Syncretik wrote: ↑Mon Jul 24, 2017 1:07 pm
I have a few thoughts/queries on/of the build:
Smartphone: the game is set in the current year - is this even necessary (this is really a question for the DM)
Shield Bash: I feel like this should be Strength-based, even though that wouldn't gain you anything; it's pretty hard to perform a shield-bash if you can't apply your Strength
TK Sleeper Hold: Fatigued/Exhausted don't really seem appropriate statuses; getting unsuccessfully choked-out wouldn't tire you out. Maybe try Dazed/Stunned to represent the semi-panicked re-oxygenation.
Investigation/Treatment/Vehicle ranks: what's the rational here?
The Quirk: I'm not sure this is valid; Sustained only takes a free action to maintain. Also, Sustained is not a Flaw.
Impervious 6: If you're doing this for flavour/logic reasons, fair enough, but, otherwise, immunity to rank 3 Damage effects is not very useful.
Technically, the game specifically says you don't HAVE TO buy any mundane stuff like cellphones and your normal apartment with equipment points. Some builds do, particularly when the character in question has left over equipment points that the player can't rationalize putting into anything else. For other things, its just flavor for the character. In Miss America's case, I'm assuming the smart phone and multi-tool are being included because a Motorcycle with Navigation pushes you into Equipment 3, so having a little utility array with Pepper Spray, a smart phone, and a multi-tool is just sort of a waste-not-want-not thing. I'm assuming.
Edit: Of course, according to the rules, if you don't list a mundane thing and then want to use it in an action-relevant way (i.e. as effectively adventuring gear), you generally need to burn a hero point to have it available. In other words, Miss America having a smartphone as equipment is valid, if CC intends her to be doing stuff like calling for fire trucks or ambulances in the midst of a crisis situation, or pulling up an app of some sort in the middle of an actual pursuit. If the mundane thing is going to be used actively by your character during crunch-time, and you don't want to burn hero points every time you need it... listing it under equipment is not a bad call.
As for the Shield Bash, my understanding was that her Telekinesis is her strength. Her shield isn't bashing harder because she's putting muscle behind it, she's exerting telekinetic force through her shield. Similarly he shield throw has nothing to do with her actual throwing arm, it may look that way to a casual observer, but its her mind, not her body that is actually hurling it and allowing it to defy the laws of physics (as Spider-man might point out) with its ricochets. Unless of course CC decides they want it to partially strength-based, but it certainly doesn't have to be.
Can't really comment much on the Sleeper Hold thing, that's just CC's choice. Though the exhausted and fatigued conditions are pretty terrible for PCs in a game where PvP combat is unlikely to occur. That's just a personal opinion though.
As for the the skills, again just CC's choices... but I was just assuming it was related to her Captain America idolization. A Cap-emulating girl (and later grown woman) would probably both know first aid and ride motorcycles. And a geologist having investigation ranks isn't that odd, investigation covers searching for stuff, it'd cover taking and analyzing soil samples and mineral deposits, if you're running around looking for rumors of meteor impact sites or hidden cave networks you'd probably gather information from locals. Again, just guessing here.
The Quirks are more placeholder reminders than actual cost breaks, as you'll note that both of the Alternate Effects they are attached to do not use the full 16 points allowed by the array (I guess you could list them as -0 Quirks if you wanted to, though in Miss America's build it presently makes no difference). They are simply there to note that if someone uses nullify or sufficient enough weaken toughness to shatter her shield, she obviously can't utilize those two alternate effects.
Similarly, Sustained is is not giving or taking away anything, its a +0 modifier which I choose to list under flaws for organizational purposes. Its just a semantic style choice like writing up an extended Teleport as either: Teleport X (Extras: Extended, Flaws: Limited to Extended) OR Teleport X (Extras: Extended Only). It makes no actual difference to anything, its just a matter of personal preference in how you want to write it out. You could list Sustained under Extras, or you could have a whole separate listing for +0 modifiers, but ultimately it doesn't really matter. I mean, marginally giving Star Guard the benefit of the doubt on knowing Sustained Duration on a Permanent Duration power is a +0 modifier whether its listed under Extras or Flaws.
Edit: Also, unless I'm missing an errata update or something, by-the-book, Sustained IS listed under Flaws for the Protection power in the Hero's Handbook. It makes no difference though, as again, either way, listed as an Extra or listed as a Flaw, its still just a +0 modifier.
Impervious 6 means your immune to random shots from light pistols unless they are being used with power attack/teamwork tactics (or getting lucky with a crit) against you. Most NPC street-level thugs have light pistols as their weapons by default. Also impervious makes Weaken Toughness effects less useful against her. And then there is of course added power stunt potential. With those extra 6 points, she could stunt Wonder Woman-ing herself across an area full of automatic weapon fire(stunt out the impervious ranks for sustained immunity 5 bullets) or Captain Amercia-ing herself out of an otherwise really bad fall (stunt out the impervious ranks for Immunity 5 falling damage)... both of which are classic shield-user stunts in the comics/movies and fit her kinetic energy shield descriptor well (so I'm pretty sure most GMs wouldn't bat an eye at them)... and thosee impervious ranks allow her to do them without also dropping her actual toughness rank while doing so.