Flyer777's page

Aside from b~&#@ing about items that we didn't put days and weeks in designing, I think that I may have found one profoundly good rule of development that I hadn't thought of for a long time.

"If you are pondering if/how people are going to understand your message, do not write an additional paragraph describing it in a different way. Go back to your original headline/description/disclaimer and write what you want to say in as few words as possible."

When I was writing my item, I would take my draft to a different friend every time. If the questions they asked me was something that should be clear the first time, I rewrote it.

After seeing the number of items from RPG Superstar that have been published in one form or another, I have to say that formatting is the last thing I check on my list. I look for items that I can see one of my character's using and doing amazing or troubling things. I run a fair number of PFS games as well as my patented AP Weekends. So I do a lot of thinking about how this will affect game play.

My real concern so far is that so many items don't seem to think through the visual effects of their items. If I walk into a random town with a robe made of dead orphans, a hat made of mutilated angel feathers, and wielding a sword that appears to all people to be formed a thousand tortured dragon souls...how in the 9 hells can one expect to have any meaningful RP with the world around him.

I've read through SKR's advice threads and don't know where it comments on things such as this. But to all people who do this in the future: please remember that most characters are "mostly" decent. Touched in the head to be sure, but decent. Magic items have an opportunity to bring more options, both mechanically and creatively, into a players hand. Make it zing! Make me want it! If it does, I don't care if its written in Sanskrit! I'll run it through Google translator and vote for it anyway.

I have to admit that I have voted for several items that have almost no tactical value whatsoever. They just seemed like amazing things to enhance roll play and character.

Right Then... A Few Notes on Flying Mounts from a player perspective.
1. Don't recommend it until level 5 or 6 (7 if you have to wait for a mount to fit you.) until that point most flying creatures worth of mount status are sitting at fair or clumsy flying and with the average 180 being a DC 20 fly check plus any other environmental factors, the odds of falling to your death are high...very high.

2. Military Saddles. Hate to say it, but get tied in, its less damage to fall on the dead corpse of your best pal and thank him for it at his funeral than it is to thank him for it in the afterlife. That being said, this can conflict with a Ring of Feather Falling as it is a *I belive* at least a full round action to cut yourself out of it.

3. Feather Falling: This by no means releases the need for feather falling, as I have fallen out of a military saddle on more than one occasion. It took a few trips to the land of unconscious to get me on board that one.

4. Skill Focus Flying for your mount. Do This...Do it Now...and Don't stop putting ranks in it until its level 10 (garnering your mount a +6 bonus).

5. Wind: Think of your mount like a beautiful kite you have strapped your mortal coil into for kicks and giggles. Would you take it up in a Hurricane?...Thought Not. Although... a note for druids. The Cloak of Winds Spell can keep you airborne for combat in crappy conditions. Highly recommend keeping a few scrolls of that one handy.

6. Weight. Anything over a light load will keep your mount grounded. make sure you know what that is and adjust accordingly.

7. Charging: Charging is tricky until you get Ride by then it evens out nicely. Also.. The Wheeling Charge Feat from Cities of Golorian is an absolute must for 3D combat.

7. Try to get ahead of your GM in the rules and roles dept. I mean page numbers, requirements etc. It will make them more comfortable, and let you focus on the real reason you have a flying mount...Looking Freaking Awesome.