Flash Step

[Blood Legend]

The flash step, the ninja teleport, the I'm-so-strong-I-move-really-fast technique. Whatever you want to call it, I need help modeling it.

The flash step, as seen in such animes as Dragon Ball Z and Bleach, is a technique in which the individual focuses their will power, chi, magic, whatever, so they can perform a near-teleport. This is typically used to fake out the enemy (or allies) and to look cool doing it. It's also used to dodge attacks to some frequent degree. After years of study a true master will just forsake regular walking and use Flash Step to get the mail, acquire a beer from the fridge, and do his laundry, anyway you get the idea.

It's super-fast movement that renders you invisible to normal vision because of the sheer speed and the travel speed and acceleration is near instant. I'm having problems modeling this. People with incredible powersource(typically chi)-sensing powers or precognitive abilities generally aren't faked out by this move.

Flash Step is most often used for a Move and Attack typically in the 5 to 10 yards range. I wonder what the point is since 5 yards in gurps is still 5 yards. I can take my turn moving to Point-A five yards away by running or I can take my turn moving to Point-A five yards away by using Flash Step. What's the benefit of the Flash Step in Gurps terms?

The few advantages I can figure for myself are intimidation, avoiding evade rules entirely, and getting frequent surprise attacks. It's like a deceptive attack that relies on pure speed. That and it's ruddy hard to defend an attack from behind.

How should I build this flash step? Warp? Altered Time Rate? Invisibility?

[Ulzgoroth]

I'd suggest starting from Warp with Blink.

[WingedKagouti]

High powered versions, especially those too fast for even masters to see, should be modelled on Warp.

Beginner versions could be a technique for Flying Leap or a VH skill with FL as a prerequisite. In the cases where it isn't an actual teleportation technique, it really is a specialized jump with some additional properties.

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

I'd suggest starting from Warp with Blink.

With the accessibility limitation "Only to places I could walk, run, or jump to"

[Mehmet]

Nah, just use Warp or a higher BS with something like "for step only" and "limited use" or something ;)

Cheers

[Celjabba]

This is a good, if expensive, base.

*Compartmentalized Mind [25]
(limited:one ability,-20%;no mental separation -20%, power modifier -10%)
*Warp [80]
(Must Traverse Distance: -30%; 10 yards limit: -50% ; reliable +10: 50%; medium encumbrance +20%; power modifier -10%)
*Power talent 4 [20]
*Body control - 16 (includes +4 from talent)
*Perk No nuisance roll(body control) [1]

Extremely expensive, but once per turn (twice with a ready maneiver) you can teleport up to 10 yards away, facing the direction you want.
You can only carry up to medium enc.
Activation roll is iq+4, you must be able to see your destination
(iq+2 for a destination you have visited but cannot see)
You can still do (or have done) whatever else you could do on that turn, the CM provide the extra mental manoeuver.

You have to be able to walk (fly, jump, ...) to the destination at the moment of the warp .

Taking blind only(-50%) on warp drop the cost by 40, but you must take 1 second of concentration or roll at iq-1 instead of iq+4.(that is, your CM must take the second of concentration. You are still free to do whatever you want.)

Blink (+25%) give you a dodge, but i prefer, for the same cost, to use a compartimented mind wich give you much more tactical options.

Celjabba

NB: This built use some modifiers from RPK mygurps. Not canon, but close. Some of them may even be in gurps psionics now.

Edit: that ability is a great tactical advantage, and will drive a GM crazy :)

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by Blood Legend

After years of study a true master will just forsake regular walking and use Flash Step to get the mail, acquire a beer from the fridge,[snip]

My first impulse for this was Warp with the Limitation that has been mentioned a few times, but this sounds more like enough Basic Speed for excellent Dodges plus a huge pile of Basic Move, all with Chi -10%, to me if you want it to affect Step (see below).

Originally Posted by Blood Legend

and do his laundry [snip]

See the Super-Speed Only limitation for ATR in Powers, or maybe 1 level of ATR with the super-speed enhancement and more with super-speed only so you can improve your offense and defense with free use of AoA (Determined/Deceptive) and/or AoD.

Originally Posted by Blood Legend

It's super-fast movement that renders you invisible to normal vision because of the sheer speed and the travel speed and acceleration is near instant. I'm having problems modeling this. People with incredible powersource(typically chi)-sensing powers or precognitive abilities generally aren't faked out by this move.

You could slap a heavily-limited Invisibility on this, but I'd just call it a vision penalty calculated from the speed table if the speedster is in continual lateral motion relative to the viewer. People with Chi powers, ESP precog, etc, should probably have the ETS they need to ignore this.

Originally Posted by Blood Legend

Flash Step is most often used for a Move and Attack typically in the 5 to 10 yards range. I wonder what the point is since 5 yards in gurps is still 5 yards. I can take my turn moving to Point-A five yards away by running or I can take my turn moving to Point-A five yards away by using Flash Step. What's the benefit of the Flash Step in Gurps terms?

If you build it with a ton of Basic Move, say a total of 41-50, then you have a character who gets to travel 5 yards during a Step-And maneuver such as Step-And-Attack. That means that they can attack somebody 5 yards away without taking a Move-And-Attack and dealing with its offensive and defensive penalties, among other things, and still have the option of performing a real Move-And-Attack on a target 41-50 yards away.

Originally Posted by Blood Legend

The few advantages I can figure for myself are intimidation

I'd give a bonus to Intimidation use for a demonstration of any inhuman power that is clearly useful for hurting people, rather than just ST, sure.

Originally Posted by Blood Legend

avoiding evade rules entirely, and getting frequent surprise attacks. It's like a deceptive attack that relies on pure speed. That and it's ruddy hard to defend an attack from behind.

The Evade rule is irrelevant if you have the space and Move to avoid somebody without going through their hex. Deceptive Attack doesn't come into my suggestion unless you go with the ATR/AoA proposal above, but as you said it's hard to defend against attacks from behind and could assist in obtaining surprise.

[David Johnston2]

Personally I think it's a good idea to try to represent a superpower with what it actually is.

Invisibility Can Carry Objects +10%, (Accessibility Only while moving and not versus people with Enhanced Time Sense -40%), Costs Fatigue.

[Rocket Man]

Originally Posted by Blood Legend

After years of study a true master will just forsake regular walking and use Flash Step to get the mail, acquire a beer from the fridge, and do his laundry, anyway you get the idea.

And for this particular side effect, you could build it based on Snatcher, with the Limitations of "Chi-Based," "Only when unrestrained" and "Only for objects within X feet of me." You didn't actually call it to you, you just stepped, grabbed it, and returned faster than anyone could see.

[Blood Legend]

I'm liking the Warp (Must Traverse Distance) take on this. Would ETS allow you to see Warp (MTD)? I'd think it would but I want to be clear on it. I know I've seen 'Must Traverse Distance' before but I cant find it.

I'm especially liking the High Move Score method too. Less fiddly bits, doesn't clutter the character sheet and still does what I need it too. On top of which I could get some of that Basic Move by raising Dex and HT, something warriors, badasses, dark horses, and blood knights need anyway.