Space and Movement

Space

As are many things with the Quick Action Resolution Deck, distance is a fuzzy subject. Since System 13 tends to focus on action more than minutiae, it is more effective to deal with distance in broad strokes, rather than measuring everything out to the nearest inch. To this end, the QARD utilizes eight range categories, to help players judge approximately where characters are relative to events transpiring around them.

Contact: if something is in contact with a character, it is physically touching him or her. This can involve the ground one stands on, a vehicle they are riding in, or an enemy attempting to grab an item the character is holding - if not the character themselves! At such distances, one can whisper to another without anyone hearing, if they so choose - assuming no one in the area possesses super senses.

Close Combat: when a character is adjacent to someone or something, they are in close proximity, but not quite physical contact. This can generally be considered anywhere within a dozen feet, give or take, allowing one to close to contact distance - or perhaps flee to near missile distance - within one exchange. One can readily discern fine details about a person or object that is at close combat distance.

Near Missile: this distance class represents being close enough to a person or object that, if desired, one could strike them with a thrown object. This is the ideal zone from which one can attempt short-range weapon attacks, and is usually great for observing details regarding targets from a safe distance, since they can't immediately 'reach out and touch someone' in response. Not usually, anyway.

Far Missile: while super-humans might be able to fling an object this far, distances of this sort are usually where medium-range weaponry take place - possibly that with a high rate of fire. Observation of targets is difficult at this range, at least without technical or ascendant assistance, since fine details are most often lost over the intervening distance. Communication at this range most often involves shouting.

Artillery: one usually cannot converse with others at artillery distance, unless communicating via cellular telephone - or perhaps semaphore. Aside from long-range weaponry such as mortars, rockets, and sniper rifles, few ranged weapons can connect with one's foes at this distance. While people and things can be detected at artillery distance, fine details will escape most observers without assistance of some kind.

Visual: something at visual distance can be seen, if barely, though making out all but the most basic details about someone or something is nigh-impossible. Aside from some artillery, only guided weaponry or some powers are effective at this distance, since targeting without some kind of help is a pipe dream. In other words, interacting with someone or something at visual distance is virtually impossible.

Beyond Visual: anyone or anything beyond visual contact cannot be seen or perceived by normal senses. Very few weapons or powers can connect with a target at this range, though some such as teleportation or even radio waves are capable of bypassing such concerns of distance. Such abilities, when encountered, can be used to effect change within a truly incredible radius of oneself, as is indicated on table eight.

Infinite: a level of range that most people, much less most super-humans, will never have access to, infinite distance implies that nowhere is beyond one's instantaneous reach. An ability that allows for effects at infinite range is not constrained by the previous categories of distance, as long as one has the ability to perceive who or what they intend to manipulate with such a potent ability.

Movement

Getting from place to place is a generally simple affair. Walking characters move at three miles per hour on average, and can run at a speed equal, in miles per hour, to their Strength times three (maximum of 30 MPH). A body can reach anywhere within close combat distance and still perform an action within one exchange, or near missile distance in that time without performing an action (unless charging).

If moving vertically, a character can ascend or descend one story (approximately twelve feet) each exchange safely, assuming access to the proper equipment or circumstances (either stairs, climbing accessories, or at least minimal handholds). Attempting to climb faster, whether moving up or down, requires a challenging difficulty Strength action, the failure of which indicates that the character has fallen.

A character who is swimming may travel at one-sixth the rate of a character on the ground, whether taking it easy or swimming their hearts out. This applies whether the swimmer is on the surface or deep beneath the waves. Of course, currents may act to help or hinder a swimmer, either greatly enhancing their effective speed, holding them in place, or even moving them in a direction they would not prefer.

Jumping Ability

A slightly more complex mode of movement is leaping. Most characters who have the ability to walk can at least manage a modest jump, the extent of which depends on their anatomy and physical condition. To determine a character's base ability to leap, subtract the intensity of their weight, as determined on table 1, from their Strength score, which gives one their resultant jumping ability (with a minimum score of 1).

For example, let us consider a character with a Strength score of eight, who weighs in at 200 pounds. As 200 pounds is a weight intensity of six, subtract that from the character's Strength score of eight to receive a value of two. That is this example character's ability to leap - which will not improve unless their weight changes, or they acquire the means to utilize super jumping in some manner or another.

This ability determines the distance a character may leap in a single exchange. Intensity 1 through 5 limits a character's jumping ability to close combat range, while 6 through 10 raises it to near missile distance, 11 through 15 extends it to far missile distance, 16 through 20 raises it to artillery distance, 21 through 25 boosts it to visual distance, and higher allows one to leap beyond visual distance.

Exhaustion

Maintaining one's maximum movement speed, or even performing any other exertion for long periods of time, raises the grim specter of exhaustion. Any character can exert themselves for a number of exchanges equal to their Strength score, at which point they must either rest or pass an easy difficulty Strength action. If this action succeeds, the character may continue doing whatever it is they were doing.

Every time the character's continued exertion reaches a like amount of time, they must repeat this action, though at an increased level of difficulty. A character with a Strength of 5, then, would have to pass an average difficulty Strength action on their tenth exchange of exertion. A character may continue to exert themselves for as long as they can continue to pass such actions, at least until their difficulty becomes impossible.

Assuming a character can pass an impossible difficulty exhaustion check, they only have until the next check is required to continue doing whatever it is that is stressing their body so. After this point, continued exertion requires an impossible difficulty Strength action each subsequent exchange, the final failure of which means the character must rest for a very, very long time indeed.

Maneuvering

While one will ideally travel in but one direction while moving at ludicrous speeds, the sad truth is that turning is occasionally necessary, often without notice. When moving, a character may execute up to a ninety degree turn without having to engage in card play. However, more extreme maneuvering requires that one pass an average difficulty Agility action first, whether moving under one's own power or operating a vehicle.

If attempting to travel at speeds greater than intensity 1 in a crowded or cluttered area, maneuvering is opposed by the speed with which one is traveling relative to others. Changing lanes while driving a car on the highway isn't very hard, for example, but barreling through a crowded parking lot without hitting anyone is. This is why it usually pays to slow down when moving into an area rife with collision hazards.

If someone or something is struck while traveling at high speed, treat the resultant calamity as if it were an intentional charging attack - on both parties. The entity struck will suffer damage equal to the Strength, material strength, or velocity of what struck him, her, or it, whichever of the three is higher. Similarly, the traveling person will potentially suffer like damage, based on the Strength or material strength of what they hit.

Questions or comments? Contact the author at your convenience!