Flying races?

[RaZZer99]

Thanks for the replies so far I'm now having serious second thoughts about a flying race as I can clearly see some of the difficulties. But altering the original idea, what if instead of angelic wings on the back, this race had feathery wings that were connected between the arm and side of the torso? Granted the physics of it probably wouldn't work, but that can be smudged a bit. The race would have to actively spread and use their arms, thus this would eliminate spellcasting and ranged weapons during flight. They might only be able to attack ground opponents by using a run by dive bomb tatic for the most apart. I guess sort of like the Aarakocra...though they're kind of ugly and too bird like for me.

 

[DreamChaser]

If you had the wings go all the way down to their hips and if they had a broad enough wing span, then the physics of it would actually be better than angel style wings. With this race, you would have the difficulty of armor restrictions but if you gave them prehensile toes then they would have the freedom to use their legs (which would need to look more like an animals legs, with the primary joint being the ankle, so that the feet swung forward) to carry weapons in flight. Maybe like a aarokocra but without the parrot looks.

With this style, I think that bat wings work better. More impressive.

DC

 

[Kahuna Burger]

That reminds me of another restriction of a flying creature:

Imagine if you will carrying a 90 lb backpack that keeps moving while you wear it...now bry to use your arms to do anything useful while this is happening.

While I understand that a flying creature would become used to using their arms while flying, they would still be limited by their body and so I would say that the ability to use anything more complicated than a crossbow or spear would suffer some penalties.

since (AFAIK) you hold a spear at its balance point with half it behind you, those would be bad too...

I was thinking along the same lines - in flight the wings are spread beside you. so a long or short bow, a sword with a backswing swing, etc would be right out. I'd say no bows (except xbows) slings or melee weapons of size med or larger while in flight. A thrown weapon would have a penalty since you can't really wind up well.

Kahuna burger

 

[Morgenstern]

As ussual, it's mostly a matter of balancing penalties you have to take seriously agains the advantages.

Were it me, I'd start the (angelic looking) race with 40' and poor maneuverablity. Huge penalty to Disguise as a normal humanoid. Minimum clearance of 20' while flying. Make taking off a full round action requiring at least space for a 30 ft movement in a straight line (like a charge). I'd create 2 of feats for increasing speed (with both Str and Dex prerequisites that get progressively higher), and two feats for manueverability (with tumble skill requirements). Finally, limit it to a number of hours per day equal to 4 + con modifier (so it doesn't become your default method of long distance traveling). Feat to improve that too (skilled Glider or something similar). This makes speed more appealing to fighter types, and agility more a light fighter/rogue shtick, and all day trecks a barbarian/ranger thing. You could eat up a lot of feats learning how to fly well...

So, How do I make a player really aware that he's a lighter-than-you'd-think creature? Lower that massive damage thresshold to 35 or so. Size is considered one category smaller against all bull rush, tripping, and grapple attacks. Increase the critical hit multipler of all bludgeoning weapons by x1 against this character (light bones, breakable wings). Limit flight to lightly encumbered. Remember the penalties to flying for less than 100% HP. Increase the cost of all armor to 150%. And for those spell casters who think they are so sly, add a concentration check as if casting defensively to any spell casting while flying (you have to remember to cast and flap, and you're probably airborne for defensive reasons anyway). Add a -4 penalty to spell casting defensively while flying.

If you're feeling genuinely cruel, then a -2 penalty to Reflex saves (big cross section, harder to make abrupt movements) and/or +1 damage per die from fire. I dont think their neccessary, but they are options. I would give serious though to the loss of speed/manuverability while wet though. Not everything with wings is a duck.

In otherwords, this is not the convienient sort of flying magic gives you. After that, I don't think you'll hve a problem fitting in 1-2 small flavor abilites and still calling it ECL +0.

 

[Nifft]

Avoreal gives another anatomical example: imagine if the arms were the wings, and you could either fly or fight, not both at the same time.

The wings are still useful, but not as useful as a Fly spell.

-- Nifft

 

[Castlin]

Maybe if flying was difficult or tiring. Every round of flight deals a point of subdual damage? Then it would automatically scale with level. Keep the speed at normal +0 ECL race levels, probably 30. It might also make sense to make the race Small rather than Medium-size. Smaller things have an easier time flying.

And just musing here; do speed increasing items like boots of striding and springing increase a creature's natural flying speed? Perhaps this has been answered elsewhere, but its a question that would probably come up with winged PCs.

How about a +0 ECL flying race without wings? The race has big inflatable bags on their backs. They could basically levitate. Levitating isn't quite as good as flying. And I think pufferfish are one of the few animals that haven't been made into humanoids yet.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Maybe if flying was difficult or tiring. Every round of flight deals a point of subdual damage? Then it would automatically scale with level.

per round seems a bit excessive... maybe comparable with rules for running? And a glide mechanic to rest during...

Kahuna burger

 

[jmucchiello]

Have you tried this one?

 

[Morgenstern]

I had seen that one. While the eyesight thing is interesting, it doesn't really work for me (aesthetic opinion only, the gaze attack bit was well designed ). The lower size for carrying is not a bad option. The large weapon restriction is almost identical to one I had come up with independently, so I have to nod with approval.

Hmm.

Gonna have to write my theoretical race up, I think...

 

[bensei]

In the Umbragia Setting there is a flying race, the Shadas.
They are in the Book of Races, which is free for download.
The advantage of flying is traded off with lots of interesting disadvantages.

In the campaign we played, the flying guy did not have that many advantages. When talking to people or solving puzzles, flying does rarely help. Inside most towns, flying was not an appropriate thing to do. In battles he was not doing more damage than other characters. And in dungeons he was useless, because he was afraid of dark narrow rooms.