MegaScale and END Cost

[L. Marcus]

Hi Steve. A quick question: I'm building this Power:

 

Earthquake: Change Environment (1 point of damage, NND, buildings/structures only; -4 to all DEX Rolls and -3 to all DEX-Based Skills, fall if missed DEX Roll); Area of Effect (4m radius; +1/4); MegaArea (1m = 1km; +1); 45 APts; Common Limitations (-2 3/4); 12 RPts [4]

 

Am I correct in thinking that if I decide not to use the MegaArea, I just pay END for 25 Active Points?

[Steve Long]

Technically speaking, because MegaScale is an Advantage it’s mandatory — a character can’t choose not to use it, and therefore must pay END for it (see 6E1 316). However, I think logic and common sense both dictate that MegaScale is one of those Advantages to which most GMs would grant an exception to this rule, and in fact the text describing the rules for MegaMovement on 6E1 341 presumes that characters can “scale down” to regular movement and thus not use the Advantage if they don’t want to.

 

In that case, whether the character has to pay END for MegaScale is up to the GM. The rules on 6E1 136 state as a default that a character still has to pay END for an Advantage even if he doesn’t use it, but as always the GM can ignore that rule if he sees fit.