Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Rohano Feb 17, 2008 21:21:44	Jumper D20 v1.4a This project will seek to make the physics presented in the movie Jumper accessible for use in D&D. I will not be using the book or any game derived from the movie (yet), only the movie. While I'm not a fanatic follower of the movie or the book, this experiment in game mechanics is partly a nod to a unique concept as written by the authors (of the book and the screenplay) and as presented by the technicians who worked on the movie. The level adjustment is derived from the blink dog (it has LA +2, presumably because of dimension door and blink, not because of extraordinary physical capabilities). While it is purely a science-fiction concept in the movie, I am writing it as supernatural (magical) for D&D use, as the ability to teleport as an extraordinary ability would be somewhat unbalancing, given that the game does not currently present very many ways to combat extraordinary abilities (while dispulsion powers and antimagic are in relative abundance, in addition to ways to block teleportation). The electrical feedback "weakness" is there as supernatural, not extraordinary. Take note of this, powergamers, as you may be able to find a way to use spells (dispel magic is a good place to start) or items to reduce or cancel its effect. It is my intention to eventually write up some basic ways to fight jumpers, employed by "paladins" (fanatics who hunt and kill jumpers), that are electrical in nature. Jumper template and ability Creating a Jumper "Jumper" is a template that can be added to any humanoid (referred to hereafter as the "base creature"). The jumper template can be inherited or it can be acquired. All of the base creature's statistics and abilities remain the same, except for the following additions. Special Qualities: Jump (Su): As a full-round action, a jumper can teleport to any location within visual range to a maximum distance of 25 ft. + 5/2HD, or to any location with which the jumper has familiarity (see: Teleport spell), appearing there at the end of the action. The jumper can only take up to his heavy load capacity in weight with him or her as carried items or creatures. If the location has changed dramatically, familiarity is eliminated until the jumper can thoroughly examine the changes. If the target location of a jump is inside a solid object, the jumper takes 1d3 damage and is shunted to the nearest location where the jumper can appear (either in water or in air). If the nearest location is more than 5 feet above a solid surface, the jumper is susceptible to falling damage. If the nearest location is under water, the jumper is susceptible to drowning (unless the jumper can breathe underwater). If disturbed while attempting to jump, the jumper must succeed at a Concentration check. If the check fails, the jump fails and nothing happens (the jumper merely seems to stand still for six seconds). Unlike normal teleportation, a jump leaves behind a visible distortion field in the places where a jumper jumps to or from, otherwise called a jump scar, for six seconds (one round). If the jumper has never used this ability intentionally before, it is triggered by severe physical trauma (or emotional trauma linked to a desire to escape from a location), and the jumper's target location is either the last location he or she jumped to (or from, at the DM's discretion) or the jumper's home. Once the jumper has been made thoroughly aware of this ability, he or she may use it normally. Electrical Feedback (Su): When taking damage from an electricity-based attack, such as shocking grasp or lightning bolt, a jumper's Concentration DC to jump is increased by 10 (effectively 20 + damage dealt, in addition to any other modifiers, such as if the jumper is grappled or violently shaken by other factors). As a supernatural quality, this effect can be magically suspended for a short time by a dispel or antimagic effect. Level Adjustment: +1
#2 Rohano Feb 17, 2008 21:22:56	Jumper PrC Jumper Hit Die: d8. Requirements Feats: Any two Jumper feats. Class Skills A Jumper chooses any 8 skills as class skills, in addition to Craft and Profession. Skill Points 4 + Intelligence bonus.
#3 Rohano Feb 17, 2008 21:30:14	Jumper Feats All references to the word "jump" are references to the special ability granted by the Jumper template, not to the skill, unless specified otherwise. All (Jumper) feats require the ability to jump.
#4 marcoasalazarm Feb 22, 2008 16:54:55	Dang, man, this thing rocks in more ways than one. ...Can I borrow it? I mean, if it's allowed.
#5 Rohano Feb 22, 2008 17:54:18	Anyone can use this system but be warned that I can edit it at any time (though I'll try to give a notification about changes). The only changes I might make soon are to jumpscar mechanics. I probably need to add clarification for those who try to dispel jumpscars and maybe some added flavor for those intuitive folks who find spells that work well with jumpscars. I'm thinking that I'll set up a Caster Level equal to 1 + the number of jumper feats a character possesses. I might also clean up the list of feats by widening it so that some of the names aren't so close together. ...And maybe I'll make new feats. Those are fun to build. One of these days, I or perhaps someone else will playtest this and see if a member of the Jumper PrC is too powerful at the given level requirement (a human can take the PrC at level 2 and be a level 1 whatever/10 Jumper, ECL 12 - if focussing on ManyJump feats, a human jumper can literally run circles around everyone until a mage drops an antimagic field) Currently... I'm thinking about a prestige class or two that are geared around specific aspects of the jumper. Possibilities: *Jumpscar Specialists (enhancing the jumpscar is a way of life, given the existing feat chain possibilities) *Jump-Fighter (uses combat-oriented jump abilities and perhaps some new mechanics, maybe a way to involve jumping in grapples other than as a method to escape a grapple [if you can fit a jump action in - given your jump action is short enough]) *Evocation/Abjuration-Flavored Jumper (uses effects produced by a jump, different from the jumpscar feats) I'm not sure if I'll build any of these but anyone is free to add their own material, though if they want to build their own "Jumper D20," I'd prefer that they make it elsewhere.
#6 hisnamehere Mar 22, 2008 18:51:04	To start, no, I haven't seen the movie, and, yes, I really, REALLY want to. Question: How does one acquire this template? I'd sure like to be one, but how do I go about becoming one? While perhaps not equal in flavor to the traditional (read, PHB) array of available classes, in a highly magic (Eberron) or psionic (Eberron's Sarlona) campaign, I could see the Jumper as a CC, not a template with a PrC. Actually, now that I think of it, you may have the only PrC around that has a template prerequisite (altho I suppose it would be the same as a racial prerequisite). This actually reminds me a lot of a CC and PrC that I've been working on, the former focusing on speed (Initiative, movement, speedy use of skills), and the latter on the 'wake' a creature with 100+ MV rate creates. That is, your 'jump scar' is kinda like my 'wake.' Hey, maybe there is a possibility for a bunch of CCs based on the abundant use of one supernatural ability. The Warlock already kinda fits with their 'blast'. We have teleportation. We have running/speed. What's next? Question: Your feats list is a bit out of date (e.g. the table doesn't have all the feats that are detailed below it....altho I'm sure you're aware of this...sorry). Question: You have Casual Jump (as a standard action) and Instant Jump (as a move action), but neither have a prerequisite. Why would anyone take Casual Jump when they could just take Instant Jump? Or is there a mechanic I'm missing? Anyway, I think this is a great idea. Also sending lots of " cudos' " (sp?) to the author, and lots to you for being so committed to getting this guy/gal to print.
#7 Rohano Mar 23, 2008 11:10:27	An inherited template, as I understand it, means it's passed down genetically. Acquired would mean that someone can be given the template by some method. I haven't devised a method yet. I'm unsure if the book ever made a mention of forcing the template onto anyone, though the paladins would definitely be crazy enough to try something like that. In the movie, the main character's mother is a Paladin and has extensive experience dealing with jumpers at close range. I would assume that this means the mother, being exposed constantly to this radiation (or to the radiation of the artificial jump unit), exposed the unborn child to jumping and somehow this led to the birth of a jumper. It is also mentioned by the British guy (the names are escaping me, this must mean it's time to pick up the DVD) that jumpers have been around since (atleast) the middle ages. I would assume that this means they pass the ability down in their genes, probably skipping a few generations before the ability surfaces again. And if this is true, then perhaps the main character's mother became a paladin because of a jumper in a past generation. The reason for both Casual and Instant jumps is because the movie features scenes where jumping appears to take varying amounts of concentration. For instance, early on, jumping is a huge effort for the main character and he has to spend several moments focussing before he can make the attempt. When he finally initiates the jump, it takes almost 6 seconds to complete itself (not include the aftermath of taking things with him). When he robs the bank, it seems to be a move action. He appears, empties his sack of money, then jumps away again to fill it back up. When he appears behind the pillar, it seems to me as if he performed it as a standard action, and he casually walks out of the jumpscar to look inconspicuous as a move action. Of course, into the battle scenes, jumping seems to be effortless. This would be toward the end of the characters' level progressions, after they have accumulated a mass of experience. And they only take their surroundings with them if they choose to (or they spend rounds focussing on generating huge amounts of radiation to initiate a massive jumpscar). But, more to the point of mechanics and usage, I think it gives players more options. I may figure out ways to make more use of the "useless" feats. Also note that my progression is somewhat backward. In the movie, it takes experience to allow the jumpers to take less of their surroundings with them during each jump. My feat progression simplifies but warps the mechanics presented in the movie. Which feats aren't on the list? I double, triple and quadruple-checked it before I posted it, but it has been edited a couple times since then and perhaps something was accidentally deleted. I think that movement, speed, and wake are definitely logical components to any speed-based ability or progression. I think of wake (jumpscars, here) as the only natural weapon that the jumpers can utilize. The ability has to be rounded. It not only provides for travel but it provides for combat abilities. Travel abilities aren't even worth much LA. The MM is proof of this (IE all the outsiders that can teleport at will). I have more elements planned that I hope to add in the near future. Here's a list of a few of them: Paladin PrC (unless I just write up a list of classes and prestige classes that a paladin would likely be) Paladin feats (ways to fight a jumper) Paladin items (the spray that reveals and lengthens the duration of a jumpscar, the artificial jump unit employed to send a non-jumper through a jumpscar, paladin tasers, a taser grapple-net weapon) Electricity-related jumper feats (wouldn't it be neat to turn off the weakness and then use it on someone else? Like opening a jumpscar at an electrical station and using it to throw lightning bolts into the scar's destination?) I hope I haven't spoiled the movie for you.
#8 hellsbells Mar 29, 2008 11:55:40	Very good idea, initially I was going to point out how he telported around his appartment without a scar but you have acounted for that. Also I may have missed it but you dont seem to have taken into acount Griffin's ability to throw cars through his scars or how he can jump with almost anything moving, It is seen that Griffin is able to send things through without himself being jumped, this should probably be explained in feat(s), atleast in my opinion. And I would like to state on the record that Griffin is infinetly cooler then David. Infinetly.
#9 Rohano Mar 30, 2008 3:15:48	Throwing objects through a scar is not something I have laid out as an ability. The mechanics may be difficult... but I could be wrong. The paladins weren't able to put anything through a scar, as I recall. Only Griffin could. I sense a new feat or even a corollary to the scar rules. "Jumpers can put things into existing scars." I did try to work in some management for jumping objects. I may consider clarifying some of those feats to be specific for objects you're touching (IE the car). While Griffin appeared as an obviously higher level Jumper with more guerilla-style abilities (IE the mighty jumpcharge, which was probably the coolest thing he ever did in a fight scene), David is probably the same level at the end of the movie. Rather than focus in strange jumpcharges or throwing cars around cities, he focusses on generating a lot of energy (IE blowing up the apartment in order to overcome the electricity - I think I need to add some kind of electricity resistance bonus while using those feats - to send White-Hair Mace Windu underwater). Think of Griffin like Vegeta, who has grown up fighting wicked villains, and David like Goku, who just uses a spirit bomb to solve his problems because he's either secretly emo or he has some kind of hero complex. Note to self: Targeted jump feat chain. Touched target jumps instead of the jumper. Note to anyone who wants to use my rules: I'm considering revamping a lot of the mechanics, now that I've had time to accurately review my work thus far. One example is concussive and radius jump. I'm consdering making a regular jump automatically radius and concussive, and feats are required to either minimize the damage or maximize it. Example, the first jumps made by David are huge and damaging. As he practices, they get quieter, smaller and quicker. But as he fights, he learns to focus and increase the force of his jump and thereby increase the damage. So rather than start with a "quiet" jump, as it currently functions, I will probably re-engineer the mechanics to be more like David's experience. Start with chaos, move toward refinement and stealth and/or destruction.
#10 strange_person Sep 16, 2008 16:29:46	Compare to the Alexandrian's Teleport Trace rules. Griffin mentions that the last person who tried to Jump a building was killed in the attempt. The rules should reflect this possibility. How about, each additional round you concentrate, your effective Strength is increased by 5, but each consecutive round of concentration deals cumulative damage (1 point the first round, 2 the second, 3 the third, etc)? Any object you can't carry, like a wall, you get to make a strength check to break. one attempt per round of concentration. For the concussive damage and charge bonuses, how about scaling it based on falling objects? Something like "A jump is the equivalent of falling 10 feet, so a Jumper who brings along 400 lb of debris will deal 2d6 damage on arrival." As I see it, electrocution is a problem for two reasons: 1: Continuous damage impairs your ability to concentrate. 2: Any energized circuit cannot be broken with Strength checks as part of a Jump attempt. You need to either 'lift' the whole thing, or abandon it, and the latter isn't a workable option when the circuit includes your own organs. Since it's a template, a PrC doesn't really seem appropriate; it would work better as a Paragon class (Unearthed Arcana, chapter 1).
#11 doomsought Sep 16, 2008 17:13:55	you need to post the jumper items yet, but so far, so good (the machine that holds the wormhole open so that normals can follow)
#12 Rohano Sep 17, 2008 11:30:18	Items are still in my mind, I've been thinking about ways to make the same machine a wondrous item for regular D&D use. Paragon class mechanics aren't OGL, are they? I guess it doesn't matter since 3.5's OGL is going down the toilet soon anyway. I have thought about backlash effects and strained jumpers attempting things similar to an Overchannel effect, but I haven't decided to make these mechanics part of the basic jumping rules or some kind of ability or feat tree. David was somewhat stubborn (he probably had Iron Will), but there's nothing to say that he had a special ability to push farther than anyone else or if, as Griff said, it's just stupid to risk your life. I have also thought about the process of stopping a jump you have already started (impossible or just very, very difficult?), in situations where the jumper quickly realizes that the task he's attempting is suicide (once the backlash kicks in and so on), but I think that would complicate jumping too much to add so many effects into one action. I'm moving soon and I'll be too busy to work on this until I'm settled but if anyone has suggestions for feats, items, mechanics, whatever - drop a post. If you want to just write out complete feats or items, that's also fine.
#13 strange_person Sep 17, 2008 12:17:44	For the wormhole-prying machine, you just need to figure out the weight, caster level, how long it takes to set up, and some way to say "while this thing's active, nearby jump scars stay open and are easy to traverse." And the price, of course, although if it's one-of-a-kind that's not so critical. Paragon class mechanics aren't OGL, are they? http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm
#14 Rohano Sep 18, 2008 14:11:45	I was thinking that it could be an artifact, but that'd be no fun. I'll probably have to make rules for Jumper countermeasures in the future, including the Paladins, which means this machine will have to be craftable. Difficult, but craftable. I'll look over the paragon class material when I get a chance, then see about converting the PrC over. Shouldn't be difficult at all.
#15 strange_person Sep 18, 2008 15:44:45	There was a strong implication that the paladins would be unable to replace the device, quickly or perhaps at all, so having it as a minor artifact would fit: there's probably more than one, but they're so rare you'll never see two in the same adventure.
#16 AnimeSniper Sep 18, 2008 15:56:48	You could throw in as a challenge where your PC's find out about the Paladin's nearing completion of a prototype from researching the remains of other destroyed artifacts?
#17 Rohano Sep 18, 2008 17:51:48	That's a good idea. Maybe there's an artifact version of the device that is immensely powerful but its magic/technology is forgotten, so the modern reproductions are high-level (and very expensive) magic items but not as strong.
#18 doomsought Sep 18, 2008 20:21:29	In the movie they were technological looking.
#19 Rohano Sep 19, 2008 9:32:44	Yes, but the original intent here was to break down Jumper for D&D use, and it stands to reason that if jumpers and paladins fought all through the ages, then the paladins had to have tools to use against the jumpers even in medieval times. The only reason this is in D20 Modern is because the people rebuilding the forums are apparently not very attentive.
#20 Rohano Oct 16, 2008 9:30:33	I'm done moving now but I'm still pretty busy... I'll work on more Jumper material as soon as I can. Please contribute anything you like.
#21 rustam1 Mar 27, 2010 17:02:35	Just bringing another interesting work into the light.  Jumper was great and brings to mind another movie that could be used -- PUSH !!
#22 TheRealOrion Mar 30, 2010 17:10:24	I would maim small animals for a break-down of all the powers in Push, but that's a side issue! I really like what you've built, here. How would you feel about me incorporating it into Phoenix? It's a superhero system that I've been tinkering with for years. Nobody makes any money off of it and I always credit people who allow me to use their ideas. I would entirely understand if you didn't want it used in some other game, though, so feel free to say "no." If that's the case, I wonder if you have any plans to post the rules somewhere so that, if people are interested, I could give them a URL to a PDF or something like that? This forum is a great resource, but I'm always wary of relying on it. BTW, we would love for you to post these rules at Modern d20 Unlimited. It's exactly the kind of things we jones for. Looking forward to seeing new parts of this system come to life!
#23 rustam1 Mar 30, 2010 18:52:07	Hello ? Rohano ?  Hello ? Rohano, Rohano, calling Rohano! Rohano's last post was back in October, according to the profile page. May need to send Rohano an email.
#24 Rohano Mar 30, 2012 14:56:48	Greetings to those of you who are still subscribed to this thread! I won't apologize for my absense. 4E sort of ruined the whole D&D thing for me and most of the remaining 3E players converted to Pathfinder, which I wasn't terribly interested in working inside of, so rather than continue to write material for a very very tiny 3E community, I abandoned all of my D20 projects and haven't so much as logged into Wizards since the D&D Community system was implemented. If you are still interested in Jumper D20/3E, I am alive and able to give you support but I don't believe I will be spending a huge amount of effort writing new material for it, given the explained situation. My aim in the future is to playtest 5E and hopefully write material for it. So, without further adieu, I am here, and I have recently cojiggerified my Wizards account and by Facebook account. If you want input from me for your own use of Jumper D20, please do so through FB, as I'm there daily. With some thought, I won't be converting the PrC to a Paragon progression since I intended for the Jumper template to be acquired as well as inherited - a person exposed to it will eventually become a jumper, or gain related powers, or the template can be forced on someone. What I really wanted was for anyone to be able to become a Jumper at any level gain during their adventuring career, given the right circumstances, but someone could be one at character creation as well, but I suppose I hadn't gotten around to writing up some examples for how a character could acquire the title. I'm not terribly interested in working in systems outside of 3E or 5E at the moment but I could be convinced.
#25 Rohano Mar 30, 2012 15:02:49	Rustam, I loved the movie Push but I don't believe I know enough about it to write material for it. I'm to understand that there is a graphic novel series under that title and another material writer I know has read it but decided against tackling such a huge rules design challenge. While I am one to never shy away from a large foe, and I agree that the powers in Push would be cool working beside Jumpers, I don't think there's a huge number of people playing 3.5 who want me to do that. You may, in fact, be one of the singular such people. Orion, I will try to get in touch soon about your community site.