M&M Question

[pawsplay]

I was paging through Mutants & Masterminds 2e in the store other day, when something struck me.

M&M doesn't have Improved Unarmed Strike, I take it, nor any kind of "martial arts" feats. Is it my imagination, or do the martial artists in the book rely solely on their Str 14-16 to do damage? Sure, Power Attack will get you there, but it made me wonder how much stopping power a martial artist would have. I didn't see anything like a strike power statted up on any of them, either.

 

[Dirigible]

None of the archetypes in the book have it, but its pretty common to see martial artist types with a few ranks of Strike, defined as 'training'. There is also an Martial Strike feat in the Mastermind's Manual which does the same thing.

 

[Blastin]

yup....strike, enhanced strength, or even a device/weapon will get you there along with power attack.

 

[D.Shaffer]

Remember that M&M is effects based. An improved unarmed strike is just hitting harder when you get right down to it. Basing it on chi, training, or a mystical belt that calls upon the ancestral spirits of fighters long past doesnt change the fact, in the end, you're hitting harder. Strike handles all of that fairly well if just increasing your strength doesnt do enough. Possibily linked to other effects if you wanted to get fancy. (5 step palm exploding heart technique!)

 

[Krolik]

As others have said above, a martial artist with a +17 attack and +3 damage from strength and the Power Attack Feat will have a damage range of +3 to +8. That's a significant amount of damage output. Because of 2E's Trade-off system there's no big advantage to buying additional Strike for a martial arts character over buying the Power Attack Feat. It will really all come down to character design philosophy at that point.

 

[DwelleroftheDeep]

Like the others have said, attack bonus is a major factor. And don't forget improved critical. In M&M you can take it as much as you like for any attack so if a Martial Artist always strikes the best blow put 5 to 10 ranks in improved critical to supe up their average damage. That's what one of my Players and my Martial Arts NPCs do.

 

[Mallus]

Remember that M&M is effects based.

Bingo...

I built a magical super-wrestler with a STR of 10, without any of the obvious Feats like Improved Grapple. What I did do was give him Powers like Snare, Suffocate, Nullify and a nifty usable-on-others Teleport --to simulate his throws-- all with range=touch, in a addition to a 5pt complete Immunity to grabs/snares.

Works like a charm.

 

[BkMamba]

I built a magical super-wrestler with a STR of 10, without any of the obvious Feats like Improved Grapple. What I did do was give him Powers like Snare, Suffocate, Nullify and a nifty usable-on-others Teleport --to simulate his throws-- all with range=touch, in a addition to a 5pt complete Immunity to grabs/snares.

That is an interesting concept. Of course, being the combat monster that I am, instead of Teleport I would have gone with Trip (Touch Range: -1, Knockback: +1) at 1pp/Rank so that I could get the Knockback Damage benefits.

 

[Mallus]

Of course, being the combat monster that I am, instead of Teleport I would have gone with Trip (Touch Range: -1, Knockback: +1) at 1pp/Rank so that I could get the Knockback Damage benefits.

The character was intentionally built as an anti-combat monster. Since he's Joseirus, Egyptian God of Mexican Wrestling, I though it was fitting that none of his attacks cause direct damage.

I eventually broke that rule when I added the Cheops Drop to his repertoire of moves, since that creates a pyramid which he occasionally drops on foes.

 

[BkMamba]

The character was intentionally built as an anti-combat monster. Since he's Joseirus, Egyptian God of Mexican Wrestling, I though it was fitting that none of his attacks cause direct damage.

I eventually broke that rule when I added the Cheops Drop to his repertoire of moves, since that creates a pyramid which he occasionally drops on foes.

Ah. That makes sense then. I do not believe I would have the necessary willpower to create a character who could not cause direct damage though. I like hearing the bones go crunch when I roll my d20.