Workable rules for 'Force Jump' in D20 Help wanted!

Hi folks,

I've been thrashing this idea out with some other GM's and I think we need outside input and suggestions.

We are looking to work out a quality for Jedi that allows them to incorporate Force Jump. These are the ideas that we have so far:

Force Jump, the skill
Force Jump (Int)
Requires the Force-Sensitive and Alter feats
You can jump to new heights using the power of the Force.
Check: A Force Jump check allows you to alter the flow of gravity in front of you, and jump to some area you would normally be unable to reach. It is easier to make one large Force Jump to reach a height, than it is to make many smaller Force Jumps to reach that same height.

DC Height VP
10 5m 2/1
15 10m 4/2
20 20m 6/3
25 40m 8/4
30 80m 10/5


A Jedi must decide which height they want to jump to. It isn't a matter of knowing the exact distance, so much as how much they need to alter the gravity to reach their height.


It's odd to talk about gravity like this, but I think it makes a lot of sense.

Force Jumps aren't like the jumps from The Matrix. With Matrix Jumps, you land HARD, you leap with your strength. With Force Jumps, you soar gracefully through the air, as if you were floating through zero-g, or jumping on a low gravity planet.

This ability is untrained. That means any Jedi with the Force-Sensitive and Alter feats can try it. So any Jedi with the appropriate feats can try it.


Force Jump the Feat(Mark One)
Feat

Force jump
Prerequsites - enhance abiltiy 4 ranks

Check - requires an enhance ability check
DC -----Jump X by
10 - 14 - 5
15 - 19 - 10
20 - 24 - 15
25 + -- 20

Force jump is a move action and requiers 6 vp to activate

Force Jump the Feat (Mark Two)
This is a free feat, gained by a Jedi at 3rd level. It works very similarly to Burst of Speed in that it multiplies your jump distance, by 5, 10, 15, or 20.

The Jedi character first must decide how much he wants to multiply his jump by. Next he rolls a standard jump roll, then multiplies his jump distance by whatever he chose.

EXAMPLE:
Jandor sees a ledge above him, ten meters up. He decides that he wants to spend 6vp, and multiply his jump ten times, just to be safe. Now, he rolls his jump skill, with a total result of 18, which is 1.3 meters. Finally, he multiplies 1.3m by 10, which equals 13 meters.

Distance - Cost
5x-4vp
10x-6vp
15x-8vp
20x-10vp p to activate

And finally:

Force Jump, the SQ
Level Height VP cost
1st 5 2
3rd 10 3
5th 15 4
7th 20 5
9th 25 6
11th 30 7
13th 35 8
15th 40 9
17th 45 10
19th 50 11
20th 55 12

A Jedi with the Feat Burst of Speed can add 10 meters onto his jump height.

Knight Speed allows them to add 20 meters.

And Master Speed allows them to add 30 meters to their height.

If the Jedi uses one of the speed Feats, the VP cost for that feat is added into the VP cost for jumping.





Soooo...

What do people think? Any idea which is the best way to go about it? Or any completely new ideas at all? Im open to any help at all.

Jandor Tarvin

 

The Force Flight feat already allows its user to jump to new heights. What do you intend with this feat? If you wish, you could alter the Force Flight feat so that it fits you better. Does the Force Jump feat allow you to maneuver in the air over a longer period? Tell me more.

 

Sian

I think basically we are trying to work out the Jedi ability that is used by Luke in ESB (when he jumps out of the carbon freezing pit), and in ROTJ (when he leaps backwards and up away from Vader). It also encompasses the jumping ability that Obi-Wan uses to do a standing jump upwards some 30 odd feet onto the ledge that Maul and QuiGon are fightnig on.

It would also encompass the ability to leap down from great heights with no trouble (like Qui-Gon does after knocking Maul down after Obi-Wan falls)

My guess is that Force Flight is more of a limited hovering kind of thing (or at least that was the impression I got from the DSSB), whereas we are looking for something that allows a Jedi to make a controlled descent by jumping, or to make an incredible jump upwards.

I don't have the Revised rulebook myself, so am uncertain as to what exactly it says about Force Flight.

 

My opinion is that Force Flight is what Anakin used to deflect Dooku's saber form connecting with Obi-Wan's head at the end of Episode II. Anakin is hurtling through the air in a nearly horizotal line, across an entire room.

As for jumping huge distances, I have a few thoughts. Firstly, look at the templates of the main characters in the back of the Revised Core Rulebook. You will notice that nearly all of the Jedi have tremendous Jump and Tumble skills if memory serves me correctly. Hell, Luke Skywalker even took the Acrobatics Feat, I believe! With a decent roll of 10, adding a +10 Jump skill, that is a result of 20. Again, no books here at work, but a 20 is pretty damned decent in jumping. Maybe a Force Point was spent as well, boosting the skill check even higher? Further, Force Speed increases your jumping distances if I recall properly. And when you get down to it, modify some Move Object to work on yourself...never hurts to try. Oh, and I almost forgot...Enhance Attribute. Jump is a STR check, so boost your STR and get the bonus to your skill check. *eg*

So between existing Force skills and feats, and proper allocation of skill points at character creation and when leveling, large jump checks are more than possible. They are, in fact, probable.

My Two Republic Credits,
Maj-Odo Taji

 

Even max ranks and a good Enhance Ability roll won't let you make some of the jumps seen in the movies. Especially since they were standing high jumps, which Force Speed wouldn't really affect.

I'd suggest having your Force Jump ability, however you choose to do it, add to your Jump check instead of just having a set distance you can jump. For example, the Jump spell in D&D adds +30 to a Jump check. Force Jump could be something like +5 for every Vitality point spent. And maximums based on height are ignored.

This wouldn't cover jumping down long distances without taking damage (like Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan did on the Trade Federation ship and Anakin did approaching the Tusken camp), so you'd have to add a second portion covering that.

I personally like the idea of having it be a bonus feat or special quality for Jedi guardians, since so many we've seen in the movies have it. Making it a feat will allow Force Adepts and Consulars able to get it if they feel so inclined.

 

There are several ways to use the Force to enhance a jump, but if you want to create a specific rule for it, I think that making it a skill is the best way to go. Perhaps a set vitality cost (around 4-8) and using the result of the check to determine how high the character jumped.

 

okay.i think i understand the basics of RPG,but i'm not positive.my brothers do star wars and D&D rpg's but i dont exactly understand them when they explain it.is anyone really good at explaining things.and if so could u help me?please?oh and does this kind of rpg follow the book closely or are some of the rules changed a little?like how u normally role dice?

 

Jedi_Kitiara, the answers to most of your questions can be found in this thread. Feel free to ask more there if it does not explain enough.

 

Yes, but Luke does perform a Force Flight during those moves. Just as Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon leaps vertically to get to Darth Maul in TFM, Luke uses this feat to leap out of the carbonite pit. Force Flight can apply a force-aided jump both vertically and horizontally, it is merely propelling yourself with the force that works in this feat. And, since Force Flight allows you to make 30 meter leaps, it is likely that this is the feat which they both used.

 

Why don't you guys just use the "Burst of speed" feat when trying to do a force jump. It does say that using the feat multiplies your jump distance by 5 (10 and 15 for Knight and Master speed).

 

Thanks for all your input guys

It's really helped us no end.

 

Well, if you any of you are looking for an official word from WotC on this issue, look here (page 3 specifically):

http://www.swrpgnetwork.com/files/SWRPGFAQ07022002.pdf

Burst of Speed, Enhanced Ability, a high Jump skill and a possible Force Point should do it.

Regards,
Maj-Odo Taji