I'm interested in playing an Elocater.
The first class ability, Scorn Earth, allows me to glide 1 foot from the "ground", but near the end adds:
However, at distances higher than 1 foot above any surface, her speed diminishes to 10 feet per round.
This seems to be a 10 feet per round fly speed, with perfect maneuverability, though with the cumulative malus of levitation when attacking.
Am I right? If not, how does it work?
While visually similar to flight, the special ability scorn earth of the prestige class elocater (Expanded Psionics Handbook 142-4) never actually says the elocater's flying. Instead, the description says things like an elocater floats and glides. Because of this, this movement mode isn't given a maneuverability rating nor does it need one.
The special ability scorn earth isn't flight, doesn't meet any flight-based prerequisites or requirements, and appears to be pretty much like ground movement except in three dimensions (except for the speed reduction and penalties applied to attack rolls when the elocater's more than 1 ft. off the ground).
It’s not a fly speed, and wouldn’t count as one for anything that specifies a fly speed. It also wouldn’t count as flight. It does allow you to move through the air, and has no concern for maneuverability, so it has similarities to flight, but as you note, it is much closer to permanent levitation.
