Mechanon's Self-Destruct: A Follow-Up

[Guest innominatus]

What was the reasoning behind defining Mechanon's "body self-destructs while the head rockets away" gimmick as Duplication plus an NND RKA? If the "original" Mechanon (i.e.; the full body with head) is destroyed the head can never "re-merge" with it, so it would never be able to have a full humanoid body again. Even if Mechanon had an extra 5 XP's to purchase "x2 Duplicates" on the power, they would just be duplicates of the lower-cost head version, not a new body. By my understanding of the rules, Mechanon's head would be stuck that way and have to keep "adventuring" as a disembodied head until it could save up the extra 483 XP's it would need to buy back all of the powers its original body had. Was that deliberately done to simulate that, once Mechanon has suffered such a crushing defeat as to require using this "escape clause", it should be a long time till he shows up to challenge the heroes again (i.e.; until he accumulates all those extra points)? Heck, since Mechanon's personality is always contained in the same head and is never in two places at once, why define it as Duplication at all? Why not call it a Triggered Shape Shift from full humanoid form to just a head? You could then add a Limitation that Mechanon couldn't change back to humanoid form until it made it back to its automated factory and had a new body constructed for it (i.e.; set up the Trigger again). The Shape Shift could be limited even further with a lengthy Set-Up Time or even Concentration depending on how long it takes for the new-and-improved chassis to be assembled, and whether or not Mechanon needs to actively monitor the assembly process. Of course, you could also then add the Limitation "Not Usable in Head Form" to his attack Multipowers and several of his stats like his Strength -- not that an epic-level villain like Mechanon needs to worry about point-balance, mind you! At that point the self-destruction of the body would just be a special effect, since by using Shape Shift Mechanon's head could have just as easily absorbed the rest of its body into itself as left it behind as a melted heap of slag...

[Steve Long]

This really isn't the proper forum for "design philosophy" questions, and in any event I'd rather not get involved in a debate about what's the "right" way to build something, because that sort of "discussion" is generally pointless. I built Mechanon the way I did because that simulates what I want him to be able to do the way I want him to do it, and the method you suggest doesn't "work" for me. If my method doesn't "work" for you, by all means change him 'round for your game.

 

In any event, as you say, Mechanon (which I pronounce MEK-uh-nahn, to answer a question that I believe you posted on another board ) as a master villain really doesn't need to justify everything (or anything) with points if you don't want to. Just build him another body or twelve and add it to his tab.