Carpet of Flying: What action to move?

[Taren Seeker]

Hey,

I asked this one on a different rules list and didn't get many bites. Let's see if you guys are different.

What can you do while riding a flying carpet? Do you count it as a move
equiv when you move somewhere, or is it a free action? (Carpet is controlled
by spoken directions, speaking is a free action). Would you use mounted combat rules instead?

from the SRD:

This rug is able to fly through the air as if affected by a fly spell of unlimited duration. The size, carrying capacity, and speed of the different carpets of flying are shown on the table below. Beautifully and intricately made, each carpet has its own command word to activate it-if the device is within voice range, the command word activates it, whether the speaker is on the rug or not. The carpet is then controlled by spoken directions.

 

[Corwin]

What can you do while riding a flying carpet? Do you count it as a move equiv when you move somewhere, or is it a free action? (Carpet is controlled by spoken directions, speaking is a free action). Would you use mounted combat rules instead?

Though I can see the argument that it should require a MEA, I would probably treat it like riding. How much more difficult is spoken directions from riding a horse? Sure there are differences, but enough to matter? I'm not sure.

Now, even if it is effectively a free action, that doesn't mean you can take a full attack action if the carpet moves more than 5 feet. This is the same for mounted combat, you should be under no less of a restriction.

It just means you can take a complete standard action rather than wasting your MEA to move.

Of course, I avoided this whole mess by making my magic carpet intelligent.

 

[jeffhartsell]

Giving directions I think is a standard action, such as directing a pet to stay or attack, etc. So, while controlling a carpet you could say, "Fly staight." once and do a ME action. After that you are along for the ride and can cast spells or whatever. If you need to change the orders for the carpet, it is a standard action.

If you are doing combat maneuvers with a carpet, I'd say that takes a standard action each round to do the turns, climbs, and dives.

IMO

JH

 

[Pax]

I would say: if you ride it, be "it" a carpet or a horse, the action requirements should be the same. Period.

Speaking is, in general, a free action; however, making movement at the carpets (already higher) speed a free action seems, IMO, a bit TOO much. So making it take the same as a horse or similar steed, is fair, IMO. Keeping in mind, carpets don't "spook" in combat ... so we're talking about the equivalent of riding a -war- trained horse.

 

[Jaxom]

If you can get Corwin to answer this one your set (I trust him in our gaming group with creating items with balancing rules) he just got done making a flying carpet in our campaign. I'll mention this thread to him in case he doesn't see it, he may even post his write up.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

What Pax said.