Of flying speeds and super PCs

I don't think the reason is that they're not as useful as people think, but because it just doesn't fit the character concept they're going for. I love playing heavily armored paladins, so chances are I'm not going to play an aarakocra even if given the choice.

I think it's because people usually pick flavor over mechanics. On GP at least

A familiar is squishier and has much less utility and ability than a PC. Basically no ability to end the scenario there even if conditions favored it/were non-hostile.
You can totally stealth in flight.
You can totally wear light armor in flight as an aarakocra at least, so this is a gross mischaracterization of RAW. Nothing says you couldn't even have a shield. So AC is not a problem.

If you're flying out of range of most (why not any?) ground attacks, unknown terrain isn't a threat until you have to go in for your target. At which point you stealth. At which point you have armour. At which point you have the utility of a full PC. Just like normal scouting, except you got there way faster and can get back way faster.

And to make that not viable, basically what I'm hearing is you end up having to target the PC with combat. Which means you end up having to insert combat into your game, everywhere. Somehow. Even if there wasn't "supposed" to be hostile forces at the destination. Even if you are trying to run a low combat game...

...

I think we can do this all day. Which is, again, why I don't think it's too fruitful to dissect specifics. Specifics are just one instance. The instances are unlimited. Flight literally adds a whole new dimension to the game. For one player.

And I think you don't see multiple aarakocras likely has just as much a combination of a lot of ppl don't like to double up on character concepts (which is to say, they have an abundance of things they want to try) and simply a lot of ppl don't seem to care for anthropomorphic PCs as much as "the classics".

I hope people pick flavor over mechanics! at least in my games, if your not in my games you can do whatever you want :)

True - but aarakocra are much more flavourful than the boring humans, dwarves and half-orcs I always choose.

but less common, playing a human helps your group feel like it fits into the world. Flavor
maybe it's not for your character specifically but if to many people play out there races the race tends to get ignored.

Nah. I think I’m just basic.

I think this boils down to intent and the meta no? How much flight speed? Is it at no cost of resource to the user to continuously use? Is there a chance of failure? Is it nigh perfect form the get go or horribly dangerous and possibly life threatening for the user.

If one player hears it's a low fantasy world low magic world and the other two people are a girl from a pig farm with a pitchfork and a boy who can make charcoal and hunt with snare traps and they 'say' they get it. If they ask why they can't play a dragon (not a hatchling, big fang hoard having kingdom destroying dragon) that's half god and it gets shot down I don't know why they can be shocked or talk about fairness to their player agency. If they say they'll compromise with just being able to fly as fast as a dragon would with their starting character or they don't play it's suspect. I'd say thank you for the incite but I don't think we require a character of this concept at this time...

That said lets say someone else, they are playing a gnome that wants to fly like a bird. They have it they dream of it, anything flying in the air, even leaves, they're studying how things fly and are constantly tinkering between adventures and any downtime... One day they're take to the sky for 'personal reasons I don't know, I'm Batman?' But eventually (possibly GM Setup for it) they see it hopefully. The player announces "THIS IS IT!" and the gnome pulls cords and cranks on their backpack and they have a hang glider looking contraption with moving flappable wings and pulling down googles (cus safety). Yeah this one please try to fly as the GM, you've established the background and did the ground work. You might do this amazing thing and have that solo moment where you have an inner monologue about all the hours spent working on this, all the crashes, broken bones, near death experiences being worth it. But also you might fail, you might have a busted up arm but you still have the clarity to write some post flight notes for Mark XXV now that you're ironed out another kink in the design while the rest of the party sighs again.

I think this boils down to honestly what's fun for a player (singular) versus what's fun for a player (With a Party and GM).

You want to fly at the speed of sound and you've harped on it coersed and bullied your way into having it, cool, devil in the details GM lets you fly you have no idea how to stop abruptly and no one can hear your screams of help since you move at the speed of sound. Sometimes the GM is the like Genie in Aladin movies, don't make them into the legend of the Monkey's Paw.

Maybe, but it's not a bad thing.

I'd like to point out that this is what I said in my original post on this thread.

The twitter user asked the wrong question. Came at the issue at the wrong angle.

They set the DM and the Players needs against each other, like a competition. When they actually have the same needs.

It's very easy for a flying PC, which is fun for the PC, to make things not as fun for other players, or even the DM.

Where's the middle ground?

I don't think it's wrong just worded in a way to be misinterpreted by not the question answer, not a wrong angle just a viewpoint they solely looked at, I guess the middle ground would be have a conversation at a session 0 to discuss what everyone wants and what would be fun for everyone.

Rolling for bugs in the face/mouth would be a thing for me though depending on the season.

Sorry. You’re right - light armour is allowed, I misremembered that (gross mischaracterisation is a little much for my mistake!) - although whether a character can stealth I think is up to the DM.

But the middle ground? Try it. It’s not what you think it is. Or listen to other people who’ve tried it.

Or don’t. Ban flying PCs if you want - I’m not going to insist you use them or that you’re wrong to ban them.

But you won’t convince me that my games were broken by flying PCs- I was there.

I want to play an Aaracockra in heavy armor now :)

I heard a lot talk about 'the GM should be able to cope...' and it would be nice if all GMs were experts, but some are beginners, can't, or would prefer not to have to deal with edge-cases. That is their right. If the GM says 'no' you can have a conversation with them, but do not pressure them into accepting your ideas.

With regard to the question of having seen problems. As mentioned somewhere in the depths of this thread: I have had very few problems with this issue. The only ones I have seen come up a few times are other players being a bit dissatisfied that their personal gimmick is not as cool --I think we can all agree that 'flying is cool'. I have also had a few 'power-gamer' types (and I use that in the pejorative sense) get miffed when I point out some of the valid problems with being the sole flyer in a battle, or the many times when flying is not an option (and, yes, I try to give as many chances as possible for players to 'use their cools', but a dungeon might not be the right environment for flight... except in exceptions).
These two problems make me think twice about allowing such things in games with players I don't know. Conversations need to had first (and are soon forgotten).

I don't remember the rules, but do the Flying Tieflings also have the 'only light armor' restrictions? Can't they were heavier stuff?

Winged: You have a flying speed while you aren’t wearing heavy armor.
Guess you get medium, but that wasn't the Point I like playing against the type.

There’s a lot of truth in that. It can be very annoying when players can’t use their "special thing".

The map I showed earlier was from a PbP game. I’d be interested to know whether Rattila felt their aarakocra got to use their special ability. They got places fast, but I remember them being bugger all use when they arrived. But perhaps Rattila didn’t feel that way.

My main memory was how well R played the race flavour. They’re not long lived, and Erios was a gentle philosopher - I miss that guy.

I think they can have Shields also. The armor thing featured prominently and intentionally in your argument, but 'gross' might have been a bit much. Sorry.

RE: Stealth, raptors use tactics like flying with the sun at their back, or skimming very low to the ground, as well as different modes of flight (not flapping), for stealth all the time. What ground is there to deny a PC those tactics? Not to mention of course something like clouds.

I've never banned flying PCs in a game (I've also only ever DMed 2 propper 5E games :P), but I have put book restrictions on both of those games. And that's entirely because I want to have a feel for "the basics" before I welcome in the whole world of crunch. I'd totally give Aarokocra's a try some time. Particularly as a player. But in running the right campaign too.

And I'm not trying to convince you, or anyone at all, really, of anything. Just lending my voice to the counterpoint for the consideration of anyone who wants to consider it.

Also, I think it's important to point out, my belief isn't that it breaks the game. Flying comes along sooner or later in D&D, the game is made to handle it.

Rather my belief (or my concern) is it can (at lower levels) make otherwise interesting choices, gameplay, and narrative less interesting, because it's such an easy/at-hand and diverse tool that it can replace outright other things, other PCs skills and abilities. There's a reason it's a 3rd level spell.

Damn it...I just want t play an aaracokra that can fly...or mermen that can swim...

Anyway, I think it's on the mindset of ''if it can fly, then it can negate a lot of things'' But I think A well placed Fireball spell or any high damaging or high utility ability also negates a lot of things yet they are widely accepted. I think the reward of (limited) innate flying is the same as the aforementioned well placed Fireball...

Unlimited Fireballs at level 1? Sign me on. :)