[Wyvern]

Originally posted by barsoomcore
Hey Wyvern,

Answers to your two questions:

I think the ability to push a vehicle past its normal limits ought to be a feat for a couple of reasons:

1. A vehicle should only have one Top Speed, not a Top Speed and a Even More Top Speed Speed.

2. Not just anyone who's learned how to operate a vessel ought to be able to do this. It involves a special combination of nerve, intuition and skill. No amount of flying lessons will give you the ability to do this.

3. It's functionally similar to something like Cleave -- an ability with a tool that most people don't have, and that proficiency with the tool doesn't provide.

Okay, I agree with your reasoning. However, on reflection, I realized that the math involved is too finicky. As written, the Speed Demon feat allows you to increase a vehicle's maximum speed by 10%, but when you're dealing in increments of 30 ft, that just doesn't work. So unless someone can suggest an alternative, I'm inclined to just forget about the whole idea after all.

Secondly, I think a pilot should have to make a collision check for every square they pass through that is occupied by an object. Whether it's the same object or not from one square to the next ought not to make any difference. So flying at "Ground Level" requires a Piloting check at DC 18 every square. It's really, really dangerous for anyone but, say, a 4th-level pilot with above-average Dexterity (7 ranks plus at least one for Dex means automatic success unless someone's shooting at him). That seems reasonable to me.

Fair enough. On reading your new section on flying at ground level, I wondered if perhaps we should make an exception for flying creatures; after all, when was the last time you saw a bird collide with the ground? Then I realized that, by a happy coincidence, their +8 bonus enables them to just beat the DC by taking 10.

About acceleration -- if you can come up with some pretty straightforward rules I'm up for it but I racked my small brain and got nothing so I said to heck with it, who needs it? But I give up easily. And I'm lazy.

Well, I'll take a stab at it and see what I can come up with, after I've finished updating the character creation chapter (which should hopefully - fingers crossed - be within the week).

And finally, about speed affecting collision damage, I agree but it starts to add whole new dimensions of complexity that I'm not sure provide much playability or fun.

Agreed.

One thing I brought up once or twice before that still hasn't found its way into a final write-up yet is the issue of co-pilots. Specifically, we should mention that a co-pilot can use a steer a vessel action to make a cooperative skill check. The question is, should that be included in this chapter, in the description of the Pilot skill (which is my responsibility), or in the components chapter (since the vessel needs a secondary set of controls to allow co-piloting). What do you guys think?

That question aside, your latest revision of the chapter looks terrific. Except for proof-reading (which I'll deal with in due time), I think we can pretty much call this chapter finished. Good job!