The perennial M&M/Champions conversion question

[Chipmunk]

With the death of Green Ronin's boards (including Atomic Think Tank) and the removal of old threads here, is there anyone that knows of or can provide guidance on converting early M&M to Champions? I went digging through the archives as best I could, and mostly turned up 404 Not Found and missing threads. I'm primarily interested in M&M 1e to HERO 5e, but it would be almost as easy to use conversions for M&M 2e or HERO 4e or 6e.

[Beast]

use PL 10 to simulate 20 DC
 

[Sketchpad]

Ideally, I've found it's better to convert the concept than attempt a straight conversion. I've played with a few ideas where M&M:Hero is roughly a 1:5 point conversion, with PL10 = around a DC 10. But the conversions never seem to pan out IMHO, nor has any attempt to convert MSH, DC Heroes, or any other system. Considering that PL 10 is the baseline for heroes in M&M, it seems logical to place a Hero character of the same power around 400 pts. 

[Sketchpad]

On 6/5/2020 at 11:21 PM, Beast said:

use PL 10 to simulate 20 DC

 

That seems a bit high, Beast. 

[Beast]

1 hour ago, Sketchpad said:

 

That seems a bit high, Beast. 

at PL 10 you can have upto a level 20 power but most powers are at level 15 this would equal a 75 pt active power

[Sketchpad]

On 6/7/2020 at 6:47 PM, Beast said:

at PL 10 you can have upto a level 20 power but most powers are at level 15 this would equal a 75 pt active power

 

Most attack/defense powers are around level 10 for a starting character unless you do a trade off. There are a few instances, like making an android immune to Fortitude checks, that go beyond that rule. But for the most part, the PL is tied to the level of powers, skills, and attributes. 

 

Per pages 24-25 of the M&M Deluxe Hero Handbook:
 

Quote

Power level is an overall measure of effectiveness and power, primarily combat ability, but also generally what sort of tasks a character can be expected to accomplish on a routine basis (see Routine Checks in The Basics chapter). Power level is a value set by the Gamemaster for the series as a whole. It places certain limits on where and how players can spend power points when creating or improving their heroes. Power level imposes the following limits:

• Skill Modifier: Your hero’s total modifier with any skill (ability rank + skill rank + advantage modifiers) cannot exceed the series power level +10. This includes untrained skill modifiers using only ability rank, and so sets an effective limit on all abilities associated with skills.
• Attack & Effect: The total of your hero’s attack bonus and effect rank with that attack cannot exceed twice the series power level. If an effect allows a resistance check, but does not require an attack check, its effect rank cannot exceed the series power level.
• Dodge & Toughness: The total of your hero’s Dodge and Toughness defenses cannot exceed twice the series power level.
• Parry & Toughness: The total of your hero’s Parry and Toughness defenses cannot exceed twice the series power level.
• Fortitude & Will: The total of your hero’s Fortitude and Will defenses cannot exceed twice the series power level.

 

So at PL 10,  if you took a Damage effect at level 20, you would have to have a modifier of +0. Mind you, you'd also have to get that past a GM. In the same respect, this would be like someone starting with a 20d6 Blast, which is a bit over the top IMHO. 

[pawsplay]

Well a +0 modifier would be equal to STR 10, PRE 10. So a damage modifier of +0 is equivalent to 2d6 N. I think from there you can use some benchmarks. A gun in M&M is about +3 to +4 to DC, and about 5 to 6 DCs in Champions. So I think a good starting place is DC = increase to damage save plus 2.

 

Attack bonus increases a lot faster than OCV, and the d20 distribution is flat whereas the 3d6 distribution is curved. Off the cuff, I think halving the bonus and adding it to 3 might be an okay benchmark.

 

As far as ability scores, older guidelines for D&D suggested an ability score = a Hero characteristic, so I don't see any reason to depart from that guidance for ability scores that don't do damage.

[Mr. R]

I found the following worked

 

Str= Str x 5  (so Str 12 = Str 60)

Con = Sta x 2.5  ( Sta 10 = Con 25)

Dex = (Agil+ Dex+ Fgt )/ 3  

Int and ego Map similarly as does Pre

PD and ED is base stat double ( con 20 means ED 4 x 2 =8)

Spd you will have to eyeball but most will be 4-5 with some getting to 6 and a few getting to 7 depending in their Speed stat.

 

Not they have no endurance stat so decide how you will handle that.

 

Also there is no distinction between KA and normal attacks, do either all attacks are normal or everyone will have Resistant Defenses As a default.

 

The other big adjustment is M&M will get you to the PL and then start adding the advantages.  So it is possible to have a PL 10 with TK Damaging, Presice, Perception, Subtle ( TK  str 50 with fine manipulation, line of sight, invisible  a 212 pt power)  

[pawsplay]

Are those 3e numbers? Totally different, and also that also you need to add 10 to the base value for Str and Sta unless you think normal people have 0.

[Mr. R]

Well certainly I adjusted for some granularity.  So str 0 was not str 0  I found it best when the stats were 2 and above

[HeroGM]

3e is based on the d20 bonus. So when it says +0 it's 10-11 under a normal d20 stat. So a +7 will be a 21-22.