2 Power Creation
The Mutants & Masterminds rulebook covers the majority of powers seen in the comic books and suitable for characters in the game, but the full range of powers is vast. This chapter is intended to provide Mutants & Masterminds players and Gamemasters with the necessary tools to build virtually any power they wish for their games, expanding upon and refining the material found in the M&M rulebook.
This chapter looks at the components of powers, starting with effects and proceeding through modifiers, power feats, power drawbacks,
power structures, and descriptors. It then looks at how to use these components to create powers.
EFFECTS
A power is made up of one or more effects. You can see examples of how effects combine to produce powers in the Powers chapter. This section looks at the various types of effects available in Mutants & Masterminds. These effects are the basic “building blocks” of the powers in the game; with them, you can create virtually any power you want.
EFFECT TYPES
Effects fall into certain categories or types. Effects of the same type follow similar rules and provide descriptors for certain uses of other
effects. This section discusses the different effect types and the rules governing them.
ALTERATION
Alteration effects change or transform in some way. Most alteration effects work on their user, but can be modified to work on others as well. Alteration effects targeting others require a standard action and an attack roll as a default and always offer a saving throw.
ATTACK
Attack effects are used offensively in combat. They generally require an attack roll and can damage, hinder, or otherwise harm their target in some way. Attack effects require a standard action by default and always offer a saving throw. Their duration is usually instant although their results—whether damage or hindrance—may linger until the target recovers from them.
DEFENSE
Defense effects protect in various ways, typically offering a bonus to saving throws, or granting immunity (automatic success on a save) against particular effects or conditions. Most defense effects work only on the user. Defense effects tend to be passive in nature, functioning at all times.
GENERAL
General power effects don’t fit into any other particular category. They’re not governed by any special rules other than those given in the effect’s description.
MOVEMENT
Movement effects allow characters to get around in various ways. There are three types of movement: normal move, accelerated move, and all out movement. A normal move is a move action and allows you to move your speed. An accelerated move is a full action (two move actions) and doubles your speed. All out movement is also a full action and quadruples your speed. You lose your dodge bonus while moving all out but gain a Defense bonus based on your speed (see Movement Pace, M&M, page 33, for more information).
Movement effects always require at least a move action to use, but the move action is counted as part of the character’s normal movement.
SENSORY
Sensory effects enhance, alter, or work via the senses. Some sensory effects improve the user’s senses while others grant new senses or influence the senses in some way. Sensory effects that improve the user’s senses are typically passive and continuous or permanent in duration, requiring no action to use apart from that required to make the necessary skill checks (such as Notice, Search, or Sense Motive). Sensory effects that work on unwilling subjects are active, require a standard action as a default, and allow a saving throw.
SENSE TYPES Senses are grouped into sense types, descriptors for how different sensory effects work. The different sense types, and the senses included in them, are:
• Visual: normal sight, darkvision, detect, infravision, low-light vision, microscopic vision, ultravision, X-Ray vision
• Auditory: normal hearing, detect, sonar, ultrasonic hearing
• Olfactory: normal smell and taste,, detect, scent
• Tactile: normal touch, blindsight (vibration), detect, tremorsense
• Radio: detect, microwaves, radar, radio
• Mental: detect, mental awareness, Mind Reading, Precognition, Postcognition
MENTAL EFFECTS
Mental senses are a special case for sensory effects that work on unwilling subjects: the subject must have an Intelligence score of at least 1 in order for the effect to work. Non-intelligent subjects are mindless and therefore unaffected. These sensory effects are noted as “(mental)” after their type. Mental effects are given as a separate effect type in the Mutants & Masterminds rulebook, but in this book (and future Mutants & Masterminds products) they’re defined as a particular type of sensory effect.The Mutants & Masterminds rulebook covers the majority of powers seen in the comic books and suitable for characters in the game, but the full range of powers is vast. This chapter is intended to provide Mutants & Masterminds players and Gamemasters with the necessary tools to build virtually any power they wish for their games, expanding upon and refining the material found in the M&M rulebook.
This chapter looks at the components of powers, starting with effects and proceeding through modifiers, power feats, power drawbacks, power structures, and descriptors. It then looks at how to use these components to create powers.
TRAIT
Trait effects influence a target’s traits: abilities, saves, skills, powers, and so forth. Most trait effects are touch range, require a standard action, and allow a saving throw. Trait effects don’t work on traits with the Innate power feat, since they cannot be altered (see the Power Feats section for details).
TRAIT TYPES
Traits are grouped into trait types, descriptors for how different trait effects work. The different trait types, and the traits included in them, are:
• Abilities: all ability scores and saving throws
• Skills: all skills, attack bonus, and defense bonus (including limited, but permanent, skill, attack, and defense bonuses)
• Feats: all feats
• Effects: each effect type is considered a separate trait type.
Alternately, all effects of a particular descriptor (regardless of type) may be considered a single trait type, such as all magical effects or all fire effects.
EFFECT DESCRIPTIONS
This section describes various effects available in Mutants & Masterminds. Here is the format for effect descriptions:
EFFECT NAME
Type: The effect’s type.
Action: The action required to use the effect. Passive effects have “(passive)” listed after their action, while active effects have “(active)” listed after it.
Range: The effect’s range.
Duration: The effect’s duration. Effects with lasting results have “(lasting)” listed after their duration.
Saving Throw: The saving throw used to resist the effect.
Harmless effects have “(harmless)” listed after the save type.
Staged effects have “(staged)” listed after.
Cost: How many power points the effect costs (per rank, if it is available in ranks).
A description of the effect and what it does in game terms follows.
POWER FEATS
This section describes power feats relevant to the effect.
EXTRAS
This section describes extras relevant to the effect.
FLAWS
This section describes flaws relevant to the effect.
DRAWBACKS
This section describes power drawbacks relevant to the effect.
ASSOCIATED EFFECTS
This section describes other effects commonly associated with the effect and how they may work together. If any of these later entries do not apply, they are omitted. So if an effect has no particular extras associated with it, for example, the Extras entry is omitted. In various parts of an effect’s description, certain circumstances may require multiplying the effect’s normal rank by a fraction (onehalf, two-thirds, and so forth). Unless specified otherwise, round the results of all such fractions down to the nearest whole number.
Bold text indicates a power structure. (H) = harmless, (L) = lasting, (S) = staged
ARRAY
The Array power structure is located in the Power Structures section (see page 108)
POWER FEATS
Power feats expand an effect’s utility in various ways. Acquiring a power feat costs 1 power point, just like a normal feat, and characters can use extra effort to temporarily acquire a power feat they don't already have. Power feats are options for an effect; you can generally decided to use them or not when you use the effect itself.
ACCURATE
An effect with this feat is especially accurate; you get +2 on attack rolls made with it. This power feat can be applied multiple times, each time it grants an additional +2 on attack rolls. The campaign’s power level limits maximum attack bonus with any given effect. The GM may choose to waive this limit for Accurate feats acquired via extra effort (given their temporary nature).
AFFECTS INSUBSTANTIAL
An effect with this feat works on insubstantial targets, in addition to having its normal effect on corporeal targets. One application of Affects Insubstantial allows the power to work at half its normal rank against insubstantial targets; two applications allow it to function at its full rank against them. Sensory effects do not require this f eat, since they already
affect insubstantial targets.
ALTERNATE POWER
This feat provides an additional Alternate Power for an Array, a different way in which it can be used (see the Array power
structure description for details).
Alternate Power is also usable via extra effort, temporarily reconfiguring an existing power(see Powers and Extra Effort in Chapter 3 for details).
DIMENSIONAL
This feat allows an effect to work on targets in another dimension (if any exist in the campaign). You affect your proximate location in the other dimension as if you were actually there, figuring range modifiers from that point.You can take this feat multiple times. If you take it a second time, your effect can reach into any of a related group of dimensions
(mythic dimensions, mystic dimensions, fiendish planes, and so forth). If you take it a third time, it can reach into any other dimension in the setting.
For many powers, you may need a Dimensional ESP effect to target them. Otherwise, targets have total concealment from
you, and any attack has a 50% miss chance, assuming it’s targeted in the right area at all.
EXTENDED REACH
Each time you apply this feat to a touch range power, you extend the power’s reach by 5 feet. This may represent a short-ranged power or an effect with a somewhat greater reach, like a whip or similar weapon.
HOMING
This feat grants an effect an additional opportunity to hit. If an attack roll with a Homing power fails, it attempts to hit again on the following round on your initiative, requiring only a free action to maintain and leaving you free to take other actions, including making another attack. The Homing power uses the same accurate sense as the original attack, so concealment effective against that sense may confuse the Homing attack and cause it to miss. If a Homing attack misses
due to concealment, it has lost its “lock” on the target and does not get any further chances to hit. You can buy Super-Senses Linked to the Homing effect, if desired (to create things like radar-guided or heat-seeking missiles, for example). If a Homing attack is countered before it hits, it loses any remaining chances to hit.
You can apply this feat multiple times, each time moves the number of additional chances to hit one step up the Progression Table, but the effect still only gets one attack roll per round.
IMPROVED RANGE
This feat improves the range increment of a ranged effect, moving the base increment (power rank x 10 feet) one step up the Progression Table. So Improved Range 1 makes a ranged effect’s increment (rank x 25) feet, then (rank x 50), and so forth. This does not increase the effect’s maximum range (see Ranged, page 13).
INCURABLE
The damage caused by an effect with this feat cannot be healed by powers such as Healing and Regeneration; the target must recover at the normal rate. Powers with the Persistent feat can heal Incurable damage.
INDIRECT
An effect with this feat can originate from a point other than the user, ignoring cover between the user and the target, such as walls and other intervening barriers, so long as they do not provide cover between the power’s origin point and the target. The range modifier is based on the distance from the attacker to the target, regardless of where the effect originates. An Indirect effect normally originates from a fixed point directed away from you. In some cases, an Indirect effect may count as a surprise attack (see Surprise Attacks, M&M, page 163).
If you apply this feat a second time, the power’s effect can come from any point directed away from you, including behind you. If you apply it three times, the effect can also be directed toward you (hitting a target in front of you from behind, for example).
INNATE
An effect with this feat is an innate part of your nature. Trait effects, such as Boost, Drain, or Nullify, cannot alter it. Gamemasters should exercise caution in allowing the application of this feat; the power must be a truly innate trait, such as an elephant’s size or a ghost’s incorporeal nature. If the effect is not something normal to the character’s species or type, it probably isn’t innate. Unlike other power feats, the use of innate is not optional: you cannot choose not to apply the feat’s benefits. Since Innate is essentially the same as a very limited Immunity to Trait Effects applies to a particular effect or power, and complete Immunity to Trait Effects is 5 ranks of Immunity, the Gamemaster may choose to allow characters requiring 4 or more instances of the Innate feat to simply take 4 ranks of it and apply to as many of the character’s effects or powers as desired.
KNOCKBACK
Applied to an effect that causes knockback (see Knockback, M&M, page 165), this ranked power feat adds +1 per rank to the effect’s rank when determining knockback. So a rank 5 Blast power with rank 3 Knockback is treated as Blast 8 for determining its knockback effect. Generally, this feat is limited to no more ranks than the rank of the effect, but the GM may modify this as desired.
MOVING FEINT
You can substitute twice the power rank of a movement effect with this power feat for your Bluff check modifier when making a check to feint in combat (see Bluff, M&M, page 42, for details). You must use the effect to move during the round in which you feint, making the attempt a full round action (a move action to move plus a standard action for the feint check). Example: Aquanaught is fighting Shark Man in the waters of Great Bay. Using Moving Feint, Aquanaught swims rapidly in circle around the undersea villain, attempting to distract him. Aquanaught player makes a check of d20 + 16 (twice the Swimming power rank) against the result of Shark Man's Sense Motive check. If she is successful, Shark Man loses his dodge bonus against Siren’s next attack, distracted by her dazzling speed.
PRECISE
Effects with this feat are especially precise. You can use a Precise effect to perform tasks requiring delicacy and fine control, such as using Precise Ranged Damage to spot-weld or carve your initials, Precise Move Object to type or pick a lock, Precise Environmental Control to match a particular temperature exactly, and so forth. The GM has final say as to what tasks can be performed with a Precise effect and may require a power, skill, or ability check to determine the degree of precision with any given task. A ranged attack effect with the Precise modifier gains the benefits of the Precise Shot feat (see Precise Shot, M&M, page 63), which is essentially the same thing.
PROGRESSION
Each time you apply this feat, move the area, range, mass, subjects, or other trait of the effect one step up the Progression Table. See the effect and modifier descriptions for details on specific applications of Progression.
REVERSIBLE
You can remove the lingering results of an effect with this feat at will as a free action, so long as the subject is within the effect’s range. Examples include removing the damage conditions from a Damage effect, repairing damage done by Drain Toughness, or removing a Dazzle or Snare effect instantly. Normally, you have no control over the lingering results of such effects.
RICOCHET
You can ricochet, or bounce, an attack effect with this feat off of a solid surface once to change its direction. This allows you to attack around corners, overcome cover and possibly gain a surprise attack bonus against an opponent. It does not allow you to affect multiple targets. The “bounce” has no effect apart from changing the attack’s direction. You must be able to define a clear path for your attack, which must follow a straight line between each ricochet. You can take this feat
multiple times; each time allows you to ricochet the attack an additional time before it hits. In some cases, a Ricochet effect may count as a surprise attack (see Surprise Attacks, M&M, page 163).
SEDATION
An effect able to cause unconsciousness can, with this feat, keep an unconscious subject from regaining consciousness as a sustained lasting effect. The subject gets a recovery check from unconsciousness for each interval on the Time Table
rather than each minute, starting at one minute. If you concentrate during the time interval, the subject gains no bonus to the save to recover from that interval (as with a normal sustained lasting power).
SELECTIVE
An effect with this feat is discriminating, allowing you to decide what is and is not affected. This is most useful for Area effects (see the Area power extra description). You must be able to accurately perceive a target in order to decide whether or not to affect it. If the power requires an attack roll or allows a saving throw, then Selective is an extra instead of a power feat (see the Selective Attack extra).
SLOW FADE
An effect that fades over time—such as a trait effect or an effect with the Fades modifier—does so slower with this power feat. Each application moves the time interval one step down the Time Table: from one round to five rounds to one minute (10 rounds), and so forth.
SPLIT ATTACK
With this feat, an effect normally affecting one target can split its effect between two targets. The attacker chooses how many ranks to apply to each target up to the power’s total rank. So a rank 10 power could be split 5/5, 4/6, 2/8, or any other total adding up to 10 (whole numbers only). If an attack roll is required, the attacker makes one roll, comparing the results against each target. The power affects the target normally at its reduced rank. Each additional application of this feat allows the power to split an additional time, so two applications of this feat allows an effect to split among three targets, then four, and so forth. An effect cannot split to less than one rank per target, and cannot apply more than one split to the same target.
SUBTLE
Subtle effects are not as noticeable. A subtle effect may be used to catch a target unaware and may in some cases qualify for a surprise attack (see Surprise Attacks, M&M, page 163). One application of this feat makes an effect difficult to notice; a DC 20 Notice check is required, or the effect is noticeable only to certain exotic senses (at the GM’s discretion). A second application makes the effect completely undetectable.
TRIGGERED
An instant duration effect with this feat can be “set” to activate under particular circumstances, such as in response to a particular danger, after a set amount of time has passed, in response to a particular event, and so forth. The circumstances must be detectable by your senses. You can acquire Super-Senses Limited to Triggered effects, if desired.
Setting the effect requires the same action as using it normally. Any necessary rolls are made when you set the effect’s
trigger. Setting the effect requires the same action as using it normally.
A Triggered effect lying in wait may be detected with a Notice check (DC 10 + power rank) and in some cases disarmed with a successful Disable Device check or appropriate power check (such as Nullify or another countering power) with a DC of (10 + power rank). A Triggered effect is good for one use, an instant duration. You can apply the Duration modifier to the power as a whole to extend the trigger’s duration, allowing the effect to go off multiple times, so long as its duration lasts (this usually requires a continuous duration). This does not affect the normal duration of the triggered
effect itself. If you apply this feat a second time, you can change the trigger condition each time you set it.
VARIABLE DESCRIPTOR
You can change the descriptors of an effect with this power feat, varying them as a free action once per round. For one rank with this feat, you can apply any of a closely related group of descriptors, such as weather, electromagnetic, temperature, and so forth. For two ranks, you can apply any of a broad group of descriptors,
such as any mental, magical, or technological descriptor. The GM decides if any given descriptor is appropriate for use with a particular effect and this feat.
POWER MODIFIERS
Power modifiers enhance or weaken effects in various ways, sometimes significantly changing how they work.
APPLYING MODIFIERS
Modifiers are permanent changes to how effects work. Positive modifiers, called extras, increase an effect’s cost per rank by 1. Negative modifiers, called flaws, reduce an effect’s cost per rank by 1. To determine the final cost, add the effect’s base cost per rank, plus the total positive modifiers, minus the total negative modifiers. If the result is a positive number, that’s the effect’s new cost per rank. So an effect costing 2 points per rank with modifiers of +3 and –1 has a final cost per rank of 4 points (2 + 3 – 1 = 4).
FRACTIONAL EFFECT COSTS
If modifiers reduce an effect’s cost to less than 1 power point per rank, each additional –1 modifier beyond that adds to the number of ranks you get by spending 1 power point on a 1-to-1 basis. So 1-point effect with a –1 modifier, rather than dropping to a cost of 0 points per rank instead gets 2 ranks for 1 power point. An effect’s cost can be expressed as the ratio of power points per rank (PP:R). So an effect costing 3 power points per rank is 3:1. If that effect has a total of –2 in modifiers, it costs 1:1, or 1 power point per rank. Applying another –1 modifier adds to the second part of the ratio, making it 1:2, or 1 power point per two ranks, and so forth.
Continue the progression for further reductions. Gamemasters may wish to limit the final modified cost ratio of any effect in the campaign (to 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, or whatever figure is appropriate). As a general rule, 1:5 (five effect ranks per power point) should be the lowest modified cost for an effect in Mutants & Masterminds, but the GM sets the limit (if any).
Example: The Soldier has Protection, but only effective against bludgeoning damage (a –3 modifier) and the Impervious extra (a +1 modifier) for a total modifier of –2. Since Protection costs 1 point per rank, the –2 modifier increases the number of ranks per power point, so the final cost of the power is 1 power point per 3 ranks of Impervious Protection vs. bludgeoning damage (from a 1:1 to a 1:3 ratio).
PARTIAL MODIFIERS
You can apply a modifier to only some of an effect’s ranks and not others in order to fine-tune the effect. A modifier must apply to at least one rank, and may apply to as many ranks as the effect has. The change in cost and effect applies only to the ranks with the modifier; the unmodified ranks have their normal cost and effect. Example: Claw girl's claws provide her with 8 ranks of the Strike power, but have a limited ability to penetrate Protection. The last 4 ranks have the flaw Limited (not against ranks of Protection), so they cost 1 point per 2 ranks rather 1 point per rank. The first 4 ranks have their normal cost (1 point per rank), so the Strike power costs 6 points total: 4 points for the first 4 ranks and 2 points
for the second 4 ranks. Against targets with Protection, Claw girl has a +4 melee damage bonus from her claws rather than +8.
EXTRA DESCRIPTIONS
Unless specified otherwise, the following extras increase an effect’s cost per rank by 1 point per application of the extra.
ACTION +1 MODIFIER/STEP
Using an effect requires one of the following types of actions: reaction, free, move, standard, or full action. Reducing the action required to use an effect is a +1 modifier per step (full action to standard action, for example). An effect’s required action cannot be reduced to none unless the effect is permanent (in which case it is generally automatic, see the Permanent flaw description). Gamemasters should be cautious about allowing this extra for attack effects. Movement effects cannot take this extra, since the move action required to use a movement effect is part of the character’s normal movement.
AFFECTS CORPOREAL +1 MODIFIER
An incorporeal being can use an effect with this extra on the corporeal world (see the Insubstantial effect description). Characters with lower ranks of Insubstantial do not require this extra for their effects to work on the physical world, although they can apply it to their Strength bonus to allow them to apply their Strength while Insubstantial.
AFFECTS OBJECTS +0/+1 MODIFIER
A Fortitude effect with this modifier works on non-living objects (those with no Constitution score). Generally, this extra applies to effects that heal or weaken living creatures, such as Boost, Drain, Healing, and Regeneration, allowing them to work on objects in the same way. If the effect works only on objects, and not living creatures, this is a +0 modifier.
AFFECTS OTHERS +0/+1 MODIFIER
This extra allows you to give someone else use of a personal power. You must touch the subject as a standard action, and they have control over their use of the power, although you can withdraw it when you wish. If you are unable to maintain
the power, it stops working, even if someone else is using it. Both you and your subject(s) can use the power simultaneously.
If the power only affects others, and not you, there’s no change in cost (a +0 modifier), essentially a combination of Affects Others and Limited (only others). You can increase the number of characters you can grant the power to simultaneously with the Progression power feat.
(ALTERNATE) SAVE +0/+1 MODIFIER
An effect with this modifier has a different saving throw than usual. The power’s effects and saving throw Difficulty Class remain the same, only the save differs. This is particularly important for Toughness save powers, which have a base DC of 15 + rank, rather than 10 + rank. If you change an effect with a Toughness save to another save, its save DC remains 15 + rank.
When applied to powers requiring a Toughness saving throw, Alternate Save is a +1 modifier and can only make the power’s save Fortitude or Will. Fortitude generally represents a toxic effect like a poison, while Will represents a mental or spiritual attack. In either case the power only works on targets with the appropriate save: Fortitude only affects living targets with a Constitution score. Will only affects creatures with all three mental ability scores. Neither works on inanimate objects. Applied to powers requiring some other saves, this modifier does not change an effect’s cost (it is a +0 modifier). The GM may choose to add a modifier if the alternate save grants a significant advantage in the campaign, but usually the differences in utility against various targets even out.
AREA +1 MODIFIER
This extra allows an effect that normally works on a single target to affect an entire area. Area effects are defined as targeted or general, by their shape, and by their interaction with effect range and duration.
Effects that already affect a given area cannot apply this modifier; their area is defined by the effect’s rank and the use of
the Progression power feat (see the Progression power feat description).
GENERAL AND TARGETED AREA EFFECTS
Choose one of the following options:
• General: A general area effect follows the normal area attack rules given in Mutants & Masterminds: targets in the affected area receive a Reflex saving throw to reduce the effect (or eliminate it entirely, if they have the Evasion feat). General area effects do not require attack rolls and cannot benefit from trade-offs on power level limits; they’re limited to a saving throw DC modifier of no more than the power level.
• Targeted: A targeted area effect is an option for any effect that normally requires an attack roll. It allows the effect to “attack” everyone in the affected area. The attacker makes a single attack roll for the effect, comparing the result to the Defense of each potential target in the area, meaning the effect may hit some and miss others. The targets hit by the attack receive the normal saving throw against it, but do not get a Reflex save to reduce or eliminate the effect, unlike general area effects. The Evasion feat does not apply to targeted area effects, since they do not allow a Reflex saving throw. Attack and Save DC trade-offs apply to targeted area effects, since they require an attack roll.
AREA EFFECT SHAPE
Choose one of the following options:
• Burst: The effect fills a sphere with a 5-foot radius per rank. Bursts on level surfaces (like the ground) create hemispheres (rank x 5 feet) in radius and height.
• Cloud: The effect fills a sphere 5-feet in diameter (not radius) per rank and lingers in that area for one round after its duration expires (affecting any targets in the area normally during the additional round). Clouds on level surfaces (like the ground) create hemispheres (rank x 5 feet) in diameter and half that distance in height.
• Cone: The effect fills a cone with a final length, width, and height of 10 feet per rank, spreading out from the effect’s starting point. Cones on a level surface halve their final height.
• Cylinder: The effect fills a cylinder with a total radius and height of 5 feet per rank. So, for example, a rank 10 Cylinder
Area could have a 20-foot radius and a height of 30 feet, a 10 foot radius and a height of 40 feet, or any other combination adding up to 50 feet (10 ranks x 5 feet).
• Line: The effect fills a path 5 feet wide and 10 feet per rank long in a straight line.
• Perception: The effect works on anyone able to perceive the target point with a particular sense, chosen when you
apply this extra, like a Sense-Dependent effect (see the Sense Dependent modifier). Targets get a Reflex saving throw, as
usual, but if the save is successful suffer no effect (rather than half). Concealment that prevents a target from perceiving
the effect also blocks it. Perception Area effects must be General, and cannot be Targeted. This modifier includes the Sense Dependent flaw (see Flaws) so it cannot be applied again. If it is applied to an already Sense-Dependent effect, it is a +2 extra rather than +1.
• Shapeable: The effect fills a 5-foot square cube per rank, and you may arrange the area’s volume in any shape you wish, so long as all of the cubes are touching. Each application of the Progression power feat increases the number of cubes per rank (2, 5, 10, and so forth).
• Trail: The effect fills a line up to 10 feet per rank behind you as you move, affecting anyone in the area you’ve moved through. Note the action required to use the effect does not change unless you also apply an Action modifier. So as a default, you have to take a standard action each round to use a Trail Area attack effect.
ENLARGING AND REDUCING AREA
You may affect a smaller area than your maximum by lowering the effect’s rank (reducing its effectiveness as well). So a rank 8 burst area has a radius of 40 feet (8 x 5 feet). If you lower the power’s rank to 4, you reduce the radius to 20 feet. Effects with the Full Power drawback cannot adjust their area, since you cannot voluntarily lower the effect’s rank. The Progression power feat increases the size of an Area effect,
moving its base distance one step up the Progression Table. Since power feat use is optional, you can choose not to use extra area provided by Progression without lowering the effect’s rank. The Progression feat can also reduce the size of an Area effect: each feat acquired for this purpose lowers the effect’s effective rank by one to a minimum of one rank. This is a separate application of Progression and is likewise optional, you choose how much to reduce the area’s size, or if you reduce it at all.
AREA AND RANGE
The Area modifier interacts with different ranges as follows:
• Touch: An effect must be at least touch range in order to apply the Area extra (personal range effects work only on the user by definition). A Touch Area effect originates from the user and fills the affected area; the user is not affected by it. So, for example, a touch range Burst Area Damage effect does not damage the user. This immunity does not extend to anyone else: for that, apply the Selective Attack extra.
• Ranged: A ranged Area effect’s area can be placed anywhere within the effect’s range, extending to fill the area’s volume.
• Perception: A perception range area effect can be placed anywhere the user can accurately perceive. Neither General nor Targeted Perception Area effects require an attack roll or allow a Reflex save to reduce their effects, although targets still get a normal save against the effect. General Perception Areas are blocked by concealment: if the attacker can’t accurately perceive a target in the area, it is unaffected. Thus even
heavy smoke or darkness can block a General Perception Area effect. Cover that does not provide concealment does not block a General Perception Area effect. Targeted Perception Area effects are blocked by cover, much like conventional explosions: solid barriers can interfere with the effect, even if they are transparent, and the effect ignores concealment like darkness, shadows, or smoke. Only targets behind complete cover are unaffected. Example: Evil Mind has a General Burst Area Mind Control effect, allowing him to seize control of the minds of everyone in the area. He must be able to accurately perceive a target to control it; an invisible foe or one out of his line of sight, for example, would be unaffected, even if they were within the radius of the burst. On the other hand, targets behind a glass wall are affected,
since Mastermind can perceive them. Fear-Master has a Targeted Burst Area Emotion Control (fear) effect—a fear inducing gas. Targets behind a solid barrier (such as on the other side of that glass wall) are unaffected, but the invisible or concealed target is, even though Fear-Master
can’t see him.
AREA AND DURATION
If the Area effect has a duration longer than instant, choose one of the following options (with no change in cost):
• Stationary: A stationary Area effect remains where it is placed for as long as the effect lasts. Anyone in the area (or entering the area) is affected for as long as they remain. Anyone leaving the area is no longer affected.
• Attached: An attached Area effect remains with the targets it initially affects for as long as the effect lasts, even if those targets leave the initial area. Others who enter the area after the initial effect are not affected by it, only the initial targets.
ATTACK +0 MODIFIER
This extra applies to personal range effects, making them into attack effects. Examples include Shrinking and Teleport, creating attacks that
cause a target to shrink or teleport away. Unlike most extras, the effect’s cost does not change, although it does work differently. The effect no longer works on you, so a Teleport Attack can’t be used to teleport yourself. It affects one creature of any size or 100 lbs. of inanimate mass. You can increase affected mass with the Progression power feat. The effect has touch range and requires a standard action and a melee attack roll to touch the subject. Its ranged can be improved with the Range extra. Its required action can be changed with the Action modifier. The target gets an appropriate saving throw, determined when the effect is purchased. Generally Reflex or Will saves are the most appropriate,
with a DC of 10 + power rank.
You must define reasonably common defenses that negate an Attack effect entirely, such as force fields or the ability to teleport blocking a Teleport Attack. You control the effect, and maintain it, if it has a duration longer than instant. If you want both versions of an Attack effect, such as being able to Teleport yourself and Teleport others as an attack, take both as configurations of an Array structure. For the ability to use both options simultaneously—to teleport a target and yourself at the same time, for example—apply a +1 modifier.
AURA +1 MODIFIER
A touch range sustained duration effect with this extra automatically affects anyone touching you, including anyone who strikes or grapples you unarmed, as well as anyone you touch or grapple. To apply this extra, first modify the effect’s range and duration, if they are not already touch and sustained, then apply the Aura modifier. So a Damage effect (which is touch range and instant duration) would need a +2 Duration modifier along with the +1 Aura modifier.
You can turn your aura on or off as a free action and it is sustained in duration (the effect itself has its normal duration, so a Stun Aura’s
effect is still instant in duration and lasting). You can change your aura effect’s duration with Duration modifiers. You can apply the Selective
feat to change what parts of your body the aura covers as a free action; it normally surrounds you completely.
Any attacker who makes a successful unarmed attack or a successful attack roll to begin a grapple is automatically affected by your Aura. This includes those attacks which you successfully block in such a manner that the attacker comes into contact with your Aura. The attacker gets a normal saving throw against the Aura’s effect.
An attacker using a melee weapon does not come into direct contact with your Aura and therefore is generally not affected by it, although the Aura may affect the weapon itself. Descriptors can also affect this; for example, an Electrical Damage Aura could conduct through a metal weapon, affecting the wielder, while leaving the weapon itself largely undamaged. The Gamemaster should adjudicate these on a case-by-case basis.
If you make an unarmed attack while your Aura is active, a Damage Aura stacks with your melee damage, while targets save against other Aura effects separately. You can also inflict your Aura effect on anyone you successfully grapple; you only need to make a successful attack roll to initiate the grapple, the effect occurs whether or not you win the opposed grapple check. It occurs again each round on your action so long
as the grapple continues, which is likely to encourage your opponent to release you and escape the grapple as soon as possible. If you activate your Aura while being grappled, it affects anyone grappling you automatically (and, again, will likely encourage them to let go). An Aura effect does not provide any protection against attacks (beyond dissuading opponents from attacking you unarmed); use an appropriate defense effect like Protection for that.
MENTAL AURA
Optionally, an Aura may be set up as a Mental Aura, “surrounding” your mind rather than your body. This has the same cost and requirements
as a regular Aura effect. In this case, the Aura affects anyone “touching” your mind with an effect like Mind Reading or Mind Control or engaging you in a mental grapple (see Mental Grapple, M&M, page 157). A Mental Aura does not affect those with whom you initiate a mental grapple, only opponents who attempt to mentally grapple you. Otherwise, it works essentially the same: the aggressor must immediately save
against the Mental Aura effect and must do so again on each of your actions so long as mental contact is maintained. Example: The Murder Spirit is not only Immune to Mental Effects, but also has a rank 4 Mental Stun Aura, inflicting agony on anyone foolish enough to attempt to delve into its mind. Anyone contacting Jack-A-Knives’ host with an effect like Mind Reading must immediately make a Will saving throw against the Mental Aura’s Stun effect (DC 14 for its rank).
AUTOFIRE +1 MODIFIER
An Autofire power fires multiple shots in a standard action. Autofire can apply to any power requiring an attack roll (see Autofire Attack, M&M, page 160, for details). To use an Autofire attack against a single target, make your attack roll normally. For every 2 points your attack roll exceed the target’s Defense, increase the attack’s saving throw DC by +1, to a maximum of +5 (or half the attack’s damage bonus, rounded up, whichever is less.). If an Impervious defense (Force Field or Protection, for example) would normally ignore the attack before any increase in the save DC, then the attack has no effect as usual; a volley of multiple shots is no more likely to penetrate an Impervious defense than
just one.
MULTIPLE TARGETS
You can use Autofire to attack multiple targets at once as a full action by “walking” the Autofire attack from target to target. Choose a line of 5-foot squares no greater in number than your attack bonus. You may make attack rolls to hit targets, one target at a time, starting at one end of the line and continuing to the other end. You suffer a penalty to each of your attack rolls equal to the total number of squares. If you miss one target, you may still attempt to hit the others.
COVERING FIRE
An Autofire attack can provide cover for an ally. Take a full action and choose an ally in your line of sight, who receives a +4 dodge
bonus against enemies in your line of sight and in range of your Autofire attack. (You have to be able to shoot at them to get them to keep their heads down or this maneuver won’t work.) You cannot lay down covering fire for an ally in melee. Each character after the first who lays down covering fire for the same individual grants an additional +1 dodge bonus. All covering fire attackers receive a free attack if an opponent chooses to ignore the dodge bonus granted to the protected target.
SUPPRESSION FIRE
An Autofire attack can lay down a volley to force opponents to seek cover. Take a full-round action and choose an opponent, who receives a –4 penalty to attack rolls and checks for one round while in your line of sight and in range of your attack. An opponent who chooses not to seek cover ignores the attack modifier from by suppression fire but is automatically attacked (a free action for you). You cannot lay down suppression fire on an opponent in melee. Each character after the first who lays down suppression fire for the same target imposes an additional –1 penalty. All suppression fire attackers receive a free attack if the target fails to take cover or otherwise get out of their sight.
Applying this extra a second time reduces the Autofire interval (the amount your attack roll needs to exceed the target’s Defense) to 1 instead of 2. Another application of the extra can also increase the maximum saving throw DC bonus to +10, or the attack’s normal save DC modifier, whichever is less. The bonus granted by Autofire does not count against power level limits.
CONTAGIOUS +1 MODIFIER
Contagious powers work on both the target and anyone coming into contact with the target. New targets save against the power
normally. They also become contagious, and the effect lingers until all traces have been eliminated. A Contagious power is also eliminated
if you stop maintaining it, although Continuous Contagious effects remain without need for maintenance. Examples of powers with this extra
include “sticky” Snares trapping anyone touching them, Contagious Disease Drains, or even a Nullify effect spreading from one victim to another.
DISEASE +2 MODIFIER
This extra causes an instant duration effect to work like a disease. If the target’s saving throw fails, the target is infected, but the Disease
effect does not work immediately. Instead, on the following day, the target makes another save. If that save fails, the effect occurs, if the save succeeds, there is no effect that day. The target makes another save each day. Two successful saves in a row eliminate the Disease effect from the target’s system; otherwise it continues to occur each day. The target cannot recover from the Disease effect until it is cured. A Healing effect can counter a Disease effect with a (DC 10 + power rank) check.
DURATION +1 MODIFIER
An effect has one of the following durations: Instant, Concentration, Sustained, or Continuous. Increasing duration one step (from instant to concentration, for example) is a +1 modifier. Permanent duration is a flaw applied to Continuous effects (see Permanent, page 104, and see Duration, page 103, for more information).
EXPLOSION +1 MODIFIER
The effect with this modifier radiates out 10 feet per rank from a center point, much like a Burst Area (see the Area modifier), except it loses one rank of effectiveness per 10 feet after the first (having its full effect in the first 10-foot radius, then minus 1 rank, minus 2, and so forth). You are affected by the effect if you’re within it’s area, unless it’s a touch range or you have Immunity to the effect.
IMPERVIOUS +1 MODIFIER
A saving throw with this modifier is especially resistant. Any effect with a Save Difficulty modifier less than the Impervious save’s bonus is resisted automatically (that is, the saving throw automatically succeeds). So, for example, Impervious Toughness 8 automatically resists any Damage with a bonus of +7 or less. Penetrating effects can overcome some or all of an Impervious saving throw see the Penetrating extra under the Damage effect). Impervious is primarily intended for Toughness saving throws, to handle characters immune to a certain threshold of damage, but it can be applied to other saves with the GM’s permission, to reflect characters with certain reliable capabilities in terms of resisting particular effects or hazards.
INDEPENDENT +0 MODIFIER
Applied to a sustained effect, this modifier makes its duration independent of the user and based instead on the number of power points in the effect. The effect occurs normally and then fades at a rate of 1 power point of effectiveness per round until it is gone. While it lasts, it requires no attention or maintenance from the user, like a continuous duration effect, although it can still be countered or nullified (also like a continuous effect). This is like a combination of the Duration (continuous) and Fades modifiers. An Independent Alternate Power continues to function even when the Array is switched to a different configuration. If an effect is not sustained, modify its duration before applying this modifier.
Independent is useful for effects like Create Object (for objects that fade or melt away), Environmental Control (for changes to the environment that slowly return to normal), or Obscure (for obscured areas that slowly shrink and disappear, like the effects of a smoke
or gas grenade). The Slow Fade power feat can modify the rate at which the Independent effect fades, and the Total Fade modifier can keep it at full strength until its duration runs out, although the GM should approve any increases in the fade duration as best suits the effect and the series.
INSIDIOUS +1 MODIFIER
This modifier is similar to the Subtle power feat, except Insidious makes the result of an effect harder to detect rather than the effect itself. For example, a target suffering from Insidious Damage isn’t even aware he’s been damaged, someone affected by an Insidious Drain feels fine until some deficiency becomes obvious, and so forth. A target of an Insidious effect may remain unaware of any danger until it’s too late! An Insidious effect is detectable either by a DC 20 skill check (usually Notice, although skills like Knowledge, Medicine, or Sense Motive may apply in other cases as the GM sees fit) or a particular unusual sense, such as an Insidious magical effect noticeable by detect magic or magical awareness.
Note that Insidious does not make the effect itself harder to notice; apply the Subtle power feat for that. So it is possible for an active Insidious effect to be noticeable: the target can perceive the effect, but not its results: for example, the effect appears “harmless” or doesn’t seem to “do anything” since the target cannot detect the results.
KNOCKBACK +1 MODIFIER
When applied to a non-Damage effect, this extra causes it to inflict knockback like a Damage effect (see Knockback, M&M, page 165). This is best suited to attack effects, naturally, although the GM should adjudicate applications of the modifier.
LINKED +0 MODIFIER
This modifier applies to two or more effects, linking them together so they only work in conjunction as a single power. The Linked effects must have the same range (modify their ranges so they match). The action required to use the combined effects is the longest of its components and they use a single attack roll (if one is required) and saving throw (if both effects use the same type of save). If the effects use different saves, targets save against each separately. Different Alternate Powers in an Array cannot be Linked to each other, since they can’t be used at the same time, although they can be Linked to other effects outside the Array structure. Generally the same effect cannot be Linked to itself to “multiply” the results of a failed save (such as two Linked Damage effects causing “double damage” on a failed save). This modifier does not change the cost of the component effects; simply add their costs together to get the new power’s cost. If you can use the Linked effects either separately or together, increase the cost of all but the most expensive power by +1 per rank (if the effects all have the same cost, choose one), or acquire non-Linked versions as Alternate Powers in an Array. Example: Captain Thunder has the ability to hurl thunderbolts that shock their targets with electricity and deafen them with powerful claps of thunder. This is a Ranged Damage effect (lightning) Linked to an Area Auditory Dazzle effect (thunder). Each effect costs 2 points per rank, so the combined effect costs 4 points per rank.
Since they’re both ranged and require a standard action to use, so does the combined effect. Since Damage requires a Toughness save and dazzle requires a Reflex (and then Fortitude) save, the target saves against them separately, making a Toughness saving throw against the damage of the lightning and a Reflex save to avoid being deafened by the thunder. Example: Scare-Master’s newest device induces a state
of utter fearlessness while simultaneously enhancing the subject’s Strength. This is an Emotion Control effect, Limited to hope, Linked to Boost Strength. Emotion Control is perception range and requires a standard action; Boost is touch range and requires a standard action. Improving Boost’s range to perception (to match Emotion Control) is a +2 extra. The GM also requires the Alternate Save modifier, changing Boost’s save to Will. The Emotion Control effect costs 1 point per rank while the modified Boost effect costs 3 points per rank, for a combined effect ost of 4 points per rank. The target makes a single Will save: if it succeeds, there’s no effect, if it fails, the subject’s fear is erased
and Strength is boosted.
MENTAL +0 MODIFIER
Applied to a perception range effect with a Will saving throw, this modifier makes it a mental sensory effect. If necessary, first modify the effect’s range and saving throw before apply this modifier. It is similar to the Sense-Dependent flaw (in the Flaws section, following) but is a +0 modifier because, unlike Sense-Dependent, a Mental effect is less limited. Mental effects are noticeable only to the subject and those observers
with the appropriate mental senses. They only work on creatures with mental ability scores. Other sensory effects may interfere with or block mental sensory effects.
NO SAVING THROW +2 MODIFIER
An effect that normally allows a saving throw does not do so withthe application of this modifier. Essentially, the target is assumed to automatically fail the effect’s usual save. If applied to a staged effect, the target receives a saving throw, but the effect has its minimum
possible effect (that of failing the save by 1) even if the save succeeds.
Immunity (and any other effect where a saving throw succeeds automatically) trumps this modifier; targets immune to an effect are equally immune to No Saving Throw versions of that effect.
POISON +1 MODIFIER
This extra, when applied to an effect requiring a saving throw, causes it to work like a toxin. If the target’s save fails, the effect occurs. One minute later, the target must make another save or suffer the effect a second time. Then the effect stops. A Healing effect can counter a Poison effect with a (DC 10 + power rank) check.
RANGE +1 MODIFIER/STEP
An effect has a range of touch, ranged, or perception. Increasing range one step (from touch to ranged, for example) is a +1 modifier (see Range, page 13). Going from personal to touch range requires the Affects Others or Attack extras, not this extra. Extended range effects cannot have this modifier; their range determined by power rank. To change the effect’s range, increase or decrease its rank.
SECONDARY EFFECT +1 MODIFIER
An instant effect with this modifier affects the target once immediately (when the effect is used) and then affects the target again on the following round, on the same initiative count as the initial attack. The target gets the normal saving throw against the secondary effect, which is treated as lasting, meaning it occurs without any effort on the part of the attacker, even if the attacker is incapacitated or witches to a different Alternate Power or Variable effect configuration. Secondary Effects don’t stack, so if you attack a target with your
Secondary Effect on the round after a successful hit, it doesn’t affect the target twice; it simply delays the second effect for a round. You can attack the target with a different effect, however. So, for example, if you hit a target with a Secondary Effect Strike then, on the following round, hit with a Stun attack, the target suffers both the Stun and the Secondary Effect of the Strike.
SELECTIVE ATTACK +1 MODIFIER
An attack effect with this extra is discriminating, allowing you to decide who is and is not affected. This is most useful for Area effects
(see the Area extra). You must be able to accurately perceive a target in order to decide whether or not to affect it. This modifier is for
effects requiring a saving throw. For other area effects, use the Selective power feat.
SLEEP +0 MODIFIER
When this modifier is applied to an effect that causes unconsciousness (such as Damage, Fatigue, or Stun), the effects puts targets into a deep
sleep whenever it would normally render them unconscious. The target makes a recovery check to wake up only once per hour rather than
once per minute, but may be awoken by loud noise (make a Notice check for the subject with a –10 modifier, a successful check means
the subject wakes up). Someone taking an aid action can awaken a sleeping character automatically (see Aid, M&M, page 154). A sleeping
character that takes damage automatically wakes up.
TOTAL FADE +1 MODIFIER
Effects with this extra don’t fade gradually, at the normal at a rate of 1 power point per round. Instead, when the total fade time is up, the
trait returns to its normal level. For example, an ability score receives an adjustment of 10 points. This would normally fade in a minute, or
ten rounds (at a rate of 1 point per round). With total fade, the ability score retains the 10-point adjustment for one minute, and then loses the entire amount at once, back to its original value. Gamemasters should be cautious about allowing this modifier in conjunction with more than one or two ranks of the Slow Fade power feat; it can be an easy way to create long-lasting effects requiring no effort from the user.
VAMPIRIC +1 MODIFIER
When you successfully damage a target with an attack effect with this extra, you can make an immediate recovery check for the same damage condition you inflict (or a lesser condition, if you wish). You get a bonus on the check equal to your attack’s damage bonus. So, if you inflict
an injured result on a target with a lethal vampiric attack, you can make an immediate recovery check if you are injured. If you are not injured,
only bruised, you can still make the check. That would not be the case if you inflicted a bruised result with a non-lethal vampiric attack and wer e injured; a bruised condition is less than an injured condition, so you don’t get a check to recover from it (see Damage, M&M, page 163, for more information).
FLAWS
Unless specified otherwise, the following flaws reduce an effect’s cost per rank by 1 point per application.
ACTION –1 MODIFIER/STEP
Using an effect requires one of the following types of actions:
• reaction, free, move, standard, or full action. Increasing the required action one step (standard to full action, for example) is a –1 modifier. After a full action, each step up the Time Table (full action to one minute, then five minutes, etc.) is a 1-point power drawback (see Drawbacks in this chapter for details).
ADDITIONAL SAVE –1 MODIFIER
An effect with this flaw grants two saving throws rather than just one, if either save succeeds, then the target avoids the effect. It only applies to effects that allow a saving throw (see the Saving Throw flaw for effects that don’t normally allow a save, page 105). The additional save can be the same type as the first or a different save; choose when the modifier is applied. The saving throws are assumed to occur simultaneously. For example, a Damage Aura effect might involve whirling blades an attacker can avoid with a successful Reflex saving throw, circumventing the need for a Toughness save against the damage.
CHECK REQUIRED –1 MODIFIER
An effect with this flaw requires a check of some sort (usually a skill check) with a Difficulty of (10 + power rank) in order to work normally. If the check fails, the effect doesn’t work, although the action required to use it is expended (so attempting to activate an effect that takes a standard action takes a standard action whether the check is successful or not). The check occurs as part of the action to use the effect and provides no benefit other than helping to activate it. Normal modifiers apply to the check, however, and if you are unable to make the required check for any reason, then the effect doesn’t work. This check must be in addition to any check(s) normally required for the effect. So, for example, the normal Notice or Search check made in conjunction with a sensory effect does not count as an application of this flaw, and applying it means an additional check is required before the effect’s normally required check(s).
Example: A spellcaster has Super-Senses 4 (detect magic, ranged, acute, analyze) with Knowledge (arcane lore) Check Required. The player needs to make a DC 14 Knowledge check (10 + 4 ranks) to successfully cast the spell, followed by the normal Notice check to pick up on anything present, and perhaps another Knowledge (arcane lore) check to interpret what the character senses.
CHECK EXAMPLES
Skill checks an effect may require include:
• Acrobatics: Suitable for effects requiring a measure of coordination, athletics, or complex maneuvering.
• Bluff: Good for effects intended to deceive, particularly sensory effects like Concealment or Illusion.
• Concentration: A good general skill check for almost any effect, particularly those calling for focus and concentration.
• Disguise: Appropriate for sensory or alteration effects, particularly Morph. Note that the required check is in addition to the actual check required for the disguise.
• Intimidate: Useful for effects intended to inspire fear (like Emotion Control) as well as similar offensive effects (including attack effects like Nauseate or Stun).
• Knowledge: A Knowledge skill check might represent having to know something about the subject of the effect (such as a sciences Knowledge) or having to know something about the effect itself (such as arcane lore or technology). Operating a complex device may also require a Knowledge check.
• Medicine: Medicine skill checks work well for biological effects like Healing or others requiring a Fortitude saving throw (such as the various effects of the Life Control power in the next chapter).
• Perform: Good for effects requiring a Will saving throw, including sensory effects like Emotion Control, Illusion, and Mind Control.
• Stealth: Best suited to sensory effects, particularly Concealment
DISTRACTING –1 MODIFIER
Using a Distracting effect requires more concentration than usual, causing you to lose your dodge bonus on any round the effect is used or maintained. Traits allowing you to retain your dodge bonus (such as the Uncanny Dodge feat) do not apply to Distracting effects.
DURATION –1 MODIFIER/STEP
An effect has one of the following durations: instant, concentration, sustained, or continuous. Reducing duration one step (sustained to concentration, for example) is a –1 modifier. An effect’s duration cannot be decreased below instant, and many effects become virtually useless if their duration is decreased
below concentration.
FADES –1 MODIFIER
Each time you use an effect with this flaw, it loses 1 power point (not rank) and a commensurate amount of effectiveness. For effects with a duration longer than instant, each round is considered “one use.” Once the effect reaches 0 points (or below the minimum cost for one rank), it stops working. A faded effect can be “recovered” in some fashion, such as recharging, rest, repair, reloading, and so forth. The GM decides when and how a faded effect recovers, but
it should generally occur outside of combat and take at least an hour’s time. The GM may allow a hero to recover a faded effect immediately and completely by spending a hero point. The Slow Fade extra reduces the rate at which an effect fades. Example: Chris creates a character that has Animal Mimicry 6 with the Fades flaw. After the first round of using the power it drops to 5 ranks, but he can use it eight more times (or sustain it for eight more rounds) before it drops to 4 ranks, because it costs 9 points per rank and it only loses 1 power point per use.
Option: Partial Checks
Optionally, the GM may allow a check required to use an effect that exceeds DC 10, but not the full Difficulty of (10 + rank) to be partially successful, allowing the use of one rank per point the check exceeds DC 10. Thus a rank 9 effect requires a DC 19 check, for example, but a DC 14 check can allow the character to use up to 4 ranks of the effect, since the check exceeds DC 10 by 4, even if it doesn’t equal the full DC of 19. If a lesser rank of the effect doesn’t do anything, then it’s the same as just failing the check. This option adds a bit of complexity to the process of required checks but makes them a bit more flexible than a binary success or failure method.
OPTION: FADE DURATION
Option: Fade Duration
With the Slow Fade power feat, it’s fairly easy and inexpensive to create effects that take a very long time to fade: just 4 ranks ensures a fade of 1
point per hour, while 10 ranks means a rate of 1 power point per year!
Gamemasters may simply want to limit the number of applications of the Slow Fade feat to any given power, particularly one with the Total Fade
extra (see its description later in this section). Effects requiring more than a day or so to fade should be carefully monitored and controlled, and
generally reserved for non-player characters.
However, if you want to allow for the possibility of more extreme fade durations while also keeping them under better control, you can make the
Slow Fade power feat into a +1 power modifier instead. The effects are the same: each application of the extra moves the fade rate of the effect one
step up the Time Table, but the cost rises sharply; 4 applications can easily double a power’s cost (if not more) while 10 levels of Slow Fade as an
extra increases a power’s cost by 10 points per rank!
Using this version of Slow Fade may call for changing the Total Fade modifier to a power feat, but it can also remain an extra, since it does provide a substantial benefit for fading effects, keeping them fully effective throughout their duration.
If you’re using this version of Slow Fade, the Independent power modifier remains the same unless its fade rate is improved, in which case apply the
Slow Fade extra normally (increasing the Independent effect’s cost per rank)
.
FEEDBACK –1 MODIFIER
You suffer pain when a manifestation of your effect is damaged. This flaw only applies to effects with physical (or apparently physical) manifestations, such as Create Object, Duplication, Illusion, Snare, or Summon, for example. If your power’s manifestation is damaged, make a saving throw against non-lethal damage equal to the attack’s damage, using the manifestation’s Toughness save bonus or power rank in place of your own. For example, if you create a Toughness 12 object and it is attacked for +15 damage, you must make a save against +15 damage with a +12 bonus (the object’s Toughness)
in place of your normal Toughness save.
LIMITED –1 MODIFIER
An effect with this flaw is not effective all the time. Limited powers generally break down into two types: those usable only in certain situations and those usable only on certain things. For example Only Useable While Singing Loudly, Only Usable While Flying, Only Usable on Men (or Women), Only Usable Against Fire, Not Usable on Yellow Things, and so forth. As a general rule, the power must lose about half its usefulness to qualify for this modifier. A great many other modifiers can be seen as variations on the Limited flaw (such as Unreliable, which also makes an effect ineffective about half the time), a number of examples are provided in the Chapter 3, but players and GMs should feel free to come up with their own.
PARTIALLY LIMITED
If your power is only somewhat effective in particular circumstances, then apply the flaw to only some of its ranks. For example, an attack effect that does half damage against targets with Protection (to represent a diminished ability to penetrate armor, for example) applies the Limited flaw to only half of its ranks.
PERMANENT –1 MODIFIER
A continuous power with this flaw cannot be turned off; it is always on by default. If some outside force turns it off—usually a Nullify effect—it turns back on automatically as a reaction at the earliest opportunity. Additionally, you cannot improve a Permanent power using extra effort. This includes adding temporary
power feats. Permanent powers may be rather inconvenient at times (including things like being permanently incorporeal or 30 feet tall); this is included in the value of the Permanent flaw. Permanent effects that are not inconvenient in any way generally don’t qualify for this flaw, and the Gamemaster should control
the application of the Permanent flaw to ensure it is actually a flaw.
PHANTASM –1 MODIFIER
This flaw applies to effects like Concealment, Illusion, Morph, Obscure, and others that alter how things appear. A phantasmal effect controls how others perceive things rather than creating an actual, physical, effect. A phantasm has no effect on a mindless subject (like most machines) and allows a Will saving throw to overcome the effect if an observer has any reason to believe it isn’t what it appears (just like detecting an illusion). Phantasm includes a measure of the Saving Throw flaw, so it doesn’t apply, although Additional Save may.
RANGE –1 MODIFIER/STEP
An effect has a range of touch, ranged, or perception. Decreasing an effect’s range by one step (from ranged to touch, for example) is a –1 modifier. Extended range powers have their range determined by power rank. To change the power’s range, increase or decrease its rank; this flaw does not apply. Touch range effects cannot usually decrease their range, since it limits the effect to the user, which generally makes the effect more of a drawback than anything. In cases where it’s allowed, moving a touch range effect to personal is also a –1 flaw.
REQUIRES GRAPPLE –1 MODIFIER
An effect with this flaw requires you to grapple and successfully pin a target before using the effect (see Grapple, M&M, page 156). This generally applies to an effect that is touch range and usable against others, since you have to be in close combat to grapple anyway. If you do not achieve a pin on the grapple, you cannot use the effect. If you achieve the pin, the effect occurs automatically as a reaction.
MENTAL GRAPPLING
Alternately, the effect may require you to initiate a mental grapple and successfully pin the target (see Mental Grapple, M&M, page 157). This is more common for perception range effects allowing Will saving throws, to reflect mental powers requiring a contest of wills. This applies the same –1 modifier to the effect.
RESTORATIVE –1 MODIFIER
A trait effect with this flaw only restores traits to their normal values and cannot raise or lower them above or below that level. Traits restored to their normal values do not fade, as normal.
SAVING THROW –1 MODIFIER
When applied to an effect that doesn’t normally allow a saving throw, this flaw gives it one, generally Fortitude, Reflex, or Will. If an effect already allows a save (even if the effect is harmless), this flaw does not apply (but see the Additional Save flaw, page 102). Since effects that work on others allow a saving throw by definition, this flaw nearly always applies to personal effects that allow someone interacting with them to circumvent the effect with a successful save. For example, an Enhanced Defense effect might reflect a subconscious psychic broadcast that makes it difficult for opponents to attack you. However,
it may allow a Will saving throw to overcome the effect, denying you the Defense bonus against that opponent (and applying this flaw to the effect). Likewise,
your Concealment effect might be illusory, permitting a Will saving throw for someone to overcome it.
SENSE-DEPENDENT –1 MODIFIER
A perception range effect with this flaw works through the target’s senses rather yours. So a Sight-Dependent effect requires the target to see you, Hearing-Dependent to hear you, and so forth. You may choose a target able to sense you and automatically affect them (using the effect’s normal action) unless the target makes a successful Reflex saving throw. The DC is 10 + the effect’s rank. A successful save means the target has managed to avert his eyes, cover his ears, etc.and the effect doesn’t work.Otherwise the effect works normally (and the target is allowed the usual saving throw against it, if applicable).
Opponents aware of a Sense-Dependent effect can also deliberately block the targeted sense: looking away, covering ears, etc . This gives you partial concealment from that sense but your SenseDependent effect has a 50% miss chance. An opponent unable to sense you at all (blind, deaf, etc.) is immune to the effect. Opponents can do this by closing their eyes, wearing ear- or noseplugs, or using another effect like Obscure or a Concealment Attack on you.
This gives you total concealment from that sense. Note a Sense-Dependent effect based on the sense of touch is essentially the same as touch range, since you still need to touch the target. This modifier isn’t required; reduce the power’s range to touch instead. If you want the target to have an additional opportunity to avoid the touch (apart from the required attack roll), apply the Additional Save modifier to allow a Reflex saving throw. Ranged Touch-Dependent effects aren’t allowed.
SIDE EFFECT –1/–2 MODIFIER
Failing to successfully use an effect with this flaw causes some problematic side effect. Failure includes missing an attack roll, or the target successfully saving against the power’s effect. If the side effect always occurs when you use the power, it is a –2 modifier. The exact nature of the side effect is for you and the Gamemaster to determine. As a general guideline, it should be an effect about the same in value as the power with this flaw, not including the cost reduction for the flaw. So an effect with a cost of 20 points should have a 20-point side effect. Typical side effects include Blast, Drain, and Stun, or the same effect as the power (it essentially rebounds and affects you). The Side Effect does not require an attack roll and only affects you, although the GM may permit some Side Effects with the Area modifier on a case-by-case basis. Some “side effects” of powers may actually be Temporary Disabilities (see Temporary Disability, page 108, for details).
TIRING –1 MODIFIER
An effect with this flaw causes you to suffer a level of fatigue when you use it. You recover from this fatigue normally, and can use hero points to overcome it. In essence, the power requires extra effort in order to use it (see Extra Effort, M&M, page 120). This makes Tiring a useful flaw for creating an effect you can only use with extra effort.
UNCONTROLLED –1 MODIFIER
You have no control over an effect with this flaw. Instead, the Gamemaster decides when and how the power works (essentially making it a plot device, see Plot Devices, M&M, page 130). This flaw is best suited for mysterious powers out of the characters’ direct control or effects the GM feels more comfortable havingunder direct, rather than player, control.
UNRELIABLE –1 MODIFIER
An Unreliable effect doesn’t work all the time. Roll a die each round before you use or maintain the effect. On a roll of 10 or less, it doesn’t work this turn, but you’ve still used the action the effect requires. You can check again on the following round to see if it works, although you must take the normal action needed to activate the effect again. Spending a hero point on your reliability roll allows you to succeed automatically (since the roll is then at least an 11).
Alternately, instead of having a reliability roll, you can choose to have five uses where your effect works normally, then it stops working until you can “recover” it in some way (see the Fades flaw for more on this). The GM may allow you to spend a hero point to automatically recover a spent Unreliable power. Powers that are only occasionally unreliable (less than about 50% of the time) are better handled as complications (see Power Complications, page 107).
Under the Hood: Unreliable Effects and Ammo
UNDER THE HOOD: UNRELIABLE EFFECTS AND AMMO
One application of the Unreliable flaw is to reflect Devices or other
effects that occasionally run out of ammunition or “jam” and must be
reloaded or reset in some way. It really only applies to effects where
this happens fairly often, as given in the Unreliable flaw description.
Large ammo or fuel capacities, which only occasionally run out or
inconvenience the character, are better handled as descriptors and
occasionally as complications when they actually prove problematic.
Example: A gun-toting vigilante has a variety of guns
(acquired via the Equipment feat). Generally, the character
has sufficient ammunition that it isn’t a concern, no matter
how many shots he fires or how many thugs he guns down.
When, during a long fire-fight, the Gamemaster decides that
the vigilante’s guns click on empty, the player gets a hero
point for the setback, forcing the vigilante to come up with
a new plan.
POWER DRAWBACKS
Some drawbacks (see Drawbacks, M&M, page 124) are power drawbacks, meaning they apply to a particular power rather than necessarily to the character. You can think of power drawbacks as the reverse of power feats: minor limits on the power. A power can have a total value in drawbacks equal to 1 point less than its total cost (so the power must cost at least 1 power point, regardless of how many drawbacks it has). Power drawbacks decrease the actual cost and value of a power. This is important for things like Array and Variable structures, which are limited by the number of power points they have to allocate. So
a power with 20 points worth of effects (including modifications from extras and flaws), a power feat, and a –2 point power drawback has a total cost of 19 points (20 + 1 – 2), meaning, among other things, it fits “inside” a 20-point Array or Container.
DRAWBACK VALUE
A drawback’s power point value is based on two things: its frequency (how often the drawback affects your character) and its intensity (how seriously the drawback affects your character). The more frequent and intense the drawback, the more points it’s worth. Drawbacks generally range in value from 1 power point for something that comes up rarely and has little effect to 5 power points for a drawback that comes up all the time and seriously weakens the character.
FREQUENCY
Drawbacks have three levels of frequency: uncommon, common, and very common. Uncommon drawbacks show up about a quarter of the time, every
four adventures or so. Common drawbacks show up about half the time, and very common drawbacks show up three-quarters of the time or more.
Each level has a frequency check associated with it, which is a simple d20 roll with no modifiers against a DC (15, 10, or 5). A GM who wants to randomly check a drawback makes a frequency check to see if it shows up in the adventure. Otherwise, the GM can simply choose to bring a drawback into play based on its frequency. Note that frequency represents how often the drawback comes up during the game, not necessarily how common it is in the campaign
setting. Even if glowing meteors are extraordinarily rare in the setting, if they show up every other adventure, they’re still common in frequency.
INTENSITY
The intensity of a drawback measures how much impact it has on the character. There are three levels of intensity: minor, moderate, and major. Minor drawbacks have a slight impact or are not difficult to overcome. Moderate drawbacks impose some limits, but can be overcome about half of the time. Major
drawbacks impose serious limits and are quite difficult to overcome.
DRAWBACK VALUE
VALUE FREQUENCY: HOW OFTEN DOES THE DRAWBACK COME UP?
+1 Uncommon (every few adventures. DC 15)
+2 Common (every other adventure, DC 10)
+3 Very Common (once per adventure, DC 5)
VALUE INTENSITY: HOW SERIOUSLY DOES THE DRAWBACK AFFECT YOU?
+0 Minor: DC 5 to overcome, less capable
than the character, or slight limitation.
+1 Moderate: DC 10 to overcome,
as capable as character, or modest limitation
+2 Major: DC 15 to overcome,
more capable than the character, or major limitation
DRAWBACK DESCRIPTIONS
Each entry here describes the drawback’s game effect and its suggested value(s). Gamemasters should feel free to expand or modify this list of drawbacks to suit the campaign, using the existing examples as guidelines in terms of mechanics and point values.
ACTION –1 POINT/STEP
An effect requiring longer than a full-round action to use is considered a drawback (see the Action flaw on page 102). Each step up the Time Table is a 1 point drawback. The drawback cannot equal or exceed the value of the associated power. So a power costing 10 points cannot have more than 9 points
in this drawback (and meaning the power takes three months to use!).
This drawback can also apply to the time needed to switch between Alternate Powers (see Array, page 108) in an Array: 1 point if a move action is required, 2 points if a standard action is required, 3 points if a full action is required, each step up the Time Table thereafter is an additional 1 point drawback. In this
case the drawback’s value cannot equal or exceed the power’s total Alternate Power feats, so a power with four Alternate Powers can only get 3 points out of this drawback (requiring a full action to switch between them).
An option related to power drawbacks is power complications (see Complications, M&M, page 122, for details). Powers offer all sorts of potential to
complicate a character’s life, and you the Gamemaster can use this as an opportunity to award hero points and add some detail to adventures without
a lot of additional complexity in terms of hero creation or game play. Complications are especially useful for handling certain highly situational
drawbacks or power limitations that don’t crop up often enough to define them in a character’s traits, particular when doing so involves a lot of nitpicking
and needless detail.
Think of power complications as the “reverse” of power stunts: players use the latter to give their heroes occasional use of an effect or capability that
suits them but which they don’t normally have at the cost of a hero point. You can use power complications to give heroes an occasional drawback
or challenge that suits their powers and descriptors at the cost of giving the player a hero point.
For example, say a battlesuit-wearing hero flies by means of powerful jets built into his boots. You decide during a game to have a villain use his
sticky Snare effect to gum up the air intakes of the hero’s boot-jets, causing them to cut out at a critical moment. Snare doesn’t normally counter
Flight, and you don’t want to roll an opposed check between them, but by the same token, the hero’s Flight doesn’t have the drawback Power Loss
(when boot jets are gummed up by a sticky Snare effect) just because it’s too rare an occasion to be worth even a power point, and you and the
player didn’t consider it beforehand! So you just declare that if the villain’s Snare hits the hero’s Flight power cuts out and award the player a hero
point for the power complication.
Now, if this sort of drawback cropped up a lot, and every villain was trying to knock out the hero’s Flight in a similar way, it would be worth a Power
Loss drawback, but generally it’s rare enough that it’s better handled as a one-time or occasional complication
FULL POWER –1 POINT
You have less than full control over an effect. Effects subject to this drawback must be used at full rank or intensity, or not at all. This means you cannot pull punches with an attack (see Pulling Your Punch, M&M, page 163), move at less than full speed, and so forth, depending on the effect to which this drawback is assigned. You can still turn the effect on and off as you wish (it is neither Permanent nor Uncontrolled), you just can’t fine-tune it, it’s either on at full intensity or off entirely. You can’t have the Precise feat (see page 94) for any effect with this drawback. Full Power is an uncommon, minor drawback, worth 1 point.
INVOLUNTARY TRANSFORMATION –1 TO –6 POINTS
You have two or more forms or identities you sometimes change between against your will. The value of the drawback is based on how often you change (frequency) and how difficult it is for you to resist the change (intensity). If you cannot resist the change, no matter what, the intensity value is 3 points. If you involuntarily switch between super-powered and normal human forms, you also have the Normal Identity drawback (see the following).
NORMAL IDENTITY –3 TO –5 POINTS
You have two identities: a super-powered one and a normal one. This is not the same as having a secret identity (although you may have that, too). The difference is your normal identity has none of the powers or extraordinary abilities of your superhuman self. So in your normal identity you might be an average teenager, businessman, or other everyday person. Characters with Devices (see page 145) may have this drawback, but not necessarily. For
example, a hero who wears a suit of powered armor might have a Normal Identity while he’s out of the armor, but a hero who wields a magic ring doesn’t have a Normal Identity unless he can’t wear or have the ring with him in his normal identity for some reason. To qualify for this drawback there must be some reasonable means of preventing you from changing from your normal to your super identity. For example, you might require access to a Device (which
can be stolen or disabled), you might need to speak a magic word or incantation (blocked by an Auditory Obscure, a gag, or a simple chokehold), you might need to take a particular pill or formula, and so forth. The GM decides whether or not a particular condition qualifies for this drawback. If you can switch between a normal and super identity at will and nothing can prevent it, you don’t qualify for this drawback. If you can’t always control switching between identities, you also have the Involuntary Transformation drawback. You define the traits of your Normal Identity. Your Normal Identity cannot have any powers by definition, and the GM may restrict the application of feats and ability scores above 20. Your Normal Identity must also be built on fewer points than your superidentity (how many fewer is up to the GM, but no more than half is a good rule of thumb). The simplest Normal Identity has the same traits as your super identity, minus any powers. Your two identities may have different appearances.
The intensity of this drawback is major (since you lose access to all your powers). The frequency depends on how difficult it is for you to assume your super-identity. If it takes a free action, then it’s uncommon (3 points). If it takes a full-round action, it’s common (4 points), and if it takes longer than a full-round action it’s very common (5 points).
NOTICEABLE –1 POINT
A passive effect with this drawback is noticeable in some way (active effects are noticeable by default, see Noticing Power Effects, page 17). Choose a noticeable effect of the power. For example Noticeable Mind Control might cause the subject’s eyes to glow or skin to change color. Noticeable Protection may take the form of armored plates or a tough, leathery-looking hide. Noticeable is an uncommon, minor drawback, worth 1 point.
ONE-WAY TRANSFORMATION –3 TO –5 POINTS
When you transform through the use of a power such as Alternate Form, Metamorph, or Shapeshift or due to the Normal Identity or Involuntary transformation drawbacks, it takes some time for you to return to “normal.” This may be due to a need to “bleed off ” excess energy, letting the transformation lapse slowly, or a requirement to reset certain mechanical system parameters. Whatever the case, undoing your transformation is involved. One-Way transformation is a very common drawback (less if you don’t transform every adventure). Its intensity is minor if it takes a matter of hours for you to return to normal. It’s moderate if it takes hours plus certain resources (a lab, workshop, special equipment or components, and so forth). It’s major if it takes a matter of days or longer.
POWER LOSS –1 TO –3 POINTS
You lose the use of a power with this drawback under certain conditions. Examples include when exposed to a particular substance, when immersed in water, when unable to speak, and so forth. You can also suffer power loss from a failure to do something, like not recharging a power, breaking an oath, not taking a pill, and so forth. Power Loss is minor intensity, with frequency based on how often you encounter the conditions, giving it a value of 1–3 points. You regain use of the power when the condition that triggered the loss no longer affects you. The loss of Devices and Equipment is not covered by this drawback.
Losing Device and Equipment powers due to theft is a part of those traits and factored into their cost. So characters cannot take Power Loss with the condition “when devices or equipment are removed.”
REDUCED RANGE –1 TO –2 POINTS
This drawback reduces the number of range increments of a ranged effect, which normally has a maximum range of ten increments. For –1 point, it reduces the effect to half that, or five increments (the same as throwing range). For –2 points, it reduces the effect to two increments. A greater reduction should be handled by making the effect touch range, possibly with some measure of the Extended Reach feat, if necessary.
TEMPORARY DISABILITY –1 TO –4 POINTS
You suffer a disability in conjunction with the use of a power (see the Disability drawback, M&M, page 126, for details). For example, if your arms transform
into wings in order for you to fly (leaving you without the use of your arms and hands while flying) then you have the disability of no arms, normally very common and major (5 points) but reduced to common in frequency, since the disability only applies when you’re flying. If you possessed prehensile feet (able to use them as substitute hands while flying) you would have no real disability at all, and thus no drawback. This drawback doesn’t apply to implied disabilities of an effect: for example, having an attack effect require the use of one hand when you use it (to wield a weapon or to strike) isn’t a disability, it’s just how such effects work. The GM should approve any temporary disabilities caused by powers to ensure they actually are disabilities and are
appropriate for the campaign.
WEAK POINT –1 POINT
This drawback makes a defense effect that provides a Toughness save vulnerable to critical hits. A critical hit completely bypasses the effect, ignoring its bonus to Toughness saves when the target saves against the attack’s damage. This is in addition to the normal effects of a critical hit (+5 damage). Weak Point is a 1-point drawback.
POWER STRUCTURES
A structure is how a power is put together from a combination of effect, modifiers, feats, and possibly drawbacks. The normal power structure is described in the Introduction and on page 66 of Mutants & Masterminds, it is: Power cost = (effect + extras – flaws) x rank + (feats – drawbacks) The minimum power cost for this and all other structures is 1 power point (although in some cases, 1 power point may provide more than one power rank, see Fractional Effect Costs on page 108.)
ARRAY
You have a collection or Array of (Array rank x 2) power points you can use to duplicate other effects, which share the descriptors and the points available to the Array. You can allocate your Array points once per round as a free action to any of the effects of your Array. Your Array also has one “default” effect where it can apply its points; choose this when you create the structure. Essentially, an Array is a collection of powers, each structured in the standard
way, but sharing the same “pool” of power points. Each possible “setting” or configuration of an Array is called an Alternate Power. A particular Alternate Power includes all effects, power feats, modifiers, and drawbacks included in that particular power. So if your Array gives you 20 power points to allocate, and you have an Alternate Power that is a 4 points per rank effect with two power feats, then you have 4 ranks in that power (for 16 power points) plus the two feats for a total cost of 18 points. Any “leftover” Array points not allocated to an Alternate Power don’t do anything. Each Alternate Power of your Array requiresan Alternate Power feat. So being able to apply your Array points to the Blast power is one power feat. To apply them to Blast with the Area
extra is another power feat, to apply them to Flight is a third feat, and so forth.
ALTERNATE POWER LEVEL LIMITS
Alternate Powers are subject to the normal power level limits on effects. So, even if you have sufficient Array points to acquire a rank 20 Damage effect, for example, you’re still limited to whatever the campaign’s power level limit is on damage. This may result in “wasted points” for some Alternate Powers, as previously described, but is generally more than compensated for by the flexibility an Array provides. Non-player characters are limited in the same way to whatever power level the GM sets for them.
USING ALTERNATE POWERS
Each Alternate Power available to your Array is usable individually. While one Alternate Power is in use, none of the others are available. So if you have an Array with Blast, Dazzle, Force Field, and Flight Alternate Powers, for example, you can only use one of these each round, the others don’t work and aren’t considered in effect. The Dynamic power feat (see Array’s power feats, following) changes this, allowing you to “mix-and-match” Alternate Powers.
MULTIPLE EFFECTS IN AN ALTERNATE POWER
An Alternate Power can contain more than one effect and you can use all the effects of that Alternate Power normally, requiring their usual actions. Effects in the same Alternate Power need not be Linked, although they can be. For example, a rank 10 Array with 20 power points can have an Alternate Power that has Flight 5 (10 points) and Force Field 10 (10 points), both usable at the same time. Indeed, effects in the same Alternate Power must have points allocated to them at the same time and in the same proportion in order to use them at all, although they don’t have to be activated at the same time unless they are Linked.
POWER FEATS
Power feats within a particular Alternate Power are considered part of it and not feats of the Array itself. Thus points for the Array must be assigned to those feats in order to make that Alternate Power active, whether the feats are in use or not. Some power feats apply to the Array structure itself rather than to any of its Alternate Powers. These feats are “outside” and apply equally to all Alternate Powers. The GM should carefully scrutinize any such overall feats,
Ensuring they do in fact apply to the Array as a whole. Array points do not need to be applied to these power feats.
• Accurate: This power feat can be applied to the Array as a whole, granting its benefits to all of the Array’s effects requiring attack rolls, since the Array can be considered a single power (albeit one with multiple applications).
• Alternate Power: This feat adds an additional Alternate Power to the Array, another way in which its power points may be applied, subject to the normal guidelines for Alternate Powers, given in the effect’s description (see Alternate Power in the Power Feats section for details).
• Dynamic: Applied to one of the Array’s Alternate Powers, this feat makes that Alternate Power dynamic, allowing it to share Array power points with other Dynamic Alternate Powers. Making the default power of an Array dynamic also requires an application of this feat. Usually, an Array needs at least two
Dynamic configurations for this feat to be useful, although it can also be handy for Arrays where one Alternate Power requires fewer points than the Array provides (allowing those “wasted” points to be applied elsewhere). The total point value of Dynamic Alternate Powers in use still cannot exceed the
Array’s available power points and the Array’s configuration can still only change once per round.
EXTRAS
Generally, extras are applied to the various effects in an Array’s Alternate Powers rather than to the Array itself. If a particular extra applies to all of an Array’s Alternate Powers equally, the GM may wish to note it as applying to the Array itself for simplicity. The extra “floats,” applying to whatever Alternate Power is in use at the time. Example: An Array of gas cloud attacks might all have the Cloud Area extra (see the Area extra), in which case you can increase the cost of the Array from 2 points to 3 points per rank and apply 2 power points per rank to each Alternate Power without the need to apply points to the Cloud Area extra each time; it applies to all of the Alternate Powers at no “cost” (since the cost is already covered by the increased cost of the Array).
• Action: Note that the free action required to change an Array’s configuration may only be reduced to a reaction at the GM’s discretion to suit a particular concept (an Array that changes automatically as a reaction to a particular circumstance). Even in this case, the Gamemaster should be wary of allowing an
Array to reconfigure more than once per round.
• Affects Others: An Array may have this modifier, allowing you to grant the use of the Array and its Alternate Powers to someone else. The subject granted the use of the Array controls its configuration from round to round (although you retain the ability to withdraw use of the Array altogether whenever you wish).
• Linked: Effects in the same Alternate Power are not linked by default, but may have this modifier, if they’re intended solely for use simultaneously. So, for example, an Alternate Power can have two independent effects (such as Flight and Force Field), but they are not Linked, and must be activated separately
unless the Linked modifier is applied to them.
• Range: An Array with the Affects Others modifier may have the Range extra to improve the range at which you can grant the Array to another. This does not alter the ranges of the Array’s various Alternate Powers. To do so, apply the Range modifier to the effect(s) within a particular Alternate Power.
FLAWS
Alternate Powers can have their own individual flaws, which reduce the cost of the Alternate Power (and the number of Array power points that must be allocated to it) normally. If a particular flaw applies to all the configurations of an Array, then it may apply to the Array as a whole, the same as with extras.
Example: All the Alternate Powers of an Array have the Tiring flaw. The GM may permit the application of Tiring to the Array itself, reducing its cost to 1 point per rank (1 power point per 2 points in the Array). The Array’s effects are acquired at their normal cost, without the Tiring flaw, but the flaw applies equally to all of them, since it is applied to the Array overall.
• Action: Modifying the action required to change an Array’s configuration is a drawback rather than a flaw (see the following section).
• Duration: Note that an Array has a “special” duration, which cannot be modified. The Alternate Powers of the Array use their individual durations while in use. Switching Alternate Powers counts as no longer maintaining that Alternate Powers effect(s). Lasting effects persist even when they’re not maintained,
however. This remains the case if those lasting effects are part of an Array.
• Distracting: An Array that is distracting to reconfigure is a drawback rather than a flaw (see the following section). The Array’s individual Alternate Powers may also be distracting to use, in which case the flaw is applied individually to them, rather than the Array as a whole. If all the Alternate Powers of the Array are distracting, then the flaw may apply to the entire Array structure but then does not apply to its Alternate Powers when figuring their cost.
• Uncontrolled: If this flaw is applied to the Array structure (rather than one or more of its Alternate Powers) then the Gamemaster controls when the Array’s configuration changes and which one it changes to when it does. If the Array has Dynamic Alternate Powers, the GM also decides where its power points are allocated. Uncontrolled applied to a particular Alternate Power has its normal effect when that Alternate Power is in use.
• Unreliable: If this flaw is applied to the Array as a whole (rather than one or more of its Alternate Powers), then changing the Array’s configuration becomes Unreliable. The player must roll a die when changing the Array, on a 10 or less the Array is “stuck” on its current Alternate Power and doesn’t change.
DRAWBACKS
As noted previously, drawbacks applying to particular Alternate Powers of an Array are considered part of that Alternate Power and not the Array structure as a whole. Array is a very useful and flexible power structure, a means for characters to have a range of diverse effects at a substantially reduced cost. The tradeoff comes in the inability to use different effects at once and the fact that anything disabling the Array takes out all of its various Alternate Powers. In particular, Arrays are useful for powers that can have many different applications, one at a time. See the Powers chapter for numerous examples of this sort of Array.
Ultimately, the GM decides what effects can and cannot be placed together in an Array. Given the effective discount, you’ll want to carefully consider
any proposed Array. While not as broad as a Variable structure (later in this section), Arrays deserve proper Gamemaster scrutiny.
ARRAYS AND ALTERNATE POWER
The Alternate Power feat in Mutants & Masterminds essentially turns any standard power into an Array structure with two configurations, the default effect and the Alternate Power. Ultimate Power defines Arrays as specific ways of structuring powers for ease of reference, but the mechanics are essentially the same: characters can have Arrays of different effects and can use extra effort to turn one of their existing powers into a temporary Array with a one-shot Alternate Power. Some drawbacks may apply to the Array structure overall, invwhich case they also apply equally to all of the Array’s Alternate Powers.
• Action: An Action drawback applied to an Array increases the time required to change its configuration: each point of the Action drawback increases the time one step on the Time Table, from a free to a move action, then standard, full action, one minute, and so forth. This can represent an Array requiring
“recalibration” or some other involved effort to reconfigure. As usual, the drawback cannot have a value greater than or equal to the total value of the Array.
• Distracting: If changing the Array’s configuration is distracting—causing you to lose your dodge bonus during the round you reconfigure—this is a 2-point power drawback for the Array.
• Power Loss: An Array may have circumstances where it is ineffective or stops functioning, in which case all of the Array’s powers become unavailable. Otherwise, the Power Loss drawback applies to Array like any other power. Example: Adrian Eldrich, Earth’s Master Mage, has a Magic Array at rank 16, representing his mastery of the mystic arts (and thus having the “magic” or “mystic” descriptors). Eldrich’s player chooses Ranged Damage (a
mystic power blast) as the power’s default configuration as well as the following as Alternate Power feats: Dazzle (visual), ESP (visual and auditory), Illusion (all senses), Move Object, Obscure (visual), and Obscure (auditory). Each Alternate Power can have a cost of up to 2 power points per Array rank (or 32 points total). For those effects costing 2 points per rank, like Ranged Damage, Dazzle, Move Object, and Obscure, this gives them the same rank as the Array, or 16. ESP for visual and auditory senses costs 3 points per rank, so it has a rank of 10 (30 points), and Illusion for all senses costs 4 points per rank, so it has a rank of 8 (32 points). Eldrich can only use one Alternate Power at a time. If he wants to use his mystic blast, he has to stop using Illusion, Move Object, or whatever other Alternate Power he’s currently using. Eldrich’s player also applies the Power Loss drawback to the Array: if the Master Mage cannot speak and gesture to cast his spells, then they don’t work. This is a 1-point reduction in the cost of the Array itself, since the drawback applies to the entire structure and not just some of its Alternate Powers. Later, Eldrich’s player decides to make some of his Alternate Powers Dynamic. He applies the Dynamic power feat to the ESP, Obscure (visual), and Move Object Alternate Powers. This allows Eldrich to mix-and-match points from his Array between those three Alternate Powers. So he could split his points between two or more of them at one time, for example. However, he can still only use the other Alternate Powers one at a time. If the player wants to make Eldrich’s mystic blast (the default Ranged Damage configuration) dynamic, it costs 1 power point to apply to Dynamic power feat to it as well. If Eldrich’s player comes up with a particular spell he wants the Master Mage to pull off during the game (one
not already on Eldrich’s character sheet as an Alternate Power of his Array), he can use extra effort or spend a hero point to acquire the new one-time Alternate Power feat for the Array as a power stunt.Example: Tek has a Device Array, described as a “ Tek-Pak” able to configure itself into different useful devices at Tek’s mental command. This is a Device (see the Device structure) with an Array at rank 10 and a selection of Alternate Powers. Tek’s player chooses the following Alternate Powers: Blast 10 as the default power, Dazzle (visual) 10, Stun 6 (Ranged), and Teleport 10. Since the Tek-Pak is a Device,
it’s subject to the usual limitations and rules for devices. Since its Alternate Powers aren’t dynamic, Tek can only use one at a time. It’s quite possible the Tek-Pak may have effects in addition to its Array, things that can’t be reconfigured, such a granting Tek Protection or Immunity (life support).
CONTAINER
A Container places a group of effects, modifiers, feats, and drawbacks sharing common descriptors together in a structure that can be modified as a whole power by “outside” modifiers and feats affecting the accessibility and use of the container’s traits. A Container costs 5 points per rank and grants a pool of (rank x 5) power points you can use to acquire certain traits that are all part of a common “meta-trait” or overall power, an example of this is the Alternate Form power (see Alternate Form, page 133); a group of traits all connected to assuming a different form. While the form’s effects may have their own individual modifiers, durations, and so forth, the Alternate Form also has its own qualities. Activating the Container structure brings all of its powers “on-line” at once and likewise deactivating the structure makes all of its powers “off-line” or inactive.
As you can see, at the default level, a Container has the same cost as acquiring the traits independently (5 points per rank providing 5 power points per rank to spend on traits). The difference comes into play when modifiers are applied to the Container itself, and when the Container’s own action and duration are considered.
ACTION
A Container as a whole is considered either active or passive, just like an effect (see Active and Passive Effects in Chapter 1 for details) and this determines, and is determined by, the Container’s action and duration: An active Container requires a free action to make the Container’s effects usable. This free action can also activate any effect in the Container that also requires a free action or less to use at the same time. An example is Alternate Form: a free action shifts the character into the other form and activates any of its free action effects. A passive Container does not require an action (it has an action of none). Its effects are always available, although not necessarily always active and it may require different actions to activate them individually. An example is a Device (see Device, following), an item that contains various effects. The Device is a passive Container for those effects, which are always available, so long as the wielder has the Device, although they may require activation on their own. The Container’s required action does not affect the required actions
of its effects: they remain the same unless modified with extras or flaws. So a Container that holds a Damage, Flight, and Protection effect, for example, has an action of free or none, by its effects still require standard, move, and none actions, respectively, to use. You can change a Container’s action with extras and flaws like an effect. This modifies the cost of the Container structure itself: so changing an active Container’s action from free to move, for example (a –1 modifier), changes the structure’s cost from 5 points per rank to 4 points per rank (but the Container still grants 5 character points per rank to apply to its effects).
DURATION
An active Container has a default duration of sustained: the Container’s effects remain accessible so long as you maintain the Container’s activation each round as a free action. If you’re unable to maintain the Container, you also lose access to its effects. If a character in Alternate Form is unable to maintain that power, he reverts to normal form. A passive Container has a default duration of permanent: the Container’s effects are always available and, in fact, cannot be made unavailable unless some other modifier comes into play. Take a suit of armor as a Device: it is a real, permanent item with certain traits that don’t go away unless you take off the armor, which is a particular flaw of Devices (see Device, following). Like action, a Container’s duration does not affect the durations of the effects it contains, with one exception: permanent duration effects in a sustained or continuous duration Container do stop working if the Container is deactivated. While active, these effects still have the limitations of being permanent (no extra effort, no countering other effects) and you can’t switch them off selectively; you have to deactivate the entire Container. So, for example, a hero who turns into solid steel has an active Container with (among other things) the Protection effect to reflect his steel-hard skin. Protection is a permanent effect, meaning our hero can’t improve it using extra effort. He also can’t just choose to turn off his Protection to allow a hypodermic to penetrate his skin, for example. He needs to turn off his entire Alternate Form
Container, along with all its other effects. In some cases, the GM may decide a permanent duration doesn’t constitute a significant flaw when applied to an effect in a Container you can turn on and off, in which case the effect may have to have its duration modified.
You can change a Container’s default duration with extras and flaws just like an effect, which modifies the cost of the Container structure: so changing an active Container’s default duration to continuous (a +1 modifier), changes the cost of the structure from 5 points per rank to 6 points per rank (although the Container still grants 5 power points per rank to apply to its effects).
CONTAINERS AND MODIFIERS
In addition to the Action and Duration modifiers, certain other modifiers may apply to a Container structure at the Gamemaster’s discretion. As a general rule, a modifier must affect the ability to activate, access, or maintain a Container in order to apply to it rather than to its individual effects. The following are some guidelines on applying other modifiers
to Container structures:
• Action: An active Container can apply an Action flaw to take longer to than a free action to activate.
• Affects Others: You can bestow a Container with this extra on someone else. With the +0 version, you can only grant the Container and its effects to others; with the +1 version, you can grant the Container’s effects while also using them yourself. Note that you can only grant all of a Container or none of it. The GM may allow selective granting of effects for an additional +1 extra (like the Selective Attack extra).
• Duration: A Container can apply a Duration flaw to change its default duration.
• Limited: Certain Limited flaws—concerned with activation or maintenance—may apply to Containers, such as only being
able to activate a Container at night. The flaws applied to the Device structure (see Device in the following section) are essentially particular Limited flaws.
• Range: Container structures are personal range by default and cannot apply this extra unless they first have Affects
Others (which makes a Container touch range). One application allows you to grant a Container’s effects at range, while
two allow you to grant them at perception range.
• Side-Effect: This flaw can apply to Containers with Unreliable or similar conditions that make their activation uncertain, in which case the Side-Effect applies when the activation fails. If the Side-Effect always applies, then no roll is required.
• Tiring: If activating an active Container causes fatigue, this flaw can apply. It does not mean using the Container’s effects are tiring, only activating the Container itself.
• Unreliable: If applied to an active Container, it means it doesn’t always activate when you want it to. You need to make
a reliability roll each time, with the Container activating on a roll of 11 or higher.
VARIABLE
A Variable structure contains every trait of an appropriate type or descriptor! Variable structures approach the level of plot devices or X-traits (see X-Traits, M&M, page 211) and are about as close as the Gamemaster should let player characters get to those sorts of powers. Variable structures are generally used for creating powers with highly situational
or indeterminate effects, where a set list of effects just won’t cover everything the power is supposed to be able to do. However, they come with their own drawbacks, including both complexity and cost. With a Variable structure, you have a pool of (rank x 5) character points you can use to acquire certain other traits. No trait can have a rank or bonus greater than your Variable structure rank. The cost per rank determines what types of traits you can acquire:
• 4 points: One trait of a particular type (ability scores, skills, feats, or powers of a particular type or descriptor) at a time. Thus you could acquire any one skill at a time, for example, or any one power.
• 5 points: Any one trait at a time.
• 6 points: Multiple traits of a particular type (ability scores, skills, feats, or powers of a particular type or descriptor), so long as the total traits do not add up to more than (rank x 5) power points.
• 7 points: Multiple powers of any type or descriptor at once, so long as the total traits do not add up to more than (rank x 5) power points.
• 8 points: Any combination of traits adding up to (rank x 5) total power points.
It takes a standard action to change the configuration of your Variable structure’s points. The allocation of those points is sustained, so if you stop maintaining your Variable structure for any reason (failing a Concentration check, for example), your allocated points “reset” to a “null” value: you lose any acquired traits and you must take the action to reconfigure your Variable points again to regain them. Any Variable points you are unable to spend due to your effect’s
limitations are “wasted” and not usable. So, for example, a character with Variable 1 (any one skill, 4 points/rank) can acquire 1 rank in any one skill at a time (since the trait is limited to the power’s rank). This costs only a fourth of a power point, but the remaining points can’t be allocated to anything, since the effect is limited to one skill at a time. The same is true with feats and some low-cost powers. Variable structures simply pay a premium for them. You must also place a particular descriptor on your Variable structure, limiting its scope to traits suited to at descriptor. For example, a Variable
structure that mimics other’s traits is limited to the traits its subject(s) possess, a variable structure providing adaptations
is limited to the stimulus to which it adapts, and so forth. This descriptor does not reduce the cost of a Variable structure
unless it’s particularly narrow, and the GM is the final arbiter of what constitutes a suitable Variable descriptor and what
descriptors are narrow enough to be considered flaws. Use the powers based on the Variable structure in this book for examples of descriptors.
POWER FEATS
Power feats within a particular Variable structure configuration are considered part of it and not feats of the effect itself. Thus power points from the Variable structure must be assigned to those feats. Some power feats apply to the Variable structure rather than any of its configurations. These feats are “outside” the effect’s power point pool and apply equally to all of its configurations. The GM should carefully scrutinize any such overall feats, ensuring they do in fact apply to the Variable structure as a whole. The effect’s power points do not need to be applied to these power feats.
• Accurate: The GM may permit this power feat to apply to a Variable structure as a whole, granting its benefits to all of the effects requiring attack rolls for its various configurations, since the effect can be considered a single power (albeit one with a wide range of applications). However, the GM may choose to limit this feat to suitably focused Variable structures.
• Alternate Power: A Variable structure essentially contains all possible Alternate Powers for its point value and descriptors, so it does not require this power feat to add new configurations, just the permission of the Gamemaster.
• Dynamic: Likewise, a Variable structure is already dynamic in the allocation of its power points and does not need this power feat.
• Innate: A Variable structure may be Innate at the GM’s discretion, in which case all of its configurations are Innate as well. Individual configurations cannot be Innate; the entire Variable structure must be Innate. Gamemasters should be cautious about allowing
Innate Variable structures.
EXTRAS
Generally, extras are applied to the various effects in a Variable structure’s configurations rather than to the effect itself. If a particular
extra applies to all of a Variable structure’s configurations equally, the GM may wish to note it as applying to the effect itself for simplicity.
This should be limited solely to extras that always apply; given how this is rarely the case with any set of configurations, it shouldn’t be often.
Some power extras also apply specifically to the Variable structure itself, rather than any of its configurations:
• Action: You can change the configuration of your Variable structure more quickly, although it still cannot change more often than once per round. Gamemasters should exercise caution with Variable structures that can be reconfigured as a free action or reaction: they not only grant tremendous flexibility, they can also slow down game play as the player considers virtually infinite possibilities for each action using the Variable structure.
• Affects Others: While individual configurations may have this modifier, a Variable structure can also Affect Others as a whole, allowing you to grant the use of the effect and its configurations to someone else. The subject granted the use of the Variable structure controls its configuration from round to round (although you retain the ability to withdraw use of the effect altogether whenever you wish).
• Duration: A C0ntinuous Variable structure holds its current configuration until you choose to change it, even if you are stunned, knocked out, or the effect is nullified.
Under the Hood: Variable Structures
• Linked: Effects in the same configuration of a Variable structure are not linked by default, but may have this modifier, if they’re intended solely for use simultaneously.
• Range: A Variable structure with Affects Others may have the Range extra to improve the range at which you can grant the effect to another. This does not alter the ranges of the effect’s various configurations. To do so, apply the Range modifier to the effect(s) within a particular configuration.
FLAWS
Variable configurations can have their own individual flaws, which reduce the cost of the configuration (and the number of power points that must be allocated to it from the Variable structure’s pool) normally. If a particular flaw applies to all of a Variable structure’s configurations, the GM may allow it to reduce the cost of the Variable structure rather than the points applied to a particular configuration. Example: All the configurations of a particular Variable structure are Tiring. The GM may permit the application of Tiring to the Variable structure itself, reducing its cost by 1 point per rank. The effect’s configurations are acquired at their normal cost, without the Tiring flaw, but the flaw still applies equally to all of them, since it is applied to the Array overall.
• Action: A Variable structure that requires a full round action to reconfigure has a –1 flaw. Further increases in configuration time apply the Action power drawback.
• Duration: A concentration duration Variable structure only maintains its configuration as long as you concentrate. This significantly limits the effect’s usefulness, since you have to make Concentration skill checks to use any configuration requiring more than a move action, juggling both the Variable structure Note that the Variable structure is called “Variable Power” in the Mastermind’s Manual, but otherwise the two are essentially the same. Powers based off Variable structures are obviously quite flexible, capable of duplicating a potentially wide range of traits. Responsibility for controlling Variable structure use in the campaign is placed largely in the hands of both the Gamemaster and responsible players. To do otherwise would require weighing the structure down with numerous limitations, which would keep it from doing what it is supposed to do: namely create a wide range of effects. Keep in mind a Variable structure is not supposed to be “any effect I want.” That kind of unlimited power doesn’t belong in the hands of the player characters, and is better reserved as an X-trait for NPCs (see X-Traits, M&M, page 211). A Variable structure can be “any effect within a given set of parameters,” but it’s up to you and the GM to define those parameters. The limits of power flexibility in Mutants & Masterminds are deliberately set by Variable structures, the use of extra effort, and hero points. Many comic book heroes who appear to have the power to do “anything” are actually using one of these options in M&M terms. For example, the master mage or the hero with the all-powerful wishing ring can do practically anything. However, generally speaking, those characters have certain abilities they use all the time (powers and power feats they’ve acquired with power points) and “tricks” they only do from time to time, essentially power stunts performed with extra effort (and possibly hero points). This is why the Magic power, for example, is not normally a Variable structure in Mutants & Masterminds: all powers in the game have the potential to do “stunts” via extra effort, so the “variability” of Magic seen in the comics is already built-in, with some costs to control it, without having to give players carte blanche to duplicate any effect in the game at will (which is just likely to slow things down and cause game balance issues). While you can certainly allow unlimited Variable structures in your M&M game if you wish, be aware of the consequences of doing so. In particular, the need for extra effort and hero points for power stunts becomes much less, and players are encouraged to “optimize” the effects of their characters’ powers to suit every single challenge and situation, making it that much harder to properly challenge them. Unlimited Variable structures also reduce
the need for teams and teamwork. If every hero can do everything, why bother to work together?and any others you wish to use. A Variable structure cannot have an instant duration.
• Distracting: A Variable structure that is distracting to reconfigure is a drawback rather than a flaw (see the Drawbacks section, following). The effect’s individual configurations may also be Distracting, in which case the flaw is applied individually to them, rather than the Array as a whole. If all the configurations of a Variable structure are distracting, then the flaw may apply to the entire Variable structure and does reduce the cost of its configurations
• Uncontrolled: If this flaw is applied to a Variable structure (rather than one or more of its configurations) then the Gamemaster either controls when the effect’s configuration changes and what it changes to, or all of the effect’s configurations are considered Uncontrolled (but the user gets to choose how the effect is configured). Uncontrolled applied to a particular configuration has its normal effect when that configuration is in use.
• Unreliable: If this flaw is applied to the Variable structure as a whole, then changing its configuration becomes Unreliable. The player must roll a die when changing the Variable structure, on a 10 or less it remains “stuck” on its current configuration and doesn’t change.
DRAWBACKS
• Action: A Variable structure that takes longer than a full round action to reconfigure has this power drawback. Each step up the Time Table
is a –1 point drawback; one minute, five minutes, twenty minute, etc. The GM may set any reasonable limit on the Action drawback for Variable structures (beyond the standard limit of 1 point less than the effect’s total cost).
• Distracting: If it is distracting to reconfigure a Variable structure (rather than using any effects derived from it), then the effect has a 2-point power drawback.
DESCRIPTORS
Descriptors help to bring a collection of effects, modifiers, feats, and drawbacks to life, differentiating them from similar (or even identical) configurations and making them into distinct powers. Although descriptors don’t always have significant game effects in Mutants & Masterminds, they’re perhaps most important in providing color and character to the powers of heroes and villains. Descriptors do have
some affect on game play, however. In particular, descriptors often govern how certain effects interact with each other, serving as convenient shorthand to help define an effect’s parameters. For example, Immunity and Nullify work against effects with specific descriptors; if they were limited solely to things like effect type, it would leave out a tremendous range of powers, like “Immunity to Fire” or “Nullify Mutant Powers,” which are important to the source material.
TYPES OF DESCRIPTORS
Descriptors come in many different forms. The breakdown in this section is inexact, and deliberately so; some descriptors fall into more than one category, while others might not fall into any of these categories, being unique to that particular character or power. Still, the following are the major types of descriptors suited to Mutants & Masterminds powers, and things to consider when creating or choosing powers for a character.
ORIGIN
A descriptor may relate to the origin of a power, where it comes from or what granted it to the character. For example, did he gain Super-Speed in a scientific accident or from years of focused meditation at a secret temple to the God of Speed? A power’s origin may determine how
it interacts with other powers. Some powers with the same origin might be better suited to counter each other,for example, or to work in conjunction, combining their benefits. Examples of origin descriptors include:
• Accidental powers are the result of random chance or accident: being struck by lightning, doused in chemicals, exposed to exotic radiation,
and so forth. The circumstances of an accidental origin may or may not be something others can duplicate (although some are sure to try).
• Bestowed powers are granted by an outside agency of some sort, such as a deity, a technology, an alien race, or another superhuman. The process that bestows the powers can be as transitive as a Boost effect or the Empowerment power or effectively permanent, barring some sort of plot device or GM created setback.
• Invented powers are designed and created by someone, either the inventor of a particular piece of technology or the designer of a technique or technology for bestowing powers on others.
• Mutant powers are inborn, but not natural to the character’s race or species. They are the result of a genetic mutation of some sort, possibly due to environmental influences like chemical mutagens or radiation. Since they involve a change in the subject’s DNA, mutant powers—or at least the potential for them—are inheritable.
• Training powers are gained from study and practice. While many training powers are “super-skills” or esoteric abilities learned from trained masters, this origin covers any power that is learned rather than acquired in another way. It’s notnecessarily limited to “skill-based” powers or feat-like traits. For example, the Magic power might be acquired through training and study.
SOURCE
A power’s source differs from its origin in that the origin is where the potential or ability to use the power comes from (where the character got the power in the first place), while source is where the power’s effect comes from, or where the power draws its energy. Comic book style superpowers answer this question with vague descriptors, since the kind of real-world energy required for many powers is staggering, requiring all super-humans to be living fusion reactors! While this may well be the case in your own setting, the assumption is that power source is just another descriptor in most Mutants & Masterminds games. Source descriptors influence the effects of certain powers, such
as Nullify Magic Powers, which can counter powers with a magical source, whether or not their effects are magical. Examples of power sources include:
• Biological powers come from the user’s own physiology, drawing power from stores of bio-chemical energy or perhaps from specialized organs or biological functions, like a squid’s ink or a skunk’s musk, which are generated biologically.
• Cosmic powers draw upon the fabric of the universe itself or “cosmic” power sources like quasars, white holes, or the background
radiation of the Big Bang. Cosmic powers are close to divine in many respects (see the following) in that they transcend earthly sources of power.
• Divine powers come from a higher being, essentially a god or gods. Divine power is generally limited to the god(s) areas of influence and may be morally aligned, available only to wielders with an allegiance to that divinity (see Allegiances, M&M, page 118, for details).
• Extradimensional powers originate outside the home dimension of the setting, from other planes or dimensions of existence. Some extradimensional powers are scientific while others are downright mystical, or even beyond into realms “man was not meant to know.”
• Magical powers draw upon magical energies, however they might be defined in the setting. Typically, there is some sort of “magical energy” in existence that magicians and magical creatures draw upon for their powers and effects. Note that powers with a magical source are not necessarily “spells,” although they might be; a dragon’s breath might use magic to power it, or it might be biological, depending on the descriptors applied to it (in other words, how it’s defined in terms of the setting).
• Moral powers come from an abstract morality or ideal, essentially from an allegiance to that ideal. Whether or not the moral power is aware
and capable of interaction is up to the GM and the specifications of the setting; it’s the character’s belief in that ideal that matters so far as the power is concerned. “Good” and “evil” are common abstract moral sources of powers, but others may include chaos, law, anarchy, order, justice, balance, neutrality, reason, and so forth.
• Psionic powers are powers of the mind, coming from the psyche of the wielder (or perhaps from the Collective Unconscious, which acts as a “wellspring” of psionic power). This power source is associated with classic “mental” powers like Telepathy and Telekinesis, although those powers can also come from other sources.
• Technological powers are the result of technology, machines and technological devices. Although technological power sources often involve Devices or Equipment, they don’t necessary have to; a technological power may be a permanent implant, for example, without the limitations of a Device, but still technological (and affected by things keyed to the technological descriptor).
MEDIUM
A power’s medium is what the power uses to accomplish its effect(s). Often, a power’s source and medium are one and the
same: a psionic power uses psionic energy to power and accomplish its effects, likewise, a divine power often uses divine energy to
power and accomplish its effects.
In some cases, however, source and medium may differ and the distinction may be significant. For example, the power to throw fireballs
granted by the God of Fire is a bestowed origin, divine source, and uses fire as the medium to cause its Damage effect.
Medium descriptors generally fall into either material or energy: material mediums are substances, ranging from things like air (or other gases), water (or other liquids), and earth (soil, rock, sand, etc.) through to biological materials like acids, blood, and so forth. Energy mediums are different forms of energy, from electromagnetic (electricity, light, radio, radiation, etc.) to gravity, kinetic energy, or an exotic source like divine, magical, or psionic energy (given under Origin descriptors).
RESULT
Lastly, a power’s result is what occurs when the power is used beyond just the game mechanics of its effect. For example, the rules of a Snare effect describe the penalties suffered by the entangled or helpless target, but they don’t describe the result, the nature of the snare itself. Is it glowing bonds of energy, chains of ice, the target sinking into rapidly hardening quicksand, or any number of other things? Result descriptors tend to be fairly broad, given the potential range of results available to effects in the game. Some powers may not have or need result descriptors; after all, “Mind Control” is a pretty clear description of a result. However, “an induced trance where the human brain becomes capable of accepting neurolinguistic programming inputs” is also a valid result for that same effect. Like medium descriptors, result descriptors may or may not match others the power already has. Take a taser-like weapon able to stun
CREATIVE USES OF DESCRIPTORS
In many instances, players will come up with creative uses for their characters’ descriptors. This should be encouraged and, generally speaking, allowed freely so long as those uses don’t have a significant impact on the game. So if a fire-using character wants to use just a tiny amount of his Flame Blast power to light some candles, or the electrical-controlling character wants to use some of his power output to act as a living battery to jump-start a car, go for it. In the latter case you might want to call for a Craft (mechanics) check to make sure the character gets the terminals and the voltage right, but most of the time it’s better to just let the trick go through and give the character a chance to shine. Situations where creative uses of descriptors do have a significant game effect can be handled as power stunts: pick the effect that best suits the desired outcome and treat it as an Alternate Power of the power the hero wants to use, with descriptors assigned as appropriate. If an electrical controlling hero wants to use his power like a living defibrillator to save a heart-attack victim, for example, that can be a Healing
power stunt of Electrical Control. The hero uses extra effort (and possibly a hero point) and gets a one-shot use of Healing to stabilize the dying victim. Obviously, Array-based powers are the most effective at this sort of thing, but with the extra effort rules, any power can potentially have an Alternate Power based on its descriptors. the nervous system of its target: it has an invented origin (someone designed and built it), a technological source (it’s a technological device with a battery), uses a energy medium (an electrical shock), and results in an electrical overload of the target’s nervous system (the result descriptor for its Stun effect). This tells us a lot about that particular power and reasonable ways it might interact with other effects.
APPLYING DESCRIPTORS
Applying descriptors to a power is as simple as describing what the power is and how it works: “The divinely-granted ability to heal through a laying-on of hands,” for example, “or the mutant power to control magnetic fields to move ferrous metal objects.” Considerably more evocative and descriptive than “Healing effect” or “Move Object, Limited to Ferrous Metals,” aren’t they? Generally, you should feel free to apply whatever descriptors seem appropriate and necessary to describe your character’s powers, so long as they don’t significantly change how they work in game terms. This is the key element. While descriptors may imply certain interactions or minor benefits or drawbacks, they shouldn’t
significantly change how an effect works, that’s the role of power feats, modifiers, and drawbacks. So, for example, “area” is not a descriptor, it is an extra you apply to allow a power to affect an area rather than a single target.
APPLYING DESCRIPTORS IN PLAY
While descriptors are generally applied to powers when those powers are acquired (that is, when a character is created), in some cases, certain descriptors may be left unspecified, to be defined during play. This can either be because nobody thought to define the descriptor in advance, or it was deliberately left vague, to be filled-in later.
So, for example, a particular heroine might not know the origin or source of her powers, and her player doesn’t want to know, leaving them a mystery for later development in the game. The GM agrees and so the heroine’s powers have no
origin or source descriptors. Instead, the GM chooses them, which isn’t known until the heroine is subject to an antimagical field and discovers her powers don’t work! The GM awards the player a hero point for the unexpected setback and now the source of the heroine’s powers is known, although their origin still remains a mystery…
Applying descriptors in play gives you a lot of flexibility, letting you handle certain things “on the fly” rather than having
to describe every aspect of a character in excruciating detail beforehand. The key tool for handling the application of
descriptors in play is the use of hero points. If applying a new descriptor is a setback for the hero, then award the player a hero point, just like any other setback (see Complications, M&M, page 122). If the new descriptor is chosen by the player and gives the hero a minor advantage, you might ask the player to pay a hero point for the privilege, although you can balance this with an immediate hero point award for the clever idea, if you want (making the hero point a token expenditure). If it’s neither, then there’s no hero point cost, just apply the descriptor.
CHANGING DESCRIPTORS IN PLAY
On some occasions, you or a player may wish to change a particular descriptor during the course of the game, removing
an existing descriptor and possibly replacing it with another one.
Sometimes this takes the form of discovering that a descriptor the character thought applied actually does not, such as a hero discovering his “magical” powers are actually the mutant ability to manipulate reality in certain ways. So long as the change doesn’t contradict any previously introduced information, this is no different than applying a descriptor in play,
and should be handled in the same way. On the other hand, if other effects previously worked on the hero as if his powers were magical, then some sort of explanation is required. The Gamemaster may wish to limit or ban “discovering”
a descriptor that has already been established, although it might still be changed.
Changing descriptors is best handled as a plot device, much like re-allocating power points and redesigning characters (see M&M, page 25, for details). If exposure to strange magical forces changes a character’s power source from biological to magical, for example, that’s something for the GM to decide in the context of the game. Like with defining descriptors in play, if a change in descriptors through GM Fiat constitutes a setback, the GM should award the player a hero point. Changes that provide an advantage don’t cost, however, since the GM chooses when and where they occur.
Temporarily changing a descriptor can be a use of extra effort, like any other power stunt. For example, a hero might change the result of an electrical Damage effect to a magnetic Move Object effect for one use. This is like any other power stunt and the changed or additional descriptors are an important part of the stunt. Sometimes a power stunt may change nothing but an effect’s descriptor(s), such as changing a Damage effect from laser-light to a gamma-ray “graser” or from heat to cold. The GM decides what constitutes a reasonable change in descriptors for a power stunt, based on the
power’s existing descriptors and effects.
CREATING POWERS
The components in this chapter allow you to create a tremendous range of powers (as can be seen by the selection of sample powers in Chapter 3). This section looks at a few guidelines to keep in mind when coming up with new powers for your Mutants & Masterminds game.
POWER CREATION CHECKLIST
Whether you’re the Gamemaster creating a new power for your Mutants & Masterminds game, or you’re approving a player designed power, consider the following items:
• Theme: First, is the theme of the power appropriate for the setting? A power like Radiation Control might be just fine in
a post-nuclear era setting, but not necessarily in campaigns set before the atom was split, much less a medieval fantasy
world! Does the power’s theme overwhelm those of other powers? An “Energy Control” power that combines everything
every “Control” power in this book can do is a bit over-effective for a player character trait, for example. Encourage players to choose appropriate themes for their heroes’ powers and stick with them.
• Source: Make sure the power’s source fits the setting. Decide in advance whether or not certain power sources are available, limited solely to NPCs, or banned altogether. So, if magic isn’t a viable source in your campaign, make sure the
players know this up-front before they start designing magicians, spirits, or enchanted golem heroes. Likewise, make sure
the power’s source suits its theme and effects and vice versa.
See the following section, Available Power Sources, for details.
• Structure: Consider the power’s structure: most powers have a standard structure of one or more basic effects, but some powers call for something more involved like an Array, Container, or Variable structure. If a different structure suits the power, consider what effects it should include. Try to limit the use of Container and Variable structures solely to powers that really call for them and carefully scrutinize player-designed powers using them. Ask yourself: does the power
really need this structure, or is it just a means of making the power more effective in the game for less cost?
POWER SOURCE INTERACTIONS
• Effects: What effects should the power include? While most powers only have one or two effects, other structures call for
more, perhaps many more. Arrays can have a list of suitable Alternate Powers, Containers a list of suitable effects they may contain, and Variables lists of effects to which they can apply their points. Keep in mind to always limit Variable structures to a particular range of effects rather than any effect (or any random group of effects a player happens to want). Effects should suit the theme and source of the power. Also consider what effects the power can include, if you’ve
chosen to limit access to some effects, or ban them altogether, in your game.
• Modifiers: Look at the power’s modifiers—both extras and flaws—as well as any power feats and drawbacks (either applied or potential). Make sure modifiers are applied correctly to all of a power’s effects according to the guidelines for its structure. Beware of the application of “spurious” flaws intended solely to lower a power’s cost without really reducing its capabilities, and of frivolous extras applied solely for an in-game advantage or to use up “free” power points available to an Alternate Power, whether the extra is appropriate or not.
• Influence: Lastly, consider the power’s influence on your game. Is it potentially problematic? Will it require special countermeasures or capabilities on the parts of NPCs to deal with it? Does it have too great a scope for the setting you have in mind? For example, if you’re planning to restrict your campaign to Earth, never venturing out into space, then interplanetary ranges are too big, effects like Space Travel are effectively worthless, and you’re better off telling your players not to create powers with them. If a power looks likely to have an unwanted influence on your game, scale it back, working with the player to do so, if necessary.
AVAILABLE POWER SOURCES
What power sources are available, both in the setting, and to the heroes? You can have a single power source, multiple power sources, or any of the power sources given in this book (and perhaps others of your own creation). Each approach has its pros and cons. Available power sources influence the availability of various powers, and their improvement, in a campaign.
ONE SOURCE
A single power source lends a degree of predictability to the nature of powers in the setting. It doesn’t mean all powers are the same, In any setting with multiple power sources, the GM should consider if and how powers of different sources interact, and what that means for the use of powers in the setting. The default assumption is while power sources may differ their effects interact normally. So a psionic Mind Shield guards equally against Mind Reading or Mind Control regardless of power source. The same is true of other effects. The only exceptions are effects targeting a specific power
source, such as Drain or Nullify, which may be limited by source as a descriptor. This is the easiest approach for settings with multiple power sources, and keeps them on relatively equal footing.
Two power sources may also be opposed to each other. Moral or divine powers on opposite ends of the spectrum (Good vs. Evil, Law vs. Chaos, etc.) are examples of this. Opposed powers typically have the ability to counter each other (see Countering Effects, M&M, page 70).
An opposed power structure tends to set up conflict between wielders of the two power sources, even if there is no innate conflict (such as that between opposed moral powers). For example, if divine powers have the ability to counter magical forces, but magic can counter the powers granted by the gods, it’s likely magic-wielders are somewhat agnostic (if not atheistic) while the divinely empowered may be hostile toward those who “usurp” powers they consider rightly reserved for the gods and their faithful by practicing the “unholy” magical arts. just that they derive from the same source. It also doesn’t mean everyone has the same origin or acquires powers the same way, but their powers are similar on a fundamental level. One immediate effect of having one power source is it becomes easier to counter or nullify powers. Any countermeasures associated with source descriptor work on all powers in the setting. For example, if the setting’s only power source is magical, then nobody’s powers work in a Nullify Magic area, magical counter-spells affect everyone’s powers equally. Similar things occur in other settings where powers all come from one source.
This has advantages and disadvantages; you can more easily set up countermeasures against others’ powers, but they can more easily counter yours as well. Since countermeasures for other power sources may be limited in such a setting, anyone with another power source–such as a psionic in a setting where all other powers are magical–has a significant advantage (and may need to have one or more ranks of the Benefit feat, at the GM’s discretion).
One source for powers may also limit the availability of things like origins and powers, depending on the source. For example, psionic powers tend to be very broad, but if divine is the only power source, then the availability of powers is entirely dictated by the gods, and certain powers may be restricted to certain divine patrons depending on their portfolios.
One source settings are the most consistent, if not the most realistic, simply because powers all have a single, consistent source. Therefore, one power source tends to be best for more realistic settings.
MULTIPLE SOURCES
Multiple power sources may co-exist in the same setting. This can be anywhere from two (possibly opposed) power sources to as many as all of them (see Any Source, following). Multiple power sources allow for more variety in terms of powers and origins, but also require more in terms of planning, preparation, and overall effects on the setting. For example, if anti-magical defenses have no effect on the divine powers wielded by the gods’ champions, or the psionic powers of a race of mysterious psychics, then it is difficult to create a complete defense against all powers. Likewise, no power source has a “monopoly” in the setting: if the magically gifted become a problem, the divinely empowered can help
keep them in line (and vice versa).
Powers of different sources can oppose one another to a degree (see the Power Source Interactions sidebar), just not directly. So the magically empowered are not helpless against psis, who are not helpless against those wielding mutant powers, and so forth. While multiple power sources allow for variety in character creation, you should consider the possibility of individuals wielding more than one type of power. Can someone have both magical and mutant powers,
for example? Are divine and psionic powers compatible?
If the GM decides certain sources are mutually exclusive, this does not count as a flaw or drawback; it is merely a feature of the setting. The assumption is the character simply trades access to one power source for another.
ANY SOURCE
Finally, some settings allow powers from any source. Comic book settings tend to allow virtually any power source, and individuals may even have more than one. For example, a psionic mutant may have cybernetic implants and use sorcery, or an alien chosen as a champion by divine cosmic forces may wield certain elemental powers.
ABSOLUTE EFFECTS
Some fictional characters have certain powers that are “absolute:” attacks that never miss (or always kill, or both), defenses that are impervious to any harm, flawless techniques of combat or skill, unfailing insight, and so forth. These absolute abilities can sometimes be difficult to include in roleplaying games simply because they’re so dependable; they can unbalance the game if players are allowed to use them to their full effect. However, Mutants & Masterminds does allow for some absolute effects. The classic example is Immunity: it grants automatic success on certain saving throws regardless of the DC, from 1 to 100 (or more)! So a character with Immunity to Fire Effects is absolutely immune to fire,
barring the use of GM Fiat to introduce a plot device able to affect the character. Note, however, the escalating cost of Immunity, and the fact that it’s incredibly expensive to be immune to “everything:” Immunity for Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saves is 90 points. Immunity to all physical and energy damage on top of that is 170 points altogether!
Likewise, perception range powers (including those with the Range extra improving them to perception range) always “hit,” so it’s possible to create a “can’t miss” attack, although the power should still allow a saving throw, per the guidelines for perception range. A perception range, no saving throw, effect is generally too powerful. While “flawless” abilities and skills aren’t really allowed in M&M, the Ultimate Effort feat (see Ultimate Effort, M&M, page 65) comes pretty close. You can spend a hero point to ensure your hero’s effort with a particular trait is as good as it can possibly be. success isn’t assured, however. That’s more the realm of an X bonus in that trait (see X-Traits, M&M, page 211). The same generally goes for unlimited knowledge and insight: beyond the range of player characters and into the realm of X rank skills like Knowledge or X rank sensory effects (like ESP). While some absolute effects are possible in M&M, Gamemasters
are always encouraged to look carefully at any such effects, and their potential impact on the game, before allowing them. Immunity to Fire Effects isn’t likely to become as significant as Immunity to Fortitude Effects or, even more, immunity to Damage. The primary challenge of any source settings is their unpredictability. With all the power sources in play, it becomes almost impossible to plan and prepare for them all. Only the highest level of Nullify has the ability to counter or overcome any other power; most other countermeasures are only partially effective.
Any source settings also tend to be the least realistic by definition, but they are the most similar to four-color comics. After all, they are worlds where cosmic, divine, magical, psionic, and super-science abilities all coexist! Still, the four-color
comics aren’t particularly noted for their realism, so this may not be an issue for some groups.
FROM EFFECT TO CAUSE
The most commonly heard question about new powers in Mutants & Masterminds starts off with, “How do I...” and ends with everything from, “...create an indestructible magical throwing weapon” to “...make a character who can do anything
he can imagine?” The answer to those (and many other) questions about creating powers depends on the ability to go from the power’s effects (what it does) to its cause (what the power is or is called).
As you can see in this chapter, powers in Mutants & Masterminds are “effects-based,” that is, the game system deals with what the power actually does, the effect that it has, and leaves the details of what it looks like, what it’s called, and where it comes from to descriptors, which can vary from one power to another. It’s how M&M can encompass the near-limitless range of super-powers in a single set of rules: a great many diverse powers actually have very similar effects. The power to magnetically move metals isn’t actually all that different from the power to mystically move stone, or to telekinetically move objects; it’s all moving things, the differences are largely in how they’re described and what (if anything) they’re limited to moving. All of the previous powers are based on the Move Object effect, even though they are different
and distinct traits.
So the first step in creating a new power in the game is asking yourself: What does this power do? In some cases, it will be
fairly obvious, in others, it may be somewhat complicated, and may involve a list of many different things the power can do (which may suggest a power structure like an Array).
PC VS. NPC POWERS
Not all powers are created equal. In fact, some powers can be quite problematic simply because they are extremely useful in overcoming certain challenges, challenges you as Gamemaster might want to put in the heroes’ path!
Some powers in fictional sources like the comic books sometimes don’t translate well to a roleplaying game because characters in a comic, novel, or film always do exactly what the writer wants, never using their powers to circumvent an interesting scene. Characters in RPGs, on the other hand, virtually always use their powers in the most efficient manner possible, which can cause real headaches for the GM, who doesn’t have the same creative control
as an author.
While GM Fiat is one means of dealing with this (see Gamemaster Fiat, M&M, page 124) it is sometimes not enough. You may wish to restrict access to certain problematic powers to non-player characters, banning them for the players’ heroes. While this may not seem fair on the face of it, non-player characters already have an “advantage” in that they can have whatever capabilities are required for the story, up to and including X-traits, which are already reserved only for them. The idea is to keep the heroes on a relatively even playing field and ensure there are sufficient challenges for them.
For example, you might decide that Precognition is just too potentially problematic to allow any player character hero to have it. So you decide to restrict it solely to NPCs. This means you can
Plot Device Powers
As described in Chapter 11 of Mutants & Masterminds (beginning on page 208), it’s often simpler to treat certain characters as plot devices, giving
them whatever capabilities the story requires. Likewise, it’s often easier for the GM to treat certain powers as plot devices, having them do whatever
is necessary for the story.
Plot-device powers go even beyond X-traits (see X-Traits, M&M, page 211) in some respects. An X-trait is presumed to work like an ordinary trait of
that type, just with an unlimited rank or bonus (meaning it’s impossible to save against it, and it has essentially infinite levels of that trait’s normal
effects). A plot device power can basically do anything, even if there’s no standard trait capable of doing it.
Take for example the ability to grant wishes (perhaps the ultimate plot device power). While you could call it a “Variable X” effect, allocating
unlimited power points to an unlimited range of effects, why bother? Assuming that you’re wisely limiting it to a plot device character, just make up
whatever guidelines you want for how the power works and go with it. Anything more is just creating extra work for yourself: extra work no one else
is really going to know about anyway, since all the players will see is the actual effects of the plot device in play.
have a precognitive supporting character show up from time to time to offer the heroes cryptic hints about the future, but you control exactly what information they receive and can always have the NPC precog mutter something about how the timelines are unusually muddled or the like whenever you prefer to keep certain information out of the heroes’ hands.
It’s up to the GM whether or not there is an in-game reason why such powers are prohibited. It can be as simple as saying “these effects or powers are unavailable to player characters,” but some may prefer to have another reason behind it. Perhaps certain effects are connected to certain origins or power sources unavailable to PCs. For example, Mind Control is an effect granted only by certain evil supernatural being, but not their good counterparts (who provide the Healing effect the evil ones cannot). Maybe some powers require (or cause) particular drawbacks,
discouraging players from taking them. The optional Taint rules from the Mastermind’s Manual are a useful tool in making certain effects less attractive (see Ta i n t , Mastermind’s Manual, page 87). The same guideline goes for power modifiers, feats, drawbacks, and even power structures. If any of these are too much of a hassle to deal with you can ban them from your game entirely or just limit them to non-player characters. The GM may choose to restrict some extras to NPCs, or require the PCs to labor under certain flaws NPCs do not have.
A middle ground between allowing all effects and restricting some to NPCs is to require the Uncontrolled flaw on certain problematic effects, placing them under the GM’s control. This ensures they remain under control while still being available to players who want them (and at a discount, since they aren’t getting the effect’s full utility). In the previous example, the GM may decide Precognition is just fine for PCs, so long as it is Uncontrolled and the GM decides when and how the character receives precognitive visions.
Give some thought to what traits may be restricted in your game well in advance. With options like power stunts and variable effect structures, Mutants & Masterminds heroes all have a potentially wide range of powers. Even if it isn’t on a hero’s character sheet, that doesn’t mean the player won’t give it a try eventually! If the ground rules are clearly established from the beginning, there’s likely to be less disagreement when the situation arises in play.
BUFFING POWERS
One type of power the Mutants & Masterminds power level system can only cover to a degree is the “buffing” power, that is, a power that augments or improves the traits of another character. These As described in Chapter 11 of Mutants & Masterminds (beginning on page 208), it’s often simpler to treat certain characters as plot devices, giving them whatever capabilities the story requires. Likewise, it’s often easier for the GM to treat certain powers as plot devices, having them do whatever is necessary for the story. Plot-device powers go even beyond X-traits (see X-Traits, M&M, page 211) in some respects. An X-trait is presumed to work like an ordinary trait of that type, just with an unlimited rank or bonus (meaning it’s impossible to save against it, and it has essentially infinite levels of that trait’s normal effects). A plot device power can basically do anything, even if there’s no standard trait capable of doing it.
Take for example the ability to grant wishes (perhaps the ultimate plot device power). While you could call it a “Variable X” effect, allocating
unlimited power points to an unlimited range of effects, why bother? Assuming that you’re wisely limiting it to a plot device character, just make up whatever guidelines you want for how the power works and go with it. Anything more is just creating extra work for yourself: extra work no one else is really going to know about anyway, since all the players will see is the actual effects of the plot device in play.powers can be problematic in play and the GM should give special attention to them. Examples of buffing powers include Boost and Empower, along with many effects with the Affects Others extra, allowing characters to “lend” powers to their allies. The problem with buffing powers is twofold: first, they can easily exceed the power level limits of the campaign. For example, a character with Strength 10 and Boost Strength 20 is no problem in a power level 10 game: the hero’s maximum Strength bonus is +10 (for Str 30), which is right at the campaign limit. However, when the character uses the same Boost effect on a teammate with Str 36 (thanks to a trade-off), you get a hero with a +23 Strength bonus! The same is true for effects like an Affects Others Force Field, which, stacked on top of an ally’s already high Toughness, can make him nigh-invulnerable, especially if both defenses are Impervious.
The problem is compounded when players create “buffing” characters or use tactics where one or more heroes exist primarily to enhance the traits of their teammates while remaining out of harm’s way and letting their boosted allies do the heavy lifting. If all Force Field Lass does is grant her teammates huge Toughness bonuses and make Concentration checks to maintain them, letting the other heroes roll right over the opposition, there’s a problem.
STRICT POWER LEVEL
One solution to the problem of buffing powers improving characters beyond the power level limits is to strictly enforce the limits in play: so while Force Field Lass’ power may grant her a +10 Impervious Toughness bonus, it does nothing for her teammate Rock-Man, who is already at the campaign’s power level limit for Toughness. While this sometimes makes sense, it often does not—why shouldn’t one character’s super-weapon do the same damage in someone else’s hands, after all? While it may enforce game-balance, it won’t necessarily do anything for the players’ suspension of disbelief.
UNLIMITED POWER BUFFING
Alternately, you can ignore the power level limits for situational bonuses like these, applying them as best suits the situation. This allows buffing powers to work as they should: improving traits equally across the board. However, it generally requires an agreement between the GM and the players not to abuse the privilege by creating buffing characters focused solely on boosting their teammates or relying too heavily
on trait-boosting tactics, which may require players to forgo some obvious avenues of success in favor of sticking with the spirit of the game.
POWER BUFFING PREMIUM
An option in between strict enforcement of the power level limits and free use of buffing effects is to require extra effort or the expenditure of a hero point for a buffing effect to improve a trait beyond the campaign’s power level limits. This allows for the occasional
“power buff” to reach truly impressive levels, but applies a premium to the cost so players can’t rely on them too heavily or use them too often.
LIMITED POWER BUFFING
Another option between strict enforcement and unlimited buffing is to allowing buffing powers to improve traits past the power level limit, but to reduce their effectiveness when doing so. For example, a buffing effect can improve traits up to the campaign’s power level limits as normal, but past that limit applies only half its usual benefit. So, for example, a character at the PL limit receiving a Boost to that trait gains only half the usual increase because the trait goes over the limit.
You can extend this idea to “pro-rate” a power buff in relation to the power level limit, such as: over the limit is half effect, more than 150% of the limit is one-quarter effect, and 200% of the limit is the maximum, with no further effect beyond that. This helps keep buffing powers under control but is a bit more complex as the effect will vary from subject to subject and require some calculation on the fly to figure out.
IMPROVING AND ADDING POWERS
A power’s origin not only affects when and how it is acquired but may also affect efforts to improve the power later on. Power source may come into play here, too, particularly if the power comes from an outside source. In such cases, improving the power may depend heavily on the wielder’s relationship with its source!
METHODS OF IMPROVEMENT
Consider the following methods of power improvement and which are appropriate to which powers your game. Along with the methods of improving powers, consider the different types of improvements available: to existing powers, adding new effects to existing powers, adding or removing modifiers, and acquiring entirely new powers.
IMPROVEMENT THROUGH ADVENTURE
The GM decides what powers (if any) can be improved simply by spending earned power points on them. This may include existing power effects, adding extras, removing flaws, or adding entirely new effects or powers. Some or all of these improvements may have certain requirements. For example, characters may need training in order to improve their existing effects, and the GM might ban adding entirely new effects or powers without some sort of special training or even transformation first. Players can spend earned power points on whatever improvements the GM allows, so long as any prerequisites are met.
IMPROVEMENT THROUGH STUDY
Study and practice with a power may improve the ability to use it and might also improve the power’s effectiveness over time. If a power is based wholly or partially on the user’s knowledge or understanding, then study may help to improve it. If the power’s effectiveness is based primarily on use, then practice can help improve the power. The GM should decide what areas of improvement are possible through study and practice. For some, only the ranks of an effect improve, representing greater skill with the power. In other cases, the GM may allow practicing a power to improve the power’s other traits: adding extras, removing flaws, and so forth. Having a teacher may be helpful in learning to improve some powers, although only in particular areas. A teacher may be able to help a student overcome a power’s flaws, removing flaws, or adding extras.
A particular area where improvement through study or practice may apply is in regard to power feats, which are often learned applications of a particular effect. The GM can require, for example, a certain amount of practice in order for a character to acquire the Precise feat with a power (with a number of failed attempts along the way!). Likewise, you can require a hero use a new power feat a certain number of times through extra effort (see Extra Effort, M&M, page 120) before spending power points to acquire it permanently.
TRANSFORMATION
Powers are sometimes improved through transformation: heroes are exposed to conditions similar to an origin, granting new levels of power
or new powers altogether! Some transformations may be brought about through training, or by stressful situations. For example, a hero pushes his power to the limit in an adventure. The GM and player agree this triggers a transformation, allowing the player to spend accumulated power points to improve the hero’s powers. Some transformations are subtle and gradual, others quite dramatic. In the latter case, the GM may even allow players to completely redesign their characters, provided they keep the same point total (see Re-Allocating Power
Points, M&M, page 25).
TYPES OF IMPROVEMENT
Powers can improve in a number of different ways: you can add ranks to existing effects or entirely new effects, add extras, remove flaws, add power feats, remove drawbacks, or even add entirely new powers. Some or all of these improvements may be limited according to the setting and the nature of powers in that setting.
IMPROVING EFFECTS
Effects available in ranks can be improved. The GM may wish to set limits on the maximum ranks in certain effects beyond just the normal power level limits. Gamemasters should also consider whether or not to occasionally raise the campaign’s power level limit to allow for improvement in effects and other traits already at the limit (see increasing Power Level, M&M, page 178 for details).
ADDING EFFECTS
A common improvement is to add new effects to a power, expanding its scope. These effects may initially be power stunts mastered over time so the wielder can use them at will. Alternately, they might be entirely new facets of the power the user has “discovered” or developed. New effects may require instruction (from a teacher with the power) or even transformation, opening up the potential for the ability.
The GM can require the player to have enough power points to pay for the entire new effect before the hero can use it, or can allow the player to pay in “installments,” devoting earned power points to paying off the new effect’s cost (this is useful for effects acquired during adventures). As another type of “installment plan,” the new effect can initially have flaws that reduce its cost. The player can then devote earned points to removing these flaws, eventually granting full and unrestricted use of the effect.
ADDING EXTRAS
Like new effects, players can add extras to existing effects. Extras are added separately to each effect in a power; so if you want the Area extra on your Damage effect, for example, you have to apply the Area extra again if you want it to apply to your Stun effect or to an entirely different effect of the power. At the GM’s discretion, extras may be easier to add to powers than entirely new effects, since they use existing effects in different ways. Note that extras, once applied, are always in effect; a Damage effect that acquires the Area extra always affects an area, for example. For adding alternative versions of an effect, use the Alternate Power feat instead.
REMOVING FLAWS
Training and experience may help overcome certain flaws on powers, particularly flaws representing inexperience or lack of control. The GM decides what, if any, flaws can be removed and how it is done. Some flaws require nothing but time and effort (and the appropriate expenditure of power points). Other flaws may need the assistance of a qualified instructor or some sort of “breakthrough” experience to allow the character to overcome them. Finally, some flaws may be permanent, barring a dramatic transformation, and perhaps not even then, if the flaw is simply part of the nature of powers in the setting.
ADDING POWERS
It may be possible to acquire entirely new powers during a game. It’s up to the GM to decide not only if this is possible, but under what conditions. Can you gain new powers solely by training and experience, such as a telepath learning ESP or a hero with Fire Control learning to command cold as well? Sometimes closely related powers may be learned, although you should distinguish between adding effects to an existing power and developing a completely new power. In other settings, acquiring new powers takes instruction, or even some sort of transformation. For example, supers often acquire new effects or extras for their existing powers, but entirely new powers require some major event, equivalent to a new origin. A hero might be exposed to a mutagen, encounter a new power source, invent a new device, or even die and return to life with an entirely new power!
The GM can choose to restrict new powers solely to transformations. Players can request a new power, but it’s up to the Game Master when and how they occur.
Regardless of how they are acquired, new powers should follow the guidelines set down for powers in general in the campaign, unless the GM specifically chooses to bend the rules for some reason.
AVAILABILITY OF IMPROVEMENT
How and when can powers be improved, and to what degree? Improvement through adventure and study place control over power improvement largely in the hands of the players, although in the latter case the GM can limit access to teachers for some things. Improvement via transformation generally limits control over improvement to the Gamemaster, who decides where and when transformations occur. This is particularly appropriate for powers gained from an outside agency such as a deity or cosmic patron, who decides if and when the wielder is worthy of additional power. Different types of powers may have different methods of improvement. For example, perhaps magical powers can be improved through study while divine powers are only improved through transformation (granted by the divinity). Generally speaking, if any power can be improved through adventuring (assigning earned power points), then they all should be, or some players get an unfair advantage over the others.
Likewise consider the types of power improvement available. Again, this may vary from one power to another. Some powers might allow only the improvement of existing effects, others may permit the adding of new effects. The GM decides whether or not characters can acquire entirely new powers during play, as opposed to simply adding new effects and modifiers to existing powers.
Finally, you can regulate certain combinations of methods and types of improvement. For example, anyone can improve effect ranks or add power feats through study and training, but it requires a teacher to add extras and new effects or remove flaws, and entirely new powers are available only through transformation (in other words, by GM fiat), allowing the GM to control the introduction of these powers into the game.