Fly (Dex; armor check penalty)

     Whether through the use of magical items, mounts, spells, or natural means (such as the tengu), flight is a very real possibility in the Thunder Rift campaign.  With the Fly skill you can perform daring or complex maneuvers while airborne.  Note that this skill does not give you the ability to fly.

Special Requirements: You cannot take this skill without a natural means of flight or gliding.  Note that this is a class skill for all tengu regardless of their actual class.  Creatures can also take ranks in Fly if they possess a reliable means of flying every day (either through a spell or other magical manner, such as a druid’s wild shape ability).  Meaning that once a non-flight capable PC acquires a means of flight (such as a Broom of Flying or a Flying Carpet) they can then takes rankes in this skill.

Check: You generally need only make a Fly check when you are attempting a complex maneuver.  Without making a check, a flying creature can remain flying at the end of its turn so long as it moves a distance greater than half its speed.  It can also turn up to 45 degrees by sacrificing 5 feet of movement, can rise at half speed at an angle of 45 degrees1, and can descend at any angle at normal speed.  Note that these restrictions only apply to movement taken during your current turn.  At the beginning of the next turn, you can move in a different direction than you did the previous turn without making a check.  Taking any action that violates these rules requires a Fly check.  The difficulty of these maneuvers varies depending upon the maneuver you are attempting, as noted on the following chart.

AVOID FALLING AFTER BEING ATTACKED

     You are not considered flat-footed while flying.  If you are flying using wings and you take damage while flying, you must make a DC 10 Fly check to avoid losing 10 feet of altitude.  This descent does not provoke an attack of opportunity and does not count against a creature’s movement.

AVOID FALLING AFTER COLLISION

     If you are using wings to fly and you collide with an object equal to your size or larger, you must immediately make a DC 25 Fly check to avoid plummeting to the ground, taking the appropriate falling damage.

NEGATE FALLING DAMAGE

     If you are falling and have the ability to fly, you can make a DC 10 Fly check to negate the damage.  You cannot make this check if you are falling due to a failed Fly check or a collision.

MODIFIERS

Check Size: Creatures of this size or smaller must succeed on a Fly check DC 20 to move at all so long as the wind persists.

Blown Away Size: Creatures of this size or smaller must succeed on a DC 25 Fly check or be blown back 2d6×10 feet and take 2d6 points of nonlethal damage.  This check must be made every round the creature remains airborne.  A creature that is blown away must still make a DC 20 Fly check to move due to also being checked.

Retry: Varies.  You can attempt a Fly check to perform the same maneuver on subsequent rounds.  If you are using wings and you fail a Fly check by 5 or more, you plummet to the ground, taking the appropriate falling damage.

Special: You can take a 10 but not a 20 on Fly checks.

• Flying Mounts: When riding a flying mount such as a griffon, you still use the Ride skill to control your mount.  Any Fly checks that need to be made must be made by the mount itself.

Time: A Fly check doesn’t require an action; it is made as part of another action or as a reaction to a situation.

FLY UNCHAINED

     By taking the Signature Skill feat, you can unchain the following special bonuses:

• 5 Ranks: A successful DC 20 Fly check allows you to make a 45-degree turn without sacrificing movement.
  
• 10 Ranks: A successful DC 30 Fly check allows you to ascend at a 45-degree angle at full speed.  You treat falls after midair collisions as 10 feet shorter with a successful DC 10 Fly check, plus 10 feet for every 10 points by which you exceed the DC.
  
• 15 Ranks: A successful DC 30 Fly check allows you to make a 90-degree turn without sacrificing movement, or a 180-degree turn by sacrificing 5 feet of movement.  You are considered one size category larger when determining wind effects on Fly checks.
  
• 20 Ranks: A successful DC 35 Fly check allows you to fly straight up at full speed. You are considered two size categories larger when determining wind effects on Fly checks.