Power listing question

[Napalm]

Ok, I'm new here and to the system - when you see a power framework listed you see the parent power listed with the cost next to it like so:

 

60 Parent POwer listed here

 

Then underneath it you see the sub-power listed like so:

 

60 Parent power

 

5u Sub-power

 

Would someone be so kind as to explain to me what the 'u' is or what it's for please?

 

Thanks!

[ghost-angel]

Re: Power listing question

 

The 'u' In a Multipower framework stands for "Ultra"

 

An Ultra Slot always takes up the maximum active points it's worth, even if you use it to a lesser degree:

 

60 point Fire Powers Multipower

5u Fire Blast: 12D6 Energy Blast (60 Active Points)

 

When you use a Multipower framework you can only use the number of active points at a time that equal the AP of the MP itself, i.e. you can only use 60 Active Points worth of powers at once. An Ultra Slot that is 60 Active Points is ALWAYS 60 Active Points when counting towards the Multipower total allowance, even if you use it at a smaller level.

 

In the example above if you use the Fire Blast at a 6D6 Level (30 Active Points) it still takes 60 Active Points worth of effect from the Multipower allowance - or in this case you can't eve use the power simultaneously with another power slot in the Mulitpower framework.

 

That help?

[JeffreyWKramer]

Re: Power listing question

 

Ok, I'm new here and to the system - when you see a power framework listed you see the parent power listed with the cost next to it like so:

 

60 Parent POwer listed here

 

Then underneath it you see the sub-power listed like so:

 

60 Parent power

 

5u Sub-power

 

Would someone be so kind as to explain to me what the 'u' is or what it's for please?

 

Thanks!

 

Welcome to HERO, Napalm.

 

What you're discussing is a specific Power Framework called a Multipower. In a Multipower (MP), one purchases a pool of points which Powers draw from. The maximum number of active points any/all of those Powers draw upon at once is the amount of points in the pool. The Powers listed under the Multipower are listed as being either a variable slot (signified by a "m"after the points for the slot), or a fixed or "ultra" slot which has to take up the maximum number of points from the pool even if all of those points are not being used at the moment. That is the "u" you mention.

 

Let's do an example.

 

50 pts - Energy Man's Multipower, 50 points

5u 1) Force Field, 25 PD/25 ED (50 Active Points)

10m 2) Energy Blast 10d6 (Up to 50 Active Points)

10m 3) Flight, 25" (Up to 50 Active Points)

 

Using this particular Multipower (which, by the way is poorly constructed - neither cost-effective nor particularly useful - and should serve only as an example of the concept, not something one should build for a character), Energy Man could have 50 points in Force Field, or 50 points in Energy Blast (EB), or 50 points in Flight. He might also have a mix of some points in EB and some in Flight - maybe 10 points in Flight (5") and 40 points (8d6) in EB, as an example - because those slots are m slots. However, as built, this Multipower does not allow Energy Man to fly or use his EB at all if his Force Field is active, as the Force Field is a u slot on the Multipower. Even if Enegy Man is at that moment only using 20 points of Force Field (10 PD/10 ED), he can't use any points in Flight or EB because the Force Field takes up the entire Multipower pool.

 

U slots are cheaper (base cost = half the cost of an m slot), but at the price of reduced flexibility.

 

That make sense?

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: Power listing question

 

And an "m" is a multi-slot, where you only use the AP from the pool you actually put into it that phase.

 

So, if you have an "X-Ray Powers" Multipower:

 

60 Multipower (X-Ray Powers)

12 m 12d6 X-Ray Blast

2 u N-Ray Vision (X-Ray)

6 u 4d6 RKA (Concentrated beam)

 

When you use the X-Ray vision, it takes 20pts from the pool, leaving you 40 left for other uses. So, you could at the same time use up to 8d6 of regular EB, but you couldn't use the RKA, because it's also an ultra slot, and needs a full 60AP allocated to it to be used at all.

 

EDIT: Jeff beat me to it.

[Napalm]

Re: Power listing question

 

Thank you Ghost-Angel and Jeffery yer both very helpful

 

Jeffery, so based on your example:

 

50 pts - Energy Man's Multipower, 50 points

5u 1) Force Field, 25 PD/25 ED (50 Active Points)

10m 2) Energy Blast 10d6 (Up to 50 Active Points)

10m 3) Flight, 25" (Up to 50 Active Points)

 

With EB and Flight- he can use them both as long as he doesn't use the total pool of 50 pts?

 

And as you mentioned ultra slots are cheaper then variable ones - correct?

[Napalm]

Re: Power listing question

 

hehehe - looks like SupremeSerpent answered my question as I was type'n it out! Thanks guys!

[JeffreyWKramer]

Re: Power listing question

 

With EB and Flight- he can use them both as long as he doesn't use the total pool of 50 pts?

 

He can use them both so long as the total points in EB + the total points in Flight does not exceed the points in the pool - 50 in this case.

 

Thus, Energy Man could have 10 points in EB (which is worthless, unless he wants to use it only to do something like ignite charcoal) and 40 points in Flight, or 30 in EB and 20 in Flight, or whatever. Keep in mind that since Flight costs 2 pts per 1" Flight, it would be a bit wasteful to have an odd-number of points in Flight in this particular MP.

[Napalm]

Re: Power listing question

 

You guys rock! Thanks a lot!! Now to just find a GM so's I can play! Keep an eye out for me I'll probly post more questions as I have a lot of them

[ghost-angel]

Re: Power listing question

 

Oh yeah, forgot to say:

 

Welcome to Hero and welcome to the boards.

 

No problem on the help, that's what we're here for.

[JeffreyWKramer]

Re: Power listing question

 

And as you mentioned ultra slots are cheaper then variable ones - correct?

Yep, in general they cost 1/2 as much, though the actual cost difference may vary, depending on any Limitations that may be on individual slots in a Multipower. If you have two slots of equal active points, one is a variable and the other an ultra slot, and neither has any other limitations, the Ultra slot will cost half what the variable slot costs.

 

Whether you want to go with m or u slots for a MP depends on what degree of flexibility you want the MP to have, and also the concept behind it. Let's say your multipower is a ray gun with different settings. That might not make sense for you to do two different sorts of ray at the same time - or it might, depending on the special effects and whether the GM buys it. If you want to fire one ray at a time, and the gun can fire four different types of ray (a stun ray (EB), a cutting laser (RKA), a blinding ray (Flash) and a dizziness ray (Ranged Drain vs. DEX), it would make sense for each of those slots to be a u slot. It might look like this.

 

30 Ray Gun Multipower, 60 pts OAF (pistol, -1), 16 charges (-0)

3u 1) Stun Ray - 12d6 EB

3u 2) Laser Beam - 4d6 RKA

3u 3) Blinding Ray - 12d6 Flash vs. Sight Group

3u 4) Dizziness Ray - 4d6 Drain vs. DEX, Ranged (+1/2)

 

On the other hand, if you wanted to be able to mix and match slots - maybe you can calibrate the gun in order to stun a target and blind it at the same time, or maybe the lazer could blind someone while also frying him (or whatever), you might build it this way.

 

30 Ray Gun Multipower, 60 pts OAF (pistol, -1), 16 charges (-0)

6m 1) Stun Ray - 12d6 EB

6m 2) Laser Beam - 4d6 RKA

6m 3) Blinding Ray - 12d6 Flash vs. Sight Group

6m 4) Dizziness Ray - 4d6 Drain vs. DEX, Ranged (+1/2)

 

Keep in mind that in this case, you would have to take into account the Ranged Advantage on the Drain, such that you would have to attribute 15 points per 1d6 of Drain you wanted to use with some other beam(s). You could, for example, do a 2d6 RKA (30 pts) that also Drained 1d6 DEX (15 pts) and did a 3d6 (15 pts) Flash at the same time.

[JeffreyWKramer]

Re: Power listing question

 

What Ghost Angel said, Napalm. One thing cool about these boards is that there are lots of helpful people. I try to generally be one of them.

[Napalm]

Re: Power listing question

 

Thanks again guys - I think I'm square on the whole MultiPower thing!

[Jhamin]

Re: Power listing question

 

So is there any word on whether these notations made it into FREd Rev?

 

It would save a block of text in just about every Hero book out there.

[Napalm]

Re: Power listing question

 

Jhamin - Love yer quote, that was an awesome movie: "The power of Christ impales you!"

[Jhamin]

Re: Power listing question

 

As we derail your thread.....

 

 

Jhamin - Love yer quote' date=' that was an awesome movie: "The power of Christ impales you!"[/quote']

 

One of my friends (Hex on these boards) finds the strangest flicks.

 

I kind of liked when all the Athiests poured out of the car clown style to try to smack down the Savior.

Too bad he cut his hair & ditched the robes. The film kinda lost something after that.

[Napalm]

Re: Power listing question

 

HAHAHA - yea! I would agree with ya on that...I do like the quote in the park the atheists had something to the effect of "Consider this asskicking the 13th station of the cross". And how can you go wrong with 'Holy Beer'??

[Hex]

Re: Power listing question

 

I was amused by Mary "Magnum" and her illfitting red leather body suit. She looked like a 14 year old trying on her older sister's S&M clothes.