Is Mutants and Masterminds really as versatile as I've heard?

[The Shaman]

How were the Nocturnal gun rules different from normal M&M?

A couple of new feats and flaws, so that guns weren't so much "powers" or "gear" as just normal devices with which the character has expertise.

 

[Bretbo]

How were the Nocturnal gun rules different from normal M&M?

Probably one of the most interesting rule changes was a feat (can't remember name right now) that allowed you to use a gun that had higher ranks than your Power Level. The idea was that a street thug, who may be PL2 or PL3, could use a automatic rifle (which most were rank 5).

 

[Aaron2]

Probably one of the most interesting rule changes was a feat (can't remember name right now) that allowed you to use a gun that had higher ranks than your Power Level. The idea was that a street thug, who may be PL2 or PL3, could use a automatic rifle (which most were rank 5).

Is that restriction still in M&M2e? It seems like any PL3 thug should be able to use a rifle without a feat anyway.

EDIT: Well, I've been reading my shiny new copy of M&M and I don't think the weapon restriction still applies. There is no mention of it in the equipment chapter and the section on power level says it applies to "your hero's attacks and powers". Finally, the Cultist on page 226 has a pistol (+3 Damage) but is PL2. Same with the Thug on page 229.

I'm curious if other changes made it in.


Aaron

 

[Bretbo]

I don't have my book in front of me, but they may be doing the Attack/Defense Tradeoff Rule. I really need to stop reply to these unless I have my books in front of me...

 

[Jack of Shadows]

The Power Level limit has become a limit only for PC's. Villian's and NPC's ignore the restrictions. The GM is directed to review the power level of the villians by looking at their highest bonus/save DC. Beyond that thought the sky is the limit.

Another quick note, PL now only restricts Attack/Defence Bonuses, Save Bonuses, and Damage DC's when it comes to powers. Things like movement powers are no longer restricted by the PL. They also added a power called Super Strength which allows you to carry increasingly more "stuff" but doesn't affect your combat stats. Lets you have guys picking up battleships with out breaking play balance.

My only peeve is that the powers section is a mishmash of effect powers and descriptive powers. For example the Blast power is in the book 4 or 5 times just renamed. A number of the powers are essentially "use X power with this bonus/limitation". I can see why they tried to do it the way they did but the result is very muddy. I think if they had split ip the Powers chapter into one chapter detailing the core game effects and then a second chapter showing how to build powers with the core game effects it would have worked better.

OK enough slaps, here's the big benny. M&M 2.0 does something that Champions can't. It does absolutes, that is to say if my guy is invulnerable to fire he can be mechanically invulnerable to fire. Can't do that in Champions so I give M&M the big thumbs up here.

Jack

P.S. as to the actual topic (heh) go with M&M 2.0. Magic of Eberron is a great book but you'll do more with M&M 2.0.

 

[Aaron2]

The Power Level limit has become a limit only for PC's. Villian's and NPC's ignore the restrictions.

I see nothing that says that PCs can't have guns above their PL either. Of course, the only time it would matter if dealing with a low PL game, in which case your PCs are probably using weapons instead of their own super powers anyway.

OK enough slaps, here's the big benny. M&M 2.0 does something that Champions can't. It does absolutes, that is to say if my guy is invulnerable to fire he can be mechanically invulnerable to fire. Can't do that in Champions so I give M&M the big thumbs up here.

Wow. I wouldn't call that a "big" benny. If Hero wanted to, they could make complete invulnerability by just adding one row to a chart on page 95. It's a design descision. They choose to disallow it, its not that they "can't".


Aaron

 

[Jack of Shadows]

Wow. I wouldn't call that a "big" benny. If Hero wanted to, they could make complete invulnerability by just adding one row to a chart on page 95. It's a design descision. They choose to disallow it, its not that they "can't".


Aaron

OK,

"Big" may have been an exaggeration but it is something that M&M does that Champions doesn't. The reason for that difference is irrelevent. The "biggest" reason I choose M&M over Champions is the speed of play but I didn't want to turn this into a discussion on the merits of one system over the other. That's not what the poster was looking for.

Jack

P.S. If you want to see two people argue the merits of each system, HilphNY and I would definately oblige. We do it on the phone almost every day.

 

[Ranger REG]

Hmm. Makes me wonder if MnM should have been the "true" True20, and serve as a flagship product (as D&D does for d20).

 

[Elric]

M&M 1e was great, and M&M 2e looks significantly better still. I say this as someone with no previous experience in superhero games. I wasn't even particularly interested in superhero rpgs, but then a friend convinced my D&D group to do a one-shot of M&M and I was hooked.

I even suggested M&M as a solution in the "there are too many numbers to keep track of in high level D&D" thread.

Teflon Billy- your posts have this amazing quality where every time I read a post by you I think you're even cooler than I thought you were before reading that post.

 

[Dirigible]

Teflon Billy- your posts have this amazing quality where every time I read a post by you I think you're even cooler than I thought you were before reading that post.

Don't forget he's also a haidresser / private investigator / international man of mystery.

Incidentally, I'm rules-doodliong some ideas for a M&M power armour game, ala Heavy Gear, and it seems to be holding up pretty well.