When to Distribute Multipower Points...

[CorPse]

Hello Steve,

 

I played a game this weekend with a GM who interprets the information below to mean that a character must always choose his Multipower slots on his Speed when his Dex comes up. (The only exception is when he aborts.)

 

I was pretty stunned since I've been playing for a long time and I'd never heard this.

 

So, my question is when may a character distribute/choose a multipower slot?

 

5ER pg. 321-322

DISTRIBUTING MULTIPOWER POINTS

A character can change the way his Multipower reserve points are distributed or allocated as a Zero Phase Action. However, unless the GM permits otherwise, he may not distribute or allocate reserve points more than once in a Phase. For example, he could not allocate reserve points to a Teleportation slot at the beginning of his Phase, make a Half Move with Teleportation, then reallocate points to his Energy Blast slot and attack with the Energy Blast — having allocated his reserve points once already at the beginning of his Phase, he cannot change that allocation until his next Phase (or unless he Aborts to do so in a later Segment).

 

Between Phases a character can only allocate reserve points by Aborting his next Phase (see page 361). Of course, he can only do this if it would constitute a defensive action.

[Steve Long]

Re: When to Distribute Multipower Points...

 

Well, it's a Zero Phase Action, like the rules state. The standard rules for Zero Phase Actions apply, with the additional caveat that the reserve can only be allocated once per Phase. That means a Multipower reserve can only be allocated "at the beginning of a Phase or after performing a Half Phase Action, but not after performing an Attack Action or a Full Phase Action," as stated on 5ER 358.