Cool it, I'm not pretending text doesn't exist, I'm rather specifically engaging with it. If you can't participate without getting too frustrated, feel free to excuse yourself, nobody's forcing you to post in this thread.
The premise that magic flight = nothing that effects movement can make you fall ("If your flight is magical, things that deprive you of the ability to move ... do not make you fall" in your words) is not "literally" in the text. What is "literally" in the text is "unless it has the ability to hover or it is being held aloft by magic, such as the Fly spell." That's problematic, because the Fly doesn't describe holding its subject aloft, only allowing them to fly with a fly speed. Contrast with Levitate, which does describe holding its subject aloft (or rather, "remains suspended").
They clarified the rule. Fly works with the rule because the rule says it does. Effects that more explicitly work with the rule due to their own description (such as Levitate) Also work with the rule.
So... did this section mis-use Fly as an example of something that Fly doesn't actually do? That's probably a stretch, I don't want to base my position on an argument that the rule text needs an errata, so I'll accept that Fly is sufficient to protect you from falling merely because you are Prone, your Speed is set to 0, or you're rendered incapable of movement. That probably means that any magic that functions similar to Fly (anything that causes a creature to magically "gain a flying speed") should be treated as "holding aloft" that creature in the same way, fine.
Fly doesn't need to repeat a general rule. The general rule applies to fly unless something in Fly contradicts it. Without the contradiction , the general rule works. The absence of rules for falling while Fly is in effect is not a contradiction of the general rule, it is, in effect, a deferral to the general rule.
But does this section really say that Fly and other similar effects "hold you aloft" when you aren't awake to use your speed, or is it at least possible that Fly does not actually grant one the ability to "hover or be held aloft" when one is not awake to choose that? I don't see anything "literally" in the text there, or anywhere else, that says that Fly, a hover speed, or anything else grants one the ability to fly while Unconscious or dead. That does not seem to me to be a reasonable position to take, or one that I should be stuck with merely because the PHB doesn't answer "what happens when a flying creature falls asleep or dies mid-air?"
It doesnt have to. other rules clarify what happens. The rules for flying speeds in combat address whether you fall if prone, unconscious, or you lose the ability to move (It says that you don't fall if under the effects of Fly). The only reason the Unconscious condition would cause you to fall is if you were the caster and the target of Fly, and the spell ended due to concentration rules. The rules for death are that, upon death, you become an object, so you would then be an invalid target for Fly, and the spell would end, causing you to fall per the spell rules. See post #20 for how other means of flight would be affected.
CC going on a tirade that the rules do something because they don't say they don't again...
The rules do what they say. The rules do not do what they don't say.
The rules say you fall if you are prone or can't move unless you have magical flight or hover. They do not say you fall if you are unconscious even if you have magical flight or hover.
I would not say that is my usual MO. I would also say that the question that was posed (what SHOULD happen) and my answer (rules don’t explicitly address, my opinion is this) is not something people should get so worked up over.
”What happens when a magically flying creature falls asleep or dies?” is not answered by the rules. I’ve given my best answer about what is most reasonable, and why it doesn’t contradict other rules, while others have gotten worked up and upset by my opinion.
They clarified the rule. Fly works with the rule because the rule says it does. Effects that more explicitly work with the rule due to their own description (such as Levitate) Also work with the rule.
Fly doesn't need to repeat a general rule. The general rule applies to fly unless something in Fly contradicts it. Without the contradiction , the general rule works. The absence of rules for falling while Fly is in effect is not a contradiction of the general rule, it is, in effect, a deferral to the general rule.
It doesnt have to. other rules clarify what happens. The rules for flying speeds in combat address whether you fall if prone, unconscious, or you lose the ability to move (It says that you don't fall if under the effects of Fly). The only reason the Unconscious condition would cause you to fall is if you were the caster and the target of Fly, and the spell ended due to concentration rules. The rules for death are that, upon death, you become an object, so you would then be an invalid target for Fly, and the spell would end, causing you to fall per the spell rules. See post #20 for how other means of flight would be affected.
CC going on a tirade that the rules do something because they don't say they don't again...
The rules do what they say. The rules do not do what they don't say.
The rules say you fall if you are prone or can't move unless you have magical flight or hover. They do not say you fall if you are unconscious even if you have magical flight or hover.
I would not say that is my usual MO. I would also say that the question that was posed (what SHOULD happen) and my answer (rules don’t explicitly address, my opinion is this) is not something people should get so worked up over.
”What happens when a magically flying creature falls asleep or dies?” is not answered by the rules. I’ve given my best answer about what is most reasonable, and why it doesn’t contradict other rules, while others have gotten worked up and upset by my opinion.
Feel free to disagree, no skin off my back.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.