Fly spell and Unconsciousness

[Peter Gibbons]

Using the Hover feat requires taking a move action to cease forward motion.

If you begin your turn already hovering, no action is required to continue hovering using the feat.

Hovering via Good or Perfect maneuverability doesn't even have that restriction.

That is not what the article says. You are free to disregard Skip's understanding of the rules, of course.

 

[Terath Ninir]

That is not what the article says. You are free to disregard Skip's understanding of the rules, of course.

Given that someone posted about how Skip contradicted himself *in the same Sage Advice article*, I think that's fairly safe to do.

 

[Hypersmurf]

That is not what the article says.

The article isn't the rules for flying, though.

The rules for flying are in the PHB, under the Carrying, Movement, and Exploration chapter.

No mention of a free action.

-Hyp.

 

[frankthedm]

Okay, so if you're under the influence of a fly spell and the spell ends, you feather fall to the ground.

What if you're knocked out (or killed) while flying? Does this return the dangers of falling to the fly spell?

Unless you put rules for sleepwalking into your game, the spell recipent is no longer making use of the fly spell. Down the character goes. "The magic fails slowly" only helps those using the spell.

Fly
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 3, Travel 3
Components: V, S, F/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 min./level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The subject can fly at a speed of 60 feet (or 40 feet if it wears medium or heavy armor, or if it carries a medium or heavy load). It can ascend at half speed and descend at double speed, and its maneuverability is good. Using a fly spell requires only as much concentration as walking, so the subject can attack or cast spells normally. 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.

Should the spell duration expire while the subject is still aloft, the magic fails slowly. The subject floats downward 60 feet per round for 1d6 rounds. If it reaches the ground in that amount of time, it lands safely. If not, it falls the rest of the distance, taking 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet of fall. Since dispelling a spell effectively ends it, the subject also descends in this way if the fly spell is dispelled, but not if it is negated by an antimagic field.

Arcane Focus
A wing feather from any bird.

 

[Starglim]

The article isn't the rules for flying, though.

The rules for flying are in the PHB, under the Carrying, Movement, and Exploration chapter.

No mention of a free action.

-Hyp.

I tend to agree that slowing to a hover is part of movement and continuing to hover is not an action. But, be that as it may, both are uses of the fly spell.

I note that fly is not dismissable even by the caster's conscious decision, so it certainly would not end because the target fell unconscious - thus, no slow descent.

 

[Starglim]

I must be reading things incorrectly, because I simply *can't* be seeing people imply that a person using fly would fall if they went unconscious. Since the spell has safety precautions built in -- feather fall -- no *sensible* person could possibly say such a thing.

Magic? Safety precautions? Where's the fun in that?