Future Rule Change: Wings of the Fiend (Talent)

Wings of the Fiend:
This Tiered Talent is only available to dark-kin. It’s a foundation talent, which requires investment at character generation and from Tier I to Tier V, gives gliding and very limited flight.

Tier I: Suffer 1 Bulk. No damage from 30′ Falls. Bonus to Balance/Jump Checks.
Tier III: No damage from 60′ Falls. Bonus to Jump Checks
Tier V: Fly 1 / scene for 12 Ticks (Clumsy at half pace). Bonus to Jump Checks.

Given the other ways to fly (Elorii Air Bloodline (Tier III talent), Skyward (Tier II spell), Shapechange (Tier III spell), and Valinor Wings (Tier IV spell), this talent is woefully underpowered for it’s primary purpose of flight and gliding.

Elorii Talent (Tier III): Frequency: 1 / Scene; Duration: 24 Ticks; Fly: Perfect (Any Attack/Spell), Full Pace
Skyward (Tier II): Frequency: Unlimited; Duration: 8 Ticks; Fly: Clumsy (Can Charge), Full Pace
Shapechange (Tier III): Frequency: 1 / Scene: Duration: All Day (Binding); Fly: Clumsy (Adapt to “Agile”), 20′ Pace (Adapt to 30′)
Valinor Wings (Tier IV): Frequency: 1 / Scene: Duration: All Day (Binding); Fly: Agile, 30′ Pace (Adapt +10′)

All the other pre-Tier V provide much better flight for creatures (other than Elorii) that aren’t accustomed to flight. Wings of the Fiend assumes you’ve had wings since birth and yet by Tier V you’re ability to fly is very subpar.

– Proposed Change:

Tier I: No Change

Tier III: At this point, you should be able to glide down any distance and suffer no falling damage from any height as long as you have room to move horizontally. If there’s no room (Falling down a 5′ shaft for instance) is still limited to 60′.

Tier V: Remove the Bulk 1 (You’ve grown accustomed to your wings at this point and none of the other spells that ‘add wings’ cause additional bulk.)
Also, the flight should be for 24 Ticks (similar to Elorii) with at least Agile Flight at Full Pace (modified by any other existing Bulk).

These changes reward the investment of Talents required for this and keeps it in line with ‘flying creatures’ and other ways to fly from the book.

John