Effect based power construction and example builds

[angrydurf]

M&M is different from many systems with regards to how you build powers. Most superhero games and most RPGs in general have you select a power or power set and they determine what effects you can achieve. M&M does this backwards at least from a systems standpoint (Conceptually you should make sure its sound and not just fitting a description to an "Kewl POWER!" you want).

At the basic level this allows for things such as a single water walking power to cover a wide variety of powersets. It could be in a device representing working pontoon shoes, or it could be ninja training, it could be an Ice power letting you freeze the water as you step across it, or a speedster running across the water in the classic superspeed move.

With enhanced abilities allowing assorted abilities to become powers you can continue this type of effect based building. For instance Base attack or the attack focus/specialization feats can be built as powers. Rather than being trained as a master fighter you could instead have a device (or implant) that is a combat computer granting Enhanced Attack or Enhanced melee focus for instance. Or you could be a pre-cog who's powers allow you to "see" what you're opponent will do granting enhanced dodge focus and enhanced attack.

So the "same" power can be used to represent any number of abilities from any number of powersets, its all in your descriptors. I'll be following up with some more advanced examples of how you can take a set of powers and tweak them to fit with a variety of powers in ways that may not be immediately evident from a basic reading of the power.

Index

Duplicator without Duplication (Summon)

The Precog

Teleporter

[angrydurf]

The duplicator without Duplication(Summon)

For my first example I take the ever popular duplicator and toss him into overdrive. The idea here is that he can make and unmake dupes at a high speed perhaps even at a distance. They all are mentally linked of course as well.

So lets get to it.

Array 7 (Duplication Array/Duplication, ; PFs: Alternate Power 3) [17]

BP: Area 7 (Army of One; Area on Unarmed attacks; Burst(Targeted) 35 ft radius; Extras: Selective)

AP: Autofire(2) 7 (Swarm Fighting; autofire on Unarmed attacks; +1 DC for each point attack exceeds defense up to +5)

AP: ESP 3 (Another set of Eyes; All Senses, 1000' range; Extras: Linked: Enhanced Skills; Flaws: Limited: Areas dupes can reach Power Feats: Rapid 2; Drawbacks: Noticeable) Linked to Enhanced skills 12 (Search +6, Notice +6)

AP: Quickness 4 (Many hands make quick work; Flaws: only tasks that can be sped up by multiple people) AND Enhanced skills 40 (Craft: Artistic 2, Craft: Chemical 2, Craft: Electronic 2, Craft: Mechanical 2, Craft: Structural 2, Disable Device 2, Investigate 2, Knowledge: Arcane Lore 2, Knowledge: Art 2, Knowledge: Behavorial Sciences 2, Knowledge: Business 2, Knowledge: Civics 2, Knowledge: Current events 2, Knowledge: Earth Sciences 2, Knowledge: Physical Sciences 2, Knowledge: Pop Culture 2, Knowledge: Streetwise 2, Knowledge: Tactics 2, Knowledge: Technology 2, Knowledge: Theology and Philosophy 2)

Alright the main duplication array. First two powers are the basic replacement for duplicator mob tactics, he sends dupes out either to attack all the targets around him as an Area Attack or to all attack one target as an autofire attack. Then You get the ESP power in which he stays still but sends a small hoard of duplicates out to search the nearby areas, with so many eyes all in mental communication this happens very quickly and is more guaranteed to work. Quickness and Skills. Basically a classic teamwork scenario. The quickness only applies to tasks where extra help would help this does include most research as you can read several books or articles at once as well as to many kinds of repairs or construction tasks. The enhanced skills come from accessing or sending dupes out to do some quick reasearch on a subject or havign them able to help with the actual task. The original character this array was on had an int bonus of +3 so he'd end up with a +5 to all those knowledge and craft checks for a nice round number.

Concealment 10 (Dupe Displacement/Duplication, ; Flaws: Limited: Miss chance only) [10]

If there are a ton of identical dupes which one do you hit? Is that one even going to matter? Not all dupes are created equal in all respects the "original" is hte only heroic character so the rest can be wiped out pretty easy (also remade just as easy) but you have a good chance of not hitting the right one this the miss chance.

Enhanced Feats 5 (Duplication; Connected, Contacts, Takedown Attack 2, Well Informed)[5]

Shamelessly ripped off from Mr. X of the Paragons setting. The idea here is you have dupes that have infiltrated places all over the world and thus are deeply in the know. can be matched with enhanced Gather info if you so wish but the ability of the dupes is tied to the originator so I felt it wasn't fitting. Takedown is much like the array attacks above sending dupes out to attack several people at once basically.

This leads of course to,

Morph 5 (; Any Humanoid) [10]

Not a dupe power but pretty necessary if you're gonna pull the "I am everywhere!" thing without it being blatantly obvious. It could be replaced by a high disguise skill and maybe quick change if you don't want "powers" beyond duplication.

Variations:

Move Object: Dupes can move things for you (also a good representation of a pile on style grapple attack)

Teleport limited to having a dupe present: You are able to transfer the "originator" consciousness to any dupe all Agent Smith style.

Move-by attack or turnabout "You" didn't attack you just sent a cluster of dupes to.

Drop the contacts etc and it works for almost any summoner type. The "dupes" could be demons or spirits or adorable forest creatures make the autofire and area attacks damage effects and not just modifiers of the Originators base unarmed attacks. Add Variable descriptor to change up what kind of things you summon (Fire imps, Ice elementals etc)

[angrydurf]

The Precog!

So you can see the future neat for finding a crime but what about stopping it? Well quite useful for both if you have sufficiently active precognition. Most of this is pretty self explanatory, Precognition is a good descriptor for an attack/defense shifted type.

Enhanced Reflex 10 (Precognitive Reflexs/Psychic) [10]

You know exactly where the blast will and will not be much easier to evade it.

Enhanced Attack +7 (Combat Precognition/Psychic) [14]

You know just where he will be and when. Adjust as needed I went with some standard attack and some enhanced but you could be all about the precog and no real personal combat training as well.

Enhanced Feats 16 (Combat Precognition/Psychic; Dodge Focus 8, Defensive Roll 2, Evasion 2, Second Chance (Notice), Second Chance (Sense Motive), Improved Initiative 2) [16]

all these feats to taste this build was actually designed with no trade offs you could certainly go for higher defense and attack over the even trade offs. Second chances are basically all about those spidey senses screaming at you.

Feature 1 (Time Locked/Psychic; Temporal Inertia) [1]

Handy for some one mucking about with time but not vital.

Super Senses 4 (Precognitive Visions/Psychic; Precognition; Flaws: Distracting, Uncontrolled) [1]

The real Precognitive ability. Well it sucks to actually GM a precog so its unreliable to keep it from ruining EVERYTHING!

Super Senses 9 (Short term Precognition/Psychic; Accurate: Mental 2, Acute: Mental 1, Radius: mental 1, Ranged: Mental 1, Danger Sense 1, Temporal Awareness 1, Time Sense1, Uncanny Dodge: Mental) [9]

even if blinded or in the dark the precog knows what is about to happen allowing for no loss of ability due to the loss of those senses. Danger sense and uncanny dodge follow pretty naturally from the precog theme.

Variations:

Many of the same abilities can be applied to a supernaturally intelligent character who uses deduction and tactics to devastating effect. Add in Speed of thought and maybe some of the Knowledge tactics benefits to use to get the upper hand or avoid the upper hand being gotten on you!

[angrydurf]

Teleportation! Beyond point A to point B.

There are two major ways in which you can utilize teleportation as a descriptor for more varied effects. Firstly is mobility, teleporting in combat for positioning is the basic use with feats like turnabout, change velocity and change direction you become more mobile than any other hero really. But you can go beyond that as well.

Teleporter as speedster

Array 11.5 ( 23pp Teleportation Array; Power Feats: Alternate Powers 2) [25]

BE: Teleportation 10 ( Power Feats: Progression 3)

AP: Area 20 (Teleport attack; Shaped Targeted area on Unarmed; Power Feats: Indirect 3)

AP: Area 10 (Teleport attack; Burst Targeted area on Unarmed; Extras: Selective; Power Feats: Indirect 3)

Enhanced feats 7 (Dodge Focus, Elusive Target, Evasion 2, Hide in Plain Sight, Instant Up, Redirect) [7]

Teleport 10 (Teleport; Power Feats: Change direction, Change Velocity, Easy, Turnabout) [24]

The user here has very good mobility as a base with 1000ft combat range, He can double that with the array and get anywhere he wants with a long range TP. The aoes represent his ability to pop around the field of battle and attack as he wishes. Coupled with turnabout he can port over then port all around an area nd back to wherever he wishes at the end of it all. Indirect represents his ability to appear from wherever he likes allowing for surprise attacks as he goes. Shaped area is a more precise in targetting while the burst is a larger overall area with less precision. Enhanced feats represent TPing out of the way of things or out of sight.

Alternatively you can focus on teleporting other things. Now attack teleport isn't well liked by most GMs because TPing bad guys into the air or worse deep seas or a volcano, space, the sun ... all are neither heroic nor particularly well balanced. This does not mean there isn't room for this kind of teleporter.

Now You're Thinking with Portals

Array x (Teleportation Array; Power Feats: Alternate Powers 2) [25]

BE: Teleportation X (Extras: Portal; Power Feats: Progression x)

AP: Blast X (Portal ; Power Feats: Indirect 3, VAriable descriptor 2)

AP: Blast X (Burst Portal; Burst General area; Extras: Area, Selective; Power Feats: Indirect 3, Variable descriptor 2)

AP: Deflect X (All Types; Extras: Area, Effects Others, Selective, Reflection, Redirection; Flaws: Action: Full Round, Distracting)

So here rather than teleporting oneself you open portals to allow yourself and others to travel you can also open portals to dangerous environs exposing those nearby to those conditions if briefly. Also you can open portals to catch and redirect incoming attacks though at a much higher concentration cost.