I have an adept character who has Great Leap at level four and some skill with swords. So far, as I am the "main" gm of my group, I've just handled a great leap into melee combat by making an athletics test as per the normal rules to see if he makes it, and then giving him a +1 reach bonus if he does. However, I'm sure there's a better way of representing this. Any ideas?

Jumping into combat doesnt really give any more benefit than normal unless its a 1) jump kick or 2) surprise attack (like from above or something). I would just count it as a fancy way of declaring the charge combat option from CC.

I wouldn't give it any bonus (if anything, it would be a negative, since you can't change direction mid leap, thus allowing your opponent to predict your movements). Instead, I'd use it as a nice way to avoid enemies, by jumping over them, possibly while charging other enemies.

JaronK

A fun tactic is to uberleap so that the opponent you're fighting is between you and his friends, that way you get to use him as cover.

What about denying them the friends in melee bonus while you leap? They really aren't going to be able to do much if you're jumping at an opponent if you ask me. Sure they can beat the hell out of him with sticks once he lands (or IF he lands if you possess matrix style gravity defiance) but for his initial attack they'd be kinda useless.

At any rate they're going to be rather awed the first couple of times you pull that. Maybe a circumstantial mod to the TN just because you aren't expecting the guy with the sword to develop a case of peter pan syndrome and go flying over the heads of the opponents.

Maybe not. I don't know. All this does for me is bring back horrible memories of the talk about leaping barbarians in D2. (give me a druid or an assassin any day. )

I will treat that as a complementary skill for a combined Kick Attack + Charging Option for Tae Kwon Do. But since it is Swords, then by Canon, I would give zilch nada nothing.

leaping barbarians are as bad as leaping adepts? Now this is an interesting theory. Please Cursedsoul enlighten us

I see a troy screenshot in my mind with this description: opening scene

If you wanted to be nice, give a Power bonus based on "charging" since the character is using leaping to gain momentum.

Maybe a penalty to the attacker based on surprise? It's not often someone goes almost vertical in an airborne maneuver.

And the moving target penalty, naturally.

-Siege

I would make jumping a disadvantage if anything because staying airborne for any real length of time means you cannot maneuver whatsoever, your course is set and unalterable. This makes it far easier to defend against, because he can't feint effectively or change directions. That's horrible in a fight. I would allow it to give him bonuses to escape melee combat, and be able to engage people faster if the people were a distance apart from each other, maybe not allowing them an attack of opportunity when he leaves combat. The jump has advantages, just hurting your opponent is not one of them.

If you're really into stylizing combat without regard to realism, just allow great jump to be used to achieve superior positioning. +1 reach, as I recall.