Other ways to increase Basic Move?

[Calvin]

In the game I'm currently playing in I've built a lightly armoured Halberd wielding giant (well, 7ft tall, but he has the Gigantism trait) with a current move of 8.

This give him a truly ridiculous threat range for a melee character. A move and attack has a threat range of 11 or 12 squares depending on weather or not I opt for the Great Lunge attack option. An all out attack similarly has a threat range of 7 or 8.

What I want is to be able to take two steps instead of one. That requires a Move of 11, rather than the 10 I originally thought it took. In any case, with Gigantism and my current stats I can only buy my move up to 10 with the limit set on page 17 of the basic set.

From what I can tell the cheapest way to make it to Move 11 is to buy Basic speed up by one. That's still quite expensive at 20 points though.

Is there a cheaper way to make it to Move 11, or is there another way to have my character able to make a double step?

[Peter Knutsen]

You can apply a Limitation to that level of Extra Speed, to bring down the cost a bit. For that matter you can apply a Limitation to some of your levels of Extra Move too.

Limited Use 3/day or 2/day or 1/day is one option. You mighty not want that on some of your levels of Move, but putting 2/day on your level of Extra Speed could be handy. Being able to do it twice per day, twice in the same fight or once each in two different fights, is quite useful.

Costs Fatigue (FP) is another option.

Or you can ask your GM about an UB, Unusual Background, to allow you to buy just one more level of Extra Move.

Especially a level of Extra Move that affects Step Only. That's obviously at least -20% on Extra Move right there and could arguably go as high as -60% or maybe even -70% (depending on how useful more Step without extra Move is). The UB itself for exceeding the cap on levels of Extra Move shouldn't be higher than 5 points for the first level of cap excession, and it could well be lower. One possibility is that if the excess level of Extra Move is Limited, then the UB should match the cost of the points put into that level of Extra Move, e.g. if your Extra Move is Limited with -40% Step Only so that it costs a total of 3 points, then the UB itself should also only cost 3 points.

The UB for the 2nd level of excess Extra Move could well cost 10 points, though.

[Railstar]

Committed Attack (long) from Martial Arts allows a double-step, although causes -2 to your active defences.

Another option depending on the circumstances is to use a Retreat/Sideslip/Slip when attacked in order to move yourself towards where you want to go. This also means a slight defensive sacrifice, as moving to the side when attacked gives only +2 Dodge (no adjustment to Parry) whereas moving back would give +3 Dodge or +1 Parry. Normally I use it to avoid being surrounded when outnumbered.

[Calvin]

Originally Posted by Railstar

Committed Attack (long) from Martial Arts allows a double-step, although causes -2 to your active defenses.

Another option depending on the circumstances is to use a Retreat/Sideslip/Slip when attacked in order to move yourself towards where you want to go. This also means a slight defensive sacrifice, as moving to the side when attacked gives only +2 Dodge (no adjustment to Parry) whereas moving back would give +3 Dodge or +1 Parry. Normally I use it to avoid being surrounded when outnumbered.

I do know about those options, but I'm specifically trying to get an actual second step which would actually be helpful when slipping, retreating, etc.

Unusual background as mentioned by the other poster is a good idea, I'm just not certain that my GM would go for it.

[Maz]

2 steps are extremely powerful and in my opinion moves into super's territory. For this reason it IS and SHOULD be very expensive.

In a supers game which all sorts of weird stuff 2xsteps isn't all that special. But in a game where reach is important being able to step in to attack and out again, or to double dodge away, is a huge tactical advantage.

So, what I am saying is if I was the GM I wouldn't allow any cheap way to get it. In anything but a highly cinematic game I might even limit it to only some races that are specifically super fast.

[Calvin]

Originally Posted by Maz

2 steps are extremely powerful and in my opinion moves into super's territory. For this reason it IS and SHOULD be very expensive.

In a supers game which all sorts of weird stuff 2xsteps isn't all that special. But in a game where reach is important being able to step in to attack and out again, or to double dodge away, is a huge tactical advantage.

So, what I am saying is if I was the GM I wouldn't allow any cheap way to get it. In anything but a highly cinematic game I might even limit it to only some races that are specifically super fast.

At SM+1 Move 11 is actually attainable with high DX and HT, or just buying a lot of Basic Move (Which I've done both of to some extent)

All I'm trying to do is make the jump from Move 10 to Move 11 at fewer than 20 points (Which is what it costs to buy Basic Speed up a full step)

But you're right. Two steps is damn powerful, the slip from MA becomes even more useful and it makes it a lot easier to stay at the right range with a halberd.

[Maz]

Originally Posted by Calvin

At SM+1 Move 11 is actually attainable with high DX and HT, or just buying a lot of Basic Move (Which I've done both of to some extent)

Oh yea I know its not impossible to get at all. Even in a somewhat low/middle points game. But having seen how much of an impact it have on low TL melee combat I am very wary of it. Just like allowing even a few points of Tough Skin DR, or allowing Low SM with High ST.

[weby]

Pyramid 3/77 "combat writ large" suggest that large creatures should have more move if same shape. You may want to use that as excuse to buy one additional move.

[Calvin]

Originally Posted by weby

Pyramid 3/77 "combat writ large" suggest that large creatures should have more move if same shape. You may want to use that as excuse to buy one additional move.

The Gigantism trait actually already gives +1 Move, so I actually am already using that excuse.

Pyramid 3/77 "combat writ large" suggest that large creatures should have more move if same shape. You may want to use that as excuse to buy one additional move.

Heh, this is a TL 0-1 game with the odd character (mine for example) at TL 3.

[weby]

Originally Posted by Calvin

The Gigantism trait actually already gives +1 Move, so I actually am already using that excuse.
.

The +1 is given as minimum, suggesting that higher might also make sense.