Light based powers activate...

[Ghost Face]

I'm trying to polish up a character for one of the PBEM campaigns that I'm interested in. I'm hoping to make the best character I can because it's been so many years since I've been in any campaign. I already have the character's background/history squared away. I actually think that it's come along pretty good. What's throwing me for a loop is the power frameworks. I think what I have so far is okay, but I think it could be better.

 

The character has light based and stellar/star powers. What I've done is split the two power properties into two separate frameworks, an EC and a Multipower. Am I missing something that could possibly put my character over the top? I've seen so many creative ideals and conversations on this forum I think I'm asking the right crowd.

 

Here's what I have...

 

 

 

Cost	Power	END
17	Solar Charge: Endurance Reserve (200 END, 10 REC) Reserve: (30 Active Points); Custom Modifier (Personal REC - Can only recover when character can; -1/2), Custom Modifier (Limited Recovery - Only when exposed to sunlight; -1/4); REC: (10 Active Points); Custom Modifier (Personal REC - Can only recover if character could; -1/2), Custom Modifier (Limited Recovery - Only when exposed to sunlight; -1/4)	0
20	Sight Group Flash Defense (16 points), Hardened (+1/4) (20 Active Points)	0
5	Infrared Perception (Sight Group)	0
5	Ultraviolet Perception (Sight Group)	0
25	Stellar Energy: Elemental Control, 50-point powers
25	1) Force Field (20 PD/20 ED/10 Power Defense) (50 Active Points)	5
25	2) Flight 20", x8 Noncombat (50 Active Points)	5
31	3) White Dwarf: (Total: 55 Active Cost, 55 Real Cost) Density Increase (4,800 kg mass, +30 STR, +6 PD/ED, -6" KB) (Real Cost: 30) plus Change Environment 1" radius, +5 Points of Telekinetic STR (Real Cost: 25)	5
20	4) Gaseous celestial body: Desolidification , Costs END Only To Activate (+1/4) (50 Active Points); Custom Modifier (Only where gases can penetrate; -1/4)	4
25	5) Charged matter: Energy Blast 5d6, No Normal Defense ([LS: Immunity to Radiation]; +1) (50 Active Points)	5
80	Light Powers: Multipower, 80-point reserve
5u	1) Laser: Energy Blast 15d6 (75 Active Points); Beam (-1/4), No Knockback (-1/4)	7
5u	2) Lightburst: Sight Group Flash 6d6, Personal Immunity (+1/4), Armor Piercing (+1/2), Explosion (+1/2), Selective Target (+1/4) (75 Active Points); No Range (-1/2)	7
7u	3) Control over Light: Suppress Light based powers 15d6 (75 Active Points)	7
4u	4) Sight Group Images Increased Size (8" radius; +3/4), +/-4 to PER Rolls (38 Active Points)	4
2u	5) Sight Group Images Increased Size (8" radius; +3/4), +/-4 to PER Rolls (38 Active Points); Custom Modifier (Only to create light; -1)	4

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: Light based powers activate...

 

Couple of things on the multipower:

 

If you've got 16 pts of hardened flash defense, do you really need personal immunity to your 6d6 AP flash?

 

On the flash - why selective target? Would a big light burst really be able to only target those you want? I'd say drop those two advantages and just up the dice. In most cases, a bigger flash will be better than an AP one, so I'd also drop the AP to either get more dice or turn the explosion into an AE Radius.

 

On the Laser - I wouldn't use Beam for my main attack. Spreading is such a wonderful thing, it'd be a shame to lose it. I'd suggest a straight-up "Light Blast" EB without Beam, and a Laser with Beam & AP (EB or RKA). Light Blast for most people you want to blast, Laser for robots/cutting through things.

 

Did you mean to have two Images slots?

[Ghost Face]

Re: Light based powers activate...

 

Thanks for the tips Supreme. Yes, I meant to have two Image slots. One is for the ability to create holographic images. The other is to just be able to creat light to see.

[Lightray]

I'd bump up the REC on your END Reserve, maybe to 15-20.

 

You desparately need Reduced Endurance on your Force Field and Flight, even if they draw from your END Reserve (which I assume that the do).

 

I'd probably also take "Costs END Only To Activate" on your Density Increase. And I'm not sure that the Change Environment does what you want it to do -- are you wanting it to attract objects to yourself? If so, I'd consider a 5 STR Telekinesis, No Range, AoE Radius, Personal Immunity, Continuous (a lot of points, though).

 

I think that the "Cannot Pass Through Solid Objects" limitation is equivalent to "Only Where Gas Can Penetrate", but don't recall if it's also -1/4. (in a momentary fit of pedantry, I'll point out that gases should "permeate" not "penetrate")

 

I'd suggest moving the "Charged Matter" power into the Multipower. Generally, I like to use ECs for powers that are on more or less continuously (e.g., movement, defenses, etc.) and Multipowers for "stunts" and attack powers (i.e., that you typically only want to use one of at a time).

 

A 6d6 sight Flash is pretty huge, but instead of fiddling about with what Advantages to choose on it, I'd just go with a +1½ Variable Advantage and be able to choose whether it's Armor Piercing or Selective Explosion or whatever. A no range explosion is pretty limited in its effective area, anyway.

 

There is no need for an unlimited Images and an Images only to create light; the unlimited Images can also create light. And after dropping the second slot, I'd add Reduced Endurance and maybe a Variable Advantage onto the Images -- your slots are all Ultra, so it's not like you can use the Images and something else at the same time, anyway.

 

Since the other powers in your M-P are 75 active points each, you should probably drop your Multipower pool down to 75 points.

 

I'd also suggest Enhanced Perception (sight group). You might also consider Absorption (energy) vs. Light Only to feed into your END Reserve.

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: Light based powers activate...

 

Thanks for the tips Supreme. Yes' date=' I meant to have two Image slots. One is for the ability to create holographic images. The other is to just be able to creat light to see.[/quote']

 

Well, the point is that there's no reason for the second slot, unless you wanted to run them both at the same time for some reason. The generic Images slot can do plain old light just fine if it wants to.

 

(In any case, I suspect many GM's wouldn't make you buy a "light" power, unless you wanted to illuminate a huge area - "Sun Guy's using his powers - has his force field up, etc right? OK, the area is well-lit." I'd ask the GM about how he wants to handle the SFX of that - glowing brightly is easily as much of a drawback as it is a benefit.)

[st barbara]

Re: Light based powers activate...

 

You seem to have left out one of the obvious light based powers. "Change Environment" : Dispell Darkness in X area " i e a spotlight or searchlight effect !

[Lightray]

You seem to have left out one of the obvious light based powers. "Change Environment" : Dispell Darkness in X area " i e a spotlight or searchlight effect !

Change Environment is explicitly prohibited from creating illumination. Images is what Hero instructs us to use for illuminating an area.

 

Dispel: Darkness is a separate power, and a good suggestion for a light character. Usually, though, I just special effect that sort of thing ("okay, your Light Images power can allow you to see in his Darkness area").