Hang Gliders

[Quantum07]

I don't know if anyone has thought of it, but a Hang Glider would be the best way to get around in the zombie infested cities. I have taken hang gliding classes, and am on my way to a license this summer, so that was my first thought when I picked up the game. But I couldn't find any rules on hang gliders. So my group and I came up with resonable rules for them.

Transportation: Hang Glider 50%+5% per level (Hang gliders are extremely easy to pilot)
SDC: 50
Flight Speed: 75 mph in a dive, but 50 mph is a more constant cruising speed (There was a case of a man hang gliding from Orlando, Florida to South Carolina in 6 hours)
Range: Limited only by the pilot's biology (need to feed and sleep)

A hang glider does not require much to steer or stay in the air. All that is needed to take off is 25 mph winds. If the winds are lower, then the pilot needs to run to make it up. So if it is only 15 mph winds, the pilot needs to run 10 mph into the wind.

A standard hang glider can carry 300 lbs, including the pilot, so a 200 lb person could have 100 lbs of equipment, with no penalty.

Another perk to the hang glider is the controls are so simple, and the ride so steady, the pilot can shoot from it with no penalty to strike. The problem comes from the recoil, requiring the shot to use up 2 attacks, one for the shot, one to get the hang glider back under control. Also requires a skill role.

That is what we came up with for the hang glider. Wanted to know what you think. My character (an ex-CIA soldier) uses it to hop from roof top to roof top of sky scrapers. He gets up there, locks down the access form the building, and sets up his rifle to cover the ground troops who are getting supplies.

[glitterboy2098]

i don't know, i'd suspect that SkyScrapers aren't exactly good places to be launching hang gliders. not to mention the fact such scrapers aren't common everywhere.

now, microlights..., which are often just powered hang gliders, would be a useful tool in any post-apoc setting.
another potential tool would be the personal blimp, a hot air blimp with small motor for propulsion.

paragliding and especially it's powered variant would be interesting too.

[Quantum07]

i don't know, i'd suspect that SkyScrapers aren't exactly good places to be launching hang gliders. not to mention the fact such scrapers aren't common everywhere.

now, microlights..., which are often just powered hang gliders, would be a useful tool in any post-apoc setting.
another potential tool would be the personal blimp, a hot air blimp with small motor for propulsion.

paragliding and especially it's powered variant would be interesting too.

The only problem I see with powered air options is the fuel. A hang glider needs only the 25 mph wind to take off, has unlimited fuel, and is not in anyway affected by wind after take off, unlike baloons. Also, a one story building could be used as a landing and take off point, just there is no room for error if you fail to take off, and fall to the horde below.

[Augur]

i don't know, i'd suspect that SkyScrapers aren't exactly good places to be launching hang gliders. not to mention the fact such scrapers aren't common everywhere.

now, microlights..., which are often just powered hang gliders, would be a useful tool in any post-apoc setting.
another potential tool would be the personal blimp, a hot air blimp with small motor for propulsion.

paragliding and especially it's powered variant would be interesting too.

The only problem I see with powered air options is the fuel. A hang glider needs only the 25 mph wind to take off, has unlimited fuel, and is not in anyway affected by wind after take off, unlike baloons. Also, a one story building could be used as a landing and take off point, just there is no room for error if you fail to take off, and fall to the horde below.

Yeah, but with a Hang Glider...you're at the complete mercy of the air currents. To top that off...you WILL go down.

Blimps seem highly suspect and are fairly fragile.

Ultra-lights, however, might be IDEAL. They are VSTOL aircraft and require very little flat surface on which to land. They are extremely fuel-efficient as most use either 2-stroke or very small IC engines which are often little more than lawnmower engines with a big fan attached. To top it all off, the mechanical principles are very simple making maintenance a snap and the vehicle itself is fairly lightweight!

[G]

I agree hang gliders appear to be an excellent idea - I like them better then the ultralight because they don't make noise or run out of fuel.

Airships/Blimps could be a lot of fun, as you can have combat happening on them...

You could use a helecopter ultralight - they have VTOL. I saw one on tv one day...the noise would annoince your arrival to the zombies before you got their though...which is why I like the hang glider better.

[Quantum07]

The character I roled up used the Fast as Lightning as his attributes. He can run at a spd of 40, and he can take off on a hang glider just by running. I took off from a low hill, only needing a 3 ft drop to take off. But if you are in a completely flat place, I see what you mean.

[ronekiln]

I could see a hang gliding character being very useful in a campaign for quick recon that doesn't tie up a lot of game time.

"OK, you scout out this area and see X zombies at X locations and tell everyone when you get back." Then get back to making use of that info in the adventure with the entire group.

Or the fun of the entire group going in to rescue the crashed pilot stranded on a roof top.

[Ziggurat the Eternal]

I think an Ultra-light would be pretty ideal, especially since the engine would be negligible in the performance should you run out of fuel, and can continue to glide. Problems may occur when it comes into play, stranding or leaving the party behind, forcing the GM to run to separate campaigns, blah. Could also be extremely fun, scouting for the party, hopping to a roof-top to provide fire support/cover fire. Just all depends on the group, their dynamic, and whether they stop to talk things out/think things through/blah. You could try it, see what happens, just try to think of a way to explain your 'Glider folding, otherwise carrying it would suck.

[gaaahhhh]

i don't know, i'd suspect that SkyScrapers aren't exactly good places to be launching hang gliders. not to mention the fact such scrapers aren't common everywhere.

now, microlights..., which are often just powered hang gliders, would be a useful tool in any post-apoc setting.
another potential tool would be the personal blimp, a hot air blimp with small motor for propulsion.

paragliding and especially it's powered variant would be interesting too.

A cross-wind between two sky scrapers could easily knock a hang-glider out of the sky, or just as bad, knock it into a building. Imagine surviving such a landing with a broken leg and a broken rib, strapped to the hang-glider, with a dozen zombies closing in on you.

[Quantum07]

Then it would be an intense rescue mission. Gotta save the guy before he dies.

[Tiree]

Don't forget, you can make an ultralight with Bamboo, trash bags, a couple of wheel barrel wheels, and a cement mixer engine... I mean heck, if MacGyver could do it... you can too right?!?!

[Steeler49er]

i don't know, i'd suspect that SkyScrapers aren't exactly good places to be launching hang gliders. not to mention the fact such scrapers aren't common everywhere.

now, microlights..., which are often just powered hang gliders, would be a useful tool in any post-apoc setting.
another potential tool would be the personal blimp, a hot air blimp with small motor for propulsion.

paragliding and especially it's powered variant would be interesting too.

The only problem I see with powered air options is the fuel. A hang glider needs only the 25 mph wind to take off, has unlimited fuel, and is not in anyway affected by wind after take off, unlike baloons.

Gas (AKA gasolina, AKA Benzin, AKA ガソリン/GaSoRiN, AKA-Go Juice) is easy as heck fire to come by in Dead Reign...
In fact, Dead Reign is the ONE Post-Apock Palladium Game/RPG that Gas would be easy to come by in.
Not Chaos Earth/Rifts nor even Systems Shock...
Dead Reign=Allotta Free Gas

[Tiree]

i don't know, i'd suspect that SkyScrapers aren't exactly good places to be launching hang gliders. not to mention the fact such scrapers aren't common everywhere.

now, microlights..., which are often just powered hang gliders, would be a useful tool in any post-apoc setting.
another potential tool would be the personal blimp, a hot air blimp with small motor for propulsion.

paragliding and especially it's powered variant would be interesting too.

The only problem I see with powered air options is the fuel. A hang glider needs only the 25 mph wind to take off, has unlimited fuel, and is not in anyway affected by wind after take off, unlike baloons.

Gas (AKA gasolina, AKA Benzin, AKA ガソリン/GaSoRiN, AKA-Go Juice) is easy as heck fire to come by in Dead Reign...
In fact, Dead Reign is the ONE Post-Apock Palladium Game/RPG that Gas would be easy to come by in.
Not Chaos Earth/Rifts nor even Systems Shock...
Dead Reign=Allotta Free Gas

True - till the locations where you can find refined gasoline. Gasoline may be found, nearly everywhere, but potentially in time those locations will either a) dry up for use, or b)leech out into the environment somehow...

You may say, what about those cars on the road. Well they do have rubber hoses that run from the tank. Those vehicles that were shut down and not left running may have gasoline in their tanks for a year or two... but weather and other conditions may cause a leak in the fuel system.

You also have gasoline tanks in the ground (or above ground) and those tanks could potentially have leaks. I would say within a decade there probably is going to be some sort of leak or the gasoline goes bad. They get inspected quite often, have filters, and the tanks are generally replaced periodically. Not to mention potential problems from weather and having water fill the tank instead of gasoline.

[Steeler49er]

Actually I'm suprised you called me out on those facts ....
I honestly was starting believe that I'd get away with what I'd posted w/o anyone bringing up those points about gas and it's corrosive nature...

[Tiree]

Actually I'm suprised you called me out on those facts ....
I honestly was starting believe that I'd get away with what I'd posted w/o anyone bringing up those points about gas and it's corrosive nature...

I am a fan of the post apocalyptic scenario and I used to work at a stab and grab aka pump and run. I know all the dirty secrets

[gaaahhhh]

As soon as the priests of Brulix see you guys using gliders, you know very well they're going to start training their Thinkers and Mock Zombies to use gliders too. Do you really want that?

Yes.

[Steeler49er]

Thatd Flippin RocK!!
Hanglider Zombies Freakin Awsome

[Quantum07]

Never even throught of that. That would be horrible and awesome all at once. The hideout we have is in a cliff face, so everyone thinks it is safe. Next thing you know, a zombie hang glides in, and kills everyone in their sleep

[Steeler49er]

Wow.. I was just thinking it was funny... But know you've made me realize just how nasty thing could get with Smart Zombies, Preists, and Mock Zombies <The ones that put two and two together and realize what they are, and that they NEED to FEED)!
Should they get so motivated, Hang-Gliders would work in their favor, should they be into Clandescent assaults on humans!

[Mifune]

Well...Hang Gliding Zombies can't worse then Surfing Nazis (who, I might say, Must Die).

Though, I wish that they would add a rule/skill for Parkour as that would be a lot more useful in an urban location then hang gliding. And if you're as crazy as I am, your character could combine skateboarding and parkour together.