Comments on: M&M Red Flags http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/23/mm-red-flags/ art of the game, roleplaying game theory from the brain of ben robbins Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:55:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: 77IM http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/23/mm-red-flags/comment-page-1/#comment-9925 77IM Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:58:58 +0000 http://www.lamemage.com/proto/wordpress/?p=23#comment-9925 Here's a big one that isn't listed: Duplicate or Summon Minion can be devastating, especially with Horde or Heroic or if your minions have a really good attack power. It is a way for characters to get extra attacks, so the GM should make sure that those extra attacks are few and/or sucky. Also, some of the Challenges from the Mastermind's Manual are prone to abuse. Particularly Fast Feint -- it's relatively cheap to have enough Bluff (or Acrobatics or Intimidate) to keep all of your foes flat-footed, which is sort of bypassing PL limits. A similar issue can occur with invisible or high-Stealth characters. Here’s a big one that isn’t listed:

Duplicate or Summon Minion can be devastating, especially with Horde or Heroic or if your minions have a really good attack power. It is a way for characters to get extra attacks, so the GM should make sure that those extra attacks are few and/or sucky.

Also, some of the Challenges from the Mastermind’s Manual are prone to abuse. Particularly Fast Feint — it’s relatively cheap to have enough Bluff (or Acrobatics or Intimidate) to keep all of your foes flat-footed, which is sort of bypassing PL limits. A similar issue can occur with invisible or high-Stealth characters.

]]> By: Ben http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/23/mm-red-flags/comment-page-1/#comment-946 Ben Thu, 21 Dec 2006 16:49:17 +0000 http://www.lamemage.com/proto/wordpress/?p=23#comment-946 Suggested by mgg from the Atomic Think Tank boards:<br /><br />"I'm not sure if this is on your list, but applying activation flaws to continuous powers is on mine."<br /><br />For example, changing a continuous power and to take a full round to activate instead of a free action is a -3 flaw, but the flaw is unlikely to be a problem since only something like Nullify will force the character to reactivate the power. Suggested by mgg from the Atomic Think Tank boards:

“I’m not sure if this is on your list, but applying activation flaws to continuous powers is on mine.”

For example, changing a continuous power and to take a full round to activate instead of a free action is a -3 flaw, but the flaw is unlikely to be a problem since only something like Nullify will force the character to reactivate the power.

]]> By: scholz http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/23/mm-red-flags/comment-page-1/#comment-945 scholz Thu, 21 Dec 2006 08:49:17 +0000 http://www.lamemage.com/proto/wordpress/?p=23#comment-945 I have this feeling this is addressed in either the Mastermind Manual or a forthcoming text...<br />One suggestion is to make no instant powers with action flaws into action drawbacks.<br />Sounds like a good middleground to me. I have this feeling this is addressed in either the Mastermind Manual or a forthcoming text…
One suggestion is to make no instant powers with action flaws into action drawbacks.
Sounds like a good middleground to me.

]]> By: scholz http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/23/mm-red-flags/comment-page-1/#comment-944 scholz Thu, 21 Dec 2006 08:49:17 +0000 http://www.lamemage.com/proto/wordpress/?p=23#comment-944 One more.... Eidetic Memory. Mostly because it can be used by some players as a crutch (they don't need to pay attention to the game) and it puts more stress on the GM to keep detailed notes. <br /><br />and one more<br /><br />high Notice + high Wisdom = What you say? But certainly, a good notice check is a fine and wonderful thing. I agree. I have found however that mentalists with their high wisdoms (not really needed anymore, but typical) can dump a few points into Notice and give their characters very high Notice bonuses, like +20 or more in a PL10 game without difficulty. It takes some of the fun away from other players when one character is always making the checks. It also seems to pre-empt the would be Wolverines or other character for whom a high notice would be cool, if they can't justify or afford a high wisdom<br /><br />and Special Sense Groups...(Mental, Cosmic, etc..)<br />I would consider making people spend an extra point or two to get a sense in a special category. They are typically only blocked by 10 ranks of Concealment, and similar things. It can be another spoiler for a game where there are secrets to be had. That doesn't mean you can't have blindsight, or radius sense (sonar). Those are cool. But encouraging a character to use the existing sense groups will make it easier to justify the random surprise now and again. One more…. Eidetic Memory. Mostly because it can be used by some players as a crutch (they don’t need to pay attention to the game) and it puts more stress on the GM to keep detailed notes.

and one more

high Notice + high Wisdom = What you say? But certainly, a good notice check is a fine and wonderful thing. I agree. I have found however that mentalists with their high wisdoms (not really needed anymore, but typical) can dump a few points into Notice and give their characters very high Notice bonuses, like +20 or more in a PL10 game without difficulty. It takes some of the fun away from other players when one character is always making the checks. It also seems to pre-empt the would be Wolverines or other character for whom a high notice would be cool, if they can’t justify or afford a high wisdom

and Special Sense Groups…(Mental, Cosmic, etc..)
I would consider making people spend an extra point or two to get a sense in a special category. They are typically only blocked by 10 ranks of Concealment, and similar things. It can be another spoiler for a game where there are secrets to be had. That doesn’t mean you can’t have blindsight, or radius sense (sonar). Those are cool. But encouraging a character to use the existing sense groups will make it easier to justify the random surprise now and again.

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