Elastic Powers How To Question

[bryanb]

Hi Everyone,

 

Just wondering how you would simulate this power in the Hero System - the character is an "elastic man" and is able to travel great distances in a short period of time by bouncing off surfaces (like a ball).

 

I was thinking originally Superleap with disads but then thought that this sounded more like flight with a disad of (something like) "must touch a surface every 10 hexes"...A turn mode disad may also be required.

 

What do you all think? Are there other advantages/disadvantages I need to consider?

 

Thanks

[OddHat]

Re: Elastic Powers How To Question

 

Buch of methods work well, but the easiest is Flight with Must Land at the End of Each Phase (-1/2) and Combat Accelleration/Deceleration(+1/4)

[NuSoardGraphite]

Re: Elastic Powers How To Question

 

I would write it up as Leaping myself. With Flight, there's Turn Mode issues. There is no such issues with leaping because when you land on a surface, you can immediately jump in any direction you wish without skipping a beat. With Flight, you'd have to slow down to a stop, then reorient and reaccellerate again. Unless of course you purchase your Flight with No Turn Mode.

 

Its possible to model this ability with Flight (and No Turn Mode), but Leaping can produce the same effect at less than half the cost (because of the Advantage on Flight)

[gojira]

Re: Elastic Powers How To Question

 

With leaping, how would you model the ability to bounce off vertical surfaces (ie, the side of a building) or the underside of a horizontal surface?

 

I think I'd use Clinging, with the lim (not linked) "only at the end of a "bounce,"" worth about 1/2 or so.

 

That clinging will add to the cost of "leaping method" though.

[Bloodstone]

Re: Elastic Powers How To Question

 

Seems like Swinging would actually be a good model for this ability.

 

The character isn't attaching a swing line to anything, but he does have to travel from surface to surface in a similar manner.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Re: Elastic Powers How To Question

 

Seems like Swinging would actually be a good model for this ability.

 

The character isn't attaching a swing line to anything, but he does have to travel from surface to surface in a similar manner.

 

I'm not sure if thats quite right:

 

With Swinging, you can turn in the middle of a swing. A character with a Bouncing power should not be able to change direction in mid-bounce...he has to impact a surface to change direction. Thats why I support Leaping foremost.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Re: Elastic Powers How To Question

 

With leaping' date=' how would you model the ability to bounce off vertical surfaces (ie, the side of a building) or the underside of a horizontal surface? [/quote']

 

I already allow people to do this if they have a phase available when they land on the surface. They can then use their phase to immediately leap away (in whatever direction they please)

However, if they don't have a phase available when they impact the surface, they may suffer move-through damage. Probably bounce off the surface and begin to fall. Not good.

 

I think I'd use Clinging, with the lim (not linked) "only at the end of a "bounce,"" worth about 1/2 or so.

 

I don't think Clinging would be necessary since the character isn't planning on standing there very long at all. They simply use the surface to launch themselves in another direction. They aren't clinging at all...

[NuSoardGraphite]

Re: Elastic Powers How To Question

 

What I have done in the past is allowed characters to purchase Leaping multiple times with the Linked limitation. This allows them to leap multiple times in a single phase, which allows them to impact several surfaces (Like quickly bouncing around a tight hallway)

Each "bounce" would allow a change in direction, which simulates the ability of a bouncing object to use corners and obstacles to bounce all around a room.

 

From what I understand about the "Movement" rules, this is blatently illegal, but as usual, I don't really care. If it works to accurately portray the ability I'm trying to write up without completely unbalancing the game, I'm all for it....

[prestidigitator]

Re: Elastic Powers How To Question

 

I would probably allow a character to break his hexes of Leaping into several smaller leaps. Then the character could bounce between smaller leaps off of vertical or even inverted surfaces. You might want to buy some Acrobatics (and even a tiny bit of Limited Clinging, as others have said) to help out, and Movement Skill Levels would definitely be appropriate. If you are a player, I'd talk to your GM about how (s)he would allow this to be done, though.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Re: Elastic Powers How To Question

 

I would probably allow a character to break his hexes of Leaping into several smaller leaps. Then the character could bounce between smaller leaps off of vertical or even inverted surfaces. You might want to buy some Acrobatics (and even a tiny bit of Limited Clinging' date=' as others have said) to help out, and Movement Skill Levels would definitely be appropriate. If you are a player, I'd talk to your GM about how (s)he would allow this to be done, though.[/quote']

 

I think you are on to something there:

 

I like the idea of using Acrobatics...possibly as a Requires Skill Roll. And yes, Movement skill levels would be a must.

 

Perhaps the number of "bounces" one can accomplish within their leaping distance should be based on the number of Movement skill levels they posses. Treat it like Bouncing an EB or RKA with ranged skill levels....

[Vanguard00]

Re: Elastic Powers How To Question

 

*cough* Power Skill *cough*

[prestidigitator]

Re: Elastic Powers How To Question

 

*cough* Power Skill *cough*

Ah, yes. The answer to everything.

 

I think you are on to something there:

 

I like the idea of using Acrobatics...possibly as a Requires Skill Roll. And yes, Movement skill levels would be a must.

 

Perhaps the number of "bounces" one can accomplish within their leaping distance should be based on the number of Movement skill levels they posses. Treat it like Bouncing an EB or RKA with ranged skill levels....

Yeah, I like that idea of treating a bouncing Leap like a bouncing EB. Nice!

[APE]

Re: Elastic Powers How To Question

 

With leaping, how would you model the ability to bounce off vertical surfaces (ie, the side of a building) or the underside of a horizontal surface?

 

I think I'd use Clinging, with the lim (not linked) "only at the end of a "bounce,"" worth about 1/2 or so.

 

That clinging will add to the cost of "leaping method" though.

 

I don't think you need clinging since you land at the end of the phase, and at the begining of the next do the next bounce. Now if you wanted to stop on a vertical or the underside of a horazontal surface then you would need clinging.

[Dust Raven]

Re: Elastic Powers How To Question

 

Prestidigitator and NuSoard have described how I've been running Leaping since 4th edition. The default for Leaping is you make a single leap, each leap is either a full of half move. I allow and Acrobatics roll to split leaps up into several smaller leaps, and the total distance traveled determins if it's a full or half move, rather than the number of leaps. I allow a single "bounce" per point the Acrobatics roll is made by for a half move, and double that for a full move. So if you had Leaping 20" and Acrobatics 14-, and rolled an 11, you could make 3 leaps up to a total of 10" or 6 leaps up to the full movement. The leaps can be off of any solid surface suitable to the SFX of the Leaping. The character does have to end his movement on a surface he could normally remain standing still on, so he can be in mid-bounce on the side of a wall or the ceiling unless he also has Clinging, but you could always buy that with the Limitations (Linked to Leaping and Does Not Decrease KB) and achieve that effect.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Re: Elastic Powers How To Question

 

Very nice Dust Raven.

 

Quick, Clean and gives us another use for Acrobatics (of course, its already the most useful "non-combat" skill already)

[Dust Raven]

Re: Elastic Powers How To Question

 

Very nice Dust Raven.

Thanks

 

Quick, Clean and gives us another use for Acrobatics (of course, its already the most useful "non-combat" skill already)

 

Acrobatics is a non-combat skill? Since when?

[prestidigitator]

Re: Elastic Powers How To Question

 

...another use for Acrobatics (of course' date=' its already the most useful "non-combat" skill already)[/quote']

Hmm. Depends on the campaign. I've run games where Trading is the most beneficial Skill imaginable.