How would you do this anime trope?

[oneofmanynameless]

There is a trope in Anime (It might get used in a few other places too) of using Super Jump to dodge area of effect attacks. As far as I can tell it would take a rather incredible amount of super jump to get the speed necessary to jump out of even a very moderate aoe by increasing your "step" distance (a long jump distance of 100 with super jump would grant a jump move speed of 20. If you calculated your 'step' distance based on jumping you'd end up moving 2 yards.)

So how would you do it? Would you let someone perform a "power dodge" using their super jump and the power dodge rules in powers? Have huge amounts of super jump that are only accessible if jumping as part of an active defense? Buy a ton of basic move only for increasing step distance while performing an active defense?

[William]

I like this idea. Power defenses are a thing -- I don't see why Super Jump shouldn't have the ability to act as a super dodge.

Maybe enhance the Super Jump with Reduced Time? The next level down from "1 second" is usually "free action." This could be a general thing: if something can normally be used as part of a 1-second maneuver, a level of Reduced Time will allow it to be used suddenly -- at full strength -- in response to an attack.

[AlexanderHowl]

It is probably better represented by a modified Warp ability.

[Brandy]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

It is probably better represented by a modified Warp ability.

This was my thought too. Warp already has mechanics for this built in.

Here's an old thread which has some interesting thoughts about the relationship between super-jump and step distance. If you can get step high enough, then it can be done using the dive for cover mechanics.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by oneofmanynameless

There is a trope in Anime (It might get used in a few other places too) of using Super Jump to dodge area of effect attacks. As far as I can tell it would take a rather incredible amount of super jump to get the speed necessary to jump out of even a very moderate aoe by increasing your "step" distance (a long jump distance of 100 with super jump would grant a jump move speed of 20. If you calculated your 'step' distance based on jumping you'd end up moving 2 yards.)

So how would you do it? Would you let someone perform a "power dodge" using their super jump and the power dodge rules in powers? Have huge amounts of super jump that are only accessible if jumping as part of an active defense? Buy a ton of basic move only for increasing step distance while performing an active defense?

Anime tends to have enough build up to it's explosive attacks that characters would have time to do a half-move dodge anyway. But yeah there's nothing wrong with a power dodge.

[LowManaMovieMagic]

You could also just let the player who wants to avail themselves of the trope buy Enhanced Dodge with the same power source as their Super Jump ability.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by LowManaMovieMagic

You could also just let the player who wants to avail themselves of the trope buy Enhanced Dodge with the same power source as their Super Jump ability.

That's not the issue. You can't dodge an AOE while remaining in the AOE. But you automatically dodge it if you can move out of the area.

[Anaraxes]

The problem comes from the fact that Super Jump is not Move. A long jump takes more than one turn (5, in fact), which the ability rules work backward to give you a Move value and thus a step.

One answer to that problem is just to keep buying up Super Jump until the step gets high enough to take you out of the desired AoE. That will mean that you can jump a really long way; if that's undesirable, you could negotiate a Limitation with the GM for "Jump Speed Only; Not for Maximum Distance".

Or you could do the same thing the other way around. Buy the distance for Super Jump that you want. Then buy some Enhanced Move, with the Limitation "Only for Dodging". Just describe that Move as "jumping", and feel free to narrate the character as having leapt out of the way just in time, even though they can't dash about, speedster style. You might even want to treat "Jumping" as a Move environment distinct from Ground or Air, so as to speed up the travel time of any Super Jump without increasing its distance, or allowing the character to run fast without jumping.

[Black Leviathan]

I don't mean to be that guy, but I would not do that Anime trope in GURPS. There are other systems that better play to that style of game. Too many questions like this in your game shows that you're finding the edge of what this system does well mechanically.

That said if you're intent on doing it, I agree with AlexaderHowl that this would best be governed by Warp and limited to AOE attacks.

[oneofmanynameless]

Originally Posted by Brandy

This was my thought too. Warp already has mechanics for this built in.

Here's an old thread which has some interesting thoughts about the relationship between super-jump and step distance. If you can get step high enough, then it can be done using the dive for cover mechanics.

That thread seems to thoroughly and satisfyingly answer the question.