[M&M 2e] Blocking Teleport

[kamikasei]

So my group have a problem. Our enemies are teleporting away after we beat them and before we can catch them. We'd like to stop them from doing this, or at least make a good-faith effort IC to do so.

How?

I can think of a few solutions, but none of them are entirely satisfying, so I'm hoping someone here can give me an idea from a new angle.

The obvious answer would be Nullify (teleport), but Nullify doesn't prevent a power from being used; if it's used to counter a power, and has a duration above Instant, then that power can't be used until the duration runs out, but you can't just Nullify someone to prevent them from using a power in the future. So, okay, I can spend a hero point to get myself a suitable Area Nullify as an alternate power and then ready an action to counter the baddies when they look ready to flee - but that could require spending a chunk of the fight doing nothing but readying that action, unable to use any other attack power because I'd lose the alternate I gave myself, waiting for them to actually try to teleport. This is an option, but I don't like it.

Looking at Ultimate Power, under Teleport it suggests that a Nullifying Field can be used to prevent teleportation in to or out of an area. That would be just what I need, but it doesn't actually address the issue above about how Nullify works. I take it it's meant to be a special case, but if I have to convince my GM of that, I'd sure like to know if there's a rule I'm not aware of that makes it less special.

An added complication is that the enemies may not be teleporting under their own power - they may be getting zapped away by some external agent, and their own action is only to call for the teleport and carry tokens marking them as targets. Were it not for this, I'd try using an Area Drain (teleport) on them, but that's no good if the teleport is originating elsewhere. It'd be a great help if you could address this point in any suggestions made.

Thanks in advance.

[The Rose Dragon]

If you want to prevent people from teleporting into or out of the area, but Sustained or Concentration Duration Nullify with whatever Area you want. Mental Transform or Mind Control to prevent the use of Teleport are also possible solutions. If someone else is teleporting them, they still have to overcome Nullify.

[kamikasei]

As I said, my reading is that a Concentration, Sustained, or Continuous Duration Nullify means that someone I counter can't use the power again until the duration's up. It does not mean that the power can't be used in the area or by the target if I didn't use Nullify to specifically counter an attempt (unless the mention under Teleport in Ultimate Power is meant to point out a specific exception). Is there some error in my reading?

[The Rose Dragon]

That's kind of confusing in that Area effects can have two durations: one for how long the effect lasts, and one for how long the area lasts. For example, a Mind Control effect with the Area modifier can be fired once to affect everyone in an area at that moment and not anyone else that later enters the same area, but it will have its normal duration on everyone affected. On the other hand, an Instant Damage effect with a Concentration duration Area will continue to affect people that enter the area after it is fired, but won't hurt anyone that leaves that area.

Of course, alternately you can get a Reaction Nullify with the Selective modifier and Perception range, even though it will be terribly expensive, and automatically Nullify any unwanted teleportation, but you will be unable to use it voluntarily without an Alternate Power that increases its movement to Free or Move.

[kamikasei]

Aha. So you're suggesting making it Stationary rather than Attached, to use the language on UP page 98? That seems to be what I was looking for, all right (and since the point is to use it to prevent downed enemies from being zapped away, keeping them from leaving or being carried out of the area should be possible).

[Dogbert]

A Sustained Area effect should do the job without depriving you of actions other than Free ones, but I guess that's suicide if you rely on Force Fields or similar powers that use up your Free actions for the round.

…unless they weren't -your- free actions. Does your team have an inventor? I heard Genoshian power suppressing collars are in fashion this time of the year.

Also, if you're playing 2E, you should be demanding your GM for your respective HP rewards every time the villains escape automagically.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Steal their tokens.

[kamikasei]

That's the obvious response, but the tokens are metal wristbands; getting them off without seriously injuring the enemies may be difficult. Of course, it's possible we're supposed to only be able to capture the ones we can first down, and then spend actions to disable the bracelets of, while the rest get away - but the fights so far have been high-stakes enough that taking those actions while their allies can still attack us would be pretty risky.

The team does have an inventor, but an invention with the powers we need would be prohibitively expensive and high-DC.

[Nerd-o-rama]

If anyone has a Speed power (as opposed to Flight), they could probably stunt Quickness off of it to do something simple like undoing a metal wristband in one action. Unless they're solid metal you have to magic off, I'd allow it.

I'm assuming no one has Quickness by default because Tengu would smack it with a banhammer faster than you can say GaoGaiGar homage, of course.