Mutants and Masterminds question. (3rd edtiion.)

[Metahuman1]

Hello. A fairly short question.

I'm looking for a way to procure some bonuses to either the check for the Trance advantage, or to Fort Checks.

I'm building a character who's gonna have a mystical martial artist vibe to them, and I want to put the trance advantage on them and have them be able to basically always make the check to activate it.

But I also want them to have at least close to PL fort defense. (It's for a PL 10 game and I'm willing to go as low as +8 to Fort defense. Any lower and it starts to strain some of the credibility of the back story.).

So, I'm either looking for ways to have a 14 Awareness and get a +2 or higher always active bonus to fort, or to have less Awareness and a bonus to the check for the Trance advantage so that I can always use that with a lower Awareness then 14 so that I can raise my Fort higher.


If it helps, I think that I'd actually rather have the bonus to trance checks as it feels less min-maxy. But I'm willing to do it the other way to get it done if it's the only one that actually has an option.

[Cazero]

Isn't the Feature effect litterally made for that kind of things?
Feature(can make Trance checks as routine checks) shouldn't cost much since it's basically the Skill Mastery advantage on a extremely narrow skill that doesn't exist.

[The_Snark]

It's also possible to forgo the Trance advantage entirely and build the effect as a power, something like:

Immunity 4 (poison, disease, suffocation) plus Feature 1 (you appear to be dead).

This makes you immune to those effects at all times, or (if you change the default Permanent duration to Sustained) whenever you want to be. Apply flaws to taste: some mix of Activation (standard action), Duration (concentration), Quirk (can't take physical actions while the power is on) or Quirk (only delays poison/disease/suffocation) gives you a reasonable approximation of Trance's limitations.

[Metahuman1]

This actually wound up being what I did, along with a couple of limits to get it to react right.




That having been said, I've got another thing I'm trying to work out.

Spoiler: Lengh. Sheet for build as it stands. Work in Progress.

Show

Unnamed - PL 8

Strength -3, Stamina 2, Agility 0, Dexterity 0, Fighting 4, Intellect 8, Awareness 0, Presence 2

Advantages
Attractive, Close Attack 4, Close Attack 4, Fascinate (Expertise: Science.), Fearless, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 4: Array, Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Precise Attack (Close, Concealment), Precise Attack (Close, Cover), Redirect, Skill Mastery: Stealth, Speed of Thought, Uncanny Dodge

Skills
Acrobatics 4 (+4), Athletics 4 (+1), Expertise: Science. 2 (+10), Investigation 1 (+9), Perception 8 (+8), Persuasion 1 (+3), Stealth 18 (+30), Technology 1 (+9), Treatment 1 (+9), Vehicles 2 (+2)

Powers
Alternative biologey.
. . Movement: Movement 2 (Linked; Water Walking 2)
. . Quickness: Quickness 3 (Linked; Perform routine tasks in -3 time ranks)
. . Shrinking: Shrinking 12 (Linked; -3 STR, -6 Intimidate, +12 Stealth, +6 active defenses, -3 size categories, -1 speed ranks; Permanent)
. . Speed: Speed 6 (Linked; Speed: 120 miles/hour, 1800 feet/round)
Frequency Blade. (Easily Removable)
. . Hi Frequency Vibration Strikes.
. . . . Affliction: Cumulative Affliction 12 ([0 active, 39/37 PP, 3/r], 1st degree: Dazed, 2nd degree: Disabled, 3rd degree: Unaware, Resisted by: Fortitude, DC 18; Cumulative, Multiattack)
. . . . Affliction: Cumulative Affliction 12 ([0 active, 39/37 PP, 3/r], 1st degree: Fatigued, 2nd degree: Stunned, 3rd degree: Asleep, Resisted by: Will, DC 18; Cumulative, Multiattack)
. . . . Damage: Damage 12 ([10 active, 39/37 PP, 2/r+13], DC 23; Multiattack, Penetrating 12, Precise)
. . . . Enhanced Extra 4 ([4 active, 39/37 PP, 1/2r+4], Advantages: Close Attack 4)
Luck Control: Luck Control 1 (Force a Re-roll)
Traversal Suit. (Removable)
. . Concealment: Concealment 1 (Sense - Hearing; Partial)
. . Concealment: Concealment 4 (All Visual Senses; Partial)
. . Enhanced Trait: Enhanced Trait 21 (Traits: Parry +2 (+12), Fortitude +6 (+8), Will +7 (+8), Dodge +6 (+12))
. . Immunity: Immunity 30 (Custom: Parry Effects. 30; Limited - Half Effect, Side Effect: on failure - Must be aware of attack coming in.)
. . Immunity: Immunity 30 (Custom: Dodge. 30; Limited - Half Effect, Side Effect: on failure - Must be aware of attack. )
. . Linked Effects
. . . . Concealment: Concealment 2 (Linked; All Olfactory Senses)
. . . . Immunity: Immunity 2 (Linked; Uncommon Descriptor: Tacticle Perception Effects.)
. . Movement: Movement 3 (Swinging, Wall-crawling 2: full speed; Side Effect: on failure - Actually taking a hit can force me to spend a move action to compensate.)
. . Pharamones. : Feature 1
. . Protection: Protection 2 (+2 Toughness)

Offense
Initiative +12
Affliction: Cumulative Affliction 12, +8 (DC Fort 18)
Affliction: Cumulative Affliction 12, +8 (DC Will 18)
Damage: Damage 12, +8 (DC 23)
Grab, +12 (DC Spec 7)
Throw, +0 (DC 12)
Unarmed, +12 (DC 12)

Complications
Disability
Enemy

Languages
Native Language

Defense
Dodge 12/6, Parry 12/10, Fortitude 8/2, Toughness 4, Will 8/1

Power Points
Abilities 32 + Powers 112 + Advantages 20 + Skills 21 (42 ranks) + Defenses 1 = 186

Validation: Hi Frequency Vibration Strikes. - Affliction: Cumulative Affliction 12: Save DC exceeds Power Level ; Hi Frequency Vibration Strikes. - Affliction: Cumulative Affliction 12: Attack Bonus exceeds Power L; Hi Frequency Vibration Strikes. - Affliction: Cumulative Affliction 12: Save DC exceeds Power Level ; Hi Frequency Vibration Strikes. - Affliction: Cumulative Affliction 12: Attack Bonus exceeds Power L; Hi Frequency Vibration Strikes. - Damage: Damage 12: Save DC exceeds Power Level limit by 2; Hi Frequency Vibration Strikes. - Damage: Damage 12: Attack Bonus exceeds Power Level limit by 4; Hero: Too many PP spent (186, max 120); Hi Frequency Vibration Strikes. - Damage: Damage 12: Too many dynamic alternate powers active - 39 s; Hi Frequency Vibration Strikes. - Enhanced Extra 4: Too many dynamic alternate powers active - 39 sp


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So, the gist of this character is a really really really tiny sentient humanoid alien that's crash landed on earth, and decided "Well, screw it, I'm way more advanced then these people, but they've got some really cool cultural stuff down here and hey, I got nothing better to do for who knows how long while I wait on a rescue. Might as well check out this super hero thing!"

I need to figure out how to pair the point costs down to get it inside power level guide lines. I think the big ticket Items I need to figure out how to pair down cost for are the Enhanced defenses (Mostly there to keep power level caps factored in properly and also lean her toward the "I am damn near impossible to actually land a hit on." school of though. (Yes, the luck power and the Partial immunity's to attacks I know are coming are there to assist with that. And the speed and quickness powers are there, somewhat, to justify it and help keep it consistent, while the speed is also there to help her remain mobile. ), getting the cost for the permanent shrinking reduced, and getting the cost of the water walking, which is just there cause Surface tension is a thing at that size, down.

Anyone have any ideas?