Insight's Agents of Artemis (M&M2E): OOC Thread

[hero4hire]

The only problem is that a flaw reduces the cost per rank, not the total cost. Powers cannot be reduced below 1pp/rank. So, 2 ranks would still cost 2pp, no matter how many flaws you add. A drawback would reduce the total cost.

This is a perfectly reasonable houserule but not RAW.

Pages 110-111 Core Rules or Page 96 Ultimate Power
FRACTIONAL 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.
A power’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
ranks per power point) should be the lowest modified cost for a power in
Mutants & Masterminds, but the GM sets the limit (if any).

Example: The Soldier has Protection, but only effective against
blunt physical attacks (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 Protection.

 

[Insight]

[sblock]Mechanics & background for

Kristin Majdic
Concept: Gunslinger (minor alchemy and psionic abilities)
Power Level: 8
Power Points: 120
Experience Points: 0
Hero Points: 1

[sblock=personal background]
Four years ago, Kristin had been an elite gymnast -- third alternate on the US junior team, in fact. Her life to then had fallen apart when the national team's coach had told her parents straight out that she was going to be too tall to make the next step. A few inches shorter and she would have spent last summer in London.

It was only after that disappointment that she started paying more attention to what her parents were teaching her younger brothers. Perhaps diving as deeply into shooting as she had into gymnastics was an overreaction -- if she couldn't be the best in one, she'd show that she could be the best in something else. She'd been sixteen when they'd told her the real reason behind why they taught all their children how to craft a hunter's guns and ammunition, and how to shoot them.

The formulas had sometimes been strange -- the chemistry she knew didn't always completely explain how they worked. And few outside the tight-knit community of hunters ever mastered the mental state where time slowed down and you could fire faster than most would believe possible, or do things with one bullet that were... improbable, at best. But even before the Revalation, she'd followed her mother on a Hunt twice. She knew what was out there was real.

The family had always passed the trade from master to apprentice, usually father to son, but in the last half-century mostly mother to daughter. But the Revelation had caused her parents to think perhaps the old hunter families were not enough. So they had asked Kristin to accept Emma Tolhurst-Stone's offer of a place at the Academy for her -- and her brothers, for that matter. And Col. Jalana Majdic retired after twenty years service in the Army, and joined the faculty.
[/sblock][sblock=family background]
Family legend said that in 1523, her many-times great grandmother had been killed by a creature of shadow, and so driven the small town Balkan jeweler that was her just-as-many-times great grandfather to become a hunter. He was no great warrior, but he consulted anyone who could find to learn how such creatures might be killed. And then he built a crossbow and scores of alchemically treated bolts and set out on his mission. He never found his wife's killer, but he did destroy several other such things, and taught his son after him.

By the 1700s that line of her family were gunsmiths, not jewelers. Silver bullets were the simplest of the tools of the trade that they crafted and used with equal expertise. In the tiny, far-flung community of hunters, weapons and ammunition they crafted were highly prized.

In the 1940s, her great-grandfather had worked for American intelligence to sabotage the Nazi research into the occult, but as a western agent he found that he needed to escape his native land ahead of the Communists and relocated to Chicago. He married late, though, and had no sons. Always before when this had happened, the family had trained a grandson, or a son-in-law, or a nephew. But he had few friends in America outside of his wife, and his daughter had convinced him she could do the work.

Similar circumstances led to the next generation passing from mother to daughter again. It might not have happened a third time, but circumstances meant that it did.

Kristin Majdic is the product of five centuries of lines of hunters. She is bright, nearly supernaturally quick, and has absorbed everything her parents and grandparents taught about their craft. She's eager to prove she's a worthy member of that line herself.
[/sblock][sblock=combat and tactics]
Kristin prefers it if her enemies don't notice her until she fires the first shot. She keeps a wide variety of custom bullets on her at all times, and if she recognizes her opponent, she can usually find something in the bag that old witch woman gave her great-great-great-grandfather to hurt it.

When she can't, she's quite capable of coming up with something new. Although she has the feats and skills to do so, she doesn't create Devices other than weapons and ammunition.
[/sblock][sblock=physical description]
Age: 18
Height: 5' 7"
Weight: 135 lbs.
Hair: Black, cut short
Eyes: Brown
Skin: Fair
Ethnicity: Mixed eastern and central European

Kristin dresses like a typical American teenager with mild tomboy tendencies in most respects, but skilled observers would probably notice she's carrying a pair of concealed pistols -- which she has all the permits for now that she's a legal adult.
[/sblock][sblock=character sheet]
KRISTIN MAJDIC
gunslinger
"You can shoot things that go bump in the night."

Identity: Public ID

APPEARANCE
Gender: femaile
Age: 18
Size: Medium
Height: 5' 7"
Weight: 135 lbs.
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown

POWER LEVEL
Power Level: 8
Power Points: 120
Max Attack: 8
Max Defense: 8
Max Save DC: 8
Max Toughness: 8

ABILITIES
STR: 10 (+0)
DEX: 20 (+5)
CON: 14 (+2)
INT: 16 (+3)
WIS: 14 (+2)
CHA: 10 (+0)

COMBAT
Attack 0 (Melee 0, Ranged 8) [Unarmed +0 (Bruise)]
Defense 8 (0 flat-footed)
Initiative 5

SAVES
Toughness 8 (2 flat-footed)
Fortitude 7
Reflex 10
Will 7

SKILLS
Acrobatics 13 (+18)
Bluff (+0)
Climb (+0)
Concentration (+2)
Craft
-Chemical 10 (+13)
-Mechanical 10 (+13)
Diplomacy (+0)
Disguise (+0)
Escape Artist 11 (+16)
Gather Info (+0)
Handle Animal (+0)
Intimidate (+0)
Knowledge
-Arcane Lore 13 (+16)
-History 5 (+8)
-Technology 5 (+8)
Notice 13 (+15)
Search (+3)
Sense Motive (+2)
Stealth 13 (+18)
Survival (+2)
Swim (+0)

LANGUAGES
English, Russian, German, Latin

FEATS
Accurate Attack
Ambidexterity
Attack Focus, Ranged (8)
Defensive Roll (6)
Dodge Focus (8)
Equipment (3)
Precise Shot (2)
Quick Draw (2)
Uncanny Dodge (1)
Artificer

POWERS
POWER[8] Hunter's ammunition (easy-to lose Device; sorcery/alchemy)
[blast 8, penetrating, incurable, variable descriptor 2 (sorcery)]
ARRAY[8] Hunter's trance [boost array] (psionic, self only)
[a] [8] Hail of bullets [boost blast, add autofire 1]
[a] [0] Trick shot [boost blast, add improved range, ricochet 2, subtle]
POWER[1] Ammo pouch (sorcery; 'bag of holding') [Dimensional Pocket; limited - nonliving things only]

MOVEMENT
Base Move: 30 ft/60 ft/120 ft
Leaping: 10 ft/5 ft/0 ft

LIFTING
Light: 33 lbs, Med: 66 lbs, Heavy: 100 lbs
Max: 200 lbs, Push: 500 lbs

EQUIPMENT
basic equipment (cell phone, clothes, etc.)
2 heavily customized light pistols - 12 EPs
3 points TBD

COMPLICATIONS
Possible complication on her pistol powers
- can run out of ammo
- sometimes doesn't know what kind of bullets hurt a shadow creature

SUMMARY
Abilities 24 + Skills 24 (96 ranks) + Feats 33 + Powers 24 + Combat 0 + Saves 15 – Drawbacks 0 = 120 / 120
[/sblock][sblock=mechanics notes]Kristin's 'bag of holding' is a magical Device with the OOC intention being to give her some Hammerspace for ammunition and other stuff.

I'm not really sure if the way I set up her powers works completely, but I couldn't find a method for building a power that enhanced mundane equipment, so I put the whole cost of a Blast into Kristin's ammo, and by the rules her Boost power is boosting the Device.[/sblock][/sblock]

I guess the idea is that you are using Device to boost your Light Pistol attack. I don't know that it makes sense that way. In order to use Device, it would require, well, a DEVICE, and you can't really use a piece of Equipment as a Device to boost itself. It just doesn't make sense to me.

Everything else seems OK. I've rebuilt them using the effects from UP and have the following:

Hunter's Trance Array [8pp]
Base Effect - Hail of Bullets: Boost (Light Pistol) 8 (Adds Extra: Autofire (+1)) (8pp)
AP - Trick Shot: Boost (Blast) 4 (Adds Power Feats: Improved Range, Ricochet 2, Subtle) (4pp)
Ammo Pouch: Dimensional Pocket (Flaw: Limited - Nonliving Things Only (-1)) [1pp]

Here is how I would build your boosting power:

Hunter's Ammunition: Boost (Light Pistol) 5 (Extras: Penetrating 8 (+1), Range - Ranged 5 (+1); Power Feats: Incurable, Variable Descriptor 2) [21pp]

That would give you a total of 30pp for your powers.

You could still make your Hunter's Ammunition power a Device, but it would need to be something else - an amulet, a ring, whatever.

 

[Insight]

This is a perfectly reasonable houserule but not RAW.

Pages 110-111 Core Rules or Page 96 Ultimate Power
FRACTIONAL 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.
A power’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
ranks per power point) should be the lowest modified cost for a power in
Mutants & Masterminds, but the GM sets the limit (if any).

Example: The Soldier has Protection, but only effective against
blunt physical attacks (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 Protection.

Unless someone absolutely bowls me over with a concept that demands such a reduction, assume that 1pp/rank is the lower limit. I would prefer that people come up with drawbacks as opposed to flaws when limiting something that's already 1pp/rank. Again, this is based on concept, of course.

 

[drothgery]

I guess the idea is that you are using Device to boost your Light Pistol attack. I don't know that it makes sense that way. In order to use Device, it would require, well, a DEVICE, and you can't really use a piece of Equipment as a Device to boost itself. It just doesn't make sense to me.

Well, what's she's doing, as I envision things, is loading mundane guns (very well made ones, but mundane) with magic bullets (though she would not agree with you if you told her this). Her Ammo Pouch really should be a Device, but it's a one-point power (limited rank 1 Dimensional Pocket), and you can't make a one-point Device as I understand the rules; if it was stolen, she'd be stuck with whatever her guns happened to be loaded with. She can make more, but it takes time.

And I built the Blast power into the Device cost because I couldn't see how to enhance weapon damage (even if I dropped another point into equipment so she could afford two heavy pistols or even future tech energy pistols, they're a weaker than a PL-ranked Blast) with a power.

 

[Insight]

Well, what's she's doing, as I envision things, is loading mundane guns (very well made ones, but mundane) with magic bullets (though she would not agree with you if you told her this). Her Ammo Pouch really should be a Device, but it's a one-point power (limited rank 1 Dimensional Pocket), and you can't make a one-point Device as I understand the rules; if it was stolen, she'd be stuck with whatever her guns happened to be loaded with. She can make more, but it takes time.

And I built the Blast power into the Device cost because I couldn't see how to enhance weapon damage (even if I dropped another point into equipment so she could afford two heavy pistols or even future tech energy pistols, they're a weaker than a PL-ranked Blast) with a power.

Yes, having them actually be ammunition (and a Device) would work IF she has no power to affect the ammo itself (because the ammo is the source of the "Boost" and not her).

 

[hero4hire]

There is a Drawback from Mecha & Manga called "Focus" that seems similiar to what you are talking about.

FOCUS
You cannot freely manifest a power with this drawback; it requires an object
you must be touching to focus your energy or concentration. The power
manifests through the object, not through you, giving the appearance that
the object could be the one manifesting the power. This drawback has a
value of –1, and the focus can be anything of a particular type (for example,
any sword, any earring, etc.). For powers that can only be activated through
specific items, see the Device power.

 

[Insight]

For everyone,

Please post your pp totals for each section of your submission. I still have 5 characters to go through and I don't feel like doing a bunch of math. I'll still check it, but I need to know what you're spending the points on.

 

[hero4hire]

Looks like I may have to drop out of the running for this one.

 

[drothgery]

Yes, having them actually be ammunition (and a Device) would work IF she has no power to affect the ammo itself (because the ammo is the source of the "Boost" and not her).

Okay, I've revised Kristin Madjic again.

Ammunition is no longer a Device; her pistols now are a (technological) Device rather than Equipment, I've moved some properties from both Hunter's Trance and Hunter's Ammo into her guns (and dropped two ranks of Ranged Attack specialization and added Accurate), both powers boost her guns.

 

[hafrogman]

This is a perfectly reasonable houserule but not RAW.

Glad to know I'm not crazy, at least.

I would prefer that people come up with drawbacks as opposed to flaws when limiting something that's already 1pp/rank.

Alrighty, Warren has been duly adjusted. Moved some of the enhanced attributes out to innate (the shadow energy has left him far more active than he used to be, so in addition to the power boost, he's just in better shape than he used to be from all the exercise he's gotten over the past year), as suggested. And changed the source: limit to a power loss drawback, which is actually makes the regen more powerful.