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Post by redbstrd on Mar 5, 2011 13:05:26 GMT -8
I need to recruit my fiancée so that we have another player.
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Post by frobones on Mar 5, 2011 14:29:03 GMT -8
That would be cool... but when do you go back to Russia?
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Post by redbstrd on Mar 5, 2011 23:24:46 GMT -8
Sometime in early April. I haven't decided on the exact dates yet.
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Post by frobones on Mar 6, 2011 12:57:36 GMT -8
Sometime in early April. I haven't decided on the exact dates yet. Good, if we have no more absences maybe we can get two more games in before you leave. |
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Post by Joseph Barros on Mar 6, 2011 13:47:23 GMT -8
Next weekend and the following weekend I am unavailable, but after that I can start playing some MnM on the weekends. Honestly my biggest roadblock was that I didn't want to buy a new gaming book, and I hate reading books on my computer. However, now that I have a kindle I can relax read the pdf you gave us while on the couch or in bed. I have a character mostly statted out. He does not have every single combat stat maxed out because I didn't want to build superman and I think if we have to in order to survive your challenge level is too high. Even the examples in the book aren't statted out like that.
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Post by frobones on Mar 6, 2011 18:58:30 GMT -8
I have a character mostly statted out. He does not have every single combat stat maxed out because I didn't want to build superman and I think if we have to in order to survive your challenge level is too high. Even the examples in the book aren't statted out like that. Well, at power level 8 you can't make superman and the logic of not reaching PL cap is incorrect. Since there are no levels in M&M, PL cap is the way for me gauge the encounters. If you don't reach PL cap for PL8, you are not really Level 8. Also I'm pretty sure most, if not all, examples in the book reach their PL cap. If they don't at first look, there are probably some attack/effect and toughness/defense tradeoffs. But anyways, take D&D for instance. If I have a party of four players at level 8, I'll design an encounter around that information. But if somehow you were level 8 but not up to level 8 standards (not reaching PL in M&M), the gauge for me to go by to build suitable encounters is incorrect. So, if you choose not to reach cap for PL8, I'll have to evaluate your build at a lower PL and take that into account when I build my encounters. But I'll say this, I've set the campaign to PL8 - if you choose not to be at PL8, building encounters will get a little funky. Depending on hero/villain match ups, it will either be a decent challenge, or slightly on the easier or harder side. |
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Post by Joseph Barros on Mar 6, 2011 23:36:57 GMT -8
What I mean by superman is that there are no weaknesses. Not ever superhero has max tough/damage/fighting/dodge/will etc. Shouldn't it be that some people are weak to one thing while strong vs. another? Juggernaut would have amazing toughness, but very low dodge. By your standards he's not at power cap. That sounds odd to me.
In DnD you don't ever get classes that are maxed out in all their defenses. Everybody has a weakness to something built in. I don't want to be forced to min/max at the cost of creativity.
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Post by frobones on Mar 7, 2011 2:02:43 GMT -8
Shouldn't it be that some people are weak to one thing while strong vs. another? Juggernaut would have amazing toughness, but very low dodge. By your standards he's not at power cap. That sounds odd to me. This is exactly power cap, he traded dodge for toughness. If you add up the two values together, he will be at PL. Here's a rules reference (pg. 25): Dodge & Toughness: The total of your hero’s Dodge
and Toughness defenses cannot exceed twice the series
power level.So, if the PL was 8 and you wanted to make a Juggernaught character who was more on the tough side, you would have something like 12 Toughness and 4 Dodge. Add the values together and you get 16, which is twice the PL - you have now hit the PL cap. Although it's referred to as PL cap, it shouldn't be viewed as "maxing" stats. Reaching PL cap is the value you are /expected/ to have. If you don't reach those values you are not PL8, but rather something lower. And players in D&D don't have to have their stats maxed. The point I was getting across is that a character's level in D&D is the meter the DM uses to build appropriate encounters; in M&M, that's Power Level. If you don't reach the campaign PL in M&M, you are not fulfilling the expectations of your character. Don't look at PL as being a cap, it's an evaluating label that the GM puts on his players so he can make appropriate encounters. If you don't want to be PL8, you might be PL7, PL6, etc. Whatever PL you end up being will go into my considerations when I'm designing enocunters, skill challenges, etc.
Bottomline:Reaching campaign PL is not Min/Maxing, it is what is to be expected of you given the campaign. Just like if you were to run a D&D module that's suited for players 4th - 6th level, you wouldn't start them at level 1... you begin them at level 4. If you don't want to reach it, that's fine; but if you don't, you are essentially forcing my hand to lower the campaign PL so you guys have a fighting chance. Just remember, whatever you end up making will get labeled with a PL (in which you hit /that/ PL cap), which will then be used when I build encounters. So instead of the campaign PL being 8... it might virtually be 7.5 or 7 or something. This will cause those who did hit PL8 to have an upper hand on the encounters while those who are lower than PL8 will have a slightly tougher time to an even challenge.
Side note: If you end up telling yourself "There's no way my average human character can reach a Toughness of 8 for the PL cap, he's not made out of steel!", there are ways to thematically make it happen. Feats like "Defensive Roll" increase your toughness but it is played as you brush off most of the brunt of the attack by rolling with it. However, if you are caught "flat-footed" this bonus is lost. If that still doesn't float your boat, then you are probably designing a character that is more suited for a lower campaign PL and doesn't belong in this game setting. Just like you couldn't expect the Nite Owl from the Watchmen to roll in a campaign that's suited for the JLA, your character designs should be in line with the campaign PL. |
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Post by narutoanbu on Mar 14, 2011 22:09:46 GMT -8
Reaching campaign PL is not Min/Maxing, it is what is to be expected of you given the campaign. Just like if you were to run a D&D module that's suited for players 4th - 6th level, you wouldn't start them at level 1... you begin them at level 4. Joseph Maybe not. Kyle? Yes. hahaha  |
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Post by Joseph Barros on Apr 14, 2011 10:55:37 GMT -8
OK. I think the misunderstanding was when you said everything should be maxed out. That makes it sound like min/maxing. I know about dodge and stuff. My issue wasn't a lack of rules knowledge. Now I know you didn't really mean ALL stats must be maxed. That's what wasn't clear to me.
NECROTHREAD!!
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Post by leaga on Apr 19, 2011 19:08:39 GMT -8
Hello everybody.
My name is Kevin and I wanted to check in and say Hello.
I heard about the group through Senobio at AGR and was directed to Stephen who told me to post here to introduce myself so there we go.
Just a lil FYI about me: Im 24. Im fairly new to Superhero RPGs.... I played a bit of D&D in High School and just recently got back into RPGs with M&M 2e. The only group I play with wants me to GM all the time and I wanted to actually create a character and whatnot and that lead me here.
I can't make it to this Saturday's game (April 23rd) but am hoping to have a character made up and approved by Stephen for the next time a game is held. (May 7th if I understand correctly)
So.... yeah, looking forward to meeting with all of you!
PS: Stephen, I see that the campaign is setup for PL8, should I be starting there or has it advanced at all?
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Post by frobones on Apr 19, 2011 20:27:15 GMT -8
Start at PL8, we've barely begun the campaign. Only 2pp have been awarded so far.
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Post by nicholas on Apr 21, 2011 1:43:58 GMT -8
Hello all, my name is Nicholas and I would like to game with you. I was looking for a new game to play when I wandered in to the adventures guild and started talking with the gentle man there. He told me about this group and about mutants and masterminds and I was sold. I have been gaming for most of my life, from dnd 2.0 to 4.0, Heroes, pokethluhu, feng shui, d20 modern, and call of cuthulhu. I would really like to join in on your game if that would be ok. I can make it this saturday by any time you guys might want me there. I would prefer to meet a bit before we start so I can make sure I understand the game mechanics and the kind of players there are and what kind of style you guys like to play and all that jazz.
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Post by frobones on Apr 21, 2011 13:40:22 GMT -8
Hey Nicholas, this weekend is actually going to be scratched. But anyways, have you taken a look at the 3ed handbook, you can find it for free here: linkIf you're comfortable enough with the rules to make a hero, go ahead and do that and send it to me in a PM here on the forums. If you need help, hit me up on aim: smartgy024. Other than that just take your time over the next 2 weeks to get familiar with the M&M rules so things can go as smoothly as they can on our next session. |
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Post by frobones on May 1, 2011 14:40:01 GMT -8
Nicholas and Kevin, try to get me your hero builds and backstories to me by this Wednesday. That will give me enough time to integrate your characters into the world and rebalance encounters.
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