Winged flight is one of the areas that I feel 5e oversimplified, and I've been considering how it could be handled. I'm hoping that this makes winged flight viable and tactical without upsetting game balance or overly complicating it, and I look forward to any input or suggestions.
Winged Flight
Traits Creatures with the Flying trait that rely on wings instead have the Flying(Winged) trait. Certain creatures (hummingbirds and creatures with 4 wings, such as some insects, pixies, etc.) instead have the Flying(Winged Hover) trait. Optionally, certain creatures such as dragons can have both.
Speed Creatures with Flying(Winged), if their listed flying speed is less than double their walk speed, have a base flying speed equal to double their walk speed. Additionally, they must maintain forward motion equal to their walking speed to remain airborne or begin falling.
Maneuvering Flying(Winged) creatures that make a change of direction of 90 degrees or greater (either turning or switching between diving and climbing without leveling off in between) must make an Acrobatics check. Failure means that they lose control and continue on the same trajectory. At the end of their turn, they must make a Dexterity save, or they begin falling. Flying(Winged) creatures face the final direction of movement at the end of their turn.
Climbing Gaining altitude quickly (such as in combat) is considered difficult terrain; thus, every 1 foot of altitude gained costs 2. Also, you can't fly directly up unless you have Flying(Winged Hover); it's always a diagonal movement.
Diving Diving is any descent steeper than 45 degrees (the creature's movement is more down than forward) other than falling. Entering a dive will allow a Flying(Winged) creature to take a dash action as a bonus action. For instance, if the creature has a flying speed of 30 feet, and dives it will be considered a dash up to 60 feet. If the creature stops diving, that ends their dash movement. If the creature travels at least 30 feet in this way and successfully lands an attack, that attack deals an extra 1d6 of damage to the target, 2d6 for Large or larger creatures.
Endurance Flying(Winged) and Flying(Winged Hover) creatures can fly for a total number of hours equal to double their Constitution modifier before requiring a long rest (minimum of 1 hour) without risking exhaustion.
Gliding Flying(Winged) creatures can glide, both for stealth and to conserve energy. Rare nonflying creatures (such as flying squirrels, sugar gliders, and certain tree snakes) can also glide. While gliding, the creature loses 5 feet of altitude for every 10 feet spent gliding. Time spent gliding doesn't count towards their time limit for exhaustion. Flying(Winged Hover) creatures cannot glide (unless the creature also has Flying(Winged)).
Stealth Winged flight is noisy. Flying(Winged) and Flying(Winged Hover) creatures have disadvantage on stealth checks while flying, except when gliding. Alternately, Perception(Hearing) checks made by creatures to detect Small or larger winged flying creatures have advantage.
Space You can't fly if you can't stretch your wings. Winged flight requires space of one size category larger than the creature. If you don't use at least half your movement on a turn, you require a space 2 size categories larger. Flying(Winged) creatures can momentarily fold in their wings to pass through a narrow gap but will lose 5 feet of altitude for every 5 feet of movement. If they end their turn in the middle of the gap with their wings folded, they begin falling.
Falling If a winged flying creature is knocked prone, its speed is reduced to 0 feet, or it loses the ability to move; it will immediately fall 500 feet. If it's still falling on its next turn, it will fall another 500 feet at the end of that turn. If it's unable to recover before the end of the fall, it takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it fell, subtracting its current flying speed from the distance it fell, with a maximum of 20d6.
Recovering A winged flying creature that is prone (and thus falling), if it has a movement speed greater than 0, can spend half its flying speed to counter the prone condition (as if it were standing up in midair).
Combat While flying, attacks by a Flying(Winged) creature are made with disadvantage. This does not apply while riding a flying mount.
FEAT: Thermal Rider Prereq. Flying(Winged) Thermal Riders have learned how to ride the currents of thermal updrafts to remain aloft effortlessly (daytime birds of prey such as eagles, hawks, and falcons all have this Feat). Riding thermals requires a minimum altitude of height x 200 feet and environmental conditions that would create an updraft: outdoors during daylight, over lava flows or hot springs, etc. To use this feat, one gains the appropriate altitude, makes a successful Perception check to find an updraft, and begins gliding while in the updraft. The standard 8-hour rule for exhaustion checks applies when riding thermals for an extended time.
Winged flight is one of the areas that I feel 5e oversimplified, and I've been considering how it could be handled. I'm hoping that this makes winged flight viable and tactical without upsetting game balance or overly complicating it, and I look forward to any input or suggestions.
Winged Flight
Traits
Creatures with the Flying trait that rely on wings instead have the Flying(Winged) trait. Certain creatures (hummingbirds and creatures with 4 wings, such as some insects, pixies, etc.) instead have the Flying(Winged Hover) trait. Optionally, certain creatures such as dragons can have both.
Speed
Creatures with Flying(Winged), if their listed flying speed is less than double their walk speed, have a base flying speed equal to double their walk speed. Additionally, they must maintain forward motion equal to their walking speed to remain airborne or begin falling.
Maneuvering
Flying(Winged) creatures that make a change of direction of 90 degrees or greater (either turning or switching between diving and climbing without leveling off in between) must make an Acrobatics check. Failure means that they lose control and continue on the same trajectory. At the end of their turn, they must make a Dexterity save, or they begin falling. Flying(Winged) creatures face the final direction of movement at the end of their turn.
Climbing
Gaining altitude quickly (such as in combat) is considered difficult terrain; thus, every 1 foot of altitude gained costs 2. Also, you can't fly directly up unless you have Flying(Winged Hover); it's always a diagonal movement.
Diving
Diving is any descent steeper than 45 degrees (the creature's movement is more down than forward) other than falling.
Entering a dive will allow a Flying(Winged) creature to take a dash action as a bonus action. For instance, if the creature has a flying speed of 30 feet, and dives it will be considered a dash up to 60 feet. If the creature stops diving, that ends their dash movement. If the creature travels at least 30 feet in this way and successfully lands an attack, that attack deals an extra 1d6 of damage to the target, 2d6 for Large or larger creatures.
Endurance
Flying(Winged) and Flying(Winged Hover) creatures can fly for a total number of hours equal to double their Constitution modifier before requiring a long rest (minimum of 1 hour) without risking exhaustion.
Gliding
Flying(Winged) creatures can glide, both for stealth and to conserve energy. Rare nonflying creatures (such as flying squirrels, sugar gliders, and certain tree snakes) can also glide. While gliding, the creature loses 5 feet of altitude for every 10 feet spent gliding.
Time spent gliding doesn't count towards their time limit for exhaustion.
Flying(Winged Hover) creatures cannot glide (unless the creature also has Flying(Winged)).
Stealth
Winged flight is noisy. Flying(Winged) and Flying(Winged Hover) creatures have disadvantage on stealth checks while flying, except when gliding. Alternately, Perception(Hearing) checks made by creatures to detect Small or larger winged flying creatures have advantage.
Space
You can't fly if you can't stretch your wings. Winged flight requires space of one size category larger than the creature. If you don't use at least half your movement on a turn, you require a space 2 size categories larger.
Flying(Winged) creatures can momentarily fold in their wings to pass through a narrow gap but will lose 5 feet of altitude for every 5 feet of movement. If they end their turn in the middle of the gap with their wings folded, they begin falling.
Falling
If a winged flying creature is knocked prone, its speed is reduced to 0 feet, or it loses the ability to move; it will immediately fall 500 feet. If it's still falling on its next turn, it will fall another 500 feet at the end of that turn. If it's unable to recover before the end of the fall, it takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it fell, subtracting its current flying speed from the distance it fell, with a maximum of 20d6.
Recovering
A winged flying creature that is prone (and thus falling), if it has a movement speed greater than 0, can spend half its flying speed to counter the prone condition (as if it were standing up in midair).
Combat
While flying, attacks by a Flying(Winged) creature are made with disadvantage. This does not apply while riding a flying mount.
FEAT: Thermal Rider
Prereq. Flying(Winged)
Thermal Riders have learned how to ride the currents of thermal updrafts to remain aloft effortlessly (daytime birds of prey such as eagles, hawks, and falcons all have this Feat). Riding thermals requires a minimum altitude of height x 200 feet and environmental conditions that would create an updraft: outdoors during daylight, over lava flows or hot springs, etc. To use this feat, one gains the appropriate altitude, makes a successful Perception check to find an updraft, and begins gliding while in the updraft. The standard 8-hour rule for exhaustion checks applies when riding thermals for an extended time.