Funk Thompson

Your END reserve is still at 0, and the max END of the reserve drops by 5 points as normal. It can't go negative. Absorb to END, by default, increases both the maximum END of the reserve, as well as the current. (Unless it has "only restores to starting values" adder.)

Thanks!

Last I purchased, oh, 6 or so years ago, it was a 2-year long subscription or some such. I don't see that language anymore; so is it a one-time purchase now and latter updates will be free from the client area (assuming I don't somehow lose my login / account again?) Just making sure; thanks!

Keep in mind that in the real world, there are considerations to be made other than "point cost" when it comes to designing, well, just about anything. The key is in setting up the rules and norms for your campaign. Sure, mechanically, you can build a battleship that has the same acceleration as a fighter. But, in the real world, this would mean your battleship is 90% engine - "All legs." So you set up the rules for acceleration by ship class, size, tonnage, whatever. Based on the rules and norms of things in your campaign - not the HERO Rules and Norms, but how you see things working, which you then translate into HERO System rules via campaign limits and such.

I could share what I have for my campaigns, which has some mock-ups of some popular sci-fi weapons (types, not specifics, generally.) https://www.dropbox.com/s/r3qf47ek11r2hr2/SSttR General Prefabs.hdp?dl=0 It has a few errors and some atypical stuff, so "your results may vary."

Delores completely ignores several gunshots in one of the recent episodes, so I would lean more towards automaton - with some hosts having complications that make them react as typical humans to injury, despite being mechanically capable of ignoring said injury.

For "leveling" spells, you could set up AP brackets - 1 to 15 AP = "1st Level," 16 - 25 AP = "2nd Level," 26 - 40 AP = "3rd Level" and so on. Then, tie the use of said spells to the skill used for magic. Assuming the typical -1 to the skill roll per 10 AP, you'd want at least a 15- "spellcasting" roll before reliably casting "3rd level spells" that will have a -3 to -4 penalty on the roll. If you want vancian magic, then add charges to your spells, using the 'recovers under limited circumstances' option for recoverable charges. 'Limited circumstances' being "requires X time of rest and preparation." You can either put the charges on the framework overall (ie. you can cast "x spells per day" but which spell you cast matters not) or you can put them on each individual slot (which better represents 'memorizing spells.') I'd recommend a VPP over a Multipower if you go with the charges per slot option; that way the pool cost on the VPP is the limit to how many spells they can prepare / memorize. I use a somewhat similar VPP for my Steampunk Fantasy HERO setting, and it works very well to give spellcasters both flexibility and limitations on what / how much they can do.

Summon, with the 'slavishly loyal' adder or however it is worded, and the summoned thing is an automaton as suggested above. If it also functions as a sword you can wield yourself rather than have it "dance" on its own, build it as a compound power - Killing Attack with appropriate mods for the sword, then the summon. Compound powers are fun, but care must be taken unless you just want to watch the Active Points grow!