D&D 4E Martial Flight - Making the Melee Warrior Fly - sort of.

[Garthanos]

Focusing on only "you are a melee character and the enemy can fly, how not be useless":

"See it Coming" -- mostly nullify long range attacks, mixed with "Olympic Leaps" -- jump extra far and "Ride'm Cowboy" -- grab a hostile creature, and if it is larger than you you "ride on it".

The three of them together (a) forces the foe to close, then (b) lets the hero engage if they do come close.

Being vulnerable, or less invulnerable, to close range ranged attacks can help make the defence from being over-strong.

"Bring it Down" would be ability to knock flying foes out of the sky, paired with either "Long Arm" or non-incompetent bow abilities.

Added some of your thoughts to the original post.

 

[Garthanos]

Of note characters who are not melee specialists already often even at level 1 have abilities which enable them to deal with the ranged flier ie the the combat flight functionality. (although that is only part of flying benefits). For instance combatively speaking every ranger is fully able to deal and the ability of hunter ranger to use a clever shot sort of already demonstrates Bring It Down. It also seems a natural to have as an Archer Warlord at-will (and would to my thinking feel more Warlordish than the Risky Shot).

On topic If the fighters "knockdown assault" power had a ranged upgrade (a fighting style feat to enhance it) that might be a way to put "Bring it down" into action AND in keeping with having at-wills scale naturally let it affect ranged attacks with a slider this might upgrade to use with ranged attacks at Flier Mod+Level. A game with level 1 fliers being fairly normal...could just make knock down assault immediately work ranged

 

[Garthanos]

WRT the ability to respond to a ranged attacker if they are say a flying archer like the witches from the Golden compass? everyone has the ability to dive to the ground or kneel (ie make yourself prone to be a smaller target). But its pretty expensive the trade off for +2 AC is not a great thing (better if you are adept at regaining your feet without a cost but still ). And this is not much benefit if the ranged enemy is inclined to make area of effect attacks or even ones not targeting armor class....so its kind of meh.

 

[Garthanos]

That sounds very familiar. I think there may have been a feat or something, maybe in 3e, along those lines. "Contemptible...." "Target?" "Foe?" "Threat?" ...it's eluding me.

I don't remember the game but there was a magical version of this that I recall called "Arcane" - This could relate to a monk using aura suppression concept too.

 

[Garthanos]

I don't remember the game but there was a magical version of this that I recall called "Arcane" - This could relate to a monk using aura suppression concept too.

That might have been a game written for the immortals of the gathering.... There can be only one. They were able to walk around carrying katanas and people didnt notice.

 

[Garthanos]

On topic If the fighters "knockdown assault" power had a ranged upgrade (a fighting style feat to enhance it) that might be a way to put "Bring it down" into action AND in keeping with having at-wills scale naturally let it affect ranged attacks with a slider this might upgrade to use with ranged attacks at Flier Mod+Level. A game with level 1 fliers being fairly normal...could just make knock down assault immediately work ranged

Bring it Down as a Warlord ability could if you are Hector warlord induce slowing and proning after the initial hit. This could be in the fighting style upgrade for the Fighters Knockdown Assault to give him better at fighter style control