Flash Step

[zoncxs]

From what I posted in the other thread:

Pyramid 3/89 and Monster Hunter Power Ups 1 Both have:

Basic Move +10 (Accessibility, Only for determining step length, -60%...) [10/level]

The pyramid article uses it for "Flash Step" and the Monster Hunter one uses it for "Duck and Cover!"

The important part is "Accessibility, Only for determining step length, -60%" is used on Basic Move.

If we only use that, then the cost becomes:

Basic Move +10 (Accessibility, Only for determining step length, -60%) [20/level]

Compared to:

Enhanced Move 1 (Accessibility, Only for determining step length, -60%; Cosmic, +100%) [28/level]

Pretty close in cost, but the enhanced move has the added bonus of increasing the step range faster.


Compare:
A : Basic Move +140 (Accessibility, Only for determining step length, -60%) [280]

B : Enhanced Move 10 (Accessibility, Only for determining step length, -60%; Cosmic, +100%) [280]

Assume BM of 5.

A gives us a Step range of 15 yards.

B gives us a Step range of 512 yards.


In fact, we can see:
Level : Step : Cost

B1 : 1 : 28
B2 : 2 : 56
B3 : 4 : 84
B4 : 8 : 112
B5 : 16 : 140
B6 : 32 : 168
B7 : 64 : 196
B8 : 128 : 224
B9 : 256 : 252
B10 : 512 : 280

and:

A1 : 2 : 20
A2 : 3 : 40
A3 : 4 : 60
A4 : 5 : 80
A5 : 6 : 100
A6 : 7 : 120
A7 : 8 : 140
A8 : 9 : 160
A9 : 10 : 180
A10 : 11 : 200
A11 : 12 : 220
A12 : 13 : 240
A13 : 14 : 260
A14 : 15 : 280

So A is better up to level 5, then switching to B at level 4 is better.

A1 : 2 : 20
A2 : 3 : 40
A3 : 4 : 60
A4 : 5 : 80
A5 : 6 : 100
B4 : 8 : 112
B5 : 16 : 140
B6 : 32 : 168
B7 : 64 : 196
B8 : 128 : 224
B9 : 256 : 252
B10 : 512 : 280

[Mark Skarr]

I created a whole thread on the Warp advantage being awful and rebuilding teleportation as a significantly more useful advantage that is in-line with other movement abilities here.

It seems like my version of teleportation is more what you're looking for.

Hey, you were even in that thread! I thought so.

[Anaraxes]

An old thread (2009) covering Increased Step includes some of the ideas also already in this thread, so I'll link to one post, a Kromm build using the Technique rules and then buying off the Technique penalty for 16 points for a specific skill, or 20 points for any attack.

[monstrous engineer]

I'm with Fred on using ATR and some limitations to bring down the cost. Any movement that takes less time than the blink of an eye (1/10th second) is effectively invisible, so you don't need to tack on any additional stealth or invisibility. For example, a skilled sleight of hand magician can palm a small object so fast that you can miss it even if you know what to look for. Flash step is like sleight of hand, but with your whole body.

In most fiction, flash step type powers don't let you move through walls or leap long distances, those are separate abilities. So, flash step is just like normal movement, but much faster.

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by monstrous engineer

In most fiction, flash step type powers don't let you move through walls or leap long distances, those are separate abilities. So, flash step is just like normal movement, but much faster.

Horror has the Ghostly Movement Limitation for Warp, intended for modelling those times when the camera looks away and the slasher is gone when the camera looks back -- or vice versa, the monster suddenly appearing behind you in the blink of an eye.

Dropping the "Only if unobserved" Accessibility (since these characters aren't ghosts), keep the Range Limit (-50% in the original) and the Accessibility ("Only places you could walk/climb to, given time"), -20%. That Accessibility is there so you can't move through walls or leap over impassable chasms, but only places you could theoretically reach with normal movement. Warp also handles the "too fast to see" bit naturally. I might bump it up by another -5-10% just to specify "Must trace a specific path" to model traversing the intervening space just to handle cases like land mines.

If only some antagonists can see the Flash Step, then that might be best modelled as their own ability to avoid surprised by anyone Flash Step. Alternatively, you could invent another Limitation, but the value seems pretty uncertain unless you have a pretty good idea of the frequency of opponents that can see Flash Step versus those that can't. It does seem a little weird to me to try to build an ability with a Limitation that grants some other characters (over a certain point total?) in the setting some other ability. But at least that puts the rule in one place, and you don't have to mess with the NPC antagonists' character sheets.

[zoncxs]

I would use:

Cosmic, Per roll required to notice, +50%

So when you use the ability, anyone that is looking at you will need to make a Per roll to keep their eyes on you. If they fail then you have disappeared.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by zoncxs

The important part is "Accessibility, Only for determining step length, -60%" is used on Basic Move.

If we only use that, then the cost becomes:

Basic Move +10 (Accessibility, Only for determining step length, -60%) [20/level]

Compared to:

Enhanced Move 1 (Accessibility, Only for determining step length, -60%; Cosmic, +100%) [28/level]

Pretty close in cost, but the enhanced move has the added bonus of increasing the step range faster.

I prefer Enhanced Move myself for these builds and usually go with the full Cosmic, +150% Natural Movement (Power-Ups 4: Enhancements).
I feel you need all three Cosmic's, +50% for a Flash Step in Combat.
Ignore Control Rolls to turn quickly, +50%
Not require Acceleration, +50%
Avoid Move and Attack requirement, +50% - Probably could ignore this one if only taking a Step.
All three combined are explicitly replacing Basic Move for all purposes.
So I feel using the above Accessibility is fine.
That is 38/level and as you noted quickly increases the Step distance.

Originally Posted by zoncxs

I would use:

Cosmic, Per roll required to notice, +50%

So when you use the ability, anyone that is looking at you will need to make a Per roll to keep their eyes on you. If they fail then you have disappeared.

I rather like that, increasing the cost to 48//level but well worth it for the Batman trick of moving out of sight. For that I wouild just apply it to one level, meaning you have ot be close to vanish.
Though the Vanish technique would be cheaper but requires a distraction or something for them to look away.

[David Johnston2]

I actually go with linked invisibility (visible to people with ETS).