Jet Packs and Force Packs

[HWalsh]

Jet Packs and Force Packs are interesting items.

It appears that in order to use them in combat you have to activate the item (in combat mode) which takes a standard action. Once that is done, you can use the granted Fly Speed as your own as long as you spend the required charges per round at no additional action cost.

This can, in longer battles, potentially drain your batteries, (which aren't really a big deal, as you can just swap them out) but there are two interpretations on how these items are used.

Interpretation 1:
You can activate the item, but it isn't actually used unless you are using it. So you could have a Forcepack active on your back and unless you are actually in flight it isn't draining charges.

Interpretation 2:
You can activate the item, but it drains, period, unless it is completely shut down.

So I am curious as to how people are running these. I'm personally going with "Standard to turn on" as per the actions in combat, and it drains per round until switched off.

[Claxon]

I hadn't even considered it not draining battery the entire time it's activated.

[HWalsh]

Claxon wrote:

I hadn't even considered it not draining battery the entire time it's activated.

There is language to suggest that such might be the case. At some places the game talks about activation and uses being different things, and other places it acts as though they are the same, meaning that there is a ton of confusion as to how these items work.

Using less energy when active but not being used? Sure, makes sense from a logical standpoint. A car idling uses less gas than one that is going full out after all.

Or just look at your cell phone.

It is "activated" all the time, but only really drains power when you are actively using it for something.

[Gary Bush]

For discussion purposes:

Forcepack(Hybrid) wrote:

CAPACITY 100 ~ USAGE 2/round

A forcepack grants you a fly speed of 60 feet (average maneuverability). You can use this for “cruising flight” at a usage of 1 charge per minute, but you are flat-footed and off-target while doing so. Changing from normal flight to cruising flight, or back, is a standard action. A forcepack can’t lift you if you’re encumbered. This upgrade can be installed only in light or heavy armor.

Jetback wrote:

CAPACITY 40 ~ USAGE 2/round

You gain a fly speed of 30 feet (average maneuverability). You can use this for “cruising flight” at a usage of only 1 charge per minute, but you are flat-footed and off-target while doing so. Changing from normal flight to cruising flight or vice versa is a standard action. A jetpack can’t lift you if you’re encumbered. This upgrade can be installed only in light or heavy armor.

It appears to me that each item can be used each round and does not require an action to active in "normal flight" mode. The usage is the same, 2 charges from the battery per round.

A user can move from "normal flight" to "cruising flight" using a Standard action. At this point, it takes 1 charge for 1 minute of flight. However, if you only use the flight for 3 rounds the charge from the battery is still expended. It takes a Standard action to move from "cruising flight" to "normal flight".

It does not appear that, while in normal normal flight mode, the pack stays on continuously and thus would not drain the battery. It also seems that the user must decide what mode they are using so they can track the charge cost.

I also don't think that if the pack is in "cruising flight" that they stay in that mode continuously. After 1 minute, the user would need to make the decision to stay in cruising flight and pay the charge, or take a standard action to revert back to normal flight. If a user failed to do that, I think the pack would cut out and the character would deal with falling if they are off the ground.

[River of Sticks]

Also, it looks like it is a standard action to switch modes, but if you leave it in "combat mode" (2/round usage), wouldn't activating it be part of the move action? No other action required? IE, I run to the middle of the courtyard with my move action on turn 1 - no usage cost. I then fly up 30' to the balcony of the second floor on turn 2, again using my move action - but now I also used 2 charges from the pack. I still have my standard action on both turns to do anything else.

[Lane_S]

For simplicity I would say if it is active it uses charges.

Activate in cruising mode, mark off 1 charge at start of each minute. Remains active until turned off or charges depleted. Switch to Normal Flight, mark off 2 charges each round even if flight is not used. No action required to use either flight mode each round, only to activate or switch modes.

[Hiruma Kai]

River of Sticks wrote:

Also, it looks like it is a standard action to switch modes, but if you leave it in "combat mode" (2/round usage), wouldn't activating it be part of the move action? No other action required? IE, I run to the middle of the courtyard with my move action on turn 1 - no usage cost. I then fly up 30' to the balcony of the second floor on turn 2, again using my move action - but now I also used 2 charges from the pack. I still have my standard action on both turns to do anything else.

Unlike every other piece of equipment or power that activates as part of a move action, Jetpacks and Forcepacks do not say "As part of a move action". Compare the rules text against jump jets for example. It also has a usage per round as opposed to just a usage (which is what activating it every move action would cost - and would also cost twice if you used for two move actions in a single round).

This has advantages. For example, if you have an active Jetpack and thus have a fly speed (i.e. you've used a standard action to activate it on a previous round), you can use the Acrobatics skill to avoid falling damage as a reaction. If the Jetpack is off, you can't do that because you don't have a fly speed.

The activation of a Jetpack into "combat" or "standard" mode is a standard action, not unlike a Phase Shield or Force Field. A Force Field is an item which gets turned on or off with a standard action, and has a usage of 1 charge per round. We don't seem to be arguing about whether it uses a charge if it doesn't take damage or doesn't use its fast healing. If its on, and could have had an effect (like stopping damage), we deduct the charge. If the Jetpack is on, and could have had an effect (like being used in a reaction) it uses 2 charges (or 1 per minute). Just because the character is not in the air does not mean they do not have the fly speed that round.

The activation of a Jetpack or Forcepack is a standard action because of the rules on page 244 of the CRB, Activate an Item:

Unless otherwise noted, activating such an item is a standard action.

Now in principle, there's nothing preventing you from hooking a miniaturized portable computer with control module up to your Jetpack, and having a computer running an artificial personality turn the Jetpack on or off, based on a voice password or something. On the other hand, it'd totally be hackable by hostile engineers with remote hacking. :)

[Ravingdork]

I've always interpreted as only draining charges when used, and it does not require a standard action to activate beforehand.