Seemingly obvious questions (about PL caps)

[Jack of Tales]

Sooo here's where I reveal my complete inability to understand most of the M&M books >.>

1) Are power ranks limited by power level? I know that you can't have say blast 9000 because it exceeds the damage cap (or some cap..) same with powers with save DC's. But what about powers unrelated to that? Immunity? Teleport?

1a) Gravity Control? How can you tell when a power is limited by PL?

2) PL limites your attack bonus/defense/saves/DC's Now is this your BAB/BAC/etc? or is that in total? If you're PL 6 can you -only- have a max of +6 to hit with an attack? Can you only have a DC 16 for a save?

2a) If you buy the Accurate PF for a device at 3 ranks for a PL 6 character does that essentially stop you from being able to have a BAB at all?

3) If your character has wings does that mean you should/have to use additional limbs? Or do you need flight up to continuous? Say you want them to bring forth the wings at will but perhaps not always just for flight? I'm basing a character on Iztpapatotl, an aztec goddess who had obsidian daggers on her butterfly wings. What would I do for this? Flight + additional limbs + Strike? Could the flight/strike be an array?

Will add more as it comes up...*sigh* I'm sure most of these are obvious but I can't figure it out.

[Barnum]

1. The PL caps are listed on page 25 of the core book. That prescribes the limits of any power rank. Attack, Defense, Save DC, and Toughness are limited to PL. Max Save bonus, Skill Rank, and Max Ability bonus are limited to PL +5. You can change these around a bit by taking trade-offs however (see pages 24–25 for details).

So Flight ranks are not capped because Flight does provide a bonus to any of the capped traits. But Strike is, because it provides bonus to Save DC. Make sense? The Ranks of any power are limited when that power provides a bonus to any of the capped traits.

2. It is total. Apart from any trade-offs, you cannot have an Attack bonus (from all sources) that is greater than PL. So at PL 6 you are limited to a +6 damage bonus (DC 21 for a Toughness save, DC 16 for a Fort, Ref, or Will save), and +6 Attack, Defense, and Toughness.

2a. Pretty much, yes. If you have Accurate 3 on your Device, and you have any bonuses to attack from another source, then you are breaking PL (if you are PL 6).

3. If the wings are just for flying, then I would buy them at Flight X with the Power Loss Drawback (Flight doesn't work when you can't use your wings). This would simulate things like not being able to fly in very confined spaces or when you are grappled or snared. Strike with the same Drawback could be used to represent the wing daggers. I would only buy Additional Limbs if you plan on actually using the wings like arms.

[Jack of Tales]

You rock Thanks! I was looking on pg. 25 but for some reason just couldn't figure out about rank. So thank you so much for clearing it up!

And on the wings..*goes and scribbles* almost ready to post character

[Barnum]

Glad to help! Any time you have questions go ahead and post them in this forum. Your questions (and the answers) help lots of people, I'm sure.

Also, I changed the title of this thread to reflect the nature of the question. So others with the same question can find it easier. :D

[Jack of Tales]

4) Ability Scores: When would be an acceptable time to decrease a score to 0? How is this accomplished? For example, if a hero/villain/NPC is an undead and has no Con score do you gain 10 pp's? Or is it some type of power you must obtain?

[Dr Archeville]

4) Ability Scores: When would be an acceptable time to decrease a score to 0? How is this accomplished? For example, if a hero/villain/NPC is an undead and has no Con score do you gain 10 pp's? Or is it some type of power you must obtain?

Yes, they'd get 10pp back (and have a Con of -- [nonexistent], not 0), and also buy Immunity 30 (Fortitude effects). (If you just have a Con of --- and not the Immunity, it means you automatically fail all Fortitude save effects; by buying Immunity, you automatically make the save, showing that you are [more or less] truly immune to Fort effects.)

You could possibly have an Undead that has no Con and does not have the Immunity... but that'd mean it's as vulnerable to bacteria and insects and environmental factors and so on as any other corpse, and would be little more than bones and hair in about two months.

[Barnum]

Dr. A. beat me to it.

You can decrease any ability score to "nonexistent" when that score doesn't apply to your character. So for undead, dropping your Con to "nonexistent" would be appropriate. And yes, you get those 10 points back to spend. You can see a list of explanations for nonexistent ability scores on page 32 of the core book.

Also note: most undead also buy Immunity (Fortitude Save) to keep from having their character totally gimped by having no Con.

[Jack of Tales]

5) How would you emulate fighting for control of the body when using certain powers? For example, if the hero only has their powers due to possession by some outside force and using some of those powers causes that outside force to attempt to wrest control of them? I figured it would be an involuntary transformation flaw somehow linked to certain powers with perhaps a will save to not transform?

[Barnum]

That might work, or you could buy the "Check Required" or "Unreliable" flaw on the powers. Personally, I wouldn't though. Characters with mechanics like that never last around here. It all sounds interesting on paper but having to roll the dice to see if your can be a hero or not isn't apparently much fun. If you were really interested in having a character like that, I'd recommend just buying the powers normally and then RPing all of the mental wrestling yourself.

[Jack of Tales]

That might work, or you could buy the "Check Required" or "Unreliable" flaw on the powers. Personally, I wouldn't though. Characters with mechanics like that never last around here. It all sounds interesting on paper but having to roll the dice to see if your can be a hero or not isn't apparently much fun. If you were really interested in having a character like that, I'd recommend just buying the powers normally and then RPing all of the mental wrestling yourself.

I'm already at my allotted 2 characters but I had a nifty idea that I've been toying with and decided to make it and put it in a file somewhere for later use. I think I'll stick with the mental wrestling part combined with simply a 3 or 4 drawback on the Involuntary Transformation. Make it Frequency 1 or 2 with intensity 2 or 3.

6) Super-speed in UP states that it gives array points. Do you still have to buy the AP power feat to use those points?

EDIT: I think I found the answer to this on the ATT: Super-Speed grants one free AP at the same rank as the Super-Speed itself. So you get Quickness, Imp. Initiative, Speed, and Power X all at Rank Y. Is this right?

7) Immunity 30: Fort Saves includes Fortitude saves and what else? If you are immune to Fort saves that includes poison, disease and some powers. Does it also include age?

[Dr Archeville]

6) Super-speed in UP states that it gives array points. Do you still have to buy the AP power feat to use those points?

It gives one AP for free (Which can be used while using the other Super-Speed effects), others must be bought like any other AP.

[Jack of Tales]

8) The Rapid Attack AP for Super-Speed states that you can take an attack at every foe within power rank x 5 feet as a single action, single attack roll. It states that this can be a strike, trip or disarm. Now would this 'strike' be an unarmed attack or could it be another power used, say an actual Strike power?

[Dr Archeville]

8) The Rapid Attack AP for Super-Speed states that you can take an attack at every foe within power rank x 5 feet as a single action, single attack roll. It states that this can be a strike, trip or disarm. Now would this 'strike' be an unarmed attack or could it be another power used, say an actual Strike power?

It says "normal strike or a special action," so I'd be inclined to say no. If you want to be able to use Strike with Rapid Attack, apply the Area/Radius extra to your Strike.

[Jack of Tales]

Thanks Doctor & you too Barnum. Both of you are proving to be invaluable aid to me!

[Veiled Malice]

7) Immunity 30: Fort Saves includes Fortitude saves and what else? If you are immune to Fort saves that includes poison, disease and some powers. Does it also include age?

It includes anything that you would have to take (or eventually take) a fort save for. This is inclusive of aging, hunger, suffocation, sleep, low pressure, radiation, etc. With Immunity to fortitude, you can pretty much be considered an automaton in what you no longer need to do.

[Jack of Tales]

9) Does Auto-Fire count against the PL cap on damage? For example, if a PL 10 uses a trade-off of +2 attack/-2 DC can they have a Rank 8 Blast with auto-fire that can deal over +8 for the DC?

It includes anything that you would have to take (or eventually take) a fort save for. This is inclusive of aging, hunger, suffocation, sleep, low pressure, radiation, etc. With Immunity to fortitude, you can pretty much be considered an automaton in what you no longer need to do.

Awesome! That means I get an extra PP on this character I made ^^ Thanks!

[Folkert]

9) Does Auto-Fire count against the PL cap on damage? For example, if a PL 10 uses a trade-off of +2 attack/-2 DC can they have a Rank 8 Blast with auto-fire that can deal over +8 for the DC?

No it doesn't. 8-)

M&M 2E, p. 112: "The bonus granted by Autofire does not count against power level limits."

[Jack of Tales]

10) Here's one that's completely up to the GM's so I'd like to know what opinions are on this. If a charater using a Device as a weapon takes the Unreliable flaw alternate where it stops working after 5 uses to simulate ammunition. What would you rule a 'reload' action would take?

M&M 2E, p. 112: "The bonus granted by Autofire does not count against power level limits."

Hmm I was looking in UP and didn't see that >.> maybe I'm blind or its only in the 2E book.

[Veiled Malice]

10) Here's one that's completely up to the GM's so I'd like to know what opinions are on this. If a charater using a Device as a weapon takes the Unreliable flaw alternate where it stops working after 5 uses to simulate ammunition. What would you rule a 'reload' action would take?

If you could reload in combat, rather than having to go back to base or what have you, it's not a flaw. With normal weapons, it's assumed that reloading happens off screen and takes no time - you know, just like in real life!

(I watch too many action movies.)

[Barnum]

If you could reload in combat, rather than having to go back to base or what have you, it's not a flaw. With normal weapons, it's assumed that reloading happens off screen and takes no time - you know, just like in real life!

(I watch too many action movies.)

I agree. If someone wanted a -1 Flaw for limited to 5 uses, I would probably want the limit to be 5 uses per combat or more likely . . . 5 uses per day.

[Dr Archeville]

I agree. If someone wanted a -1 Flaw for limited to 5 uses, I would probably want the limit to be 5 uses per combat or more likely . . . 5 uses per day.

I also agree completely.

However, form the Mastermind's Manual:

Ammunition is simply one of the normal drawbacks of equipment, worth no discount in cost. At the GM’s discretion, having to count ammo may be a power drawback for a Device: 25 uses before reloading [as a move action] is a 1-point drawback, 10 uses is a 2-point drawback, and 5 is a 3-point drawback.

[Jack of Tales]

That's cool. At this point I'm having fun asking questions ^^ But they do all have a point, i've been developing some side characters for fun/experience at doing it.

11) How specific is Attack Specialization? Does it only apply to one specific attack or can it be an attack type? Such as Attack Specialization (Blast)?

[Barnum]

However, form the Mastermind's Manual:

I don't think that's a however. I agree with that completely too.

If a player wanted to have a 5-shot device and then could reload as a move action, I think that's a good use of a 3 pt. drawback. If it is 5 shots per day, that is easily a -1 Flaw.

11) How specific is Attack Specialization? Does it only apply to one specific attack or can it be an attack type? Such as Attack Specialization (Blast)?

One specific attack or weapon. So not "Blast" but rather "My Fire Blast".