Anyone familiar with Mutants and masterminds 3e? Attempting my first character.

[Odessa333]

Hey all!

Possibly a long shot as I don't see many topics for the system around here, but figure it can't hurt to try. I mostly play sword and sorcery type games, so I'm trying to expand my horizons, try new things, etc.

In an attempt to familiarize myself with the rules, I'm attempting to create characters. My first attempt is to create someone with force field powers. My stumbling block is what the srd calls 'extras' like increased range, affects others, and so on. For the force field character, I can't figure out the best way to put shields around the team. 'Affects others' seems to affect one other person, but there is also area, shape, extended range, increased range, and likely more I'm missing. There doesn't seem to be a clear way to make it work, unless I'm missing something. Can anyone offer advice?

[Nerd-o-rama]

The simplest way to add defenses to a large group of people would be with:

Protection X, where X is the amount of Toughness you want to add.
Modifier: Sustained (+0 pp per rank) - to fluff it as a force field rather than a permanent trait, more than anything.
Extra: Affects Others (+1 pp per rank) - allowing you to apply it to other people, as you say
Extra: Area: Burst (+1 pp per rank) - this is important, as it lets you affect more than one person at a time. You can automatically protect everyone within 30 feet of you this way, making it a proper mass buff.
Extra: Selective (+1 pp per rank) - added on after adding Area, this lets you apply the effect only to who you want, so you don't accidentally power up the guy trying to pound your face.

Now that's 4 pp per rank, which is pretty steep, but considering you're probably not going to want to put all of your Toughness defense into this power (it'd be a waste, since most of your teammates are probably going to hit their Toughness caps without it, and civilians don't usually need +10 Toughness saves), you can buy it at a lower rank and give yourself stamina or a different, cheaper Protection power to protect yourself. In fact, you could even slap on Affects ONLY Others for -1 pp per rank and have your own personal force field as an entirely separate power (probably just plain Sustained Protection 10, or whatever power level you're at).

And of course, there's plenty of other things you can do with "forcefields" as a descriptor, like Damage, Create, and Move Object, all of which would be good Alternate Effects for this power, or vice versa.

[Grek]

Affects Others Protection isn't actually all that great, as most players are going to buy their own defenses. I'd recomend taking Precise Selective Create instead. Unlike an Affects Others Protection effect, the bonus from cover does stack, if the enemy is allowed to attack at all. How much you need really depends on how much area you need to cover, but in general rank 10 (1000 cubic feet or around one humpback whale per action) should be plenty for pretty much everything you'll face.

[dream]

Hey all!

Possibly a long shot as I don't see many topics for the system around here, but figure it can't hurt to try. I mostly play sword and sorcery type games, so I'm trying to expand my horizons, try new things, etc.

In an attempt to familiarize myself with the rules, I'm attempting to create characters. My first attempt is to create someone with force field powers. My stumbling block is what the srd calls 'extras' like increased range, affects others, and so on. For the force field character, I can't figure out the best way to put shields around the team. 'Affects others' seems to affect one other person, but there is also area, shape, extended range, increased range, and likely more I'm missing. There doesn't seem to be a clear way to make it work, unless I'm missing something. Can anyone offer advice?

Hey, Odessa333.

Take a look at the "Create" effect. It allows your PC to create objects like barriers at a distance. You can include extras like "Impervious" (making the barriers hard to destroy) and "selective" (allowing teammates to attack through the barrier without being hindered by it). Also, this site has an excellent Mutants & Masterminds thread for additional help.

[noob]

You can create an universe at PL3
-1(unreliable)-1(tiring)-1(distracting)-1(limited to only things heavier than the moon)-1(FEEDBACK)+0(permanent)+0(impossible to move(so that it does not counts as a AOE attack))+0(reduce precision enough for making the spell unable to entrap people so that it does not counts as an attack) (40 points +1 for innate) making a super high rank create.
I calculated it could do something more massive than the universe.
Since it is super high rank(approx 200 ranks) nobody is going to be able to hurt you by hitting the thing you created.
All of this is for simply explaining that you should do something only if it makes sense and that the GM like it and find it would work well with the rest of the team.(And if you annoy the dm he will not like you or your build)

[dream]

You can create an universe at PL3
-1(unreliable)-1(tiring)-1(distracting)-1(limited to only things heavier than the moon)-1(FEEDBACK)+0(permanent)+0(impossible to move(so that it does not counts as a AOE attack)+0(reduce precision enough for making the spell unable to entrap people so that it does not counts as an attack)) (40 points +1 for innate) making a super high rank create I calculated it could do something more massive than the universe.
Since it is super high rank(approx 200 ranks) nobody is going to be able to hurt you by hitting the thing you created.
All of this is for simply explaining that you should do something only if it makes sense and that the GM like it and find it would work well with the rest of the team.(And if you annoy the dm he will not like you or your build)

[noob]

I made clearer the thing I made(and like I said it was just an example of the fact that players should not do min-maxing because with the exponential scale it becomes totally absurd)

[Odessa333]

Ok, some food for thought here. Mind if I ask for some clarification on some rules?

Found out this:

1.Characters will start at PL:6 (90 Point Build)
2. Characters are limited to a maximum of 30 PP to be spent in Powers and no power can cost over 20 PP before Flaws are added to it. Normal power level caps apply.
3. I am limiting each character to one Array with a maximum of two additional Alternate Effects.


I am struggling with two concepts: how an 'array' is defined, and something I read as 'effects as powers.'


​​Question 1: Is the impervious extra counted as an additional effect in this case? Could I have force field as my power with create and selective as my additional effects, and still able to grab impervious?
​
Question 2: ​Could I grab the force field/create/selective set up as my array, and have something like mind reading as a separate power?
​
Question 3: Would the 'snare' power be worthwhile to box people in, or would forcefield/create cover that?

Thanks for reading, and my apologies if I'm asking really simple questions here.

[noob]

Is it allowed to have cheat by having a sidekick(basically a sidekick double your number of powers and so is nearly always cheating).
Sidekick does not counts as powers(and so this make them even more clearly ban-able).
For attacks using power attack and taking a ranged attack then increasing a tiny bit the accuracy and having a lower rank can reduce the cost(compared to a simple rank equal pl blast).
a character might overpower everyone by just taking quickness 30(with no penalty(making it allowed since the 20 limit is only for powers with penalties) allowing him to work like 2^30 humans(faster than the entire humanity for building something huge)) and the inventor trait and invent things like crazy and have things for all occasions and build giant castles in matter of seconds (even more ab-usable if the inventor in question take skill mastery to do this even in situation of stress) and he might even just put 28 points and have two alternate effects for even more useful powers(like a correct ranged blast costs around 10 at PL6 if you use my previous trick).
Then there is morph with alternate power sets which probably is unbalancing since you can have then 2 24 points arrays(because of your two forms)
an array is very simple there is one power which is the base of the array and you can stop having the ability to use it to use one other power of the array(only one) generally you can do totally independent powers in your array even if There would be no penalty to have access to only one of them(like powers who are only single attacks) but the end is that the GM have the right to says that your array overshadow character X of the team or is too much powerful for his campaign and so is forbidden.
A power can be an effect or a set of linked effects with something like arrays if you want since it is power arrays.
You can not have mind reading as a power independent of your main array if a lone power can be defined as a 0 power array(because of the limit to one array) which happens if the GM wants to annoy you(you gm will probably let you consider a power without the array modifier is not an array while it can be defined as an 0 extra powers array since the rules generally does not limit the number of arrays)
extras and modifiers are just modifying the effect or power and for example the impervious extra is not an effect by itself.
Snare have the advantage of letting you allies attack but it costs more than creation and creation can do a lot of other things(it ends up being really awesome for many reasons it is nearly an power array by itself(well it is described as one)) and also creation does not allows a skill test to escape(you can only escape by damage)
You might like affliction for mind control it can do not only have the same effect as ensnare(neutralize) but it also allows you to ask questions to your target(for interrogation it is as cool as mind reading) and also make temporary allies
Especially with mind control 6 ranks*(1(base cost)+1(contaminating is overly awesome)+2(60 feet burst area of effect helps a lot if you do not think blind people are going to fight you then you might use sight area of effect(people seeing you are controlled if they fail their save))(optional)+1 ranged) for a total of 24 or 30(well you probably should not make it ranged)
In addition you are not immune to your own power unless you take an fitting immunity so in fact you mind control yourself and become contaminating when you use this power(so now people touching you risk to be contaminated).
so in fact I can say that the GM will probably not allow contaminating or area of effect on a mind control affliction.

[Grek]

Ok, some food for thought here. Mind if I ask for some clarification on some rules?

Found out this:

1.Characters will start at PL:6 (90 Point Build)
2. Characters are limited to a maximum of 30 PP to be spent in Powers and no power can cost over 20 PP before Flaws are added to it. Normal power level caps apply.
3. I am limiting each character to one Array with a maximum of two additional Alternate Effects.


I am struggling with two concepts: how an 'array' is defined, and something I read as 'effects as powers.'


​​Question 1: Is the impervious extra counted as an additional effect in this case? Could I have force field as my power with create and selective as my additional effects, and still able to grab impervious?
​
Question 2: ​Could I grab the force field/create/selective set up as my array, and have something like mind reading as a separate power?
​
Question 3: Would the 'snare' power be worthwhile to box people in, or would forcefield/create cover that?

Thanks for reading, and my apologies if I'm asking really simple questions here.

When you DM is talking about Arrays, they're talking about powers that have the Alternate Effect extra. What Alternate Effect does is let you have an additional 'setting' for your power (think star trek phasers, they can be set to kill or set to stun) which has a different Effect. To extend the Star Trek metaphor, you might have a power which has Damage as the base Effect and an Affliction as the Alternate effect that you can adjust your power to use instead of the Damage. Impervious is not an example of Alternate Effect - those are two different extras. As a new player, you probably shouldn't take Alternate Effect unless your character concept really really needs it.

1. Impervious increases the cost per rank of your power. The base cost for Create is 2 points per rank. Selective adds +1 per rank to that, and Impervious adds another +1 per rank, for a total of +4 per rank with both extras. Since you're allowed to spend at most 20 PP on a power before extras, you could have Impervious Selective Create 5 and still be within your DM's guidelines.

2. If you can find a fluff reason to justify it, then an array containing a Create as the primary power and Mind Reading as an Alternate Effect is definitely something you can do. Keep in mind that if you have two powers in the same Array, you can only use one OR the other at any given time, not both. If you want them separately (not as part of an array) then Selective Impervious Create isn't an array. It's just a single effect with some modifiers.

3. Create does boxing people in just fine.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Okay from what I can read of noob's suggestions, he is trying for very powergamed combos which, given your GM's restrictions, is obviously not the type of game he's going for, just as an offhand analysis by a guy on the internet.

Ok, some food for thought here. Mind if I ask for some clarification on some rules?

Found out this:

1.Characters will start at PL:6 (90 Point Build)
2. Characters are limited to a maximum of 30 PP to be spent in Powers and no power can cost over 20 PP before Flaws are added to it. Normal power level caps apply.
3. I am limiting each character to one Array with a maximum of two additional Alternate Effects.


I am struggling with two concepts: how an 'array' is defined, and something I read as 'effects as powers.'


​​Question 1: Is the impervious extra counted as an additional effect in this case? Could I have force field as my power with create and selective as my additional effects, and still able to grab impervious?
​
Question 2: ​Could I grab the force field/create/selective set up as my array, and have something like mind reading as a separate power?
​
Question 3: Would the 'snare' power be worthwhile to box people in, or would forcefield/create cover that?

Thanks for reading, and my apologies if I'm asking really simple questions here.

Okay, let's just clarify. Every effect plus it's modifiers (including Linked which lets you have two effects in one single action) constitutes "a power", generally. So Impervious Protection is one power, since it's the Protection effect with the Impervious modifier.

An array is a power with one or more Alternate Effect modifiers, i.e. a set of powers you can swap out from round to round. These need to abide by the limits your GM sets, and generally be connected logically as well, for example having a Ranged Damage "fireball" power with a Burst Area Damage "fire storm" effect. And of course, all Alternate Effects most cost less than or equal to the "main" effect, or in other words, you pay for the main power, plus one for every other power in the "array".

Here's a suggestion for your Forcefield user as the complete power set. Bear in mind these are just suggestions.

Personal Forcefield: Continuous Impervious Protection 6 with Activation 2 - 10 pp

To save two points so I could demonstrate the array, I added the 2 flat point flaw Activation, meaning that at the beginning of a scene you need to take a standard action to "bring up" your Forcefield. This is dangerous, so bear in mind you could drop this and save points by dropping Impervious or reducing ranks in this and adding ranks to your Stamina instead.

Field Projection: Impervious Selective Create 6 - 18 pp
Alternate Effect: Snare (as written in the Hero's Handbook) 6 - 1 pp something else that costs 18pp, whoops.
Alternate Effect: Damaging Move Object 6 - 1 pp

This 20 pp Array allows you to do one of the following each turn:
-Create any simple geometric shape with Forcefields, up to 60 cubic feet in volume that's as tough or tougher than you are, and you and your friends can pass and attack through it as you will. Great for giving cover.
-Trap an enemy in a force bubble, afflicting their ability to move
-Use your forcefields to pick up and move objects at a distance, which you can also use as an offensive power by hurling things with them.

You can replace any of these powers with anything else that costs 18 power points and your total will remain the same. I'd honestly recommend bumping Snare for a better Affliction, but I can't think of anything at the moment. Actually wait, Snare 6 violates the GM's rules on total power cost. Hm...Continuous Flight 6? Can't use it while attacking, but it's still a good utility power.

Pretty good for someone of a very green power level, I think.

Ah, and make sure your Dexterity+Ranged Attack+Ranged Combat: Forcefields skill is a six, since your powers are going to be Ranged with this setup.

[dream]

Ok, some food for thought here. Mind if I ask for some clarification on some rules?

Found out this:

1.Characters will start at PL:6 (90 Point Build)
2. Characters are limited to a maximum of 30 PP to be spent in Powers and no power can cost over 20 PP before Flaws are added to it. Normal power level caps apply.
3. I am limiting each character to one Array with a maximum of two additional Alternate Effects.

That's not even an appropriate PL for superheroes. But, it can be done with clever math.

I am struggling with two concepts: how an 'array' is defined, and something I read as 'effects as powers.'


​​Question 1: Is the impervious extra counted as an additional effect in this case? Could I have force field as my power with create and selective as my additional effects, and still able to grab impervious?
​
Question 2: ​Could I grab the force field/create/selective set up as my array, and have something like mind reading as a separate power?
​
Question 3: Would the 'snare' power be worthwhile to box people in, or would forcefield/create cover that?

Thanks for reading, and my apologies if I'm asking really simple questions here.

The power;

Force Field: Create 8; Impervious, Stationary, accurate 2 [18pp]

• Telepathy: Mind Reading 6; Cumulative, Effortless, Limited by Language, subtle, alternate effect [1pp]

Okay, so, your PC can create objects from some kind of something (mental energy, electromagnetic energy, matter, ect.). The objects can be simple shapes with a maximum volume of 250 cft. at a maximum range of 800 ft. The objects can be dropped, or shaped, to entrap targets (snare) and they can remain stationary in mid-air (to trap flying targets). The objects have a hardness equivalent to reinforced concrete and automatically resist most small arms gunfire (Impervious vs. Damage rank 4 or less). When attacking with an object, the attack has a +4 bonus to hit (accurate 2).

The Telepathy allows mind-reading of anyone that can be perceived (visual, aural, ect.), as long as the language can be understood. Trying to read a mind after an initial failure does not require Extra Effort and attempting to probe deeper mentally after a successful attempt delivers another degree of success even if the second check is the same result as the first (two 1st degree results = 2nd degree success). Because Mind Reading costs less than Create, it can be tagged as an alternate effect dropping the total cost to 1pp. The PC can't communicate with others mentally, just read their minds.

So you get both powers with a good degree of versatility for less than 20pp. That work?

Personal Forcefield: Continuous Impervious Protection 6 with Activation 2 - 10 pp

Great advice overall, but the power cost is of; Protection = 1/rank, Impervious = +1/rank, Continuous = +1/rank x 6 ranks = 18 - 2 = 16pp

[noob]

Is dodging a resistance check?
"If an effect allows a resistance check, but does not require an attack check, its effect rank cannot exceed the series power level."
Would mean in this case that you can not have create 8(except if you forbid create to imprison creature like I did in my create universe example).
Else it is pretty cool.

[dream]

Is dodging a resistance check?
"If an effect allows a resistance check, but does not require an attack check, its effect rank cannot exceed the series power level."
Would mean in this case that you can not have create 8(except if you forbid create to imprison creature like I did in my create universe example).
Else it is pretty cool.

The Create effect is ranged and requires an attack check. So, it's solid

[Nerd-o-rama]

Is dodging a resistance check?
"If an effect allows a resistance check, but does not require an attack check, its effect rank cannot exceed the series power level."
Would mean in this case that you can not have create 8(except if you forbid create to imprison creature like I did in my create universe example).
Else it is pretty cool.

Alright there's two ways to look at this:

1) Create rank+your ranged attack check with it is limited to 2 times PL
2) Create rank is limited to PL when you're using it for area effect attacks
3) both.

[Grek]

Nerd-o-rama, dream, I think you may have gone a bit funny with your math? Create has a base cost of 2 per rank, not 1 per rank. So "Field Projection: Impervious Selective Create 6" should be 24 points, and "Force Field: Create 8; Impervious, Stationary, accurate 2" should be 26 points. Both outside the limits.

If I were doing a Telepathy/Create/Protection array within the posted limits, I would aim for something like:

Magical Spells (20 points total): Array of:

• Telepathy Spell: Mind Reading with Sensory Link 6 (base cost 18 points)
• Forcefield Conjuration: Precise Impervious Selective Create 4 (base cost 17)
• Invulnerability Charm: Sustained Affects Others Impervious Protection 6 (base cost 18)

Feel free to rename things to match fluff, but that's the basic idea.

[dream]

That's right, thanks. Probably drop Impervious or add the Concentration or Distracting flaw to maintain the 30pp Power limit. That fixes it and GMs like seeing limited powers usually. Create covers Protection and Snare so no need for more than two powers.

Odessa333, that's 3-4 options for you. Hope they help

[noob]

You can not do a power costing more than 20 before adding flaws.
So it means that if you never add flaws you can have a power costing more than 20 because the time "before adding flaws" never happens because you will never add flaws.
So it simply means that the GM does not wants players to use flaws.

[Odessa333]

Yes, this helps a ton. I was horribly misreading how powers worked on the srd last night, and coming back fresh this morning I can see that now. I'm not even sure why now, but I was attempting to choose an option from sample 'powers' and modifying them, rather than making powers. No wonder I was confused. Turning my brain 'on' I answered my three previous questions with one light bulb moment. I must have sounded REALLY dumb... (cough).


That said, I do have one more question, if you are all not sick of me yet :)


My main thing is being a psionic with force fields(no magic). Ideally, I want to use created shields to protect myself and the party. For that, I'm looking at create, impervious, immunity, etc. I'd also like to use my created shields to make cover, so likely create, selective, impervious again. Thirdly, she's not going to be a killer, so I'd like to make box/cages/ to hold people in short term, until after fight and so. Those are my 'main' concepts.

I originally was thinking I could make a shield air tight to get someone to pass out, which would require affliction. As her powers grow (power level increases, etc) I thought I'd add a sort of flight in there by riding a forcefield, say create and movable object. Her 'ultimate attack' (for lack of a better term) would be trying to put a force field between someone's elbow and hand, an attack trying to literally disarm an opponent.

Right now, I couldn't do half of that even if I tried. I know this.

My question, then, is this: with all the various things I'd like to do eventually, how many powers do you suggest I split this up into? I'd ideally like to have multiple shields up at once (say, a protective force field over some civilians, creating cover for the party, and maintaining a cage or two for a captured villain) so should each of those uses be it's own power? Not sure myself. I'm testing a few variations, see what makes the most sense, and I'd appreciate any advice on the matter.

[noob]

With create you can create multiple things and when you loose the create power they stay(if they are permanent I think)
The permanent modifier is free and is more or less a super cool advantage(the only flaw is that you can not make them disappear but you can break them so it is not a problem).
And with this modifier it is 100% sure you can have multiple force fields with one create power.
"'ultimate attack' (for lack of a better term) would be trying to put a force field between someone's elbow and hand, an attack trying to literally disarm an opponent. "
It could be an extra effort effect or a hero point effect the GM will probably let it roll and it will have more the "ultimate attack" feel if it is something you do with a power surge.

[Beleriphon]

As note Create and Move Object are a terrible way to do Flight. Flight has a Flaw called Platform for exactly what you're looking for (it basically means you ride something around, and if you're knocked prone you fall).

[Nerd-o-rama]

Yes, this helps a ton. I was horribly misreading how powers worked on the srd last night, and coming back fresh this morning I can see that now. I'm not even sure why now, but I was attempting to choose an option from sample 'powers' and modifying them, rather than making powers. No wonder I was confused. Turning my brain 'on' I answered my three previous questions with one light bulb moment. I must have sounded REALLY dumb... (cough).


That said, I do have one more question, if you are all not sick of me yet :)


My main thing is being a psionic with force fields(no magic). Ideally, I want to use created shields to protect myself and the party. For that, I'm looking at create, impervious, immunity, etc. I'd also like to use my created shields to make cover, so likely create, selective, impervious again. Thirdly, she's not going to be a killer, so I'd like to make box/cages/ to hold people in short term, until after fight and so. Those are my 'main' concepts.

I originally was thinking I could make a shield air tight to get someone to pass out, which would require affliction. As her powers grow (power level increases, etc) I thought I'd add a sort of flight in there by riding a forcefield, say create and movable object. Her 'ultimate attack' (for lack of a better term) would be trying to put a force field between someone's elbow and hand, an attack trying to literally disarm an opponent.

Right now, I couldn't do half of that even if I tried. I know this.

My question, then, is this: with all the various things I'd like to do eventually, how many powers do you suggest I split this up into? I'd ideally like to have multiple shields up at once (say, a protective force field over some civilians, creating cover for the party, and maintaining a cage or two for a captured villain) so should each of those uses be it's own power? Not sure myself. I'm testing a few variations, see what makes the most sense, and I'd appreciate any advice on the matter.

Bearing in mind my math was off before, here's some ideas for Powers:

1) A personal Forcefield: Sustained Protection at whatever rank you need to hit the cap on your Toughness defense (when in doubt, set all your defenses at Power Level and don't worry about tradeoffs, so this would be 6.) Never, ever put basic defenses you're going to rely on every turn in an array unless you want to leave yourself vulnerable to an easy KO as part of your concept. Protect 6 costs 6 pp; I'd just not worry about Impervious yet. It's nice to be immune to handguns, but you can get by without it.

2) Protecting others: Create with the Selective Extra is your best bet here. Later on, as you gain power points and power levels (which I certainly hope you're going to), you can add further extras like Impervious, Stationary, etc., to improve the quality of the forcefields. Selective Create 6 (18 pp) or Selective Impervious Create 4 (16 pp) or Selective Stationary Create 4 (16 pp) are good starts. This can be put in an array with other "active" powers, but bear in mind the created forcefields will disappear when you change to an alternate effect.

3) Caging/knocking out enemies: Ranged Afflict (hitting your offensive cap, so rank 6 if your attack bonus with it is +6). Hindered/Immobile/Incapacitated, resisted by either Fortitude or Dodge. Concentration Ranged Affliction 6 costs 18 pp and makes a suitable alternate effect to the Create I just detailed. When you get the chance, add the Cumulative Extra as well.

4) Attacking enemies directly: Move Object (same rank as your Afflict) with the Damaging extra is both a good offensive and defensive power, and costs the same as the Afflict, and so makes a good Alternate Effect. This is hitting people with Forcefields.

5) Protecting others beyond Create: Probably not really necessary, but Burst Area Selective Affects Only Others Protection or Enhanced Dodge both cost the same per rank as ideas 2, 3, and 4, so it's a suitable Alternate Effect as well. Immunity: Ballistic damage (being literally bulletproof) is also interesting, but ask your GM how many ranks that is. Deflect with the Reflect Extra is interesting, but only applies to one character per round...ever, as far as I can tell. Ask your GM if you can apply Area extras to it if it interests you.

6) For other utility powers, Flight is a good one. Platform Flight of rank (whatever you have points for) is quite helpful.

7) Your "ultimate attack" will likely be something like Ranged Damage Linked to Ranged Affliction (Impaired/Disabled/Incapacitated), but I wouldn't put this on the character yet. Also, seems a little bloody for someone who sticks to nonlethal takedowns.

So as an idea for your starting power set:

Protection 6 (Modifier: Sustained) - 6 pp

Create 6 (Extra: Selective) - 18 pp
Alternate Effect: Affliction 6 [Hindered/Immobile/Incapacitated, Resisted by Fortitude] (Extras: Ranged, Concentration, possibly Alternate Resistance Dodge) - 1 pp
Alternate Effect: Move Object 6 (Extra: Damaging) - 1 pp

Flight 4 (Flaw: Platform) - 4 pp

This gives you a defensive, two offensive, and one utility option every round (Move Object is both offensive and utility), as well as hitting a Toughness of 6 for yourself and letting you fly at 30 miles per hour on a platform of force. Recommended other traits: Dodge 6, Parry 6, skill Ranged Combat: Forcefields +6

Alternatively, if you never want to make an attack roll with your powers, remove Concentration from Affliction and Damaging from Move Object and replace both with Extended Range: Perception. You can hit anything you can see this way automatically (including hurling objects with Move Object), but you have no way to trade off attack roll for damage as you would with Power Attack, etc. Saves you three points on Ranged Combat: Forcefields at least.

And don't worry about getting confused, the SRD site is a terribly confusing way to learn the system. It's much easier if you have the book or have played a few games to learn the system.

[Grek]

Two. Total cost: 28 points.

Flight Platform (8 points): Platform Flight 6 Linked with Immunity to Own Slam Damage.
and
Psionic Forcefields Array (20 points total):

• Regular Forcefields: Stationary Selective Create 6 (base cost 18)
• High Quality Forcefields: Precise Tethered Selective Impervious Create 4 (base cost 18)
• Forcefield Choking: Accurate +4 Ranged Progressive Affliction (Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated) 4

Comments: Immunity to Own Slam Damage means that if you crash your flight platform into something (either accidentally, or by ramming it through a wall) you don't take any damage. Your flight speed on the platform is 1800 feet per round, 300 feet per second or 204 miles per hour.

Regular Forcefields are immobile and not impervious, but have a volume limit of 60 cubic feet per use, which is a single 5 foot diameter ball, or a wall one inch thick, 10 feet high and 72 feet long to hide your allies behind and entrap people with.

High Quality Forcefields are much better (they're impervious, can have sharp or moving parts and you can move them around telekinetically if they're small enough) but have a volume limit of 15 cubic feet, which is only a 3 foot diameter sphere, or a 18 foot long wall.

[noob]

The high quality ones does not resists firearms(Light pistol are rank 3 and so totally ignore impervious) and also have less toughness as the low quality ones in fact in the end impervious is not good with a rank 4 thing not putting impervious and putting something else will be better.

[Grek]

Yeah, they start out really bad. But you want that power there for later when you get more points and your point limits are higher.

[dream]

<snip>
My question, then, is this: with all the various things I'd like to do eventually, how many powers do you suggest I split this up into? I'd ideally like to have multiple shields up at once (say, a protective force field over some civilians, creating cover for the party, and maintaining a cage or two for a captured villain) so should each of those uses be it's own power? Not sure myself. I'm testing a few variations, see what makes the most sense, and I'd appreciate any advice on the matter.

Take a look at Extra Effort. It's easily the best part of the entire system because it allows you to use powers your PC doesn't have for quick, one-shot situations ("Power-Stunts"). So, if you want to disarm a foe, you tell the GM your PC is using Extra Effort to use the Move Object effect in place of Create. You just need to make sure the cost of the temporary power does not exceed the power you're basing it off (in this case, the Move Object effect cannot exceed the Create effect in cost).

Extra Effort gives you access to nearly any other power if you're creative in how you use it. The cost of Extra Effort is Fatigue, which drops your movement -1 rank, but the penalty fades in 10 rounds, or can be eliminated with a Hero point. Familiarize yourself with Extra Effort. It will save you the points you were planning to spend on powers you probably don't need to buy.

[Sith_Happens]

Take a look at Extra Effort. It's easily the best part of the entire system because it allows you to use powers your PC doesn't have for quick, one-shot situations ("Power-Stunts"). So, if you want to disarm a foe, you tell the GM your PC is using Extra Effort to use the Move Object effect in place of Create. You just need to make sure the cost of the temporary power does not exceed the power you're basing it off (in this case, the Move Object effect cannot exceed the Create effect in cost).

Extra Effort gives you access to nearly any other power if you're creative in how you use it. The cost of Extra Effort is Fatigue, which drops your movement -1 rank, but the penalty fades in 10 rounds, or can be eliminated with a Hero point. Familiarize yourself with Extra Effort. It will save you the points you were planning to spend on powers you probably don't need to buy.

So much this. Any time you're thinking you want a particular power, ask yourself "Am I likely to use this regularly?" If the answer is "No," you probably don't need to buy it.

[Odessa333]

Ok, I'm back with another round of questions. Who knew being a super hero was this hard? :)


1. I read that I could use an array with immunity. Such as, immunity: cold / affects others / burst as my power for 3pp, and then use 1pp for alternative effect of immunity:heat with the burst /affects other effects. But if this is true, couldn't I also ditch immunity:heat for immunity:life support too? I spend 3pp for immunity: cold/affects others/burst, 10pp for alternate effect of life support, and then just always use life support. That doesn't seem right. is this really rules legal, or am I missing something?


2. Linked, again. Assume I have the immunity: cold / affects others / burst as a power, with alternate effects of immunity:heat and immunity:radiation. I now link a protection/ affects others / burst shield onto the immunity field. Would this protection power be linked to just immunity:cold, or would it be linked to all of it's alternate effects as well?


3. On the create effect, it says I can make a dome with a limit on the dimensions. I sustain it as a free action. But could I make a dome every turn? Say, I make a dome on turn 1 to trap a minion. Turn 2, I maintain that dome, and make a second dome to trap a second minion. Rinse and repeat; could I make 3 domes? 4? 5?



Bonus round: Not really a question, but just wondering about your preference on attribute distribution for this system. I tend to go for a balance (my latest test run has three stats at 4 as her highest) though with some of the sample archtypes on the srd having stats of 12, I'm not sure if balanced works well here. Your thoughts?


Thanks for your time!

[Nerd-o-rama]

Ok, I'm back with another round of questions. Who knew being a super hero was this hard? :)


1. I read that I could use an array with immunity. Such as, immunity: cold / affects others / burst as my power for 3pp, and then use 1pp for alternative effect of immunity:heat with the burst /affects other effects. But if this is true, couldn't I also ditch immunity:heat for immunity:life support too? I spend 3pp for immunity: cold/affects others/burst, 10pp for alternate effect of life support, and then just always use life support. That doesn't seem right. is this really rules legal, or am I missing something?

The price of an Array is always the price of the most expensive effect in it. In that example, you'd pay 11 pp: 10 for Immunity Life Support and 1 for the alternate effect of Immunity: Cold (Affects Others, Burst). You'd also be able to add seven more points to the Immunity:Cold effect, but I'll explain that in the answer to my next question.

2. Linked, again. Assume I have the immunity: cold / affects others / burst as a power, with alternate effects of immunity:heat and immunity:radiation. I now link a protection/ affects others / burst shield onto the immunity field. Would this protection power be linked to just immunity:cold, or would it be linked to all of it's alternate effects as well?

For every pp you put on your "main" (i.e. most expensive) effect, you can add a pp to your alternate effects as well. So, in effect, yes, you could Link Protect (Affects Others, Burst) to every alternate effect if you added it to the main one and only increase the cost of the main one, because it would cost the same for all of them.

3. On the create effect, it says I can make a dome with a limit on the dimensions. I sustain it as a free action. But could I make a dome every turn? Say, I make a dome on turn 1 to trap a minion. Turn 2, I maintain that dome, and make a second dome to trap a second minion. Rinse and repeat; could I make 3 domes? 4? 5?

I'm 99% sure that your create volume limit is the total amount of volume you can create, meaning you could make it in as many domes as you want, spread out across multiple standard actions, if you wanted. However, once you moved beyond your total volume limit, you'd need to start dismissing earlier constructs. I think.

Bonus round: Not really a question, but just wondering about your preference on attribute distribution for this system. I tend to go for a balance (my latest test run has three stats at 4 as her highest) though with some of the sample archtypes on the srd having stats of 12, I'm not sure if balanced works well here. Your thoughts?


Thanks for your time!

It's usually more economical to distribute your points into skills, defenses, and powers as opposed to attributes, but it fundamentally doesn't matter. What you should do is make sure you hit the Power Level caps in the following:

• Your total Toughness Defense + Parry Defense should be equal to 2 times Power Level
• Your total Toughness Defense + Dodge Defense should be equal to 2 times Power Level
• Your total Will Defense + Fortitude Defense should be equal to 2 times Power Level
• Any powers or equipment-based attacks (or your unarmed damage if you're a brawler) should have a Total Attack Bonus + Effect Rank of 2 time Power Level. If they're Area or Perception attacks, their Effect Rank should be equal to PL.

That is if course if you're focusing on combat utility as much as possible. Personally, the easiest way to accomplish all of this is just to make sure all your Defenses, your Attack Bonuses (that you're actually going to use, so probably just the Ranged Combat: Forcefields skill for this character), and your Effect Ranks for attack powers are equal to PL.

[Sith_Happens]

1. I read that I could use an array with immunity. Such as, immunity: cold / affects others / burst as my power for 3pp, and then use 1pp for alternative effect of immunity:heat with the burst /affects other effects. But if this is true, couldn't I also ditch immunity:heat for immunity:life support too? I spend 3pp for immunity: cold/affects others/burst, 10pp for alternate effect of life support, and then just always use life support. That doesn't seem right. is this really rules legal, or am I missing something?

What you're missing is that if you have two different Immunities as Alternate Effects of each other then only one of them can ever be active at once and you can only switch once per turn. In your example, in a given round you (and anyone else you choose to affect) would either have life support or be immune to cold, but not both.

3. On the create effect, it says I can make a dome with a limit on the dimensions. I sustain it as a free action. But could I make a dome every turn? Say, I make a dome on turn 1 to trap a minion. Turn 2, I maintain that dome, and make a second dome to trap a second minion. Rinse and repeat; could I make 3 domes? 4? 5?

Yup. Create can get really good really fast.

I'm 99% sure that your create volume limit is the total amount of volume you can create, meaning you could make it in as many domes as you want, spread out across multiple standard actions, if you wanted. However, once you moved beyond your total volume limit, you'd need to start dismissing earlier constructs. I think.

It says you can create "an object" up to that volume, so I'm pretty sure the volume limit is per-use. Like I said, Create gets really good really fast.