What happens to stunned flyers?

[Faerl'Elghinn]

I dunno, but I did learn (the hard way) that turning a Harpy to stone with a rod of wonder in mid-flight causes it to fall... I'd probably go with the "anything less than perfect maneuverability causes a creature to fall if stunned" ruling. On the other hand, I can't really see a hummingbird flapping its wings while stunned, but a stunned helicopter would almost certainly remain aloft. That's a tough call.

 

[lukelightning]

but a stunned helicopter would almost certainly remain aloft. That's a tough call.

Assuming you could stun a helicopter, I'd say that rotating the blades is the same as flapping wings...it blades would stop and it would fall.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Quote: Originally Posted by Faerl'Elghinn
but a stunned helicopter would almost certainly remain aloft. That's a tough call.

Assuming you could stun a helicopter, I'd say that rotating the blades is the same as flapping wings...it blades would stop and it would fall.

In the D&D games I've run, I always give helicopters the Undead subtype, hence they are immune to stun.

\Stun is a mind-affecting thing, right?

 

[hanniball]

Suppose someone flying around by means of the Fly spell is stunned by a mind-flayer's stunning attack. What happens to the flyer, according to the D&D rules?

Since there is no definitive ruling that I'm aware of, it's DM fiat. IMO, the following passage is the DM's best reference:

Stunned
A stunned creature drops everything held, can’t take actions, takes a -2 penalty to AC, and loses his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any).

If your DM rules that it requires some form of action to remain aloft, then a Stunned creature will more than likely fall.

Either way...just my 2 cp

 

[Tigerbunny]

I've got a twofold test I apply.

1.) Does the base creature have an inherent fly speed?

2.) Is its fly maneuverability Good+, Average, or Poor- ?

Inherent Flight, Good+: Hovers in place while stunned
Acquired Flight, Good+: Moves at flight speed in current direction and heading. Will land without a crash if it encounters a landing opportunity. Will stop and hover if it encounters a solid object that does not afford a landing opportunity
Inherent Flight, Average: Moves at flight speed in current direction and heading. Will crash (taking falling damage as if it had fallen 1/2 the distance moved this round) if it encounters a solid object.
Acquired Flight, Average: Glides if flight mode seems to permit it (move down at 45 degree angle along current vector). Otherwise falls. Crashes if it hits a solid object, unless a landing is possible.
Inherent Flight, Poor-: Tumbles if flight mode seems to permit it (fall slowly and irregularly, taking only half normal falling damage). A tumbling character also moves 1d4 squares in a random direction per 100 feet fallen (determine a new direction and distance for each 100 feet). If flight mode does not seem to permit tumbling, falls normally.
Acquired Flight, Poor-: Falls.

 

[lukelightning]

If the situation is something like a wyvern is swooping down on a wizard who casts power word stun on it, humor dictates that the stunned wyvern crash into the wizard. Or a nearby china shop.

 

[Bad Paper]

Because stunning is not equivalent to paralysis, I'm going to say that the flyer continues in the direction it was last travelling at its slowest possible speed to avoid falling (though it will likely descend). So for the guy under the fly spell, he hovers in place, but the clumsy flyer may wind up flying into a wall, with whatever impact and falling damage come with that.

 

[Klaus]

The "can't take actions" sentence is the key. Any creature that requires a move action or a 5' "step" to stay aloft (flyers with maneuverability of good, average, poor or clumsy) fall, since they are incapable of sustaining their own flight. Some creatures (like raptorans, winged kobolds and dragonborn) have a specific sentence about what happens if they are unable to glide or fly (i.e., wings unfurl and the fall is in a corkscrew spiral, lowering the damage to a flat 1d6).

Creatures with perfect maneuverability don't require any forward movement to stay aloft, so I'd say they hover in place.

 

[lukelightning]

The "can't take actions" sentence is the key.

Right. If you're running and get stunned, you don't keep running. You stop your movement.

If you're flying and get stunned, you stop your movement. Since most fliers have a minimum speed, they probably fall. The difficult part is for things with good or perfect flight...they have no minimum speed.

I house rule that in "powered" flight they fall, but if it's magical flight they remain in place.

 

[DungeonMaester]

The "can't take actions" sentence is the key. Any creature that requires a move action or a 5' "step" to stay aloft (flyers with maneuverability of good, average, poor or clumsy) fall, since they are incapable of sustaining their own flight. Some creatures (like raptorans, winged kobolds and dragonborn) have a specific sentence about what happens if they are unable to glide or fly (i.e., wings unfurl and the fall is in a corkscrew spiral, lowering the damage to a flat 1d6).

Creatures with perfect maneuverability don't require any forward movement to stay aloft, so I'd say they hover in place.

Exactly, although I do not agree with the last sentence.

Any creature who uses physical flight would fall. Only if they are flying by a spell that does not require a Concentrate check would be able stay up in the air or if it was some sort of SU or EX that required no action. But no matter how good the maneuverability on the flight you still need to take a action to flap the wings to say up.

---Rusty