Mutants and Masterminds 3rd Edition: How do you build Kamen Rider?

[Metahuman1]

More or less what it says on the tin. I'm looking to build a basic, Iconic Kamen Rider for a MM 1 shot. PL 12 180PP. Because it's a one shot I'm figuring I'll only need the 1 transformation and 1 Bike.


So, anyone got any ideas what the stats on this guy should look like?

[Grod_The_Giant]

Can you give us a quick run-down of what sort of powers you'd like to cover? (I'm not too familiar with the genre, but I'm very familiar with M&M.)

[Metahuman1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamen_Rider


Riders, from what I've gathered, would have the transforming hero bit for a start. They tend to be inhumanly strong, tough, quick, and capable in melee combat. Lots of flashy martial arts, frequently a sword though there usually not entirely dependent on it, sometimes a gun of some sort but there usually even less dependent on that. They all have a tricked out vehicle of some sort, almost always a motorcycle. Some have other vehicles as well. They also have a propensity for super human leaps and for having incredibly powerful named finishing moves (The sort of famous one all riders share being called out as "Rider Kick!".). Having the vehicle be weaponized and able to be called too me/remote controlled seems like it would also fit.

Super senses and some healing seem like they'd fit as well. The Latter cause fights often seem to have had little damage carry over between them, and major fights can at times go on for prolonged periods.

[Grod_The_Giant]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamen_Rider


Riders, from what I've gathered, would have the transforming hero bit for a start.

Transformation might be a Complication more than anything else. If you want to represent it mechanically, I'd say throw Activation on your main "bunch of physical enhancements" power, and put a Quirk (only useable in transformed state) on the instant-duration ones.

They tend to be inhumanly strong, tough, quick, and capable in melee combat.

Standard enough. Enhanced Strength/Stamina/Fighting/Dodge, say, plus some Speed and maybe Quickness.

Lots of flashy martial arts,

Build an array of close-ranged afflictions and powers Linked to a small melee Damage power. Things like...

• Stunning Punch: Str-Based Damage 1, Linked to Affliction 11 (Dazed/Stunned/Incap; Resisted/Overcome by Fort)
• Flying Kick: Str-Based Damage 1, Linked to Move Object 11 (Reduced Range, Concentration, Limited to Knockback)
• Shattering Blow: Str-Based Damage 1, Linked to Weaken Toughness 11

frequently a sword though there usually not entirely dependent on it, sometimes a gun of some sort but there usually even less dependent on that.

A Damage power with the Easily Removable flaw, then. You might have one be an alternate of the other.

They all have a tricked out vehicle of some sort, almost always a motorcycle. Some have other vehicles as well.

Enhanced Trait (Equipment) ought to work for that.

They also have a propensity for super human leaps

Leaping.

and for having incredibly powerful named finishing moves (The sort of famous one all riders share being called out as "Rider Kick!".).

That's unfortunately a little harder in M&M, which tends not to like moves that punch above their normal weight. Your best bets are to either load a power up with Linked effects (smacking someone with Damage+Weaken+Affliction would be horrific), to have a heavily effect-shifted power (ie +4 attack/Damage 18; really only usable on crippled enemies or in dire circumstances), or to do something goofy with Luck Control 1 (Force rerolls), Limited to Toughness checks.

Having the vehicle be weaponized and able to be called too me/remote controlled seems like it would also fit.

The Vehicle rules cover this pretty nicely. Autopilot/Remote Control takes care of the summoning, and you can just slap Damage traits onto a vehicle and pay with equipment ranks.

Super senses and some healing seem like they'd fit as well. The Latter cause fights often seem to have had little damage carry over between them, and major fights can at times go on for prolonged periods.

The Senses power covers the first pretty straightforwardly (Senses 4 (Extended Sight, Accurate Extended Hearing) is a pretty neat little supersense package, possibly with some Enhanced Perception thrown in. Throw in another two ranks for Extended Acute Olfactory if you want to be good at the sniffs).

As for the latter, you're looking at Regeneration, but I think the base system rules have you covered pretty well. All damage is shaken off with a few minutes to rest between fights, and characters can take quite a beating before going down with nothing but a good base Toughness score.

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I imagine you'd be looking at a pretty balanced character tradeoff-wise-- most Defenses at about 11, attack bonus at about 11, and most attack powers at about rank 11. Does that help?

[Metahuman1]

It's, a start. Isn't equipment something that can be destroyed and not replaced though?

[Grod_The_Giant]

It's, a start. Isn't equipment something that can be destroyed and not replaced though?

Not permanently:

If the device is lost, stolen, or destroyed, the character can replace it, given time, since the device is considered a permanent part of the character. Only a reallocation of the character’s Character points will change this, and Gamemasters should allow characters to reallocate Character points spent on a Removable power if it is somehow permanently lost.

It's up to the GM how often this will happen and how long it'll take, though.

If you want a less fragile option, I can think of three main ways:

• Make it a Device. This might get sort of weird, perhaps, since vehicles have a bunch of specific rules, but you could simulate a tricked-out vehicle by taking appropriate powers with the Easily Removable modifier (Speed probably being the main one). It's not a bad solution if you intend to fight mounted most of the time.
• Make it a character. Use either Summon or the Sidekick advantage and build the bike as a distinct creature. With, probably, absent Intellect, Presence, and maybe Dexterity. (Absent Awareness creates problems since it removes your Dodge and Parry), along with an appropriate Immunity. (I like "effects that depend on being alive" for ~20pts, but Immunity is very much an "ask your GM" thing). Summon is a good solution if you want to be able to have your bike just explode in from nowhere; Sidekick is decent if you'd rather have it buzzing around on autopilot all the time.
• Make it an enchantment, sort of-- have powers like Enhanced Speed with the Affects Only Others and Affects Only Objects modifiers. That way, anything you hop on will instantly be transformed into a super-bike.

[Scots Dragon]

Not permanently:

It's up to the GM how often this will happen and how long it'll take, though.

If you want a less fragile option, I can think of three main ways:

• Make it a Device. This might get sort of weird, perhaps, since vehicles have a bunch of specific rules, but you could simulate a tricked-out vehicle by taking appropriate powers with the Easily Removable modifier (Speed probably being the main one). It's not a bad solution if you intend to fight mounted most of the time.
• Make it a character. Use either Summon or the Sidekick advantage and build the bike as a distinct creature. With, probably, absent Intellect, Presence, and maybe Dexterity. (Absent Awareness creates problems since it removes your Dodge and Parry), along with an appropriate Immunity. (I like "effects that depend on being alive" for ~20pts, but Immunity is very much an "ask your GM" thing). Summon is a good solution if you want to be able to have your bike just explode in from nowhere; Sidekick is decent if you'd rather have it buzzing around on autopilot all the time.
• Make it an enchantment, sort of-- have powers like Enhanced Speed with the Affects Only Others and Affects Only Objects modifiers. That way, anything you hop on will instantly be transformed into a super-bike.

It's also possible to use the summon minion rules as 'summon vehicle', according to a couple of sources, buying up the vehicle's traits for 5pp/rank as per the standard.

[Grod_The_Giant]

It's also possible to use the summon minion rules as 'summon vehicle', according to a couple of sources, buying up the vehicle's traits for 5pp/rank as per the standard.

Oh yes, right. I remember now. Summoning Power Profile says this:

Summon Vehicle
You conjure up a vehicle to transport you (and possibly others). Create it according to the usual vehicle rules (Hero’s Handbook, page 169) based on (rank x 15 points). Cost-wise, this is similar to the Equipment advantage (which costs 1 point per 5 points of the vehicle’s cost) but sustained rather than continuous and with different descriptors.

You may pilot the vehicle yourself or have someone else do so. If the vehicle is capable of driving itself, apply the Responsive modifier of Summon; it essentially removes the move action required to pilot. If the vehicle is remote controlled and must come to you, rather than simply appearing, apply the Self-Powered modifier*.

Power: Summon Vehicle, Controlled • 3 points per rank


*Self-Powered: The summoned agent(s) do not appear near the summoner but must instead travel to the summoner from wherever they are using their own movement capabilities. –1 point per rank.

So that's a pretty good way to deal with it. Motorcycles have a base cost of just 10 points, so a rank or two of Summon will get you a pretty nice bike. (If you want it to be combat-capable, though, you'd either need ~11 total ranks, as its PL would be equal to your Summon rank. Not that bad a cost, though, considering the kind of versatility that could give you)

[Metahuman1]

The Finishing move is actually proving so costly, I've had to pair the bike back. Which isn't toooo bad, some iterations of the franchise don't weaponize there bikes. I'd have preferred it but can't always have everything right out the starting gate, and it's a 1 off game anyway.

[Grod_The_Giant]

The Finishing move is actually proving so costly, I've had to pair the bike back. Which isn't toooo bad, some iterations of the franchise don't weaponize there bikes. I'd have preferred it but can't always have everything right out the starting gate, and it's a 1 off game anyway.

What's the setup on the Finishing Move power you're looking at? Maybe I can help come up with a cheaper alternative.

(Off the top of my head, Double Unreliable: Only 1/session seems pretty appropriate...)

[JustIgnoreMe]

The Finishing move is actually proving so costly, I've had to pair the bike back. Which isn't toooo bad, some iterations of the franchise don't weaponize there bikes. I'd have preferred it but can't always have everything right out the starting gate, and it's a 1 off game anyway.

M&M 3E doesn't do Finishing Moves well: it's almost impossible to exceed the PL values set. Your "Finishing Move" is probably going to be as strong as some other guy's regular move... and you've probably paid more points for it, will use it less often, and are weaker in other areas.

In my opinion, the best way to model finishers in M&M is to use Hero Points (or Luck, as already mentioned) to increase the effective power of your standard Kick move, and just call out "Rider Kick!" when you have the Hero Point to spend on it.

If your Finishing Move is not in an array with another power, you're not getting value for your points.

[Metahuman1]

What's the setup on the Finishing Move power you're looking at? Maybe I can help come up with a cheaper alternative.

(Off the top of my head, Double Unreliable: Only 1/session seems pretty appropriate...)

Linked Power.

Damage, Weaken, Affliction, all at rank with Multyattack and Improved Crit.


I was planning to make it the lead power in an Array.

[JustIgnoreMe]

Linked Power.

Damage, Weaken, Affliction, all at rank with Multyattack and Improved Crit.


I was planning to make it the lead power in an Array.

Improved Crit 4 is a good call, it isn't a sure thing but it's a much better chance and replicates the "hulking out" aspect of a finisher quite well. I've not seen it used with Multiattack before, good idea!

[Metahuman1]

Improved Crit 4 is a good call, it isn't a sure thing but it's a much better chance and replicates the "hulking out" aspect of a finisher quite well. I've not seen it used with Multiattack before, good idea!

Assuming I can get the stats to work, I had intended to hold a Hero Point for the finisher so that I could buy an extra action, and use that at Melee range to get Improved Aim off, while also using both Full Power Attack and Full All Out Attack. Default +5 to DC, +10 to hit and that helps Multi-Attack, and the chance for adding a crit at about 1 in 4.

Oh, and of course, 3 different effects hitting at the same time, after I and my team have been beating on him for awhile.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Linked Power.

Damage, Weaken, Affliction, all at rank with Multyattack and Improved Crit.


I was planning to make it the lead power in an Array.

Yeah, that would do it. Like I said, consider adding some flaws like Unreliable (there's an option to have a limited number of uses per duration) or Tiring-- that sort of thing can get the cost down while keeping it as a desperate, last-minute kind of attack. Otherwise you've got no reason not to use it every turn, which would I think somewhat defeat the purpose.

[Metahuman1]

Yeah, that would do it. Like I said, consider adding some flaws like Unreliable (there's an option to have a limited number of uses per duration) or Tiring-- that sort of thing can get the cost down while keeping it as a desperate, last-minute kind of attack. Otherwise you've got no reason not to use it every turn, which would I think somewhat defeat the purpose.

I slapped unreliable on it, and that put a pretty good dent in the cost. I've got 5 uses, which is probably more than I'll need unless the GM manages to work multiple Miniboss fights into a one off full of new players with no system mastery. Which, I find unlikely.