Winged Flight?

A friend played with a group some years ago that had one guy who wanted to create either an all-flying warband, or a warband with flying heroes. Something like that. I wasn't involved, but my friend reported that all variations of it they tried proved to be too powerful. Since you are talking about one hero, though, it should be easier to come up with something.

One solution would be to have it mirror one of the flying spells in the game. For example, the most common one from the Lesser Magic list:

Flight of Zimmeran: Difficulty 7; the caster immediately moves up to 12”. If he makes base contact with an enemy, he counts as charging. If he comes into base contact with a fleeing enemy, he scores one automatic hit on that enemy, who his opponent must flee again if he survives.

Thus the wings duplicate an already existing effect (one in my experience is extremely useful in most scenarios). The remaining problems are, how do you balance it out cost wise, and how would you compensate for the fact that the spell doesn't always go off, but the wings presumably would always work?

You could make it so that he needs an I test to land or take falling damage/collide with terrain. 30 gold.

Maybe he needs a S test to take off - if he fails he can't move. 40 gold.

Or you could make it so that it flys 3d6 instead of a fixed and reliable amount. Or 8+2d6 or some other combination. 30 gold

Maybe cannot take off if there is cover within 1" or maybe 2" on two seperate sides to reflect the obstruction/confinement. 15 for 2"/25 for 1"* gold (remember friendly and enemy models count as cover).

Personally, I would probably go with the S test. Reason being a starting Posessed is about as likely to pass a S test as a starting wizard is to pass the flight spell and a leveled up Posessed is about as likely to pass a S test as a levelled up wizard is to pass the flight spell (assuming equally useful level ups, of course).

Combing two or more of these options would, of course, reduce the price.

Mostly, I was asking if someone tried this idea and play tested something to see if it worked. You’re right, I can all kinds of issues coming from it. As a purchasable, or gifted mutation, I could see all Heroes in a Possessed Warband could have wings as a campaign progresses. Just an idea, I could see Winged Flight as Base Movement. Meaning the character’s M stat. This Base wouldn’t be affected by Leg Wound, as the character flys. This would limit the distance a character could fly. The Bonus to winged flight would be flying over hindering terrain, building to building, and floor to floor. I still see this as to powerful. The only way I see a penalty with it, would be a high cost.

I have not played with any flight in our game beyond the 'Flight of Zimmerman' spell. Therefore I cannot answer your question directly, Shadowphx. I will add some other examples though of where wings/flight have been given rules...

The Corrupted Characters article has 'wings' as a mutation (possibly also found in 'Power in the Stones' from which Corrupted Characters is based). Cost 45 gc and only allows gliding from an elevated position at a rate of 2" horizontially for every 1" downward.

Also, Border Town Burning has daemon princes that can fly and the rules are that movement is tripled and terrain is ignored when moving. This comes about through the Scion of Chaos objective and possibly through a random event.

The initative test for landing seems like a good idea to me... I would say that you could fly 12'' and need a I test to land successfully..

RationalLemming, Thank you for the Power in the Stones. I had forgotten that article, since I haven't use it. With my rolls, its to risky. I’ll have to look through my books to find the Corrupted Characters article. Unless you remember where it is.



The rules from [b]Power in the Stones seems reasonable without being overpowered. Does the Corrupted Characters article list the purchase price?



Thank you, for your suggestion.



[/b]

Hi Shadowphx,

The Corrupted Characters article is a preview of MiM which is the follow-up supplement to BTB by Werekin (and Cianty) that is currently shrowed in mistery. Werekin created the article from Power in the Stones, Sawbones and probably a couple of other sources. The article does list a purchase price for the wings mutation. The thread where Corrupted Characters is discussed can be found here:

https://boringmordheimforum.forumieren.com/rules-and-gameplay-f1/advanced-rules-for-mutations-gifts-alchemy-surgery-t2595.htm

Cheers!

Sorry to double post but I just found the rules (again) for a Harpy Warband. Here are the rules for flying from that warband...

Quote :

Fly: All harpies can fly, allowing them access to the flight skill list. It also gives them the high movement, and the ability to automatically pass initiative tests for climbing. Harpies ignore terrain 3" high or lower when moving, and must pass initiative tests to move through/over terrain higher than this.