Aerial Environments

To be able to fly is one of mankind's oldest and strongest fantasies. In the world of [1.25], this wish can often be fulfilled. However, travel and combat in the air is often much different from that which takes place in the two-dimensional realm of the earthbound, so much so that it must needs have a special section devoted to it.

Aerial Travel

Long-distance aerial travel can be accomplished by use of either magical device or flying mount. Certain magic items (such as a broom or carpet of flying) do not have limited duration of use, and thus are the most efficient forms of such travel (though a broom of flying may not be very comfortable to use for hours on end).

Your players may want to know how far they can go in a day on a flying carpet (or other similar device). For the purposes of long-distance aerial travel, assume every 3" of speed equals one mile per hour. Thus, a broom of flying, with a speed of 30", can fly long distances at an average speed of 10 m.p.h., and can cover about 100 miles in a day (assuming ten hours of semi-continuous travel during daylight). The above formula does not necessarily apply to short-distance travel.

If your players are unimpressed by these kinds of distances, remind them that in a pre-technological civilization they are little short of miraculous.

Some of your players may have walked as far as twenty miles in one day. Ask them to remember how far it was.

Flying Mounts

Most flying mounts will be either griffons, hippogriffs or pegasi. All of these should be very difficult to acquire, and even harder to train. None of these types will mix with the others (griffons will eat pegasi or hippogriffs if given a chance, and hippogriffs confined with pegasi will bullyrag them whenever possible).

Griffons are often nasty and bad-tempered. If captured when very young and trained, however, they can become fiercely loyal mounts. Their loyalty is non-transferable once fixed, so they must be disciplined and trained solely by the intended rider. The griffon must be trained and exercised by its owner on a fairly regular basis while it is a fledgling (up to age six months) in order to accustom it to his or her presence and the bridle, blanket, saddle, etc. When the griffon is half-grown, a period of intensive training must begin, which will last at least four months. The daily routine must never be broken for more than two days, or the griffon's wild nature will assert itself and all progress will be lost. After two months of this intensive training, it will be possible to begin to fly the griffon. This will be a period of training for mount and owner alike, as the rider must learn how to deal with a new dimension, and he will probably have no teacher but himself. Imagine the confusing tumult of giant wings, the rush of air, the sudden changes in altitude, and you will realize why an inexperienced rider absolutely cannot handle a flying mount.

Griffons, like all large flying creatures, eat enormous amounts of food, especially after prolonged aviation. Moreover, they are carnivores, and thus very expensive to feed. Care and keeping of a griffon will be a constant strain on the largest treasure hoard. Costs will probably run in the area of 300 g.p to 600 g.p. per month. It will require special quarters, at least three grooms and keepers, and occasionally an entire horse for dinner (diet will differ, but similar arrangements must be made for all flying mounts).

Hippogriffs are not so difficult to train as griffons, but neither are they as dependable in a pinch. A training process basically similar to that previously described will be necessary, though occasionally an animal trainer can substitute for the master for short periods if he or she is tied up elsewhere. Once broken, hippogriffs may possibly serve more than one master. They are omnivores, and thus somewhat less expensive to feed than griffons.

Pegasi are greatly valued for their speed, which makes them virtually the fastest things in the air. Their training is a long process similar in many respects to that of griffons. They will serve only good characters - all others will find them totally intractable. Like griffons, their loyalty is given to only one master in a lifetime.

All flying mounts must rest one hour for every three they fly, and they can never fly more than nine hours a day. During their rest periods they will eat as if famished: this means meat for griffons or hippogriffs, and green living plants, preferably of a succulent nature, or fine hay and oats, for pegasi.

Use of more exotic types of flying mounts will generally require some form of spell control (such as charm monster), though the more intelligent ones may possibly give their permission and cooperation in certain circumstances. This does not ensure ease of handling and stability on the part of the rider, however. Likewise, griffons, hippogriffs and pegasi can be charmed and ridden.

To be able to fight while flying any aerial mount requires considerable practice. To become adept at aerial archery entails at least two months of continual practice.

Aerial Combat

Most creatures which can fly do so by means of wings, either natural or magically augmented (as in such inherently magical beings as demons and devils, dragons, griffons, etc.). Most winged creatures must be constantly flapping their wings to provide enough thrust to keep their weight in the air. Some creatures are light enough and powerful enough to allow them to actually hover in one place, but most must be constantly moving forward.

This means that aerial combat is nearly always going to be a swoop and slash, hit-and-run affair. Grappling of opponents in the air will generally result in both of them plummeting to the ground, unless they are at a high altitude and disengage almost immediately.

Even then, it is a risky business. Only beings with the ability to hover (gained either through quick and powerful wings or some form of magical flight) will be able to engage in combat that resembles the round-after-round melee system employed in ground battle.

It will therefore be seen that maneuverability is of prime importance in conducting aerial combat. Flying combatants - whether they are eagles or dragons, men mounted on broomsticks, or hippogriffs - must make attack passes at their opponents, wheel about in the air, and attack again. Those which are more maneuverable will be able to change direction and speed in a shorter time than those which are less maneuverable, and thus have some advantage in pursuit and avoidance.

To conduct an aerial battle, a DM must know the speed, maneuverability and attack modes of each creature involved.

Speed

Speed of flight of each creature is listed with the other information in the AD&D MONSTER MANUAL, and it will be noted again in the list of aerial creatures at the end of this section. When conducting aerial combat that takes place entirely in the air, it will be convenient to convert inches per turn to inches (or hexes) per round.

For the sake of standardization, all flying creatures can climb at one-half, and dive at twice the stated movement rate.

They will be able to climb one foot for every three feet they move forward, but they may dive up to one foot downward for each foot traveled forward (i.e., at a 45° angle. None of the above applies to creatures with Class A maneuverability, which can move in any direction they choose.).

When diving, all creatures' physical attacks will do double damage to all targets which are not themselves diving. This includes diving attacks at earthbound creatures which come from a height of 30 feet or more. There is no damage penalty for attack while climbing.

No creature will be able to climb above 5,000 feet (due to lack of breathable air) as a general rule, but you may alter the ceiling if you wish.

Maneuverability

Naturally, every type of flying creature maneuvers differently from every other type, but in order to make the game playable and aerial combat possible, maneuverability has been broken down into five classes.

These vary from A to E, most maneuverable to least maneuverable. Note that the stated amount the creature can turn per round assumes that the creature is moving at full speed.

Creatures moving at half speed turn as one class better. Winged creatures cannot move at less than one-half speed and remain airborne (except for Class B).

• Class A: Creature can turn 180° per round, and requires 1 segment to reach full airspeed. Creature requires 1 segment to come to a full stop in the air, and can hover in place. Class A creatures have total and almost instantaneous control of their movements in the air. Examples: djinn, air elementals, aerial servants, couatl.
• Class B: Creature can turn 120° per round, and requires 6 segments to reach full airspeed. Creature requires 5 segments to come to a full stop in the air, and can hover in place. Examples: fly spell, sprites, sylphs, giant wasps, ki-rin.
• Class C: Creature can turn 90° per round, and requires 1 round to reach full airspeed. Examples: carpet or wings of flying, gargoyles, harpies, pegasi, lammasu, shedu.
• Class D: Creature can turn 60° per round, and requires 2 rounds to reach full airspeed. Examples: pteranodons, sphinxes, mounted pegasi.
• Class E: Creature can turn 30° per round, and requires 4 rounds to reach full airspeed. Examples: dragons, rocs, wyverns.

Attack Modes

As mentioned previously, grappling in the air is usually out of the question.

This means that many different creatures will use considerably different combat tactics in the air, and their "natural" methods of attack will often be substantially altered.

The following list should help the DM determine how certain creatures will fight in the air. Speed and maneuverability class are also listed. For reasons of space or redundancy, not all flying creatures have been included. Once familiar with the system, the DM should be able to apply it to any aerial monster.

Aerial servant: 24", Class A. If forced to fight, an aerial servant usually resorts to battering.

Chimera: 18", Class E. The chimera is a clumsy flyer, and prefers to use its breath weapon in aerial battles. It can use its claws or attack with one of its heads.

Cockatrice: 18", Class C. The cockatrice is not a strong, steady flyer, and will not go above 300 ft. unless provoked into one of its screaming fits of rage. In any case, it will never fly for more than 2-5 turns before landing to rest. The cockatrice's power to turn flesh to stone is an awful one, as it often need only hit to destroy its enemies, and those petrified in the air usually fall and shatter!

Couatl: 18", Class A. The couatl's favorite tactic is to throw loops around other flying creatures and constrict them so that neither couatl nor prey can fly. Both plummet to the earth , but the couatl turns ethereal just before impact and thus escapes being crushed.

Daemons

Nycadaemon: 36", Class D. Though heavy, nycadaemons are powerful flyers, and can build up great speed and momentum. They act much like flying battering rams, striking for 2-12 points of damage when they hit (or as much as 3-18 if they hit another flyer head-on, though this will also damage the nycadaemon 1-4 points). A nycadaemon will try to run its prey close to the ground and then close for a grapple. The wings will be used to batter and confuse and slow their fall, as it attempts to bring its opponent down to the ground where leverage and its full physical strength can be brought to bear.

Demons

Succubus: 18", Class C. Succubi prefer not to melee in the air or on the ground, and will use guile, treachery and etherealness whenever possible.

Type I: 18", Class C. These vulture-demons generally slash with their rear talons.

Type IV: 12", Class E.

Type V-VI: 15", Class D. These two huge demon types will try to bring their foes to the ground, much like nycadaemons.

Devils

All devils' power of illusion makes them difficult and dangerous aerial opponents.

Erinyes: 21 ", Class C. Erinyes will slash with their envenomed dagger or use their rope of entanglement to foul opponents' wings and make them fall.

Horned devil: 18", Class D. Horned devils will attempt to impale with their fork and rip with their tails as they pass.

Pit Fiend: 15", Class D. These mightiest of devils will usually attempt to force their prey to the ground, where they can leisurely tear them limb from limb. Their clubs and tails are dangerous weapons in the air.

Dinosaurs

Pteranodon: 15", Class C. These creatures' light bone structure makes them unwilling to collide with other creatures in the air, but if necessary they will attempt to spear with their long, pointed beaks. Their preferred method of attack is to drop upon earthbound creatures from above, lift them up to several hundred feet and then allow them to plummet to their deaths.

Djinni: 24", Class A. Djinn, like all creatures from the aerial plane, are nearly impossible to catch in the air. When a swooping creature approaches them, they simply move aside. In addition, their ability to create illusions and become invisible ensures that all aerial combat will take place only when and where the djinni desires. They are openly contemptuous of those who need wings to fly, or magical aviators such as magic-users and efreet.

Dragons

Dragon: 24" or 30", Class E. Lack of maneuverability due to large size may seem to put dragons at a disadvantage in the air, but their powerful breath weapons somewhat make up for this. On an attack pass, a dragon can either bite or use its claws—never both. A dragon may choose to breathe on an approach and then pass and slash with fang or claw.

Eagle, giant: 48", Class D. Giant eagles commonly attack with their talons. They share with their smaller cousins the ability to plummet almost to the ground and then suddenly break their fall and pull out or land safely.

Efreeti: 24", Class B. As with djinn, efreet use their invisibility and illusion abilities to good effect in aerial combat.

Elemental, air: 36", Class A. Air elementals gain +1 to hit and +2 on each die of damage they inflict when fighting in the air. They move in the same manner as djinn.

Gargoyle: 15", Class C. Gargoyles will attempt to spear with their horn or slash with their claws (never both).

Griffon: 30", Class C (class D when mounted). A griffon will either slash with its forward talons or bite with its powerful beak.

Harpy: 15", Class C. Harpies will use either their leg talons or a weapon in aerial battle. Like eagles, they can plummet straight down and then pull out.

Hippogriff: 36", Class C (class D when mounted) . Hippogriffs fight in much the same manner as griffons.

Ki-rin: 48", Class B. Ki-rin will generally attack with their horn to impale.

Lammasu: 24", Class C. Lammasu will use their claws if forced to fight. They are hard to hit in the air, as they can dimension door away from an attack path.

Manticore: 18", Class E. Manticores are clumsy flyers, but they will not hesitate to fling their tail spikes at opponents who come too close. They can also employ their front claws.

Men

Men, like monsters, must behave differently in the air than on the ground. Most flying combat involving humans consists of magical or magically-equipped flyers rising above a melee to gain a positional advantage for the purpose of spell- or missile-casting. This actually isn't as easy as most players would like to think it is, as the different forms of magical flight often have requirements which interfere with such actions.

Levitation: Once effected, this spell takes no concentration on the part of the caster except during changes of height, so it is quite useful when a magic-user desires to rise above a melee to acquire an open field of fire for his or her spells. The major drawback is that figures rising out of a battle are automatically assumed to be magic-users and will immediately attract most if not all of their opponents' missile fire. Recipients of the levitation spell who wish to use bows from their elevated position will find that they are not totally stable, and thus shooting is slightly more difficult. Such archers will shoot at -1 "to hit". This is cumulative, subtracting another point from the archer's chance to hit for each successive round of fire until - 3 is reached, as the archer becomes increasingly unstable. Continued firing will not lower the archer's chances beyond -3, and any round spent not firing (or fighting) will allow him or her to stabilize and start again at -1. Slinging, casting javelins or spears, or actually swinging a weapon (such as a sword) will be at double the minuses "to hit" for archery, i.e., -2, -4, -6. Due to the lack of leverage and something to "push" against, it is impossible to cock a heavy or medium crossbow while levitating (let your players find this out for themselves!). Levitating persons are marvelous targets for flying creatures. They can generally be treated as earthbound targets which are easier to get at, and fight at a disadvantage.

The DM should remember that though the recipient of a fly spell has full control of his or her movement, the height of a recipient of levitation is always under the control of the caster, and if that person is otherwise occupied, no vertical movement is possible (of course, this does not apply to magical devices such as boots of levitation, though everything else in the foregoing section is applicable).

Fly spell: Utilizing a fly spell takes as much concentration as walking, so most spells could be cast while flying, either while hovering or moving slowly (3" or less). There is no penalty for archery while flying (assuming the archers are hovering - if they are moving, see Aerial Combat, Aerial Missile Fire), but there are minuses for slinging or swinging weapons, and these are the same as the penalties for archery while levitating, i.e., -1 to hit, cumulative per successive rounds until - 3 is reached. Persons using a fly spell (or a magical device which confers that power upon the bearer, such as a ring of flying) will move at maneuverability Class B. Flying persons involved in ground melees attract missile fire much as levitators do. Flying persons involved in combat with other aerial creatures do so in the same manner as any other creature of their maneuverability class.

Broom of flying: These devices must be moving at least half speed to function. With practice, they can be controlled by the rider's knees, so an experienced broomsman can melee in the air. However, all spell use is impossible while riding a broom, though some magical devices (such as wands) could be used. Brooms are maneuverability Class C.

Carpet of flying: Carpets are the most stable of flying devices, and thus the most valuable. Though they are Class C as pertains to maneuverability, they can hover or move at any speed the controller desires (up to the stated maximum). While hovering or moving slowly they are ideal platforms for spell- or missile-casting (quick motion tends to disrupt magical concentration, even if the spell-user is not the one controlling the carpet). They are not so easily adapted to aerial melee, as passengers will tend to get knocked off the carpet and fall to the ground. Attempts to weave straps or seat belts into a flying carpet will generally destroy its dweomer.

Wings of flying: These devices are maneuverability Class C and the wearer must be moving at least half speed to maintain flight. Though the wings leave the aviator's hands free for fighting, it is impossible to concentrate enough to cast spells due to the continual bodily motion involved. This does not prohibit the use of some magical devices that duplicate spell effects (rings, wands, etc.). Like an eagle, the wearer of wings of flying can plummet a great distance and still pull out safely if the wings have not been previously damaged.

Flying mounts: All flying mounts will move at one maneuverability class worse than normal when mounted. This applies even if the rider is as small as a halfling or gnome. The only exceptions to this are E class creatures such as dragons, which are large enough to carry human-sized riders at no penalty. Normal spell use while riding a flying mount is of course impossible (though certain magic devices may be used).

Pegasus: 48", Class C (Class D when mounted). In flight, pegasi fight with their front hooves.

Peryton: 21", Class C. A peryton will attempt to impale with its sharp horns.

Pseudo-dragon: 24", Class B. Pseudo-dragons rely on their poisonous stingers in aerial combat.

Roc: 30", Class E. Rocs generally attack using their huge and powerful talons. Amazingly enough, considering their great size, they can plummet straight down like eagles and then arrest their fall by a sudden unfurling of their wings.

Shedu: 24", Class C. Shedu will strike with their powerful hooves if they become involved in aerial combat, though their power to become ethereal allows them to avoid this if they so desire.

Sphinx: 24", 30" or 36", Class D. The various sphinxes nearly always employ their fore claws in an aerial battle, though the roar of the androsphinx is also a potent weapon, as it weakens opponents and could make them unable to fly.

Wyvern: 24", Class E. On an attack pass, a wyvern will attempt to either bite or sting.

A more accurate method entails the use of hex paper so that actual arc turns can be indicated, and so that these turns may take place at any time during a move.

Turns will actually take place through several hexes (the only exceptions to this are creatures from the elemental plane of air, which can turn on a dime in any direction they wish ). A turn need not be executed through consecutive hexes. To illustrate, here are possible variant turns for a Class B flyer, which can turn up to 120° in one round:

The orders for the first example would read : Straight 1, right 60°, straight 3, right 60°, straight 1.

Each flyer can move one hex per 3" of speed; thus, a gargoyle, with a speed of 15", could move 5 hexes, while a griffon, with a speed of 30", could move 10. Keep in mind climbing and diving speed alterations.

In both the simple and complex methods, movement should be simultaneous.

If there are several players involved, you may wish to have them write out their moves ahead of time (the DM, of course, is not obligated to do this). If two opponents are clearly making for each other, and it is within their ability to intercept but their written orders would cause them to miss, some slight adjustment should be made.

Aerial Missile Fire

For all missiles fired in the air, treat short range as medium (-2 to hit) and medium range as long (-5 to hit) as pertains to chance of hitting. Fire at objects at long range will always miss.

The above applies to missile firers on flying mounts or using a broom or wings of flying only if they have spent several months in practice. Otherwise, they will not be able to hit at all.

The range penalties also apply to missile-firing creatures such as manticores (treat as composite long bow as pertains to range).

Note that the above applies only to those who are moving. Those hovering with a fly spell or on a carpet of flying will suffer no penalties. Those levitating will be penalized as delineated in earlier subsection Attack Modes, Men: Levitation.

Dragons and similar creatures with breath weapons (such as chimerae) will have a slightly harder time hitting other flying creatures. For this reason, moving aerial targets of flying dragons add +2 to their saving throws.

Damage

Any winged creature which sustains damage greater than 50% of its hit points will be unable to maintain flight and must land.

Any winged creature which sustains more than 75% damage will not even be able to control its fall, and will plummet to the ground.

This simulates damage to the wings, as in aerial combat, the wings will be a prime point of vulnerability. Feathered wings are not as easy to damage as membranous wings, and, in flight, should be given an extra hit point value equal to one-half the normal hit points of the creature they support, for the purpose of figuring how much damage need be taken before the creature can no longer fly.

Thus, a griffon with 30 hit points would add on additional illusory 15 points in aerial combat, for a flight-damage total of 45, and thus would be able to take 23 points of damage before it would be forced to land. In contrast, a membrane-winged creature like a succubus with 30 hit points would only be able to sustain 15 points of damage before it could no longer fly.

Under no conditions are the extra flight-damage points to be added to the monster's actual hit points for the purpose of absorbing damage. A flying monster will only be able to sustain the normal amount of damage it usually takes in order to incapacitate or kill it, i.e., if the exemplary griffon above takes 31 points of damage from dragon breath, it is dead.

As a final note, remember that heroic aviators who leap into the saddle of their hippogriff and rise to battle without taking a couple of rounds to strap in will tend to fall out in the first round of melee, and it is 1-6 hit points [cumulative] of damage for every ten feet they fall (up to a maximum 20-120 points).