Weight limit and flying creatures?

[RangerWickett]

Is there any restriction to flying creatures based on encumbrance? Can an Avariel (winged Elf) fly in full plate, as long as it's not over its maximum load? Is its fly speed just slowed down, or is it completely unable to fly?

 

[CRGreathouse]

Is there any restriction to flying creatures based on encumbrance? Can an Avariel (winged Elf) fly in full plate, as long as it's not over its maximum load? Is its fly speed just slowed down, or is it completely unable to fly?

To quote the SRD (MM glossary):
"A creature with a fly speed can move through the air at the indicated speed if carrying no more than a light load. (Note that medium armor does not necessarily constitute a medium load.)"

 

[RangerWickett]

. . . so it doesn't specifically say whether a heavier load means a slower speed or no flight at all. Hmm.

Well, PCs with the Fly spell can still fly even with a heavy load, just slowly, but they don't have to use wings. However, an air elemental doesn't use wings either, but apparently it could be grounded if a heavy enough thing grappled it. Hmm.

Well, for my birdmen race, I guess I'll say no flight if they have a medium load. Seems a bit mean, though.

 

[Alzrius]

Here's how I would figure it:

Add up the creature's total encumbrance to see how much of a load its carrying, medium or heavy (PHB 161), and then compare it to the aerial maneuveraility table (table 2-1) on page 20 of the DMG. Use the reduced speed values found on the upper part of that page to calculate their new speed, and then see if it doesn't match or exceed the minimum move forward speed.

That said, this isn't much of an answer. Even the worst flier requires at least half speed to continue moving forward, and none of the speed reductions ever cut a flier's speed in more than half. With these values, a flier would be able to always fly at half speed (or whatever their reduced speed is) unless they exceed their heavy load values, which would almost certainly force them to land.

 

[Black Knight Irios]

I would go by the rules, if the creature carries more than a light load it can't fly at all.
Maybe some creatures have stated that they can fly even with a heavier load, but these things are based on special condotions, look fo the Asperi in MM2 for an example. If not found in MM2, look in Fiend Folio I'm not sure.