Still flying after being damaged?

[Brett]

At what point do flying creatures need to land when in combat? In second ed, they had to land after they were reduced to about 25% HP if I remember correctly; should there be a HP percentage? Are these rules needed at all? Should there be a fort save to remain aloft when nearly dead (10% HP or so?)

Any thoughts?

 

[Crothian]

I've never had a problem with flying creatures being able to fly as long as they had one of more hit points left.

 

[EvilMountainDew]

I have a question along those lines, but first Ill answer yours

I've always let them fly as long as they were conscious, or had 1 or more HP.

My question, if you are Lightning Bolted in the air, would you take damage?
Realistically speaking, you wouldn't because you wouldn't be grounded (im not sure if this is true) so when this happened to a character I let them not take the damage until they landed (they were using fly)

 

[Crothian]

Anything that gets hit by a lightning bolt takes damage, except those that have like evasion or lightning immunity.

 

[Sixchan]

But if you weren't grounded, would the Lightning hit you at all? The spell might simply fail...

 

[Crothian]

Nope, if anything like that were true it'd be in the psells decription. And if a DM were to alter it like that he would severely increase the power of all flying creatures, basically given them lightning immunity.

 

[alpha prime]

lightning bolted in the air

I used to work on aircraft, and I can say first hand that an object in the air is able to be damaged by lightning. I have actually seen the nosecone of an aircraft that was hit by lightning while airborne.

 

[Tonguez]

But if you weren't grounded, would the Lightning hit you at all? The spell might simply fail...

Although you are in the air the lightning still grounds itself - it just uses you as a convinient pathway to reach the ground

so yes you still take damage (because lightning is way powerful stuff) however some lesser electrical discharge might not have the oomph to reach the ground from altitude and still have enough sting to hurt

ergo you need to decide if a lightning bolt spell is as powerful as natural lightning or not...

 

[ConcreteBuddha]

Science is not allowed in DnD. Period.

 

[Steverooo]

Still up...

Bat-winged critters must land after taking 1/2 damage. Feathery-winged critters after 75%. Of course, if they are high up, they can glide a long way...