Mutants and Masterminds character help

[sifutoph92]

im new to d&d. im trying to run a mutants and masterminds campaign with some friends. im currently playing in a campaign with another group. i have all the books (i believe) but im having a hard time understanding how to create characters. how to place them. im starting them off in PL 5. im trying to build the first character for my friend. he wants x-23's adamantuim claws and static shocks electricity ability. i would be extremely greatful if someone can help walk me through this process. its really getting to me and i believe once i create on character my campaign should then fall into place. please help?

[Quellian-dyrae]

So, quick and easy, the claws would be a basic Damage power, the electricity would be an Energy Control (Electricity) power, which basically means a Damage power with the Ranged Extra.

Electrical Manipulation: Damage 5 (Ranged). (10 PP)

Claws: Damage 5. (5 PP)

However, these are both offensive powers. By definition, he's only using one at a time, so the best move is to put them in an array (that is, make one an Alternate Effect of the other). This allows him to pay the full cost for one, and purchase other powers that are mutually exclusive with it for 1 PP each, so long as the cost doesn't exceed that of the first:

Electrical Manipulation: Damage 5 (Ranged). (10 PP)

Claws: Damage 5. (1 PP)

Now, that's pleasant, but that Claws power only has a base cost of 5 PP, when it could have up to 10. So adding an Extra is probably a good idea. If they're supposed to be adamantium, the obvious choice is full ranks of Penetrating:

Electrical Manipulation: Damage 5 (Ranged). (10 PP)

Adamantium Claws: Damage 5 (Penetrating). (1 PP)

So now he has two options. In close combat, he has claws that ignore the Impervious Extra. For ranged combat, he can blast away with electricity.

Now we get into a few issues with the M&M system. They're kinda weird with how attack bonus is priced. Our guy has both a ranged and melee weapon, so he could be paying up to 2 PP per point of attack bonus to be decent with both. That's silly; instead, we'll use the Accurate Extra (1 PP for +2 to hit with that specific power). Since it gets slotted into the individual power, it increases the cost of the array, which gives us the array points to apply it to both powers in the array.

Since it's 2:1, though, PL 5 makes it a bit odd. Rather than be below PL, we'll just go for a tradeoff, accuracy for damage.

Electrical Manipulation: Damage 6 (Ranged, Accurate 2). (14 PP)

Adamantium Claws: Damage 6 (Penetrating, Accurate 2). (1 PP)

So now both attacks are made at +4 to hit, and deal Rank 6 damage (Toughness DC 21 to resist).

So that gives him the basics of what he's looking for without burning too much PP. Other things to consider:

Building like this makes the Abilities somewhat shaky. Specifically, he gets little benefit from Strength since he's at his Damage cap already. Dexterity and Fighting, likewise, are of less value since he already has accuracy. In my opinion, this is good, because I dislike the Abilities system. But a lot of people feel weird about their character being largely average across the board ability-wise. If he does want Strength, best move is probably going to be change the claws to Enhanced Strength (possibly Permanent and Innate) with Penetrating and Accurate applied to his Strength Damage, and then boost up the Electrical Manipulation to account for the extra points. For example:

Electrical Manipulation: Damage 6 (Ranged, Multiattack, Accurate 2, Extended Range). (21 PP)

Adamantium Enhancements: Enhanced Strength 6 (Permanent, Innate), Strength Effect is (Penetrating, Accurate 2). (1 PP)

That would make him modestly super-strong (but only when not channeling electricity!), the adamantium claws are accounted for in the Penetrating damage, and now he can fire multiple blasts of electricity to hit multiple guys or deal more damage to a single guy, per the Multiattack Extra.

From there, he could add other powers to the array. Move Object (Limited to Metal) for example. Or an Area electrical blast. Or maybe a straight Damage Linked to an Affliction to represent stabbing someone with electrically charged claws. And so on. Or he could just do those things occasionally as Power Stunts.

Hope that helps!

[Rhynn]

Which edition? There's three editions of Mutants & Masterminds.

[Grod_The_Giant]

While Quellian-dyrae's advice is all rules-legal, arrays (sets of Alternate Effects) do generally require some sort of thematic unity. If your "claws" are just electrical projections, having them be an alternate effect of your lightning bolt power is fine. But if they're distinct, then putting them together is kind of odd-- I'd probably reject it.

My take (for 3e):

Claws are a standard Damage power-- melee range, Strength-based. Two or three ranks ought to do it (that's about what a sword provides), maybe with a rank of two of Improved Critical and/or Penetrating.

"Static Shock's powers" is a bit more vague. You're probably looking at a few different things here. These can all be alternate effects, since they're all based on the same power-set.



A lightning bolt is probably Damage with the Ranged extra. (The "Blast" power). If you want a chain lightning type effect that can bounce from target to target, use the Multiattack extra.

For a "Force Lightning" type effect, close-ranged Damage with the Area (Cone) modifier will do you.

To pick up and move things with magnetic stuff, Move Object is your man-- possibly Perception ranged, probably Limited to Magnetic Objects.

For a "taser" type effect, you could go for a Ranged Affliction, inflicting Dazed, Stunned, or Incapacitated, depending on their degree of failure.


And as for the whole "flying on a trash can" thing, something like Flight with the Platform flaw (presented immediately under the "Flight" power), and a 1- or 2-point Quirk: requires metal platform.

[Rhynn]

While Quellian-dyrae's advice is all rules-legal, arrays (sets of Alternate Effects) do generally require some sort of thematic unity. If your "claws" are just electrical projections, having them be an alternate effect of your lightning bolt power is fine. But if they're distinct, then putting them together is kind of odd-- I'd probably reject it.

Yeah, the best advice for any edition of M&M is to work with your GM, because everything has to be approved, and it is easy to abuse the power-building system. Some powers are outright stated to be inappropriate for PCs, at least past a few levels.

[sifutoph92]

sorry this is for 2nd edition

[Grod_The_Giant]

Ah. Well, disregard my specific advice, then.

[Quellian-dyrae]

While Quellian-dyrae's advice is all rules-legal, arrays (sets of Alternate Effects) do generally require some sort of thematic unity. If your "claws" are just electrical projections, having them be an alternate effect of your lightning bolt power is fine. But if they're distinct, then putting them together is kind of odd-- I'd probably reject it.

This is true. Myself, I love the array system and use it extensively (it would probably not be unfair to say, I overuse it to at least some degree). That being said, if you're going to restrict arrays, I would advise doing it based on effects, not descriptors.

It just seems odd to me that "character with adamantine claws and lightning blasts" should have to pay substantially more PP than "character with shocking grasp and lightning blasts" when both have the same mechanical functionality.

Meanwhile, someone with a broad descriptor like telekinesis can easily fit several powers (a variety of offensive powers, movement powers like Flight and Leaping, tactical powers like Create and Move Object, etc) into the same array.

Basically, it's a good idea for a GM to impose some limits onto arrays. But in my opinion, the default suggestion for how to do it (power fluff) is a terrible system.


sorry this is for 2nd edition

Yeah, I was suggesting for 3e too :smallredface:. They're similar enough that I think most of the basics still work though (Multiattack is Autofire...the Abilities work somewhat differently...the Damage powers would be Strike for the claws and Blast for the ranged one...)

[Grod_The_Giant]

It just seems odd to me that "character with adamantine claws and lightning blasts" should have to pay substantially more PP than "character with shocking grasp and lightning blasts" when both have the same mechanical functionality.
On the other hand, the character with claws and lightning wants two separate power sets, while the character with lightning (including a thunderpunch) just wants one. Why shouldn't the guy who wants to focus on such unfocused things pay more?

(And if it seems unfair here, what if the guy wants paragon powers + lightning?)

[Quellian-dyrae]

So as not to hijack this thread. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=16225082) :smallamused: