Question on power and limitation

[ashuramarsh]

I am planning ot run a champions game for a group of friends and trying ot get their characters together to plot out what I might need to wipe the floor with them.

 

Anyway, one is making an electromag character using a VPP as follows:

Variable Power Pool (Psionic Pool), 100 base + 85 control cost,  (143 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness (Powers derived from electromagnetics; -1/4)

 

What worries me is the limitation, is this even valid for the VPP or could it be listed differently? They have already selected Special Effect Electromagnetics.

 

Thanks.

[Hyper-Man]

If it limits the choice of what powers can go in the VPP, then It is a legal option.  See my versions of Superman and Flash via my sig below for examples of this.

 

However, you should ask the player to define what abilities the character can't model as a result of the Limitation (no body affecting powers like Density, Growth, Shrinking... no mental powers... etc..).  Electromagnetic spectrum powers is pretty open to interpretation (the 80's Avenger Captain Marvel/Photon or Magneto).

[ashuramarsh]

YEah I know, they have dsigned an electrical blast, as well as electromag to simulate TK stuff. They have designed a 'Kinetic Mech' by using electromag to use available metals, which increases physcial defense and does grant density.

[Christopher]

It's as valid as you can make it valid and how serious the player takes it. When the player ends up building almost any power in the book with clever thinking, he prooved that this limitation is not Limiting. And "a Limitation that is not Limiting is not worth any points".

 

Picking a value is saying something about the severity. For example, I could make TK, Only Water (-1/2). Or TK, Only Water(-1/4) and say that one can manipulate stuff made mostly out of water - like humans.

 

One thing to keep in mind is that changing a VPP is very difficulty, especially for high AP powers:

You need a Full Phase and a Skill Roll (-1/10 AP in the new powers) to change it in combat. Or a 1 minute out of Combat to do it automatically.

 

Also, the cost should be only 142 Active Points (100 + 85/2, rounded in favor of the Character).

And 100+42/1.25 = 134 Real Points after the Limitation.

[drunkonduty]

What I explain to new HERO players is that when they choose a Limitation (or Complication/Disadvantage) they are saying that they wish their character to interact with the story/game in a particular way. eg. they take a limitation "power only works in darkness, -1/2." This is worth about 1/3 points off the full cost. This is the players way of saying "I want my character to have some sort of problems using this power because of light about 1/3 the time." Now as a practical matter I wouldn't actually bring it up that often. But I would certainly bring it up from time to time.

 

The important bit is to let them know that by choosing a limitation it WILL come up. If they come back with something along the line of "it'd be silly for it to come up that often" then tell them it can't be worth points then.

[Christopher]

The important bit is to let them know that by choosing a limitation it WILL come up. If they come back with something along the line of "it'd be silly for it to come up that often" then tell them it can't be worth points then.

I tend to say:

Limitations are not a cost savign measure. They are a request to the GM to built in problems, wich also have a cost saving aspect.

If you pick a Complication or Limitation you ask the GM to make it a problem for you.

 

Note that for early campaigns it might help to go a bit freeer with points and Complications. For example, you could lower the Complications nessesary.

One good trick is also to increase the total points without increasing the Cap's on DC/Defenses and the like (500 point game with 400 point level Caps). This allows more well rounded Characters.

[ashuramarsh]

Thanks for the input thus far. I do play with this player in another champions game, and it is practically all about saving points to make the most powerful character possible.