Athletic Jumping, High Power Contacts, and Might

[Blackmako]

Hello,

Thank you for previous information on blocks to incite emotion. The game actually had all three mentioned go off by different characters: increase to discipline via potion, straight discipline roll, and a magic area of effect block to the emotion. Everyone got through unscathed mentally except for a Son of Ares who botched his roll and pissed his pants. So thanks for the information.

1. About athletics and jumping. I am having a hard time visualizing distances with jumping via athletics. At what point does the leaping become super human. Can high athletics lead to stuff like jumping 2 or 3 story building etc. The rule reads like the GM makes the difficulty to clear an obstacle by jumping. We have a were-tiger with super speed in our game. He was asking with his springing athletics at 8 how far and how high can he jump. Any perspective would be helpful.

2. A character has resources at 6 (13-14 refresh party). He was asking about using his resources to add +1 to his contacts of 5. (going for the tony starkish gozillionaire thing). At a contacts at potentially at 6 what sort of contacts should I allow the player to tap? He wants to start getting high powered govt officials in his pocket (sort of like Lara Raithe). Is there a previous post that gives a chart on power level of contacts?

3. Could you give me some examples of how might could give a bonus to other skills (either the +1 due to higher skill or the greater plus due to super strength)? Am I correct in stating that might does not give bonus to the attack trappings of fists and weapons? Could might give bonuses to maneuvers of fists and weapons?

Thank you in advance for advise, rules clarification, and suggestions.

[UmbraLux]

1. About athletics and jumping. I am having a hard time visualizing distances with jumping via athletics. At what point does the leaping become super human.

Use the success Ladder - a +8 is Legendary, a one of a kind feat people will tell stories about.  In terms of a high jump you're probably talking about 2.5 meters or a bit more (current record is 2.45m and it's stood for ~20 years). 

2. A character has resources at 6 (13-14 refresh party). He was asking about using his resources to add +1 to his contacts of 5. (going for the tony starkish gozillionaire thing).

He should be using Declarations to get a +2. 

At a contacts at potentially at 6 what sort of contacts should I allow the player to tap? He wants to start getting high powered govt officials in his pocket (sort of like Lara Raithe). Is there a previous post that gives a chart on power level of contacts?

I don't know of any chart but it's really whatever he can justify.  Though it is worth noting, a contact is not "in your pocket".  Contacts are people you know who may trade favors with you, not underlings or "good politicians"*.  With that understanding, don't be afraid to allow a wide range of contacts.  Any benefits will need to be negotiated and some sort of exchange is probable.

3. Could you give me some examples of how might could give a bonus to other skills (either the +1 due to higher skill or the greater plus due to super strength)? Am I correct in stating that might does not give bonus to the attack trappings of fists and weapons? Could might give bonuses to maneuvers of fists and weapons?

Maneuvers and declarations are how you accomplish this...a Might declaration  could state "I Trained for a Strongman Competition" and a Might maneuver could position yourself in a "Strong, stable stance".  Either becomes an aspect to be invoked/tagged/compelled as appropriate.

*A "good politician" being one who stays bribed.

[Sanctaphrax]

1. About athletics and jumping. I am having a hard time visualizing distances with jumping via athletics. At what point does the leaping become super human. Can high athletics lead to stuff like jumping 2 or 3 story building etc. The rule reads like the GM makes the difficulty to clear an obstacle by jumping. We have a were-tiger with super speed in our game. He was asking with his springing athletics at 8 how far and how high can he jump. Any perspective would be helpful.

As a general rule DFRPG doesn't do hard numbers. So make up something that sounds appropriate, and that makes the character's incredible jumpiness suitably impressive.

Personally, I'd say he can go a bit more than 3 metres straight up and a bit more than 10 metres horizontally. Both are clearly superhuman, but not by a ridiculous margin. Which seems about right for a weretiger with an effective Athletics of 8.

I'm not sure how that compares to the jumping ability of a real tiger. I googled it and there's an article saying tigers can jump 5 metres straight up but only "over 6 metres" horizontally. Not sure whether to believe that.

2. A character has resources at 6 (13-14 refresh party). He was asking about using his resources to add +1 to his contacts of 5. (going for the tony starkish gozillionaire thing). At a contacts at potentially at 6 what sort of contacts should I allow the player to tap? He wants to start getting high powered govt officials in his pocket (sort of like Lara Raithe). Is there a previous post that gives a chart on power level of contacts?

I don't think any such chart exists.

Contacts really varies in the way it's portrayed from character to character. For a high-Contacts high-society type like your character, I'd have him be on a first name basis with everyone who's anyone in his region. He sees the local Premier/Governor/whatever at parties and can generally knows literally everyone else at those parties. Whenever anything politically important happens, he hears about it first. When he spreads a rumour, it reaches the ears of everyone in the elite within a few days.

But having people in your pocket isn't really a normal Contacts thing. It's for knowing people, not for controlling them. Get him to buy a stunt or something.

3. Could you give me some examples of how might could give a bonus to other skills (either the +1 due to higher skill or the greater plus due to super strength)? Am I correct in stating that might does not give bonus to the attack trappings of fists and weapons? Could might give bonuses to maneuvers of fists and weapons?

Strength doesn't normally boost the attack trappings of Fists and Weapons, but it can if the attack is being made in a situation where strength is particularly important. Whenever you'd let a character use high-but-mundane Might to boost Fists, let a character use Strength to boost Fists.

Comes down to you judgement in the end, but here are some situations where I'd let Might/Strength boost a roll with another skill:

-Punching someone while they attempt to grapple you.
-Running a race while carrying someone.
-Breaking things in order to scare someone.

EDIT: Gah, ninja'd. I agree with most of what UmbraLux said except I think he's forgetting about the modifying/complementing/restricting rules. Both Resources and Might use those quite a bit.

[blackstaff67]

I'd say either a Stunt or appropriate Aspect: "Hobnobs with only the upper-crust" or "Moves in high circles" to tag.  Note that unless the story or events dictate otherwise, low-Resource PC's with high Contacts would probably know their own respective circles, provided they're relative to their High Concept or Trouble.  Matter of fact, having Contacts that only relate to your High Aspect or Trouble might be best.