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If I am air stepping and step of a cliff what happens? Do I plummet and land (hard) 1 foot of the ground below? Or do I maintain altitude allowing me to cross a chasm or the like.
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This spell functions as air walk, except you can rise no higher than 1 foot off the ground, you cannot pass over liquid, and the air you walk on is less stable than solid ground. When walking on air, you ignore difficult terrain that is less than 1 foot high, you do not trigger effects based on weight (such as a pressure plate), and any creature trying to track you through areas you crossed with this spell takes a –10 penalty on its Perception or Survival check to do so. However, because of the instability of the air you walk on, your speed is reduced by 10 feet (to a minimum of 5 feet) and you take a –4 penalty on Acrobatics, Climb, and Ride checks.
If you have 1 rank in Fly, your speed is not reduced when using this spell, and you can cross over liquid at half speed. If you have 5 ranks in Fly, you can cross liquid at full speed and do not take the penalties to your skill checks.
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Also, I contend that this is intended to let you take the ranks in Fly to take better advantage of this. However, RAW say you need to be able to fly regularly in order to take ranks--but this isn't flying.
:-(
Should the spell duration expire while the subject is still aloft, the magic fails slowly. The subject floats downward 60 feet per round for 1d6 rounds. If it reaches the ground in that amount of time, it lands safely. If not, it falls the rest of the distance, taking 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet of fall. Since dispelling a spell effectively ends it, the subject also descends in this way if the air walk spell is dispelled, but not if it is negated by an antimagic field.
RAW: You fall to 1' above the ground. Take damage.
I would houserule that you fall at 60' per round until you reach the bottom, and land safely. The same way air walk (the parent spell) works if the effect is dispelled.
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Would like an official answer on the intent of this spell, been using and frustrated with it. As mentioned its 1 level below fly, but is awful with the above rulings.
It says you rise no more than 1ft above the ground, and does not say you drop. You're already unstable and movement is impeded. It states that it functions like air walk except the following, but DMs seem to rule that it locks you to 1ft above the ground arbitrarily.
I think theres a lot if assumptions in this thread inferring conclusions that the spell does not say and would prefer to know the intent.
Can you walk across open space? I would rule yes, because air walk allows you to.
Can you descend at a 45 degree angle, yes again.
Do you fall, no.
Can you ascend at a 45 degree angle, no, unless the ground rises, because you cant exceed 1ft above ground.
Simple.
Won't happen. Too busy with New 'n' Pathy!.
Frankly, based on the text of the two spells, I see no reason you wouldn't just fall all the way to the ground below and take full damage. Though a pedantic reading might let you walk horizontally over pits, cliffs ,or otherwise lowering land since you are technically not rising.
Have you ever used air walk?
Have you ever used air walk?
Yep.
And you rule that the characters fall?
RAW: You fall to 1' above the ground. Take damage.
No it doesn't, it doesn't state that anywhere.
It does not say you DROP or FALL in this spell OR in Air Walk to within 1ft of the ground.
It says you RISE no more than 1ft above the ground and it otherwise functions like AIR WALK, which does not drop you to the ground.
I believe the intent of this spell is to allow you to safely descend from an elevated position, like a champion, or to cross open space. The liquid/fly skill rule is weird, but whatever.
I also like the elevated attack bonus question for higher ground, but honestly I think that's pushing it.
Okay, I read it again and have changed my mind. The pedantic reading seems slightly less pedantic the more I consider the theme of the ability. (Though they really should have worded it less ambiguously!)
And you rule that the characters fall?
How my thought process went:
1. RAW reading with full context originally led me to believe that RAI is that a character using only air step is unable to step on air that is more than one foot off the ground.
2. "Pedantic" RAW reading says that technically there's nothing stating that a character can't step on air that is arbitrarily high off the ground so long as they don't "rise".
3. "Rise" is a point of contention--interpreting it depends on frame of reference. (See the distinction between definitions of altitude based on mean sea level versus local ground level.)
4. I don't care all that much what the designers wanted here, so I err on the side that's easier to adjudicate, which to me is "you can't step on air that is higher than you are unless it's within 1 foot of the ground with no liquid between". Then I don't have to worry about slopes, the ability to pass difficult terrain makes more sense instead of simply raising the bumpiness up by a foot, and so on.
TL;DR: I'd rule that they don't fall. Not entirely certain that either RAW or RAI is on my side, but it causes fewer headaches for both me and my players this way, and that's much more important than guesswork.
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"you can't step on air that is higher than you are unless it's within 1 foot of the ground with no liquid between".
Totally agree.
The reason I have to get official interjection on this is because my DM doesn't believe this spell keeps you elevated because Air Walk is a 4th level spell... however, it carries massive penalties, is 1 level below fly (as pointed out), and you can't ascend unless the ground does.
It's an uphill battle.
Best of luck.
I'd point out that levitate is also a 2nd level spell and trades duration and ease of horizontal movement for safety. Air step seems pretty balanced to me.
Thanks.
I'm now reviewing the "can not take fly skill ranks without a daily way to fly" argument. f-u pathfinder.
Air Step, requires 1-5 fly ranks, is intended for a land-based character; can't get fly ranks without a daily means of flight.
If I could fly, why would I take this spell? ugh.
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I don't believe you can stay more than 1' off the ground with this spell. Step off a cliff, you fall, simple.
It's a 2nd level spell. Air Walk is a 4th Level spell.
If you want to compare power level, Air Step is close to Waterwalk, which is also a second level spell. Each has its advantages -
Waterwalk lets you walk on liquids.
Air Step lets you walk 1' above a solid surface (not liquids). You bypass low level difficult terrain, don't trigger pressure plates and are hard to track. You lose a little speed but get the speed back with ranks in fly, but with the advantages that seems fair.
And you CAN take ranks in fly:
CRB sez - "Creatures can also take ranks in Fly if they possess a reliable means of flying every day (either through a spell or other magical manner, such as a druid’s wild shape ability)."
If you get this spell at 3rd level, you HAVE a reliable means of flying every day through a spell and can immediately take ranks in fly. In other words, anyone who gets this spell CAN take ranks in fly. As far as I'm concerned, any spell that requires the fly skill to use counts a flying for the skill, but I guess a GM is free to rule it the other way for his game.
Question, if it consistently hovers you 1ft abive the ground, why does difficult terrain stop you if it's over 1ft high?
Would you not simply be able to step up?
I believe it's meant to make you rise 1ft to walk along the "air walk plane", basically a "starting point".
Air walk drops you gently to the ground if it fails to work, at no point does either spell mention dropping.
I'm also a dm.
I don't believe you can stay more than 1' off the ground with this spell. Step off a cliff, you fall, simple.
It's a 2nd level spell. Air Walk is a 4th Level spell.
Air walk lets you ascend and is less risky in general. The ability to ascend is a huge difference in utility. That's why air step is lower.
Air walk lets you ascend and is less risky in general. The ability to ascend is a huge difference in utility. That's why air step is lower.
Agreed. Not to mention x10 in duration, full speed of travel, no flight ranks, no liquid rules.
Is it so weird that 3-4mins of unlimited horizontal movement is so "broken" at level 3-4, when at level 5 you get full flight???
I'm now reviewing the "can not take fly skill ranks without a daily way to fly" argument. f-u pathfinder.
Air Step, requires 1-5 fly ranks, is intended for a land-based character; can't get fly ranks without a daily means of flight.
If I could fly, why would I take this spell? ugh.
Bards, Clerics, Druids, and Rangers don't get fly but do get Air Step. You take what you can get.
As for ranks, neither Air Step nor Air Walk is flight. They cannot get you ranks in fly.
Raven's Escape is a 2nd level ranger spell that does give flight, but not until Ranger 7.
A Ring of Seven Lovely Colors is only 4000 gp. A character of 4th level should have 6000 gp according to WBL. If a PC wanted it, they could have regular flight at 4th level via a magic item. Earlier if they split the cost with another PC or get it as loot.
/cevah