Mutants & Masterminds: Maximizing Rituals.

[Townopolis]

So, in my group's M&M game, which is more with the fantasy and less with the superheroes, I'm playing a wizard. However, the way I had him built (multiple magic arrays) wasn't working quite as well as I had hoped, and was inspiring just a little array envy in some of the other players, so I decided to try and rebuild him.

What I want is to be able to use magic to do just about anything. What does this best? Either variable powers (which every GM is advised to not let work like that) and ritual caster. So, I'm building a character around this feat.

Which leads us to: How to maximize ritual casting in M&M? The ritual casting rules as stated include implication that they work like invention rules when no differences are mention. Inventing allows taking 20 on research checks and taking 10 on craft checks.

What I have so far...

• feat: Ritual caster (of course)
• feat: Second chance: arcane lore
• feat: Ultimate effort: arcane lore
• feat: Skill master: arcane lore (+ others)
• High Int.
• skill: Maximized arcane lore
• item: Masterwork item of arcane lore (actually a device, and of debatable legality)
• power: Quickness applied specifically to research checks
• feat: Luck

One thing I haven't been able to address is the 10 minute/pp casting time. I can jury-rig spells, of course, and do it well between Int, ranks, and feats. However, I'd still like to be able to pare the normal time requirement for casting down a little. If I could get it down to 5 minutes/pp, that would be great, or even 1 minute/pp.

Anything beyond that, though, would really be too much. Part of why I rebuilt the character is that being able to break out any spell at high power in one round was a tier above everyone else.

[Nightson]

New spells can also be handled by expending extra effort to get an AP off of your magic array.

[Arakune]

Well, you could always take shapeshift (full round-2, continuous +1, drawback: 8 hours to change, complication/drawback: can't change physical stats freely) and call that "magic", but regardless:

Invest in some Luck and LuckControl feats in order to give the party some 'buffs' too.

Don't forget to take skill mastery [arcane lore, concentration].

Take quickness to use along with your rital casting and beg your DM to be able to use it because of Skill Mastery (just enough to let it be either 1round/pp) or else your 'magic' will be very, very, VERY situational.

If that is you aim, you can try to be the skill person too. Just invest in some more Wis and Cha. Take fascinate, distract, set up, team work and master plan to be an 'team player'. The other players will apreciate.

[Jlerpy]

item: Masterwork item of arcane lore (actually a device, and of debatable legality)

I wouldn't say it's that debatable. It can't increase your Skill ranks above the PL cap. Simple.

[kpenguin]

Skill ranks can't go above PL cap, but skill bonus is uncapped.

Otherwise, taking Morph beyond Rank 3 would break caps for anyone under PL 15.

[Jlerpy]

Skill ranks can't go above PL cap, but skill bonus is uncapped.

Otherwise, taking Morph beyond Rank 3 would break caps for anyone under PL 15.

Correct, but as this would be a Device that gives Enhanced Skill, it counts for the cap. I don't think there's another way to do it.

[Runeclaw]

You've moved from one of the most broken things in the game to one that is, if anything, even more broken.

Making it even more powerful shouldn't be that necesarry.

If you want spells you can use without prep time - go back to Powers. Have a few specific spells which are always available to you, and use Rituals to cover the rest.

[Runeclaw]

Correct, but as this would be a Device that gives Enhanced Skill, it counts for the cap. I don't think there's another way to do it.

Yeah, that seems true to me as well.

On the other hand, I don't think there's any limit to how high you can pump your Int.

[Jlerpy]

Yeah, that seems true to me as well.

On the other hand, I don't think there's any limit to how high you can pump your Int.

Attributes are limited by Power Level in the same way as Skills, so (at PL 10)you can manage +15 from each (which is still pretty ace).