flying - bonus to move silent?

[evilbob]

I don't know if it is ever specified, but I wondered if someone was flying if they would normally get any sort of bonus to their move silently skill, since they are not actually touching the ground. This entire question gets tricky in a hurry, since some things fly with wings (which seem like they would make as much noise as walking) but some things can cast spells to fly, which gets around this idea. Also, some things have "perfect" manuverability, which means they can move around without any real effort at all, lending itself again to moving quite quietly.

Any thoughts/rulings on this?

 

[Len]

My thoughts:

A creature that normally flies should get no bonus to move silently. Its stats should already account for its normal mode of movement. (Probably they weren't all explicitly designed that way, but flying creatures generally have good Dex at least.)

No bonus for having perfect maneuverability. Hummingbirds make more noise than other small birds. Arrowhawks should be louder than normal birds because they have more wings. And helicopters...

I'd give a bonus to move silently while flying with a Fly spell. Say +5, but only if you're not maneuvering a lot or taking other actions (such as drawing a weapon). Otherwise your armour and equipment will clank around just as if you were walking.

 

[Nifft]

IMC, flying spells make the same noise as walking, except that it sounds like the (loud) buzzing of a fly. You cannot mask this sound while flying. Flying in some regards negates invisibility.

Natural fliers can make Move Silently checks to glide silently.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Kmart Kommando]

Magically flying individuals make noise like the theme song to Superman.

 

[Lord Zardoz]

As a personal rule, I do not read more into spells then the spell description states. Doing so will just lead to stupid arguements about minutae.

I could see a player trying to get his DM allow this interpretation. I could also see that same player wanting to lynch a DM who decides that there is a persistant humming noise or something as they fly.

END COMMUNICATION

 

[Tinner]

Call it a +2 circumstance bonus and be done.
The real advantage of flying is that it renders you undetectable to tremorsense.

 

[nittanytbone]

Call it a +2 circumstance bonus and be done.
The real advantage of flying is that it renders you undetectable to tremorsense.

Agreed, a +2 circumstance bonus sounds about like all I'd want to give. Fly is already an awesome spell that everyone uses. No need to make it even more uber.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Only flying incorporeal creatures are silent.

 

[Nifft]

As a personal rule, I do not read more into spells then the spell description states. Doing so will just lead to stupid arguements about minutae.

Agree. That's why fly does not grant you the ability to defeat Listen checks.

I could see a player trying to get his DM allow this interpretation. I could also see that same player wanting to lynch a DM who decides that there is a persistant humming noise or something as they fly.

Huh, I thought the above interpretation was exactly what was described: the fly spell does not do anything except allow you to fly. Are you saying the player would be angry at not getting an additional bonus from the spell?

Or do you dislike the flavor -- that the noise resembles the spell's material component rather than the clomp-clomp of walking?

Confused, -- N

 

[Len]

When you are walking, you are allowed to use the move silently skill to try to defeat others' listen checks. You said that your fly spells make a noise and "You cannot mask this sound while flying." So your fly spell is doing something else, it is disabling the flier's move silently skill.