Otiluke's Resiliant Sphere and flying creatures

[Sagiro]

Here's a tricky one my fiancee asked me this morning. I suspect the answers are all subjective and arbitrary, but I wondered what people here thought.

What happens if you cast Otiluke's Resiliant Sphere on someone who's flying? Does the sphere hover in the air, or is it affected by gravity? Given that it can move and be moved, one might expect that it's not fixed in space, and so would start to fall.

So, perhaps, if cast on a human using the fly spell, the Sphere would fall a little bit until its "ceiling" was resting on the target's head. If the target tried to fly around, he'd bump into the sphere, maybe moving it and herself a little bit with each bump.

And what if cast on something that flies with wings, like a hawk? Would the whole thing, Sphere and bird, fall out of the sky? Would the hawk take falling damage?

To help analyze the problem, I'm including the spell from the SRD. Thanks!

-Sagiro



Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere

Evocation [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: 1-ft.-diameter/level sphere, centered around a creature
Duration: 1 minute /level
Saving Throw: Reflex negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

A globe of shimmering force encloses a creature, provided it is small enough to fit within the diameter of the sphere. The sphere contains its subject for the spell’s duration. The sphere is not subject to damage of any sort except from a rod of cancellation, a wand of negation, disintegrate, or a targeted dispel magic spell. These destroy the sphere without harm to the subject. Nothing can pass through the sphere, inside or out, though the subject can breathe normally. The subject may struggle, but the only effect that act produces is to move the sphere slightly. The globe can be physically moved either by people outside it or by the struggles of those within.

 

[Chronosome]

I guess the root of the question is: Is the resilient sphere subject to gravity?

Dang...that's tricky. I'd say, in the spirit of this 4th level spell,
the sphere remains where it is first cast until moved*. A flying
creature should have just as tough a time moving it as a ground
bound one...just because that's what the spell does. Restricts
movement.

*Even if it's airborne.

That's how I'd do it.

 

[Velenne]

I'd have to say that if you can get within range to cast the spell on the poor bastard, and he fails his save, then he falls like a stone and takes damage when he hits the ground. Even if the sphere is wide enough to allow for his wingspan, he still can't get a good enough downswing from them to remain airborne.

However, in the case of creatures who are flying by magical means, they should be able to remain aloft and direct the sphere as they will barring any outside resistance. Since it's a force effect, I don't imagine the sphere has any actual weight of its own (since it has no mass to speak of, but is rather a manifestation of energy).

 

[SpikeyFreak]

Wel, using real world physics isn't always a good idea, but in this case we have no choice.

I would have to say that since it can be moved by force, that it is affected by gravity, and thus would bring the winged flyers down with it.

--Tangible Spikey

 

[dcollins]

Ummm... there's another thread about this spell from just a day or so ago, here: http://www.enworld.org/messageboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=495

Apparently the Sage answered that a sphere cast in midair just sticks there until someone pushes on it from outside. Not wholly satisfying, but probably his concern was that it not be an auto-takedown for flying creatures.