[Supers] What's the point of making Mêlée-oriented characters?

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Anthony

We don't? What exactly is the human torch's nova blast?

Note that the word "rarely" has a specific meaning in English.

In fact, Supers provides a couple of different mechanics for emulating the nova blast, from convention extra effort up to Ultrapower. My high-end supers campaign saw the blaster, Concussion, regularly burning through FP to supercharge his kinetic force bolts.

Bill Stoddard

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

Assuming a Cyclops-clone, the power isn't even very useful to a hero Batman-style no-kill code, since in the standard version Cyclops' powers are pretty lethal.

standard Cyclops visor lets him pull his punch, but deprived him of the visor he has big problems.

as Billl pointed out with with the Noveblast, "full strength" blasters typically have drawbacks of using that version.

Personally I've always had fun with my I-Scale "Artificial Brick"

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by lexington

Then you're making an unrealistic assumption in order to get the results you want. That 30% isn't going to be spent on more damage, people that want to play a role will use them to flesh out that role and munchkin will use them to get the best powers she can.

No, my example was two rounded characters with some explicit, and some implied, non-damage abilities. However, one of them chose to dump the remaining points into ranged attacks, and the other dumped the remainder into mêlée attacks.

[sir_pudding]

If the melee guy puts the points in ST he's increasing damage, HP (and thus survivability) and utility.

[Michael Thayne]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Note that the word "rarely" has a specific meaning in English.

In fact, Supers provides a couple of different mechanics for emulating the nova blast, from convention extra effort up to Ultrapower. My high-end supers campaign saw the blaster, Concussion, regularly burning through FP to supercharge his kinetic force bolts.

Bill Stoddard

Which extra effort option was he using? Just Mighty Blows? That's a relatively modest plus to damage. Significant, but it has a hard time competing with high-end Super ST.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

Which extra effort option was he using? Just Mighty Blows? That's a relatively modest plus to damage. Significant, but it has a hard time competing with high-end Super ST.

Probably using the Extra Effort options for Powers, I suspect.

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

Which extra effort option was he using? Just Mighty Blows? That's a relatively modest plus to damage. Significant, but it has a hard time competing with high-end Super ST.

Super expanded Super-Effort beyond Lifting ST, so that it can do Damage, it was also added to TK and Control.

[Michael Thayne]

But this sounds like it was an innate attack, and Bill has been making a point of saying how Super Effort can't be used for that. Might the kinetic bolts have been a "control" effect?

@roguebfl: that, by the way, is an awesome build.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

But this sounds like it was an innate attack, and Bill has been making a point of saying how Super Effort can't be used for that. Might the kinetic bolts have been a "control" effect?

I don't have Powers with me but I seem to recall there is an option for spending FP for temporary enhancements.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

But this sounds like it was an innate attack, and Bill has been making a point of saying how Super Effort can't be used for that. Might the kinetic bolts have been a "control" effect?

There's Super Effort the enhancement, then there's Extra Effort (Which can be applied to leveled Innate Attacks) and the option to spend MULTIPLE FP on Extra Effort to MULTIPLY the effect (I believe the name is Godlike Extra Effort). And then there's Ultrapower.

And yes, there's rules in Powers for "improvising" alternate abilities, and for temporarily "stunting in" enhancements, as inspired by Mutants and Masterminds.