My proposed simplified flight rules

[lukelightning]

Instead of the standard D&D rules that are confusing and involve facing. I propose the following 3 categories of flight:

Poor: Has to spend a standard action each round to fly (moving as part of the action). These are your chimeras, cockatrices, and dragonnes; things which can fly to move around but not fight and fly at the same time.

Average: Has to spend a move action each round to fly (movement is part of this action). No full attacks possible (except with pouncing flying things). Most flying monsters would be in this category, including dragons, gargoyles, half-fiend lemmings, etc.

Perfect: No action needed to fly (other than moving).

 

[frankthedm]

Those look somewhat player biased and would require re evaluation of many flying creature's CRs.

 

[werk]

*cough* house rules *cough*

 

[lukelightning]

If anything this is weighted towards monsters; no more worrying about turning radius for dragons and stuff like that, and in the existing system they have to move anyways to keep flying (or else they fall). This system just gets rid of the minimum turning radius and speeds.

P.S. My brain totally froze and I overlooked the houserules forum...sorry!

 

[Artoomis]

Wrong(?) forum. Such a sweeping change of the rules is normally discussd in the House Rules forum.

Anyway, most creatures that fly, even poorly, should be able to attack when flying, though I like the idea of a simpler approach.

Perhaps:

Clumsy: Can only attack once per round when flying. Can only make one turn per move (and so up to two in a round), each 90 degrees or less. Can climb or descend one square for every three moved forward. Cannot hover.

Poor: Can only attack once per round when flying. Can only make two turns per move (and so up to four in a round), each 90 degrees or less. Can climb or descend one square for every two moved forward. Cannot hover.

Average: Can only attack once per round when flying. Can only make three turns per move (and so up to six in a round), each 90 degrees or less. Can climb or descend one square for every one moved forward. Cannot hover.

Good: Can only make four turns per move (and so up to eight in a round), without firther restriction. Can climb or descend two squares for every one moved forward. Can hover.

Perfect: No restrictions on moving in any direction or turning or attacking.

All except "perfect" fly down at double move rate, up at 1/2 move rate. Perfect my climb at full move.

Something like that, anyway. Not quite as simple as what you had in mind, but still simpler than the PHB. It's hard to go much simpler without a lot of other changes.

 

[Rel]

P.S. My brain totally froze and I overlooked the houserules forum...sorry!

Remember people: Ice Cream and posting don't mix!

 

[el-remmen]

I like them - nice n'simple.

I may just use them, re-assigning the flying monsters as makes sense as I go to run them.

 

[el-remmen]

Thinking on it more, I think the being able to make 180 degree turns might be problematic.

Why not have movement always be a move-action, but have the turns be free, (additional) move, standard or full based on the manuverability class?