Swinging: "Sinking to New Lows"

[AlHazred]

Say I want to build a Power to represent a firemen's pole. I know normally most would say to represent this as Gliding 5", Limited Movement (character cannot gain altitude or move in the horizontal plane; -1), Immobile OAF (-2). Total Cost: 1 point. I wonder, what would be wrong with representing this as Swinging? One could then take the idea and make a "Movement Pole," say, which a character has practiced sliding on.

 

I find it interesting because it ties the movement directly into a physical object (defined in the power as the "swingline"). What would be objections to this sort of thing?

[JohnTaber]

None.

 

I think it is simple and elegant...I like simple...

[Law Dog]

So this character is some sort of ecdysiast?

[TechnoViking]

Add Instant Change and you got the Batpoles from the 60's Batman TV show .

 

Wait, did they have rocket booster to?

 

Mike

[Lord Liaden]

The rules would seem to allow for it. After all, one of the new clarifications under Swinging is that the GM has the option of allowing a character to climb or be pulled up his Swingline at a rate equal to half his Swinging; can't see a good reason to not allow for the reverse direction. I'd say that your -1 "Limited Movement" Lim would apply here as well.

 

For that matter, you could simply define the character's "Swingline" as a vaulting pole, with the special effect that he vaults instead of swings. It might have some kind of base attachment at the tip to hold it vertically steady, so that the character can "plant" it where he wants to slide down or climb up. Or maybe he can keep it steady enough 'cause he's just that good.

[AlHazred]

While considering this idea, I had another thought. This would be an alternative method of defining an elevator. I love the "Vehicles within Vehicles" discussion in TUV; it seems to me that elevators that depend on cables could be defined as Limited Movement Swinging, perhaps with No Noncombat Multiple (normal elevators in shorter buildings/vehicles/whatever wouldn't have a Noncombat multiple, ones inside tall whatevers would).

 

I think perhaps Swinging needs more space devoted to it, like maybe a Heroglyphs column. It's a pretty ill-defined, yet interesting movement power. While all movements except Flight are dependent on a medium to transport through/over, Swinging is the only one that provides its own medium.