Mutants & Masterminds III: How to build some powers?

[jguy]

I think in this case it should be allowed over skill cap because you could get it at level 1 but it is practically worthless then.

[Scowling Dragon]

More rules questions:

Does the Effect+Accuracy may not go over PLX2 thing apply for Capturing people in objects?

It targets the same defense.

Last bit: best way to build a grapple power? Considering you can resist it with athletics seems nearly worthless.

[The_Snark]

More rules questions:

Does the Effect+Accuracy may not go over PLX2 thing apply for Capturing people in objects?

It targets the same defense.

Assuming you're talking about the Create power, then yep.

Last bit: best way to build a grapple power? Considering you can resist it with athletics seems nearly worthless.

Move Object, I would think, or else just plain old Enhanced Strength.

Speaking from experience, grab attacks are definitely not worthless. For one thing, failing by even one degree immobilizes the target (something the Affliction power can't replicate), and the vulnerable/defenseless conditions are extremely useful when fighting as part of a team. It's true that the target can escape with a skill check (meaning the check can be higher than defenses are allowed to be), but a) the initial check to resist is (higher of Strength or Dodge), which limited by PL as usual, b) while it's possible to have Athletics or Acrobatics ranked much higher than defenses, it's nowhere near as common as having PL-appropriate defenses, and c) the Improved Hold feat can inflict a sizable penalty to escape attempts. A PL 10 with a +20 skill bonus will still have a better-than-PL bonus, but that's not terribly common in my experience.

If you really want to avoid using the grab rules, I suppose you could make an Affliction power to do the same thing (hindered/immobilized/paralyzed, add extra conditions like impaired/disabled or vulnerable/defenseless if you like), but you'll need at least 3 points/rank to be comparable to a basic grab, and the grab will still have perks you can't get.

[jguy]

How do I simulate having super strength and/or powers in one arm but not another? Like having a cyborg arm. Would that be a complication? Would it affect stuff like grabs and whatnot?

[Sith_Happens]

General question: Does the Deception bonus from morph allow one to go over the max skill limit of the series? I know it doesn't specify but I find it peculiar because its just such a high bonus that your own skills don't matter until you go into the high 20s of power level.

It's up to the Dm in those case.
Personaly as a Dm i'd probaly allow it since that bous only applies to one and only one thing (namely looking like what you want).

Personally I'm probably going to cap it, because I want it to actually be possible to ever see through a Morph-assisted disguise.

How do I simulate having super strength and/or powers in one arm but not another? Like having a cyborg arm. Would that be a complication? Would it affect stuff like grabs and whatnot?

Definitely a complication, since I can't think of a circumstance under which you have use of one arm but not the other that's not itself the result of a complication.

[jguy]

How do you simulate a power that lays a trap? Like mimicking Explosive Runes?

[Sith_Happens]

Triggered extra.

[Scowling Dragon]

Does this power sound Lgit?

To simulate rubber-icity and resilience to non-energy based powers I gotsa this:

Immunity 80 (Immunity to Toughness Based Effects, Limited to Physical Attacks, Limited to Half Effect).

So that you can still be hurt, it just requires more effort.

Also, how best to simulate summoned minions that can only be near a certain radius around you? And also on the ground.

[The_Snark]

To simulate rubber-icity and resilience to non-energy based powers I gotsa this:

Immunity 80 (Immunity to Toughness Based Effects, Limited to Physical Attacks, Limited to Half Effect).

So that you can still be hurt, it just requires more effort.

It's probably easier to start with Immunity 40 (Physical Damage) and then apply Limited to Half Effect, but yeah, that works.

Also, how best to simulate summoned minions that can only be near a certain radius around you? And also on the ground.

Those sound like they're Quirks at most; depending on the specifics, they might not even be that. If your minions can't go further than a mile away from you, that's not much of a limitation. If they have to stay within 20 feet, that's probably worth a point or two.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "on the ground"; isn't that true of anyone without the Flight power? Or do you mean they disintegrate if lifted off the ground? Or that they can only be summoned if there's natural earth nearby (no wooden floors or paved substances)?

[Scowling Dragon]

The effect is this, I can create stuff (Including temporary intelligence) out of myself, but it disintegrates after 10 seconds (Or less depending on complexity) if it looses contact with me.

The idea is to create a thin layer of me on the floor, and then manifest minions there so they can walk on it. The alternative is a sort of Fetus chord but thats very vulnerable.

The closest I can find is the Powerhouse power:

Shockwave: Burst Area Damage 10, Limited: Both the Powerhouse and its targets must be in contact with the ground • 10 points

Also thanks for the simplification suggestion.

[Sith_Happens]

The part where you have to stay on the ground is worth a Limitation if and only if you can fly, otherwise it's just a Quirk. The part where the minions have to stay on the ground is probably just fluff; anything that would cause them to lose contact with the ground will probably incapacitate them anyways.

[Scowling Dragon]

Well there are also other comparable powers: Like Aqua man using Summon Minion only near the water (In Water essentially).

However your right, its more a quirk then a limitation depending on the campaign.

[Jacob.Tyr]

Well there are also other comparable powers: Like Aqua man using Summon Minion only near the water (In Water essentially).

However your right, its more a quirk then a limitation depending on the campaign.

I would just give an "activation time" and fluff that as you spend a move/round/whatever first spreading a layer of your self on the ground.
Maybe include an alternate without the activation time, that creates them with cords.

Are you spreading creep and making zerg?

[Scowling Dragon]

Nope. A more primitive Nanobot Amazo (From the JLA series).

Also good idea.

Edit:

Say, also could I do Summon: Limited to Half Points.

So the Summons themselves are weaker without that annoying PL gap. Or is that too cheese?

[Sith_Happens]

Say, also could I do Summon: Limited to Half Points.

So the Summons themselves are weaker without that annoying PL gap. Or is that too cheese?

That's as legit as gets. A Limitation is supposed to cut the power's effectiveness by at least half, which this particular one actually does quantitatively.

[Lord Raziere]

This may be a little too much to expect but...

could I get some help on coming up with powers for Isidoros and Oramus?

I just randomly feel like coming up with power sets for their Infernals and have absolutely no expertise with Exalted's system, but am good with this one.

Isidoros is probably the easy one, having a lot to do with brute strength and unstoppable force and all that....

but Oramus I'm just confused.

[Scowling Dragon]

Well Im making a Villain Called Punk, who has the Power to shape stone. The idea is that he Morphs concrete and buildings for his attacks.

Th base Power: Transform 10 (Continuos, Stone, to another stone shape), is based off the magnetic metal power.

However I need some help with making applications for that power because everything he causes is permanent unless re-shaped later.

Like: Creating a area of sharp spikes that remain in the area after the attack. Im not sure how that would manifest as an effect.

[jguy]

Can someone show me the step-by-step math in using Multi-attack on a single target? For some reason I cannot wrap my head around the +2 dc to for 2nd degree and +5 for 3rd, I just come off as confused.

[jguy]

Well Im making a Villain Called Punk, who has the Power to shape stone. The idea is that he Morphs concrete and buildings for his attacks.

Th base Power: Transform 10 (Continuos, Stone, to another stone shape), is based off the magnetic metal power.

However I need some help with making applications for that power because everything he causes is permanent unless re-shaped later.

Like: Creating a area of sharp spikes that remain in the area after the attack. Im not sure how that would manifest as an effect.

Couldn't that be a range damage attack with indirect X (for below) with a feature of Leaves behind permanent stone object? Perhaps linked with Environment for Impede movement to show the difficulty of getting around it?

[Scowling Dragon]

Can someone show me the step-by-step math in using Multi-attack on a single target? For some reason I cannot wrap my head around the +2 dc to for 2nd degree and +5 for 3rd, I just come off as confused.

Easy:

example

Attack +5, Damage +5

Attack Happens:Passes Targets defense by 10: Your Damage DC 20+2

Attack Happens: Passes Targets defense by 15: Your Damage DC 20+5

Also what if I apply the Permanent Modifier to Environment? Could that work?

[jguy]

So multiattack effectively means that when I hit something dead-on, it hurts even more? So say for sake of argument the enemy has defense 0. If I get a 9 all together, they will have to roll toughness against DC 20 (damage 5). If I roll between a 10 and 14, they have to roll defense against DC 22 and if I roll at 15+ then the DC is 25?

[Scowling Dragon]

So multiattack effectively means that when I hit something dead-on, it hurts even more? So say for sake of argument the enemy has defense 0. If I get a 9 all together, they will have to roll toughness against DC 20 (damage 5). If I roll between a 10 and 14, they have to roll defense against DC 22 and if I roll at 15+ then the DC is 25?

Confusing terminology aside yes. The more accurately you hit your opponent, the more hits is represented they take. The more hits, the higher the damage taken.

[Sith_Happens]

However I need some help with making applications for that power because everything he causes is permanent unless re-shaped later.

Like: Creating a area of sharp spikes that remain in the area after the attack. Im not sure how that would manifest as an effect.

Just use whatever effect the spikes are supposed to cause (I'm guessing area damage and/or affliction), increase action to standard if necessary, and change the duration to permanent. The only tricky part is that you can't put a permanent effect in an array, which means this is going to cost a lot of points.

[Scowling Dragon]

Id allow Permanency in an Array on a base by case basis. I mean If you can add the activation flaw to permanent effects, then Array is only a slightly different variation of that.

As for the effect of the stones, I think more Environment that Impedes speed.

[jguy]

Does affliction and weaken follow the same ranks/To-hit limits as damage? Like if I have a +10 to hit I can only have 10 ranks in an affliction or weakness?

[Sith_Happens]

Does affliction and weaken follow the same ranks/To-hit limits as damage? Like if I have a +10 to hit I can only have 10 ranks in an affliction or weakness?

All effects that offer resistance checks follow those limits.

[jguy]

If a hero fails a damage check by 3 degrees, does he have a -1 penalty on further checks or -3?

[Sith_Happens]

Do you have to succeed at a grab attempt before moving an opponent with Move Object? I would assume so.

[GenericMook]

If a hero fails a damage check by 3 degrees, does he have a -1 penalty on further checks or -3?

It's still a -1 penalty. Only difference failure makes are the other statuses (None for 1 degree, then dazed, then staggered, and finally incapacitated)

[Broken Crown]

How would you build an area of smoke or darkness?

The SRD suggests using an Area Visual Concealment Attack, but as I understand it, that will only provide concealment to the people in the area of effect – it won't prevent them from seeing out.

I can think of a few alternatives, but they seem awkward and clunky for such a simple effect:

- Perception-Range Visual Concealment Attack, Limited so that only people looking into or out of the area of darkness are affected by the concealment

- Area Visual Concealment Attack, linked to an Area Visual Dazzle (But that doesn't make sense: If there's no light, or if your line of sight is blocked, making a Fort or Will save shouldn't allow you to see any better)

- Illusion of smoke or darkness (This raises the question of what effect is simulated by an illusion of darkness, if real darkness doesn't behave like darkness. It also means that people who can see through illusions won't be affected.)

- Area Visual Concealment Attack, linked to an Area Nullify against Visual Senses (Same problem as Dazzle, and won't work against Innate senses, such as most people's vision)

- For darkness: Sustained Area Nullify against the "Light" descriptor? (Actually, this one looks pretty good. Doesn't really work for smoke, though.)

- For smoke: Continuous Create smoke? (Created objects can explicitly provide concealment. On the other hand, the description for Create specifies solid objects. On the other hand, smoke is technically a lot of very small solid objects.)

Anyone have any suggestions/feedback? Or, for that matter, am I just misunderstanding the rule, and an Area Concealment Attack should work fine?