Variant Rule: Non-Magical Flight
Many people consider flight as a racial trait is overpowered. This is because they treat it as if it's magical, like the fly spell, which they compare it against. If non-magical flight took into consideration simple physical limitations, people would find it considerably less so.
As far as the official rules are concerned, if you have a fly speed, you can move freely in 3 dimensions and fall if you can't otherwise move. Unless you can hover AKA have magical flight. These rules, while straight-forward, are too simple, as such it limits player races options from flying because it's too overpowered. So, I plan to rectify that.
The following rules will only cover natural flight, as magical flight is expected to remain magical.
Movement
A creature with a fly speed is assumed to have mastered its flying, as such it speeds up and slows down to accomplish its aerial movement. There are however some nuances that are discussed below.
Ascent
A creature cannot fly directly upwards, they must move at least 5 feet horizontally for every 5 feet upwards.
Turning
A flying creature is subject to momentum. Turning quickly is difficult enough, making a perfect U-Turn is near impossible.
While a creature is flying, it must do so in a straight line. For a creature to turn, they must do so in 45° increments. To turn 90° a creature must make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check with a DC equal to 10 + 2 times every size category it is larger than Small.
Otherwise, if a creature hovers for a turn, it may begin its movement in any direction.
Crashing
Although a creature can stop as it needs, if it were to collide with an object and cannot for some reason swearve to avoid it, as mentioned above, the creature can make a Strength (Athletics) check to force a stop.
Creatures who do crash take damage as though they fell the distance the travelled in a straight line before crashing as though they had fallen.
In Combat
Grappling
A creature cannot fly while it is grappling a creature its size or larger, if is is grappling a creature one size smaller than it, it can move a half speed, otherwise it can fly at full speed.
Swooping
A flying creature can use its elevation to deliver its attacks with immense force. If a creature descends at least 10 feet right before making a melee weapon attack, they may choose to make the attack at disadvantage, if the attack hits, it will automatically score a critical hit.
Wingspan
Flying in narrow spaces is incredibly difficult, especially for a creature that cannot flap its wings in said space. In order to fly, a creature must have enough space to accomodate their wingspan.
On average, a creature's wingspan is about twice its height or length. So, while a 6-foot tall human can easily walk through a 5-foot gap, they can't even fly through a 10-foot space, which would otherwise easily accomidate a 10-foot tall ogre.
Tucking In
A way around the issue of wingspan is, of course, to pull in your wings. In fact, a creature typically tucks in their wings when not in use. However, a creature with its wings tucked in is once again subject to gravity, as such this is not a good idea if it intends to remain flying. A creature can typically use its momentum to carry it through such tight spaces.
A creature will be carried the distance it travelled in the previous turn, plus the distanced travelled in the current turn before it tucked in its wings, up to its flight speed, before it plummets. The creature typically only descends about 5 feet by the end of such a maneouver, if successful.
Gliding
Some creatures, while incapable of actual flight, may be capable of the next best thing, gliding.
A creature that can glide will descend 5 feet for a specified distance travelled horizontally. While such a creature cannot ascend by their own power, a strong updraft or starting from a high point, may bypass such a limitation.
Gliding creatures cannot hover in place, nor tuck in their wings to bypass narrow gaps, as attempting to do so will cause them to plummet. A creature cannot glide in anything heavier than light armor.
A creature, may choose descend faster than 5 feet per round, but doing so and landing has the creature take fall damage as if they fell whatever distance they descended that turn. A creature may make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to correct itself at the last minute and not take damage.
Armor
Armor is heavy, and provides additional defense at the cost of mobility, as such creatures wearing medium has its fly speed reduced by half (to a minimum of 5 feet). Unfortunately, heavy armor is too bulky to allow flight.
Additionally, the armor has to be crafted to accomidate your wings, otherwise you are unable to fly, this specialty work usually increases the cost of the armor by 50% of its base price.
And finally, armor is awkward and requires appropriate training to use properly, in addition to all other restrictions imposed by wearing armor with which you are not proficient, you may not fly in it either.
New Feats
Aerial Bulwark
Prerequisites: Fly speed, proficiency with medium or heavy armor, Strength 15 or higher
You have trained to master flight with heavier armors, gaining the following benefits:
- Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- Your fly speed is no longer reduced by medium armor.
- You can fly wearing heavy armor, provided that you are proficient with it, but all flight based Dexterity ability checks are made with disadvantage.
Racial Feats
Draconic Majesty
Prerequisite: Dragonborn or kobold
Leathery draconic wings grow out of your back. With these wings you gain a flying speed of 30 feet. If you already have a flying speed from a class feature, its speed increases by 30 feet.
From Down Low
Prerequisite: Tiefling
Your infernal heritage makes it's full majesty known as wings spurt out of your back. With these wings you gain a flying speed of 30 feet. If you already have a flying speed from a class feature, its speed increases by 30 feet.
From Up High
Prerequisite: Aasimar
Magnificent feathery wings grow from your back. With these wings you gain a flying speed of 30 feet. If you already have a flying speed from a class feature, its speed increases by 30 feet.
Skydiver
Prerequisite: Aarakocra
You are well trained in the art of aerial combat, granting you the following benefits:
- Your fly speed increases to 60 feet, or twice your base walking speed, whichever is higher.
- When you use the swooping ability, you can use a bonus action to dash. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
- Wearing armor does not hinder your ability to fly, provided that you are proficient with it.
Credits
Designed by d'Artagnan on DMs Guild, /u/dArtagnanDnD on reddit, or dArtagnanDnD on patreon and dArtagnanDnD on Twitter.
- Made with "GM Binder".
- Made with reference and for use with Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, created by Wizards of the Coast.