Falling damage and chase sequences

[chao-ren]

Hey guys! More questions for ya! ^^

fall inflicts damage rank 4 plus twice the distance rank
fallen, to a maximum of rank 16 damage.

DCA, page 170.

Does that mean you can't fall past distant rank 8 (one mile)? (8x2 = 16) or does it mean you cant fall past distance rank 6? (6x 2+ 4= 16) Or does it mean you can't fall past distance rank 16? This confuses me a bit, sorry!


Also...
I don't have money right now for threat reports, but I do have the game master's guide. I can't find how to roll a chase however... How would you do a chase sequence? Can you give me an example please? i.e Batman chasing robin on the rooftops of gotham city.

[Greyman]

fall inflicts damage rank 4 plus twice the distance rank
fallen, to a maximum of rank 16 damage.

Does that mean you can't fall past distant rank 8 (one mile)? (8x2 = 16) or does it mean you cant fall past distance rank 6? (6x 2+ 4= 16) Or does it mean you can't fall past distance rank 16? This confuses me a bit, sorry!

Damage 16 is the maximum. You can fall from higher than distance rank 6 (1800 feet), you just don't take any greater damage from it. Think of it as reaching terminal velocity.

Distance Rank -2 (6 feet) = no damage
Distance Rank -1 (15 feet) = Damage 2
Distance Rank 0 (30 feet) = Damage 4
Distance Rank 1 (60 feet) = Damage 6
Distance Rank 2 (120 feet) = Damage 8
Distance Rank 3 (250 feet) = Damage 10
Distance Rank 4 (500 feet) = Damage 12
Distance Rank 5 (900 feet) = Damage 14
Distance Rank 6 (1800 feet) = Damage 16

[Greyman]

A chase is a Pursuit Challenge Sequence. It's a series of skill or power checks, where the pursuer must obtain a number of successes before a number of failures. Threat report suggests 3 each for a standard challenge; use more or less depending on how challenging, how rewarding, or how punishing the pursuit may be.

Check typically involve maneuverability (Acrobatics, Athletics, Vehicles), knowledge of terrain or tactics (Expertise), or use Deception, Insight, Stealth, Perception, and various power effects, et cetera

The influence of speed ranks on pursuit resolution is to provides a circumstantial modifier to the checks, awarded to the character with the higher rank: +2 for a difference of 2, +5 for a difference of 3 or more.

[FuzzyBoots]

There was an excellent set of chase rules in the 2E Masterminds Manual. The basic idea behind it was that the pursuer and the chased chose to pull off given stunts each turn and the success of said maneuver (based on a skill check) either increased or reduced the gap between them. It was things like bootlegger turns, dodging into a crowd, stomping on the gas, etc.

[Batgirl III]

An object falling toward the surface of the Earth will fall (approx) 10 meters per second faster every second, or 10m/s², until the drag force resisting motion is approximately proportional to the square of its speed, this is point is called terminal velocity.

a(t) = 10

integrated over time, that gets us our velocity

v(t) = a*t = 10*t

integrated over time, that gets us our location compared to start

x(t) = ½*a*t^2

x(6 seconds) = ½*10*36 = 180 meters down - about 590 feet.
x(12 seconds) = ½*10*12^2 = 720 meters down - 2362 feet, approximately.

Watch that first step, kids. It's a doozy.

[chao-ren]

fall inflicts damage rank 4 plus twice the distance rank
fallen, to a maximum of rank 16 damage.

Does that mean you can't fall past distant rank 8 (one mile)? (8x2 = 16) or does it mean you cant fall past distance rank 6? (6x 2+ 4= 16) Or does it mean you can't fall past distance rank 16? This confuses me a bit, sorry!

Damage 16 is the maximum. You can fall from higher than distance rank 6 (1800 feet), you just don't take any greater damage from it. Think of it as reaching terminal velocity.

Distance Rank -2 (6 feet) = no damage
Distance Rank -1 (15 feet) = Damage 2
Distance Rank 0 (30 feet) = Damage 4
Distance Rank 1 (60 feet) = Damage 6
Distance Rank 2 (120 feet) = Damage 8
Distance Rank 3 (250 feet) = Damage 10
Distance Rank 4 (500 feet) = Damage 12
Distance Rank 5 (900 feet) = Damage 14
Distance Rank 6 (1800 feet) = Damage 16

so the toughness check would be v.s. 16 + 15= 31, right? (For falling from distance rank 6)

haha ty Batgirl. Oddly... That makes more sense now... Though i haven't the foggiest idea why... Hahaha

Fuzzyboots, I do not have the 2e manual. I like the idea though. How exactly does it work? Example?
Samething Greyman, i think iget it, could you please give me a short example? TY ^^


thanx everybody for the help, i'm just stilla little unclear ^_^

[Greyman]

The Master Mind Manual pursuit rules were just a little bit clunky. To use them everyone needed to know all the various maneuvers, their individual conditions for use, and effects. You either had to pass the manual around the table or have print outs prepared before a session.

Making it a Skill Challenge Sequence simplifies things. You just describe what each character is trying to do, and pick an appropriate skill roll (or vice versa). Then describe the result of the opposed checks. To use it, you just need a little imagination.

Robin ducks into a alleyway, kicks open a door and rappels up the wall into the shadows, attempting to bluff Batman into looking into the; Deception opposed by Insight. If Robin wins, he manages to momentarily elude his mentor--and may perhaps attempt to be Stealthy next round. If Batman wins, he closes the gap between them, and takes the next round to the rooftop.

[FuzzyBoots]

The Master Mind Manual pursuit rules were just a little bit clunky. To use them everyone needed to know all the various maneuvers, their individual conditions for use, and effects. You either had to pass the manual around the table or have print outs prepared before a session.

Yeah, although, in my opinion, a set of index cards much like the 2E Action cards (or the D&D/Pathfinder ones) readily solves that problem. I dunno... I guess I just feel the chase rules gave more systematic choices to players rather than the GM essentially saying "OK, decide what you want to do. Right, make a (picks random value out of his head) DC 20 Acrobatics check."

It's kind of like the arguments about Diplomacy and how typically, it comes down to the GM picking random values based on a series of ad hoc modifiers that basically result in him either giving a value indicating that he expects you to succeed handily or one showing that he doesn't want you to solve the problem that way.

[chao-ren]

Robin ducks into a alleyway, kicks open a door and rappels up the wall into the shadows, attempting to bluff Batman into looking into the; Deception opposed by Insight. If Robin wins, he manages to momentarily elude his mentor--and may perhaps attempt to be Stealthy next round. If Batman wins, he closes the gap between them, and takes the next round to the rooftop.

Ok, So let me give you guys an example... And you tell me if i have the basic idea down. ^^


Using the archtypes from DCA handbook:

Weapon Master- WM (page 41): Powers: Urban Acrobat, Super Vision

is trying to catch...

Martial Artist- MA (page 36).

The target number of suxx for WM to get is 3.
(Since WM has Leaping 1, he gets +2 for being faster each round.)

MA takes off across the rooftops of Gotham! He jumps from one to the other with the grace of a roof-hopping cat! (Acrobatics 16+ roll of 16= Dc 32)

WM is hot on his heels, Leaping from building to building with ease. (Acrobatics 13+ 2+ roll of 19= 34)(+1 suxx)

WM starts gaining on MA! (1 suxx)

MA, noticing that his pursuer has the advantage here shimmies down a ladder, Knocking it down to an alley but, at the last moment, slips into a window. He hopes that WM will assume he ran down the street! (Deception 5+ roll of 15 = DC 20)

WM looks down the ladder before he leaps, noticing that it has been dragged all the way down... (Perception 9+ 2+ roll of 13= 24)(+1 suxx) But sees MA's foot slip into the window and continues his chase into the building. <If he failed this one, the race is technically over as WM would be chasing a wild goose. Right?>

(2 suxx)

Hearing WM behind him, MA flips through another window, throwing a bookcase in the way of his pursuer as he does! (Acrobatics 16+ roll of 17= DC 33)

WM follows as best he can, But is slowed down, having to dodge a bookcase! (Acrobatics 13+ 2+ roll of 6 -2 for bookcase= 19)(-3 suxx) <something like throwing a bookcase or crates of fruit could impose penalties, right?>

(-1 suxx, since he got 3 levels of failure the last time- 2-3= -1)

Now on the street, MA flat out sprints as fast as he can! (Athletics 14+ roll of 6= DC 20)

Finding his way through the window, WM bounds off mightily towards him! But cuts around a few corners to try and cut him off (Acrobatics 13+ 2 + roll of 17= 32)(+3 suxx)

(2 suxx)

MA keeps running! (ath 14 + 7= dc 21)

WM continues taking shortcuts! (acrobatics 13+ 2+ roll of 11= 25)(+1 suxx)

(3 suxx)

MA turns to look behind him and finds no one. He stops running, assuming he has lost his pursuer. When he turns back, however, WM is there with his arms crossed. After a tense moment between them, WM reaches out and pokes MA on the nose. "Tag. You're it." then bounds off into the sunset.


Haha! Hope that was amusing. Did I do everything right?

[Greyman]

Leaping 1 allows you to make a standing jump of 15 feet. Useful, but that's only just a little better than what the Martial Artist (and Weapon Master) could do with a routine Athletics check.

Coupled with Swinging and Safefall I'd let it give the Weapon Master circumstantial bonus for performing abscaling and parkour maneuvers. However, it doesn't make him 2 speed ranks faster than the Martial Artist, so he doesn't gain the general +2 advantage for that.

[chao-ren]

Leaping 1 allows you to make a standing jump of 15 feet. Useful, but that's only just a little better than what the Martial Artist (and Weapon Master) could do with a routine Athletics check.

Coupled with Swinging and Safefall I'd let it give the Weapon Master circumstantial bonus for performing abscaling and parkour maneuvers. However, it doesn't make him 2 speed ranks faster than the Martial Artist, so he doesn't gain the general +2 advantage for that.

Ok cool. Thanks. Besides that, was everything else right? i.e. the thrown bookcse imposing a -2 to the check?

[Greyman]

Ok cool. Thanks. Besides that, was everything else right? i.e. the thrown bookcse imposing a -2 to the check?

The GM is encouraged to use circumstantial penalties (and bonuses) when situations call for such.