warlock's fell flight.

[krupintupple]

one of my PCs is interested in taking this invocation and after i gave it a good read, i was rather surprised. unlike most of the invocations, it doesn't merely emulate a preexisting spell, it actually gives flight, along with a maneuvreability.

with the fly spell, i noticed that you could do all kinds of neat things while flying, like attacking and spellcasting, ect. but with this invocation, if it truly mimics actual flight, how can you say, attack with eldritch blast, or use a scroll, without the use of feats like hover or flyby attack, because i recall reading somewhere that "...a creature must keep moving while flying unless it has perfect maneuverability." so thusly, if you wanted to use your eldritch blast, wouldn't you plummet to your death while you stopped flying and attempting to start blasting?

am i not getting something here?

 

[irdeggman]

No.

What it means is that you must move during your turn (as your move action) and then either before or after resolving movement take a standard action to use your EB.

It does mean that you cannot take a full attack - which you can't do when using an EB anyway since using a spell-like ability is a standard action (unless otherwise specified).

Remember that movement in D&D (as well as the entire combat system) is abstract.

All of your movement as well as all of your actions are resolved on your turn in the initiative - regadless of whether or not they should be happening continuosly. For example falliing - your movement is resolved on your turn in the initiative order.

FLYBY ATTACK [GENERAL]

Prerequisite: Fly speed.

Benefit: When flying, the creature can take a move action (including a dive) and another standard action at any point during the move. The creature cannot take a second move action during a round when it makes a flyby attack.

Normal: Without this feat, the creature takes a standard action either before or after its move.


HOVER [GENERAL]

Prerequisite: Fly speed.

Benefit: When flying, the creature can halt its forward motion and hover in place as a move action. It can then fly in any direction, including straight down or straight up, at half speed, regardless of its maneuverability.

If a creature begins its turn hovering, it can hover in place for the turn and take a full-round action. A hovering creature cannot make wing attacks, but it can attack with all other limbs and appendages it could use in a full attack. The creature can instead use a breath weapon or cast a spell instead of making physical attacks, if it could normally do so.

If a creature of Large size or larger hovers within 20 feet of the ground in an area with lots of loose debris, the draft from its wings creates a hemispherical cloud with a radius of 60 feet. The winds so generated can snuff torches, small campfires, exposed lanterns, and other small, open flames of non-magical origin. Clear vision within the cloud is limited to 10 feet. Creatures have concealment at 15 to 20 feet (20% miss chance). At 25 feet or more, creatures have total concealment (50% miss chance, and opponents cannot use sight to locate the creature).

Those caught in the cloud must succeed on a Concentration check (DC 10 + 1/2 creature’s HD) to cast a spell.

Normal: Without this feat, a creature must keep moving while flying unless it has perfect maneuverability.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

You can hover with good maneuverability, not just perfect.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/movement.htm#tacticalAerialMovement

 

[AuraSeer]

The flight table says creatures with Good maneuverability are able to hover. The warlock can hang motionless in the air all day long, if he feels like it.

Creatures with Average or worse maneuverability must move at least half their speed forward every round, or else "stall" and start falling. For a critter with a 30' Fly speed, that only means he needs to take at least one move action and move at least 15'. That still leaves him with his standard action to attack or cast or do whatever he wants.

 

[krupintupple]

The flight table says creatures with Good maneuverability are able to hover.

Bah! I knew something was wrong. I double checked the appropriate text and saw it wasn't 'average' but 'good', my bad and I do apologize.

@irdeggman - thanks for pointing that out, i'd actually only saw the text accompanying the 'hover' feat and thought that was the final ruling on the matter. not to be n00bish, but does the d20srd spell out those same rules elsewhere, or are they only built into the feat description to ensure we actually read the entire website/book?

 

[irdeggman]

@irdeggman - thanks for pointing that out, i'd actually only saw the text accompanying the 'hover' feat and thought that was the final ruling on the matter. not to be n00bish, but does the d20srd spell out those same rules elsewhere, or are they only built into the feat description to ensure we actually read the entire website/book?

Not that I can find. The movement rules do not go into detail on maneuverability types and what that entails - pretty much only the table. Which essentially says that movement (as in a move action) is required to hover.

Now the feat gives the exception for perfect maneuverability. But it could likewise be an error in the printing too (been known to happen). I'd check the Rules Compendium to see if has been "fixed".