[Monster Hunters] Negating penalties for jumping in combat

[Michael Thayne]

Monster Hunters 2: The Mission states that jumping distances are halved in combat. Is there a canonical way to negate this? I can see arguments for it costing anywhere from a point (rules exemption perk) to 8 points (Super Jump, Combat Only, -20%) [8]. If there's no canonical answer, what's most fair?

[McAllister]

Monster Hunters is a cinematic game. I agree that the closest thing to fair for exemption to this rule is a Rules Exemption perk because it's close to appropriate for any character.

However, I propose another idea: Unusual Background. Perhaps UB: Chambara Fighting is worth 5 points, or perhaps UB: Chambara Fighting with all the options from Martial Arts p. 128 to 130 is 10 points, and any of the subsections (Chambara Movement, Attacking, Defenses, and Uses for Cinematic Skills) cost 5 points on their own.

Trained by a Master and cinematic skills are typically off the table in Monster Hunters: they're not on any templates, or the Suitable Advantages/Skills tables. I think it's appropriate to introduce a character with access to Chi, either as a power source or just represented by TBaM and cinematic skills, but mark this as unusual with, well, Unusual Background. Usually UB is a clunky point tax I disapprove of, but as long as it carries the benefit of "opponents aren't familiar with the character's powers," it should be fine and feel good. It is, of course, also reasonable to let TBaM act as a UB that grants access to chambara fighting rules: it already does something quite similar with cinematic skills, after all.

[vicky_molokh]

It should probably count as a Combat/Style perk.

[PK]

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

Monster Hunters 2: The Mission states that jumping distances are halved in combat. Is there a canonical way to negate this? I can see arguments for it costing anywhere from a point (rules exemption perk) to 8 points (Super Jump, Combat Only, -20%) [8]. If there's no canonical answer, what's most fair?

I'd treat this as a power-up: Super Jump 1 (Combat Only, -20%) [8]. This is because the doubling of jump distance for noncombat jumps is due to them being effectively an "all-out jump" where you don't have to worry about being attacked along the way.

Because of that, if you wanted to use a Rules Exemption perk instead, the actual rule change would be, "You can now make all-out jumps (that are not halved) in combat." So on any turn in which you did so, you would get no defenses afterward.

Originally Posted by McAllister

Trained by a Master and cinematic skills are typically off the table in Monster Hunters: they're not on any templates, or the Suitable Advantages/Skills tables.

Actually, the warrior has Weapon Master (far more effective than Trained by a Master when fighting monsters!) and a bevy of cinematic skills. Flying Leap isn't a listed option, but you could certainly add it. Non-warriors would need Unusual Training perks to take it, of course.

[Michael Thayne]

Originally Posted by PK

I'd treat this as a power-up: Super Jump 1 (Combat Only, -20%) [8]. This is because the effectively doubling of jump distance for noncombat jumps is due to them being effectively an "all-out jump" where you don't have to worry about being attacked along the way.

Because of that, if you wanted to use a Rules Exemption perk instead, the actual rule change would be, "You can now make all-out jumps (that are not halved) in combat." So on any turn in which you did so, you would get no defenses afterward.

Cool, thanks!

[Gef]

The perk already exists, Combat Vaulting, and per chambara rules in Martial Arts, a Weapon Master doesn't need it if he has both Acrobatics and Jumping skill at DX or higher.

EDIT: Chambara rules are optional even if you allow Weapon Master.

[McAllister]

Originally Posted by PK

Actually, the warrior has Weapon Master (far more effective than Trained by a Master when fighting monsters!) and a bevy of cinematic skills. Flying Leap isn't a listed option, but you could certainly add it. Non-warriors would need Unusual Training perks to take it, of course.

Just so! I remembered the Weapon Master, but I forgot the cinematic skills. I like the Rules Exemption: All-Out Jumps, too.

[Michael Thayne]

Six months after making this thread, I finally figured out why I was thinking such a perk might exist for Monster Hunters: it does exist for the Action-ified Transhuman Space in Pyramid #3/15. Probably not appropriate for Monster Hunters generally, but might work for, idunno, an Inhuman race that's supposed to be really, really good at jumping (in the Pyramid article, it's only available to those with the "Martian Streetfighter" lens).

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

Six months after making this thread, I finally figured out why I was thinking such a perk might exist for Monster Hunters: it does exist for the Action-ified Transhuman Space in Pyramid #3/15. Probably not appropriate for Monster Hunters generally, but might work for, idunno, an Inhuman race that's supposed to be really, really good at jumping (in the Pyramid article, it's only available to those with the "Martian Streetfighter" lens).

I see no reason to suggest that it's anything other than what PK described - it lets you take an All-Out Action in combat doubling your in-combat jump at the expense of your defenses. Seems pretty fair.

[Lancewholelot]

I've allowed the full jump distance in combat as an extra effort option. I reasoned that one might very well be surprised just how far they can jump when one's life is on the line.