Can Difficult Terrain exist in the air?

[Eviltedzies]

While building a Knight I got into a debate regarding the definition of difficult terrain.

difficult terrain

An area containing one or more features (such as rubble or undergrowth) that costs 2 squares instead of 1 square to move through.

Bulwark of Defense from the Knight class states

"all the squares that you threaten as difficult terrain"

Now on one side of the argument is that difficult terrain implies "ground or land based terrain" and in no way includes areas above ground. (Aka Air) This argument relies on RAI instead of RAW.

On the other side of the argument is strict RAW reading of both abilities which seem to clearly suggest you can indeed create difficult terrain in mid air provided you threaten it.

Thoughts? Comments? Did Wizards every answer a question similar to this?

[BearsAreBrown]

Terrain and Obstacles
Difficult Terrain
Difficult terrain hampers movement. Each square of difficult terrain counts as 2 squares of movement. (Each diagonal move into a difficult terrain square counts as 3 squares.) You can’t run or charge across difficult terrain.

If you occupy squares with different kinds of terrain, you can move only as fast as the most difficult terrain you occupy will allow.

Flying and incorporeal creatures are not hampered by difficult terrain.

From the SRD. So the answer is slightly complex, difficult terrain can exist in the air but does not effect flying creatures.

Note: Knight sucks and the DM should let it happen because what the fuck there is no reason to trivialize such a huge portion of the class.

[Eviltedzies]

I would say that PHB2 trumps PHB since it was printed later, but the Rules Compendium was printed after PHB2 so it trumps PHB2.

Sadly after noticing the rules compendium line about flying/incorporeal foes ignoring difficult terrain, by RAW this even ignores the knights ability.

Sigh, thanks for the help. At least now I know... and knowing is half the battle! 

[kitep]

Airplanes deal with turbulence.  That's difficult terrain in the air.

A tornado might even count as unpassable   

How fast is that Knight swinging his sword? 

[phaedrusxy]

Screw "strict RAW". The DM should use some sense in interpreting things like this, rules be damned.

[NunoM]

Clearly the designer wasn't thinking in 3D when building that class
RAI, i think it means the Knight keeps swinging his sword, making movement difficult around him, causing circumstances similar to difficult terrain. That's how i'd rule it anyway...

[Ithamar]

I'm the DM.  This is for my gestalt arena, and we go pretty strict letter of the law on most things.  Were this a "real" game, and someone wanted to play a single classed knight, I'd likely be kind and let it slide.  But when combined with a Divine Rank 0 Crusader monstrosity that has like 50' threatened area and Thicket of Blades, trust me when I say you don't need to feel too sorry for poor ol' Tedzies. 

[Eviltedzies]

 

Sir Long Schtab isn't THAAT bad..... 

Although imagining the visual of a medium sized knight with arms 25 feet long and a reach weapon just makes you question if your hallucinating or not. 

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Flying and incorporeal creatures are not hampered by difficult terrain.

From the SRD. So the answer is slightly complex, difficult terrain can exist in the air but does not effect flying creatures.

Interesting little corner case.

If you were Levitating or Air Walking,
the Difficult Terrain would still affect.
Because you aren't actually fly-fly-ing.

Air Walk also has this line:
The creature may be subject to additional penalties in exceptionally strong or turbulent winds, such as loss of control over movement or physical damage from being buffeted about.

Flyers usually don't have this problem.
They do have to land if wind speeds get high enough (lost the exact quote).

[Arz]

Wind speed isn't difficult terrain and follows its own rules. So does visibility for clouds etc. These kinds of things are hampered movement conditions for vertain.