How to fly permanently (like Vaarsuvius)?

[Jannoire]

A question that's been bugging me for a while:

Is there any way to get the ability to fly permanently (like Vaarsuvius in The Order Of The Stick) that's consistent with rules from PHB and DMG for 5e?

Greetings :)

[Catullus64]

Aside from simply being a flying race? You can take 17 levels in Tempest Cleric, and never go inside. 14 Levels in Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer will do the trick as well.

[Unoriginal]

Vaarsuvius can't fly permanently, though.

That being said: a divine soul sorcerer can do it, IIRC.

[Sigreid]

Storm sorcerer can as well.

[Jannoire]

Since I'm not that firm with the rules, could you elaborate a bit more on what feats/spells/race I'd need to take for that?

And yeah, Vaarsuvius can pretty much fly all day until the spell gets dispelled.

[137beth]

Vaarsuvius can't fly permanently, though.

That being said: a divine soul sorcerer can do it, IIRC.

V can cast Overland Flight, which in 3.5 lasts 1 hour per level. In practice, casting Overland Flight at the beginning of each adventuring day in 3.5 typically means you can fly any time you are awake, unless it gets dispelled.

[Sigreid]

You could ask your DM about researching overland flight.

[Catullus64]

Here's a more fun way: Be a Gnome or Halfling, Wizard 18+. Take Enlarge/Reduce for one of your Spell Masteries. Reduce yourself to be Tiny, and Mage Hand yourself though the air. Sure, you'll have to stop in midair for a few rounds every minute to maintain the combo, and you'll need to use your action each turn just to fly for 30 ft, but you can do it forever! If only Spell Mastery came online one level earlier. 3 Levels in Arcane Trickster would speed this whole process up quite a bit.

[Kadesh]

Levitate at Will, and proficiency with a set of tools to create a Bicycle powered Propeller.

[Willie the Duck]

Since I'm not that firm with the rules, could you elaborate a bit more on what feats/spells/race I'd need to take for that?

And yeah, Vaarsuvius can pretty much fly all day until the spell gets dispelled.

Well, let's be clear--Vaarsuvius is playing by a different set of rules. Specifically he is in a D&D v3.5 game (as interpreted by a writer who has stated that certain things work in his world as best suits the story). So simply put, you cannot expect to perfectly do what he does using the D&D 5e rules any more than you can expect to emulate the magic of Harry Potter or the Wizard of Oz with D&D 5e magic.

However, what others have said is correct for this edition. Tempest Cleric 17 or level 14 sorcerer (multiple varieties) get at-will flight abilities. As does the Aarokocra race. Plus flying carpets, IIRC.

[JellyPooga]

For a lower level suggestion than the mighty top-tier ones so far suggested; Warlock 5 gets two 3rd level slots per short rest and has Fly on his spell list. At 10 minutes a pop, it's hardly permanent, but so long as you have a slot reserved, you have the option of flying at pretty much all times.

[Unoriginal]

There is also the Broom of Flying, which is a pretty great Uncommon magic item.

[Vogie]

9th level warlock has an invocation for an at-will Levitate, plus the ability to cast fly

[nickl_2000]

How about Wizard Level 2 Signature Spell of Levitate and the Gust Cantrip to move you around?



Level 2 Signature Spell Misty Step and Bamph into the air, then reaction feather fall (level 1 signature spell)? That's kind of like flying.

[Segev]

How about Wizard Level 2 Signature Spell of Levitate and the Gust Cantrip to move you around?



Level 2 Signature Spell Misty Step and Bamph into the air, then reaction feather fall (level 1 signature spell)? That's kind of like flying.

What is Signature Spell in 5e? I haven't heard of/seen it in this edition. Where's it printed, and what's it do? This sounds...intriguing.


Flying carpets and brooms of flying are the most reliable ways in 5e to get more-or-less constant flight, barring being a level 14 Draconic Sorcerer or the like. For maximizing the use of level 9 Warlock's Levitate invocation, consider getting a rope and grappling hook, possibly with whatever skill would apply as a proficiency. It's not perfect flight, but you can pull yourself around through the air pretty effectively. I've heard people talk about having flying familiars provide lateral motion via pulling on a rope, too, though aside from how comical that would look, I question the low strength and size of a familiar permitting it to really maintain forward motion sufficient to KEEP flying if it has to haul your mass behind it. Let alone change direction. Or stop.

It is worth noting that, while a Warlock's fly spell can let him have it more-or-less on-demand (though not constantly and not if he squanders it trivially), it does take Concentration. The Draconic Sorcerer, the Broom of Flying, and the Carpet of Flying all do not, so are likely superior for anybody who truly wants to casually fly.


There are also flying mounts, of course. Whether griffon or hippogriff mounts are available to purchase is entirely up to the DM, but their MM entries do indicate that they're tamed, raised, and trained as mounts by various humanoid races, so in theory they might be out there. Pegasi are Celestials in 5e, making them valid options for conjure celestial (http://5e.d20srd.org/srd/spells/conjureCelestial.htm). This is only up to an hour and requires Concentration, but... you can then use planar binding (http://5e.d20srd.org/srd/spells/planarBinding.htm) to extend that. Albeit it takes increasingly high-level spell slots and a 1000 gp gem per casting. (Plus, the casting time of it means you need some other means of holding your target still other than the Concentration-requiring Conjuration spell that you use to summon it. Or you need a buddy to do the Conjuration spell while you do the binding.)

Giant Eagles and Giant Owls are as smart as orcs, and specifically understand Common (and, in the case of Eagles, Elven, IIRC). They can't speak back, but the fact they understand those languages means you can talk to them, and they can theoretically at least pantomime or point at answers. You can use plain, ordinary persuasion to try to talk them into being your mount, then. Sell them on the excitement of the lifestyle, and promise them a daily casting of mage armor (assuming you have spell-slot access to it) to mitigate the danger (I mean, you'll want to protect your investment of persuasive effort, anyway), and you hopefully can find one or two that are willing companions/hirelings.

If you really want to give your persuasion skills a workout, you can try to befriend and recruit a dragon. Dating a cute silver or gold dragon could be an amusing character arc, to boot.

And of course, the find greater steed Paladin spell can get you a flying mount. (Side note: I find it interesting and clever that they've managed to make find steed essentially a unique class feature of the Paladin while terming it a 'spell,' by virtue of not putting the Paladin in the lists of any classes to which feats permit access. The only way to 'cheat' it that I have found is Bard, using Magical Secrets, which requires a Lore Bard 6 or a non-Lore Bard 10 to pull off. Though this does also put find greater steed on the prospective list for a Bard.)

Casual, personal flight is nontrivial to get in this edition, though. It isn't something that, barring it expressly being a class feature, you're likely to do. Flying mounts or magic items to ride into the air are more likely to be your solution, if you don't just rely on fly when you need it (rather than casually want it) or use other abilities (jump, spider climb, etc.).

[Vogie]

What is Signature Spell in 5e? I haven't heard of/seen it in this edition. Where's it printed, and what's it do? This sounds...intriguing.


I think they're referring to the level 18 & 20 Wizard feature, spell mastery & Signature Spell, that allows a wizard to cast certain 1st and 2nd level spells (at 18, 3rd level at 20) up to once per rest without expending a spell slot

[Segev]

I think they're referring to the level 18 & 20 Wizard feature, spell mastery & Signature Spell, that allows a wizard to cast certain 1st and 2nd level spells (at 18, 3rd level at 20) up to once per rest without expending a spell slot

Oh. I thought where he said "2nd level" he meant you could do this at 2nd level.

Is it just me, or is Signature Spell a weaker ability than Spell Mastery? A 2nd level spell literally whenever you want it strikes me as much better than a 3rd level spell once per short rest. "My capstone lets me have a weaker version of the Warlock's level 5 spellcasting ability!" does not impress me.

[nickl_2000]

Oh. I thought where he said "2nd level" he meant you could do this at 2nd level.

Is it just me, or is Signature Spell a weaker ability than Spell Mastery? A 2nd level spell literally whenever you want it strikes me as much better than a 3rd level spell once per short rest. "My capstone lets me have a weaker version of the Warlock's level 5 spellcasting ability!" does not impress me.

Sorry, I was confusing ability names. I was thinking spell mastery. At 18th level, you can choose a 1st and 2nd level spell that lets you cast at will.

Signature Spells let you choose 2 third levels spells and cast each of them once per short/long rest without using a slot.



And yes, the Spell Mastery is way better then Signature Spells in my mind. At will shield is a wonderful, wonderful thing.

[DarkKnightJin]

You could try mixing a Potion of Flying and something else, then roll the dice and hope th Potion of Flying's effect becomes permanent.

That'd be the mad scientist way of getting at-will flight, anyway.

[Sigreid]

You could try mixing a Potion of Flying and something else, then roll the dice and hope th Potion of Flying's effect becomes permanent.

That'd be the mad scientist way of getting at-will flight, anyway.

Always enjoyed doing that in AD&D.

[Laserlight]

Winged Boots won't let you fly permanently, but you get 4 hours of flight per day for a mere Uncommon item.

[MagneticKitty]

Warlock raven queen patron of 6 let's you turn into a raven whenever you want if your raven familiar thing isn't dead. Of course you can't fight in the air this way... but if you only want at will flight

Also flying elves, aarakokra, and dragonborn racial feat, feral teifling.

[Sigreid]

I saw this movie. Your warlock needs to make a potion from the fat of an unbaptised male child.

[Segev]

You could try mixing a Potion of Flying and something else, then roll the dice and hope th Potion of Flying's effect becomes permanent.

That'd be the mad scientist way of getting at-will flight, anyway.

Is that rule actually written somewhere for 5e? I know it was an AD&D 2e rule designed in part to discourage drinking multiple potions in too short a period.

[Sigreid]

Is that rule actually written somewhere for 5e? I know it was an AD&D 2e rule designed in part to discourage drinking multiple potions in too short a period.

Its optinal in the DMG.

[strangebloke]

kobold with an improved warlock familiar. An imp can carry you.

Paladin with a pegasus via Find Greater Steed.

Bard with a pegasus via Find Greater Steed (magical secrets)

Paladin with a giant owl via Find Steed (ask your DM)

Druid with wildshape.

[Segev]

kobold with an improved warlock familiar. An imp can carry you.Kobolds are specially light in 5e?


Paladin with a giant owl via Find Steed (ask your DM)The question I would have is, is this balanced? The examples are all ground-bound critters, or swimmers. Druid wild shape restricts you from flight before 8th level. Is a giant owl or giant eagle not too powerful compared to the other options presented, just due to flight alone?


Druid with wildshape.Not "constant." Though it's as close as Warlocks with fly get. You do have to wait for 8th level, though. Unless you're using animal friendship to get a larger bird to carry your small-animal-self somewhere.

[DarkKnightJin]

Is that rule actually written somewhere for 5e? I know it was an AD&D 2e rule designed in part to discourage drinking multiple potions in too short a period.

There's a table in the DMG, before the magic items section, where it lists possible options for what might happen of one were to mix potions and imbibe the resulting concoction.
It's very much optional, but I would love to see what'd happen if I had someone do it for giggles.
Honestly, if I ever have the chance in a one-shot game, I just might do it to see what happens.

[Aaedimus]

Kobolds are specially light in 5e?

The question I would have is, is this balanced? The examples are all ground-bound critters, or swimmers. Druid wild shape restricts you from flight before 8th level. Is a giant owl or giant eagle not too powerful compared to the other options presented, just due to flight alone?

Not "constant." Though it's as close as Warlocks with fly get. You do have to wait for 8th level, though. Unless you're using animal friendship to get a larger bird to carry your small-animal-self somewhere.

Druid Capstone gives you unlimited wildshapes, so yeah it's pretty much unlimited flight.

And find greater steed actually mentions Pegasus so they meant to include flying steeds.

[Aaedimus]

So to answer the original post,

There are a crap ton of ways to gain a permanent flyspeed.

And you can abuse multiple spells and abilities to get yourself flying faster than the speed of sound too.

I'd love to see someone pull a Star Wars, and sacrifice their own body as a missile against a warship or building or something

[Segev]

Druid Capstone gives you unlimited wildshapes, so yeah it's pretty much unlimited flight.

And find greater steed actually mentions Pegasus so they meant to include flying steeds.

Ah, okay, capstone Druid, sure.

And I was referring to the entry on using find (non-greater) steed for a giant owl, not on using find greater steed for a Pegasus. Note the owl option was for find steed, not find greater steed. This is the only reason I raised concern.



So to answer the original post,

There are a crap ton of ways to gain a permanent flyspeed.

And you can abuse multiple spells and abilities to get yourself flying faster than the speed of sound too. How?

Please give examples; I'd love to hear them.

[strangebloke]

The question I would have is, is this balanced? The examples are all ground-bound critters, or swimmers. Druid wild shape restricts you from flight before 8th level. Is a giant owl or giant eagle not too powerful compared to the other options presented, just due to flight alone?
It's no more unbalanced than an aaracockra. Or a broom of flying. It deals way less damage than a warhorse, but has better skills and saves to compensate, so I certainly wouldn't say that the base statline is ridiculous.

Overall, I don't see it as a problem in my games. The paladin will feel pretty cut out of some encounters if he doesn't have a means of flight, and he can't fight from range so it isn't as though the owl actually gives him a serious defensive benefit. And a flying mount is a pretty serious liability in combat.

But as with aaracockra or brooms of flying, you should ask your DM. Maybe make it part of the narrative with seeking out a blessing from a greater fey lord or something.

Not "constant." Though it's as close as Warlocks with fly get. You do have to wait for 8th level, though. Unless you're using animal friendship to get a larger bird to carry your small-animal-self somewhere.
Not constant until level 20, but even before that, it's flight for the cost of a minor resource, which is pretty nice.

[Aaedimus]

Ah, okay, capstone Druid, sure.

And I was referring to the entry on using find (non-greater) steed for a giant owl, not on using find greater steed for a Pegasus. Note the owl option was for find steed, not find greater steed. This is the only reason I raised concern.


How?

Please give examples; I'd love to hear them.

Lol, let me find the post when we were talking about that for you.

[Ninjadeadbeard]

You could ask your DM about researching overland flight.

What level would you set that? I'd lean towards 5th or 6th.

[Vogie]

If you're playing a small or tiny creature, you could theoretically be carried by your flying familiar. That would include Warlocks, AT Rogues, Wizards and EK fighters, or anyone with the ritual caster feat.

[Unoriginal]

What level would you set that? I'd lean towards 5th or 6th.

At will Fly for hours?

That'd be minimum 7th if you're generous, even if it's with Concentration.

[Ninjadeadbeard]

At will Fly for hours?

That'd be minimum 7th if you're generous, even if it's with Concentration.

7th or 8th if you want to cast on multiple people, surely. But just one person? You could probably lower the flight speed to 30 or 40ft and it'd be more than fine.

[Unoriginal]

If the speed is lowered, then why not, it'd be somewhat reasonable (as long as it's Concentration).

[Ninjadeadbeard]

If the speed is lowered, then why not, it'd be somewhat reasonable (as long as it's Concentration).

Of course! I'm mad, but not THAT mad!

[Armored Walrus]

7th or 8th if you want to cast on multiple people, surely. But just one person? You could probably lower the flight speed to 30 or 40ft and it'd be more than fine.

Compare to Wind Walk - 8 hours of 300' flight speed, but you can't interact with anything while flying, and must spend a full minute transforming - so it's not usable in battle, or even to initiate battle, really. No Concentration. 10 targets, 6th level.

[Segev]

I'd put overland flight at 7th level, no concentration, 8 hour duration. It's a level earlier than the Sorcerer gets his dragon wings, but 7th level guarantees you're only casting one of it per day, which puts it at "sort of a class feature" tier. (okay, 20th level, you get 2 7th level spells.) I won't put it down at 6, just because that makes it come too early compared to the sorcerer class feature.

Maybe add a clause that lets willing creatures within 10 feet of you fly along with you, though they must stay within 10 feet or lose access to flight (drifting safely to the ground as if affected by feather fall), so it becomes a party-transport spell, but still isn't great for mass aerial party-scale combat.



Anybody else also wish phantom steed had upcast options that made it more like the automatic higher-CL effects of 3e?

[Aaedimus]

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?515726-What-s-the-fastest-a-character-can-move-in-5e

There's your faster than sound link. You can true Polymorph into an ancient copper dragon to increase the base speed by another 20 and your ramming force greatly as well.

Being that you need multiple level 20 characters and level 9 spells to pull it off....
And it'll be so sick, and you're sacrificing your body for the greater good
I'd allow it lol

For reference the speed of sound is 1125fps, so you need to get 6750 ft in one round to hit that barrier

[Segev]

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?515726-What-s-the-fastest-a-character-can-move-in-5e

There's your faster than sound link. You can true Polymorph into an ancient copper dragon to increase the base speed by another 20 and your ramming force greatly as well.

Being that you need multiple level 20 characters and level 9 spells to pull it off....
And it'll be so sick, and you're sacrificing your body for the greater good
I'd allow it lol

For reference the speed of sound is 1125fps, so you need to get 6750 ft in one round to hit that barrier

Not quite what I was expecting, but amusing nonetheless. Thanks!

[Aaedimus]

Lol you can get pretty damn fast with only using half of those too. I've seen sub level 10 players run over 1200 ft in some games. Hasted Action surge, bonus action dash, reaction moves, and the 3 methods of doubling your movement (boots of speed, haste, tabaxi) multiplies your base speed by 2*2*2*7=56. That just requires one level 3 spell and a tabaxi fighter with either expidicious retreat or a bonus action dash class. You can do that at level 8.

At movement speed 30 that's 1680 ft. A round. Every 10 additional bonus feet you add to your movement adds another 560 ft.

Hmmm I also didn't add in a reaction!!!! With a reaction you could do it one more time!

Basically after that you just stack buffs.

[Segev]

Okay, that's how you move fast...but aren't we supposed to be discussing constantly-available flight, not top running speed?

[Aaedimus]

That all translates to flying speed. I said you could fly fast and he asked how

[Temperjoke]

Okay, that's how you move fast...but aren't we supposed to be discussing constantly-available flight, not top running speed?

That comes when you trip while running at that speed.

[Sigreid]

What level would you set that? I'd lean towards 5th or 6th.

I'd set it at 7 figuring it mostly competes with teleport. I'd also at that level make it non-concentration figuring by that point you are also contending with a high likelihood of magic flying items and flying mounts.

[Greywander]

Is that rule actually written somewhere for 5e? I know it was an AD&D 2e rule designed in part to discourage drinking multiple potions in too short a period.
Potion Mixing/Miscibility on page 140 of the DMG.

Protip: Use Mage Hand to mix the potions, so that if it explodes you're outside the blast radius.

You've only got a 1% chance of getting a permanent effect potion, and even then it might be the other potion you mixed it with. You could mix two potions of flying together to make sure if you hit that 1% it will be a flying effect, but then you'll need twice as many potions of flying.

That said, if you can set up a potion factory, this would allow you to get a lot of permanent bonuses (obviously at the cost of a lot of gold).

Edit: Oh, there was a second page. How did I miss that?

[Kane0]

Ask your DM if you can upcast Fly for a longer duration instead of more targets.

[Segev]

That all translates to flying speed. I said you could fly fast and he asked howI don't see in there how it lets you fly, only how it makes you faster. So you'd need flight from some other source. What source do you recommend to be able to use these to fly at speed at will/permanently?


That comes when you trip while running at that speed.
Oh! My mistake, how did I miss that? :smallwink::smalltongue:

[Aaedimus]

I don't see in there how it lets you fly, only how it makes you faster. So you'd need flight from some other source. What source do you recommend to be able to use these to fly at speed at will/permanently?


Oh! My mistake, how did I miss that? :smallwink::smalltongue:

True Polymorph into a Brass Dragon.
You'll be big permanently too. Also druid wildshape capstone, all of the other things that were mentioned.

True permenant flying is hard to come by by design. It can mess up with a DM's low level encounters. Even arakocra and Aasimar can be disruptive. You're definately going to have to wait till tier 2 or 3 minimum to get what you want.

[ArcylicPickle]

A question that's been bugging me for a while:

Is there any way to get the ability to fly permanently (like Vaarsuvius in The Order Of The Stick) that's consistent with rules from PHB and DMG for 5e?

Greetings :) 5e Wish spell?

[Person_Man]

I saw this movie. Your warlock needs to make a potion from the fat of an unbaptised male child.

It shouldn’t be too hard to find an unbaptized male child with extra fat at a D&D game.

I’ll just let myself out...

[Peelee]

The Mod on the Silver Mountain: Fly is not a Necromancy spell.