3 quick questions

[the_tick_rules]

1. Does spring attack work for flying or would you need flyby attacks?

2. If you were making a multi enchanted item as per MIC rules would you need boots of the mountain king if you had vanguard treads? the only thing I see mountain king boots having that vanguard might not is running or charging up and down hills. It mentions that specifically while vanguard is a little more nebulous.

3. Could you multi enchant a banner of storms eye on shoulders? it mentions you could strap it to your back and count it as a shoulder slot but that is not quite the same thing.

[Telonius]

1. The wording of the two feats is slightly different.

Spring Attack:

Prerequisites
Dex 13, Dodge, Mobility, base attack bonus +4.

Benefit
When using the attack action with a melee weapon, you can move both before and after the attack, provided that your total distance moved is not greater than your speed. Moving in this way does not provoke an attack of opportunity from the defender you attack, though it might provoke attacks of opportunity from other creatures, if appropriate. You can’t use this feat if you are wearing heavy armor.

You must move at least 5 feet both before and after you make your attack in order to utilize the benefits of Spring Attack.

Flyby Attack:

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.

Spring Attack doesn't specify the type of movement you're doing. So it would work whether the character's using a land speed, fly speed, swim speed, or whatever. It does have more prereqs and restrictions. (Feats, can't be wearing heavy armor, must be using a melee weapon, has to move at least 5 feet before and after attacking...). Flyby attack only requires a fly speed. So something like a Raptoran could take it at first level. But, Flyby Attack is not a Fighter Feat, and Spring Attack is; so if you're a Fighter you'd need to keep that in mind. It also only works when you're flying. If you're swimming or forced to walk, it doesn't function.


2. They're two slightly different items. Boots of the Mountain King do allow you to move at normal speed on an incline or stairs. Vanguard Treads don't have that feature, but have a couple of others that Boots of the Mountain King don't (unaffected by slippery surfaces, bonuses vs Bull Rush and being moved in a Grapple). Both items let you ignore difficult terrain. If either "move normally on inclines" or "ignore silippery surfaces/bonuses to Bull Rush etc" isn't something you care about, you could ignore it. Personally I wouldn't bother multi-enchanting Mountain King onto an existing Vanguard Treads, but if the DM uses those kind of checks often it could be worth it.


3. I would say that yes, you could. Aside from the description, the Body Slot line says "- (held) or shoulders," so occupying a shoulders slot is totally rules-legal thing to do. You could multi-enchant it just like you could any other item in the Shoulders slot.

[Biggus]

3. Could you multi enchant a banner of storms eye on shoulders? it mentions you could strap it to your back and count it as a shoulder slot but that is not quite the same thing.

Don't see why not, the default rule is that you can multi-enchant anything:

A creator can add new magical abilities to a magic item with no restrictions.

You can add new magical abilities to a magic item with virtually no restrictions.

The "virtually" part in the second quote refers to this:

It’s recommended that you add new magical abilities only to items that occupy the same body slot as the added effect would normally occupy.

As Telonius said, "shoulders" is an option in the body slot entry, so any ability which normally goes in the shoulder slot should be fine as far as I can see.

[tyckspoon]

Spring Attack doesn't specify the type of movement you're doing. So it would work whether the character's using a land speed, fly speed, swim speed, or whatever. It does have more prereqs and restrictions. (Feats, can't be wearing heavy armor, must be using a melee weapon, has to move at least 5 feet before and after attacking...). Flyby attack only requires a fly speed. So something like a Raptoran could take it at first level. But, Flyby Attack is not a Fighter Feat, and Spring Attack is; so if you're a Fighter you'd need to keep that in mind. It also only works when you're flying. If you're swimming or forced to walk, it doesn't function.

There's one other thing that potentially makes Flyby 'Attack' a superior choice - it doesn't actually limit you to an Attack. It allows you to break up your movement with a Standard Action, which could be a spell, activating a magic item, performing a Tome of Battle Strike, or using other special abilities. Much more flexible.

[GeoffWatson]

Fly-By Attack doesn't prevent Attacks of Opportunity, which is one reason you might want Spring Attack even though it has more prerequisites.

[KillianHawkeye]

It's a well-known fact that Spring Attack, Ride-by Attack, and Fly-by Attack all have weirdly different mechanics.