Fellow DMs, I'm hoping to pick your brain about PCs who play races with a flying ability, such as aarakocra. Do you find this ability to be inherently too overpowered and unbalanced for the game? I know it can be a bit of a sensitive subject to broach, as most players (including myself when I play) enjoy an aerial-based character - who wouldn't? I am just wondering from a DM perspective how other DMs handle this in times when flying becomes a serious "get out of jail free" card. Which, by the way, can be very often.
My main question is: How do you balance the danger for the party, and the flying PC in particular, when the PC can simply fly up and out of their current predicament? In combat, what stops a flying character from just flying 120-600 feet up in the air and attacking at range from there (ie. cantrips, longbows, etc.)? I mean, of course they are going to use that utility if they have it, but I find that it spoils the encounter. And, even if the player doesn't realize it, such a tactic dilutes the overall sense of danger and thrill of the game.
"Oh, there's a war party of Gnolls coming toward us? My character flies 250 up in the air and just picks them off one by one with his longbow."
Things like this become a real buzzkill. Even scouting becomes mundane. The stealthy rogue that takes point ahead of the party, moving from cover to cover behind the trees in order to get a sense of what lies ahead is great - its immersive, involves skill checks, and has its limits. But what of the flying PC with a 360 degree aerial view? There can't really be any surprises out in the wilderness. Which, again, is a BUZZ KILL. The scout rolling a Nat 1 on stealth and being caught in an ambush adds a level of grittiness to the game and raises stakes in a fun way. Flying characters seem to erase all of that...
Obviously this does not become a concern indoors but for campaigns that involve lots of wilderness travel, like my campaign, there can be several weeks or even months of sessions before the PC's encounter combat indoors.
If not a roof, some trees will do the trick. And the gnolls will have bows, too, while the flying PC is just hanging up there with no cover or allies to draw any of the attacks. Which also applies to scouting. If the flying pc can see the enemies, they can see the pc. And there’s nothing to hide behind in the sky. Or the gnolls have a caster who hits the flying PC with a sleet storm, and if you fall prone while flying 120 feet up, there’s 12d6 falling damage. Don’t do that every time, but once in a while something to knock them prone, just to make them think about it.
Alright, so a player comes up with a character concept and asks to play as a flying race. Here’s what you do:
1. Ask the player WHY they want to play a flying character. Is it for the flavor? Some inherent roleplaying tool? Is it for the flying speed?
2. Explain to the player the tumultuous history and reputation of players power-gaming with flying races. Help them understand what those bad behaviors look like, why they are bad, and why unfortunate DMs are often forced to build their campaigns around such characters to kill off those behaviors. You can also explain that many flying races, such as Aarakocra or Winged Elves, often don’t fit into most settings.
3a. If the player is a kind, understanding, reasonable human being and promises to not exploit the flying speed, and you check in regularly, you can allow the flying race.
3b. If the player is a power-gamer or other unfortunate stereotype that should never be handed a winged race, you have the right to preserve your sanity and ban flying races.
The best way to balance a player is for the player to balance their behavior. That may sound like wishful thinking, but good communication is a surefire way for good players and good DMs to get along, unrestricted.
If not a roof, some trees will do the trick. And the gnolls will have bows, too, while the flying PC is just hanging up there with no cover or allies to draw any of the attacks. Which also applies to scouting. If the flying pc can see the enemies, they can see the pc. And there’s nothing to hide behind in the sky. Or the gnolls have a caster who hits the flying PC with a sleet storm, and if you fall prone while flying 120 feet up, there’s 12d6 falling damage. Don’t do that every time, but once in a while something to knock them prone, just to make them think about it.
This👆, not to mention that anything that reduces a creature’s speed to 0 also knocks them outta the air. A flying enemy with hold person is very effective.
Fellow DMs, I'm hoping to pick your brain about PCs who play races with a flying ability, such as aarakocra. Do you find this ability to be inherently too overpowered and unbalanced for the game?
No. If anything, flight speed is akin to a glass cannon: it's powerful so long as nothing interferes with it. The Dungeon Master can and should interfere with it.
In combat, what stops a flying character from just flying 120-600 feet up in the air and attacking at range from there (ie. cantrips, longbows, etc.)? I mean, of course they are going to use that utility if they have it, but I find that it spoils the encounter. And, even if the player doesn't realize it, such a tactic dilutes the overall sense of danger and thrill of the game.
"Anything the PCs can do, NPCs can do (better)."
Pit them against other flying creatures (I recommend a random table so not to emotionally clip their wings): as they're in the air they've just attracted a manticore (or other appropriate flight-based creature) who was searching for dinner or protecting their nest, and this lone, distracted adventurer sure looks mighty tasty. On the player's turn they have to choose between splitting the party or adding an additional threat to the ground battle, and D&D is not a game for solo players. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
Not every creature is going to have ranged capabilities, an obvious (but necessary to mention in this topic) counter, so you could add more of them for those on the ground. Packs of enemies. Going into the air is one thing, but dangling oneself above a pack to distract, risking attack could be much more useful than essentially being an aerial turret that puts the other members in danger. Even then, the sheer triviality of it may be off-putting: there's only so many times you can shoot helpless wolves before you want to take more risk. If they enjoy that I recommend they play an MMO instead of D&D, they'll get far more kills in the time it takes to get to their turn in combat.
Weather effects can also prove nasty: fog reduces visibility, heavy rain might affect flight and aim, and you've got to be careful of thunderstorms especially if you're wearing metal (there's probably few armours in the game that are light and metal, but a metal weapon...). Can the aerial person see their allies if they need more specific help like a retreat covering, a character being stabilised or dragged away? How do they hear suggestions or commands?
"Oh, there's a war party of Gnolls coming toward us? My character flies 250 up in the air and just picks them off one by one with his longbow."
The gnolls shoot back. They wouldn't be much of a war party if they didn't have such ability. Oh, and their shaman had their Weetabix this morning, enjoy all the saving throws you've got to make versus 20d6 of fall damage. Once they take their first hefty amount of fall damage, they'll find their pilot license only takes them ever so slightly off the ground.
Things like this become a real buzzkill. Even scouting becomes mundane. The stealthy rogue that takes point ahead of the party, moving from cover to cover behind the trees in order to get a sense of what lies ahead is great - its immersive, involves skill checks, and has its limits. But what of the flying PC with a 360 degree aerial view? There can't really be any surprises out in the wilderness. Which, again, is a BUZZ KILL. The scout rolling a Nat 1 on stealth and being caught in an ambush adds a level of grittiness to the game and raises stakes in a fun way. Flying characters seem to erase all of that...
An aerial scout in a world where aerial races and flying spells exist, guards will also look out for them. And the aerial character will probably be found long before they can zero in on what's on the ground. If they're caught, the enemy gets so much time to prepare for a land and air assault, the air assault being something that could've been a useful surprise to the party. This is ignoring all the other advice about visibility. What about darkness? Aarakocra and Fairies have no darkvision, meaning they have every penalty to perception checks; even Aasimar will suffer a penalty trying to see in dim light.
What about sound? How loudly do wings flap to maintain a position? If they're circling, it's going to be obvious that's no bird watching them.
~
It's not difficult to counter a flying creature, just remind them of all the drawbacks (visibility, fall damage, the DM being God Almighty, ranged attackers) and they might shy away from it. Expect them to either swap out later, or see flight as an infrequent nice-to-have.
Zero is the most important number in D&D: Session Zero sets the boundaries and the tone; Rule Zero dictates the Dungeon Master (DM) is the final arbiter; and Zero D&D is better than Bad D&D.
"Let us speak plainly now, and in earnest, for words mean little without the weight of conviction."
I had a similar issue when a new player was eager to play an Averiel (winged elf). The party were 3rd level at the time and I had the same concerns about the player having an unfair advantage during battles. My solution? I told her she was too weak to carry another character and I played the first couple of adventures indoors/underground. There were still opportunities for her to fly but she wasn't unfairly advantaged every battle.
I would have to consider it from the point of view of the game.
For example, I have an adventure which features climbing up a scaffold whilst fighting people off, and it's low enough level that nobody has Fly yet. I would not be happy to allow a flying race, as they would invalidate the challenge of this whole section, whilst leaving the party behind.
As an alternative, you can simply say "I won't allow any flying race character in games below level 5", because (IIRC) level 5 is when Fly becomes an option, so you can have any character flying, and need to plan for it. Tier 2+ is ok for flying characters.
This only a problem in Adventure League where some modules were written when flying at Tier 1 was not allowed. Hey if they are out range, focus fire on the ones which appear to have the least amount of AC or HP.
I would have to consider it from the point of view of the game.
For example, I have an adventure which features climbing up a scaffold whilst fighting people off, and it's low enough level that nobody has Fly yet. I would not be happy to allow a flying race, as they would invalidate the challenge of this whole section, whilst leaving the party behind.
As an alternative, you can simply say "I won't allow any flying race character in games below level 5", because (IIRC) level 5 is when Fly becomes an option, so you can have any character flying, and need to plan for it. Tier 2+ is ok for flying characters.
If a player has their PC abandon the party in a clutch situation, the party will likely address the issue. It has nothing to do with flight whatsoever, it’s ethics, and the other players will have something to say about it so the DM shouldn’t have to.
All great feedback. I have employed several of the options mentioned above, so I am glad there is consensus on how others deal with situations like this. I suppose my initial thinking in making this post was to gauge whether or not employing anti-fly tactics would be construed as "targeting" a player, which I do not do. I always maintain a completely immersive mindset for any enemy encounters. But, you are correct. For everything that a flying PC can do, there are also immersive drawbacks.
All great feedback. I have employed several of the options mentioned above, so I am glad there is consensus on how others deal with situations like this. I suppose my initial thinking in making this post was to gauge whether or not employing anti-fly tactics would be construed as "targeting" a player, which I do not do. I always maintain a completely immersive mindset for any enemy encounters. But, you are correct. For everything that a flying PC can do, there are also immersive drawbacks.
I appreciate the responses!
It sounds like you've got a handle on the most important guidelines already. Make the encounters feel varied, natural, and unique. And don't make the player feel targeted. There's a lot of good suggestions in this thread too.
If we're being completely honest, flying is pretty strong. There are a number of powers or combinations that can completely change encounters. I have an assassin/hexblade in my current game that can put out extremely high damage in a few turns of combat with sneak attack smites. The player didn't make this character with the intention to power-game. He genuinely felt like his role in the party was to be the damage dealer, and that he was initially letting the group down. So he worked hard to find ways to protect his friends and do what he felt his job was for the team. He loves his character, and I do too. And he still feels like he needs to be stronger for the party. Because I have hopefully made the encounters retain enough tension and danger to make it feel like they aren't always steamrolling them.
But I won't pretend it's not a lot of work. I have to consider his capabilities in every adventure. That means having enough non-combat encounters like puzzles and traps to use some of his resources. Thinking hard about combats. Varying the environments and types of monsters.
The party is fighting monsters well above their level range sometimes. I've created some monsters that heal every round. I have some fights where every enemy is kind of weak, so the bust damage isn't as useful all the time. And I also give him plenty of opportunity to use his build exactly as he intended. He has a cool concept, and he shouldn't be frustrated all the time if it doesn't work.
You also have to check in with your other players and make sure they don't feel like one character is stealing the spotlight too much. You have to build encounters where their abilities get to shine too.
Putting that extra effort into building a campaign can be challenging for sure. It's genuinely worth talking about the challenges like this. It can also be very rewarding to both the players and the DM. It can make you get more creative with the combats, and that makes the world feel more alive and real. I've had to come up with combats that are so much more interesting than I might have thought of if every character was the same.
So for any DM reading this that is worried you might not have enough experience to balance all of these things, it's totally okay. You can tell the player honestly that you don't feel like you're ready yet for a certain ability that changes the game so much. But I do encourage trying it out when you get the chance. When done thoughtfully, it helps you grow as a DM and gives your players new ways to have fun. And don't be discouraged if you make a few mistakes. It's really okay if your players absolutely stomp an encounter sometimes. It's part of the fun for them, and rewards their decisions. And if you really start to struggle, or they feel too targeted, you can have a conversation and adapt together as a team.
Well said. I definitely do agree that a PC should be able to shine and it is no secret that flying is a very strong attribute in the game. You're right about the challenge too. I'm essentially a "forever DM", which is obviously because I love it and the players enjoy my games, so I look forward to the challenge and creative exercises when it comes to developing and balancing encounters. Usually I have no qualms about anything, since a DM has unlimited world resources to help invoke an interesting, unique, and challenging experience. Flying just seemed to be the one that stumped me most.
Yeah, for sure, flying adds a whole new (literal) dimension to everything! I've never had a player with full flight until late game. The most I've had to deal with at low levels is limited flight - a few times a day for a round, which is basically just a short teleport or long jump. My current group does have basically an airship, which is a similar but different can of worms haha. So I don't envy anyone who has to write around a flying character. It does sound like you're doing a pretty great job at it though!
The whole point of D&D is to overcome challenges. Yes, flying is an easy way to overcome certain challenges. That just means that as a DM, I just get to make the challenges harder, I con take the gloves off as it were. Now I can actually use a squadron of koboldvulture riders to full effect without feeling bad. 😉
The whole point of D&D is to overcome challenges. Yes, flying is an easy way to overcome certain challenges. That just means that as a DM, I just get to make the challenges harder, I con take the gloves off as it were. Now I can actually use a squadron of koboldvulture riders to full effect without feeling bad. 😉
The whole point of D&D is to overcome challenges. Yes, flying is an easy way to overcome certain challenges. That just means that as a DM, I just get to make the challenges harder, I con take the gloves off as it were. Now I can actually use a squadron of koboldvulture riders to full effect without feeling bad. 😉
This is the simplest answer to "How do I balance for flying PCs?". You don't, they just have encounters in the air. They want to fly? Meet them where they want to be.
If they are knocked unconscious in the air, they fail a death save once they take the fast train back to the ground. A Web can wreak havoc on flying creatures.
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Ascertaining the player intent is key here. Some players just want to play a specific build for the flavour. Then, more recently I've noticed are the power gamers trying to create every advantage for themselves that they can.
I'm not actually against flyers per-se in the right hands. After all, if they want to fly for recon, well there are pets and familiars for that. If they want to travel or be able to reach high and usually inaccessible places there are magic items that can help with that Slippers of Spider Climbing or Cloak of the Bat. So, there are ways that players even without a flying race can access the same effects.
My point here is that encounters shouldn't be any different even with a flyer. The best encounters will need you as a DM to have thought about the area in which the encounter will happen. What cover is there, what are the dimensions etc. As an example, I have a canyon that I use on occasion. 60-foot-high cliffs, players in the canyon itself. Imps are being used by an enemy here. This means that there is a lot of height to play with. In this area flying might be an advantage but it's not going to go much different than a ground-based encounter. This is often why I homebrew, however. Standard campaigns and adventures officially published don't encourage DMs to be tailoring the world to the players. Tailoring the challenge to the players. In that canyon example, I'd never throw a purely melee party at that encounter unless I wanted to give them a serious challenge. A swarm of flyers that can hit and fly out of range are going to be frustrating to the purely melee. So, the key is tailoring the challenge to the party. If you tailor, the situation to the characters then flyers aren't OP.
A Pegasus can fly in, hit a player character and be gone out of the player character's flight range if they are an Arakocra for example.
The whole point of D&D is to overcome challenges. Yes, flying is an easy way to overcome certain challenges. That just means that as a DM, I just get to make the challenges harder, I con take the gloves off as it were. Now I can actually use a squadron of koboldvulture riders to full effect without feeling bad. 😉
This is the simplest answer to "How do I balance for flying PCs?". You don't, they just have encounters in the air. They want to fly? Meet them where they want to be.
If they are knocked unconscious in the air, they fail a death save once they take the fast train back to the ground. A Web can wreak havoc on flying creatures.
At low level, if they fall from a reasonable height then they have a good chance of dying instantly.
The whole point of D&D is to overcome challenges. Yes, flying is an easy way to overcome certain challenges. That just means that as a DM, I just get to make the challenges harder, I con take the gloves off as it were. Now I can actually use a squadron of koboldvulture riders to full effect without feeling bad. 😉
This is the simplest answer to "How do I balance for flying PCs?". You don't, they just have encounters in the air. They want to fly? Meet them where they want to be.
If they are knocked unconscious in the air, they fail a death save once they take the fast train back to the ground. A Web can wreak havoc on flying creatures.
At low level, if they fall from a reasonable height then they have a good chance of dying instantly.
Fellow DMs, I'm hoping to pick your brain about PCs who play races with a flying ability, such as aarakocra. Do you find this ability to be inherently too overpowered and unbalanced for the game? I know it can be a bit of a sensitive subject to broach, as most players (including myself when I play) enjoy an aerial-based character - who wouldn't? I am just wondering from a DM perspective how other DMs handle this in times when flying becomes a serious "get out of jail free" card. Which, by the way, can be very often.
My main question is: How do you balance the danger for the party, and the flying PC in particular, when the PC can simply fly up and out of their current predicament? In combat, what stops a flying character from just flying 120-600 feet up in the air and attacking at range from there (ie. cantrips, longbows, etc.)? I mean, of course they are going to use that utility if they have it, but I find that it spoils the encounter. And, even if the player doesn't realize it, such a tactic dilutes the overall sense of danger and thrill of the game.
"Oh, there's a war party of Gnolls coming toward us? My character flies 250 up in the air and just picks them off one by one with his longbow."
Things like this become a real buzzkill. Even scouting becomes mundane. The stealthy rogue that takes point ahead of the party, moving from cover to cover behind the trees in order to get a sense of what lies ahead is great - its immersive, involves skill checks, and has its limits. But what of the flying PC with a 360 degree aerial view? There can't really be any surprises out in the wilderness. Which, again, is a BUZZ KILL. The scout rolling a Nat 1 on stealth and being caught in an ambush adds a level of grittiness to the game and raises stakes in a fun way. Flying characters seem to erase all of that...
Obviously this does not become a concern indoors but for campaigns that involve lots of wilderness travel, like my campaign, there can be several weeks or even months of sessions before the PC's encounter combat indoors.
How do you, or would you, deal with flying PCs?
Thanks!
If not a roof, some trees will do the trick.
And the gnolls will have bows, too, while the flying PC is just hanging up there with no cover or allies to draw any of the attacks.
Which also applies to scouting. If the flying pc can see the enemies, they can see the pc. And there’s nothing to hide behind in the sky.
Or the gnolls have a caster who hits the flying PC with a sleet storm, and if you fall prone while flying 120 feet up, there’s 12d6 falling damage. Don’t do that every time, but once in a while something to knock them prone, just to make them think about it.
Alright, so a player comes up with a character concept and asks to play as a flying race. Here’s what you do:
1. Ask the player WHY they want to play a flying character. Is it for the flavor? Some inherent roleplaying tool? Is it for the flying speed?
2. Explain to the player the tumultuous history and reputation of players power-gaming with flying races. Help them understand what those bad behaviors look like, why they are bad, and why unfortunate DMs are often forced to build their campaigns around such characters to kill off those behaviors. You can also explain that many flying races, such as Aarakocra or Winged Elves, often don’t fit into most settings.
3a. If the player is a kind, understanding, reasonable human being and promises to not exploit the flying speed, and you check in regularly, you can allow the flying race.
3b. If the player is a power-gamer or other unfortunate stereotype that should never be handed a winged race, you have the right to preserve your sanity and ban flying races.
The best way to balance a player is for the player to balance their behavior. That may sound like wishful thinking, but good communication is a surefire way for good players and good DMs to get along, unrestricted.
This👆, not to mention that anything that reduces a creature’s speed to 0 also knocks them outta the air. A flying enemy with hold person is very effective.
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No. If anything, flight speed is akin to a glass cannon: it's powerful so long as nothing interferes with it. The Dungeon Master can and should interfere with it.
"Anything the PCs can do, NPCs can do (better)."
Pit them against other flying creatures (I recommend a random table so not to emotionally clip their wings): as they're in the air they've just attracted a manticore (or other appropriate flight-based creature) who was searching for dinner or protecting their nest, and this lone, distracted adventurer sure looks mighty tasty. On the player's turn they have to choose between splitting the party or adding an additional threat to the ground battle, and D&D is not a game for solo players. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
Not every creature is going to have ranged capabilities, an obvious (but necessary to mention in this topic) counter, so you could add more of them for those on the ground. Packs of enemies. Going into the air is one thing, but dangling oneself above a pack to distract, risking attack could be much more useful than essentially being an aerial turret that puts the other members in danger. Even then, the sheer triviality of it may be off-putting: there's only so many times you can shoot helpless wolves before you want to take more risk. If they enjoy that I recommend they play an MMO instead of D&D, they'll get far more kills in the time it takes to get to their turn in combat.
Weather effects can also prove nasty: fog reduces visibility, heavy rain might affect flight and aim, and you've got to be careful of thunderstorms especially if you're wearing metal (there's probably few armours in the game that are light and metal, but a metal weapon...). Can the aerial person see their allies if they need more specific help like a retreat covering, a character being stabilised or dragged away? How do they hear suggestions or commands?
The gnolls shoot back. They wouldn't be much of a war party if they didn't have such ability. Oh, and their shaman had their Weetabix this morning, enjoy all the saving throws you've got to make versus 20d6 of fall damage. Once they take their first hefty amount of fall damage, they'll find their pilot license only takes them ever so slightly off the ground.
An aerial scout in a world where aerial races and flying spells exist, guards will also look out for them. And the aerial character will probably be found long before they can zero in on what's on the ground. If they're caught, the enemy gets so much time to prepare for a land and air assault, the air assault being something that could've been a useful surprise to the party. This is ignoring all the other advice about visibility. What about darkness? Aarakocra and Fairies have no darkvision, meaning they have every penalty to perception checks; even Aasimar will suffer a penalty trying to see in dim light.
What about sound? How loudly do wings flap to maintain a position? If they're circling, it's going to be obvious that's no bird watching them.
~
It's not difficult to counter a flying creature, just remind them of all the drawbacks (visibility, fall damage, the DM being God Almighty, ranged attackers) and they might shy away from it. Expect them to either swap out later, or see flight as an infrequent nice-to-have.
Zero is the most important number in D&D: Session Zero sets the boundaries and the tone; Rule Zero dictates the Dungeon Master (DM) is the final arbiter; and Zero D&D is better than Bad D&D.
"Let us speak plainly now, and in earnest, for words mean little without the weight of conviction."
- The Assemblage of Houses, World of Warcraft
I had a similar issue when a new player was eager to play an Averiel (winged elf). The party were 3rd level at the time and I had the same concerns about the player having an unfair advantage during battles. My solution? I told her she was too weak to carry another character and I played the first couple of adventures indoors/underground. There were still opportunities for her to fly but she wasn't unfairly advantaged every battle.
I would have to consider it from the point of view of the game.
For example, I have an adventure which features climbing up a scaffold whilst fighting people off, and it's low enough level that nobody has Fly yet. I would not be happy to allow a flying race, as they would invalidate the challenge of this whole section, whilst leaving the party behind.
As an alternative, you can simply say "I won't allow any flying race character in games below level 5", because (IIRC) level 5 is when Fly becomes an option, so you can have any character flying, and need to plan for it. Tier 2+ is ok for flying characters.
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This only a problem in Adventure League where some modules were written when flying at Tier 1 was not allowed. Hey if they are out range, focus fire on the ones which appear to have the least amount of AC or HP.
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If a player has their PC abandon the party in a clutch situation, the party will likely address the issue. It has nothing to do with flight whatsoever, it’s ethics, and the other players will have something to say about it so the DM shouldn’t have to.
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All great feedback. I have employed several of the options mentioned above, so I am glad there is consensus on how others deal with situations like this. I suppose my initial thinking in making this post was to gauge whether or not employing anti-fly tactics would be construed as "targeting" a player, which I do not do. I always maintain a completely immersive mindset for any enemy encounters. But, you are correct. For everything that a flying PC can do, there are also immersive drawbacks.
I appreciate the responses!
It sounds like you've got a handle on the most important guidelines already. Make the encounters feel varied, natural, and unique. And don't make the player feel targeted. There's a lot of good suggestions in this thread too.
If we're being completely honest, flying is pretty strong. There are a number of powers or combinations that can completely change encounters. I have an assassin/hexblade in my current game that can put out extremely high damage in a few turns of combat with sneak attack smites. The player didn't make this character with the intention to power-game. He genuinely felt like his role in the party was to be the damage dealer, and that he was initially letting the group down. So he worked hard to find ways to protect his friends and do what he felt his job was for the team. He loves his character, and I do too. And he still feels like he needs to be stronger for the party. Because I have hopefully made the encounters retain enough tension and danger to make it feel like they aren't always steamrolling them.
But I won't pretend it's not a lot of work. I have to consider his capabilities in every adventure. That means having enough non-combat encounters like puzzles and traps to use some of his resources. Thinking hard about combats. Varying the environments and types of monsters.
The party is fighting monsters well above their level range sometimes. I've created some monsters that heal every round. I have some fights where every enemy is kind of weak, so the bust damage isn't as useful all the time. And I also give him plenty of opportunity to use his build exactly as he intended. He has a cool concept, and he shouldn't be frustrated all the time if it doesn't work.
You also have to check in with your other players and make sure they don't feel like one character is stealing the spotlight too much. You have to build encounters where their abilities get to shine too.
Putting that extra effort into building a campaign can be challenging for sure. It's genuinely worth talking about the challenges like this. It can also be very rewarding to both the players and the DM. It can make you get more creative with the combats, and that makes the world feel more alive and real. I've had to come up with combats that are so much more interesting than I might have thought of if every character was the same.
So for any DM reading this that is worried you might not have enough experience to balance all of these things, it's totally okay. You can tell the player honestly that you don't feel like you're ready yet for a certain ability that changes the game so much. But I do encourage trying it out when you get the chance. When done thoughtfully, it helps you grow as a DM and gives your players new ways to have fun. And don't be discouraged if you make a few mistakes. It's really okay if your players absolutely stomp an encounter sometimes. It's part of the fun for them, and rewards their decisions. And if you really start to struggle, or they feel too targeted, you can have a conversation and adapt together as a team.
Well said. I definitely do agree that a PC should be able to shine and it is no secret that flying is a very strong attribute in the game. You're right about the challenge too. I'm essentially a "forever DM", which is obviously because I love it and the players enjoy my games, so I look forward to the challenge and creative exercises when it comes to developing and balancing encounters. Usually I have no qualms about anything, since a DM has unlimited world resources to help invoke an interesting, unique, and challenging experience. Flying just seemed to be the one that stumped me most.
Yeah, for sure, flying adds a whole new (literal) dimension to everything! I've never had a player with full flight until late game. The most I've had to deal with at low levels is limited flight - a few times a day for a round, which is basically just a short teleport or long jump. My current group does have basically an airship, which is a similar but different can of worms haha. So I don't envy anyone who has to write around a flying character. It does sound like you're doing a pretty great job at it though!
The whole point of D&D is to overcome challenges. Yes, flying is an easy way to overcome certain challenges. That just means that as a DM, I just get to make the challenges harder, I con take the gloves off as it were. Now I can actually use a squadron of kobold vulture riders to full effect without feeling bad. 😉
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This is the simplest answer to "How do I balance for flying PCs?". You don't, they just have encounters in the air. They want to fly? Meet them where they want to be.
If they are knocked unconscious in the air, they fail a death save once they take the fast train back to the ground. A Web can wreak havoc on flying creatures.
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Ascertaining the player intent is key here. Some players just want to play a specific build for the flavour. Then, more recently I've noticed are the power gamers trying to create every advantage for themselves that they can.
I'm not actually against flyers per-se in the right hands. After all, if they want to fly for recon, well there are pets and familiars for that. If they want to travel or be able to reach high and usually inaccessible places there are magic items that can help with that Slippers of Spider Climbing or Cloak of the Bat. So, there are ways that players even without a flying race can access the same effects.
My point here is that encounters shouldn't be any different even with a flyer. The best encounters will need you as a DM to have thought about the area in which the encounter will happen. What cover is there, what are the dimensions etc. As an example, I have a canyon that I use on occasion. 60-foot-high cliffs, players in the canyon itself. Imps are being used by an enemy here. This means that there is a lot of height to play with. In this area flying might be an advantage but it's not going to go much different than a ground-based encounter. This is often why I homebrew, however. Standard campaigns and adventures officially published don't encourage DMs to be tailoring the world to the players. Tailoring the challenge to the players. In that canyon example, I'd never throw a purely melee party at that encounter unless I wanted to give them a serious challenge. A swarm of flyers that can hit and fly out of range are going to be frustrating to the purely melee. So, the key is tailoring the challenge to the party. If you tailor, the situation to the characters then flyers aren't OP.
A Pegasus can fly in, hit a player character and be gone out of the player character's flight range if they are an Arakocra for example.
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Flying at low levels stinks, ruins some basic fun challenges.
At mid levels allowed but limited use/ with restrictions.
High levels, sure let's get bananas!
At low level, if they fall from a reasonable height then they have a good chance of dying instantly.
See the Instant Death rules: https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/combat#InstantDeath
Then the player should be careful to not fly too high, take a lesson from Icarus. After all, the potential for PC death is part of the game.
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