[M&M] GM questions...

[Neowolf]

I was just wondering if anyone else had run into this problem, and maybe how they had addressed it.

It seems to me that the Damage Save mechanic is a bit shaky in that it can lead to either long, drawn out battles or very very short ones.

My group has twice now knocked out BBEGs in the first few rounds of combat. I realize this can be addressed by giving them a higher damage save, but how much is too much? The players are around PL 12, with most of them being able to dish out fairly decent damage.

My other question is, how many PP do you guys give out per session? I've been giving out 2-3 for real story advancement, and only 1 if they haven't really done much. Is that about right?

The problem with that is if I run several one-shots in a row, they end up racking up 3 xp per session several sessions in a row, and BOOM, they level up.

Any suggestions?

 

[Victim]

Use villain points to negate the effect of some poor damage save rolls. Also, a mix of protection and amazing save allows the villain to automatically shrug off weak attacks so the brick doesn't roll a 1 against a pistol shot.

I'd probably give out 2 points per level at first, so PCs can buy stuff like radio headsets, a base, or minor effects that they forgot right away, then drop to one point. Alternatively, restrict how points can be spent. Maybe give one power point, and another point that doesn't effect PL and has to boost a skill.

 

[bwgwl]

villain points are there to make sure the heroes don't one-shot the BBEG. if you've got a party of four PL12 PCs, then you've got 14 VPs per session to use.

likewise, if combats are taking too long, make sure the PCs are using their Hero Points to help them out.

i tend to give out 1-2 xp for sessions that advance the plot and 0-1 xp for sessions that don't. IMO 3 xp per session is WAY too much. that's a PL every 5 sessions. if you play weekly, that's from PL10 to PL20 in slightly less than a year.

although everyone expects advancement in RPGs, it doesn't model the source material very well. there aren't too many heroes who advance from, say, the power level of Luke Cage to that of Superman in the course of a year (or even two or three).

that's why i try to keep advancement as slow as possible. i try to reward the players with things other than just "power-ups."

 

[333 Dave]

You have to remember to use your VPs! And since one use of a VP is "Reroll a single die roll, take higher result or 10" then you can reroll a failed Damage save. It'll save your life.

 

[bwgwl]

yep, it's all about the VPs!

the game was balanced assuming the GM is using VPs to save the BBEG's bacon from time to time. if you're not using them, things will start to skew a little too much in the player's favor.

 

[Neowolf]

Thanks for the advice guys, I'll keep all this in mind. You're right: I haven't been using Villain Points nearly enough. Also, it seems I'm giving out way too much xp. I've already talked to my players about it, and we're gonna cool it on that front for a little while.