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If a character with flying is restrained, can he keep flying?

Example: some angel is 40ft. in the air. The ranger fires an Ensnaring Strike, which lands on the angel. Can the angel remain 40ft. up in the air?

Ensnaring Strike mentions:

The next time you hit a creature with a weapon attack (...), the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained by the magical vines until the spell ends.

The restrained condition mentions:

A restrained creature’s speed becomes 0, and it can’t benefit from any bonus to its speed.

Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, and the creature’s attack rolls have disadvantage.

The creature has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws.

Is flying considered a speed bonus? Do you expend speed to keep flying?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ FYI the site you have linked to is not a legal site for 5e rules. Linking to such sites is frowned upon on SE, so I have removed the link. Ensnaring strike is not in the 5e SRD. (Warning: direct link to the 5e SRD PDF) \$\endgroup\$
    – LegendaryDude
    Nov 16, 2016 at 14:48
  • \$\begingroup\$ I didn't know, my bad. Just wanted to exemplify \$\endgroup\$
    – BlueMoon93
    Nov 16, 2016 at 14:49
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    \$\begingroup\$ No worries! Now you know, and knowing is half the battle. \$\endgroup\$
    – LegendaryDude
    Nov 16, 2016 at 14:49
  • \$\begingroup\$ Can I quote like I just did? For those that do not know how that particular spells works. Or is it better to just say 'some spell that restrains'? \$\endgroup\$
    – BlueMoon93
    Nov 16, 2016 at 14:51
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    \$\begingroup\$ Quoting from the rules when necessary falls under fair use and is acceptable. We just want to avoid reproducing rules wholesale -- try only to include the part of the rule necessary to the question, if you can. And in this case, it looks like you've done exactly that. And for what it's worth, anything in the 5e SRD (linked in a previous comment) can usually be shared without concern. \$\endgroup\$
    – LegendaryDude
    Nov 16, 2016 at 14:53

2 Answers 2

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In the 5e Monster Manual, you will notice that some creatures, like air elementals, have the (Hover) attribute. Hover allows a creature to remain in the air while it has a speed of 0.

Additionally, as stated in the PHB pg.191:

If a flying creature is knocked prone, has its speed reduced to 0, or is otherwise deprived of the ability to move, the creature falls, unless it has the ability to hover or is being held aloft by magic, such as the fly spell

Thanks to Protonflux for finding this citation

If a monster does not have the hover attribute, it will fall if its speed is reduced to 0 while it is flying under its own power.

Note that a creature without hover doesn't actually have to move on its turn to remain in the air. It just needs to have a speed greater than 0.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Therefore someone under the effects of a Fly spell falls out of the sky (though the spell continues to run), someone under the effect of a Levitate does not. \$\endgroup\$
    – Protonflux
    Nov 16, 2016 at 17:28
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    \$\begingroup\$ See my answer below - found a rule about magic flight, you don't fall. \$\endgroup\$
    – Protonflux
    Nov 16, 2016 at 18:07
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    \$\begingroup\$ Updated my answer to align with your citation \$\endgroup\$
    – Adam
    Nov 16, 2016 at 18:10
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You don't fall when it is magic that is holding you aloft. You fall if it is your wings, or equivalent, that stop working.

PHB 191:

If a flying creature is knocked prone, has its speed reduced to 0, or is otherwise deprived of the ability to move, the creature falls, unless it has the ability to hover or is being held aloft by magic, such as the fly spell

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