Armored flying?

[Buufreak]

What kind of penalties does armor size/category have on a creatures ability to fly? Does it lower its mobility or speed?

[Windstorm]

the only affect armor has that is flight related is encumbrance, and you must be at light load to fly (as the spell or from a natural ability) unless you take the appropriate feats to fly at heavier loads.

[Frostthehero]

it depends on how the creature is flying. if it is using wings, it cannot fly in anything more than light armor, or a light load. if it is using magical flight, it would depend on the spell description. overland flight, for example, forces characters to fly at only 30 feet instead of 40 if you are wearing more than light armor or are carrying more than a light load.

[Curmudgeon]

if it is using wings, it cannot fly in anything more than light armor, or a light load.
There are ways around this: a couple of feats in Races of the Dragon. Reinforced Wings lets the creature fly with a Medium load; Heavyweight Wings lets them fly with a heavy load.

[TuggyNE]

it depends on how the creature is flying. if it is using wings, it cannot fly in anything more than light armor, or a light load.

Only the load is relevant.
A creature with a fly speed can move through the air at the indicated speed if carrying no more than a light load. (Note that medium armor does not necessarily constitute a medium load.)

[killer_monk]

No comment.

[TuggyNE]

you take an armor check penalty when rolling a fly check.

I don't see a PF prefix here, and in 3.0/3.5 there are no Fly checks, no ACP on them, and most importantly no strict restriction forbidding you from flying with medium/heavy armor as there is with medium/heavy loads.

[Darrin]

Only the load is relevant.

Note that the SRD doesn't actually state what happens if you're not carrying a light load. It's not clear if you fly at a reduced speed, or immediately become a floor-pizza.

Near as I can tell, by RAW your movement is reduced as per the Carrying Capacity rules in the PHB/SRD. Same with medium/heavy armor: if you're wearing armor that reduces your land speed, it also reduces your fly speed, as per the PHB/SRD rules under Armor Qualities.

However, if you're flying via a spell, feat, magical effect, etc., there may be additional rules on carrying loads and armor. For example, the fly spell reduces your movement from 60' to 40' if you have a medium/heavy load or medium/heavy armor, while overland flight reduces it from 40' to 30'. If you use Dragonborn of Bahumat or Improved Dragon Wings (Races of the Dragon) to gain a fly speed, you explicitly can't fly with a medium/heavy load or fatigued/exhausted, but can fly with medium/heavy armor. Outsider Wings (Races of Faerun) can fly with a medium/heavy load but at a reduced speed (no mention of armor).

[Psyren]

I don't see a PF prefix here, and in 3.0/3.5 there are no Fly checks, no ACP on them, and most importantly no strict restriction forbidding you from flying with medium/heavy armor as there is with medium/heavy loads.

There isn't such a restriction in PF either - Fly checks are only rolled if you're trying to do something complicated or something interferes with you while you're flying. Simply getting into the air doesn't need a check.

[TuggyNE]

There isn't such a restriction in PF either - Fly checks are only rolled if you're trying to do something complicated or something interferes with you while you're flying. Simply getting into the air doesn't need a check.

Right, my wording was a little careless there. The last clause wasn't meant to contrast with PF, but to contrast with a misunderstood rule that does not in fact exist in either game.

[killer_monk]

Right, my wording was a little careless there. The last clause wasn't meant to contrast with PF, but to contrast with a misunderstood rule that does not in fact exist in either game.

I didn't say you had to roll a fly check to get off the ground, only that you take an armor check penalty when rolling one.

And yes. I'm not familiar with 3.X, as I've always played pathfinder. Forgive my transgression. I took the liberty of removing my post.

[TuggyNE]

And yes. I'm not familiar with 3.X, as I've always played pathfinder. Forgive my transgression. I took the liberty of removing my post.

No transgression, just an honest mistake.