Quiller

The description of Change Environment includes discussion of an adder: Varying Combat Effects and an advantage: Varying Effect. From the way they are described it is difficult to know how they differ. My interpretation is this: The Varying Combat Effects Adder allows the user to vary effects after activating the power. Changing the effect is a half phase action and may be done in the ways described without the need to re-roll to hit (which is to say an equal number of levels of an effect of equal or lesser cost). The Varying Effect Advantage allows the user to vary the effects between different uses but may not alter the effect once it is established. The mechanism for deciding how many levels of the alternate effect are available is not discussed. One can assume that the mechanism is the same as that for the Adder but this is not made explicit. Is this interpretation correct? If not, what is the correct interpretation of these features? If it is does the Adder not make the advantage almost entirely superfluous?

I have two questions about mental entangle. a) For each 1d6 of mental entangle (base 10 points) do I get 2 pts of mental defence? Given that additional points of mental defence are 3 pts per 2. Isn't it cheaper after the first dice to buy +1d6 body +2 mental defence?

Character A has an MP with the UP limitation that includes a blast. But he is not using it at the moment. Character B has a VPP with the UP limitation that can include a blast but doesn't in its current configuration. Character C has a drain blast power that he unleashes on A and B. According to the rules Character A instantly loses points from everything connected to his MP blast slot by the UP lim even if he isn't using it. Straightforward, logical. What about character B? Does he instantly lose points from all powers connect with his VPP because it MIGHT have a blast in it? Is he completely unaffected because he doesn't have a blast active? If he does activate a blast in his VPP while the drain is still in effect does he suddenly lose points from everything connected with the UP lim? Neither interpretation seems particularly satisfactory. Should UP not be allowed on VPPs? Is this completely an SFX issue? Has asking this question opened a rift into a realm of chaos and madness?

So normally, the effect of flash attacks is based on the body rolled. Penetrating obviously allows damage to bypass conventional defences based on the body rolled. Do penetrating flash attacks just completely bypass normal flash defence?

If someone sets up an NCM gate do people moving through that gate suffer NCM penalties on emerging? Let's now consider an ordinary everyday gate: Does that gate affect everyone/everything who moves through that hex? Does it affect unwilling people? Do they just get to walk through the hex and beyond without teleporting? Does it affect willing people the caster of the gate doesn't want to let through (pursuers/aggressors/someone really heavy he doesn't want to pay the end cost for)? Suppose the gate is set up in front of an oncoming train, does the mass multiple need to be large enough for the entire train or can it handle it one car at a time? Do people approaching the gate from the opposite side (from the 'back' of the gate) also get teleported just with the opposite facing?

If a character buys invisibility vs detect physical objects does that make them invisible to spatial awareness? I've heard it suggested that a separate invisibility is required for each special effect but that seems ridiculous 20 points for invisibility to Tofu Tim's super soy sense? Seriously?