SSJ Archon Posted September 28, 2003 Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 At what point of speed do we worry about friction? Examples: Rentry in to the Atmosphere, Flying next to an SR-71 at top speed, Grabing the enemy and holding them to the ground as you move at mach 3. Its all about speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted September 28, 2003 Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 Since this isn't a rules question, I've moved it to "Discussion." My answer: we never worry about it -- these are games simulating dramatic reality, not reality itself. If the GM wants to toss in something about friction or the like, it's usually a plot device sort of thing, not a rule. But RMMD, and I'm sure they'll post here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobGreenwade Posted September 28, 2003 Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 I'm thinking this might be a good topic for The Ultimate Speedster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sociotard Posted September 28, 2003 Report Share Posted September 28, 2003 It depends on what provides the friction. For normal atmospheres, I would bear teminal velocity in mind (30" per segment). A character falling at that speed gets pushed up by air resistance as hard as gravity yanks down. If someone moves at speed in excess of 30" per segment (133 mph, if I did the math correctly) the wind pushes him with a STR of 10 (assuming you have normal human air resistance). For every multiple of 30" per segment, it moves up another 10 str. just say it automatically hits, and treat the STR as dealing a normal PD attack, probably with reduced penetration. This just brings to mind a stunt gone wrong I saw on the tube a while back. these guys tried to shoot a car off a ramp and over a ravine with (IIRC) a rocket. the car disintigrated in midair. Also, running this fast is equivalent to experiancing 133 mph winds. Watch hurricane footage to see what that can do to a house. As for how fast you have to go to start taking damage from friction heat . . . I don't have my physics book with me. acording to howstuffworks.com "Because it is moving at about 17,000 mph (28,000 km/h), the orbiter will hit air molecules and build up heat from friction (approximately 3000 degrees F, or 1650 degrees C)." with regard to the re-entry of the space shuttle. now I just have to figure out what kind of energy blast would be associated with 1650 degrees C. I'll figure it out later. Really though, with a speedster, these are the things that I say "He's a superhero, he doesn't really worry about it" to. just assume that whatever points you paid to make him run this fast also protect him from air-speed related damage. I did however give my speedster a suit of PD to protect him from knockback damage. After all, he hit mach one noncombat (without any megascales, I might add ). Can you imagine tripping over something at mach 1? I don't want to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dugfromthearth Posted September 29, 2003 Report Share Posted September 29, 2003 you always worry about friction slowing you down - otherwise movement powers would have acceleration but no top speed. The top speed is determined by friction. you don't worry about friction causing heat unless you want to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSJ Archon Posted September 29, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2003 Its not so much a concern in superhero but in hero games, well you get the picture. My players want to throw some one high enough in the air that they have to re enter the atmosphere, or tie someone by the leg to there jet and want to know how fast they have to go to rip the guy's leg off. My players are sick. I think I'm going to use a varient of the terminal velocity idea. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farkling Posted September 30, 2003 Report Share Posted September 30, 2003 Have their opposites (good? bad?) treat them with the same disrespect they show to human beings and foes...it may cure them, or you may find out which players DON'T like those methods. Sickness begets sickness... Callousness begets callousness... Beauracracy begets beauracracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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