Before getting into the nitty gritty, I want to give credit to Michael Long published a good summary of the Aerial Combat rules on his Tribality blog back on 2014. His article is an easy read, though it lacks XGE information.
I'll quote RAW in green text, use strike through to indicate portions I am changing and blue for my homebrew rulings.
Methods of Flight
Flying requires a character have a:- native flight mode (e.g. Aarakocra),
- a magic item (e.g. Carpet of Flying), or
- ride a creature that has native flight (e.g. Hippogriff).
Mounted Combat
This is really a whole `nother topic, I'll briefly cite the relevant RAW bits. A nice guide to mounted combat is available on RPGBOT.Equipment
The following gear may be of special interest to aerial combatants:- Military Saddle (20gp) - ... advantage on any check you make to remain mounted.
- Exotic Saddle (60gp) - An exotic saddle is required for riding any aquatic or flying mount.
- Lance (10gp) - You have disadvantage when you use a lance to attack a target within 5 feet of you. Also, a lance requires two hands to wield when you aren't mounted.
Mounting and Dismounting
The PHB addresses mounting and dismounting:Once during your move, you can mount a creature that is within 5 feet of you or dismount. Doing so costs an amount of movement equal to half your speed. For example, if your speed is 30 feet, you must spend 15 feet of movement to mount a horse. Therefore, you can’t mount it if you don’t have 15 feet of movement left or if your speed is 0.Unlike so many of the relevant rules, that's actually rather clear. Of course, dismounting from a flying mount quickly leads to....
If an effect moves your mount against its will while you’re on it, you must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or fall off the mount, landing prone in a space within 5 feet of it. If you’re knocked prone while mounted, you must make the same saving throw.
If your mount is knocked prone, you can use your reaction to dismount it as it falls and land on your feet. Otherwise, you are dismounted and fall prone in a space within 5 feet it.
Falling
Falling is THE hazard in flying combat. Actually only the impact is an issue, but I will keep them lumped together. The PHB has a very simple rule on falling:At the end of a fall, a creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it fell, to a maximum of 20d6. The creature lands prone, unless it avoids taking damage from the fall.That implies terminal velocity is achieved in 200 feet of falling. In earth like conditions, that is earth atmosphere and gravity. It takes about 3.5 seconds to reach this speed (77mph), much less than a combat round of 6 seconds. The actual terminal velocity of a falling human is closer to 200mph, so RAW is being rather generous capping the damage at 20d6 and 77mph.
Rate of Falling
XGE adds an optional rule for rate of falling:When you fall from a great height, you instantly descend up to 500 feet. If you’re still falling on your next turn, you descend up toAt the end of a 500 foot fall, velocity would be expected to be 122mph, more than the speed implied by the maximum damage and less than expected terminal velocity, but at least it is the right ballpark, so no reason to mess with that.500feet at the end of that turn. This process continues until the fall ends, either because you hit the ground or the fall is otherwise halted.
Falling subsequent turns covering the same distance bothers me, since the next and all additional turns will be at terminal velocity (assumed to be 122mph), this translates to about 1,000 feet in a 6 second turn. While still not realistic, I want to use teh following instead of the XGE rule:
When you fall from a great height, you instantly descend up to 500 feet. If you’re still falling on your next turn, you descend up to 1,000 feet at the end of that turn. This process continues until the fall ends, either because you hit the ground or the fall is otherwise halted.
Knocked Prone or Unable to Move While Flying
XGE has rules addressing a flying creature being knocked prone:I get really annoyed picturing a bird in hanging in the air, not moving forward and not falling. RAW totally allows that unless it didn't move because it couldn't move. I end up baffled. Let's try:A flying creature in flight falls if it is knocked prone, if its speed is reduced to 0 feet, or if it otherwise loses the ability to move, unless it can hover or it is being held aloft by magic, such as the fly spell.
A flying creature in flight falls if it moves ahead less than half of its normal move, unless it can hover or it is being held aloft by magic, such as the fly spell. Movement back and forth between two spaces does not count for this requirement.The above is problematic from a rules lawyer point of view, but at least I understand my intent. I invite improved wordings.
Recovering from a Fall
XGE has rules about a falling creature recovering from a fall:If you’d like a flying creature to have a better chance of surviving a fall than a non-flying creature does, use this rule: subtract the creature’s current flying speed from the distance it fell before calculating falling damage. This rule is helpful to a flier that is knocked prone but is still conscious and has a current flying speed that is greater than 0 feet. The rule is designed to simulate the creature flapping its wings furiously or taking similar measures to slow the velocity of its fall.
If you use the rule for rate of falling in the previous section, a flying creature descends 500 feet on the turn when it falls, just as other creatures do. But if that creature starts any of its later turns still falling and is prone, it can halt the fall on its turn by spending half its flying speed to counter the prone condition (as if it were standing up in midair).
Flying Carrying Capacity
A lot of aerial combat occurs on flying mounts. By RAW, a mount can fly if it is under it's carry capacity, so 15 x STR adjusted by size. Large creatures get a 2x adjustment, so a Giant Vulture with 15 STR can fly with 450 pounds on it's back. That feels a bit rich to me, I think grabbing a bit of the variant encumbrance rule for flight makes sense. Allow normally flying up to heavily encumbered that is 10 times strength score. This gives my friend the Giant Vulture the ability to fly normally with 300 pounds. Flying at half speed is allowed up to full capacity. This can have interesting interactions with the need to move half of your movement each turn to stay in the air, anything that slows the flyer down will initiate a fall.Creatures may fly normally until Heavily Encumbered (10xSTR). Winged creatures with loads up to full (15xSTR) move at half speed and climbing is very difficult (5 feet a turn). Hovering is not possible above Heavily Encumbered weights.
Controlling a Mount
The Basic Rules include a bit on controlling a mount:While you’re mounted, you have two options. You can either control the mount or allow it to act independently. Intelligent creatures, such as dragons, act independently.
You can control a mount only if it has been trained to accept a rider. Domesticated horses, donkeys, and similar creatures are assumed to have such training. The initiative of a controlled mount changes to match yours when you mount it. It moves as you direct it, and it has only three action options: Dash, Disengage, and Dodge. A controlled mount can move and act even on the turn that you mount it. [It may not choose Attack]
An independent mount retains its place in the initiative order. Bearing a rider puts no restrictions on the actions the mount can take, and it moves and acts as it wishes. It might flee from combat, rush to attack and devour a badly injured foe, or otherwise act against your wishes.
In either case, if the mount provokes an opportunity attack while you’re on it, the attacker can target you or the mount.
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