Jumpers

[FutureGameDesigner]

While I wait to see what kind of support the Soul Reaper idea gets, I decided to bring up this one too.

I just finished watching Jumper again and thought there was a lot of potential for individuals such as that using the Fate system too.  Whether they could fit in the Dresdenverse is up to you, though I think it would certainly be interesting to have creatures like Fae and so on who think they've got everything figured out be confronted by a person who can teleport anywhere at will.

Obviously, their powers would need some serious compartmentalization and probably be fairly expensive.

So, here's another idea then about smashing yet another outside concept into the Dresdenverse.  Think it can be made to fit?

[Saedar]

Hrm. Not sure how well it would work in Dresdenverse at "teleporting" is basically done by stepping into the Nevernever and physically moving to the new location.

That said, you might be able to build it like Toughness powers, specifically Physical Immunity. Give the teleportation ability a Catch. Something like: +4 only places physically visited OR +1 places seen in a photograph. Or something like that.

[Bubba Amon Hotep]

Where as you are free to do anything you wish in your game . . . what would be the negative aspects of it, what would be the I better not teleport here or there, because x, y, and or z might happen.

Right now as was already mentioned, in the dresdenverse, if you want to teleport you need the ability to do two things.  Create a veil to disappear, and be able to open a portal to physically move from one place to another.  At minimum, you could give the person the WorldWalker ability, however, stepping into the Never Never all willy nilly can get you killed.

If you wanted a true teleport, you are bending space and time to your will.  That violates one of the Laws of Magic.  Chronomancy is a bad thing.  Also what would happen if your teleporter attempted to "jump" into a threshold, or into a warded sanctum.  I would think it would be like hitting a brick wall.

[FutureGameDesigner]

For the purposes of this build, it will follow the manner of the movie in how they jump.  Obviously, since a specific electromechanical device can "anchor" and reopen a jumpscar, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't qualify as magic in the dresdenverse.

Actually, that's one of the two reasons I picked it.  The first reason being that I think the struggle between jumpers and paladins given a noir twist would be good for the d-verse.  Therefore the second is that I'm personally looking for something to fit in the game that is superhuman without being magical.

Don't get me wrong, I love the d-verse and especially Harry, but I'm most satisfied when Butters makes his attempts to justify magic with more abstract theories regarding quantum mechanics...mostly because of Michio Kaku's personal expressions that psychic abilities do exist and are perpetuated by the presence of hyperspace.  It's of course far from provable, but he believes it, and I think he makes a decent case for it.

But, the main reason I'd prefer their power to be non-magical is really just to screw with the magical entities.  It bears mentioning that I'm the type who really gets into the idea of pitting Star Trek vessels vs Star Wars vessels...and things of that nature.  I love the "what-if" game.  Since magic has already been "what-if"ed into the d-verse by design, it's time for something new.

Besides, unless they actually violate the flow of time (which teleportation from one point in space to another point in space in the same point of time does not do), the law itself has no regard for the physical relationship between space and time.  Even if it did, it's not as if the White Council could do anything.  Obviously thresholds have no effect on the abilities of jumpers in the movie, and like neither would circles unless made as physical barriers only perhaps.

That said, I had intended on chopping their ability into many small parts and to place a number of restrictions I haven't fully determined yet.  High enough refresh costs on their powers could easily explain why so many jumpers "go bad" in the eyes of the paladins.

I'll have to give it some thought though.  If anyone else would like to take the idea and run, I'd be happy to collaborate as far as possible, but I personally intend to make it something other than magic.

[CMEast]

In combat terms, it's probably very similar to a speed power. Out of combat, it's not so different to what people do already, sans the GM's ability to invent an ambush. Add resources in or a stunt which means you always have the right equipment and voila, one jumper.

It doesn't fit well in to the DFRPG, but if you want it in your game it can be done.

On thresholds, as a human I'd say it wouldn't affect you anyway; unless the 'jump' was magic in which case I'd rule that they still cross a threshold, it's just not a visible one i.e. the threshold stretches across many dimensions etc.

[Bubba Amon Hotep]

For the purposes of this build, it will follow the manner of the movie in how they jump.  Obviously, since a specific electromechanical device can "anchor" and reopen a jumpscar, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't qualify as magic in the dresdenverse.

Actually, that's one of the two reasons I picked it.  The first reason being that I think the struggle between jumpers and paladins given a noir twist would be good for the d-verse.  Therefore the second is that I'm personally looking for something to fit in the game that is superhuman without being magical.

As I said before if you want it do it.  But it sounds like you are moving the dresdenverse into another place, and not moving jumpers into the dresdenverse.  But hey design your home ruled custom powers and have at it.  You also mentioned an electromechanical device that anchor's jumpers.  Wizards produce a field around them similar to an EMP.  Wouldn't it be interesting if it was the same field that would "anchor" a jumper.

Besides, unless they actually violate the flow of time (which teleportation from one point in space to another point in space in the same point of time does not do), the law itself has no regard for the physical relationship between space and time.  Even if it did, it's not as if the White Council could do anything.  Obviously thresholds have no effect on the abilities of jumpers in the movie, and like neither would circles unless made as physical barriers only perhaps.

Well its a roleplaying game, and I am not going to get into a physics discussion here with you on the boards about something that doesn't exsist and can't be re-created in reality, besides, when you bring too much reality into a game it falls apart.

So, yes thresholds don't have an effect on the abilities of jumpers, but if a jumper took a wizard with them on the jump, it would affect the wizard.  He would be weakened.  And as far as Warded Area I see them as bubbles, that span multiple planes.  You try to come in without deactivating it or being welcomed, and its going to surge (if landmines have been laid). 

In regards to the White Council, yes the wardens are stretched thin, but they are still attempted to keep the peace.  So yes create a big enough wave, and the wardens of the council would be hounding them.

Whatever you decide, have fun with your game.

[FutureGameDesigner]

Actually, the only alternate part I ever considered existed was perhaps a slightly different history or current events.  I never read anything that implied the rules of life were even slightly different than what we're familiar with ourselves.  Otherwise I just read the novels as if it's no different than what we know except it's the supernatural side of things.

Technology still works, and works very well sans wizards, and works the same way.  I don't plan on introducing more reality into the game at all, so I don't know where that's coming from...I just happen to prefer Butters' explanation of why magic and technology interact as they do.  It's not supernatural, just physics we haven't learned yet.  It's complicated, so I'm not going to get into it needlessly here.

I'd just like to introduce something nobody (meaning power groups such as vampires, the council, etc.) will have an easy answer to.  But now, I think if I develop it at all, I'll do it off-site instead.

Everyone's welcome to use the thread for whatever topic they like though.

[Jeckel]

I prefer rping with concepts and creatures that aren't described in the books. The books are totally awesome, but me and my group are more interesting in exploring the rest of the universe then playing the canon stuff. I don't see any reason that jumpers couldn't exist in the Dresdenverse, the nevernever is infinite and the the mundane world is much larger then Chicago and the few other places touched on in the books, no reason the jumpers and million other kinds of supers couldn't exist and never get a mention in the canon.


Its been a long time since I've seen the movie, but I like the concept and if you post up some kind of template to start with I'll be will to offer what help I can. If you do just develope it off-line, then please share when you get it done, there are plenty of us that can take just about anything and spin it into our stories.