Variant Rules - Flying
Base Rules

All flying rules are the same as in the base game, except where noted below.

Upon first gaining a Fly speed, players must choose whether to use Acrobatics or Athletics as their Flight skill. This choice cannot be changed later.

Creatures with a Fly speed automatically use the higher of the two skills as their Flight skill.

Any player or creature that takes damage while flying will fall unless they succeed a Flight check or Fortutude save vs a DC equal to 5 + the damage taken.

Maneuver in Flight now uses the chosen Flight skill.

Arrest a Fall is now as follows:

Arrest a Fall
Reaction
Requires:  You have a Fly speed.
Trigger:  You would fall.

Attempt a Flight check or a Reflex save vs a DC of 15, plus 1 for every 50 feet you would fall that round.
  • Critical Success: Halve the total distance you would have fallen. You remain airborne at your new altitude.
  • Success: You land without taking fall damage. If you fell from height greater than 500 feet, you instead lose 500 feet of altitude.
  • Failure: You take half damage from falling, and are Stunned 1.
  • Critical Fail: You take full damage from falling, and are Stunned 3.

Players and creatures with a Fly speed gain access to the following:

Glide
1 Action
Requires:  Expert in your Flight skill

Fly horizontally up to your Fly speed. You must move at least 10 feet to use this ability. You lose 10 feet of altitude during this movement.

This action does not count against your flying limit (if you have a limit).
Effortless Hover
Free Action
Requires:  Legendary in your Flight skill

At the start of your turn, Fly 0 feet to hover in place.

Sprites and Strix *

The following is a set of feats designed to replace the flying Ancestry feats that Sprites and Strix normally gain at levels 1, 5, and 9.

* At the GM's dicretion, other ancestries that normally have access to flying at level 1 may instead take these feats.

Basic Flight
Level 1
Requires: Sprite, Strix, or per GM's discretion.

When you take this feat, choose Acrobatics or Athletics.

You gain a Fly speed of 10 feet, plus 5 feet for each proficiency rank in the chosen Flight skill.

You may use your Fly speed to move (even if you move 0 feet) a number of times equal to your level plus your proficiency rank in the chosen Flight skill. This limit resets if you spend your entire turn on solid ground.

If you are airborne at the start of your turn with no uses remaining, you immediately fall.
Full Flight
Level 9
Requires:  Basic Flight, Expert in your chosen Flight skill

Your proficiency in your chosen Flight skill increases to Master.

You gain permanent flight.

Special: Sprites may Levitate 2 feet off the ground as a free action. They must still use the Fly action to move.

Other Ancestries

The following is a set of feats designed to replace the flying Ancestry feats that other races normally gain at levels 5 and up.

Acquired Flight
Level 5
Requires: Any other ancestry with ancestry feats that grant flying.

When you take this feat, choose Acrobatics or Athletics.

You gain a Fly speed of 10 feet, plus 5 feet for each proficiency rank in the chosen Flight skill.

You may use your Fly speed to move (even if you move 0 feet) a number of times equal to your level plus your proficiency rank in the chosen Flight skill. This limit resets if you spend your entire turn on solid ground.

If you are airborne at the start of your turn with no uses remaining, you immediately fall.
Full Flight
Level 13
Requires:  Acquired Flight, Expert in your chosen Flight skill

Your proficiency in your chosen Flight skill increases to Master.

You gain permanent flight.

Additional Feats

All of the feats below may be taken as an ancestry feat or general feat.

Sturdy Wings
Level 5
Requires:  You have a Fly speed

Your proficiency in the your chosen Flight skill increases to Expert.

Using your wings for extra balance and leverage, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to checks with your chosen skill when on the ground.
Flyby Attack
Level 9
2 Actions
Requires:  You have a Fly speed, Expert in Athletics

Fly up to your fly speed, making a single melee Strike against an opponent at any point during your movement.

If the Strike deals damage, this movement does not trigger reactions from that opponent.
Evasive Maneuvers
Level 9
Reaction
Requires:  You have a Fly speed, Expert in Acrobatics
Trigger: While airborne, you are targeted by a ranged or spell attack, or must make a Reflex save, and you can see the attacker.

You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to AC or your Reflex save vs the triggering attack or effect, as appropriate.
The bonus increases to +2 if you are Legendary rank in Acrobatics.