[Basic] Skill of the week: Free Fall

[johndallman]

"There's no up there's only down / In the void of falling" -- Hawkwind, "Free Fall"

Free Fall is the DX/A athletic skill of coping with a zero-gravity environment, for those native to an environment with significant gravity. The defaults are DX-5 or HT-5, and no skills default to Free Fall. The only listed modifier is +2 for 3D Spatial Sense, but it seems likely to me that carefully designed environments could give bonuses or penalties. The Space Sickness disadvantage prevents you learning this skill.

You need to roll against the higher of HT and Free Fall when entering a zero-G environment to avoid space adaptation syndrome (B434). In zero-G, all DX rolls and DX-based skills have to be rolled against the lower of Free Fall and the normal roll; experienced space travellers will have it as one of their better DX-based skills, and there's a case to be made for time spent in zero-G to count as automatic study of Free Fall, as per Learning Languages, B.25. B.350 points out that the Free Fall limit on DX-based skills doesn't apply to firing beam weapons, unless they have Rcl 2 or more, nor to tools and equipment specifically designed for zero-G working. Free Fall skill doesn't seem to be required for free-fall parachuting. I suspect that the rush of air provides orientation.

Free Fall dates back to GURPS 1e, and most templates for space travellers naturally include it. The Martial Arts style Freefighting majors in it. As normal for skills, PU3 and PU7 have examples that include it. Enhanced Senses has an enhancement for it (and Climbing, Piloting, Acrobatics, Body Sense and Navigation). Transhuman Space: Changing Times points out that characters who know Free Fall can learn Aerobatics for use in microgravity. Ultra-Tech has manoeuvring equipment for use with Free Fall.

The only campaign I've played that included Free Fall was a THS Vacuum Cleaner campaign, where there was plenty of it, but it was unglamorous EVA for practical purposes. A martial arts campaign in space could be interesting.

What have you done with Free Fall - or suffered for lack of it?

[trooper6]

Used it in my GT:ISW campaign for what you would expect you'd use it for. I hadn't yet had the opportunity to implement a cooler in game use for it. But I was watching an episode of Killjoys where the protagonist propelled herself out of an airlock and toward the team's ship so she could enter manually and save the day.

That seems like it would be a fun and exciting use of Freefall.

[RogerBW]

I rarely call for rolls against it, but since I run a lot of space-based campaigns I use it quite a bit as a skill cap (much like Environment Suit), and it's a universal PC skill if there's even a possibility of going to a zero-g environment. (As with scuba diving, I'm fond of putting PCs into environments where technical mistakes can kill them, as well as environments where social mistakes can get them killed.)

[whswhs]

I rarely use Free Fall. But it did come up in Inhuman Space, my second THS campaign, when the PCs went out to Jovian space to find out what had happened to a research ship. Their ship got infested with TL11 living metal robots from another solar system, and Grimké Suellensdaughter, the combat monster of the team, had to put on a Vacc Suit and go EVA to take countermeasures, and then maneuver through the interior ducts, if I recall correctly. It was one of the truest horror sequences in the campaign. . . .

[Flyndaran]

I hate the roll lower of X and Y skills.
If I spent 40 points on Karate, I shouldn't have to also spend 36 points on Freefall to actually use it.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

I hate the roll lower of X and Y skills.
If I spent 40 points on Karate, I shouldn't have to also spend 36 points on Freefall to actually use it.

And if you did, why just Free Fall? Why isn't there such a limiting skill for 0.1 G, or while Flying, or in high wind, or....

It probably ought to be just another level of G-Experience, which really needs to be rewritten so it's possible to buy off all the penalties for a particular level. I rather like the Transhuman Action version, take a perk and buy it off for one band entirely.

[trooper6]

I actually don't mind the use of Riding or Free Fall as a limiter. But then...I don't tend to play high-cinematic games...so I'm never really bugged by limitations on badassery.

[Flyndaran]

It's a massive point sink for anyone that already paid for ability.
It makes little sense for realism either as it makes it impossible to be fully adapted to free fall unlike every other gravity well.

[trooper6]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

It's a massive point sink for anyone that already paid for ability.
It makes little sense for realism either as it makes it impossible to be fully adapted to free fall unlike every other gravity well.

If you wanted to fully adapted to Free Fall, wouldn't you just buy the 10cp of G-Experience?

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by trooper6

If you wanted to fully adapted to Free Fall, wouldn't you just buy the 10cp of G-Experience?

That Advantage really doesn't affect whether or not you need Free Fall... by the RAW...

Which is weird that Free-Fall works as it does. By RAW you are at DX-1 at worst for being in 'zero gravity', but Karate 36 guy is still limited to has Free Fall skill... instead of just being at Karate 35.