Running Acceleration/Deceleration and Some Other Movement Foo

[prestidigitator]

For purposes of accentuating some of the issues presented in these questions, let's say I have a character SpeedMonkey, who has 10" of Running bought with enough x2 Non-Combat Multiples to give him 10 gigahexes of movement (x2^30).

1. Using his full Non-Combat Velocity, if SpeedMonkey were to run around a corner and notice an obstacle right in front of himself (the next hex), can he make an immediate 180-degree turn (since Running has no Turn Mode) and head back the way he came, even though it would technically take him over a billion Phases to decelerate to zero velocity?
   
2. If not, or if he was distracted and didn't notice the obstacle, should the damage he takes be based upon his Combat Velocity (10") or Non-Combat Velocity (LOTS, assuming the object has a whole heck of a lot of Def+Body)? How about if he actually manages to make a Move Through or Move By against a target with his 0 OCV?
   
3. Since Running doesn't have a Turn Mode, can SpeedMonkey accelerate to his full speed (over the gigaphase required), by continually making 180-degree turns and bouncing back and forth between two adjacent hexes?
   
4. If you have positive Leaping, but 0" or less of Running, can you perform a Running Leap, or are you limited to Standing Leaps only?
   

Thank you!

[Steve Long]

Re: Running Acceleration/Deceleration and Some Other Movement Foo

 

1. Running has no Turn Mode. The only restrictions imposed on when a character can turn as he runs are those established by the GM based on the situation, common sense, dramatic sense, and considerations of game balance.

 

2. Damage involving velocity is calculated from whatever velocity the character (or his target, depending on the situation) is moving at. If it’s 10”, it’s 10”; if it’s 1,000”, it’s 1,000”. Whether he achieves that velocity through Combat or Noncombat Movement doesn’t matter, unless some more specific rule indicates otherwise.

 

3. Not unless you can convince the GM that this stunt doesn’t violate common sense and dramatic sense — which I doubt you’ll be able to do without a really good explanation.

 

4. A “running leap” requires the character to take “a step or two,” as described on 5ER 35. If a character has no inches of Running, obviously he can’t do that, unless the GM rules otherwise for some reason.