Boots of Levitation - uses Movement or Standard Action?

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BusterBluth
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Boots of Levitation - uses Movement or Standard Action?

Post by BusterBluth »

A question came up in our most recent session, and it likely applies to any magic item that helps with movement (flying carpet, elven boots, etc). Using a magic item consumes your standard action usually, right? But, if a character is wearing Boots of Levitation, wouldn't that use simply be considered part of his move action?

As I'm typing this, I'm realizing how ridiculous this question is. Of course, you're not using your standard action when using Elven Boots or Boots of Levitation, or a Flying Carpet. But, just wanted to get your opinions on this before my next gaming session.
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Solomoriah
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Re: Boots of Levitation - uses Movement or Standard Action?

Post by Solomoriah »

A magic item does not "use" your action by itself; it's what you do with it that uses the action. So yes, movement-related items count as movement, attack or spell-casting items require an action, and many items don't affect either.
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BusterBluth
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Re: Boots of Levitation - uses Movement or Standard Action?

Post by BusterBluth »

Thank you for the clarification. It's funny how players get a little nit-picky when an encounter begins to go sour on them.

My group has been going through the old X4/X5 Desert Nomads series, and last Friday, they finally found The Master! When he used his Boots of Levitation to hop over a combatant, and then attack, one of the players levelled an objection.
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Solomoriah
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Re: Boots of Levitation - uses Movement or Standard Action?

Post by Solomoriah »

With all due respect, how did he do that? Levitation only has two directions of movement, up and down. You can't "jump over" someone with them, unless you have some independent way of moving horizontally.
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Seven
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Re: Boots of Levitation - uses Movement or Standard Action?

Post by Seven »

If you run when you activate them you, you should be able to jump over obstacles, although it's going to be a very wide leap. This is different from casting the spell which I don't think you could do while running. You can get only 20 feet per round of vertical movement and the horizontal movement would be that of the character which should carry for a few rounds. Alternatively, you can levitate to the ceiling, move at half speed from there and then come down.

Doesn't sound that great in combat.
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teaman
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Re: Boots of Levitation - uses Movement or Standard Action?

Post by teaman »

If someone levitated upward, another party member could push them and they should go forward.

At least until they hit a wall or air drag stops them. Newton's First Law and all that.
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SmootRK
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Re: Boots of Levitation - uses Movement or Standard Action?

Post by SmootRK »

I would not allow someone who is actively running to be able to invoke the power of the boots. Period. There would not be any of these discussions of physics.

One needs to stand, then consciously invoke the magic, then start to float up.
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Re: Boots of Levitation - uses Movement or Standard Action?

Post by Dimirag »

I would rule that, if you activate the boots while moving, you stop moving forward and start levitating while moving in place like a glitched videogame character, no inertia carrying over.
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SmootRK
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Re: Boots of Levitation - uses Movement or Standard Action?

Post by SmootRK »

Dimirag wrote: Thu May 12, 2022 8:57 pm I would rule that, if you activate the boots while moving, you stop moving forward and start levitating while moving in place like a glitched videogame character, no inertia carrying over.
Indeed, effectively the same deal I am talking about. One floats directly upwards/downwards... and only while actively floating vertically, another force could be exerted to move laterally... but this would not be a massive long jump thing... not happening under my watch.
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Solomoriah
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Re: Boots of Levitation - uses Movement or Standard Action?

Post by Solomoriah »

I have always assumed that inertia from motion relative to the current frame of reference is canceled by a Levitate spell; though I didn't spell it out in detail in BFRPG, it was my intent at the time. But like many things, this is left intentionally vague for the GM to decide upon.
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