Again... I didn't have any trouble "dealing with" our Aarakocra from levels 1-5. Most of the time he has just been a regular party member and every once in a while, maybe every 3 sessions or so, he uses his flight in a way that let's him be awesome for one or two rounds. Not only don't I have a problem with it if a PC gets to occasionally be awesome -- I think that's one of the best parts about D&D.
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I really think if the DM is going to only let the Aarakocra fly around in battle "every once in a while," then the DM should just ban them outright. I find it highly unfair to find ways to prevent a character from using the primary feature of the race. It's like saying to use magical darkness in most dungeons but once in a while let the Dwarf have fun using Darkvision.
To be fair, if there was a D&D fight in my house, an Aarakocra would have nowhere to fly because of the 10-foot ceilings. In that instance, it isn’t a matter of “let them” or “once in a while,” it’s just a matter of there’s no room. The DM shouldn’t feel obliged to not have any fights inside of buildings with normal hight ceilings just because one of the PCs wouldn’t be able to fly in those environments. I mean, it is called “Dungeons & Dragons” after all.... Does it really need a disclaimer that adventure will periodically be found in locals with a clearance of less than 15 feet? (Remember that lady who didn’t know that her freshly ordered hot coffee was hot because it didn’t say “caution, contents hot” on the lid and she burnt herself? 🙄) Of course not everything should happen indoors, that would be just as unbelievable as all open skies for the whole campaign. But honestly, if the player didn’t expect to have regular encounters in environments that preclude flight, one has to wonder what they thought a dungeon would be like.
As another point, the thing that makes intelligent enemies scarier and more challenging than other monsters is the fact that they can excercise critical thinking on the same level as our heroes. They are capable of recognize the threat that the flying archer represents, and take steps to address the situation accordingly. If intelligent enemies don’t act intelligently, it’s boring for the DM, boring for the Players, and breaks verisimilitude. Did you ever watch Star Trek Next Generation? There was an episode where Data wanted to act out his Sherlock Holmes fascination on the holodeck. Unfortunately he had every novel memorized, so Geordi programmed the computer to compile an entirely new and dynamic Sherlock Holmes style mystery for Data to solve, against an intelligent Moriarty. Unfortunately, instead of having the computer create an adversary worthy of Sherlock Holmes, he accidentally programmed the computer to create “an adversary who is capable of defeating Data.”
Plausible storytelling will inevitably lead to locations that will limit the character’s ability to capitalize on its flight, as well as enemies who will actively attempt to address it directly. The DM shouldn’t go out of their way to prevent it regularly, but they also really shouldn’t have to either since it will occasionally happen through the normal course of the story.
I've played a character that had enough mobility and range to be able to take out almost anything of comparable CR. The "problem" I always ran into was teammates. Keeping myself out of range meant other characters had to take more attacks, which were usually more likely to hit them as well.
I really think if the DM is going to only let the Aarakocra fly around in battle "every once in a while," then the DM should just ban them outright.
Honestly, Aarakocra are a poorly balanced race and shouldn't be allowed into campaigns unless the DM is very certain they want to cope with it (it would be useful to flag various races with 'STOP! Potentially campaign breaking, requires special DM approval'), and has the secondary problem that many of the methods available to monsters to deal with it will instakill low level characters.
Interestingly, the Aarakocra does have such a warning in its description:
"Being able to fly at high speed starting at 1st level is exceptionally effective in certain circumstances and exceedingly dangerous in others. As a result, playing an aarakocra requires special consideration by your DM."
I certainly wouldn't be opposed to a homebrew Aarakocra variant that had flight scale with level:
1st level: Fly for 1 minute per level (1/rest)
6th level: Fly for 10 minutes per level (1/rest)
Still potent, but would encourage conservative use. Let them grow into it, like the Dragonborn breath weapon.
There's been plenty of options given for challenging a flying character at low levels. With a few of those options employed you can easily devastate any flying PC. But I would suggest a lot of caution, as at level 2 if you build an encounter to "deal" with one specific member of your party then chances are very good you will kill that PC. A couple of Specters doing necrotic damage can drop a raging barbarian, some Fire Snakes will make your evocation wizard who focused on fire rethink their spell list, one rust monster can decimate a party of fighters and paladins...remember even the hardiest characters at level 2 may have only 20 HP, and as the DM you have unlimited resources.
As someone who has both played and DMed for flying characters at low levels, trust me when I say that it's not overpowered... but situational. Use some of the suggestions in this thread, vary up your encounters a bit more, and you'll see a much more balanced combat that doesn't feel like it favors any one character over and over again!
Flight is something most DM have to deal with at some point or another. Spellcasters can start pulling this stuff off as early as level 3 with the levitate spell. It’s just a little more difficult for DM’s to deal with at lower levels because your monster pool is more limited. But it’s not really hard and at that level isn’t even something to worry that much about. Let them shine and feel uniquely heroic every once and a while. But consider, if the character is using something more technical, like flight in combat, then they are probably expecting more in depth technical fights. And if not, then they should be. So it’s okay to play to their level because dumb monsters are boring.
If flight becomes problematic then try treating them like any ranged opponent. The range is just vertical instead of horizontal but that doesn’t change to much.
Attack them with range weapons and spells. Just like you would any mobile ranged attacker
Ready attacks if the flyer is using hit-&-run tactics to stay out of combat range
Have your monsters use cover. From standing under trees, under a cliff, under a fog cloud or darkness spell or even behind the PC’s allies in melee. +2 AC for 1/2, +5 AC for 3/4. It’s killer vs people using bows.
Use your own flying creatures: Blood Hawks, Dragon Wyrmlings, Giant Eagles & Owls & Vulture, Flying Snakes, Hippogriff, Harpy, Imps, Gargoyle, Peryton (they are wicked check em out), Pseudodragon, Pteranadon, Petrafolk, Mephits, Swarm of Wasps or Ravens, Werebat, Winged Kobold, will-o’-wisp are all Level appropriate flying creatures that can challenge your whole party.
have your monsters set traps, use poison, set ambushes, use nets
remember that even low intelligence monsters know to retreat from combat if they can’t effectively deal with an opponent. Owlbears retreat to a cave, orcs retreat to their stronghold, wood elves retreat to the forest of thick trees. If they can’t counter a flying creature, they will just move to a different location so the flight is neutralized.
These are just some options, and there are many fun and creative options you can use. And you don’t have to tailor your encounters around the aarakocra player. You just need to engage them on their level a little so they are involved in the fight as more than a floating turret. IE: Sending the orc leader’s pet flying snake after the flyer probably won’t kill them but it will engage them in the combat in a different way. Or having an invisible sprite shoot at them with their sleep arrows. Not super deadly to the flyer but it creates its own challenge for them in the combat without taking away from the non fliers. Make it fun.
Check out my Disabled & Dragons Youtube Channel for 5e Monster and Player Tactics. Helping the Disabled Community and Players and DM’s (both new and experienced) get into D&D. Plus there is a talking Dragon named Quill.
A ceiling. 10-foot ceiling and your aarakocran can't fly by an enemy line without taking an opportunity attack. 5-foot ceiling and they can't get by at all. Maybe you even rule that they can't fly and have a movement of 25'.
Spellcasters with Earthbind.
Extreme wind.
A monster with a bow that's +3 against flying creatures.
Grapple capabilities. A net for a ranged grapple.
I have an aarakocran in my party too, and it's a challenge. It makes it really hard to create physical puzzle dungeons. For my next one it's going to take place in a lava cave, and if my aarakocran flies too low over the lava (he'll have to in some narrow passages), he takes a small amount of fire damage.
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Again... I didn't have any trouble "dealing with" our Aarakocra from levels 1-5. Most of the time he has just been a regular party member and every once in a while, maybe every 3 sessions or so, he uses his flight in a way that let's him be awesome for one or two rounds. Not only don't I have a problem with it if a PC gets to occasionally be awesome -- I think that's one of the best parts about D&D.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
To be fair, if there was a D&D fight in my house, an Aarakocra would have nowhere to fly because of the 10-foot ceilings. In that instance, it isn’t a matter of “let them” or “once in a while,” it’s just a matter of there’s no room. The DM shouldn’t feel obliged to not have any fights inside of buildings with normal hight ceilings just because one of the PCs wouldn’t be able to fly in those environments. I mean, it is called “Dungeons & Dragons” after all.... Does it really need a disclaimer that adventure will periodically be found in locals with a clearance of less than 15 feet? (Remember that lady who didn’t know that her freshly ordered hot coffee was hot because it didn’t say “caution, contents hot” on the lid and she burnt herself? 🙄) Of course not everything should happen indoors, that would be just as unbelievable as all open skies for the whole campaign. But honestly, if the player didn’t expect to have regular encounters in environments that preclude flight, one has to wonder what they thought a dungeon would be like.
As another point, the thing that makes intelligent enemies scarier and more challenging than other monsters is the fact that they can excercise critical thinking on the same level as our heroes. They are capable of recognize the threat that the flying archer represents, and take steps to address the situation accordingly. If intelligent enemies don’t act intelligently, it’s boring for the DM, boring for the Players, and breaks verisimilitude.
Did you ever watch Star Trek Next Generation? There was an episode where Data wanted to act out his Sherlock Holmes fascination on the holodeck. Unfortunately he had every novel memorized, so Geordi programmed the computer to compile an entirely new and dynamic Sherlock Holmes style mystery for Data to solve, against an intelligent Moriarty. Unfortunately, instead of having the computer create an adversary worthy of Sherlock Holmes, he accidentally programmed the computer to create “an adversary who is capable of defeating Data.”
Plausible storytelling will inevitably lead to locations that will limit the character’s ability to capitalize on its flight, as well as enemies who will actively attempt to address it directly. The DM shouldn’t go out of their way to prevent it regularly, but they also really shouldn’t have to either since it will occasionally happen through the normal course of the story.
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I've played a character that had enough mobility and range to be able to take out almost anything of comparable CR. The "problem" I always ran into was teammates. Keeping myself out of range meant other characters had to take more attacks, which were usually more likely to hit them as well.
Interestingly, the Aarakocra does have such a warning in its description:
"Being able to fly at high speed starting at 1st level is exceptionally effective in certain circumstances and exceedingly dangerous in others. As a result, playing an aarakocra requires special consideration by your DM."
I certainly wouldn't be opposed to a homebrew Aarakocra variant that had flight scale with level:
1st level: Fly for 1 minute per level (1/rest)
6th level: Fly for 10 minutes per level (1/rest)
Still potent, but would encourage conservative use. Let them grow into it, like the Dragonborn breath weapon.
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InsiderThere's been plenty of options given for challenging a flying character at low levels. With a few of those options employed you can easily devastate any flying PC. But I would suggest a lot of caution, as at level 2 if you build an encounter to "deal" with one specific member of your party then chances are very good you will kill that PC. A couple of Specters doing necrotic damage can drop a raging barbarian, some Fire Snakes will make your evocation wizard who focused on fire rethink their spell list, one rust monster can decimate a party of fighters and paladins...remember even the hardiest characters at level 2 may have only 20 HP, and as the DM you have unlimited resources.
As someone who has both played and DMed for flying characters at low levels, trust me when I say that it's not overpowered... but situational. Use some of the suggestions in this thread, vary up your encounters a bit more, and you'll see a much more balanced combat that doesn't feel like it favors any one character over and over again!
Find me on Twitter: @OboeLauren
Flight is something most DM have to deal with at some point or another. Spellcasters can start pulling this stuff off as early as level 3 with the levitate spell. It’s just a little more difficult for DM’s to deal with at lower levels because your monster pool is more limited. But it’s not really hard and at that level isn’t even something to worry that much about. Let them shine and feel uniquely heroic every once and a while. But consider, if the character is using something more technical, like flight in combat, then they are probably expecting more in depth technical fights. And if not, then they should be. So it’s okay to play to their level because dumb monsters are boring.
If flight becomes problematic then try treating them like any ranged opponent. The range is just vertical instead of horizontal but that doesn’t change to much.
These are just some options, and there are many fun and creative options you can use. And you don’t have to tailor your encounters around the aarakocra player. You just need to engage them on their level a little so they are involved in the fight as more than a floating turret. IE: Sending the orc leader’s pet flying snake after the flyer probably won’t kill them but it will engage them in the combat in a different way. Or having an invisible sprite shoot at them with their sleep arrows. Not super deadly to the flyer but it creates its own challenge for them in the combat without taking away from the non fliers. Make it fun.
Check out my Disabled & Dragons Youtube Channel for 5e Monster and Player Tactics. Helping the Disabled Community and Players and DM’s (both new and experienced) get into D&D. Plus there is a talking Dragon named Quill.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPmyTI0tZ6nM-bzY0IG3ww
A ceiling. 10-foot ceiling and your aarakocran can't fly by an enemy line without taking an opportunity attack. 5-foot ceiling and they can't get by at all. Maybe you even rule that they can't fly and have a movement of 25'.
Spellcasters with Earthbind.
Extreme wind.
A monster with a bow that's +3 against flying creatures.
Grapple capabilities. A net for a ranged grapple.
I have an aarakocran in my party too, and it's a challenge. It makes it really hard to create physical puzzle dungeons. For my next one it's going to take place in a lava cave, and if my aarakocran flies too low over the lava (he'll have to in some narrow passages), he takes a small amount of fire damage.