Mutants and Masterminds 3rd Edition Question

[TehJhu]

Hey guys, myself and two friends are planning to play Mutants and Masterminds 3rd edition soon. Tonight we all sat down and made characters and next week we'll be starting the game proper with me as GM.

I've run into a snag with one of the player's heroes though. He wasn't trying to min/max or anything, and he and I both are wondering if what he created is legal so I'm coming here to see if someone more familiar with the M&M rules can tell me if we're doing something wrong or not.

The situation is this: The hero in question has an Array of Alternate Effect powers. The primary power for the array is an Illusion effect that costs 6 power points a rank and has 10 ranks, plus its Subtle for a total cost of 62 linked with a Perception range Damage effect that costs 3 points a rank and has 5 ranks.

Question 1) With these two powers Linked, the power point limit for other effects in the Array will be 67, correct? (62+17=83-16 [for Removable]=67)

This isn't the main question though. The player decided that, as part of his Array based off of the aforementioned power, he wanted a secondary Damage effect, just in case he was fighting someone who was immune to Illusions or that he couldn't affect with them for some reason.

This ability is a Perception ranged Damage effect that costs 2 points per rank and he has 20 ranks in it, for a total cost of 60 Power Points, which is less than the 67 point total of the Array power and so costs him 1 extra point.

Question 2) Should the Power Level of 10 somehow limit this second attack power? If I'm understanding it correctly it means that he can, at will and without an attack roll, force a character to make a Toughness save against DC 35 damage? That seems excessive, especially considering he managed to grab it for just 1 point. I'm hoping I missed something in the rules about Power Level limits, but if not then I'll allow it.

So, can this player melt brains with his 35 Toughness DC attack at PL 10? Or did I miss something?

[Drascin]

Well, I've not read 3rd edition yet, but in 2nd edition at least, Perception attacks are every bit as subject to the PL limit as absolutely everything else, and I can't see this going away in a new edition. So, no, no rank 20 damage power for 35 DC he's absolutely limited by the 10 rank cap for saves... at least with Perception. Because, see, if you have an attack roll, you can tradeoff all accuracy for increased save difficulty to get such figures (it's not a good idea, however, since you won't be able to hit the broad side of a Mon Calamari cruiser with that)... but since this power doesn't have an attack roll to trade from, he can't even do that.

So, yeah, no DC 35 mindblast.

By the way, word of warning: Unless the change of editions turned it completely upside down (and from what I hear, it very much didn't) "I'm hoping I missed something in the rules about it, but if not then I'll allow it" is not a recommended mindset for playing M&M. The game is broken by design to be able to accomodate anything from Spiderman to goddamn Galactus, and assumes a pretty active DM. That something is in the rules shouldn't keep you from asking the player to please not do that if you feel it would turn the campaign you have planned into something too easy. Having Silver Surfer prancing in a comic plotline and rogue gallery designed for Green Arrow would not do, now would it? :smallwink: