Getting a fly speed

[Heatwizard]

Suppose I have an Air Genasi Factotum. I'd like to take Factotum to 19, but I'd also like to get my hands on a fly speed. Can these two goals coexist?

Warlock & Fell Flight can do it, as can Elemental Warrior, but those require I give up the Factotum capstone. I could take Dragonblooded -> Dragon Wings, but I don't think the fluff will work for this specific guy. Incarnum/magic items could do it, but I'd rather it be natural.

Is there a feat chain lying around that ends up with "You gain a fly speed", or maybe some way to do something like take Warlock 1, and then do something to pull Fell Flight out of the dip?

[Talya]

There's an outsider wings feat somewhere for Tieflings and Aasimar. While not precisely RAW, I could see convincing a DM to allow it to function for another type of appropriate planetouched like your Air Genasi.

[Dusk Eclipse]

I think there is a feat chain in the FR (Otherwordly and outsider wings IIRC) which will give you flight speed, not sure if Genasi can take them.

Other options include Winged Template (+2 LA) from savage species and feathered wing graft from FF, rougly 13 K and being evil.

[Cog]

Dragontouched and the wings feats from Races of the Dragon will do it. Alternatively, Dragonborn on top of Air Genasi, but that only keeps your stats and Outsider type - perhaps enough for you>

[Ernir]

The Feathered Wings graft (Fiend Folio) can get you all-day nonmagical flight if you're on the southern end of the alignment chart.

If item-based solutions are acceptable, check out the "Lists of Necessary Magic Items" link in my signature.

[BluesEclipse]

Just take Shape Soulmeld(Any soulmeld granting flight).

[gbprime]

Check with your DM on allowing you to use Level Adjustment Buyoff from Unearthed Arcana. (Basicly you pay XP to make LA go away after a minimum number of levels.)

If (s)he's okay with that, then consider the Winged Creature template from Savage Species, as previously mentioned. You have a +2 LA to start, and can spend XP after levels 6 and 9 to buy it down to zero LA. For this you get +4 Dex, some other candy, and a high flight speed with perfect mobility.

[Big Fau]

Just take Shape Soulmeld(Any soulmeld granting flight).

Airstep Sandals.


A Fiendish graft (Fiend Folio) can give you a Fly speed for 10,000gp. Ridiculously cheap.


Edit: Hold up, you're a Factotum. Just prepare Overland Flight each day.

[Curmudgeon]

Edit: Hold up, you're a Factotum. Just prepare Overland Flight each day.
The OP asked for natural, not magical, flight. Magical flight is risky, as it can be dispelled. Then you either fall to the ground (if at less than 500' altitude) or the DM gets to require a Concentration check for violent/extraordinarily violent motion as you try to cast a new spell with air whipping you about at 120 MPH.

Or there's my favorite Favored Soul (level 17+) attack option: fly to 10' above an opponent using magical flight, cast Antimagic Field (with spell origin on a grid point below you), and furl your wings. You'll both fall at the same rate so the opponent stays in the AF and can't use any magic. But you'll be 10' in the air when that opponent goes splat, and you can use a Ready action to unfurl your wings at that instant and fly away unharmed. :smallbiggrin:

[Big Fau]

The OP asked for natural, not magical, flight. Magical flight is risky, as it can be dispelled. Then you either fall to the ground (if at less than 500' altitude) or the DM gets to require a Concentration check for violent/extraordinarily violent motion as you try to cast a new spell with air whipping you about at 120 MPH.

Then grafts are the only option unless he goes Dragonborn.

[Darrin]

Is there a feat chain lying around that ends up with "You gain a fly speed", or maybe some way to do something like take Warlock 1, and then do something to pull Fell Flight out of the dip?

Feat chains:

1) Celestial/Fiendish Bloodline -> Outsider Wings (Races of Faerun). Says Aasimar/Tiefling only, but Air Genasi are also Planetouched/Outsiders, and have a similar LA. Requires some DM handwaving, but easy to handwave. Flight speed = land speed. One of the perks is you are still allowed to fly at a reduced speed with a medium or heavy load. The effects of medium/heavy armor is not mentioned, but I suspect it's treated the same as being medium or heavily encumbered. The second feat isn't generally available until ECL 6-7ish (LA buyoff, Savage Progression races (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040213a), lesser planetouched), but if you take a level of monk or multiclass very early, you can pick this up at ECL 3-4.

2) Dragon Wings -> Improved Dragon Wings (Races of the Dragon). Requires the dragonblood subtype, and Dragon Wings must be taken at 1st level. So this can be somewhat tricky to qualify for unless you've already planned for it, but there are dragonblood subraces in Dragon Magic (silverbrow human, forestlord elf, frostblood orc, etc.). There are a couple ways around the "1st level only" requirement: Dragonwrought Kobolds can take Dragon Wings at ECL 3, and thus Improved Dragon Wings at ECL 6. Becoming a Dragonborn of Bahumat also has an interesting quirk: you can replace one of your existing feats with a 1st-level-only dragonblood feat, which includes Dragon Wings. So if you pick up a useless bonus feat somewhere (Track/Endurance from Ranger, Mounted Combat from Knight, Improved Grapple/Stunning Fist from Monk, Frog God's Fane, etc.), you could go Dragonborn and swap it for Dragon Wings, pick up a breath weapon at the same time, and once you hit 6HD, you're only one feat away from a fly speed. It's a bit more restrictive than the Outsider version: you can't fly at all if medium of heavily encumbered (medium/heavy armor isn't mentioned, but is probably treated the same as encumbered), and full-on "I don't get tired" flight doesn't kick in until 12 HD.

3) Shape Soulmeld: Airstep Sandals -> Open Least Chakra: feet (Magic of Incarnum). Fly 10' with perfect maneuverability, +10' per essentia. It's not clear if the "must end the flight solidly supported" requirement still applies once bound to your feet, but it would be very silly if it did. Perfect maneuverability means you can effortlessly hover, no minimum forward speed, so I can't see why you'd need to land or start to fall at the end of your turn. Fly speed is pretty low, particularly if you have no essentia, but there are no restrictions for medium/heavy loads or medium/heavy armor, and since your fly speed isn't tied to your land speed, it isn't reduced by encumbrance. Available at ECL 6.

4) Shape Soulmeld: Pegasus Cloak -> Open Lesser Chakra: shoulders (Magic of Incarnum). Fly with average maneuverability, +10' per point of essentia, but since your fly speed starts at 0', you *need* essentia to go anywhere. Like Airstep Sandals, no restrictions for medium/heavy loads or armor. Because it's a shoulder bind, not available until ECL 12.

5) Shape Soulmeld: Manticore Belt -> Open Greater Chakra: waist (Magic of Incarnum). Similar to Pegasus Cloak, you need at least 1 essentia to get moving, but maneuverability is now poor instead of average, so you've got be much more careful about minimum fly speed, maximum turning, stalling, and turning into road-pizza. However, the biggest perk is you get Flyby Attack as a bonus feat. The biggest downside is unless you're a 14th level Totemist, you can't open up your waist chakra until ECL 18.

6) Shape Soulmeld: Astral Vambraces -> Open Lesser Chakra: arms (Psionics of Incarnum article (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20060217a)). Allows you to pick an ability from the Astral Constructs Menu A, which includes Fly (Ex) 20', average maneuverability. No essentia required, and no mention of what happens with a medium/heavy load or armor. While the wings are physical and (Ex), the soulmeld isn't, and will temporarily disappear if dispelled or you go through an AMF. Available at ECL 12, and has the added benefit that if you don't need to fly that day, you can reshape it to pick up some other feat/ability on Menu A.

The two most popular non-feat methods have already been mentioned:

Dragonborn of Bahumat (Races of the Dragon) is easy and cheap, but you lose most (if not all) of your racial abilities. Same mechanics as Improved Dragon Wings: fly 30' (average), you drop like a rock if you're not lightly encumbered, and the number of consecutive rounds you can fly is restricted until you get to 12 HD.

Feathered Wings (Fiend Folio) costs 10000 GP, and has some severe drawbacks if your alignment isn't evil. Since it's a graft, it's non-magical and thus can't be dispelled or knocked out with an AMF, and your fly speed is equal to twice your land speed.

There are two magic items that are also worth considering:

Winged Mask (13000 GP, Magic of Faerun p. 168). All-day fly spell at will, but you glow like a torch.

Phylactery of Change (11200 GP, Arms & Equipment Guide p. 135). All-day polymorph up to 7 HD. If you're not a lesser genasi and thus still have the outsider type, you can use this to switch to a Bralani and get fly 100' (perfect). Otherwise, Kir-Lanan are quite nice: fly 90' (good).

[Gwendol]

Permanent Alter Self?

[Feytalist]

Still dispellable.

[Ernir]

6) Shape Soulmeld: Astral Vambraces -> Open Least Chakra: hands (Psionics of Incarnum article (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20060217a)). Allows you to pick an ability from the Astral Constructs Menu A, which includes Fly (Ex) 20', average maneuverability. No essentia required, and no mention of what happens with a medium/heavy load or armor. While the wings are physical and (Ex), the soulmeld isn't, and will temporarily disappear if dispelled or you go through an AMF. Available at ECL 6, and has the added benefit that if you don't need to fly that day, you can reshape it to pick up some other feat/ability on Menu A.

Minor correction: Astral Vambraces must be bound to the Arms chakra to provide Astral Construct options, the Hands chakra only allows slam attacks.

[Curmudgeon]

1) Celestial/Fiendish Bloodline -> Outsider Wings (Races of Faerun). Says Aasimar/Tiefling only, but Air Genasi are also Planetouched/Outsiders, and have a similar LA. Requires some DM handwaving, but easy to handwave. Flight speed = land speed. One of the perks is you are still allowed to fly at a reduced speed with a medium or heavy load. The effects of medium/heavy armor is not mentioned, but I suspect it's treated the same as being medium or heavily encumbered.
A medium or heavy load that would reduce your land speed reduces your fly speed a proportionate amount.
Armor encumbers you on land because it covers your limbs and thus slows down your land movement. There are no armors which cover wings AFAIK. So follow the instructions in the feat and just figure the encumbrance by weight (including the armor), not the armor type. Scale mail (medium armor) and banded mail (heavy armor) have similar weights, so the encumbrance when flying (where your wings are not armored) will be somewhat different than when walking (where your legs are armored).