Fox Posted June 19, 2010 Posted June 19, 2010 Yes, I finally got around to finishing the build. But it's also my first M&M build, so I figured I'd put it here for ideas, suggestions, and problem-solving before I inflict it on the refs. Keep in mind I'm new here and to the game in general - advice is welcome. My notes in blue. Most of the fluff isn't filled in yet - I've given rough-draft liner notes. Characters Name: Gaian Knight Power Level: 10 (150/150) Trade-Offs: - Unspent PP: 0 Alternate Identity: Tarrant...something. Have neglected to think of a good last name. Will get on that. Age: 25 (born October 1984) Going to have to spend some time brushing up on worldly events he should be aware of.... Gender: male Height: 6'1" Weight: ~160lbs Eyes: green (now flecked with gold) Hair: brown Description: Pending. Tall, lean. Decently attractive but unassuming. 'Costume' is mostly improvised and subdued: special hooded longcoat he got from goodness knows where, goggles, lower face mask (keeps the dust out!), relatively practical shirt and pants, pair of boots with good traction. Browns and reds. Swordbelt and the sword, of course, under the coat. History: Pending. Short version: stumbled across a well-hidden cavern that was originally intended to bless the finder as the knight and protector of the nearby city, guardian of the sword, etc. The city's been in ruins for centuries, but apparently whatever spirit or magic power set the place up didn't plan for that, 'cos the almighty magic answering machine was still perfectly happy to 'volunteer' Tarrant as the new Knight, linking him into the power of the earth itself. Personality & Motivation: Pending. Wants to help people 'cos he's a nice guy at heart. Spent some time making sure he could control what he has but pretty new to the hero gig - never even paid much attention to them before getting smacked upside the head by the magic automated help line. Powers & Tactics: He's pretty awful in melee - he's not a trained fighter. Goal one: stay the hell away from anyone who looks like they can throw a punch. Goal two: snare enemies in place if possible. Goal three: bludgeon them with a rock. Ambushing is good - tremmorsense and burrowing can provide a half-decent advantage if he needs it. Subsume nerves into banter (see: Spider-Man, et al.), which helps to throw your enemies off-guard or distract them, and possibly annoy everyone around you. Complications: Little combat skill if deprived of his power. Bound to the sword (though not as strongly as he might be - see notes below). Behind the jokes doesn't have a lot of confidence in himself quite yet. Responsibility to his job. Probably a sucker for a pretty face and a sob story. More as I think of them while writing his backstory. In Brief: Pending for when I feel pithier. Stats: 2+0+4+4+6+4 = 20pp Being tied into the earth has changed him, though he doesn't quite realize it - he's a bit wiser and more durable now. Charisma largely reflects his banter and joking around, and that he's decently attractive. Str: 12 (+1) Dex: 10 (+0) Con: 14 (+2) Int: 14 (+2) Wis: 16 (+3) Cha: 14 (+2) Combat: 10+12 = 22pp Attack: +5 (+9 earthshaping) Grapple: +5 Defense: +6 (+3 flat-footed) Knockback: -2 Initiative: +0 Saves: 8+7+10 = 25pp Toughness: +6 (+2 Con, +4 chestpiece) Fortitude: +10 (+2 Con, +8) Reflex: +7 (+0 Dex, +7) Will: +13 (+3 Wis, +10) Skills: 80r = 20pp Bluff 10 (+12) Concentration 10 (+13) Craft (Artistic) 10 (+12) Sculpting and rock carving! This guy really has rocks on the brain, doesn't he. Also for making nice things with powers (below). Knowledge (Earth Sciences) 15 (+17) Notice 10 (+13) Profession (Professor, Earth Sciences) 5 You'd be amazed how fast you can rush through that grad work when you've got a whole sense DEVOTED to the earth around you. Being able to pull samples out of 'nowhere' helps too. Actual school or college unknown - Freedom City University, maybe? Anything I should know about the assorted schools and collages? Suggestions? Sense Motive 10 (+13) Sleight of Hand 10 (+10) Purely for flavor, probably practiced on especially boring days - cheap card tricks, very good at palming items, etc. Feats: 5pp Diehard House rule: free! Listing it for completeness. Distract/Bluff Equipment 2 Precise Shot Taunt/Bluff Goggles (Nightvision/Flash) [4ep] Playing fast and loose here. Flash goggles are 1ep; night-vision goggles are 1ep. I figure a really nice set of goggles with nightvision and flash is at least 2ep, plus another 2ep or so for cramming both into one pair of decently-lightweight, -durable goggles...preferably with the ability to switch between normal/nightvision sight. If this is too for 4ep, I can make room. Customized Platemail Chestpiece [4ep] A platemail chestpiece customized to be a little more comfortable and lightweight; using rules for Tactical Vest, +4 toughness. May get rid of this before submitting character if I can't figure out how the design would work...fashion over function, dahling. Masterwork sculpting/carving tools [1ep] Masterwork geology tools [1ep] Powers: 40+8+1+3+6 = 58pp Earthshaping Array 15 (30pp array/earth, magic; Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 8) 40pp This array has the magic descriptor pretty much everywhere - his powers aren't spells per se, but aside from a couple places where they've become pretty fundamental to his being (immunities, senses), their ultimate source is, to the best of his (and my) knowledge, magic - magically-granted mutations, if you will, and probably functioning by tapping into and manipulating the earthy magic field in earth and stone. If the descriptor should be restricted only to more overt magic effects, lemme know and I'll strip 'em. I have no idea whether or not a magically-null area would or should prevent him from 'talking' or 'reaching out' to the earth, but I'm leaning towards yes, it would at least severely cripple the associated powers, which is why the descriptors are there.) BP: Create Object 13 (create object/earth, magic; Extras: Duration/Continuous; Flaws: Action/Full; Power Feats: Precise, Stationary, Progression 2) [30/30pp] AP: Earth Control 15 (move object/earth, magic; Extras: Range/Perception; Flaws: Limited Material/Earth) [30/30pp] AP: Shape Matter 7 (shape matter/earth, magic; Extras: Duration/Continuous; Flaws: Limited Material/Earth; Power Feats: Precise) [29/30pp] AP: Blast 10 (blast/earth, magic; Power Feats: Indirect 2, Variable Descriptor (piercing, bludgeoning)) [23/30pp] AP: Blast 9 (blast/earth, magic; Extras: Autofire; Power Feats: Indirect 2, Variable Descriptor (piercing, bludgeoning)) [30/30pp] AP: Blast 9 (blast/earth, magic; Extras: Area/Shapeable; Power Feats: Indirect 2, Variable Descriptor (piercing, bludgeoning)) [30/30pp] AP: Snare 10 (snare/anchored, earth, magic; Power Feats: Indirect 2, Reversible) [23/30pp] AP: Obscure 15 (visual, sandstorm) (obscure/earth, magic) [30/30pp] AP: Burrowing 10 (burrowing/earth, magic; Extras: Area; Power Feats: Subtle, Reverse Progression 5) [30/30pp] A note here: since area is an extra (and thus not optional) Progression/Negative gives a little bit of wiggle room - since area is rank-based, to burrow out a smaller area requires you to drop burrowing's rank when used. Progression/Negative, as a power feat, IS optional, and gives you the option of treating the rank as one lower than it is for the purposes of area's math. If there's a house rule in place that heroes can always control the area of their powers (things like Full Power aside), lemme know and I'll remove this. Detect Earth (detect/mental, earth; Accurate, Acute, Analytical, Radius, Ranged, Extended/100ft) 8pp Which is to say, he's aware of the earth and its earthy contents in a pretty significant radius. Non-earthy things do not count, and just feel like 'voids' - he could presumably tell the shape, maybe properties that physically affect the local rock, but not a lot else. Tremmorsense (touch; Ranged) 1pp Someone pointed out that this had been errata'd, as makes sense - touch is already Accurate and Acute for humans. Whee! Immunity (aging (very very slow), high pressure, suffocation (while underground)) 3pp Device 1 (device/sword, easy to lose; Power Feats: Indestructible, Restricted 2 (current Knight only)) 6pp Hee, this thing is pretty much useless; other than being a really nicely-made sword, it's just unbreakable and can't even be drawn by anyone else. At some point - probably after some plot point - I'll probably invest some pp into waking up or discovering whatever actual power(s) (leaning towards nullify of some strength) it has, and probably attach a geas drawback as he gets more bonded to it. As it stands it's just a hunk of metal he's subtly compelled to drag around with him, because frustrating your character is fun! "the sword": Ornate masterwork longsword, easy to lose. Powers: Strike 4 (strike/slashing; Power Feats: Mighty) 5pp DC Block:Unarmed 16 DC/Toughness nonlethal damage Sword 20 DC/Toughness nonlethal/lethal damage Blast 25 DC/Toughness nonlethal/lethal damage Autofire Blast 24+autofire DC/Toughness nonlethal/lethal damage Area Blast 19 DC/Reflex, 24 or 19 DC/Toughness nonlethal/lethal damage Snare 20 DC/Reflex entangled, anchored Costs: Abilities (20) + Combat (22) + Saves (25) + Skills (20) + Feats (5) + Powers (58) - Drawbacks (00) = 150pp Afternotes: Wanted to squeeze regeneration in here but I guess not. Guess where my first 20-odd points go! Anyway, there he is. Tear into him at will, and much thanks to people who've offered a helpful note or two so far. I am assuming - and can reasonably hand-wave an explanation for in-character - that substances like concrete and asphalt contain just enough earth and mystical mumbo-jumbo 'this is my purpose' traits to allow GK here to easily repair the collateral damage he's certain to cause bringing a wall of earth out from under the road. Possibly enough earth that they count as...well, earth, though that's more of a stretch seeing as they're decently processed. Miscellaneous stats of amusement: Create Earth: 325-foot cube limit, toughness 13, capable of supporting 100 tons; if that was dropped on an enemy they'd suffer a 13-damage area attack the size of a 325-feet square with a 20 DC/Reflex save. 23, if the attack bonus limit didn't apply. Earth Control: effective strength of 75 (80 full action or extra effort; 85 full action and extra effort); 75 strength is 250 ton medium load (~14.4-foot cube of granite), 400 tons heavy load (~16.8-foot cube) Earth Shape: 100lb limit, boo! That's about a 10-inch cube of granite. Could probably make a fancy statue or chair or something with that, but not a whole lot else. Burrowing: He could burrow a 50-foot radius tunnel at 1,000MPH. This is severely limited by his inability to actually move 1,000MPH. I guess you could strap a rocket to his belt....
Fox Posted June 21, 2010 Author Posted June 21, 2010 Updated a few things on Sandman's advice in chat - powers are more simply-named (and the DC Block's been updated to match). Tremmorsense has been updated with the errata'd cost of 1pp; surplus points went into Equipment (upgraded goggles and armor, to fit that "Knight"-y feel, though the armor may get changed back if I can't doodle a good design) and Combat (more Attack, whee!). Pulled the goggles out of my...places, so that may require review later. Burrow was just ridiculous so I shifted points around - max speed dropped, as did max diameter, but there's faaaaar more control over the burrowed area now.
Dr Archeville Posted June 21, 2010 Posted June 21, 2010 Earth Awareness (awareness/mental, earth; Accurate, Acute, Ranged, Extended 2/1000ft) 7pp Which is to say, he's aware of the earth and its earthy contents in a pretty significant radius. Non-earthy things do not count, and just feel like 'voids' - he could presumably tell the shape, maybe properties that physically affect the local rock, but not a lot else. There be a problem here: you seem to want Detect Earth, not Earth Awareness. From here: "[Descriptor] Awareness" is Ranged and Radius by default. It is an instant, momentary awareness of a [Descriptor] power being used. The more extras you tack onto it, the more information you get in that brief flash. Accurate Awareness tells you precisely where the power was used. Acute gives you fine details about the power that was used. In any event, it is a Reaction, a brief flash. "Detect [Descriptor]" has no Super-Sense extras by default. It is not Accurate, Acute, Radius, or Ranged. Detect is what you need if you want to specifically search for something instead of just passively waiting for it to happen around you. It is a sense that you use consciously and actively. It persists for as long as you decide to use it. If you want to be able to target foes in combat while blinded, you need to either buy an Accurate Ranged Detect that would pick them up, or add the Accurate (and possibly Ranged) extra(s) to one of your other persistent senses, like Normal Hearing/Olfactory/Touch/Mental/etc. "Magic Awareness" will give you a Notice check every time someone (or something) else uses a power with the "Magic" descriptor. "Detect Magic" will allow you to perceive anything with the "Magic" descriptor around you at will (provided you purchase the right extras for it). Detect [X] is also what's used for detecting things (like dirt), not [X] Awareness. Maybe drop Accurate and add Analytical?
Fox Posted June 21, 2010 Author Posted June 21, 2010 Haa. Thank you. Dropped Earth Awareness for Detect Earth with a small bundle of extras, but lower range. Stole a point from the array for balance - no more area snare. Seemed like a fancy, detailed move for a non-veteran crimefighter anyway. Barring other corrections I'll see if I can't get any final tweaks in, dust off my writing skills, and actually get this thing submitted. Thank you for help, all you helpy people.
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