Flying mounts in Space

Re: Well-meaning objections to flying mounts in space...

I agree with the comment (made by...uh, sorry, I'm on a rather lame mail
server, and don't have the messages in front of me; I have to telnet to
read, and Eudora to send) that since it's fantasy, hippogriffs etc, should
be allowed to thrust and maneuver.

Aside from the I'm-the-DM-and-I-say-it-works argument, there's the
following existing examples:

The various space dragons, who I assume use their wings for _something_.

Sails on spelljamming ships! If wings don't work, pushing against just an
air envelope, what use are non-magical sails!?

I'm sure I could come up with more... but in answer to my original
question, I then propose these rules for flying mounts in space:

The animals' Movement is increased by 1/2 of it's original, since it no
longer has to support it's weight, or that of the rider. Note that the
creature's movement is increased by only 1/2 of it's ridden movement when
ridden.

The animal must have been either grown up doing a lot of space flying, or
be specially trained. Only exceptional groundling mounts should be able to
master the skill of weightless flight.

The creature's range is of course limited to the duration of it's air envelope.

I would rule that animals other than say those who are fire resistant could
not re-enter an atmosphere on their own. By the time they got to an
altitude where their wings would help them control the fall, they would be
moving at such a speed that their wings would likely be snapped off.

Now, everyone go out and design stable-ships. :)


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   Robert (Rampant) Myers
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