Another Dimension

[Sean Waters]

So, I was walking the dogs and I got to thinking about movement powers.  Well, Tig ran after a squirrel and one thing led to another…

 

I’m working on something but it is a bit of a chunky one so I thought I’d break it down to a series of discussion points.  Here goes…

 

Why do Flight and Running cost the same?

 

Flight starts at 0m rather than 12m, but so what?  Blast starts at zero and Strength starts at 10 but we don’t see that as levelling the playing field.

 

Flight has a turn mode, but so what?  The last time I bothered using a turn mode in actual combat was in the 1980s, because, by and large, I’m not running combat on maps.  You need a big map for superhero combat.  It sounds like it might limit flight a bit, and I’d probably rule you can’t get up to full velocity in a building full of short corridors, but generally it simply doesn’t come up.

 

It’s like acceleration and deceleration (which they both have).  If you have a move of 20m but start and stop stationary you can only actually move 17m because part of the movement is acceleration and deceleration, so for the first and last 3 metres you are travelling at less than full velocity.  I’m pretty sure no one bothers calculating that or working out and recording what your current velocity is at the end of your phase.  That being the case, turn mode is largely irrelevant because you always effectively start from zero and usually move in straight lines.

 

You get extra KB when flying but only because of being in the air (you take an extra 1d6 KB in effect because you only reduce KB by 1d6).  This does not scale with the amount of flight you have, it applies to anyone not on the ground, for instance if they are falling.  Potentially that could be an extra 3d6 KB damage but, unless you are in an enclosed space or hovering at ground height, you are less likely to hit something if you take KB while using Flight anyway.  The other thing is that you can use Flight to brace against KB damage, which you can’t with Running

 

Not only that you can use Flight to increase the amount you can push or lift, which you can’t do with Running.

 

Flight is obviously MUCH more useful than Running because you can move in 3D.  Ask anyone who has ever had to fight on top of a tall building whether they would rather have 40m of flight or 52m of running.

 

The only other thing is that you need to spend at least 1 END with Flight even if you are not moving, whereas you do not with Running.  I think that’s everything.

 

So, assuming that cost is based on utility, is there any reason why Flight and Running cost the same?

 

Flight pros: can brace against KB and increase lift/push, negate falling damage and move through 3 dimensions freely

Flight cons: extra KB and less manoeuvrability

 

Not seeing it myself.  Anyone?

[schir1964]

Don't have time to check... but...

 

I thought anyone could brace for an attack as a half action. On the ground you use your STR (I think) to negate the knockback.

 

But in general I would agree just for the ability to control the engagement with those who can not follow you.

[Sean Waters]

8 minutes ago, schir1964 said:

Don't have time to check... but...

 

I thought anyone could brace for an attack as a half action. On the ground you use your STR (I think) to negate the knockback.

 

But in general I would agree just for the ability to control the engagement with those who can not follow you.

 

I will also have to check but I think you can use Strength to brace on the ground, but I'm not sure your can't also use it if you are flying.

[Sean Waters]

What it actually says at 6E2117 is that:

 

A character can use his STR or Flight (if he has it) to resist Knockback.

 

This implies by a strict reading that you have to choose which one you are using and the entry does not contain an injunction against using Strength to brace when, for instance, falling.  I certainly would not allow that.

 

As to whether you could use both Flight and Strength to brace at the same time, on the one hand you can use both Strength and Flight to lift more (which does not really make any sense at all)  but on the other it would not make any sense at all.  I'd probably only allow the use of Flight to brace when in the air.  I can only assume this was slipped in because someone saw Superman do something like that once and thought it was a good idea.

 

I'm not sure the bracing rules make much sense anyway: it is one thing if you can grab on to a building to stop yourself being knocked back, but if you are standing on a beach or in a field, for example, surrounded by sand or soil there's nothing to brace against, especially as KB can be directed slightly up, for example.

 

It is a pretty pointless thing to do anyway unless an opponent is a long way away and attacking with some sort of Blast power because you have to can only brace against damage from one direction (or other similar Boy Bands) which again does not make sense if you are 'digging in' or grabbing something solid. Most opponents can easily shift to another position before attacking, or two could attack from different angles.

 

Probably one to be dissected in another thread...the rules are really quite unnecessarily nuanced.
 

[Duke Bushido]

See?

 

You see what happens?

 

You need a dog walking service for at least one day a week so you can give your mind a break. 

 

 

 

 

[Sean Waters]

3 hours ago, Duke Bushido said:

See?

 

You see what happens?

 

You need a dog walking service for at least one day a week so you can give your mind a break. 

 

 

 

 

 

That is my mind having a break.

 

Probably a psychotic break...