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Meta-Descriptors
The following descriptors are associated with meta-powers
and influence their use in play.
Meta: Meta- means above or outside of, so meta-powers are powers that alter, control, duplicate,
or otherwise affect other powers. They tend to be
highly situational and dependent on the presence or
use of other powers. For example, Power Theft is not
much use against targets who have no powers, and
a character with Power Theft might not even know
of the ability without other powers around to steal!
Meta-Features
Some potential Feature effects associated with Meta-Powers include the following:
Modifiers
Limited to Ambient Power: An effect with this modifier is
limited to the lesser of its full rank or a power point value
or rank equal to some other energy or effect near the user.
Examples include Limited to Ambient Electricity, which
limits the power to the rank of the largest nearby electrical source (see the Electrical Powers profile for guidelines)
or Limited to Ambient Magic, which limits the power to a
rank no greater than the nearest magical power (meaning
the power does not function in the complete absence of
its ambient source). 1 point per rank, possibly more for an
especially rare source.
Offensive Powers
Offensive meta-powers seize control of others powers,
nullifying them or bending them to the attackers will,
Nemesis
Nemesis is an adaptive power, granting you whatever
traits you need to overcome a particular opponent. When
you designate an opponent as the powers catalyst and
exercise a moments concentration, your Nemesis power
re-allocates, granting you traits designed to target that
opponents weaknesses and protect you from their
strengths. Apply the Free Action or Reaction modifiers to
allow you to re-allocate your Nemesis power more quickly
or in response to a foes actions.
Some characters may have a Power Loss complication associated with their Nemesis power: if they face more than
one opponent at a time, their Nemesis power does not
work at all!
Nemesis: Variable (Powers Suited to an Opponent), Move Action,
Limited Choice of Powers 7 points per rank.
Power Control
You can exert control over a subjects powers, essentially
causing them to work at your command. You can turn a
power on or off or change how it is being used within the
powers normal parameters. You do not control the subjects body, however, so targets retain their normal actions
and your ability to target certain powers may be limited.
For example, you can turn on a targets laser eye-beams,
but not control where the target is looking. On the other
hand, you can control a targets indirect or perceptionranged powers to affect anything in their normal range
(unless the target chooses to block off the powers targeting senses).
Power Control: Perception Ranged Cumulative Affliction
(Resisted and Overcome by Will; Controlled), Limited
Degree (third only), Limited to Controlling Targets Powers
2 points per rank.
Power Nullification
You shut down a targets powers, rendering them unusable until the target overcomes your Power Nullification
effect. By default, Power Nullification affects any one
power of a particular descriptor (see Nullify, Heros Handbook, page 121). You can apply the Broad extra to allow for
broader power descriptors, and the Simultaneous extra
for the power to nullify all effects of its descriptor at once.
Power Nullification: Nullify 1 point per rank.
Power Theft
You steal a targets powers and gain the ability to use
those powers yourself on a temporary basis. The standard
form of Power Theft requires you to touch the target. You
gain powers in direct proportion to the amount the targets powers are weakened, then lose them as the target
recovers the weakened power ranks.
Certain complications may be associated with Power
Theft, particularly taking on some of the targets own
complications, either psychological or physical. See MetaComplications for details.
Power Theft: Cumulative Affliction (Resisted and Overcome
by Will; Powers Impaired, Powers Disabled, Transformed
Powerless); Variable (Powers Lost to Affliction), Free
Action, Fades (as target recovers), Limited to Affliction
Targets 9 points per rank.
Defensive Powers
Defensive meta-powers allow characters to develop adaptations or immunity to particular effects, attacks, or
situations.
Some meta-defensive powers include Immunity effects;
the GM is advised to keep watch on the costing of
these effects, as Immunity is priced according to the frequency of the effects it counters and the Variable effect
can provide an end-run around that limitation. When in
double, apply the largest appropriate number of ranks of
Immunity.
Adaptation
Adaptation is similar to Nemesis (previously), but affects
challenging situations rather than opponents. When you
find yourself in a situation that is hazardous to you, your
power allows you to adapt, gaining the traits needed to
protect you and overcome the situation. For example, if
you are suddenly plunged into icy water, you might adapt
Immunity to Drowning and Cold as well as ranks of Swimming; as you dove deeper, youd also adapt Immunity to
Pressure and Senses (Darkvision). However, when you
Adaptive Immunity
You cannot be defeated the same way twice: once you
have suffered a particular effect or hazard, you adapt,
becoming immune to it. This power is fairly specific, so
if you adapt to one characters energy blast Damage,
it does not necessarily make you immune to all energy
blasts, unless they are Damage with the same descriptors. As in all cases involving effect descriptors, the GM
adjudicates the exact applications. Keep track of the
various effects to which you have become immune;
the GM may require a reset to your power from time
to time, effectively wiping out the list and starting over,
as a Power Loss complication. This degree of Immunity
may also be limited to GM-controlled characters, at the
Gamemasters discretion.
Adaptive Immunity: Immunity 140 (Fortitude, Toughness,
and Will Effects), Limited to effects you have experienced at
least once 70 points.
Power Defense
You have an automatic resistance to powers used on or
against you. When targeted by an effect covered by your
Power Defense, first make an opposed check of your
power rank against the attacking effects rank. If you win,
the attacking effect is countered and does not affect you.
If you lose the opposed check, you still get your normal
resistance check against the effect (if any).
Power Defense normally applies to any effect of a particular broad descriptor. The GM may require an additional +1
extra if it protects you from all power effects, regardless
of descriptor.
Power Defense: Nullify, Broad, Reaction, Close Range, Limited to
Self 3 points per rank.
Power Immunity
You are immune to certain power effects or descriptors
they simply have no effect when used on or against you.
The cost of Power Immunity is based on how common
the power effect or descriptor is, as designated by the GM
based on the series. See Immunity on page 113 of the
Heros Handbook for examples.
Power Immunity: Immunity 2, 5, 10, or 20 1 point per rank.
Movement Powers
Meta-movement powers are few, mostly related to
moving in response to meta-power catalysts.
Power-Seeker
You have the ability to lock on to the nearest source of
particular powers within your range and instantly transport yourself to that location.
Some use Power-Seeker as predators, finding catalysts for
their other meta-powers, while other Power-Seekers hunt
or track particular types of foes, from demons to aliens. A
Power-Seeker may even have an Uncontrolled version of
this power, jumping to a particular power source automatically, with no control over when it happens.
Power-Seeker: Teleport, Accurate, Extended, Limited to the
Nearest Power Source 3 points per rank.
Material Mimicry: You mimic the properties of different substances. This may require you to touch a
material (see Contact Mimicry) in order to gain its
properties. See the Element Powers profile for potential effects of some materials.
Utility Powers
Meta-utility powers are used to enhance and detect other
powers or to gain different powers in response to certain
catalysts.
Power Detection
You can detect the presence of particular powers and
their general effects. Additional Senses modifications
including Acute, Analytical, and Trackingcan enhance
the basic detection ability.
Power Detection: Senses 2 (Detect Power, Ranged) 2 points
per rank.
Power Enhancement
You can enhance the powers of others. You essentially
have a pool of power points you can allocate to increase
effect ranks, add extras, and so forth. In the default version,
you must touch the subject you wish to enhance and take
a standard action to use your power. Apply the Ranged or
Perception Ranged modifiers if you can enhance subjects
at a greater distance, and the Move Action or Free Action
modifiers if you can do so faster.
Power Enhancement: Variable (Enhanced Power Ranks and
Modifiers), Affects Others, Limited to Others 7 points per rank.
Power Mimicry
You can duplicate the powers of your catalyst, giving
yourself the ability to use the same powers with the same
effects, modifiers, and ranks. Take a standard action to
select a catalyst character you can perceive (or sense with
an ability like Power Detection) and re-allocate your Variable points to mimic their powers, up to your available
points or their power costs, whichever is less. The powers
last while you sustain the Variable effect.
for occasional complications where a new form has an unexpected Phobia, Quirk, Temper, or other personality trait.
Accident
Skill Download
You have the ability to download different skills into
your mind, gaining temporary ranks in a skill which
you can swap out. This may be a literal skill download,
placing a digital model of the skill into your brain (or
a connected computer), or it can represent access to
the Akashic Records, race memory, or some universal
knowledge field. The action required for your Variable
effect is the time needed to swap out existing traits for
others; apply the Move Action or Free Action modifiers in
order to do it quicker.
For a similar power affecting others, see Knowledge Transplant in the Mental Powers profile.
Skill Download: Variable (Skills and Advantages) 7 points
per rank.
Skill Mimicry
You can duplicate the physical skills of others simply by
seeing them performed once. For example, after watching
a high-wire aerialist, you could perform the same type of
acrobatics, and after observing a master martial artist, you
could fight in their style at their level of skill. Your mimicked skills are based on your own physical ability ranks,
which may make you somewhat less proficient than your
catalyst, but never more; if your ability rank is higher, you
gain fewer skill ranks, bringing you even with your catalysts total skill bonus.
Skill Mimicry: Variable (Physical Skills and Advantages), Free
Action, Limited to Traits Seen in Action, Limited to Catalysts
Total Bonus 7 points per rank.
Meta-Complications
Meta-complications tend to come in two forms: first are
those associated with having meta-powers, while the
others are caused by the meta-powers themselves.
Addiction
Some meta-powers can become addictive, particularly
those providing the user with power. If you are normally
a powerless and ordinary person, but have godlike power
around groups of superhumans, then youre likely to seek
out those catalysts, perhaps even when you should not.
The situation is even worse if the meta-power inflicts
some harm, such as the weakening effects of Power Theft
or Vampiric Power Mimicry. A meta-powered crime fighter
might patrol not just to stop crime, but for the opportunity for another hit of power off a suitable foe. Eventually,
an escalating addiction can lead to other complications,
including personality Quirks and problems with Temper.
Power Loss
One way in which meta-powers do not suffer from Power
Loss is when they lack catalysts: requiring a catalyst is part
of the definition of most meta-powers and therefore its
not a complication if a Power Mimic or Power Thief does
not have any opponents with powers.
Quirk
As with Weakness (following), a common quirk complication for meta-powers is a tendency to pick up others personality quirks when taking on their traits. For some, this
lasts only so long as the borrowed or copied traits. Others
may suffer from residues of personalities from catalysts
past, building up over time to cause more serious psychological complications. It can even go so far as developing
a split personality or becoming dominated by a catalyst
under the right circumstances.
Weakness
The most common weakness associated with metapowers is their tendency to take on the weaknesses and
vulnerabilities of catalysts along with their other traits. A
power mimic who takes on a werewolfs savage speed and
strength may acquire their vulnerability to silver as well,
for example. Opponents aware of this complication may
seek to take advantage of it, using known weaknesses
against the meta-power user, or even arranging a set-up
where the character will absorb a particular weakness.
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