What the title says (in particular, the 'floating above the ground' part). I really like the sound of this ability, but aside from letting me walk over liquids, this ability really doesn't tell you anything about what it does.
For reference:
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Lure of the Heavens (Su)
Your connection to the skies above is so strong that your feet barely touch the ground. At 1st level, you no longer leave tracks. At 5th level, you can hover up to 6 inches above the ground or even above liquid surfaces, as if levitating. At 10th level, you gain the ability to fly, as per the spell, for a number of minutes per day equal to your oracle level. This duration does not need to be consecutive, but it must be spent in 1-minute increments.
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At fifth level, I am floating six inches above the ground. Exactly what does this mean to my character? Obviously, I don't set off pressure-plates and some other traps... but do I still take falling damage? If not, do I land prone? Is this essentially feather fall?
I can probably walk over caltrops or ice without difficulty, but what about dense rubble? Light undergrowth? Do I still take penalties for moving up a slope? Is this ability even meant to help me deal with difficult terrain at all? The description doesn't mention anything about difficult terrain.
If I activate this ability underwater, do I float above the sea floor? Do I rise to the surface?
Can I still be attacked by landbound swarms (say, a centipede swarm)?
Do I gain height advantage against other creatures my size category?
Can I be tripped? If so, do I land prone on the ground, or do I float above the ground in a prone position?
It seems to be implied that this effect mimics the levitate spell in some way. Do I take penalties for attacking while using it, or does that reference only refer to my ability to float above liquid surfaces?
The ability says I "can" hover. Should I assume that this ability a free action to activate? Or, as a supernatural ability, is it a standard action to activate or dismiss?
So many questions. : /
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This looks like a whole lot of DM judgment calls, so here's how I would call them:
do I still take falling damage? If not, do I land prone? Is this essentially feather fall?
Yes, you can still fall and hit the ground. In this case, I think of it like you were floating on 6 inches of water: it's OK as long as you float calmly, in which case you'll never hit bottom, but if you jump around, or fall, you'll splash through the 6 inches of water, hit bottom, then rise back to float on the surface.
At least, that's how I see it, but using air instead of water.
I can probably walk over caltrops or ice without difficulty,
Agreed
but what about dense rubble? Light undergrowth?
As long as the rubble/undergrowth is less than 6 inches tall. Again, think of water. If you are a leaf, floating on the surface of water, you would float right over anything under the surface, but stuff sticking up out of the water could still get in your way and impede your progress.
Do I still take penalties for moving up a slopw?
Yes. The water analogy doesn't work well on a slope, but with or without the Lure of the Heavens, moving up a slope requires your muscles and your entire body to fight gravity. A real Levitation spell lets you magically ignore gravity, but the Lure of Heavens does not. Going up a slope, or going up or down a staircase, is exactly as much effort for you with this ability as it is for anyone else.
Is this ability eveb meant to help me deal with difficult terrain at all? The description doesn't mention anything about difficult terrain.
Back to the leaf on the water - if the imaginary 6 inches of water is deep enough to let the leaf float over the rough surface under the water, then I would allow you to ignore the rough terrain. Otherwise I would not.
If I activate this ability underwater, do I float above the sea floor? Do I rise to the surface?
I would day 'yes' to floating above the sea floor. The ability doesn't say anything about distinguishing between dry land up on the shore and wet land on the sea floor, so I would treat them exactly the same.
But I would say 'no' to rising to the surface. In this case, I would treat your ability like you had boats on your feet. As long as you are above water when you activate it, you can move across the water without actually touching the surface.
But if those boats 'sink', i.e., if they are under water when you activate the abiltiy, then they won't automatically float. I.e., no emergency escape shuttle to the surfact for you.
Can I still be attacked by landbound swarms (say, a centipede swarm)?
Logically, no, they shouldn't be able to reach you. However, giving you a free pass against any monsters seems to overpower this ability, even if just a little.
So I would arbitrate that swarms can see/smell/sense you, and would jump for their food, or clamber on top of each other to form little hills of bugs that are at least 6 inches tall (the swarm scene in the latest Indiana Jones movie comes to mind). Oozes can "splash" themselves just high enough to reach you, etc.
Maybe, cinebatically, I might give you a pass on this kind of stuff from time to time, but also, I might not. As a DM, I would expect that you get enough flavor use, and some utility use, out of this ability that getting to automatically defeat some encounters/hazards is beyond the intent, and therefore I wouldn't feel bad about finding ways for those situations to overcome your ability. At least sometimes.
Do I gain height advantage against other creatures my size category?
No. If I open that can of worms, then the 6'6" barbarian will want height advantage over the general 6' tall human/orc population, and against all dwarves, goblins, kobolds...
When you get down to it, height advantage lies in having your shoulders higher than your opponents, so you are striking down at them, putting gravity to work for you and against them. It also raises your vulnerable head higher, making it less of a target, while it only makes their feet less of a target for you. Mechanically speaking, I would make it apply for you just as much as I make it apply for tall people, which is to say, not applied.
Can I be tripped? If so, do I land prone on the ground, or do I float above the ground in a prone position?
You fall, you hit the ground, then you rise back up. Same answer as I gave for falling damage.
It seems to be implied that this effect mimics the levitate spell in some way. Do I take penalties for attacking while using it, or does that reference only refer to my ability to float above liquid surfaces?
I think the reference to Levitate was more of a fluff reference to sort of set the scene, as it were. If they wanted you to take the Levitate penalties, I am sure they wold have explicitly stated them.
The ability says I "can" hover. Should I assume that this ability a free action to activate? Or, as a supernatural ability, is it a standard action to activate or dismiss?
It is a supernatural ability, as you point out, so I would apply all the rules to supernatural abilities unless directly contradicted by the exact text of Lure of the Heavens. Since the activation time is not contradicted, it should take a standard action to activate.
