@GM SuperTumbler - When you have a moment could you please push my character to inactive? Thanks! :)
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I don't have the mental bandwidth for an M&M game at this time. Thanks so much GM SuperTumbler for the opportunity to play.
Thanks for having me GM SuperTumbler. I will need to get my build up to speed for PL10. This I will do in the next day or so.
Another point to remember is that you can purchase a power at full price that is flavoured thematically as a device but is not actually a device. My character's magical powers are setup that way (his magic/alchemical supplies are always with him/cannot be taken away without GM Fiat because... magic). This can also apply to something like Thor's hammer (which always returns to him and cannot be taken away from him etc.). It is not strictly about real life logic as well. Iron Man's armor could be purchased at full price as well. It is all about the narrative agreement you make with the GM (and paying full price of course). So yes Death Quaker's last point is correct about the narrative difference between equipment and device.
Might I suggest that you use Hero points to partially achieve some of these effects instead? Having a character that can automatically solve any problem with his powers will not be a fun character to play with or GM for. I think the better way to go in creating a time based character is to pick specific time based effects (established powers, traits, skills and feats) that reflect your abilities rather than choosing a grab-all, "I win" made up power which is well beyond the abilities of a PL 10 character.
I want to bring in my Doctor Night character but I will definitely need to tweak his background to fit the setting. I am thinking space adventuring Mad Scientist/Alchemist rather than graduate student and his weird experiments will be famous (or infamous) in the right circles depending on who you might ask. I will be adding a little more edge to this character for flavour as well as he is not technically a superhero (anymore) although he is still "heroic". :) In terms of build it is quite a glow up from roughly 90 points to 170 points so that leaves a lot of room for additional weird abilities. You can click on the profile to see my original starting point if you like. Incidentally I like the more affordable skill pricing. This is very nice.
Sure, having some diversity among the character backgrounds would be great. The character I have in mind is very tech-savvy but leans very heavily towards magic (and not science) in his power set. I would age my character a little (he would be a full blown Mad Scientist now and not a graduate student) as it is a mature PL10 game and not a starter PL6 game. I am looking forward to seeing what people have in mind in terms of their character builds. :)
@DeathQuaker - I generally stick to society style games for the most part as they are much shorter and are very likely to complete. Even if there is a problem with the GM (which is quite rare) another GM is very likely to step in to complete the game anyways. In the worst case scenario (this has not happened to me) leadership would probably step in anyways and adjudicate so that your character is not stranded in a dead scenario. I cannot say enough good things about society play. :) All that being said playing other games is fun but then you are left with the pros and cons of the individual GM. I generally go in with low expectations in terms of campaign duration. If it lasts it lasts and if not then I had fun while I was playing it. I like building characters and looking at other players' builds (GM SuperTumbler has some fun builds) as well as talking about the mechanics of the game so it is never a waste.
Building a solid character is a good and fun exercise on its own. It is also one of the best ways (for new players) to learn how the rules really works. You can read the rules all you like but until you use them (to build and play) you will never fully understand them. I don't think it is unreasonable for the GM to ask for character builds before deciding on who will play and who will not.
Reading through the rules and seeing builds will help you a lot. In terms of character creation think about what powers your character will use on a regular basis and then make sure that it fits with your character concept. The more specific you can be with your power set the better. Then list your powers together and eliminate the ones that do not properly fit your theme. I have no idea what you mean about a character that is attempting to be an avatar of a ship? What does that mean in concrete terms?
Generally in these types of game you want to build a fun character concept that you want to play and not necessarily the most powerful (or broken) concept available. Also as it is a campaign game certain skills (or a character's demeanour or reputation) might be much more relevant to the success of a mission then their power set. Sometimes it is the small things that count. :)
I looked through the guidelines in the rule book I have and I see no examples of being immune to conditions. Generally you are immune to a source of something but not necessarily the results of an effect.
Would it be possible to purchase immunity to a condition (like Dazed or Staggered)? If so what would the cost be?
There is no need to overly limit your character's powers unless you want to. You can always have a very limited TK ability as a niche side power for a different type of build or create a powerful set of abilities around TK that are much more powerful.
Meeting in game at a crisis is the classic trope. Why mess with a classic. :) As for our previous experiences I guess that can vary from character to character. Some of us can be new to this lifestyle while others might be old hands and even have an established reputation. Of course the GM will get to weight in on this aspect as well. @Storm Dragon - I get you. Some builds just do not feel right within the limitations of the system. Point based games are more flexible than class based systems but still some characters are harder to realise than others. :)
Perhaps we could be space faring "problem solvers". Essentially mercenaries but with a heart. I think that it would be best if our group was somewhat heroic (as we are using a superhero system with superhero mechanics) but not necessarily all white (or even dark) knights. Character motivations can vary widely as can their individual propensity for doing good. Friction in the group is great for role playing as long as there is comity (and a sense of humour) between the team members.
^At lower PL you really feel it but at PL 10 (150 points) seems like a lot to play around with. More points does often equate to more powerful characters anyways despite the PL limits on your attacks and defences. There is also something to be said about being a little green and growing into your character as you gain experience. This really is all up to the GM and it is all a wash anyways as your opponents will probably be adjusted to compensate for your point total one way or another. :)
The genius of this game is that your character's flaws help to power their heroic behaviour (by often granting hero points). This encourages more interesting and realistic play. :)
I would recommend picking up a book as well. The more examples you read the better you will be at building your own characters.
Character creation can be straight forward or hard depending on how much you need to squeeze your imagined power set into the existing rules (and how efficient you want to be with your points). Some builds are easier to realise than others. :) Overall it is much less complex than PF and runs much faster IMO.
I would be very interested. If possible I would love to upgrade Doctor Night to PL 10. He is currently on the bench as the GM disappeared into the ether last year. I can add all sorts of technological and alchemical strangeness with the additional points. :)
We can always be patient and play in other games for now. :)
It is quiet in here again. :)
Normally my character would have magically created a ladder or something for Siphon to climb up on but with the security around the place this would be picked up on pretty quickly.
Doctor Night uses a combination of his magically powered jumping ability and his gymnastic skills to slowly parkour his way to the top of the roof. His plan is to stay concealed on the way up the building.
Doctor Night nods. "I will come with you. I will likely sense these creatures from a good distance." As Doctor Night leaves the van his form begins to blend and disappear into the landscape.
Doctor Night is now more concerned with the runaway bugs then their original mission. "I think we should try to go looking for these insects of yours. It is too dangerous to let them go and hope that nothing is going to go wrong."
Doctor Night thinks for a moment. "We should probably get out of here for now. We will have to think of some discrete way of letting them know they have a problem before it actually becomes a problem."
This looks like a routine (take 10) sort of situation to me anyways. It will be up to the GM to adjudicate.
Doctor Night nods at Brisk. "Alright. I suspect that their cameras might be able to pick up my camouflaged form anyways if they are at all sophisticated but a burst of speed might go unnoticed to all but the most painstaking forensic review." @Brisk - You might want to spend a Hero Point to pick up Concealment (Invisibility) as a power stunt off of your Feel the Speed power set. You can ask the GM if that is possible.
Doctor Night nods agreeing with Brisk. "Alright. We should get the show on the road." "Having these insects hatch in the building would be ... unfortunate."
Doctor Night shakes his head. Clearly the saying about being careful about what you wish for was in clear display, right here, right now. "Maybe you overdid it a bit." "Are these insects actually dangerous to people or will they only look dangerous?"
Doctor Night nods. "I thought that you might enjoy this idea." "So, do you know on how long this might take?"
Doctor Night nods at Sahara's suggestion. "It is good that we are thinking of creative ways to get into the building but I cannot risk my secret identity." "I do like your idea of going in undercover but maybe a maintenance or cleaning crew would be better. They would garner less attention and have the run of the place." "It would take some work to get the assignment but perhaps less than a medical doctor or researcher who would be vetted more thoroughly." The good doctor then thinks for a moment. "Of course if they had or thought they had an aggressive insect situation than Bug Hunter might be called." "I hear that he is the only name in town for these types of problems." "It would be reasonable for him to have a few assistants to help out on a bigger job."
Doctor Night seems dubious about simply arriving in Bug Hunter's van. "So what exactly is the plan here? I doubt that all of us will be able to successfully sneak in." "It would be better if we had a reason for being there. That would allow us to get past the outer layers of security and give us some time to research the problem."
Bug Hunter's text message is routed through several dummy numbers to at last ring on John's wired phone in his modest studio apartment. A mechanised female voice reads out the text to land line message. Doctor Night nods and suits up. He makes his way to Bug Hunter's house. As he approaches he blends into the surroundings so as not to draw too much attention to his host.
@Matt Adams 259 - His thesis is on studying the structure of organic materials and then fabricating these structures artificially to use for manufacturing purposes. The premise is that organic materials are often stronger and lighter than non-organic materials. It is said for example that both bone and spider webs are stronger and far less dense than steel. His study of Alchemy is definitely independent study. I doubt that it would be taught formally at your typical university although as it is your world you would have to tell me.
Doctor Night is dubious about the girl's intentions having a perfect recollection of the ongoing banter during the last combat and her obviously conflicted status between hero and villain. Doctor Night smiles at Siphon. "Maybe staying with Bug Hunter will set you on the right track for that." "I am sure that it will be ... interesting at the very least."
Doctor Night waits patiently for the next couple of minutes. He strikes up a conversation with Bug Hunter and his pet stick insect. "So tell me, Bug Hunter. Did you start working on this equipment of yours before the Doomsday event?" "Your friend is a Phasmid. Is he not?"
@Matt Adams 259 - I assume the following purchases are alright with you? 1 point to increase his Leaping from Rank 4 to Rank 5. 1 point to acquire the Move-by Action Advantage. @Brisk - Have fun. :)
Good points and keeping it simple is always better. :) Alright Doctor Night will spend: 1 point to increase his Leaping from Rank 4 to Rank 5. 1 point to acquire the Move-by Action Advantage.
@Matt Admas 259 - There are quite a few items on my radar but first I want to fix up his Leaping power as it is not working as I intended for him. I want for him to be able to bounce around the battlefield with many in-flight corrections during his movement action. So perhaps a limited form of Flight is in order. The limitations I am thinking that would apply to his flight would be: 1) Does not function if immobilised, restrained or bound. Which is exactly the same as the wings limitation so -1 cost per rank is appropriate. 2)He can only fly if in contact with a suitable surface during his movement phase. He could pseudo hover by bouncing up and down in place but he can not fly at all over water and his speed might be halved under other conditions where the surface involved does not provide sufficient resistance (marsh or a desert for example). I think this should also qualify for a -1 cost per rank. I think that the subtle advantage (+1 flat point) would be appropriate as well. We would also have to decide how to deal with falling and if 1 Rank of Safe Fall is required or is redundant with the Flight power. If you agree with these assumptions then we can start costing out the power.
Doctor Night looks at Bug Hunter from the back of his truck. "I don't think that rushing a lady is the way to go. I will pay attention for anything unusual." Doctor Night cranks open the manual window at the back of the truck as he listens for any potential noise that might be an issue. "How quaint."
Doctor Night reappears as he notices no items of interest. "It is best not to linger here." He turns to Bug Hunter. "Well, I could help out if you want at least for a while."
@Matt Adams 259 - Did we earn an additional character/power point for foiling Samurai Sapphire's plans (so a total of 2 points earned including the school chapter)?
Doctor Night has a look around as they arrive at the crime scene for anything out of the usual. "I am going to have a quick look around and then we can leave." Perception of 25, Investigation of 15 on a take 10. He keeps his senses peeled for trouble and seems to fade into the background as he looks around the warehouse.
Doctor Night wonders what kind of a rock Bug Hunter has been living under if he thinks that law enforcement will be able to handle the likes of the Sapphire Samurai. "I think it would be better if she were to stay with one of us at least for the time being. We were able to hold our own against his kind but I doubt that non-powered people would stand much of a chance." "For everyone's safety we should keep this as quiet as possible."
Doctor Night gladly takes the contact card from Sahara. "Well, there are certainly not as many heroes left nowadays so we all have to stick together. Thanks." The hero turns to respond to Siphon's comments. He thinks about his small studio apartment and knows that it will not house multiple people comfortably for any length of time. "You have a point. My place will not do but perhaps one of the others has a suitable space." Doctor Night looks around at the assembled heroes but more specifically at Brisk and Bug Hunter.
@Matt Adams 259 - What is our status in terms of Power Points earned? I know that we earned one at the school but did we earn another point for fighting with Sapphire Samurai or is that immediate plot arc not done yet? Clearly I am looking to do some purchasing. :) Also in terms of both Luck points and Hero points resetting. Generally it would be at the end of a chapter/mission which could be now but that also is entirely up to the GM as well.
At the mention of Sapphire Samurai escaping Doctor Night scans the area for any trace of the villain but is not hopeful despite his enhanced senses. 25 Perception (with Skill Mastery, -1/100' for both vision and hearing). Doctor Night accepts Sahara's handshake. "Well, we were glad to help. I am Doctor Night. This is Brisk and Bug Hunter." He then nods in a reassuring manner towards Siphon. "Not to worry. In time you can choose to share your identity with us ... or not. Your choice. At least you are safe for now."
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