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Being something that is normally physically impossible is not always a good metric for something being supernatural. Ex abilities are allowed to break physics, they're just discouraged from doing so. Your example of giants is a perfect example of an implicitly-Ex ability that breaks physics.
That said, in this case of flight I believe the default is Ex if it uses wings and Su if it does not. Since demiliches do not have wings they would default to Su, which is also more appropriate to the creature anyhow. As such, AMF nukes their flight and they become useless.
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Lacking wings (or any equivalent mundane method of generating lift), it's not Extraordinary, it's Supernatural. Were the skull described as being full of some lighter-than-air gas, there could be some argument.
antimagic field is pretty much a spell that reduces a demilich to "a creature that complains that it can't do anything", because that's all it can do.
For the record, I went through this exact scenario with my Slumbering Tsar group. The demilich in question didn't much like the experience.
"The spell has no effect on golems and other constructs that are imbued with magic during their creation process and are thereafter self-supporting (unless they have been summoned, in which case they are treated like any other summoned creatures). Elementals, undead, and outsider are likewise unaffected unless summoned. These creatures' spell-like or supernatural abilities may be temporarily nullified by the field."
This is an odd case.. the entire ability of most undead to be mobile at all is inherently 'Su' - an animated skeleton has no surrounding musculature to actually move any of its form. AMF states that undead are 'unaffected', so skeletons would conceivably not just collapse into piles of immobile bones. I'd say it's clearly not RAI that a 6th level spell would immediately defeat a CR14 creature with no save, as a disembodied skull clacking it's jaw to bounce across the floor is obviously just as supernatural as the skull flying away. Similarly, a water elemental wouldn't immediately be turned into a puddle due to its bodily coherence being supernatural.
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The people saying "flight without wings is supernatural".
This sounds sensible, but is there a ruling for that anywhere? I can't find it in the UMR (Universal Monster Rules) nor in the definitions of Ex vs Su abilities in Core Rulebook.
It seems to me one just has to decide based on some personal preference whether or not the "physics" of the Pathfinder world allows wingless flight in the same way that, for example, it allows giants.
I'm I assume I'm correct that in:
(a) Under RAW (rules as written) the Demilich flight is not supernatural. I'd need a citation to believe otherwise. Is there one?
(b) People don't like "hover heads" and are houseruling it to be magical? (Which is not incorrect, and something you're allowed to do, so I'm not criticising you).
You won't find any RAW on this. AFAIK most natural fly speeds are never declared to be a specific type. Using wings as the measuring stick for splitting Ex from Su is the only thing we really have, otherwise it would be complete guesswork.
"The spell has no effect on golems and other constructs that are imbued with magic during their creation process and are thereafter self-supporting (unless they have been summoned, in which case they are treated like any other summoned creatures). Elementals, undead, and outsider are likewise unaffected unless summoned. These creatures' spell-like or supernatural abilities may be temporarily nullified by the field."
This is an odd case.. the entire ability of most undead to be mobile at all is inherently 'Su' - an animated skeleton has no surrounding musculature to actually move any of its form. AMF states that undead are 'unaffected', so skeletons would conceivably not just collapse into piles of immobile bones. I'd say it's clearly not RAI that a 6th level spell would immediately defeat a CR14 creature with no save, as a disembodied skull clacking it's jaw to bounce across the floor is obviously just as supernatural as the skull flying away. Similarly, a water elemental wouldn't immediately be turned into a puddle due to its bodily coherence being supernatural.
None of those things have a defined type, and Ex is the default for something inherent to a creature that is not otherwise defined (any other default would leave nearly the entire world vulnerable to AMF-kill). Flight, on the other hand, is defined. And it is defined as Ex or Su, which must mean that at least some forms of natural flight can be countered by an AMF.
This is an area where you need to put on your Big GM pants and make some decisions.
To help you adjudicate between something that's extraordinary and supernatural:
Supernatural Abilities: These can't be disrupted in combat and generally don't provoke attacks of opportunity. They aren't subject to spell resistance, counterspells, or dispel magic, and don't function in antimagic areas.
Extraordinary Abilities: These abilities cannot be disrupted in combat, as spells can, and they generally do not provoke attacks of opportunity. Effects or areas that negate or disrupt magic have no effect on extraordinary abilities. They are not subject to dispelling, and they function normally in an antimagic field. Indeed, extraordinary abilities do not qualify as magical, though they may break the laws of physics.
Now, what makes sense for the demilich? Only you can answer that for your game.
You may be confusing a giant's size and an eagle's wing because there exists a thing called natural abilities.
Natural Abilities: This category includes abilities a creature has because of its physical nature. Natural abilities are those not otherwise designated as extraordinary, supernatural, or spell-like.
Since flight is marked as either ex or su, it can't be a natural ability unlike a giant's size.
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This might be of some help, I looked up the Fly skill on the prd and found:
You are skilled at flying, through either the use of wings or magic,
Now, correct me if I am wrong, but anytime you fly you should be following the rules under the fly skill. They are very clear that there are only 2 ways to fly, wings or magic. Since the Demilich doesn't have wings, it is using magic.
Also of note it the description of the demilich it states
Glittering jewels encrust this leering skull as it floats up into the air on a swirling vortex of dust and shimmering magic
Which I guess you can choose to ignore because it is "fluff", but it actually states specifically that the demilich floats on magic...
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You won't find any RAW on this.I think I just have. The RAW states that AMF shuts down magical flight, and that demilich flight is not defined as magical. Therefore under RAW, it is unaffected. I think that under RAW you cannot prove otherwise (or my google-fu sucks).
Using wings as the measuring stick for splitting Ex from Su is the only thing we really have, otherwise it would be complete guesswork.It's not guesswork, since the rulebook seems clear :-) However I understand that people don't like it and want it to be "logical" and inventing a distinction based on wings vs wingless seems to be a acceptable compromise to many people (I can't find it in the rules, therefore it's invented). It's not wrong to houserule things in an RPG so don't see this as criticism.
I already countered the point you're basing this off of: Undefined natural capabilities have a default type of Ex. The ability to fly is defined as Ex or Su, but never states when it is one or the other. However, the fact that it is defined as "(Ex or Su)" means that the assumption that it must be Ex is overridden and we can't use the "skeletons don't deanimate" logic upon it. In other words, it IS defined that it MIGHT be magical, but not defined WHEN it is or isn't.
The Demilich does not become inert in the AMF (it can still speak and see), but its flight may or may not based on your call as a GM. If you want to say it's Ex, that's fine. If you want to say it's Su, that works too. Just be sure you're using some kind of consistent measure for determining which is which. I suggest using whether or not wings are used as it's simple and very obvious, but YMMV.
Jayder22 does bring up an excellent point that its fluff does support the idea that it's flight is magical, which would mean it is Su rather than Ex at least in fluff. Lacking any other defined RAW this would be good enough evidence for a solid ruling IMO.
TL;DR - You can't just ignore that the rules say Flight is sometimes Su. This is RAW. What isn't RAW is when it is Ex and when it is Su, that's a judgement call.
Demiliches clearly have nonmagical magnetic flight.
Demiliches clearly have nonmagical magnetic flight.
I think you meant antigravity flight as proven in Einstein's Theory of General Relativity as it applies to fantasy game settings because a) we totally understand gravity in the first place and b) General Relativity also absolutely applies to fantasy game settings.
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Only the following things can harm a demilich skull:
1. A forget spell or an exorcise spell will force the skull to sink down without taking away a soul.
2. A dispel evil spell inflicts 5 hit points of damage.
3. A shatter spell inflicts 10 hit points of damage.
4. A holy word spell inflicts 20 hit points of damage.
5. A power word kill spell, cast from a astral or ethereal arcane caster will destroy it.
6. A rogue slinging a gem found within the demilich's lair will inflict 1 hit point of damage per 10,000 gp value of the gem upon a successful hit, but the gem is shattered. Even misses must make a save vs crushing blow, or the gem is shattered from hitting a crypt wall.
7. A fighter with a vorpal blade can inflict damage on the demilich.
8. A ranger with a sword of sharpness, a vorpal blade, or a +5 weapon can inflict damage on the demilich.
9. A paladin with a sword of sharpness, a vorpal blade, a +5 weapon, or even a +4 weapon can inflict damage on the demilich.
Not in Pathfinder.
(1) The size of giants is "obviously" magical as it's physically impossible for them to exist otherwise in that form (surface to volume ratio, material strength and all that sciency stuff), but you wouldn't ask me to have antimagic field shrink giants. This is because it's innate to the Pathfinder world.
This is irrelevant. No fantasy world can stand up to a total application of all modern science.
(2) Demilich doesn't state its flight is magical, and therefore it's innate.
It's undead. "Golems and other constructs, elementals, outsiders, and undead, still function in an antimagic area (though the antimagic area suppresses their spellcasting and their supernatural and spell-like abilities normally)."
The flight of a demilich, if it is supernatural, can be disrupted. It's obviously not a natural ability ("This category includes abilities a creature has because of its physical nature. Natural abilities are those not otherwise designated as extraordinary, supernatural, or spell-like."), as it is just a skull, ultimately.
So here's the question: does a demilich fly with magic? It hovers on a "swirl of magic", so it's clear that that's the intent.
Antimagic would stop it's flight.
Does antimagic field prevent a demilich from moving?
I ruled "no". Half my players agreed. The other half did not.
Arguments for each side are as follows.
Not Allowing Movement:
(1) The demilich "obviously" flies magically, being just a skull. Therefore AMF will prevent its movement.
Allowing Movement:
(1) The size of giants is "obviously" magical as it's physically impossible for them to exist otherwise in that form (surface to volume ratio, material strength and all that sciency stuff), but you wouldn't ask me to have antimagic field shrink giants. This is because it's innate to the Pathfinder world.
(2) Demilich doesn't state its flight is magical, and therefore it's innate.
References:
http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/spells/antimagicField.html
Your reference links point back to this thread. The demilich does not say its flight is magical, but it does not have wings so it is likely magical. As for giants PF is a fantasy game, and does not follow real world physics. If it did then instead of shield protecting you from attacks by giants and dragons you would receive broken arms, if you were lucky.