(3.5) (Spell) Meteoric Flight [P.E.A.C.H.]

[Draco Dei]

This is maybe a little rough around the edges. Read it anyway, it is either awesome or funny, take your pick. Needless to say I am strongly considering adding this as an SLA to my Barnstormer dragons.

Appropriate humorous movie quotes to get you started (although I also give my seal of approval to using this spell in epicly badass ways):
"I just lit a rocket!... Rockets explode!" (Ok, so this actually turned out pretty badass).

"Ludicrous Speed!"           "She's gone to plaid!"

"Team Rocket is blasting off again!"




Meteoric Flight
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M, F
Casting Time: Swift Action
Range: Touch
Target:  One creature
Duration: 5 minutes per level (See Below)
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell allows (and requires) you to fly 100 feet per caster level plus five times any natural flight speed you have. Your maneuverability is three classes worse than your natural flight speed's. If you do not have a natural flight speed, or if this would reduce your maneuverability below clumsy then you may only make a single turn of up to 45 degrees, and not on the turn you cast this spell, nor on any turn that you turned the turn before ((PHRASING!)).  This flight is a free action, but you may not make any other actions that involve movement of any sort for the duration of this spell. Among other things this renders tumbling impossible.

If the target's dexterity is at least 16, then they are considered to have the Fly-by Attack feat for the duration of this spell.

The target of this spell may dismiss it as a free action, provided they know the proper command word (which the caster designates at the time of casting*), however it does not end until 1d4 rounds later when it ends abruptly, usually resulting in the target falling. Wise targets of this spell who have the opportunity will parallel a flat piece of ground while dismissing this spell.

If the target strikes a solid object (or creature) while flying by means of this spell, then both they and the object(or creature) take 1d6 damage per caster level. If this is sufficient to destroy/kill the object(or creature) then they continue on, perhaps dealing the remaining damage that would have been allocated to the object to the next object struck. The damage to the target is limited to that dealt to the objects struck (in other words crashing through a single sapling is merely painful, but a large field of ripe corn might, in fact flay the target to death and a castle wall would deal the full damage in almost any case). Apply the rules for falling damage if crashing into water (including skimming along the surface). IF the full damage is dealt to objects (before considering hardness etc) then this DOES bring the target to a full stop for that round, but it DOES NOT end the spell. The target will be taking off again next round (including slamming directly into the same solid object they struck before, without leaving the current square(s) they occupy), but they may freely choose the direction without regard to the maneuverability rules, including the "45 degrees every other turn" variation presented here. The author of this spell heartily endorses using this effect to achieve effectiveness at the end of arriving on scene to a combat as "the cavalry".

If the target loses consciousness while this spell is active then there maneuverabilty immediately drops to the "one 45 degree turn every other round" level, and all such turns are made, as often as possible, as sharply as possible (IE "always 45 degrees", as rolled on the following chart.

d8 roll	Direction of turn relative to current heading
1	Left
2	Upwards and to the Left
3	Upwards
4	Upwards and to the Right
5	Right
6	Down and to the Right
7	Down
8	Down and to the Left

Focus: Any gunpowder based projectile weapon or rocket (even a small "bottle rocket" will do) OR any projectile weapon of at least +3 equivalent enhancement bonus.
Material component: A feather from a bird that was in good health (not stunned, full hit-points, no subdual damage, not subject to any harmful spells, etc) up until the moment it died in a crash, or that died from being moved through the air too quickly.

*The command word may be discerned by anyone hearing the spell being cast with a DC 25 spellcraft check. If this spell is cast silently, then the unfortunate victim of this spell may be out of luck.







I am considering adding a fire aura in front of the target of this spell, and/or making it cause subdual damage each round if the target does not meet a minimum deflection (plus half natural armor?) bonus to armor class.

[Garryl]

At first glance, a 4th-level swift action save or die is a terrible, terrible idea. It's technically not, but in an enclosed space, it's 1d6 damage/level each round for 350+ rounds. In an open space, it's "just" a save or lose since it takes the enemy at the very least 16 rounds for a creature with less than good maneuverability flight to circle back around.

This spell needs some editing.
- The first paragraph refers to "you", but it seems to be referring to the spell's subject. D&D typically only uses "you" in the spell description to refer to the spell's subject when the spell is personal range (and thus can be assumed to be cast on the caster).
- Maneuverability has categories, not classes.
- It's nonlethal damage, not subdual damage.
- The creature affected by a spell is typically referred to as the subject, not the target. Target is typically reserved for the selection of a potential subject before the spell actually takes effect upon them.