Question about Grab powers in M&M

[Theonly1331]

1. So, I am confused about "Free Grab" being used with a "Grab based attack"


If I use unarmed attack, I get to make a grab attempt. If that grab succeeds,do I then get to use the attack that is grab based all in 1 standard action? So I can essentially use an unarmed attack, Grab, then use like a Damage power to hit them with my strength again? If this is the case, any suggestions on what my Grab Based attack should be? I want to really punish an opponent for getting grabbed.


2. I know it says you can only Grab in close range, but what if you have Precise Extra Limbs that have been given Range and ranks in Extended Range? Can you still not grab them at a ranged distance?

[The Rose Dragon]

Extra Limbs is a Personal power. It cannot be given the Ranged or Extended Reach extras. You can, however, use Elongation to grab at longer range than normal by increasing your Close range, and you can use Move Object to grab without needing to get into Close range.

[Grod_The_Giant]

If I use unarmed attack, I get to make a grab attempt. If that grab succeeds,do I then get to use the attack that is grab based all in 1 standard action? So I can essentially use an unarmed attack, Grab, then use like a Damage power to hit them with my strength again? If this is the case, any suggestions on what my Grab Based attack should be? I want to really punish an opponent for getting grabbed.
Grabs can be pretty nasty, yeah. The rough order of operations in this case would be:

Unarmed melee attack
Strength Damage
Start a grab attempt as a free action, thanks to Fast Grab
Grab-Based power triggers as a reaction.


One of the nastiest thing you could put in your Grab-Based attack would be Weaken (Strength), with an alternate effect for Weaken (Agility)-- cut down any chance of the foe escaping! A Cumulative Affliction is also a great choice-- something like Impaired, Disabled, Incapacitated, perhaps.


2. I know it says you can only Grab in close range, but what if you have Precise Extra Limbs that have been given Range and ranks in Extended Range? Can you still not grab them at a ranged distance?
I'm not sure what you're trying to do with that power, but it doesn't work. Increased Range can only be applied to a Close or Ranged effect-- "Ranged Extra Limbs" would have to first have Affects Others added, and then you'd be making people grow extra limbs at a range.

To grapple at range, what you need is Elongation. Elongation will give you an enormous range for melee attacks-- starting at 15 feet at rank 1, 250 feet at rank 5, and a mile at rank 10! Make it subtle, and... err... your stretched limb is invisible, so it looks like you're force-choking someone?

[Theonly1331]

Thanks for the replies!


What I am basically trying to do with Extra Limbs is make them Chains that my character can precisely extend out for 1000 feet. I don't want them to be ACTUAL limbs. I have been using the character builder on Hero Lab to make this character, and it allowed me to give extra limbs: Precise, Sustained, Projection (So they are more chain like rather than arm like), Increased Range, Extended Range. Is this not the case?

[The Rose Dragon]

Technically, you can give Extra Limbs Ranged or Extended Reach, but only if it has the Affects Others or Attack extras. The chains work better as Extra Limbs and Elongation (Limited to chains).

Remember, Personal powers only affect the user. As such, they are ineligible for extras that affect the range at which it can acquire targets.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Thanks for the replies!


What I am basically trying to do with Extra Limbs is make them Chains that my character can precisely extend out for 1000 feet. I don't want them to be ACTUAL limbs. I have been using the character builder on Hero Lab to make this character, and it allowed me to give extra limbs: Precise, Sustained, Projection (So they are more chain like rather than arm like), Increased Range, Extended Range. Is this not the case?
To build that power, I'd use something like this:

Dancing Chains: Extra Limbs X, Projection, Sustained; linked to Elongation 7, Quirk -1 (Only on Extra Limbs). You shouldn't need precise.

[Theonly1331]

Thanks again for the help!

One last question, I have a full strength character, so at power level 10 I could just make a power like this : Damage 1, weaken 9 dynamic, grab based, and my order would be unarmed damage,grab, damage damage, and then weaken all in one move? And if I put on strength effect: multi attack it would apply to both unarmed attack and damage power? That seem like ALOT of damage in one round.

[The_Snark]

Thanks again for the help!

One last question, I have a full strength character, so at power level 10 I could just make a power like this : Damage 1, weaken 9 dynamic, grab based, and my order would be unarmed damage,grab, damage damage, and then weaken all in one move? And if I put on strength effect: multi attack it would apply to both unarmed attack and damage power? That seem like ALOT of damage in one round.

Close, but not exactly. (I think. I'm not sure I follow what you mean with a Damage 1, Weaken 9 dynamic.)

It would work as follows:

1. Hit enemy with an unarmed attack.
2. If you hit, your enemy makes a resistance check against your unarmed damage, as normal, and...
3. ... your enemy then has to resist a grab effect.
4. If they fail the check against Grab, they suffer the usual effects, and...
5. ... they have to resist whatever Grab-Based power you have. It could be a Weaken effect, an Affliction, or even another Damage effect (though some GMs may look askance at trying to stack multiple damage effects on a single attack).

So yeah, it's pretty effective. Technically you can even have multiple Grab-based effects, all of which go off whenever you hit with a grab (assuming they aren't alternate powers), but again, I suspect that many GMs will just say no if you try this. There are plenty of unbalanced things in M&M.

Giving your Strength the Multi-Attack modifier is... partially effective. The single-target use will boost your unarmed damage and possibly the check to resist the grab, but grab-based powers won't benefit. The multi-target use will let you hit/grab/weaken multiple people, provided you have Improved Grab and maybe Extra Limbs.