not being lifted by the spell.

It's a kind of magic!

Bye
Thanee

 

[CRGreathouse]

I know, it's a scientifically challenging explanation, but it's the best I could come up with!

The spell just lifts the (naked) caster with no weight restriction, but the equipment is still carried by the caster not being lifted by the spell.

It's a kind of magic!

One dream, one soul, one prize, one goal, one golden glance of what should be...

 

[Tetsubo]

I'm seeing Fly as a form of advanced Levitate. Which quite frankly it is. It's Levitate with forward motion included. And the Levitate spell has a weight limit imposed by the spell, not the Strength of the subject. So why is Fly different? They are both Transmutation magic. Both seperate the subject from the ground and provide magically powered motion. So why is the game mechanic for both completely different?

 

[Crothian]

The character isa flying, so anything else he wants to have up there he is lifting himself. In the orginal example the character makes a normal grapple chjeck, the fact he is flying has no effect on the outcome.

 

[Thanee]

I'm seeing Fly as a form of advanced Levitate. Which quite frankly it is. It's Levitate with forward motion included. And the Levitate spell has a weight limit imposed by the spell, not the Strength of the subject. So why is Fly different? They are both Transmutation magic. Both seperate the subject from the ground and provide magically powered motion. So why is the game mechanic for both completely different?

I think they are not the same type of spell.

Levitate let's you move something up and down.

Fly grants you a new movement mode. It's quite similar to every other movement mode in this respect (even to the slowdown for heavy armor).

Bye
Thanee