Levitate spell and walking


Rules Questions

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Simple question.

You have levitate cast on you. Either you haven't made use of it or you've gotten back to ground level. Can you act on the ground normally or are you penalized by the levitate spell (treating the ground under you the same as the spell description says to treat walls and ceiling)?

Thanks.
-Xander


artofcheatery wrote:

Simple question.

You have levitate cast on you. Either you haven't made use of it or you've gotten back to ground level. Can you act on the ground normally or are you penalized by the levitate spell (treating the ground under you the same as the spell description says to treat walls and ceiling)?

Thanks.
-Xander

You would remain penalized as per the spell description for the remainder of the spell's duration.

Silver Crusade

The penalties in the spell description are for unusual modes of movement. You can walk along the ground as normal.


The Fox wrote:
The penalties in the spell description are for unusual modes of movement. You can walk along the ground as normal.

Hm - I just re-read the spell entry and I can't say you're wrong according to what's written. The spell description isn't very clear here...

Anyway, I'd rule that the weightlessness would cause issues in moving around, but that's based on how I imagine it would work.


I think I am with TheFox on this one........

if you are ABOVE the ground (AKA Levitating) then your movement is halved for weird horizontal movement and you get the penalties ......

BUT

if you are ON the ground (AKA NOT levitating) then you act normal

Margrave: Weightlessness? where did that come from?

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Thanks for the responses. Been a busy busy month.

This is what I and another player thought. Our GM disagreed and he's difficult to convince, so this was more for my piece of mind.
-X


*wiggling fingers (on keyboard) and mumbling incoherently*

RAISE THREAD!!!

Okay, now that I've brought this one back to life, I have a complex question on this subject.

First, let's assume the following: a) the creature is under the active effect of its own levitate spell, b) said creature is standing firmly on the ground, c) said creature has no other means of airborne movement (such as flight from any source), and d) the spell simply makes the creature unstable when off the ground, but not weightless.

If this creature were to run at full tilt and jump (say off a cliff, chasm, rooftop, whatever, etc), how would the active levitate spell affect this action? The spell states that "You can mentally direct the recipient to move up or down as much as 20 feet each round; doing so is a move action." It does not state anything about maintaining an existing elevation level, however. As such, could you theoretically mentally maintain an existing elevation level (say, for example, the peak height of the jump) as a free or swift action? Would that be reasonable? If so, how far would you be able to travel, horizontally, from the inertia generated by running and jumping, before the effects of friction based on wind-resistance and gravity pushing against your levitation "floor" would bring you to a stop? Would you effectively "slide" along and invisible "floor", or would mentally activating the levitation (to maintain existing elevation, not to ascend or descend) stop your horizontal movement, as if you had landed on a surface (albeit, an unstable one)? Would it be like landing on a Slip-n-Slide from a full run and jump, or like landing in a sand pit from a track and field long jump?

I don't believe there is RAW to support any given ruling on this, so I'm interested in knowing how other people would rule on this? I'm kind of leaning in the direction of the Slip-n-Slide/sheet of ice concept, because the spell makes the creature unstable when levitating, and I can't think of a better example.

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Rules Questions / Levitate spell and walking All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.