What are the rules for dropping a grenade while moving over an object / opponent with a jetpack? It seems to me that it should not interfere with the move as long as the character activated the grenade previously, but I am not certain. Any thought or help is appreciated.

Based on RAW I think you'd have to make the attack at the start or end of the move, not in the middle of it. The jump pack rules are just that you make a pilot check and then double your move.

Personally I'd be inclined to let the guy toss his grenade in the middle of a jump if his move type permitted it, but impose a stiff penalty to it, gut check says -30. Alternately give the penalty to his pilot check, or both.

You only make pilot tests for difficult or complex maneuvers. Say using your jet pack in a blizzard. If you were using flying mode and tried to use combat maneuvers you'd need to make piloting tests. But just to charge an enemy or move from point A to point B, not so much.

Hrm, I could've sworn I read in the book under the description it just says (paraphrasing) "make a successful pilot check to double your movement." To be honest, I don't call for a pilot check unless the player is jumping into difficult terrain, trying to loop around precipices, etc., but I wanted to refer to RAW- books not with me however.

Either way, I think per RAW you'd have to toss before or after the move was complete, as without specific talents you cannot run, shoot, and contnue to run.

To drop something though, you don't think a character can do that as they are walking, running, or flying unless they end their move over the spot they wish to drop it and then they effectively spend 1/2 the round opening their fingers?

Buzz Saw said:

I've always ruled that dropping something (as in letting go of it) was a free action in my games. I don't know of a spot in the rules that discusses it directly, so for me if someone wants to drop their gun and draw another, the drop is a free action; the item is in fact dropped, meaning to get it again is a half action to pick it up (provided you were on solid ground when you dropped it and all that).

Now dropping a grenade, to me, is a standard attack and a standard attack is a half action. To hit someone with a grenade isn't the easiest thing in the world, and calls for a ballistic skill check after all.

The trick I see is with the whole flying arc thing, and it seems to make sense that someone could use their jetpacks to make 'pop up attacks' much like in table top (though there is probably a lot of arguing about range, distance, and arc there that frankly don't really matter to me). The rules though, which are there to try and keep things balanced and clean, indicate that you can't move/attack/move without very special talents. Depending on the circumstances and the physical layout and view of what the player was trying to accomplish, I might allow the rule to be bent- but I'd impose a penalty to represent the fact that it's outside of the normal capabilities.

You might also look at hip shooting- I can't recall if Deathwatch amended it to allow you to use more than pistols- if it does you could use that as a guide for what you're trying to do, but I'd put that firmly in the houserule wing of things.

Thank you Charmander. I now have a better understanding that one sometimes gets from others that do not game with you every week.

Charmander said:

I think you are thinking of the Assault's Wings of Angels special ability.

Alex