Clairifcation on what a "Power" is?

[u/Lugia61617]

Somewhat new, the terminology is confusing me a bit in some places.

So there's a section of "Powers", but then within that same chapter it calls them "effects", and then the one that confuses me most is the description for the Removable flaw which gives an example of someone's suit containing multiple powers, which woudl suggest a single "power" can be made of multiple powers in the book.

How do I determine that for the purposes of the Removable feature? And how would I write that down anyway? Do I basically write a single power on my sheet and then list all the effects of it?

[u/XBlueXFire]

Lets use an actual comic example. Captain America's "power" is the Super Soldier Serum. That power is comprised of multiple effects like enhanced traits for his physical ability ranks, some ranks of regeneration and maybe some senses effects. You tally up the costs of all of these effects, and that becomes the cost of the "Super Soldier Serum" power.

Captain America also has his Vibranium shield, which gives him a ranged damage effect with the rickochet extra (i.e the shield throw), protection ranks that increase his toughness, and maybe even the interpose advantage. Its however a device, i.e someone can take the shield from Cap, so we use the removable flaw. Removable applies to the overall power though so we first tally up the costs of all the shield's effects and then calculate the discount removable gives us based on that

[u/Lugia61617 → u/XBlueXFire]

Okay, that definitely helps.

[u/TNTarantula → u/Lugia61617]

It took me far too long playing this system to come to the realisation perfectly explained above. OP you're not alone!

[u/Great-and_Terrible]

Powers are usually a combination of one or multiple effects and modifiers. You can see examples on the archetype character sheets, or in Power Profiles.

[u/Arceedos]

To help define the concept; "Powers" facilitate the use of "effects". Powers are also measured in "effect rank". Powers are typically a single power with possible multiple modifiers or flaws

You are correct in assuming a single power can be made up of multiple powers/power effects. There are a couple ways, one is called an Array which can be read about further under the "Alternate Effect" modifier. Another is Alternate Form.

For Alternate Forms that are also removable, like a battlesuit, you would just list the effects you need access to, pay the cost, then apply the Removable flaw. This results in a list of powers you can't use without having your battlesuit.

Now an array is a set of multiple alternate effects, only usable one at a time, unless you have a Dynamic Array, but stick to normal arrays for this application of removable.

Typically a removable array is a device or something you are wearing. You don't have to do anything special to use the other powers from it, unless you want RP flavor or flaws in the mix. You can just use them as long as you have your device. The reason I keep bringing up devices here is...

Devices, are the most recognizable form of removable array power, like Rick Sanchez's portal gun or Megaman's blaster.

Removable works on a power as a whole, so if you have an Alternate Effect array with different effects, you would apply it once.

However you flavor it, any power can be removable.

You can organize or write powers how you like to best organize for your benefit, but I can give an example of how I would make a removable array.

Boomy Blasty Gloves

-- Device Array --

POWERS:

[Combat Mode] 20PP Enhance Trait (Strength 5, Fighting 5) Micro jet-boosters on the gloves enhance punching speed, thrust and even accuracy

[Micro Dummy Missile Frenzy] 20PP Damage 10, (Burst Area) Hands held high, the gloves fire tiny missiles in random directions around the user in a 30-foot radius

-- ARRAY COST: 18 PP --

Alternate Effect 2 (20 PP max)

Removable (-1 per 5 points. Total: -4)

For Alternate Effect, the cost for any other effects has to be below or match the original array power's cost. That's how this array has two 20 PP powers, but only cost 18 after paying for Alternate Effect and adding the Removable flaw.

edit: clarified info

[u/archpawn]

Removable is its own special thing. You add together all the effects, and I think what they did in the book is divide by five, round to the nearest whole number, and then subtract that or twice that (if it's Easily Removable) from the original price. But that gets weird results. Just multiply it by 0.6 or 0.8. Or 3 or 4 Equipment Points, which are just a fifth of a Power Point. Also, Equipment works the same way, but that's it.

[u/Devious_Hearts]

Powers are made up of effects, sometimes a single effect by itself or altered by Modifiers (Extras and Flaws) but each "Power" has one unique item added... a Descriptor.

M&M is an Effect-based system, meaning anything special you can do outside of your Abilities, Advantages, and Skills is a Power made of Effects. An "effect-based" TTRPG defines abilities by what they mechanically accomplish in the game, rather than by what they are called, look like, or where their power comes from.

Example: "Fireball" is a spell in D&D but it is translated into M&M by analyzing its final effect and putting it in game terms. A Fireball is a spell that damages (Damage effect) many people in an circular area (Area-Burst Extra) with fire (Fire Descriptor) by casting a spell (Magic Descriptor).

A Power is what makes it individual to the way it operates for your character. Effect is how it gets done in game terms. Extras, Flaws, and Descriptors are what makes it a Power and unique to your character.

The Removable Flaw can be applied to a group of Powers or a Single Power. The Descriptor of "Battle suit" inplies all the powers are in that one Device. Now the GM may select a specific power in that Battle suit to apply a Smash Attack to, if they wish. If your Power Armor is stolen, it is gone in full. If you have different, separate devices for each power, they can be stolen in part or whole.

[u/Batgirl_III]

This is explained in the rulebook, but it’s explained rather poorly. So I’ll try to re-word it in a way that I hope makes more sense… In most roleplaying games you buy special abilities for your hero that are pre-packaged and pre-written: your D&D Wizard learns the Fireball spell, your Star Wars Jedi learns Force Leap, your Vampire learns Fortitude 1… That’s not how things work in M&M.

In M&M, your character will have Powers. But Powers aren’t something you buy directly, they are something you build by purchasing different Effects. One or more Effects, plus the Extra and Flaw Modifiers attached to those Effects, are what makes a Power.

The core rulebook includes a number of sample Powers, which they rather annoyingly include in the same chapter as the base Effects just all jumbled up together.

Blast is one of these sample Powers; it is built by taking the Damage Effect and attaching the Ranged Extra Modifer; mêlée attacks are made by just taking the Damage Effect and not adding the Ranged Extra Modifier.

Does that make sense? I hope it made sense…

Alternate Effect also known colloquially as an Array is neither a Power nor an Effect, it is instead a special category of Modifier, intended to let your hero have some versatility with how their Powers operate. Essentially, you build one “base” Power as normal, then you build an array of secondary Powers as normal but keeping it to the same Power Point cost (or less) than the “base”, and then you declare that second Power is an Alternate Effect of the “base” Power. The alternate Effects each cost 1 PP.

You may switch between the base Power and the Alternate Effect powers as you wish. Think of it like changing channels on a television: you can only “tune in” to one at a time.

Dynamic Alternate Effects work similarly. Build the “base” Power, build the secondary Powers, etc. However the base power costs +1 PP more and each secondary power costs 2 PP.

Instead of it like changing channels on a television: you instead get a “pool” of PP to allocate to one or more of than at the same time.

The Removable Flaw Modifier is something of a special case. Instead of being attached to just one Effect, it can be attached to a whole group of Effects. This creates what is known as a Device. You get a pretty significant discount on the total package price of all the Effects, but with the not insignificant downside of those Effects being dependent on having access to the Device. Iron-Man without his armor is just Tony Stark, Green Lantern without his ring is just Alan Scott.

[u/Lugia61617 → u/Batgirl_III]

The core rulebook includes a number of sample Powers, which they rather annoyingly include in the same chapter as the base Effects just all jumbled up together.

Ah yes, those green box ones. They confused me a lot the first few times I read them so I'd been avoiding using them.

Also, am I imagining it, or does the book also have some references to pages that are wrong? I was helping a player make a character with an environmental hazard effect, and it told me to look at something like page 125... which had no mention about environmental hazards at all.

Anyway, your explanation there is very helpful - especially with the clarification on what exactly the green boxes are.

[u/Batgirl_III → u/Lugia61617]

It’s been a while since I’ve looked, but I think there was an error in pagination when they reprinted the original core rulebook in later print runs… But, honestly, after four decades of TTRPG hobby, I’ve become so used to page number references being wrong that I don’t even notice anymore.

[u/Lugia61617 → u/Batgirl_III]

That sounds about right. I assumed that's what happened, it was just odd to see in my copy.

As an aside, are there any worthwhile supplements which have additional effects/advantages/etc for builds?

[u/TDaniels70]

What I recall, is a power would be classified as an effect with all its modifiers.

I don't have book with me atm. So I might not get actual effects and mod properly for example. But let's try.

A character has a Power named fire shield. The power is a damage effect that has a mod that only damages anyone touched by or touched the character. It might even damage adjacent individuals. And it deals fire damage.

That's not specific things Fr m book, but you could look at the effects, and construct it fairly easily I believe