If it makes the story go where you want it to, does it matter what the standard jet pack is capable of? NPCs don't always play by the same rules as PCs. Maybe that bounty hunter has a souped up jetpack that isn't statted anywhere because your BH hand crafted it.

I mean there is always that, but I usually try to make things seem fair or within reason.

I'll have to let my GM know that fair and within reason is an option. LOL

Yeah, I have a player who decided to reveal all of the party's plans to a spy [ unbeknown to him ]. This is going to get him in a lot of trouble, so I created a BH squad to come collect him. One of the members is a sniper with the Stun gun that had long range damage 10 from Into the Unknown [Explorer Book]. The second member has a jetpack and the auto-fire pistol [damage 6 etc, irrelevant] I was thinking of having the Sniper fire, drop the target, and the jetpack user to zoom in, scoop, and take off. Leaving the party in shock, etc. I just don't understand the distance, etc, that the jetpack offers for such a situation. How many range bands do I get to move with it legitimately.

It's a jet pack so I take the term 'jet' to mean 'covers a @#$% ton of distance quickly'. In mechanics I don't see how Long or even Extreme to Short in a Maneuver is a big deal myself, considering you have a rocket on your back......

Haha! I'm quite different then most I think..or at least the ones I know. I let one of my players GM a scenario 1 time. I thought my use of Challenge dice and setbacks were fair and at least somewhat interesting, he threw 6 Challenge dice at my 3 Ability dice. I was like "Are you serious? I'm not hacking into the Galactic Trade Network here, jeez!"

I'll have to let my GM know that fair and within reason is an option. LOL

Sad part is there's a number of GMs who simply don't consider "fair" and "within reason" to be options when they're running games.

In all honesty my GM really is good about most things. I can't imagine having to be in his shoes when our wacky crew makes a plan that totally trashes all of his ideas for what should come next. He's gotten really good at improvising. Back on topic, I personally don't see any reason someone with a jet pack can't go from long to engaged as a maneuver. Like the droid turned pirate said, it's a freaking jet engine strapped to your back. You should be able to cover tons of space in a short time.

I might make a roll to go to Engaged or something. It's one thing to hit a 40 foot circle with a rocket strapped to your back, it's another to land in arm's length range without running into the target.................

That's reasonable.

So, RaW, do you have to use maneuvers to increase the speed of the jetpack from 0 to 1 (and then 2 optionally) before you can fly the thing?

It would make more sense to me to handle it narratively and simply say you can travel in one maneuver with a jetpack from extreme to short by making an average piloting (planetary) check or to engaged with a hard check. (Adding setbacks or upgrading the check as circumstances require).

Can you mod a Jetpack? Specifically I'm thinking of the Augmented Buffer (0 HP) from JoY.

I wouldn't use vehicle combat rules if I'm using the Jetpack to engage in personal scale combat. I also wouldn't require an action to simply fly the thing from long-range to close range. I probably would require an action to get to engaged range safely.

I would probably treat it as personal scale if it's speed 0, (so its main benefit is the ability to go three dimensionally) and vehicle scale at speed 1.

How about this as a house rule?

- When activated, the jetpack has Speed 1. A manoeuvre can be used to increase this to Speed 2, like any vehicle.

- With Speed 1 the character can move from Engaged to Medium range (and vice versa) in one manoeuvre.

- With Speed 2 the character can move from Engaged to Long range (and vice versa) in one manoeuvre.

- The character can hover in place, provided there's room and local wind conditions permit. This is a manoeuvre.

- Firing from a moving or hovering jetpack results in 2 setback dice. Optionally 3 setback dice if using a two-handed weapon.

- If a character wants to land in a specific spot, such as Engaged with another character or a small platform or other target, a Piloting (planetary) check is called for as an action. The number of successes or failures could indicate how precise the character's control is. Threat can represent the jetpack overheating and needing threat number of rounds to cool down before it can be used again.

- When using the jetpack indoors or in other confined spaces there should usually be a check, possibly upgraded once to represent the danger of smashing into the ceiling or walls at high speed.

Note that the above rules are for using jetpacks on a personal scale. For planetary scale you just treat them as any other vehicle.

Not enough 'jet' in that jetpack imo. That's barely better than just running. I'm not feeling a rocketeer vibe.....

Not enough 'jet' in that jetpack imo. That's barely better than just running. I'm not feeling a rocketeer vibe.....

That's sort of deliberate. The main strength of a jetpack is that it lets you travel at planetary speeds and distances, not to mention vertically. Making it too awesome in personal combat could quickly lead to every PC having one all the time. And then you're stuck with this ever-tightening spiral of everyone and his grandmother wearing a jetpack because at 2 Encumbrance there's really no reason not to, ever.

You have to have planetary pilot to use them, which is one limiting factor. Engaging from any range would require a pilot check.imo. They're not cheap. They're a great counter balance to Marauders and AutoFire. Plus they're iconic. I need more Jet in my jetpack.

I would keep it as simple as possible. Have the sniper shoot from a roof top and the jet packer be hidden in the crowd or come from another roof top, gab the target and then jet up on a roof. Going roof top to roof top to get away, unless they have a vehicle the party can't keep up. The distance moved would be irrelivent since you can't see through buildings, then you can get to the point of the scene. Throw some skill checks that you feel is right and you are done.

My only suggestion is to always upgrade (at least) 1 difficulty if a jet pack wearing PC wants to do anything more than fly, ie. flybys without hitting anything, shooting while in the air (consider it enviromental hazards like 0 g). That single red die can really change their perceptions of mobility if a despair shows itself. Those red die will go a long way to cull the effects of a jet pack. The more he uses it the higher the chance said despair will appear, then it gets fun.

My only suggestion is to always upgrade (at least) 1 difficulty if a jet pack wearing PC wants to do anything more than fly, ie. flybys without hitting anything, shooting while in the air (consider it enviromental hazards like 0 g). That single red die can really change their perceptions of mobility if a despair shows itself. Those red die will go a long way to cull the effects of a jet pack. The more he uses it the higher the chance said despair will appear, then it gets fun.

Setback dice would be far far more appropriate. If you want to upgrade use destiny points, that's what they are there for.

That's sort of deliberate. The main strength of a jetpack is that it lets you travel at planetary speeds and distances, not to mention vertically. Making it too awesome in personal combat could quickly lead to every PC having one all the time. And then you're stuck with this ever-tightening spiral of everyone and his grandmother wearing a jetpack because at 2 Encumbrance there's really no reason not to, ever.

If you’re running a Wookiee Marauder, you probably don’t want rocket flame coming that close to your fur. ;-)

We just finished Under a Black Sun, and the poor things we did to that Nikto really underscored the dangers of jetpacks(and mini-thermal detonators)

He spent the last 3 turns of combat basically trying to remain airborne, fighting with his damaged jetpack, and just trying to land.