I'm a skydiver, parachute rigger and fledgling BASE jumper, and the rules for Parachuting in SR4 frankly make me cringe due to their inaccuracy. However, I do realize that the skill is not a central part of the game and thus not worth a significant word count. So, I tried to rewrite the rules in such a way as to fix the glaring errors and add dramatic potential without a significant increase in rules or word count. I’d appreciate any comments you guys have.
Parachuting (Agility)
The Parachuting skill is used when a character in freefall, by virtue of a an aircraft, fixed object, paracritter, magical contrivance or other means, finds themselves in need of a parachute to prevent a terminal interaction with the ground. Military Airborne personnel typically have a skill of 1 in Parachuting bolstered by the Military specialization. Elite military covert ops teams add the HALO specialization but keep their Parachuting skill low.
Default: Yes
Skill Group: None
Specializations: HALO, Military, BASE Jumping
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The first step was to alter the governing attribute to the best fit for the demands of the skill, Agility.
Recreational (skydiving) was removed from the specializations lists as skydiving is the general skill. Having Recreational as a specialization was equivalent to having the Automotive Mechanic skill with a specialization of “All things automotive�.
The Static Line specialization was changed to Military and now encompasses all “hands off� systems such as Army Airborne static line setups as well as emergency bailout parachutes like those in ejection seats.
BASE Jumping grants a parachutist the specialized knowledge involved in successfully parachuting from fixed objects.
Arsenal changes
P. 59 Parachutes:
By the 2070’s, most parachutes in service employ non-woven laminate composites and high modulus aramids, significantly reducing the bulk and weight of the complete canopy/container system. All parachutes include, as a standard feature, a digital freefall computer and barometric altimeter built into the harness, which provides the user with information on their current altitude, speed and estimated freefall time remaining. All parachutes include a second, reserve chute in case the main one should malfunction or fail to open entirely. In addition, all parachutes have an Automatic Activation Device (AAD) attached to the reserve. The AAD is a failsafe that will automatically activate the reserve if certain speed or altitude thresholds are crossed. The thresholds can be adjusted by a trained professional. The AAD can be bypassed by anyone familiar with the parachute; however, this can only be done before flight as the system is designed to be inaccessible while the parachute is being worn.
Sport: Standard sport (recreational) parachutes utilize an airfoil design, allowing users optimal maneuverability and directional control.
BASE: BASE parachutes are optimized for the low opening altitudes (below 1000 ft.) that are inherent to fixed object jumping
Round: The iconographic "parachute", rounds trade off maneuverability and control for ease of operation. This “hands off� approach makes them ideal for use those with little formal parachute training or by automated systems which explains their use by airborne paratroopers and ejection seats the world over.
HALO: HALO parachutes are designed for high altitude exits and low openings. This allows paratroopers to make covert infiltrations while their transporting aircraft remains at stand off distance. A HALO parachute’s distinguishing features are the oxygen mask and tank that allow the jumper to breathe at high altitudes and the navigation instruments that allow them to transverse the long distances inherent with HALO jumps. These systems are independent of the parachute itself and given that the delays inherent to military procurement often puts them several years behind civilian gear, savvy runners often purchase the accessories separately and mate them to a more cutting-edge Sport or BASE parachute.
Reserve: Reserve parachutes are specifically designed to open as quickly and reliably as possible. These features come at the expense of ease of use and a loss of covert ability. In order to open as reliably as possible, even in a worst-case scenario, a reserve parachute sheds its deployment system when activated. This system will land away from the parachutist and on covert missions, represents another chance for the enemy to discover the infiltration. A reserve’s specialization also affects its ease of use. A main parachute can be repacked in the field, in a few minutes, literally using nothing more than a handful of rubber bands and a piece of string. Repacking a reserve, on the other hand, requires a trained professional, specialized tools, and usually at least an hour.
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I'm new to 4th edition, so I'm waiting for UPS to get me my GM's screen so I can get a feel for skill check modifiers. OnceI have those, I can come up with the "numbers" for gaming out a jump.
Keeping that in mind, tentatively I have a 1 free hit bonus for using the right parachute for the job and a +1 threshold penalty for using the wrong one for the job. Reserves give two free hits and rounds raise effective skill by +1 (not culmative with Reserve) if the jumper's Parachuting skill <3. For $20 Nuyen, a BASE, Sport or HALO canopy can be modified for use in another environment. The net result is that the modified parachute grants no penalty or bonus in either of the environments.
-NR