Writing multipowers

[Mickael]

Hello,

 

I've just finished the chapter in the BR were some examples of powers are given (after the Multipower section), and I haven't understood why sometimes there are letters after the cost of a power in a slot. In the example of Firebrand, there are "f", so I thought it was because of SFX based on fire, but in the example of a multipower based on ice and cold there are "u", wich makes my theory wrong.

 

What are these letters ? Do they impact the use of the power ?

 

Thank you

[torchwolf]

Re: Writing multipowers

 

In multipower listings;

(f) represents a fixed slot, meaning the power takes up its full Active Points of the multipower pool.

(v) represents a variable slot, meaning the power can take up less than its full Active points of the pool.

 

You may come across some older Hero Edition multipower writeups where slots are listed as

(u), meaning ultra, the same as a fixed slot (f).

(m), meaning multi, the same as a variable slot (v).

[Mickael]

Re: Writing multipowers

 

Ok, I understand now, thank you

 

About the variable slots, it's an optionnal rule, is it used frequently ? There is a sign in the margin, saying it can be "dangerous" to the game... But I have the feeling this rule is pretty usefull and allows a good flexibility for the characters...

[Lucius]

Re: Writing multipowers

 

Ok, I understand now, thank you

 

About the variable slots, it's an optionnal rule, is it used frequently ? There is a sign in the margin, saying it can be "dangerous" to the game... But I have the feeling this rule is pretty usefull and allows a good flexibility for the characters...

 

??

 

My copy of the rules doesn't say it's "optional" and I've never known it to be treated as such.

 

The biggest danger I see is that a player may get hung up in game on optimizing the level of each slot phase by phase and slow things down.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

House of the Palindromedary

[torchwolf]

Re: Writing multipowers

 

Ok, I understand now, thank you

 

About the variable slots, it's an optionnal rule, is it used frequently ? There is a sign in the margin, saying it can be "dangerous" to the game... But I have the feeling this rule is pretty usefull and allows a good flexibility for the characters...

The Multipower framework itself can be unbalancing if used abusively, but variable slots are not in themselves very unbalancing - it mostly depends on what the GM allows in an MP.

You're completely right in your assessment, it can add very much flexibility if handled well.

 

A superhero (or magician) character with a finite amount of power at any one time might have variable slots in a Multipower for Flight, Resistant Defense, and Blast, for a classic example, and must decide how much to use of each ability in a single Phase, at the expense of lowering another ability. That works fine, but if the MP has a huge pool, allowing the character to use each ability fully, it is fairly pointless to have the slots be either fixed or variable. If the character wants to put a very large Hand-To-Hand Attack in an MP, it might be overly effective at times, since it adds with Strength damage and any Martial Maneuvers.

 

Oh, and it is actually often fairly ineffective to put together such a Flight/Resistant Defense/Blast Multipower, since it doesn't get that much cheaper, but definitely limits the character quite a bit.

I think there's a running joke on these boards about some published early edition Hero characters who were built just like that.

 

Other uses for an MP, usually with fixed slots, are a weapon with a lot of different settings, or an energy projection power with different effects. Here is where it might get unbalanced, since a player might want to put an enormous amount of different attacks in an MP together just because it gets a bigger proportional cost break the more abilities you add to it.

 

Generally, you'll have to compare any frameworks, Multipowers as well as Unified Power limited powers (if you get the full 6th Edition rules there are also more guidelines on all of these things in there), to see if there are abilities that are shoe-horned into the power framework just to get as cost break. Certainly players should get the benefit of the doubt, but sometimes alarm clocks should go off and say "munchkin alert".

 

Don't worry too much about the warning signs in the rules; they are there to call your attention to the fact that some powers may give players too much info in case you want to run a mystery scenario (Clairsentience, Telepathy, and such), and some powers and power frameworks may prove extremely effective, especially in certain combinations (like I noted above for instance).

 

There is usually little reason to flat out forbid something - it depends on how it works in the game, and how limited in use an ability is. If you feel hesitant to allow something, either tell your players you want to wait some before allowing it in the game, or allow it with the condition it may have to be removed if it proves too unbalancing. In the Hero System there are few absolutes, and no restrictions of what you can and can not do, just recommendations from the designer (and fueled with many years of experience) of what can cause game balance problems.

 

If you're in doubt, just throw out a question here (and watch the resulting debate ) since all of us have run into these things in all games, and in the Hero System it is very much up to the GM to decide what works in his campaign.

[Mickael]

Re: Writing multipowers

 

OK, I see, it's up to me to prevent my players from creating munchkins

 

When you write :

That works fine, but if the MP has a huge pool, allowing the character to use each ability fully, it is fairly pointless to have the slots be either fixed or variable.

 

I thought that the other advantage variable slots was that they could be used at the same time, which was not possible for fixed slots. Am I wrong ?

 

Can we assign variable AND fixed slots in the same multipower ?

[Escafarc]

Re: Writing multipowers

 

OK, I see, it's up to me to prevent my players from creating munchkins

 

When you write :

 

 

I thought that the other advantage variable slots was that they could be used at the same time, which was not possible for fixed slots. Am I wrong ?

 

Yes, as long as the total Actice Points of the slots doesn't go over the total points in the Pool then you can use multible slots regardless of what kind of slot.

 

Can we assign variable AND fixed slots in the same multipower ?

 

Yes you can.

.

[torchwolf]

Re: Writing multipowers

 

OK, I see, it's up to me to prevent my players from creating munchkins

 

When you write :

 

 

I thought that the other advantage variable slots was that they could be used at the same time, which was not possible for fixed slots. Am I wrong ?

 

Can we assign variable AND fixed slots in the same multipower ?

Yes. If some of the powers in the MP have a lower AP than the full MP pool, this allows you to have, for instance:

 

90 Exotic Particle Energy Control: Multipower (90 point pool)

6f Quantum Blast: Blast 12d6 [60 Active Points]

9f Gamma Radiation Flare: Killing Attack - Ranged 6d6K [90 Active Points]

8v Electromagnetic Force Field: Resistant Defense 20 PD / 20 ED, Costs END (-1/2) [60 Active Points]

12v Graviton Manipulation: Flight 60m [60 Active Points]

 

Total MP Cost: 125 points.

 

This allows the character to use a portion of all those powers at once in several possible combinations - except if using the Gamma Radiation Flare (which is 90 Active and takes up the entire MP pool).

 

There is no point in having an MP with a single variable slot, if the other slots are all fixed and have as many Active Points as the pool, as this would only allow you to use the variable slot at zero or full power, just like a variable slot; in that case you might as well make all of the slots fixed.

 

One common use for MP is a utility belt (as a Focus on the MP, and each slot is usually fixed in this case as variable slots would often make no sense), where each slot represents a single gadget.

It has been subject to much debate here whether that's the best way to do it, but as long as you keep in mind that some consequences may be illogical ("no, you can't borrow my gas mask, as I need my lockpick slot right now") it usually works fine.

 

EDIT: Escafarc was quicker than me.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Writing multipowers

 

Here is the Multipower from this old character I built with 5er rules that might help explain the differences:

 

48 Mega Powers: Multipower, 60-point reserve, (60 Active Points); all slots Limited Power All slots affected by adjustment powers as if in an Elemental Control framework (-1/4)

Notes: The last 4 (m) slots are "Multi" which allows use of "Variable" active points. Meaning any combination of Bonus STR, Flight and Force Field using 60 active points [up to +30 STR with up to 20" Flight and up to 20pd/20ed Force Field (+20, 10" + 10/10), (30, 15"), etc..)].

1u 1) Mega Costume Change: Cosmetic Transform 2d6 (standard effect: 6 points) (Mega costume into normal clothes and back) (10 Active Points) 1

1u 2) Mega Quickness: Area Of Effect Accurate (up to One Hex; +1/2) for up to 60 Active Points of STR (30 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1)

Notes: Ultra Slot (30 Active). Can be used as a form of super-speed punch or grab. 9

3m 3) Mega Strength: +30 STR (30 Active Points); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2)

Notes: Can increase up to a 75 STR for 15d6 punch. 3

6m 4) Mega Toughness: Force Field (20 PD/20 ED) (40 Active Points) 4

6m 5) Mega Movement: Flight 20" (40 Active Points)

Notes: Allows for up to 10" Half Move and "Partial Damage" Mega Punch (13d6 with 65 STR). 4

7m 6) Mega Eye-Blast: Energy Blast 12d6 (60 Active Points); Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -1/2) 12

[Mickael]

Re: Writing multipowers

 

Thank you for the explications and examples, I think I've got it.

 

Another question : if a power isn't in a MP, can you use it as if variable ?

For example, if a character with a 12D6 Blast wants to "punish" someone, but without killing him, can he decide to roll only 4 or 5 dice ?

[ghost-angel]

Re: Writing multipowers

 

You never have to use the full AP of a power. Even a Fixed Slot can be used at less than Full Power if you want (it still "takes up" the full pool).

 

If you want a power to always require being used at full power you take a Limitation, usually at -1/4.

[Escafarc]

Re: Writing multipowers

 

Yes

[Mickael]

Re: Writing multipowers

 

I've checked in my BR book, and it's written that a MP cannot contain fixed and variable slots. So, maybe you are playing a houserule, or maybe the BR is different from the 6E1, I don't know... But I'm thinking more and more about buying the full books...

[torchwolf]

Re: Writing multipowers

 

I've checked in my BR book' date=' and it's written that a MP cannot contain fixed and variable slots. So, maybe you are playing a houserule, or maybe the BR is different from the 6E1, I don't know... But I'm thinking more and more about buying the full books... [/quote']

Not a houserule, that rule actually is different in 6E1 than BR. I have the BR as well and yes, it says on p72 exactly what you say, didn't occur to me to check if there was any difference, but I can make an educated guess as to why it was done that way:

If you just have the BR, you don't have access to the 7 pages on Multipowers that discusses several of the things you were wondering, so having the BR allow both variable and fixed slots in the same MP might be confusing unless you have the extra info - after all, there is just a single page on MP in the BR.

And yes, if you want more options available and like experimenting with what you can do with the system, it might well be worth considering checking into the full 6th Edition rules and possibly the APG if you want even more options.