Above Power Level
Above Power Level
Say Strong Man and Sword Lass are fighting Eviltron 9000. Sword Lass takes a fall and Strong Man picks up Sword Lass's sword. Strong Man is already capped out on unarmed damage and to hit. So, what happens when he wields his fallen partner's weapon? No extra damage, maybe just the effects of the sword (let's say the sword does fire or ice or electricity damage). Or is Strong Man too strong to wield the sword at all with nothing happening at all?
Re: Above Power Level
You could give him the benefit of other non-PL breaking effects that are in the sword, e.g. Extended Reach, but PL caps are what they are. I've let a player do pretty much what you describe by instituting additional (and meaningful) penalties, e.g. trade off extra damage with Defense penalties when the scene demanded it, i.e. a key plot scene. The sword-wielder had been taken out and the brick wanted to grab the sword and bash the alien tech gizmo while dozens of minions swarmed. The Defense hit he took made it meaningful because of so many minion attacks he opened himself up to. The sword was Restricted (Personal) so he paid an HP to ignore that and it "fought" him (hence the Distracting hit to his Defense).
For someone to regularly pick up weapons, they'd need to factor the extra damage into the PL trade-offs.
For someone to regularly pick up weapons, they'd need to factor the extra damage into the PL trade-offs.
Penny's Build Party - Playable builds - M&M 2.5 featuring Damage Roll combat
Re: Above Power Level
I agree with Penny and your own reasoning. At best, your giving him a new descriptor.
Assuming, however, that his raw Fighting skills isn't bought up, there could be an extra benefit for the trade off in a lower to hit for a higher damage...
Assuming, however, that his raw Fighting skills isn't bought up, there could be an extra benefit for the trade off in a lower to hit for a higher damage...
Bladewind's 3ed M&M BuildsThorpocalypse wrote: ↑Sun Oct 07, 2018 6:01 pm Building to be comics "accurate" is different than building to run a PC or building something to challenge a group.
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Re: Above Power Level
This. I'd also say that you could let him "but effects" worth the PP cost of the sword. So instead of giving him the PL breaking damage, let the sword give him appropriate ranks of Improved Critical, Penetrating, or Takedown, whatever works for the weapons description and adds a bit of heroic flare to the scene.badpenny wrote:You could give him the benefit of other non-PL breaking effects that are in the sword, e.g. Extended Reach, but PL caps are what they are. I've let a player do pretty much what you describe by instituting additional (and meaningful) penalties, e.g. trade off extra damage with Defense penalties when the scene demanded it, i.e. a key plot scene. The sword-wielder had been taken out and the brick wanted to grab the sword and bash the alien tech gizmo while dozens of minions swarmed. The Defense hit he took made it meaningful because of so many minion attacks he opened himself up to. The sword was Restricted (Personal) so he paid an HP to ignore that and it "fought" him (hence the Distracting hit to his Defense).
For someone to regularly pick up weapons, they'd need to factor the extra damage into the PL trade-offs.
Formerly luketheduke86
Re: Above Power Level
The only problem I see with that is it turns the improvised weapon into a mini-Variable. In the hands of the right player, it'd be fine, but I'd not open that up to rando players in a PbP campaign. To even good players, it invites meta-gaming due to "possibilities."L-Space wrote:I'd also say that you could let him "but effects" worth the PP cost of the sword. So instead of giving him the PL breaking damage, let the sword give him appropriate ranks of Improved Critical, Penetrating, or Takedown, whatever works for the weapons description and adds a bit of heroic flare to the scene.
Last edited by badpenny on Sun Dec 18, 2016 7:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Penny's Build Party - Playable builds - M&M 2.5 featuring Damage Roll combat
Re: Above Power Level
Oh absolutely. It completely depends on the trust the GM has for the player and should be collaborative effort between. The effects should be thematically appropriate and give the player a useful, but not PL/game breaking effect.badpenny wrote:The only problem I see with that is it turns the improvised weapon into a mini-Variable. In the hands of the right player, it'd be fine, but I'd not open that up to rando players in a PbP campaign. To even good players, it invites meta-gaming due to "possibilities."
Formerly luketheduke86
Re: Above Power Level
Character uses HP for Advantage: Power Attack. If they already have Power Attack then the Advantage: All-out Attack. If they have both of those .... continue until something logical (Improved Critical) makes sense. Other than that, the Sword is obviously too (enter adjective) to be fully utilized be a bovid swordsman.
Though I would allow a appropriate descriptor if the sword had one. With a Complication popping up if the players started getting shady, creating similar situations in a future scenario later on.
Though I would allow a appropriate descriptor if the sword had one. With a Complication popping up if the players started getting shady, creating similar situations in a future scenario later on.
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Re: Above Power Level
Circumstance bonuses are always available to the GM. Maybe one or two shots with a +2 circumstance bonus (to hit) before the sword breaks.
"Something pithy this way comes."
Re: Above Power Level
"Nuh UH! the sword is made of Unbendunbreakum!"
But yeah, I can see how it would get out of control if Sword Lass was just there to get knocked out so Strong Man could ge a free weapon. Luckily that never happens in comics... I mean games
But yeah, I can see how it would get out of control if Sword Lass was just there to get knocked out so Strong Man could ge a free weapon. Luckily that never happens in comics... I mean games
Re: Above Power Level
There is also Extra Effort, those aren't limited by PL limits, even Power Stunts. If you have a Hero Point or Luck Point [Recover] to negate the fatigue from Extra Effort, so much the better. You can get some truly insane ranks of stuff with the right power stunt.