Taliesin's 3E Builds: Moonstone, Binary, Rulk, Wasp, Shang

[Sacremas]

Taliesin; Great Iron Man and Vision there, excellent work as usual (despite my gripes) but on the Vision's Density, shouldn't that increase his Mass as well? Growth already includes a +1 Mass modifier per rank, it should be possible to crib that and use for Density as well to rebuild the power. Better yet thanks to the new power design you can custom build the mass gained, so that when he gains "infinite mass" at the highest level you can just throw in much higher level Mass rank than normal.

Read the Design Notes for Vision. Enhanced Strength, Limited to Resisting Movement is the direct build for mass increase. Any Str increase actually serves the same purpose when used as a Resistance against effects like Move Object and grabbing in general.

Right, but shouldn't he get heavier as well technically, aside from the game mechanics? And the Mass progression is there for a reason, you might as well use it.

[Unbeliever]

Btw, I hope I'm not annoying you here. It's not my intention to step on your toes, they're your builds after all.

and ends up countering energy effects, but again, that's kind of in the control of the writer.

That's something that bugs me a bit about rpgs and their linear round-structures. Countering seems to happen far more often in the comics than Readied Counters or spending HPs for Instant Counters would comfortably allow in play.

That's because writers and artists think of it, "wouldn't it be cool if?", and players rarely do. Players like to hoard HP's like gold and some GM's rarely give them out. heck, I feel if GM's encouraged players to attempt more interesting, cool things...more interesting cool things would happen. Instead, everybody looks at the sheet and says; "Well my Toughness (or whatever the 3e equivalent is) is blah, blah, so I guess I'll just roll it."

Many games fall to war-game style, mechanic rolling come combat. That's why combat is boring.

We've instituted a rule where PCs get 2 free power stunts per session. Essentially, they are given 2 free hero points (or Improvisation points in a nod to the Book of Magic alternate rules) that can be used just to bounce the fatigue from power-stunting.

This has worked out pretty well in about 6 sessions that I've played. Some characters use it more than others -- one PC is a machine-based shapeshifter, and we haven't even come up w/ a power stunt situation for him b/c, well, he has a variable power -- and I think we should try and use it more frequently than we even do, but it does seem to work. It has not increased the characters' power much at all, although if we were hardcore strategists maybe it would. I consider myself an experienced and tactical player (tons of D&D), and I haven't been able to use it to any great degree. If there's a cool ability I see my character using w/ any regularity I tend to just buy it anyway, which is cheap w/ APs.

One nice thing that I have noticed is that it encourages some more creativity from players. Since the cost of power stunting is much lower you're not devastated if you're creative idea doesn't work out. For example, in the last longish session we played, we were fighting a semi-substantial shadow entity. The electricity controller power stunted to turn on all the lights in the neighborhood, hoping the creature would be vulnerable to light. It wasn't, so he wasted the round (which happened a lot anyway in that fight b/c the creature had unreliable Insubstantial 4), but he would have been a lot more devastated had he spent a hero point to do that.

The reason I bring all that up (sorry for rambling so long) is that if you could do the same thing w/ countering. If you want to encourage you could either give everyone some freebies like that, or, what I'd probably go w/ is suggesting that they buy a flawed version of Luck limited to counters. That could be a lot of fun, especially if countering is "partial" in M&M 3E so that you can weaken the incoming effect even if you don't beat it in the check.

[Warlockcj]

Excellent work as usual, and you started with my faves. Any chance of an Ultron anytime soon?

[Shadowchaser]

@ Unbeliever

Considering how 'forgiving' Fatigue is in 3E, you almost get 'free' power stunts as it is.

Point: The first rank of Fatigue only gives you a -1 to your movement speed.

Point: The second rank has a -2 modifier to all your checks, which isn't TOO bad, and easy to keep track of.

Point: Once per conflict (that's once per fight) you can take a recover maneuver. You can use this to shake off Fatigue if you want

Point: And, finally, you can opt to spend a hero point the round after you use effort to cancel the fatigue in the first place.

With all these going in the players's favor, I don't really see too much call for adding even more free power stunts in, unless you're going for a much more forgiving 'Genre' of comics.

Certainly, though, power stunts are fun and it's always interesting to see what house rules are going on out there.

As Far as keeping things on topic, I love the builds here so far... though I hadn't even heard of The Human Torch's change to 'Becoming' flame. I had no idea he had become insubstantial now... he was always just sheathed in flame as far back as I recall.

Plus! I would also like to see a Taliesin DCA design journal... any chance of it?

[Unbeliever]

@ Unbeliever

Considering how 'forgiving' Fatigue is in 3E, you almost get 'free' power stunts as it is.
...

Sorry, the rules I quoted were for 2E. My group has not made the transition yet.

[Shadowchaser]

@ Unbeliever

Considering how 'forgiving' Fatigue is in 3E, you almost get 'free' power stunts as it is.
...

Sorry, the rules I quoted were for 2E. My group has not made the transition yet.

No worries!

Didn't mean to sound argumentative, just wanted to point those out to you in case you'd missed 'em. Apparently, you haven't even seen 'em yet!

If it's okay to start requesting Marvel heroes, Taliesin, I think I have one I'd like to see. Doctor Strange!

[Taliesin]

Taliesin; Great Iron Man and Vision there, excellent work as usual (despite my gripes) but on the Vision's Density, shouldn't that increase his Mass as well? Growth already includes a +1 Mass modifier per rank, it should be possible to crib that and use for Density as well to rebuild the power. Better yet thanks to the new power design you can custom build the mass gained, so that when he gains "infinite mass" at the highest level you can just throw in much higher level Mass rank than normal.

Read the Design Notes for Vision. Enhanced Strength, Limited to Resisting Movement is the direct build for mass increase. Any Str increase actually serves the same purpose when used as a Resistance against effects like Move Object and grabbing in general.

Right, but shouldn't he get heavier as well technically, aside from the game mechanics? And the Mass progression is there for a reason, you might as well use it.

Then just substitute Enhanced Strength, Limited to Resisting Movement with x2 mass per rank, but mechanically they will be the same. The only effect of increased mass is to resist movement effects.

[Taliesin]

@ Unbeliever

Considering how 'forgiving' Fatigue is in 3E, you almost get 'free' power stunts as it is.
...

Sorry, the rules I quoted were for 2E. My group has not made the transition yet.

No worries!

Didn't mean to sound argumentative, just wanted to point those out to you in case you'd missed 'em. Apparently, you haven't even seen 'em yet!

If it's okay to start requesting Marvel heroes, Taliesin, I think I have one I'd like to see. Doctor Strange!

Already finished Strange, just need to post him.

[Taliesin]

By the way, I haven't exactly been away, but I'd been busy at Comic Con, and my free time has been spent finishing up some writeups for H&V2, so I hadn't had the time to check this thread. I will get to posting the rest of the writeups I've done.

[Taliesin]

Excellent work as usual, and you started with my faves. Any chance of an Ultron anytime soon?

Yeah, Ultron's done too, just need to get him formatted for the forums.

[Taliesin]

Hmm, so a Design Journal on how I statted up a character? That sounds like something I can think about. I was also thinking about just a general one about how I approached benchmarking given the guidelines from Hero's Handbook.

[DesertGhost]

I was also thinking about just a general one about how I approached benchmarking given the guidelines from Hero's Handbook.

I vote for this, as benchmarks - especially for abilities - have been a point of contention her on the boards.

[Raws]

Then just substitute Enhanced Strength, Limited to Resisting Movement with x2 mass per rank, but mechanically they will be the same. The only effect of increased mass is to resist movement effects.

And shatter the ground under you, specially if you are, for instance, in an "appartment building" where the engineers didnt foresee a 3-ton guy would be walking in the corridors

Hey, it would be funny to see this: - Vision goes to that apartment in the 10' floor to protect a girl targeted for assassination... Gets denser to resist the evil guy death ray... And starts to break the floor until he reachs the ground, hehehe

[Raws]

I was also thinking about just a general one about how I approached benchmarking given the guidelines from Hero's Handbook.

I vote for this, as benchmarks - especially for abilities - have been a point of contention her on the boards.

I vote for this to!

[Rene]

I love the builds.

The only exception would be Spider-Man as a PL 10. Because that means Captain America (PL 13) would walk all over Spidey. And the few times they fought, that just didn't happen. Cap and Spidey are more evenly matched than that.

I completely understand the rationale of making Cap a very high PL. If Batman has +20 attack, Captain America can't be far behind, and he also hits harder than Bats when you consider the shield bash adding to his Str, Ergo PL 13.

But Spidey should be at least PL 11.