Improving my existing Flight to enhance Manoeuvrability / Skill / Speed

[GeorgeT]

Hi All.

The details...
* I have an Aasimar with Angel Wings
* I'm a Sword and Board 12th Level Paladin of Iomedae.
* I'm wearing Mithral Fullplate (so get -3 on my Fly check and Poor Manoeuvrability)
* I'm using a Mithral shield
* I have the Craft Magic Arms and Armour Item Creation Feat

I'm trying to find a way of

1. Improving my Competence in Fly Skill by 10
2. Improve my Manoeuvrability by 1
3. Improve my Speed by atleast 10'

I'm aware of the Spell - Strong Wings and figure the easy option would be to get a Wand for 750 gp, but I have no skill points in UMD and given I have 2 skill points each level, it's going to take a while to get to a decent level.

I was thinking perhaps a Ring of Improved Flying (similar to Improved Swimming etc) and adding on Strong Wings. What I'm not sure about is:

1. Can you have the Strong Wings element permanent (no need to activate) and what would this cost
2. Can you have the Strong Wings element on say for a maximum of 10 rounds a day, like the boots of speed, and what would this cost
3. Is there a way of adding these features to say a Shield (given you can get a Winged Shield) and what would that cost.

I don't need a spell to fly as I already have wings, I just need to supplement what I already have.

Thanks
George

[avr]

Improving maneuverability is a problem. It may actually be easier to get an entirely different form of flight with a better base maneuverability than to improve your existing form; strong wings is a strix racial spell with a short duration.

On the other hand if you're making a new kind of magic item from scratch it's largely up to your GM anyway. There are no set answers to your questions 2 & 3, and the book example of 'when not to use the cost guidelines' is for a continuous item like that in your Q1. The base guideline for a continuous item would be spell level * caster level * 2 000 gp (presumably 1*1*2000 = 2 000 gp) but like I said, your GM is encouraged to go beyond those guidelines.

[Geruvurrda]

In ultimate equipment their is griffon mane, it's a special material that can be made into say, a scarf, or incorporated into a cloak or shirt, this gives a +2 competence bonus to fly for relatively little cost

Though I will say you usually don't need a super high fly skill or manueverability, dragon get by just fine as "clumsy"

unless you plan on flying in tornados, if weather is an issue there is a trait "storm pilot" that can refuse the effect of wind by one

Maybe check with your gm, if casting the fly spell on you can work to upgrade your manueverability, and maybe even give a boost to speed (see slipstream for a possible reference) or maybe a bonus on the fly skill checks, that's the great thing, is GM's can make rules, and honestly it would make sense, for something that has wings to fly better, when aided by magic, and that they would be able to fly better then someone who relies completley on magic

My 2 cents :D

[Geruvurrda]

Also if you, or someone else can take experimental wordcaster the "soar" word grants flight, but also gives an insight bonus on fly checks equal to have the caster level of the caster.

[Java Man]

The hover feat will take care of the most common fly check for flying melee types.

[GeorgeT]

Thank you all for your responses.

avr - Can a Strix racial spell be learnt by other races from say a scroll or spellbook. I would find it unusual that the only race out there who want to improve their manoeuvrability are the Strix.
Thanks for the Pricing guidelines.

Geruvurrda - some food for thought. Hadn't heard of the experimental wordcaster, will look into it.

Java Man - Worst case scenerio I'll ask my GM for a Ring of Improved Flying which he'll probably agree to at 10,000gp. That will cover off on the hovering me thinks.

[avr]

Can others learn a racial spell? Totally unclear. Some racial spells are secret lore which anyone can use if they get hold of it, some are linked to that races' innate magic or physiology and can't be used by others. Nothing indicates which is which. For whatever reason Paizo haven't published another spell which improves maneuverability.

[Meirril]

Just a quick notion. OP could get a headband of intellect +2 with UMD as its skill. A fairly cheap solution. Alternatively the +2 int ioun stone would work as well, but its more expensive.

[Thedmstrikes]

Meirril wrote:

Just a quick notion. OP could get a headband of intellect +2 with UMD as its skill. A fairly cheap solution. Alternatively the +2 int ioun stone would work as well, but its more expensive.

With this option, the skill selected scales with the character as the headband is attuned to a skill and has ranks in it equal to the level of the wearer. I would recommend Fly as the skill or taking a +4 option on the headband to get the second skill. Be advised that these ranks provided by the headband are not stackable with your character's ranks. Bonus, you also get a language for each +2.

In addition, it would not be out of the bounds of credulity to create a new magic item that increases a specific skill as there is already precedent for it. You would only need to compare the existing items to make the new one but it will require cooperation from your GM.

I also just remembered that there is a monster feat for improved flight, likely in a third party book as I am unable to find it on a Paizo site with a quick search.

Make your armor out of mithril to reduce the skill penalty (that is as expensive as a magic item for full plate).

[Cevah]

Don't sweat the Maneuverability as it is only a -4.

If you get the feat Skill Focus(Fly) that is a +3/+6 to the skill.

There is the Natural Flyer trait that gives +1 trait and class skill. [That is +4 since it is not a class skill for a Paladin.]
the Armor Expert and Armor Master traits also reduce the armor check by 1.
Get both with the feat Additional Traits.

The Hover feat allows skipping some fly checks.

Take the feat Unsanctioned Knowledge and grab the spell Greater Longstrider to get +10' on your fly speed.

Get a Magenta Prism (cracked) Ioun Stone to get a +2 Comp on one skill, changable once a day. Use it for Fly.

You could also go for the Nimble armor modification that will reduce the Armor Check penalty (and also the AC) by 1, but ups the max Dex mod by 2.

A headband of Int keyed to Fly will get you max ranks. If you already have a headband, the Scarlet and Blue Sphere Ioun Stone is more expensive but does the same thing.

/cevah

[GeorgeT]

Thanks all, and thank you Cevah for the detailed response. The Ioun stone sounds like the option for me.