Lesser Flight

Epic Path \ Types of Movement \ Lesser Flight

A creature with lesser flight can fly as a move action. It can ascend at half speed and descend at double speed, and its maneuverability is good.

Lesser flight requires only as much concentration as walking, so the subject can attack or cast spells normally. The creature gains no bonus on Fly skill checks. To perform any maneuvers in the air, such as hover, the creature must make Fly skill checks. Any skill checks which are failed result in the creature losing altitude equal to its speed and losing the move action. If the lost altitude results in the creature landing on the ground, the creature lands on the ground, taking no damage.

• Prone: If a creature with lesser flight is knocked prone, immobilized or denied enough of its actions that it cannot voluntarily move from its starting space, it falls out of the sky. (Note: it doesn't have to move, it just has to be able to move if it wanted to.) The creature immediately loses a number of feet of altitude equal to its fly speed. If this results in the creature landing on the ground, it lands and takes no damage. If the creature is still above the ground, the loss in altitude is subtracted, and then the creature falls the remaining distance to the ground, taking falling damage.

• Falling Damage: Creatures that fall take 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet fallen, to a maximum of 20d6. Creatures that take lethal damage from a fall land in a prone position.

As a general rule of thumb, creatures with lesser flight cannot take falling damage from failing actions they initiated. Instead, they lose altitude until they land. However, if they are acted upon in such a way as their flight is disrupted, they can take falling damage, but always reduce the height of the falling damage by their fly speed.

• Difficult Terrain: Creatures with lesser flight can generally ignore ground-based difficult terrain, though areas of high wind can sometimes constitute difficult terrain for flight.

• Permitted Movement: A creature with lesser flight can charge but not run, and it cannot carry aloft more weight than its maximum load, plus any armor it wears. It cannot make 5-foot steps or take a withdraw action.

• Overland Travel: Outside of combat, a creature can use lesser flight to travel overland at the same pace as a walking creature of the same speed.