Author Topic: Quick M&M Question  (Read 12559 times)

Sean-o-tron

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Quick M&M Question
« on: March 25, 2010, 07:56:09 PM »
My group and I are starting our first Mutants & Masterminds campaign soon, but we hit a snag during character creation.  How is Melee and Ranged Attack Bonus different from the standard Attack Bonus?  Are they separate scores that you buy up, are they the base Attack Bonus but augmented by something, or what?

I might have many more questions in the near future.

Tadanori Oyama

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Re: Quick M&M Question
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2010, 07:59:25 PM »
In 90% of cases you use the same number. Attack is attack is attack, regardless of range and they aren't directly altered by ability scores or high strength or dexterty doesn't make you a better shot.

However, some feats apply to one other the other in which case you'd add your feat derived bonus to your base attack bonus to figure your total.

If somebody puts 20 points into Base Attack so they get that +10, they get to use it for any attack they make: swords, fists, guns, whatever.

clockworkjoe

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Re: Quick M&M Question
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2010, 08:36:49 PM »
the real answer is to switch to Wild Talents

Tadanori Oyama

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Re: Quick M&M Question
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2010, 08:42:07 PM »
Would Wild Talents let me turn invisible and stumble around a police station trying to cover up my own crimes in an effort to do good and often harming people phyically or emotionally instead?

clockworkjoe

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Re: Quick M&M Question
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2010, 08:57:29 PM »
hahahaha

oh Aaron

Tadanori Oyama

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Re: Quick M&M Question
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2010, 09:29:10 PM »
I do have a copy of Wild Talents. I haven't put the effort into completely learning it since my group doesn't play new games hardly ever.

Dawnsteel

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Re: Quick M&M Question
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2010, 11:13:13 PM »
the real answer is to switch to Wild Talents

I did find the Gencon Wild Talents Age of Masks game easier to follow from a mechanics standpoint, as opposed to the RPPR-gang playtest (was that M&M or GURPS?)
I didn't come here to win. I came to make friends.

Tadanori Oyama

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Re: Quick M&M Question
« Reply #7 on: March 26, 2010, 12:07:17 AM »
The three parter Age of Masks was Mutants and Masterminds. I've said this before and I continue to say it: the mechanics in that game where weird.

Ross and the other dudes even say it during the game that things have become overly complex because their mixing powers and no-powers builds. And it doesn't help that the system of building a character is often foolishly complex.

Sean-o-tron

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Re: Quick M&M Question
« Reply #8 on: March 26, 2010, 03:55:12 AM »
Ross, if I had the money for the physical book, I would.  Character creation alone is turning into one big headache.  I'm sure once we get moving and internalize some of the core mechanics we'll have a better time of it, but as of now... a resounding "meh," I suppose.

My friend had a really cool idea for a campaign from a dream he had, so he decided to run a game for the first time (ever) with M&M.  Unfortunately, as we go along we're figuring out more and more how 3.5-d20-kludgey this system feels.  And I heard the first edition was worse.

And it doesn't help that the system of building a character is often foolishly complex.

We are quickly discovering this.  A lot of the wording in the book is pants-on-head retarded, as well as the concepts themselves.  It's taken us the better part of two days for character creation.

More Questions!  On the Attack workspace, the first box is the Attack Bonus you buy up, but are the next two (labeled "Melee" bonus and "Ranged" bonus, respectively) damage DCs for Toughness saving throws?  Like, melee is 15+STR+weapon+other and ranged is 15+power rank/weapon+other or something like that?  Am I making any sense at all?

Tadanori Oyama

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Re: Quick M&M Question
« Reply #9 on: March 26, 2010, 10:02:37 AM »
You got it.

The Toughness DC for a given attack is comprised of a base (15), the bonus from the weapon or power, and any outside bonuses (such as critical hits).

So, a hand gun with a +3 damage bonus would mean saving against 18 (15+3). If the guy attacking wih the gun got a critical than the save would be 23 (15+3+5).

Someone attacking with a Blast Power ranked 10 would force a save vs 25 (15+10).

Someone with a strength of 30 (+10 strength modifier) would generate a save of 25 (15+10).

It goes on like that.

By the way, Wild Talents costs $10.00 plus shipping. It's one of the least experience physical book RPGs out there. Unless you buy Second Edition, which is just coming out.

ArtfulShrapnel

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Re: Quick M&M Question
« Reply #10 on: March 26, 2010, 10:07:04 AM »
Would Wild Talents let me turn invisible and stumble around a police station trying to cover up my own crimes in an effort to do good and often harming people physically or emotionally instead?

Not only is the answer a "yes", but you could turn that into a specific power. :)

"Be Aaron"   6d+2wd
Attack+2 - Capacity: Mass, Area +3, Engulf +3, focus (police station) -2, If/Then (must be trying to help) -1, if/then (must have committed a crime already) -1, 
Useful  (turn invisible): Capacity: Self, Self Only -3,  if/then (must stumble) -1.


Did I miss anything?

Tadanori Oyama

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Re: Quick M&M Question
« Reply #11 on: March 26, 2010, 11:10:23 AM »
Yeah, they need to be Hard Dice. There's no wiggle room with Being Aaron, it's nothing or the firehose.

clockworkjoe

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Re: Quick M&M Question
« Reply #12 on: March 26, 2010, 12:24:57 PM »
Wild Talents: Essential Edition costs 10 bucks http://www.arcdream.com/store/product.php?id=2006

Tadanori Oyama

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Re: Quick M&M Question
« Reply #13 on: March 26, 2010, 12:39:15 PM »
Plus shipping, which was ri-fucking-diculous with Indie Press. $12 for shipping when I bought Candlewick and Wild Talents. They even came in an evelope, not a box.

Sean-o-tron

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Re: Quick M&M Question
« Reply #14 on: March 26, 2010, 05:09:13 PM »
Hmm... next paycheck, then!