Printable Version of Topic

Click here to view this topic in its original format

Dumpshock Forums _ Shadowrun _ Wierd Physad Question

Posted by: redwulf25_ci Jan 4 2006, 06:33 PM

Since I'm currently the only one in my group who has the book I'm generating some characters for my players to choose from and after taking a close look at what the physical adept I created can do I have a very strange question . . .

With the great leap ability as high as I bought it the physical adept is capable of a running broad jump of as much as 36 feet (about, I access the net from a library and don't have the sheet on me) and can leap 21 feet straight up. He also specializes in the Katana. As my players are likely to incorporate such a dramatic leap into this characters attacks with his bladed weaponry I was wondering how to handle extra damage from what sounds like it would be a rather devastating attack (if it hit). Charge doesn't seem to cover something of this magnitude, should I extrapolate from falling damage or does someone have a better sugestion?

Posted by: BishopMcQ Jan 4 2006, 06:37 PM

I would say to incorporate it as a charge. If you want to include falling damage for the target, then I'd say the phys-ad himself would also have to soak the falling damage.

Posted by: redwulf25_ci Jan 4 2006, 06:40 PM

QUOTE (McQuillan)

I would say to incorporate it as a charge. If you want to include falling damage for the target, then I'd say the phys-ad himself would also have to soak the falling damage.

Being a troll he probably could.

Posted by: Bearclaw Jan 5 2006, 01:01 AM

You could look at it as increased reach, which will give bonus dice. I wouldn't though.
I'd say you get enough of a bonus by being able to stand flat footed 6 meters away, and when it's your turn leap into melee range.

Posted by: nick012000 Jan 5 2006, 03:55 AM

Street Samurai can do it too, and from further away.

He just needs a set of Rating 6 Hydraulic Jacks, a good Agility, and a good Gymnastics (Jump) skill.

Let's say he has Agility 6, and Gymnastics (Jump) 4(6). He would score an average of 6 successes on the jump test, and jump 26.4 meters on a running jump. That's 88 feet, if it matters. He can jump half of that from a standing stop.

Posted by: Kremlin KOA Jan 5 2006, 05:52 AM

let him subtract dice from the attack to add that many to damage

Posted by: Liper Jan 5 2006, 07:58 AM

Every time you fall a meter or more you're considered falling and need to make tests to land on your feet, not get hurt etc.

hell, if you want to do it, adapt part of the fall damage table and add it to the attack damage = )

It's risky to both people (although probably more so for the victim)

Posted by: nick012000 Jan 5 2006, 10:48 AM

Unless you have hydraulic jacks in your legs. Then it's just risky for the victim.

Posted by: TheHappyAnarchist Jan 5 2006, 05:44 PM

QUOTE (Kremlin KOA)

let him subtract dice from the attack to add that many to damage

I like this option the best. Less likely to hit, more likely to hurt.

Really, dodging an idiot leaping through the air at you is not difficult.

The hydraulic jack samurai is funny. How much do those jacks cost btw?

Posted by: emo samurai Jan 5 2006, 07:51 PM

Can't you use great leap to reduce falling damage and increase the chance of landing on your feet? Shouldn't be that hard.

Posted by: Chiaroscuro23 Jan 5 2006, 09:07 PM

QUOTE (Kremlin KOA)

let him subtract dice from the attack to add that many to damage

I don't like it. ISTR that net hits on the attack roll flow through to the damage side, anyway. And damage isn't rolled separately, just calculated. So it's not really workable. Either you turn potential hits into guarranteed damage (unless you totally, miss, which is generally unlikely) or you turn them into potential damage, which is worse than they were before, PLUS it adds an extra die roll.

One dimension that attacks vary on without extra damage levels is AP, you might play with that. Not one for one or anything, but maybe -2 AP and +1 Reach when leaping.

Actually, the ability to actually get to the other guy might be worthwhile without adding extra dice at all. Being dependant on swords when you're far away really sucks.

-C.

Posted by: TheHappyAnarchist Jan 5 2006, 10:08 PM

The thing is, the potential to miss with melee attacks is actually somewhat higher.

They get Reaction + Melee or Dodge to defend against your attacks.

If you drop dice off your attack it is very possible that you will miss a skilled opponent, especially if they spend edge.

Posted by: Kyoto Kid Jan 6 2006, 03:15 AM

QUOTE (nick012000)

hmmm...Samurai Jack....

just thinking....

Posted by: jago668 Jan 30 2006, 01:42 PM

Hrm, how about do charging and superior postion together. Also it could generate a surprise roll as well. I mean someone jumping at you from 40ft away is somewhat unexpected.

I would also say that each level of great leap adds a die to the roll to land on your feet, and that there is no falling damage generated from the leap itself providing the fall isn't more than the vertical jump limit. (Providing you land on your feet) In example if the vertical jump was 21 ft then if you jump off something 21 ft or shorter no damage. If you jump off of something 50 ft tall you take falling damage for 29 ft, the difference between your jump and the total distance of said fall.

Posted by: Vaevictis Jan 30 2006, 05:53 PM

QUOTE (jago668 @ Jan 30 2006, 08:42 AM)

Also it could generate a surprise roll as well. I mean someone jumping at you from 40ft away is somewhat unexpected.

Except for that whole, "I saw you flying through the air for about 1.5 seconds." The jump distance might suprise people, but if they see it, it's not going to suprise them for the full 40 feet. (seriously, count to 1.5 seconds, and ask yourself if you'd really be caught flat footed on that)

The real key (with respect to suprise) is that they might dismiss you as a threat, turn, and *then* you jump at them from on top of a building, across a chasm, etc. Then a suprise check would be warranted.

I do agree that superior position might be warranted in some cases. In others, the defender should receive it. Jumping can conceivably be an advantage, but if you're in the air for a couple of seconds and the defender sees it coming... well, once you're in the air, you can't change directions, and so the defender might be able to make use of it (say they have a spear and brace it against their foot in the classical D&D "set spear versus charge" scenario)

Posted by: September Jan 31 2006, 12:51 AM

How about they have a sort of surprise or reaction check for the defender. They win, they get superior position. If they don't, the jumping katana-boy gets it.

Posted by: Lagomorph Jan 31 2006, 01:05 AM

QUOTE (Kremlin KOA)

let him subtract dice from the attack to add that many to damage

Sounds like a called shot to me which I believe is completely allowed for melee attacks. I think I like the charge+superior advantange option myself.

Posted by: Space Ghost Jan 31 2006, 01:11 AM

Actually, the ability to exceed your normal allotted movement and close distance for HtH is pretty damned powerful to begin with. i hadn't really thought of that particular application for jumping.

Hey wait, what kind of action does it take to jump? It's possible that you can't do a jump attack at all according to the RAW.

Posted by: TheNarrator Jan 31 2006, 04:32 AM

Well, in Shadowrun movement has not, traditionally, been considered an action. Thus you could move and still take a full round's worth of actions, because you do them while moving. Which actually makes a lot of sense. Most things I can do in three seconds, I can do while walking, although the movement may affect things like aim or add a distraction. (Which it does, in the SR rules.) And jumping usually falls under the header of "movement". Of course, if you jump more than 11 meters high, then you won't arrive on the same round you jumped. (You fall 11.025 meters in 1.5 seconds, and in a ballistic curve it takes just as long to get up as to get down. Now if magic or science either accelerates your ascent or slows your descent, that's a different story.)

Charging and/or superior position bonuses sound fair, with the note that the shoe could easily wind up on the other foot. If a guy leapt at me from far enough away that I could react, I'd sure as hell get out of the way! And then I'd be ready to kick him in the back of the head when he landed.

Posted by: Space Ghost Jan 31 2006, 06:44 AM

Actually, it seems running requires a free action now, and sprinting a simple action. Page 138 seems to say that using a skill (unless otherwise noted) requires a complex action. This is starting to make sense to me. Why would it take less of an action to leap somewhere instead of sprinting? It seems like it should require more effort.