Running up stairs.

[quozaxx]

I have a speedster that needs to run up stairs 13 floors. It's a superhero Champions game. Is there any special rules for running up stairs?

 

He has 15" of running (60" Noncombat). How long should it take him?

[Bloodstone]

Re: Running up stairs.

 

The gravity penalty cuts his movement in half.

 

Would have to measure out a flight of stairs to tell you how long it would take him to run up 13 floors....

[quozaxx]

Re: Running up stairs.

 

I've never measured a traditional skyscraper stairwell before. I would not know where to start. - Well, except find a large 25 story business building - and walk up one flight and count the steps.

 

But, those are few and far inbetween from where I live.

[Yansuf]

Re: Running up stairs.

 

I have a speedster that needs to run up stairs 13 floors. It's a superhero Champions game. Is there any special rules for running up stairs?

 

He has 15" of running (60" Noncombat). How long should it take him?

 

Normal stairs are usually (in the US) 10" run with 7" rise; this can be varied a bit to deal with different floor heights. For the typical 10 ft floor height, we would probably use 7.059" and have 17 risers per floor.

So the run (horizontal distance) is 170 inches per floor, or 4.32 meters. So to go up one floor he must travel 4.32 meters horizontal and 3 meters (10 ft) vertical, which costs double movement. Making it:

(2*3m)^2+(4.32m)^2 = 54.7 (m^2)

Taking the square root, we get 7.4 meter equivalent on the slope.

For 13 floors we get 96.2 meters; assume about 2 meters for each of the landings that adds up to 122 meters.

60 inches (5th edition) is equal to 120 meters. So if he pushes 1 inch (2 meters) he makes it up in one phase.

That is how I would do it.

[Daltwisney]

Re: Running up stairs.

 

Since you referenced inches, we'll do the math for 5E:

 

Each floor is approx 10' in height.

The horizontal space required for the stairway will be about 18' (this could be a single run or zig-zag or box, it really makes no difference.)

Each 'floor' of stairs then is between 20' and 21' of movement.

13 floors x 20' = 260' = about 40".

Going up, the character is going against gravity, so his movement is effectively 8".

It takes 5 phases to climb 13 floors at combat speeds.

At full non-com (assuming he hit the bottom of the stairwell at full speed) it would take a phase and a half of movement.

[Beast]

Re: Running up stairs.

 

good thing running in 5th has no turn mode

that would have been the killer had this game been in 4th or earlier

or FF has a turn mode lim on his running

[Rapier]

Re: Running up stairs.

 

I could go all physics-geek on you, and talk about the angle of effect of gravity on a slope, but I won't. Mostly because we are talking about differences that are so small as to not make a great deal of difference (and isn't really interesting to most people...unfortunately).

 

The stairwells in my building here at home at about 10' deep and we can guesstimate at about 10' per floor. Each stair level will cover 20' horizontally and 10' vertically.

 

The total distance travelled horizontally is 20' x 12 Floors (you don't count the first floor since you start out at ground level, so it's 12 European floors or 13 American ones) or 240' (or 80m).

The total distance traveled vertically is 10' x 12 Floors (same reasoning as above) or 120' (or 40m) and Hero tells us that moving vertically is twice as hard so we have to double that to 240' (or 80m).

 

So our triangle has two legs of 80m and 80m. Pythagoras tells us that the hypotenuse is a^2 + b^2 = c^2. Those with a fondness for trig will immediately recognise this as one of those extra special 45-45-90 triangles and multiply by the square root of two (or 1.4).

 

a^2 + b^2 = c^2

(80m * 80m) + (80m * 80m) = c^2

(6400 m^2) + (6400 m^2) = c^2

12800 m^2 = c^2

c = 113m or 56"

 

So 4 combat moves or 2 noncombat.

 

It's about the same value the others are coming up with, but I thought I would put on the lecture hat (that and I had to see how accurately they were 8P)!

[quozaxx]

Re: Running up stairs.

 

Thank you for making my head explode - I mean for answering my question. For some reason, I felt like someone enjoyed working out that mathematical problem.

 

I'll do the:

It takes 5 phases to climb 13 floors at combat speeds.

At full non-com (assuming he hit the bottom of the stairwell at full speed) it would take a phase and a half of movement.

 

Thanks again. OK, now figure it with a Turn mode.... Just kidding.

[quozaxx]

Re: Running up stairs.

 

Actually, I do have another NPC speedster running up the same stairs. He has 31" combat speed, but DOES have a Turn Modifier limitation.

 

Would he beat the other speedster who is going at noncombat speed? Would he beat him if the other speedster was going combat speed?

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Running up stairs.

 

I'd be disinclined to knock myself out determining exact rates, but I would be inclined to rule that the turn mode forces the second character to slow down a bit, so the first one is faster at reaching the roof.

 

WHY?

 

You got a limitation for the turn mode. It should have a detrimental effect once in a while. This is that "once in a while".

[McCoy]

Re: Running up stairs.

 

I have a speedster that needs to run up stairs 13 floors. It's a superhero Champions game. Is there any special rules for running up stairs?

 

He has 15" of running (60" Noncombat). How long should it take him?

 

Actually, I do have another NPC speedster running up the same stairs. He has 31" combat speed, but DOES have a Turn Modifier limitation.

 

Would he beat the other speedster who is going at noncombat speed? Would he beat him if the other speedster was going combat speed?

Does he need to run up 13 flights of stairs, to the 14th floor, or up 12 flights of stairs, to the 13th floor?

 

Either way, the vast majority of high rise stairwells have switchbacks, up half a floor to a landing, turn 180 degrees, up an equal number of stairs, out the door on that floor or another 180 degree turn to continue upward. Now there is something in the character's favor, there is a railing that can be grabbed to assist with those hairpin turns.

 

Personally I would rule that the speedster with the turn mode could make full combat speed up the stairs using the railing. If they are going to try noncombat speed, it is going to take 25 DEX rolls to make it to the 14th floor. Miss an odd numbered roll and he does velocity-only move through damage to the blank wall and himself. Miss an even numbered roll and he goes through the door, no damage but they are on the wrong floor. Either way a missed DEX roll ends their phase.

[Yansuf]

Re: Running up stairs.

 

I could go all physics-geek on you' date=' and talk about the angle of effect of gravity on a slope, but I won't. Mostly because we are talking about differences that are so small as to not make a great deal of difference (and isn't really interesting to most people...unfortunately). [/quote']

 

Not to mention that the rules don't use that, but instead use the simplified approximation of "half speed vertically up."

 

BTW, if your building has a rise to run ratio of 0.50, you live in a strange building. In commercial or industrial buildings between 0.65 and 0.72 (maximum) are common in the US.