Mutants & Masterminds III: How to build some powers?

[Kymme]

Is it only bird wings or "living beings" wings?

Because if insects are in, a whole new array of possibilities open up, such as blinding/sickening powder, illusions caused by reflecting light from wing scale thingies, invisibility with a similar method, etc.

Bat wings also give some opportunities, as they're prehensile and can be used to grab or manipulate things as opposed to merely swat and block.

No, they're all bird wings. Specifically eagle wings, because that's part of the god's panoply. Great ideas, though.

Flying with explosions is just the Flight power with the "it's micro explosions, mate" descriptor as far as I know.

Apathy is all colors of Affliction and Weaken, but if you apply some crazy cuckoo logic to it, can be used to all sorts of shenanigans like Teleport by becoming so uncaring of one's spacial location that it literally doesn't matter anymore and as such the user can be at any place he/she wants. This same logic can apply to an array of other things, essentially being reality manipulation.

As for Consequence, that sounds like Luck/Chance manipulation, such as being able to always pick the very worst/best outcome of a
given action and essentially forcing the unpredictable and/or uncontrolled flaw onto others.

I love all of these suggestions. I don't think his Apathy powers should allow him to teleport, but I like the idea of his Apathy powers making other people ignore his presence so he seems to be moving incredibly fast or vanishing. There are a lot of ways I can go with that.

Thank you for your help!

[Yuki Akuma]

So I've made an "Impossible Thief" character. There's one ability I want to give her, but I'm not entire sure how to stat it. Basically, I want her to have the ability to take small items from range - essentially teleporting them into her possession. Ideally, possibly with a power stunt, it should be able to dismantle objects as well, by stealing components (I love the mental image of lockpicking by stealing the lock).

How would I go about doing this?

[Grod_The_Giant]

So I've made an "Impossible Thief" character. There's one ability I want to give her, but I'm not entire sure how to stat it. Basically, I want her to have the ability to take small items from range - essentially teleporting them into her possession. Ideally, possibly with a power stunt, it should be able to dismantle objects as well, by stealing components (I love the mental image of lockpicking by stealing the lock).

How would I go about doing this?

Teleport X, Accurate, Attack, Ranged, Affects Only Objects ought to do the main trick-- you can target objects at a distance and teleport them around; Accurate ought to let you pluck them out of pockets and suchlike as long as you know they're in there-- or place them inside pockets. The power stunt should probably be Transform (Assembled to Disassembled), Permanent, Ranged, with a base Transform cost of 2pp/rank. (Your DM might require it to be Continuous, based on the sidebar mentioning that "Transform is normally sustained; the target isn’t truly destroyed unless the effect is continuous, and therefore irreversible," but given that that the whole point of the Continuous modifier is to be reversible, I'm not convinced)

[AvatarVecna]

Currently working on a blasting power for an insect-controller/swarm-form character, and I'm running into some potential issues that--due to my relative unfamiliarity with the system--might mean I'm far less effective in combat than I'm hoping to be. The basic idea is that my character attacks people by blasting insects at them, which results in Damage of some kind or Affliction of some kind; to represent this, I made it into an array (replicated below):

Damage 8 (37 PP)

• Multiattack (+1/rank)
• Penetrating 8 (+8)
• Ranged (+1/rank)
• Alternate Effect: Damage 13 (+1)
  • Area: Burst (+1/rank)
  • Penetrating 6 (+6)
  • Resistible: Toughness (-1/rank)
  • Selective (+1/rank)
• Alternate Effect: Damage 8 (+1)
  
  • Penetrating 8 (+8)
  • Ranged (+1/rank)
  • Secondary Effect (+1/rank)
  
  
• Alternate Effect: Affliction 8 (+1)
  
  • Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated
  • Penetrating 8 (+8)
  • Progressive (+2/rank)
  • Ranged(+1/rank)
  • Resistible: Toughness (-1/rank)
  
  
• Alternate Effect: Affliction 8 (+1)
  
  • Fatigued/Exhausted/Asleep
  • Penetrating 8 (+8)
  • Progressive (+2/rank)
  • Ranged(+1/rank)
  • Resistible: Toughness (-1/rank)
  
  
• Alternate Effect: Affliction 8 (+1)
  
  • Vulnerable/Defenseless/Paralyzed
  • Penetrating 8 (+8)
  • Progressive (+2/rank)
  • Ranged(+1/rank)
  • Resistible: Toughness (-1/rank)

Now, the various Damage effects aren't what's causing the problem...it's the Afflictions. Namely, my understanding is that non-Instant Powers (that is to say, powers with lasting effects) are turned off if you switch away from them in an array, but Progressive Affliction is an Instant power that has a lasting effect. If I use the Fatigued/Exhausted/Asleep Affliction on somebody, and then switch to another power in the array, would they continue having to save against the Affliction, even though I switched? Or let's say I used that power on several people until they were all asleep, and then I switched to a Damage power; would they all wake up?

I guess what I'm asking is: do the conditions that result from the Affliction power continue affecting the target even after switching the Affliction power to a different power in the array?

[Beleriphon]

Now, the various Damage effects aren't what's causing the problem...it's the Afflictions. Namely, my understanding is that non-Instant Powers (that is to say, powers with lasting effects) are turned off if you switch away from them in an array, but Progressive Affliction is an Instant power that has a lasting effect. If I use the Fatigued/Exhausted/Asleep Affliction on somebody, and then switch to another power in the array, would they continue having to save against the Affliction, even though I switched? Or let's say I used that power on several people until they were all asleep, and then I switched to a Damage power; would they all wake up?

I guess what I'm asking is: do the conditions that result from the Affliction power continue affecting the target even after switching the Affliction power to a different power in the array?

On the Afflictions turning off, that is only supposed to apply for sustained effects. Think of it this way, if you knocked Mordo the Modrdoculous out using a Damage effect, does the damage go away just because you change to Flight rather than Damage in array? Progressive is a separate issue, but my personal feeling as GM has always been no they don't just stop, you hit them with some kind effect (like being covered in fire ants or something) and the NPC gets to suck it up until they resist or the effect ends normally if its progressive.

[Anonymouswizard]

So I'll be playing in a Mutants and Masterminds game at my university soon, and I thought I'd see if people can give me advice on my character.

Spoiler: Doctor Death

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Hero Name: Doctor Death
Alternate Identity: Dr Igor Mortis (secret)
STR 0
STA 2
AGI 4
DEX 0
FGT 0
INT 4
AWA 3
PRE 0

Dodge 9
Fortitude 2
Parry 8
Toughness 2/6
Will 8

Acrobatics 2(+6)
Close Combat (unarmed) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Medicine) 6 (+10)
Expertise (Engineering) 2 (+6)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 4 (+4)
Investigation 6 (+10)
Perception 6 (+3)
Persuasion 6 (+6)
Technology 4 (+8)
Treatment 10 (+14)
Vehicles 6 (+6)

Advantages:
Benefit (Wealth) 1
Connected
Contacts
Equipment 7
Move-by Action
Well-Informed

Powers
Life and Death (23 points)

• Restore life (Healing 10, Ressurection, Persistent, Tiring)
• Disintegrating Strike (Damage 10, Penetrating)
• Weakening Strike (Weaken Stamina 10 linked to Weaken Strength 10, both targeting Fortitude)

Lots of Life Force (10 Points) Regeneration 10 (Persistent, Unreliable)

Equipment
Grapple Gun

• Movement 3 (Swinging, Safe Fall, Sure Footing)
• Speed 3

Enhanced Lab coat Protection 4

Motorbike (Speed 8)
Mobile Phone
Handcuffs
Binoculars
Torch (flashlight)
GPS
Camera
Computer

3 points invested in team headquarters (+1 size, laboratory, garage)


The fluff behind the power is that Dr Mortis has the ability to drain life force from others, allowing him to harm or weaken them, or pour it into others. As a side effect he has an unusually large amount himself, giving him semi-reliable regeneration.

What I'm wondering is what would be the best way to save points in order to up my defences to about the PL limits, especially those last three points to improve my dodge and parry.

[Grod_The_Giant]

You need your Dodge/Parry and Toughness at full-- it's not optional. Based on some stuff from the other thread...

• Lose the Persistent Regeneration; that's five points back right there-- though you might also leave off the Unreliable, so <shrug>. It's thematic, but probably annoying to have to roll each turn. Maybe just cut it down to Regen 5, which ought to work out about the same probability-wise?
• Contacts is only mediocre, and Move-By Action probably isn't too important without a big movement power.
• You can probably cut down skills a bit, if you really need the points.

[Anonymouswizard]

You need your Dodge/Parry and Toughness at full-- it's not optional. Based on some stuff from the other thread...

Yeah, it might not be so bad as the GM is also new, but I want those few extra points to bump my Dodge/Parry up more (I like focusing on them over toughness, even though I know it's suboptimal).

Lose the Persistent Regeneration; that's five points back right there-- though you might also leave off the Unreliable, so <shrug>. It's thematic, but probably annoying to have to roll each turn. Maybe just cut it down to Regen 5, which ought to work out about the same probability-wise?

Yeah, Regeneration 5 probably works out as easier, I just like the idea of not being able to count on it. I'll have a think.

Contacts is only mediocre, and Move-By Action probably isn't too important without a big movement power.

I wasn't cure on contacts, and it's probably going to be redundant anyway. It lets me drop some of the skills anyway. Move-by Action was supposed to work with the grapplegun which moves me up to zipping around rooms or between rooftops.

You can probably cut down skills a bit, if you really need the points.

Yeah, I'll have a look. Dropping contacts should help me out a lot.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Yeah, it might not be so bad as the GM is also new, but I want those few extra points to bump my Dodge/Parry up more (I like focusing on them over toughness, even though I know it's suboptimal).

That would actually make me more worried-- enemy creation is something of a balancing act, and a less experience GM seems like they'd be more likely to muff something up.

[Anonymouswizard]

That would actually make me more worried-- enemy creation is something of a balancing act, and a less experience GM seems like they'd be more likely to muff something up.

Well it depends, if the entire group has low defences this is a guy who'll lower the attacks of the enemies a bit. Also, I'm not sure how powerful the enemies will be at all, because the last time I played as with a first-time GM who made enemies that couldn't take down people with stupidly low defences (as in Parry/Dodge+Toughness was below PL). But I think I should be fine if my Parry/Dodge+Toughness is off by a point, especially with the Regen as an additional barrier.

[RickAllison]

How would you create a cage, vehicle, or other such enclosed area that cannot be teleported through? The best I can currently think of is giving the thing a Reaction modified power that does something like Nullify, Weaken, or other such ability that triggers on someone trying to cross through. A Teleport ability that is used to counter the attempt?

The problem is I don't know whether such a reaction is then too late to prevent it, or even if it is actually legal.

[Grod_The_Giant]

How would you create a cage, vehicle, or other such enclosed area that cannot be teleported through? The best I can currently think of is giving the thing a Reaction modified power that does something like Nullify, Weaken, or other such ability that triggers on someone trying to cross through. A Teleport ability that is used to counter the attempt?

The problem is I don't know whether such a reaction is then too late to prevent it, or even if it is actually legal.

Area Immunity (Teleportation)?

[RickAllison]

Area Immunity (Teleportation)?

Does that actually work? I would have thought that Immunity (Teleportation) would just render the box unable to be teleported, not prohibit teleportation through it (though I'm still learning).

[Grod_The_Giant]

Does that actually work? I would have thought that Immunity (Teleportation) would just render the box unable to be teleported, not prohibit teleportation through it (though I'm still learning).

I mean, M&M often has poor RAW, so a lot of interactions will fall under GM purview. I THINK area Immunity would work, though; it would make the whole area unable to be targeted by teleport effects, which ought to include destinations...

You might be able to do something with a weird Concealment effect, but Accurate would always get around it.

[AvatarVecna]

Alternatively, if you're worried about whether "Immunity: Teleportation" would work, a Continuous Area Nullify (that only affects teleportation) would be expensive, and would involve some kind of opposed check, but it would be definitely legal, to the best of my knowledge.

[Beleriphon]

On making an area un-Teleportable into I'd go with an area Nullification.

[MintyNinja]

Just got invited to a game of new players with a brand new GM and just read through the book quickly. Took me a bit to figure somethings out, but I have a persisting question and so I came here.

To make a Wolfman-esque character, would I use Metamorph? If so, do I then have an alternate character sheet with a bunch of Wolfman stats and abilities as well as my Regular-dude sheet? Could I then build Regular-dude into a Wizard-guy, for example, and keep the Metamorph as a spell?

[Cazero]

To make a Wolfman-esque character, would I use Metamorph? If so, do I then have an alternate character sheet with a bunch of Wolfman stats and abilities as well as my Regular-dude sheet?

It really depends on the character. The average werewolf needs a Morph effect to change his appearance but might not need the Metamorph extra at all.
Metamorph basicaly creates an array of forms, each having it's own set of powers. It is best used when you have several (but not virtualy unlimited) different options and/or lose powers associated with your "base" form when morphing. If you only have one alternate form and changing it doesn't make you lose anything, you're better off with linking any special powers to your Morph effect.

Could I then build Regular-dude into a Wizard-guy, for example, and keep the Metamorph as a spell?

Perfectly possible. But ask yourself if that the character you want to play, and more importantly ask your GM if it's ok for his game. The Metamorph extra, Variable effect and Inventing rules can break M&M hard (when arrays aren't enough already). There isn't much point in cheesing them.

[MintyNinja]

It really depends on the character. The average werewolf needs a Morph effect to change his appearance but might not need the Metamorph extra at all.
Metamorph basicaly creates an array of forms, each having it's own set of powers. It is best used when you have several (but not virtualy unlimited) different options and/or lose powers associated with your "base" form when morphing. If you only have one alternate form and changing it doesn't make you lose anything, you're better off with linking any special powers to your Morph effect.


Perfectly possible. But ask yourself if that the character you want to play, and more importantly ask your GM if it's ok for his game. The Metamorph extra, Variable effect and Inventing rules can break M&M hard (when arrays aren't enough already). There isn't much point in cheesing them.

Thanks for the help. I built a wizard last night for practice and I think I got the basics down. For the actual game I'm likely going to go with a teleporting-motorcycle-riding-chain-fighting-naturally-armored guy. Something simple that won't need many powers or tech.

[The Random NPC]

I have a question, what happens if I have an attack + damage at PL cap (say a strength based one), and then my GM decides to randomly increase my strength (like say I get hit with a magical steroid spell)? Do I get to choose whether to be more accurate or damaging every attack? Or does the whole attack become unusable? Or is it not covered, and up to my GM?

[tonberrian]

Up to your GM. He's the one randomly increasing your strength after all.

[Grod_The_Giant]

I have a question, what happens if I have an attack + damage at PL cap (say a strength based one), and then my GM decides to randomly increase my strength (like say I get hit with a magical steroid spell)? Do I get to choose whether to be more accurate or damaging every attack? Or does the whole attack become unusable? Or is it not covered, and up to my GM?

There really aren't any rules for what happens. My ruling would probably be that your attack roll goes down to match.

[RickAllison]

There really aren't any rules for what happens. My ruling would probably be that your attack roll goes down to match.

I would think you should be able to "pull" your punches just as a teleporter can choose to move less than his full movement. So someone with 20 Strength and 19 Fighting (don't know why anyone would do that...) by the same logic as the teleporter should be able to fight anywhere from +0 attack/20 damage to +19 attack/1 damage so long as he remains within PL caps.

This reminds me of a question I've been considering about Split and PL. If someone has an over-bought ability with Split (say he has a +15 attack and got a 20 rank Damage effect), could they Split it so they have four attacks at 5 damage? Or would it have to be the 5 damage split?

[Sith_Happens]

Wrong and N/A, respectively; power level caps apply just as much during character creation as during play. If you want to be able to vary your trade-offs on the fly you can either use maneuvers, have an array, or both.

[RickAllison]

Wrong and N/A, respectively; power level caps apply just as much during character creation as during play. If you want to be able to vary your trade-offs on the fly you can either use maneuvers, have an array, or both.

And where is that in the books? Why can the one Teleport with partial ranks while the Damage power is forced to use full ranks? Things like Insubstantial explicitly call out when a higher rank means they can't use the lower.

The ability example would be a bad one since that is a character creation thing, but it makes no sense when it is based on powers. Why does this power act contrary to normal power rules?

[Sith_Happens]

It's not about whether you can pull your punches, it's about whether you can buy stats over the cap in the first place. You can't; your Attack+Effect can't be more than twice your power level as a blanket rule no matter where it comes from, and that applies just as much to the bonuses you have as it does to the ones you actually use.

(As an aside, you actually can't teleport less than your maximum distance by RAW, but that's an obvious bug that I'd never suggest actually playing with.)

[Grod_The_Giant]

I would think you should be able to "pull" your punches just as a teleporter can choose to move less than his full movement.

That's just using Accurate Attack, though. Something has to give when PL limits are broken, and I think it makes more sense for that to be your attack roll-- the power is simply too strong to control properly.

[Xunthrae]

So, i'm putting together an Ice themed hero for a game coming up, and I'd like some help. This'll be my first time actually playing (i've made a few characters, each time with some help) and I'd like to know if what I'm doing is correct. I also used the Ice themed powers book to get quite a bit of help already.

Spoiler: PL 10 Ice Character

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Spoiler: Abilities=38pp

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Str: 1
Stam: 2
Agi: 2
Dex: 4
Fighting: 1
Int: 5
Awa: 2
Pres: 2

Spoiler: Powers=Incomplete

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[10pp] Immunity 10 (Cold Effects)
[8pp] Cold Projection: Environment (4) (Extreme Cold)
[2pp] Ice Walking: Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation – Ice)
[4pp] Infrared Invisibility: Concealment 2 (Infravision)

[Theses were made for a pl8 character and i don't know how to power them up to 10]
Frigid Powers:22pp
[15pp] Ice Sculpting: Create (7) Ice, Permanent, Precise
[15pp] Ice Slick: (5) Ranged Burst Area Affliction (ice; Resisted and Overcome by Dodge; Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Prone), Alternate Resistance, Extra Condition, Limited Degree
[16pp] Ice Blast: Ranged Damage 8 (cold and bludgeoning or slashing)
[16pp] Cold Blast: Ranged Affliction 8 (cold; Resisted and Overcome by Fortitude; Fatigued, Exhausted, Incapacitated)
[15pp] Cryokinesis: 3 Perception Ranged Cumulative Affliction (Resisted and Overcome by Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Transformed), Affects Objects
[15pp] Ice Binding: 5 Ranged Cumulative Affliction (ice; Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Damage; Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Immobilized), Extra Condition, Limited Degree

Spoiler: Advantages

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Equipment (Smart Phone (Camera, Video Recorder, Computer, Audio Recorder)
Power Attack
Accurate Attack
Ranged Attack (? rank)

[Grod_The_Giant]

You look like you're doing well so far.

[Theses were made for a pl8 character and i don't know how to power them up to 10]
Frigid Powers:22pp
[15pp] Ice Sculpting: Create (7) Ice, Permanent, Precise
[15pp] Ice Slick: (5) Ranged Burst Area Affliction (ice; Resisted and Overcome by Dodge; Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Prone), Alternate Resistance, Extra Condition, Limited Degree
[16pp] Ice Blast: Ranged Damage 8 (cold and bludgeoning or slashing)
[16pp] Cold Blast: Ranged Affliction 8 (cold; Resisted and Overcome by Fortitude; Fatigued, Exhausted, Incapacitated)
[15pp] Cryokinesis: 3 Perception Ranged Cumulative Affliction (Resisted and Overcome by Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Transformed), Affects Objects
[15pp] Ice Binding: 5 Ranged Cumulative Affliction (ice; Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Damage; Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Immobilized), Extra Condition, Limited Degree

So, Power Creation 101: A Power is composed of Effects and Modifiers. Effects are the base rules, the core spells, if you will, while Modifiers add new permissions and limitations onto that. The Effect says what the Power does; Modifiers tell you how. Each Effect has a cost, expressed in power points per rank. Damage, for an easy example, costs 1 point/rank. Damage 8, as with your Ice Blast Power, costs 1*8=8 points. Modifiers change this cost in one of two ways: if it says Flat, such as Precise, then you add or subtract the points at the very end. If it says Cost Per Rank, then you're altering the cost of the base Effect. Damage costs 1 point/rank, and the Ranged modifier has a cost of +1 point/rank, making each rank of Ranged Damage cost 1+1=2 points/rank, for a total of 2*8/16 points. These can be combined; if you had a Ranged Damage, Precise power, it would cost (1+1)*8 +1=17 points.

So, to upgrade your array, let's look at the costs of each power.

• Ice Sculpting: Create is 2 points/rank. Permanent doesn't change this and Precise adds one, so it winds up costing 2 points/rank, +1. To get to Create 10, then, would be 21 points.
• Ice Slick: Affliction is 1 point/rank; making it Ranged increases the cost by 1/rank, as does making it affect an area. Alternate Resistance has no cost, since you're just going from Defense to Defense. Extra Condition is another +1/rank, but Limited Degree decreases the cost by 1/rank. The final math comes out to 1+1+1+0+1-1=3 points/rank, or 30 points for an Affliction 10 version.
• Ice Blast and Cold Blast: Damage and Affliction are both 1 point/rank; Ranged makes them 2 points/rank. 20 points for Damage 10.
• Cryokinesis: Affliction has a base cost of 1/rank; Ranged, Perception, and Cumulative each increases that by +1 for a cost of 4 points/rank. Affects Objects is either another +1/rank if you can still affect people with it, or +0 if you can't. So for Affliction 10, you're talking 40 or 50 points, which is... rather a lot. I'd consider avoiding this power.
• Ice Binding: Ranged Cumulative Affliction comes out to 3/rank; Extra Condition and Limited Degree, as before, effectively cancel each other out. You're looking at 30 points for an Affliction 10.

My recommendation would be to bump everything to rank 10 except Cryokinesis, which would make the array cost a total of 35 points-- 30 points for the base effect, and 5 for the alternate effects. Ice Sculpting, Ice Blast, and Cold Blast all wind up costing less than the cap, so I'd look at adding another modifier to them to power them up. Continuous or Impervious might be nice for the ice sculptures; Multiattack, Secondary Effect, or Area would go well with the blasts. Cryokinesis can either sit at Rank 7 (for Affects Only Objects) or 6 (for Affects Also Objects). Or... my preferred "make them all frosty" power is something like Ranged Weaken Toughness, Affects Also Objects-- only 3 points/rank to make things fragile and brittle, meaning you could set it to rank 10 as well.

[Beleriphon]

So, i'm putting together an Ice themed hero for a game coming up, and I'd like some help. This'll be my first time actually playing (i've made a few characters, each time with some help) and I'd like to know if what I'm doing is correct. I also used the Ice themed powers book to get quite a bit of help already.

Spoiler: PL 10 Ice Character

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Spoiler: Abilities=38pp

Show

Str: 1
Stam: 2
Agi: 2
Dex: 4
Fighting: 1
Int: 5
Awa: 2
Pres: 2

Spoiler: Powers=Incomplete

Show

[10pp] Immunity 10 (Cold Effects)
[8pp] Cold Projection: Environment (4) (Extreme Cold)
[2pp] Ice Walking: Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation – Ice)
[4pp] Infrared Invisibility: Concealment 2 (Infravision)

[Theses were made for a pl8 character and i don't know how to power them up to 10]
Frigid Powers:22pp
[15pp] Ice Sculpting: Create (7) Ice, Permanent, Precise
[15pp] Ice Slick: (5) Ranged Burst Area Affliction (ice; Resisted and Overcome by Dodge; Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Prone), Alternate Resistance, Extra Condition, Limited Degree
[16pp] Ice Blast: Ranged Damage 8 (cold and bludgeoning or slashing)
[16pp] Cold Blast: Ranged Affliction 8 (cold; Resisted and Overcome by Fortitude; Fatigued, Exhausted, Incapacitated)
[15pp] Cryokinesis: 3 Perception Ranged Cumulative Affliction (Resisted and Overcome by Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Transformed), Affects Objects
[15pp] Ice Binding: 5 Ranged Cumulative Affliction (ice; Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Damage; Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Immobilized), Extra Condition, Limited Degree

Spoiler: Advantages

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Equipment (Smart Phone (Camera, Video Recorder, Computer, Audio Recorder)
Power Attack
Accurate Attack
Ranged Attack (? rank)

On the powers being built for PL8 and going to PL10, for the most part add 2 ranks and you should be fine.

As for Advantages, look at using Skills for your attacks, range than Advantages. Reason being is that skills are generally cheaper to buy with points, and they focus down generally just one type of attack, like say Ice Powers.