House Rules

Devices

The skills required to create a super science device are more varied than just Knowledge: Technology. Listed below are examples of the additional Knowledge specialty to build a particular effect into a device or invention.

  • Energy Weapons, Force Field, Teleporter Physical Sciences
  • Healing Tank, Super Soldier Serum, Strength Booster Life Sciences
  • Earthquake Machine Earth Sciences

Most super science devices will utilize Physical or Life Sciences. Staff might rule that you need more skill or additional skills to create devices at their discretion.

Mystical Devices or Rituals require Knowledge: Arcane Lore and might require other Knowledge skills for their design phase such as Theology & Philosophy, or even Art.

What can I build?

First and foremost whatever you want to build must fit your concept, in other words if your schtick revolves around manipulating fields of force to generate a variety of effects it would be unlikely for you to build much in the way of chemical weaponry.

The Mutants & Masterminds core rulebook has guidelines for temporary inventions on p. 131 that serve as a rough guideline to use to figure out what level of skill is required. Essentially if your skills aren't able to hit a DC equal to 10 + the effective Power Point cost of a given ability then you don't have the skill needed to make it without aid.

Example The Neuron wants to make a device to read people's minds and alter their memories. The device has the following powers:

  • Telepathy 10 (20 effective PP)
  • Transform 10 (Mental, Change Memories/Recollections, Continuous duration; 20 Effective PP)

The GM rules that the knowledge skills that apply are Technology for the overall design, and Behavioral Sciences for the mental powers. The DC would be 30 for either power in the device, meaning that The Neuron would need a skill of 20 to have a 50% chance to succeed with the design. This is a good benchmark to aim for when making a design but be aware that staff reserves the right to deny any invention or alteration of existing devices or artifacts if they feel they do not fit the character concept or are abusive.

Drawback: Normal Identity

Your normal identity is built on half your points and limited to half your power level. You may have no extraordinary powers or abilities that violate your normal identity's level caps. For example, you could have Strike with the source Training to represent martial arts expertise, but you could not have Super Strength, or the ability to fly.

As a 3 point drawback your transformation takes only a free action; the drawback is worth 4 points if it takes a full round, and 5 if it takes longer than a full round.

Remember that there must be a reasonable means of preventing your transformation for this flaw to be approved. DC's Captain Marvel had to speak a magic word, while Marvel's Thor had to strike his walking cane against the ground to transform into his heroic form. Your character stats should be those of the powered form and your normal form a viewable +note.

Falling Damage

The core rules mechanic for falling makes it far too lethal to accurately reflect the world of the comics. As written it is possible for a very tough brick to take falling damage that in the comics would not happen. To better model comic book 'reality' falling damage is computed as normal but the player can subtract their toughness save bonus from the damage bonus, as well as all of their impervious toughness bonus.

  • Example: Neutronium Lass falls from 300'. Max damage from a fall is 20 lethal, but Neutronium Lass has 10 Impervious protection and a total save bonus of +12 for a total reduction of 22 points. As 20 minus 22 is less than zero she will take no damage at all from any fall without extraordinary circumstances coming into play.
  • Example 2: Sky Dancer is a skill based character. Were he to fall the same distance of 300' the chance of his getting hurt would be much greater. He has a +10 damage save, none of which is impervious. His toughness bonus reduces the 20L attack to a 10 Lethal, he has to roll a DC25 Toughness save, needing a 15 or greater to escape unscathed. Note that Acrobatics can reduce the distance of a fall, and is applied before any other modifiers. This would not affect things in the example cited above, but could and should come into play in less harrowing falls.

Headquarters Feature: Computer

If you wish to have an AI computer it costs an additional feature for the Headquarters. An AI computer can be built on 10 power points per level of the character that purchased the feat. For example, a PL8 character would make their AI with 80 PP using the rules found on page 148 of the Mutants & Masterminds 2nd Edition rulebook. The AI has the same level limits as the character that purchased it, so in the example cited above the AI is limited as if a PL8 character.

Mass Combat

We will be using the Mass Combat Rules from the Paragons adventure A More Perfect Union by Steve Kenson for combats involving large numbers of NPCs or minions. These rules essentially treat a force of multiple units as a single entity to simplify large scale fights. The rules are reprinted here: Paragons Mass Combat Rules.

For fights involving 10 or less units use standard combat rounds instead of the longer ones listed in the Mass Combat Rules.

Skill Difficulties

SkillDCs.jpg

The above skill difficulties were taken from Chris Finney's compilation document: M&M 2E Benchmarks.

Teams

Two or more player characters may form a team, and to encourage this teams get three benefits:

  • Teams can apply for a private Channel.
  • Teams can apply for a team Bulletin Board.
  • For every two members of the team they get an Equipment feat that applies only to their team Headquarters. So if a team has four members they get two equipment feats applied towards the HQ they wish to build.
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