How do you challenge a flying PC?

[Berk]

First off, remember, he has wings, he has to flap those things to fly, he isn't built like a bird or other avian creatures to where he can just glide or ride air currents. Flying for this character takes as much if not more energy then walking for the normal grounded person.

Second, if ya got hands you can use bows and the such.

Third, spellcasters spellcasters spellcasters.

Fourth, other flying creatures, yrthraks(sp?), dragons, harpies, hippogriffs, griffons, night shades, or anything else that can fly.

Fifth, ground him by going underground or underwater.

Sixth, ground him some other way, use burrowing monsters with tremorsense and use hit and run tactics.

 

[LordAO]

Ok, are you going to seriously tell me that a half celestial is the first thing to be seen flying in your campaign? What about the fly spell? Polymorh Self? Alter Self? Wild Shape? Boots of Flying? The lists goes on and on. I don't see the problem. So what he can fly? Cast hold monster on him and hell fall to the ground like a stone. You say you don't want to adjucate those kinds of situations, then why are you the DM? That's the DMs job, to adjucate.

 

[laiyna]

Spellcomponents ?

Did you know that the feathers of a Celestial are spell components for sertain magic items and spells? I guess he will be aproached soon, in a FR campaign prob by a few Thay wizards........

Laiyna

 

[Zappo]

Beholders. Anti-magic fields. Dispel magic.

He's got real wings, anti-magic won't do anything.

You can use wind. A medium creature will be seriously hampered even by a moderately strong wind. Magic can easily create much stronger winds, enough to knock him down from the air.

Hold person will drop him, and drop him abruptly. Falling damage, yum yum.

 

[LostSoul]

Try using some kind of story line.

Give him some kind of magic item or forbidden knowledge of a ritual that improves his flying. (Make sure you balance this "gift" with the rest of the treasure the party gets.) Make sure that he knows the benefits of this item or ritual. Make sure he knows that he will pay some kind of price.

Have the price be, I don't know, something that is anathema to the character (and maybe the player?). He doesn't discover this until it's too late. The only way to stop it is to cut his wings so that he can't fly.

Then you can give him a quest to recover his wings.

If you go down this route, make sure you balance out his loss of flight with some other gift. You don't want to penalize the character.

 

[Tom Cashel]

Stirges.

Death stirges.

Doom stirges.

Hell stirges.

Deep stirges.

Poisonous stirges.

Swarming stirges.

Infernal stirges.

Ghost stirges.

Mmmmm....stirges.

 

[Painfully]

Why not take him underground?

 

[Irda Ranger]

Hey, PCs gotta have fun too!!

I see plenty of other people have given plenty of challenges for flying PCs, and I don't have much to add to that.

But remember, your PC is playing D&D to have FUN!! not to get netted, held and chock full 'o arrows. Make sure that every now and then there is something that only the PC with wings can do.

Say they are in a cave system (limited flying) where the only way in was the celestial flying people over a lava filled trench 1-by-1. Now he's their only way out, so the other PCs (if they're smart) won't let him take too many risks (otherwise, they're stuck).

You (the DM) are not out to DEFEAT the PCs, you're there to CHALLENGE them. That includes giving them a chance to shine, because its those moments that make it worth it. Obviously this advice goes for the other PCs too.

Irda Ranger

Edit: PS - The trap you want to avoid yourself (as DM) is thinking things like "Ok, I've got this cool pit trap. How do I make the celestial fall into that?" Pit Traps will never be a challenge to him, and they shouldn't be. He has "payed" for that ability to fly, and he deserves the chance to use it. Smart NPC enemies will plan for his flying, and that's where the other posters advice comes in. just don't be a bass-turd, or the PC may just get up and leave the table after a while.

 

[JacktheRabbit]

Couple things that come to mind.

1. He probably cannot fly with all the gear his weight would normally allow.

2. He is flying with wings, so no hovering over the ground like a wizard with teleport. His flight is more along the lines of a condor or large eagle.

3. Be origional, if he ever gets caught in a nasty trap in a dungeon I could see a flying character developing a nasty case of clausterphobia.

4. Foes will think he is much more than he is. He may either get the advantage of weak foes running in terror or strong foes targetting him big time.

 

[alsih2o]

swarm of bats