Mutands and Masterminds 3rd Edition Dynamic Alternate Powers

[wagnerloeher]

Hi, hello. I'm trying to understand the Dynamic Alternate Powers, but I'm not quite getting it. Can someone please explain to me? For instance:

I have an Energy Controler. He can shoot lightning.

Energy Control is 2 PP per rank. So Energy Control (that is a Blast) 10 costs 20 PP.

I want to use this same energy to fly, Flight is 2 PP per rank (I'm not with the book, so I'm guessing the numbers). So if I pay 1 point I can have it Flight 10 as an Alternate Power. So far, I get it.

So now I can either shot energy rays, or fly, but not both. Flying and shooting would be nice, so I'll make my powers dynamic. So, according to the 3rd Edition rule, I pay 1 PP to make my basic power (blast) dynamic, and 2 PP to make any other alternate power dynamic as well. So now I have Blast 10 and Flight 10 at the same time. So far, I get it, but here's the question:

What if I want my Flight to be subtle (so I can fly without visual nor auditory effects and use Stealth while flying). This is a flat point from Flight, Subtle, 2 points (for no sound nor sight). Do I pay these 2 PP from my normal Power Point pool, or does it goes from the "limit" from the alternate power (therefore, I would have a Subtle Flight 9 instead of normal Flight 10) ?

EDIT: And now that I'm asking, what is the power in the 3rd Edition that simulates the power Shield from the 2nd Edition (raising Parry and Dodge instead of Toughness, I can't find it).

[The Rose Dragon]

Let's break things down.

1) No, you don't have Damage (Ranged) and Flight (both costing 2 power points per rank) at 10 ranks at the same time. You have 20 power points to distribute between Damage and Flight, that you can reallocate once every round. So, you can have Damage at 10 ranks and Flight at 0, Flight at 10 ranks and Damage at 0, Flight and Damage at both 5 ranks, or any other combination that totals 20 power points.

2) The power points would be paid from the Array, yes. So, if you want 2 ranks of Subtle, you would need to allocate 4 points to Flight at a minimum to use Flight at all, and you would max out at Flight 9 (Subtle 2).

3) There are no powers that directly simulates Shield, except Enhanced Dodge and Enhanced Parry. Shield itself was just Enhanced Dodge Bonus in Second Edition, and would be built similarly in Third Edition. For more dedicated defenses, you can also take Deflect, but it doesn't do the same thing Shield does.

[wagnerloeher]

Thank you very much for your answer, really cleared out things.

Just to comment, building a char that focus on avoid getting hit (high dodge and parry) looks much harder than avoid getting damaged (high toughness), because I would have to have both enhanced both parry (to avoid melee) and dodge (to avoid ranged) and still there are tons of things that make me lose these bonuses (surprise, feint, etc). Is there a reason why?

[The Rose Dragon]

There are several archetypes that don't particularly need high parry scores (especially flying ones, which are less likely to enter melee ever), but remember that Parry is effective against all Close attacks, while Dodge is effective against all Ranged and Area attacks, even those that don't target Toughness. So if someone is trying to mind control you with a Ranged attack, a good Dodge defense can prevent you from having to roll Will.

[wagnerloeher]

Many thanks The Rose Dragon, you've been a great help. Truly appreciate.

[wagnerloeher]

Alas, another question: about the Power Create, for 3rd Edition. (Page 102)
If I drop an object on someone will it says I'll cause the object Toughness as Damage, the Toughness of the Object is equal to it's rank, so, in this case, 10.

So the Dodge check to avoid it is 20 (10+10 of the rank) and the Toughness check to avoid damage will be 25 (15+10)?

Also, do I need to create a HUGE object (rank 10 is thousands of cubic feets), or can I create a small object that will cause that much damage due to it's weigth/concentrated mass?

[Beleriphon]

Alas, another question: about the Power Create, for 3rd Edition. (Page 102)
If I drop an object on someone will it says I'll cause the object Toughness as Damage, the Toughness of the Object is equal to it's rank, so, in this case, 10.

So the Dodge check to avoid it is 20 (10+10 of the rank) and the Toughness check to avoid damage will be 25 (15+10)?

Also, do I need to create a HUGE object (rank 10 is thousands of cubic feets), or can I create a small object that will cause that much damage due to it's weigth/concentrated mass?


You're better off using the Damage effect since the damage is largely determined by size of the object, although nothing inherently limits you to that in the rules. The Create options are there for guidelines for what to do in the circumstance of using Create to kind-of-sort-of replicate another effect (cages for example instead of Affliction). They aren't really meant to replace the actual Damage effect, or any other effect. With AEs being as cheap as they are having one replicate dropping an actual object isn't unreasonable here you can even make them with a Burst Area if you want.

[Grod_The_Giant]

So the Dodge check to avoid it is 20 (10+10 of the rank) and the Toughness check to avoid damage will be 25 (15+10)?
Yes.


Also, do I need to create a HUGE object (rank 10 is thousands of cubic feets), or can I create a small object that will cause that much damage due to it's weigth/concentrated mass?
By the rules, you don't need to make a maximally-sized object to do the full damage-- a small, dense one will do just fine. It's the same logic that applies when you throw things at people-- it's assumed that mass and acceleration sort of balance out to give you the same force.


You're better off using the Damage effect
Ehh... if your Create is Sustained (or possibly Continuous) and you switch to a Damage effect, you lose anything you already had in place. Good to have the option. Plus, Damage won't leave you a big object for your tank to throw at another enemy.