Double Hackbut in the air

[Lurk3r]

In a recent thread asking for Strix character ideas, someone suggested a Strix gunslinger. This idea appealed to me, so I started brainstorming a build when I came upon a gray area. Firing a Double Hackbut or a Culverin without a support causes the wielder to be knocked prone. How would that work while airborne? Flying creatures cannot be tripped, but that's not really the same kind of effect as recoil.

Would the firer be knocked out of the air and immediately start falling? A Fly check to stay airborne as though in a high wind? Or are flying creatures just immune to recoil, making this build that much more interesting?

[Eridan]

Cant find RAW for this special case but on my table i would rule it in the following way:
This rule for natural flyer:

Quote:

Collision While Flying: If you are using wings to fly and you collide with an object equal to your size or larger, you must immediately make a DC 25 Fly check to avoid plummeting to the ground, taking the appropriate falling damage.

Magical flyer are knocked prone in the air and get the prone condition. Maybe they are turned up side down etc. and need a move action to find back their balance.

[Lurk3r]

Eridan wrote:

...on my table i would rule it in the following way...

I think I would too, if only because the 'knocked prone' thing is intended as a drawback. Being able to fly is advantageous enough without also negating it.

Still, if anyone could find something more concrete, I'd appreciate it.

[Seranov]

I don't have anything mechanical to add, but the concept of a birdman knocking himself out of the sky with his weapon is hilarious, and I totally approve.

Godspeed.

[Venomblade]

I like the idea that it knocks you 10 feat backwards. After a few shots you either have to use your move action to get back into touch AC range or start using Grit to increase your touch AC range. This would really balance out the action economy of a flying Hackbut wielder. Perhaps also get the "prone" condition!

[Archaeik]

This was essentially the question I was going to ask.

However, even if you can gain the prone condition while flying --(and let's suspend disbelief for a moment here, I recently ran across an undefined condition for swimming creatures as part of a SQ that I assume is intended to be "underwater prone", I think it was called "unbalanced")-- said condition would not affect your attacks since you can shoot a gun while prone; further, it would quite unreasonably increase your AC vs ranged attacks...

I think the suggestions made here are good ones, but also mostly unsupported by the existing rules.
Admittedly, this is the type of thing that would be well abused if left unchecked (although, how many GMs would allow Strix? :o ), but it would be nice to have more fleshed out mechanics.
3.5 may have some means of adjudicating this, but given the PF "streamlined" some of those things, it's somewhat difficult to reintegrate them.

[Ravingdork]

I'd treat it as being attacked while flying (DC 10 Fly check or lose 10 feet of altitude). There's no way the kickback has more of an impact then, say, getting shot or slashed.

[SAMAS]

Technically, it has the exact same impact as getting shot. It's called recoil. The difference is that the impact is spread over the area of the stock and not a tiny bullet.