Fly-by Attack?

[JackMage666]

I'm considering playing a Air Mephling Warlock in my next campaign. I was considering taking some feats, and looked up fly-by attack...

Flyby Attack [General]
Prerequisite
Fly speed.

Benefit
When flying, the creature can take a move action (including a dive) and another standard action at any point during the move. The creature cannot take a second move action during a round when it makes a flyby attack.

Normal
Without this feat, the creature takes a standard action either before or after its move.


The another in it indicates, to me, that you get 2 Standard action and a move action, as long as one is used on the move. Am I right in assuming this? If not, why not? I checked the errata's, but didn't find anything on it, so am I just reading this wrong? Or, alternatively, is this an awesome feat to have so I can unload two Eldritch Blasts in a round?

[Ikkitosen]

There are two ways of interpreting it: IMO the way it's intended ("you can take your standard action for the round in the middle of your movement") and the broken way ("not only do you get to move and take a standard action, but for absolutely no reason at all you can have another standard action for nothing"!).

[Darrin]

The another in it indicates, to me, that you get 2 Standard action and a move action, as long as one is used on the move. Am I right in assuming this? If not, why not? I checked the errata's, but didn't find anything on it, so am I just reading this wrong? Or, alternatively, is this an awesome feat to have so I can unload two Eldritch Blasts in a round?

Nope. The "another" here refers to another action, as in, you get a move action and a standard action for the entire round. You can take that standard action at any point during the move. Otherwise, the standard action would have to take place before or after the move.

If you're looking for something to abuse here, it's the part about a "standard action". The non-flying version of Ride-By Attack only allows an attack, while Fly-By allows any standard action instead.

How do you abuse this? Well, "Aid Another" is a standard action that grants an unnamed +2 bonus to one attack or defense. So make sure your flying familiar picks it up, then summon a half-dozen or so Giant Eagles for +10 or more.

Now, if I can just figure out a broken build that can summon a metric buttload of Giant Eagles...

[Person_Man]

You're wrong.

Fly-by attack allows you to move, take a standard action, and then continue moving. It's basically Spring Attack, but better, because Spring Attack is limited to an attack, whereas Fly-by is any standard action, such as casting a spell or using a special ability.

Also, it sounds as if you're looking for a Warlock type PC that has a breath attack and flies, you might consider the Dragonfire Adept (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060912a&page=2).

[Matthew]

Lord Silvanos has pointed out before that this is a result of bad editing on Wizard's part. The 3.0 version of this Feat had the exact same text, except that standard read as partial. There is no errata and no FAQ interpretation, but it's fairly obvious that this is a flying version of Ride By Attack or Spring Attack...

[Were-Sandwich]

Fly-By-Attack makes me want to play a Raptoran Swordsage

[Ramza00]

Flyby Attack as written, the actual text grants you another standard action. Thus a raptorian will be able to cast two spells per round or shoot twice with greater manyshot.

Flyby Attack as intended was supposed to not give you that extra action. Due to bad editing from 3.0 to 3.5 and how they got rid of "partial actions" and moved to move, standard, and free actions (and in other splat books added swift and intermediate actions, modifying the text of quicken to make it now a swift action). In the conversion they just switch the word partial for standard action, not realizing you already get a standard+move action thus you can get two standard actions per round with how the text is written.

In other words its up to your DM, RAW vs RAI

[Thomas]

It's a pretty clear case. You'd have to be a "person of unique intellectual qualities" to decide this feat gives you two standard actions per round, in addition to a move action.

It's an amazingly good enough feat when used as intended.

[Mewtarthio]

It's a pretty clear case. You'd have to be a "person of unique intellectual qualities" to decide this feat gives you two standard actions per round, in addition to a move action.

You mean a munchkin?

[Ramza00]

It's a pretty clear case. You'd have to be a "person of unique intellectual qualities" to decide this feat gives you two standard actions per round, in addition to a move action.

It's an amazingly good enough feat when used as intended.
It says you gain another standard action it doesn't say you use your standard action per the round. Remember you traditionally get a move action+standarad action, or you can use these together for a full-round action. Granting another standard action+your traditional standard action =2 standarad actions.

So what unique intellectual qualities are you speaking of?

[Thomas]

You mean a munchkin?

I was getting at "idiot," but "munchkin" works too...


So what unique intellectual qualities are you speaking of?

The sort that lend themselves to believing the feat is intended to give an extra standard action? The intent is pretty obvious. It's a flying version of Ride-by Attack, except you can take any standard action instead of just attacking.

[Ramza00]

The sort that lend themselves to believing the feat is intended to give an extra standard action? The intent is pretty obvious. It's a flying version of Ride-by Attack, except you can take any standard action instead of just attacking.
I guess that is where minds differ. I read what the text actually says before I imagine what the designer was trying to do. I don't look at what I believe the feat should do before I read the text, and then imagine the designers have the same intent.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Even if you decide to interpret the feat much like Asmodeus would read a Holy Book of Pelor, you have to find the wording rather curious if interpreted to give 2 standard actions.


When flying, the creature can take a move action (including a dive) and another standard action at any point during the move.

When reading it, it does not seem to far-fetched to interpret it as referring to "another action" instead of an "additional standard action".



The creature cannot take a second move action during a round when it makes a flyby attack.


This sentence is rather interesting when we consider one of the basics of the combat system:


You can always take a move action in place of a standard action.

Making a special ruling that prevents us from doing something that takes less effort than a standard action while at the same time granting us an extra standard action should probably be a clue that we might not be on the right track to fully grasp the scope of this feat. Alternatively we should start wondering what the designers of 3.5 were smoking the day they nerfed Haste and instead incorporated it into Flyby Attack for those with special skills to find.



Normal: Without this feat, the creature takes a standard action either before or after its move.


Apparently it is normal to have more than one standard action every round, because the addition of one is not covered at all by the description of the normal situation.
It refers only to when you take your one and only standard action in relation to a move.



It's basically Spring Attack, but better, because Spring Attack is limited to an attack, whereas Fly-by is any standard action, such as casting a spell or using a special ability.


Yes, Spring Attack is only better in regards to the protection against AoOs you receive against the foe you are attacking.