Wind walk (many minor but potentially important questions)

[reefwood]

Quote:

Wind Walk

You alter the substance of your body to a cloudlike vapor (as the gaseous form spell) and move through the air, possibly at great speed. You can take other creatures with you, each of which acts independently.

Normally, a wind walker flies at a speed of 10 feet with perfect maneuverability. If desired by the subject, a magical wind wafts a wind walker along at up to 600 feet per round (60 mph) with poor maneuverability. Wind walkers are not invisible but rather appear misty and translucent. If fully clothed in white, they are 80% likely to be mistaken for clouds, fog, vapors, or the like.

I've always found this spell to be a bit ambiguous because it gives you a speed of 10 ft Fly (perfect) but also allows you to move up to 600 ft per round (poor). And in typing up this post, I also came across another point of possible confusion. I've broken this post up into a few sections.

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Wind walk is based off gaseous form. I never gave this too much thought, but it looks like this is only partially true. The physical changes (appearance, DR, immunities, action restrictions, etc) are based off gaseous form, but the fly speed is not. The reason I point this out is because gaseous form states that all Fly checks automatically succeed, but if that were also the case for wind walk, then maneuverability would not matter. However, this also means that the restriction from gaseous form of not being able to run is not a problem with wind walk. Does all this seem correct?

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Anyway, going back to speed... a speed of 10 ft Fly (perfect) means you can Hustle (x2) up to 20 ft per round. That part is very clear and moving at a Hustle has certain limitations - you can only do either for one hour before potentially taking damage.

But how does 600 ft per round break down? At first I thought it could be a speed of 300 ft Fly (poor), so a double move (Hustle) is 600 ft per round... but if this was the case, why doesn't it just list the other speed as 300 ft Fly (poor)? Or if you can Run, that would make for a base speed of 150 ft Fly (poor).

One possible explanation I recently noticed is a distinction in the wording. This could be a total fluke that isn't supposed to actually mean anything important, but it does sort of help it make more sense. The speed of 10 ft Fly (perfect) is the speed of the creature. The creature itself cannot move any faster than this. However, the faster speed of 600 ft per round is the result of a magical wind wafting the creature, so it seems as if the creature is riding the wind. Does this seem like a reasonable interpretation? I like this one, but it does bring up a couple other questions about riding the wind.

If the wind walker is riding the wind, does he not tire? For example, if the wind walker is flying himself, moving for more than 8 hrs will result in a Forced March. Does riding the wind avoid this?

Can the wind walker opt to ride the wind even when he flies only 10 ft or less? He would simply have a poor maneuverability instead of perfect. Though, I cannot think of an example where you would want to move this slow. Because if you are going to take the poor maneuverability, you may as well move as fast as you can.

If the windwalker is riding the wind while in combat, should actions be based on the mounted combat rules? For example, a wind walker can't make a physical attack or cast spells with components, but he could cast a spell without components or use a spell-like ability. Would that spell happen in the middle of his total movement that round, like with a wizard casting on a horse that is making a double move or run?

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Acrobatics: It seems that a vapor wouldn't have any problem moving through an opponent's square since it can squeeze through cracks. I have been allowing my players to do this, but they make an Acrobatics check to avoid the attack of opportunity (AoO). If they fail, they can still pass through the opponent's square, but they suffer the AoO. What do you think?

Although, now that I type this, I recall a thread where people gave the idea to handle tumbling while flying by making a Fly check with the same DC as the Acrobatics check. And the same thing for using a Swim check to tumble in the water.

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Stealth: Can a windwalker make a Stealth check while riding the wind? If so, it seems like his speed per round would drop down to 300 ft to make the check without penalty.

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Also, does maneuverability drop from perfect to poor as soon as you move more than 10 ft per move? That seems to be the case. That there is no middle ground between a speed of 10 ft (perfect) and up to 600 ft per round (poor).

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It takes 5 rounds to shift from solid to vaporform. At what point do the physical changes (DR, immunities, etc) kick in or kick out? If you start out as solid, do none of the boosts/restrictions kick in until the end of your 5th turn of changing? And would it be vice versa for doing the opposite change. If someone is in vaporform, does he retain the DR but remain unable to attack until the end of his 5th turn of resuming physical form?

[Diego Rossi]

My interpretation:

1) 10' speed with perfect manoeuvrability almost certainly is a artefact of the 3.5->Pathfinder conversion. In 3.5 both Gaseous form and Wind walk has a 10' speed and perfect manoeuvrability. The fly skill is a Pathfinder skill and didn't existed in 3.5.
Almost certainly the description of Wind walk wasn't updated correctly.

So it is 10' movement as described under Gaseous form. No hustle, no run.

2) 600' speed. No, I doubt you can speed down to get better manoeuvrability. You are riding a magical wind with a fixed speed, not moving by your own muscle power. For the same reason you shouldn't get physically tired. On the other hand think about a 8+ hours airplane flight and you will see how your voyage it is not so comfortable.

3) With poor manoeuvrability and high speed I would use the most disadvantageous limitations to cast a spell or use a spell like power.
So while using the 600'/round speed I would require the (N)PC to cast the spell/use the spell like power at the start of his move.
For sure I would not allow him to use the mounted combat rules to get a unanswerable attack in mid flight. No strafing runs.

If he is moving at 10'/round he is free to do as he wishes.

4) He should be capable of entering enemy squares and the fly check could conceivably allow him to avoid AoO, but in that situation he should not autosucced, even if he automatically succeed at the fly checks. I would say that using the normal DC for the acrobatics checks is fine (with the fly manoeuvrability modifier, in that situation at fly speed 10' he will have the +8 for prefect manoeuvrability).

5) I wouldn't allow a stealth check. In the right condition he can pass for a cloud. If the conditions aren't right he has a hard time hiding. He is moving with a 60 mph wind pushing him after all. It will be a "bit" noticeable.

6) AFAIK the bonus/restriction of reforming stay with you till the last round.
When going gaseous I would apply them the first round.

[reefwood]

Thanks for responding. That is an interesting explanation. That the difference in maneuverability is simply the result of the wind walk wording not being updated.

Although, this still doesn't explain why the two different speeds are worded differently (speed vs. per round). In 3.5, "a speed of 10 ft" still means you can move that distance with a single move action, so 20 ft per round with a double move (hustle). And neither spell in either version says anything about not being able to hustle.

As for the Stealth check, I intended this to happen under the proper conditions for Stealth. The creature would still need cover. Because, yes, if his misty form was seen zipping about, he would totally be noticed. But if he is moving behind cover or invisible, it seems like he can make a Stealth check, and half-speed would seem to be 300 ft while being carried by the magic wind.

Anyone else insight into this?

[Diego Rossi]

reefwood wrote:

But if he is moving behind cover or invisible, it seems like he can make a Stealth check, and half-speed would seem to be 300 ft while being carried by the magic wind.

My reasoning is that you can't use stealth while using the high speed because you are riding a strong wind that affect only you, your group and the immediately adjacent area.

In some very rare circumstance I have seen wind gusts affecting only a very small area, while I, at some distance, felt a way lower wind strength, but that is a rare occurrence and you notice it.

So the problem is not the character stealth capability, but that the other guy will notice the strong wind (remember, I don't think that you can slow down when using the 600'/round speed, so he is riding a 60 mph wind gust).

When using the 10' speed you can certainly use stealth.