D&D (2024) 2024 Wings

[Mistwell]

The hadozee is noncore in the same way that the aarakocra is noncore. The hadozee can glide similar distances by leaping from a wall or a tree. Relating to combat, the hadozee long distance is its own question mark, but is mainly useful to enter combat from a distance.

Note, the hadozee who spends the action to use Wings, no longer has an action for combat. So, it nerfs the use of glide for combat.

Still, the hadozee shows the designers are experimenting with ways to make flight work at level 1.

Yes, they can only use a bonus action, reaction, or move action if they use your wings. They can move 180 feet with your wings, not including your scaling aspect of your wings. Which is broken. You can do a lot with that kind of movement and a bonus action. But that's truly not an issue with your proposed cantrip, it's almost entirely on the Hadozee. Which as written is currently broken for movement (they can do the silly thing of jumping 1 foot up for 5 feet of movement repeatedly, for 150 movement with a move action in a round, if they wanted to.)

 

[Yaarel]

@CleverNickName

For Airborne, what about the following so far? Heh, I require a first sentence of a spell to be pure flavor without mechanics. I want some kind of rider effect to mechanically emphasize the air flavor. If the a person is wrapped in gusts of wind, what kind of byproduct effect could this cause? Maybe an aura Pull effect to drag in others? Maybe an aura of difficult terrain for any trying to enter or exit? Maybe something relating to lightning-thunder? Maybe the air impedes the caster, so is a bit of a flaw? Something. Since it is the air that causes the flight, the caster might target an ally. I am counting "elemental" as if a separate power source, since both an arcane Wizard and a primal Druid would access this cantrip. Finally, a bonus action utilizes this cantrip during combat, so it needs cautious limitations. The description intentionally allows cheese, like using the action for the Gust cantrip, because it helps the air flavor.

How about?



AIRBORNE
Evocation cantrip
Casting Time: Reaction
Range: Self (5-foot radius)
Components: V
Duration: Up to 1 minute

Gusts whirl around bearing you aloft. When you cast a spell whose effect involves air, wind, fog, cloud, lightning or thunder, you can use your reaction to enwrap yourself in an aura of elemental air centering on you. It allows you to use your move to hover or fly at speed 5 in any direction. This movement doesnt provoke opportunity attacks. The aura ends if you use an action in a way other than to cast an other air spell, then you descend gently up to 30 feet before falling. The wind aura extends clean, clear, breathable air out to 5 feet around you.

At Higher Levels. At 5th level the air aura allows fly 10. At 11th level, you can both use your reaction to enwrap the air aura and maintain it, without needing to cast a spell, and it allows fly 30. At 17th level, it allows fly 60.

After some thought, here's how I would probably handle it for my table. But only if the player specifically asked for a cantrip that would allow their character to fly, and wasn't already a Storm Sorcerer. I wouldn't volunteer this out of the blue.

Spoiler: CleverNickName's Variant

WINGS
Primal, transmutation cantrip
Casting Time: 1 Bonus action
Range: Self
Components: S
Duration: 1 round

You may spread your wings and take flight. Use your action, to fly in any direction at a speed equal to your walk speed. While in mid air, you fall if you cease to fly on your next turn. You remain your size, except you require the space for one size larger when your wings extend to fly. You cannot fly if encumbrance exceeds your carrying capacity. You can use a Bonus action on your turn to cause whirling gusts of elemental air to briefly surround you, immediately before or after you cast a spell of 1st level or higher. Doing so allows you to fly up to 10 feet without provoking Opportunity attacks.

When you gain this cantrip, choose whether your wings appear feathery, leathery, insectile, spectral, or some other appearance. They are part of your permanent appearance. You can fold your wings back in without an action.

At Higher Levels. At 5th level, you gain the ability to hover, thus spending a fly speed to remain in place. At 11th level, you can use your move or your action or both to fly your speed. At level 17, your fly speed increases to double your walk speed. As your level increases, you may fly greater distances. At 5th level, you may fly up to 20 feet with this cantrip. At 11th level you may fly up to 30 feet, and at 17th level you may fly up to 40 feet with this cantrip.

 

[Yaarel]

I am wondering what to do about the reallife "cruising speed". The examples of Quentzalcoatlus and the Otis reach cruising speeds of up to say 60 to 80 miles per hour and, I didnt know this, the peregrine falcon is the fastest animal on the planet reaching dive speeds of about 240 miles per hour. The falcon typically flies about 50 mph, but its upper speeds are crazy.

These kinds of numbers translate into D&D as fly speeds, in round numbers, of fly 520, fly 700, even fly 2130.

(100 mph ≈ Speed 900)
(10 mph = 14.66667 feet per second = Speed 88 ≈ Speed 90)
(1 mph ≈ Speed 9)

How to make sense of the large numbers for cruising?

First, it isnt a property of the flying animal, whose muscles can only do so much. It is a property of the environment that the animal is flying in.

When flying in the vacuum of space, but also to some degree when flying in midair, one can continually accelerate ones speed, by adding new speed to the inertia that one already has.

This actual speed deserves serious aerodynamic physics calculations, but guestimating, the cruising speeds are something like the following.

At each round while flying in a line, one can add ones speed to the current speed, up to 30x the fly speed, depending on how aerodynamic the flying creature is. 10x is a safebet. Many creatures can reach 20x.

Creatures at these speeds are less maneuverable. And like a motorcycle going 160 mph on a highway, are at risk.

Decelerating cruising speeds can be gradual and precise, or else require an Athletics-Acrobatics skill check as a kind of stunt to stop or land abruptly.

 

[Yaarel]

For a sense of flight and different levels of the game:

Level Tier: Flight Availability
1-4 Student: Flight is uncommon and limited.
5-8 Professional: Unlimited flight is uncommon and temporary
9-12 Master: Unlimited flight is common
13-16 Grandmaster: Flight is common, high-speed is uncommon
17-20 Legend: High-speed flight is common
21-24 Epic: High-speed flight is universal

Flight itself can be by various means, whether by wings, flying mount, spell, magic item, rarely by artifice such as a hang-glider. But one way or an other, flight happens.

 

[Yaarel]

Here are fly speeds in the Monster Manual and the Players Handbook.



Establishing links between reallife flight speeds and D&D fly

This section of the post compares D&D fly speeds with reallife speeds. In reallife, different species have different flight properties, that dont really simplify straightforwardly into a D&D formula. But a reasonable D&D simplification is reasonable. It considers the eagle to be the standard of comparison between D&D stats and reallife stats. The eagle has a base speed of fly 60. By comparison, certain faster birds, including certain falcons, are more like a base speed of fly 90. With this in mind, the following simplification is reasonable.

• Assume all flying creatures can cruise at 5x the base speed.
• With exertion, bursts can reach 10x the base speed.
• Dives can reach 20x the base speed.

To accelerate speed, a creature adds the base fly speed to the current speed, each turn, until reaching the maximum multiple of times. But a dive is a controlled fall, that can achieve the maximum cruise by the end of one turn and the maximum dive speed by the end of the second turn.

Spoiler: CONSIDERATIONS

I am unsure if these D&D fly speeds are meaningful, because the reallife cruising speeds are separate consideration. Nevertheless, the D&D tradition represents birds (such as raven and vulture) as if generally having a fly 50, namely a speed of 50 feet per turn.

Exceptionally strong flyers, like the eagle and the hawk, earn a D&D fly 60 ft.

In D&D terms, speed 50 is "swift". Fly 60 is exceptionally fast. But certain species of bird deserve fly 90: the extremity of natural flight.



The reallife speeds of eagles depend on the species. A golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos, typically flies at 30 mph, but, remarkably, can with exertion reach up to 80 mph horizontally. Their dives can achieve speeds up to 200 mph, such as when snatching prey. There is a reason why animals find the eagles terrifying.

The golden eagle typically flies about 30 mph, equivalent to D&D fly 270 feet. (1 mph ≈ speed 9.) If the D&D base fly speed is 60, then it cruises at 4.5x its base fly speed. In D&D, the cruising speed compares to a running speed, at 4x the base speed, but for athletes some higher multiples. The maximum horizontal speed of a golden eagle reaches up to 80 mph, about fly 720 feet, which is a whopping 12x its base speed of fly 60. The dive of the golden eagle reaches speeds of 200 mph, about speed 1800, which is 30x its base speed.

By comparison, the peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus, typically cruises faster, at around 50 mph (average 48 mph). Suppose, its D&D base speed is an extraordinary fly 90 feet. Then its cruising flight is exactly 5x its base speed. The cruise is like an athletic run, albeit comfortably. Its maximum horizontal speed is only about 70 mph, equivalent to fly 630, thus reaching only 7x its base speed horizontally. However, its dive is extreme reaching about 240 mph, namely 24x its exceptionally fast base speed

Also compare the gyrfalcon, Falco rusticolus. It has an average cruising speed of about 60 mph. If its D&D base speed is fly 90 feet, like the peregrine falcon, then its cruising is about 6x its base fly speed. Its bursts of horizontal speed reach about 90 mph, which is an amazing 9x its base fly speed. Its dives at about 123 mph reach about 13x the base speed.

Look quickly at a human running. The D&D human can walk at the base speed of 30 feet per turn, and can dash 60 equivalent to a jog. These values are reasonably reallife. The average human runner can run speeds up to about 4x the base speed. But exceptional athletes can achieve speeds of 5x, 6x, 7x, even 8x the walk 30. For example the reallife sprinting records are roughly 27 mph, equivalent to speed 243, which is 8.1x the base speed 30.

In comparison, a D&D bird can be assumed to be cruising at least about 4x its base speed, like a running speed. But certain birds are more athletic. The eagle cruises at 4.5x its fly 60. The peregrine at base fly 90, can reach cruising speeds at 5x its base speed. The gyrfalcon at fly 90, can reach cruising speeds at 6x its base speed.

For the sake of simplification:

• All D&D flying creatures can cruise at 5x the base speed.
• With exertion, "sprints" reach up to 10x the base speed.
• Dives can reach 20x the base speed.

When accelerating speed, the creature adds the base fly speed to its current speed, each turn, until reaching the maximum speed, whether cruising or sprinting. A dive is more like a controlled fall. A dive can achieve the cruising speed in a single turn, and the maximum speed in the second turn.

The D&D Fly spell grants fly 60 feet. The spell compares to an eagle, and is exceptionally fast. DMs, keep the remarkable Fly speed in mind when adjudicating narratively.

Dragons fly 80. Thus their cruising speed across the sky can achieve fly 400 feet, with sprints upto fly 800, and dives at fly 1600 (almost 180 mph).

The base speed of fly 90 feet is the extremity of natural flight.

At the same time, D&D makes fly 90 the threshold for archetypal speeds. For example, the air elemental, djinni, pegasus, and couatl, all exhibit fly 90.

In the Monster Manual, only two creatures have fly 120: the roc and the planatar angel. The solar angel at fly 150 is unique.

For fast creatures, birds are generally 50, but strong flyers are 60. 90 is maximum that nature can achieve. Anything beyond 90 is making a point to communicate supernatural speeds.

Creatures that tend to hover and drift, compare to a beholder at fly 20, or gas spores at fly 10. The Gaseous Form spell grants fly 10.

Otherwise, fly 30 or a fly speed equivalent to the walk speed is common enough, and the list below omits the roughly twenty such creatures in the Monster Manual. Keep in mind, that even these fly 30 speeds can reach "cruising speeds" of fly 150 feet, if traveling in a line across the sky.

Spoiler: D&D CREATURE, BASE FLY SPEED

Gaseous Form spell, fly 10
Gas spores, fly 10

Beholder, fly 20

[Aarakocra (MPMM), fly=walk]
Barbarian, eagle totem, fly=walk
Cleric, stormborn, fly=walk
Sorcerer, draconic, dragon wings, fly=walk

Bat, fly 30

Banshee, fly 40
Cloaker, fly 40
Cockatrice, fly 40
Devil, imp, fly 40
Devil, spined devil, fly 40
Flameskull, fly 40
Ghost, fly 40
Harpy, fly 40
Sprite, fly 40

Aarakocra (MM), fly 50
Empyrean, fly 50
Invisible stalker, fly 50
Manticore, fly 50
Raven, fly 50
Specter, fly 50
Vulture, fly 50
Willowisp, fly 50
Wasp, giant, fly 50

Fly spell, fly 60
Wind Walk spell, cruise speed 300 ≈ fly 60

Bat, giant, fly 60
Cambion, fly 60
Chimera, fly 60
Demon, chasme, fly 60
Demon, vrock, fly 60
Devil, horned devil, fly 60
Devil, imp, fly 60
Devil, pit fiend, fly 60
Dragon, wyrmling, fly 60
Dinosaur, pteranodon, fly 60
Eagle, fly 60
Faerie Dragon, fly 60
Flying snake, fly 60
Gargoyle, fly 60
Genie, efreeti, fly 60
Genie, marid, fly 60
Hawk, fly 60
Hawk, blood hawk, fly 60
Hippogriff, fly 60
Owl, fly 60
Peryton, fly 60
Pseudodragon, fly 60
Sphinx, androsphinx, fly 60
Sphinx, gynosphinx, fly 60
Succubus/Incubus, fly 60
Vulture, giant, fly 60
Wraith, fly 60
Yugoloth, Nycaloth, fly 60
Yugoloth, Ultroloth, fly 60

Demon, balor, fly 80
Dragon, fly 80
Griffon, fly 80
Eagle, giant, fly 80

[Falcon, fly 90]

Angel, deva, fly 90
Couatl, fly 90
Elemental, air, fly 90
Genie, djinni, fly 90
Nightmare, fly 90
Pegasus, fly 90

Angel, planatar, fly 120
Roc, fly 120

Angel, solar, fly 150

 

[Bill Zebub]

I don't even like that Ardlings have flight. Flight seems pretty powerful at the lower levels.

I just don’t like the flavor of flight. Too high magic/fantasy for my tastes. I would have made fly a 4th or 5th level spell.

 

[Yaarel]

I just don’t like the flavor of flight. Too high magic/fantasy for my tastes. I would have made fly a 4th or 5th level spell.

Low-magic settings are separate settings, including Adventures in Middle Earth.

Each setting needs to decide which races and classes and so on, are appropriate for the themes, tropes, mood (emotion) and tone (wording style) of the setting.

Personally, I strive for about five central races for any setting. Other races may or may not exist in the periphery of the setting.

A setting is just as much about what the DM sculpts out from core, as what one adds from core.

 

[Yaarel]

The thread is about Wings and flight at level 1.

I am also including a Waterbreathe cantrip here. Similarly, there are races that breathe water at level 1. With regard to balance, waterbreathing is appropriate at low levels. The official 5e Water Breathing spell is an old school legacy spell at slot 3. Now that cantrips exist, the spell works better as a cantrip.



WATERBREATHE
Primal, transmutation cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: S, M (fish gill scales)
Duration: 1 hour

You can additionally breathe water and gain a swim speed equal to your walk speed. Choose at least one cosmetic fishlike characteristic, such as gills, scales, webbed hands, fish tail in place of legs, or so on.

At Higher Levels. At level 3, your spell range becomes 30 feet, and you can target a number of willing creatures up to your proficiency bonus. As a bonus action a target can dispel the effect on oneself. If you cast the cantrip again, any earlier casting ends.

 

[Bill Zebub]

Low-magic settings are separate settings, including Adventures in Middle Earth.

Each setting needs to decide which races and classes and so on, are appropriate for the themes, tropes, mood (emotion) and tone (wording style) of the setting.

One of the things I wish D&D did better (or at all) is to make "compartmentalization by setting" an assumption, not just left entirely to DMs. Instead the materials read as if all options are meant for all settings.

 

[Clint_L]

There's a reason that so many DMs (including me) don't allow flying races for PCs: they break a lot of encounters and situations at low levels and turn that one player into the star way too often. A flying cantrip (cantrip!!!) would similarly be a no-no from me in any form.