Fly spell variants

[Xeriar]

Until you run into a dimensional anchor, or don't want to waste spell slots moving around your opponent.

Or if there is a network of psionic rods that block all access to the Astral plane for hundreds of miles around (campaign I play in) - the Improved Fly spell becomes VERY usefull. A base speed of 180 is pretty freaking cool

 

[Dremen]

Speaking of the slow fly speeds anyone know what the speed of common birds would be in rounds?

-D

 

[hong]

Speaking of the slow fly speeds anyone know what the speed of common birds would be in rounds?

The eagle and hawk in the MM have flying speeds of 80 and 60, respectively. So a speed of anywhere from 40 to 80 depending on the species would be reasonable.

 

[Xeriar]

Speaking of the slow fly speeds anyone know what the speed of common birds would be in rounds?

-D

I actually did a fair bit of research on this and came up with the following list:

Bat: Fly 90 ft (good)
Deep Bat: Fly 100 ft (perfect) (living varients only)
Dire Bat: Fly 90 ft (good)
Eagle: Fly 270 ft (average)
Hawk: Fly 240 ft (average)
Owl: Fly 120 ft (average)
Raven: Fly 240 ft (average)

---

And there is no 'running' while flying.

This is pretty close to the respective real-world values (much more so than the MM), I need to do the MMII ones now, sigh...

Most birds are going to be between 120 and 300, bats and owls are on the slow end, eagles and falcons on the high end.

 

[hong]

I actually did a fair bit of research on this and came up with the following list:

Bat: Fly 90 ft (good)
Deep Bat: Fly 100 ft (perfect) (living varients only)
Dire Bat: Fly 90 ft (good)
Eagle: Fly 270 ft (average)
Hawk: Fly 240 ft (average)
Owl: Fly 120 ft (average)
Raven: Fly 240 ft (average)

---

And there is no 'running' while flying.

Why not? All "running" means in 3E is that you move at an increased speed (usually x4), but lose your Dex bonus to AC and can't attack.

Once you factor in the x4 speed, the MM figures look about right.

 

[Xeriar]

Why not? All "running" means in 3E is that you move at an increased speed (usually x4), but lose your Dex bonus to AC and can't attack.

Once you factor in the x4 speed, the MM figures look about right.

I don't know about bats, but most birds fly at two distinct speeds, a 'casual' speed (listed above), and an 'emergency' speed, which is about twice their casual speed. They can maintain their faster speed for a very significant amount of time, however (Ravens in real life fly faster and farther than dragons even given their special daily movement rules, for example).

So I just use the standard single-double move rules by round.

And things are most certainly not about right in the MM - a raven's speed is 40 in the MM, it's running speed, 160, is about two-thirds of its actual casual flying speed in real life, for example.