Flight

40 points

You can fly. The “default” is full-
fledged, self-powered flight without
wings or gliding surfaces. This works
at any altitude where there is still sig-
nificant atmosphere – but in the upper
atmosphere, you’ll need a way to sur-
vive in very thin, cold air (e.g., Doesn’t
Breathe and Temperature Tolerance).
You cannot fly in a trace atmosphere
or vacuum.
Your flight Move is Basic Speed ¥ 2
(drop all fractions). As explained in
Move in Other Environments (p. 18),
you can adjust this for ±2 points per
±1 yard/second. For very high speeds,
take Enhanced Move (Air). If you do
not have any of the Controlled
Gliding, Gliding, Lighter Than Air,
Small Wings, Space Flight Only, or
Winged Flight limitations, you can
also “fly” at half-speed underwater.
Flight includes the ability to hover at
Move 0 as well.
Flight does not confer the ability to
do complex acrobatics and tight turns;
for
that,
buy
Aerobatics
skill
(p. 174). Flight skill (p. 195) improves
endurance.
You can alter most of the above
assumptions through special modi-
fiers.
Special Enhancements
Newtonian Space Flight: As Space
Flight (below), except that your space
Move – or your space top speed, if you
have Enhanced Move (Space) – is
actually your “delta-v”: the total veloc-
ity change you can manage in space
before running out of reaction mass.
For instance, you could accelerate up
to your delta-v and stay there (like a
missile), or to half your delta-v and
then decelerate to a stop at the end of
your trip (like a conventional space-
craft). Once you have made velocity
changes equal to your delta-v, you
must refuel before you can change
your velocity in space again. +25%.
Space Flight: You can fly in space or
a vacuum (such as on the moon). Your
space Move is Basic Speed ¥ 2. If you
want to be able to accelerate constant-
ly to reach a higher top speed, like a
rocket, buy Enhanced Move (Space)
(p. 52). This will let you accelerate or
decelerate each turn by an amount
equal to your space Move, up to your
enhanced top speed. For a “realistic”
space move that lets you accelerate
indefinitely in a vacuum (up to the
speed of light), you’ll want Enhanced
Move 25-27 (Space). This is incompat-
ible with all other special modifiers
except Space Flight Only. +50%.
Special Limitations
Cannot Hover: You must always
move at least 1/4 your top airspeed
(round up) when flying. This is incom-
patible with Controlled Gliding and
Gliding. -15%.
Controlled Gliding: Like Gliding
(below) in most respects, but you can
gain altitude by riding updrafts or
“thermals.” A typical ascent rate is one
yard per second. You can locate ther-
mals, if any are present, on a success-
ful IQ or Meteorology roll (one
attempt per minute). -45%.
Gliding: You cannot gain altitude.
With a running leap, you can launch
yourself with an air Move equal to
Basic Move. Each turn, you can
change velocity by up to 10 yards/sec-
ond ¥ local gravity in Gs (Earth’s grav-
ity is 1G). To accelerate, you must
descend by 1 yard for each 1 yard/sec-
ond added to velocity; top speed is
Basic Move ¥ 4 (but you can go faster
if towed). To decelerate, you must fly
level. If you do not descend at least 1
yard, you automatically decelerate by
1 yard/second that turn. When work-
ing out turning radius, your basic air
Move is 10 ¥ local gravity in Gs. Each
level of Enhanced Move (Air) either
doubles top speed or halves decelera-
tion in level flight (e.g., one level
means you only lose 0.5 yard/second
in level flight); specify which when
you buy it. -50%.
Lighter Than Air: You fly by becom-
ing lighter than air (or gaseous). A
wind moves you 1 yard/second, in the
direction it is blowing, per 5 mph of
wind speed. If the wind happens to be
blowing in the direction you wish to
travel, this adds to your Move; other-
wise, your Move goes down as you
fight against the breeze. -10%.
Low Ceiling: You cannot fly very
high. This does not limit speed in any
way, but the GM may require
Aerobatics rolls to dodge obstacles
near the ground. A 30-foot ceiling is
-10%; a 10-foot ceiling is -20%; and a
5-foot ceiling is -25%.
Small Wings: As Winged (below),
except that your wingspan is no more
than half your height. You use your
wings to steer and to stabilize your
flight – not to lift. If your wings are
crippled
in
flight,
roll
against
Aerobatics skill (or default) to land
safely. -10%.
Space Flight Only: You can only
take this in conjunction with Space
Flight or Newtonian Space Flight. You
can fly only in space; you have air
Move 0 in atmosphere. You require a
boost to reach space from any planet
with an atmosphere, and are inca-
pable of atmospheric reentry. -75%.
Winged: You use large wings or skin
flaps to fly. Wingspan is at least twice
your height. In order to take off, land,
or maneuver, you must have an open
area with a radius equal to your
wingspan in all directions. If your
wings are bound, or if a wing is crip-
pled (more than 1/3 of your wings, if
you have more than two), you cannot
fly. Treat wings as arms for the pur-
pose of targeting and crippling. If you
wish to strike blows or manipulate
objects with your wings, you must pay
for them as Strikers or Extra Arms in
addition to the cost of Flight. -25%.