[3.5] Need a Cheap Item-based Method of Long Flight

[balistafreak]

So, while DMs everywhere may cry, players appreciate not only the tactical advantages that flight brings (which at high levels becomes essential) but also the ability to traverse difficult terrain with ease and to ignore the harsh conditions of the wilderness.

I was flipping through my characters - some can Persist Fly, one can psionically manifest Overland Flight, and one uses chakra-bound Airstep Sandals.

I started statting up an Artificer before amusingly realizing that I had a problem - I couldn't find a good way for a mere 5th level Artificer to keep up with these characters. With 9000 gold and both Artificer craft-cheapening feats, going with the exchange rate of 5 gold to 1 XP, is there anything that can be crafted to keep up with such mobile characters, preferably in terms of hours per day?

The first thing I gravitated towards, the Broom of Flying, was a total flop - 17000 is almost twice the character's entire WBL. I need an item that serves a similiar purpose - but is either cheaper than 9000 (unlikely) or craftable with 9000 gold, remembering the 25% Artificer discount.

[PId6]

The cheapest flight "item" I can think of is the Feathered Wings graft from Fiend Folio, which costs 10,000 gp. However, the crafting feat requires 10 ranks in Heal, so you probably can't get it for a few levels.

Really though, I don't see why you absolutely need long-term flight at level 5. Overland Flight is likely not possible at this level while Airstep Sandals isn't very hard to catch up with. Get a wand or eternal wand of Fly to UMD and you should be fine. I can't imagine needing more flight than that at such a low level.

[Jack_Simth]

You might consider purchasing a Pegasus or, if you're light enough, using Charm Animal to convince a Dire Bat to let you climb on and go where you want.

[gallagher]

Ok, you know those light wooden shields that you big friendly fighter has been carrying around? Strap them to your arms parallel to the ground.

Next, make some sort of teeter-totter. Simple: a ten foot plank and a large rock for a fulcrum.

Now have the previously mentioned fighter carry everythig everyone owns for maximum effect. Have him drop onto the side of the teeter totter you aren't standing on.

You are now doing what buzz lightyear said is "falling with style". Don't forget to make airplane sounds with your mouth!

[Johel]

The first thing I gravitated towards, the Broom of Flying, was a total flop - 17000 is almost twice the character's entire WBL. I need an item that serves a similiar purpose - but is either cheaper than 9000 (unlikely) or craftable with 9000 gold, remembering the 25% Artificer discount.

If you create it yourself, isn't the Broom of Flying only going to cost you 8.500 gp and 680 XP ?

I don't know much about artificer but if you get a 25% discount, then it will only cost you 6.375 gp and 1.005 XP

Otherwise, ask the DM for a custom item.
Fly : 3rd level Spell, CL5
At-will (command word)
Allow you to fly for 5 minutes. Once the duration elapsed, you have to reactivate the item with a standard action.
1.800 x 3 x 5 = 27.000 gp = Price
27.000 x 0,5 = 13.500 gp = Cost of crafting
27.000 x 0,04 = 1.080 XP = Cost of crafting
13.500 x 0,75 = 10.125 gp = Cost of crafting after discount
1.080 + 675 = 1.755 XP = Cost of crafting after discount

[Greenish]

If you create it yourself, isn't the Broom of Flying only going to cost you 8.500 gp and 680 XP ?

I don't know much about artificer but if you get a 25% discount, then it will only cost you 6.375 gp and 1.005 XP

Otherwise, ask the DM for a custom item.
Fly : 3rd level Spell, CL5
At-will (command word)
Allow you to fly for 5 minutes. Once the duration elapsed, you have to reactivate the item with a standard action.
1.800 x 3 x 5 = 27.000 gp = Price
27.000 x 0,5 = 13.500 gp = Cost of crafting
27.000 x 0,04 = 1.080 XP = Cost of crafting
13.500 x 0,75 = 10.125 gp = Cost of crafting after discount
1.080 + 675 = 1.755 XP = Cost of crafting after discount

Can you make it take a body slot to make it cheaper?

[Johel]

Can you make it take a body slot to make it cheaper?

In this version, it already takes a bodyslot.
Which one is to be decided by your DM.

[balistafreak]

A 5th level Artificer cannot make a Broom of Flying, because emulating Overland Flight (a spell required to craft it) requires a caster level of 9. While Artificers do get a +2 caster level bonus to determine what they can make (although not to the strength of the item) this only gets up to 7th level, which is insufficent.

The custom item you detailed is what I initially tried to build before throwing my hands up in despair - 10000 is above a 5th level character's WBL of 9000.

I like Gallagher's suggestion, though.

In all seriousness, it's not that flight is required at that level - I just thought it'd be cool to get early level longterm flight.

Although I do have one question: how is Airstep Sandals "not very hard to catch up with"? A 6th level Incarnate with Expanded Soulmeld Capacity on Chakrabound Airstep Sandals can have a fly speed of 40 (perfect), and still have enough essentia to fuel something like Acidic Spittle while Flyby Attacking. Make the Incarnate a Warforged and you can use the run option indefinitely to essentially have a fly speed of 80 (albeit in a straight line) which is pretty good for overland travel. That's pretty bloody hard to catch at that level.

[Greenish]

Although I do have one question: how is Airstep Sandals "not very hard to catch up with"? A 6th level Incarnate with Expanded Soulmeld Capacity on Chakrabound Airstep Sandals can have a fly speed of 40 (perfect), and still have enough essentia to fuel something like Acidic Spittle while Flyby Attacking. Make the Incarnate a Warforged and you can use the run option indefinitely to essentially have a fly speed of 80 (albeit in a straight line) which is pretty good for overland travel. That's pretty bloody hard to catch at that level.

Run is move speed x4, so wouldn't that be 160 feet per turn (assuming Airstep Sandals allow you to "Run" when flying).

Giant Eagle has 80 feet speed, so it can catch up with a double move. Don't know how much one would cost though, so Handle Animal Diplomacy for the win.

[Edit]: Oh yeah, magical beast.

[PhoenixRivers]

Halfling Druid with Dire Eagle familiar?

[Havelock]

There's a ritual in magic of ebberon that grans flight, iirc, costs you money and some HP iirc.

[Draken]

Alter self to change into something like... An Avariel (winged elf) is probably your cheapest option. It chips off one spell level and two caster levels from the cost of crafting the item, it will also last 30 minutes per use compared to Fly's 5 minutes. So less upkeep.

A comand word item of Alter Self would cost 10800 gp. Or 5400 gp to craft and 1080 xp.

with your feats: 4050 gp and 810 xp to craft. At will.

It is, of course, Alter Self, so it counts as polymorph cheese.

[Greenish]

Giant Eagle has 80 feet speed, so it can catch up with a double move. Don't know how much one would cost though, so Handle Animal Diplomacy for the win.

[Edit]: Oh yeah, magical beast.

Silly me, right there at SRD:

Training A Giant Eagle
Although intelligent, a giant eagle requires training before it can bear a rider in combat. To be trained, a giant eagle must have a friendly attitude toward the trainer (this can be achieved through a successful Diplomacy check). Training a friendly giant eagle requires six weeks of work and a DC 25 Handle Animal check.

Riding a giant eagle requires an exotic saddle. A giant eagle can fight while carrying a rider, but the rider cannot also attack unless he or she succeeds on a Ride check.

Giant eagle eggs are worth 2,500 gp apiece on the open market, while chicks are worth 4,000 gp each. Professional trainers charge 1,000 gp to rear or train a giant eagle.

So, 3, 500 gp, exotic saddle and some patience.

[Draken]

Ah, wait, here is the cheapest of all. Given to us directly by either Mr. Burlew or his friend Jason Bulmahn. The Trapsmith (Dungeonscape) can cast Gaseous Form as a 1st level spell, with a caster level of 1.

So 2000 gp (market price) for a User Activated or Continuous item of Gaseous Form, and 1800 gp for a Command Word.

It literally can't get any cheaper.

Or cheesy, then again not that cheesy because Gaseous Form flight speed is a puny 10 feet.

[tyckspoon]

Although I do have one question: how is Airstep Sandals "not very hard to catch up with"? A 6th level Incarnate with Expanded Soulmeld Capacity on Chakrabound Airstep Sandals can have a fly speed of 40 (perfect), and still have enough essentia to fuel something like Acidic Spittle while Flyby Attacking. Make the Incarnate a Warforged and you can use the run option indefinitely to essentially have a fly speed of 80 (albeit in a straight line) which is pretty good for overland travel. That's pretty bloody hard to catch at that level.

Because it's not, technically speaking, a flight speed, and it's not equivalent to Overland Flight or the Fly spell. What you get out of Airstep Sandals is the ability to use a move action to fly, on a 1-round basis. The major mechanical distinction is that true Flight abilities will let you end your turn mid-air, while Airstep Sandals bring you back down to the ground- if you're not on solid support after your Airstep flight, you fall. While still useful for skipping over ground-based hazards and tactical movement, it doesn't grant the "I never need touch the ground unless I happen to feel like it" and "I hover 30 feet above your head dropping rocks/spells/arrows/laughing at you" powers you get from other flight methods. (Also the specific wording of Airstep Sandals seems to disallow using Run- it's a special Move action "use Airstep Sandals to fly", not a typical move action of "move X distance based on your speed", which is what the Run action is based on. Can't Run with a flight move unless you have an actual Flight Speed.)

[gallagher]

Ah, wait, here is the cheapest of all. Given to us directly by either Mr. Burlew or his friend Jason Bulmahn. The Trapsmith (Dungeonscape) can cast Gaseous Form as a 1st level spell, with a caster level of 1.

So 2000 gp (market price) for a User Activated or Continuous item of Gaseous Form, and 1800 gp for a Command Word.

It literally can't get any cheaper.

Or cheesy.

i dunno, my method only requires you to pay for two shields and 10 feet of wood, and you can pick shields up from various low level encounters. i find that mine is cheap, cheesy, and incredibly funny the first time that you do it.

it is also an easy way to dispose of a character that you dont feel like playing anymore. strap yourself with lots of alchemist fire, oil, and bottles of alcohol and you are now a kamikaze. that might jack the price up a bit, though

[PId6]

Because it's not, technically speaking, a flight speed, and it's not equivalent to Overland Flight or the Fly spell. What you get out of Airstep Sandals is the ability to use a move action to fly, on a 1-round basis. The major mechanical distinction is that true Flight abilities will let you end your turn mid-air, while Airstep Sandals bring you back down to the ground- if you're not on solid support after your Airstep flight, you fall. While still useful for skipping over ground-based hazards and tactical movement, it doesn't grant the "I never need touch the ground unless I happen to feel like it" and "I hover 30 feet above your head dropping rocks/spells/arrows/laughing at you" powers you get from other flight methods. (Also the specific wording of Airstep Sandals seems to disallow using Run- it's a special Move action "use Airstep Sandals to fly", not a typical move action of "move X distance based on your speed", which is what the Run action is based on. Can't Run with a flight move unless you have an actual Flight Speed.)

Pretty much.

You don't actually get a fly speed through it; you are allowed to spend a move action to fly once per round, that's it. With 40 ft flight, that means that the incarnate is moving 10 ft more than you each round if you both take double move actions; hardly a noticeable difference. And if there's room to run, you'll actually move much faster than the one with "flight".

[Human Paragon 3]

Brew potions of fly or overland flight until you can afford a more permanent solution?

[glennfrogknight]

Reduce person + ride along with one of the fliers.

[Escheton]

making and item race, class, gender, stat and/or alignment specific knocks a fair share of the price off.

[Greenish]

making and item race, class, gender, stat and/or alignment specific knocks a fair share of the price off.

Can you stack those?

[balistafreak]

You don't actually get a fly speed through it; you are allowed to spend a move action to fly once per round, that's it.

This is correct. I am wrong. Well, so much for that idea. The "cheese" reading still allows you to fly around without touching the ground, though, so it isn't useless, just nerfed.

As for stacking specific item requirements... where are the rules for those? Making an item customized to a specific person seems like it would make it possible to craft said Broom of Flying.

[Darrin]

Winged Mask (Magic of Faerun p. 168) has unlimited flight for only 13000 GP.

There's another method, but it's a bit dodgy...

Start with a large spiked shield +1, add the Flying property (+1 enhancement, Magic of Faerun p. 140), which gives it a 30' fly speed as an animated object. Add the Sizing property for +5000 GP, and turn it into a colossal-sized flying surfboard. Priced as a +2 weapon, it still comes in around 13000 GP, but... hey, flying surfboard!

[Fizban]

Craft an Effigy Creature of your flying mount of choice. Hippogriff, Pegusai, Giant Eagle/Owl/Raven, Dire Eagle, etc. Hippogriff is the cheapest with 3HD, it'll cost you 8,000gp to build before feat reductions and flies at 100' average. You just need Craft Construct. Most of the cost is from the non-magical body so it won't even cost you very much xp. Obviously you won't want it's fragile self in combat, or if you must make sure to buff it first. And buy it some Masterwork Studded Leather or Mithril Chain Shirt barding as soon as you can.