Overland movement (my players stay out)

[Nareau]

Can you hustle while under the effect of the Fly spell?

1) YES. If you do the math, Hustling works out to effectively doing a "double move" every round for an hour. Since you can perform a "double move" while using the Fly spell, it should be allowed.

2) NO. Go read "Overland Flight". It specifically says you can hustle, even providing the specific rules for it. This implies you can't Hustle using the normal Fly spell.

Here's the deal:

One of the PC's is stranded about 45 miles from his destination. He's a sorcerer. He is alone. He is levelling up between sessions, and will start the session at 11th level.

The terrain between himself and his destination is mountainous. Looking at the overland movement table, that means 3/4 movement. So a normal walker (with a speed of 30) could traverse that distance in:

45 miles / (3/4 (3 mph)) = 20 hours (2.5 days)

Assuming he casts Fly on himself as much as possible (18 times, by using his 3rd, 4th, and 5th level spell slots), he could fly for 198 minutes--about 3 hours--at a speed of 60. Doing so would eliminate the terrain penalty, resulting in:

3 hours * 6 mph = 18 miles.

Let's say he's clever, and he ascends (half movement) for the first half of his trip:
1.5 hours * .5 (6 mph) = 5 miles

then descends (double movement) for the second half:

1.5 hours * 2 (6 mph) = 18 miles

He's only gone 23 miles. Still not good enough.

But, if he could Hustle (double movement) during this time, he could go:

Ascending:
1.5 hours * .5 * 2 (6 mph) = 9 miles

Descending:
1.5 hours * 2 * 2 (6 mph) = 36 miles

Just good enough! In fact, he could accomplish this and still have a single 5th level spell slot open.

I know, I know: He could just take Overland Flight or Teleport as his 5th level spell. But for the sake of argument, let's say he doesn't.

I'm tempted to calculate the actual distance based on movement/round and rounds/hour. It works out to be slightly higher than the figures given in the Overland Movement table. He's got to move at the speed of plot, and the plot is movin' fast!

Spider

 

[ThirdWizard]

This is the best piece of text I know to deal with this.

Hustle: A hustle is a jog at about 6 miles per hour for an unencumbered human. A character moving his or her speed twice in a single round, or moving that speed in the same round that he or she performs a standard action or another move action is hustling when he or she moves.

It seems that you can indeed hustle with the fly spell.

 

[Jack Simth]

If he has the Extend Spell feat, then he can get:
3rd slots: 7 Normal fly spells (6 base, 1 bonus) at 11 minutes each for 77 minutes.
4th slots: 7 Extended Fly spells (6 base, 1 bonus) at 22 minutes each for 154 minutes more.
5th slots: 4 Extended Fly spells (or can you Extend Extend?) at 22 minutes each (33?) for another 88 (132?) minutes more.
He could thus get 77+154+88=319 minutes (or 77+154+132=363 minutes - ?) which is about 5 (6?) hours. At base fly of 6 mph, that gets him 30 (36?) miles, husltle (if allowed) for 60 (72?).

He could also spend no spells at all, and work a forced march for the 20 hours of travel and take 19 points of nonleathal damage (if he fails all nineteen con checks - DCs of 12, 14, 16, ..., 46, 48) and make it in a single day (but not be in good shape at the end.... be kind don't roll him any random encounters).

If he has the spell Phantom Steed (or Shadow Conjouration - Phantom Steed is Conjouration(Creation), after all), he can manage a base speed of 220 feet, 22 mph on his horse, for 11 hours. Plenty of time, even with the mountain terrain penalty.

 

[Nareau]

He does not have the extend spell feat, nor does he have any of the spells you mentioned.

I do notice that he's got Polymorph. We're using Rich Burlew's alternate polymorph rules, meaning he can turn into a pegasus--that's 110 minutes per 4th level spell, and a 120' flight speed.

So it's not imperative for him to be able to accomplish this. I just want to know for the sake of knowing at this point.

Also, I seem to remember a rule about "you can't carry a heavy load and still be able to fly." Am I making that up? I can't find it anywhere. This could be important, as he may have 2 NPC's to carry with him...

Thanks for the input!

Spider

 

[Jack Simth]

In that case, it's not explicitly called out - Fly does not mention hustling at all, Overland Flight mentions huslting, but in such a way as to alter the rules for it ... and thus may or may not be useful as a pattern for other spells granting flight. It's not too terribly clear, so it's up to the DM to make the call ... which, in your case, is you.

 

[meleeguy]

I believe it is page 204 of the DMG that states that a flying mount cannot carry more than a light load.

 

[Infiniti2000]

or can you Extend Extend?

Not in 3.5 you can't.

but not be in good shape at the end.... be kind don't roll him any random encounters

If you don't have any encounters, then this whole exercise is almost futile. Just say, "Okay, you make it back" and be done with it.

 

[Someone]

Overland flight mentions that "you can hustle without taking nonlethal damage". I see nothing that could suggest that you can´t hustle using other means of flying magical or not, only that you do suffer nonlethal damage with them as normal.

 

[Nareau]

The party had found a scroll of Teleport, and the Sorcerer used it move the whole group into the middle of an enemy encampment for a commando-style rescue of the nation's high-priest (who had been kidnapped by wizards looking to slay his god). We ended the session right when the Teleport went off.

The Sorcerer was stranded because the Player was scheduled to work on the following gaming night. I decided (via DM fiat) that the PC didn't come along due to some kind of mishap reading the scroll (it was too high a level for him, but he technically should have made the caster check automatically).

The problem arises because last session took about 8 hours of game time. They rescued the priest and escorted him back to his temple in the capitol city. Just as they were breathing a sigh of relief, the wizards launched their attack. We ended the session with the PC's standing in a tower in the center of the city, with several huge fireballs exploding in the streets below them.

The sorcerer is 45 miles away, and has 8 hours to get there to bring the party back together. If the PC can't make it, the Player won't be able to play in our next session. Obviously, since I stranded him via DM fiat, I'm happy to bring him back in the same way. But I'm just exploring his alternatives, so everything will go smoothly.

Spider

 

[Bront]

The fly spell doesn't give you a base fly speed, but a flat speed, so I don't think you can go more than 60' per round with it (or whatever distance you go normaly). Overland fly gives you true flight while fly is more of a directed levitate. At least how I see it.