Hello Dumpshock community!

So, I was designing a Street Sam - gymnastics and tumbling style - and I was trying to make him able to fall from a high height, if possible from a medium building (or maybe a skyscraper, if at all possible). Use of full parachutes/gliders prohibited, but something that could slow down the fall *a bit* is allowed (basically, stuff smaller than the batman cape and that can be deployed - folded easily). But mostly, cyber/bio/nano/geneware that allows for falling height equivalent reduction or falling damage reduction is fine.

What's your opinion on this?

well, dont know if this would be disqualified.

i have a pdf that has rules for bio gliding membranes. if taken at a high enough level in comparison to body you no longer take any falling damage if they can be opened during the fall.

Well... hydraulic jacks for starters

Wing Membranes [ 5 KÂ¥/0.2 per Level]: This biomod is straight from the comic books. A membrane composed mostly of skin is stretched from the arm to the side of the body in the hopes of enabling the subject to fly. Fear not reality lovers, it does not work, at least not fully.
The human body was not designed for flight, and no matter how big your membranes are, it is impossible to fly upward. Flying downward is easy though (most people call it falling). The advantage of this enhancement is when the user falls (whether intentionally, or accidentally). These membranes allow the user to slow their descent, and with higher levels, even glide a bit.
None of these abilities can be used if the subject is wearing anything on his arms, or around the side of the body. This limits upper-body attire to basically tabards (as these do not cover the sides of the body), or shirts with the arms and sides ripped out. These membranes do collapse, however, and the subject can wear anything a normal person can, he just can't use the benefits of his wings until he removes it. If the level of this enhancement exceeds his full, cybered body, then his pinky-finger has been elongated to accommodate the wings. This means that wearing any glove requires the removal of the pinky-side of the glove, and thus prevents the user from being fully chemically sealed.
The maximum level that one can get is equal to double the subject's base body (modified by bioware, but not cyberware). For levels below the user's full modified body, the wings merely slow a descent. Subtract their level from the fall's damage code. Also, the user may make an athletics test to use the wings to steer himself to land in a specific place, usually in the hopes of a softer landing. This should be a hard test, but subtract the level of this enhancement from the target number.
For levels less than double the user's full modified body, but not less than the full modified body, the wings become slightly functional, involving a modification of the hands to elongate a finger for more wing surface area. Use of these wings during a fall has the same effects as a use of the lower levels, plus the fall's damage code can never exceed twice the user's full modified body, minus the level of this enhancement. The user can also glide in a horizontal/vertical ratio equal to the level of the wings over double the user's full body (i.e.: one with a 7 body, and level 9 Wing Membranes can glide horizontally 9 meters, for every 14 (7 x 2) meters he falls). This does not give him the ability to land gracefully, and when he does land, it is considered a fall of the vertical distance traveled (but the above advantages are applied to the damage taken).
If one has wings of a level equal to double his full modified body, he can almost fly. He takes no falling
damage when using his wings, and can glide at a 4/1 horizontal/vertical ratio (see above). Even swooping down, and pulling up for surprise attacks. For every meter he drops at a 2/1 ratio, or less, he can pull up and rise another quarter meter. For every meter he falls without moving horizontally, he can pull up one half a meter. But as stated above, he still can't truly fly. On a level surface with no ledges or trees, he has to walk.

Highest that if gotten out of chargen is some who can survive a 30m fall without any damage, on avarage.

30 m is 30 damage which means average 90 dice on the following roll

body+gymnastics+half impact armor

there was a thread about getting armor in the couple hundreds so I'd assume 90 dice is no problem with that

your body can be as high as 13 without adept powers

and gymnastics can be taken up to something like 16 dice (could be a little off) without being an adept

so I'm' guessing your answer relies predominantly on armor and other stuff *see last sentence*?

I didn't really look up any special wing stuff or cybered feather fall (like hydraulic jacks)

i only had 30 dice [8(body) +6(half impact armor) +13(gymnastic dicepool) +2(surged balancetail) +1(balance augmentor)]
rest comes from freefall 4 and rating 6 hydraulic jacks.

Basically, you want Hydraulic Jacks in your cyberlegs.
They're the single most important implant for your plan.*
Make them Raptor Legs, as they give +2 to Gymnastics.
Anything else that pushes your Gymnastics dicepool is fine, too :

Get a Synthacardium (most cost-efficient boost around, an absolute must).
Get a Balance Tail, either cyber or SURGE.
Get Balance Improvement earware or however it's called.
There's a SURGE power for this as well, but ware is almost always more cost effective than SURGE unless Essence really becomes an issue or you run out of money.
Get Enhanced Articulation (hope that your GM doesn't reduce the effects because you have two cyberlimbs already) and enjoy the additional boost to Infiltration, Palming, Escape Artist, Diving and Parachuting.
Get NeoEPO geneware.
Then there's Reflex Recorder (Gymnastics) and the Natural Athlete Quality from RC.
Doesn't get your dicpool as high as the Improved Aptitude adept power, but comes quite close.
You could also buy Aptitude (Gymnastics) if you truly want to overspecialize.

The great thing with all of this is that the only implants limited to the very specific task of absorbing falling damage are the Hydraulic Jacks, and these also help with jumping (and probably make that sound from The Six Million Dollar Man).
All the other stuff also improves your ability to jump, usually helps with gymnastic dodge and in many cases assists other tasks such as running, climbing and so on.
The cyberlegs have enough room for other gadgets, too.
Retractable Climbing Claws may be interesting for this build, for example.

Being a troll may be extremely helpful as well and you want your Impact Armor to be as high as possible.

Have i forgotten anything?



*The Freefall adept power would be great, too, but this is supposed to be a mundane build, right? Otherwise, i'd just make him a mage and use Levitate...

Have a an autocannon with fly modification. Or the rocket legs that make you fly from Augmentation.

Or use a parasol. Or surge into a flying squirrel.

Nah, he would have to spend at least 8 hours every day collecting nuts for the winter...

Would it be lame to say: "get a rope and a hook"? It that too basic?

Cast Levitate and laugh as the sammie falls to his death...

unless he's a friend and then you have to save his dumb ass. Stoopid sammie... you don't fall too well do you?

Get Cyber-legs so that
when you fall too far and break your legs,
they will be easier to replace!

Magnetic system / gecko hands (augmentation) could allow you
to cling to a building reducing the effective fall distance.

IIRC there was a catalyst stick and stealth line from a previous (Cannon Companion maybe?) SR ed what dissolved the rope after you hit the ground so there was no evidence left.

This was included in the SR4 BBB. It's somewhere under climbing equipment in the gear section.

I have had a PC survive this exact situation using the grapple gun. Chen Yu in Ghost Cartels tossed her off a building. She just shot a grapple into a window a storey or two down and banged off the side of the building.

Are there stats for a base jump parachute? That could work.

Which still would hurt like crap but is leaps and bounds above the alternative. This is why I like having a cyberarm with a grapple hand.

And because I'm a fan of Bionic Commando... both the original and the remake and the new one.

Well, I never said it didn't suck. I just said it kept her from falling all the way. Better getting slammed against a building than falling 15 more storeys to concrete.

BIG Smuggeling Compartment. put in Parachute. Or Glider Chute or however those things are called.
Presto, built in Flying . . But remember, Parajumps are hard, you might be better off with falling . .

Or just wear a HALO chute at all times?

"Curse those flying shadowrun squirrels who keep nibbling my nuts!"

But that's not Johnny 5 Cool

my method works best. you can fall from any height, control your descent and take no damage. and at 5k and .2 per level its not too bad. you just have to customize your wardrobe to accommodate it.

The problem with your method is that it works best when your naked. That isn't always an option in the SR universe (especially for a Street Sam). I would rather have a cyber-chute that I can deploy then have to highly customize my equipment and clothing to accommodate membranes.

where does it say that you have to be naked. you just cant have armor on your sides. i used these on a character and i had armor on my chest and back.

So was the armour attached to the character's skin, or did your character have some sort of Borat swimsuit harness that it was attached to? I can't see any other way you can have your sides exposed to extend the membranes and still have protection on the body. That being said what about the extra weight from equipment, wouldn't that add a lot of stress to the membranes (unless they were big enough to accommodate up to double a person's body weight)?

the upper body armor was two plates(front and back) the had straps that went over the shoulders and connected to my characters pants.

there is no weight encumbrance system in sr4 so that point is moot.

edit: there is a very vague rule for encumbrance. but a quick skim does not give weight to most equipment.

Silverhawks come to mind O.o

sort of. minus the early 80s cartoon feel.

What book, exactly, is "your method" from?

its from some bioware supplement i found on the old dumpshock a few years ago. i had it in pdf now i just have it as an xps. if you want it pm me your email and ill send it to you. lots of cool stuff in it.

I still don't buy it since the membranes would have to go from the fingertips to the feet (like a fighting squirrel) making wearing pants difficult, but you can do whatever you want in your games. Does anyone have stats for a cyber-cute though (that would be a best fit method IMHO).

sounds like you just nitpicking now.

anyway.

the wing membranes are very efficient.

you could jump off a surface and glide to another surface, to the ground below, or just as far away as you can.

on landing you dont have to worry about folding up a chute or abandoning a large glider.

you always have it with you.

and if you need to be discreet you can wear stuff over it all. then when you need them you just discard the over clothes.

So they're not official, then. Thanks for confirming it.

i thought i said it wasnt official, looking back i didnt.

why does it matter?

the op asked a question and i gave him a viable solution.

So neither cool nor fun.

Well, I could type up magical cybersamurai jetboot-feet and propose them to him as a solution, and then turn it into a pdf. That wouldn't really make it a viable solution, if he's playing the game as written though, would it? It'd be silly for me to propose it, and then even sillier to insist that my proposal was the best one on this thread, since it's something he probably can't use.

if your rules were sound and "balanced" then yes it would be a viable solution.

seeing as there are no rules for creating custom 'ware in sr by your logic no person should be allowed to create custom gear aside from weapons and maybe vehicles, if you are playing solely as written.

you can still play by the raw rules and add extra source material. thats what dumpshock used to be about.

why are acting so very offended by my posts?

I guess I would create a hacker and form a UV node with the jumping realm from the Matrix. Or simply define that a model skyscraper is a skyscraper.

Maelstrome, I think you're quite attractive and I value you as a fellow Dumpshock poster. In fact, in my estimation, everyone here at Dumpshock is an excellent person overall. Just puttin' that out there.

thanks. maybe dumpshock is coming back around. new edition stigma is gone. most of the flaming is gone. now we just need the energy and creativity ds once had.

What about a spidersilk gland? It is good within 3 feet and allows you to extend it 20 meters per dose at rappelling speed.

Useful for a premeditated fall, but you're not Spiderman. The silk isn't sticky enough for you to chuck it at a building as you fall, and have that support your weight.

Then again, implant it on your back (like a real spider, eh?) and that's up to 100 meters of fall, and the only drawback is that the evidence is both obvious and bizarre.

If your rules were sound and balanced and your GM was interested in allowing custom 'ware. Yes. Those are all very big ifs, however.


That is correct. I don't see a need for custom gear besides weapons and vehicles. I'm sure you felt you were exaggerating my position in order to make a point, but I'll merrily do so for you, to make sure there's no straw man being hoisted high on accident. I'm not a fan of custom gear, and never have been.


Well, I guess technically you can (if by "play by the raw rules" you mean "right up until they run into extra source material"), but if so your idea of "raw rules" is different than mine. See, rules as written means...well...rules as written. Since we don't have rules for making up cyberware and bioware, I don't make up cyberware and bioware. Funny, huh?

This isn't me acting "so very offended," I promise. I'm not cussing, or ranting, or saying mean things about your mother, or anything.

I just think it's a little silly to go rummaging through unofficial material, present it as a solution to his problem, and then trumpet it later on in the discussion as the best response given so far.

Also, you wouldn't need to carry the gear to bungee jump on your R&R.

Also true. Plus, let's be honest, there's gotta be SOMEONE who'd be totally turned on by it. Kinky!

LOL! Possibly someone that is also into bondage and submission

Knights and TAPOUT?

Usually when someone asks "what is the best", they aren't asking for custom kitbash house rules.

Just sayin.





-karma