6th Edition House Rules Draft: Powers

'This is the "Powers" section of the draft 6th edition house rules. It should be part of the main document, but that's ceased to be editable because of the errors which have been plaguing the wiki. Hopefully it will be restorable in future (if not the document will have to be broken up).'

Powers
(6E1 117)

Minimum Costs
(6E1 119)

Some powers have minimum allowed costs in addition to possible Active Point restrictions. For these powers there is a minimum number of Base Points. In other words the points of the base effect before any Adders or Advantages are included must be equal to or greater than the point totals shown below (sometimes this is expressed in the amount of effect rather than the points paid).
 * Special Defenses (Flash Defense, Mental Defense, Power Defense): 5 pts.
 * Resistant Protection for Special Defenses: 5 pts of effect (8 base points).
 * Teleport: 10 pts. (5" of Teleport)
 * Any Movement Power with Megascale: 5" of movement (however many points that costs).

Powers do not shut off if Drained below the minimum; they decrease exactly as if there were no minimum cost.

Sensing Powers and Special Effects
(6E1 124)

Constant Powers are by default perceivable throughout, so one can't take the Perceivable Limitation for this (cf. 6E1 125).

Area-Affecting Constant Powers
(6E1 127)

A no-range area-affecting Constant Power may move with the character that creates it, or it may be fixed in place, but the decision must be made at character creation and applied consistently.

The Alterable Size Adder will be scrutinized carefully for balance: it could negate the balancing factor of area-affecting powers, namely the risk of hitting unintended targets.

Endurance and Compound Powers
(6E1 130)

The option that a compound power costs only 1 END if the total Active Points would cost only 1 END is not in use.

The Standard Effect Rule
(6E1 133)

The Standard Effect Rule may be used; whether the Power uses it must be established at character creation and applied consistently.

The Absolute Effect Rule
(6E1 133)

The Absolute Effect Rule is not in use.

Adjustment Powers
(6E1 135) Adjustment Powers affect Defense Powers and all Characteristics (not just defensive ones) at half rate; the sole exception is END, which they affect at one-fifth rate (that is, each point rolled on an Adjustment Power makes a difference of 1 END). The REC and END of Endurance Reserve are affected at the same rates as normal REC and END.

Adjustment Powers that increase Characteristic or Powers beyond their original level (Aid and Absorption) will be scrutinized for their effect on balance (not only of the character who has them but of characters they might be used on as well). Those that raise CV or defences may be especially unbalancing. They may also not have Delayed Return Rate higher than 5/5 minutes without special staff permission; Delayed Return Rate in combination with placing them in a Power Framework also calls for careful scrutiny.

Expanded Effect (+4) (6E1 142) allows the character to affect all game elements of the defined special effect at once.

Automaton Powers
(6E1 145)

Automaton Powers cannot be bought except for Automata.

Defense Powers
(6E1 146)

You get two levels of Hardened for each +1/4 of Advantage - i.e. enough to counteract two levels (+1/2) of Armor Piercing.

Mental Powers
(6E1 148)

Area of Effect Selective does not allow the command or effect to differ between the victims (cf. Area of Effect, 6E1 152). However, if you buy a second Area of Effect Selective of the same size you may then apply a different effect to each target.

Constant (cf. Constant, 6E1 153) allows changing the level of effect without another attack roll or prevents deterioration of the Power. The type of Constant must be specified when the Power is bought (the first is just called "Constant", the second "Constant: No Deterioration").

Uncontrolled does prevent deterioration for as long as the END lasts, nor does the power shut off when the END runs out: rather the victim must make Breakout rolls as normal (cf. Uncontrolled, 6E1 153).

When a Mental Power has been maintained without deterioration, either through Uncontrolled, or simply by paying END, the Breakout Rolls "reset" when END is no longer available (that is, there is a -0 roll next Phase, a -1 roll after a Turn, and so on).

If a Mental Power is bought with Normal Range (-1/4) it is subject to Range Modifier. Alternatively it may be bought with Limited Normal Range (-1/4), in which case the range must be much less (no more than 32m except with special staff permission) but does not suffer from Range Modifier. (Cf. Normal Range, 6E1 154.)

A Variable Power Pool does not allow affecting of any class of mind automatically; classes affected must be specified in the VPP writeup (this is a consequence of how VPPs work by the house rules; cf. Variable Power Pool, 6E1 154).

Movement Powers
(6E1 155)

No Gravity Penalty (6E1 158) can only be applied to Leaping, since otherwise gravity penalty isn't used.

No Turn Mode (6E1 158) is not in use because Turn Modes aren't in use.

Sense-Affecting Powers
(6E1 159)

Only the Sight Sense Group is considered Targeting, for the purpose of Sense-Affecting Powers.

Absorption
(6E1 165)

Defensive Absorption (cf Absorption as a Defense, 6E1 166) may be bought, but note that it counts against your defensive balance, even though it can fail when your Absorption is overloaded (the tradeoff is that it is cheaper that buying the defenses normally). Defensive Absorption may not be combined with Varying Effect (6E1 167). See also Adjustment Powers.

Aid
(6E1 167)

This Power is can be particularly unbalancing and will be carefully monitored.

See also Adjustment Powers.

Barrier
(6E1 169)

If an Barrier or Force Wall (or indeed a normal wall) blocks damage from an attack, the damage that gets through is reduced by 3 STUN for each BODY blocked.

The total PD, ED and BODY of a Barrier may not exceed 24; nor can any of these individually exceed 12.

Barrier is considered an offensive power if it can be used to englobe someone. In this case, it must be within you DC balance limits; for these purposes multiply the APs in Barrier by 1.5 to determine its effective Active Points.

Moreover, a Barrier in which you can englobe yourself and still act offensively, such as a mentalist with a transparent to sight Barrier, is considered for defensive balance.

When multiple Barriers englobe the same target, or otherwise Barriers are placed to support one another, each additional Barrier adds only 1 to the BODY (i.e. they behave similarly to Entangles).

You may take a -1 Limitation on Flash Defense, Mental Defense or Power Defense that protects only the Barrier or Force Wall itself (6E1 170, first paragraph).

Any Barrier or Force Wall may be defined as attached or detachable or unattached. If it's attached it may not be broken free (this is typically the case with Force Walls). If it's unattached it may be moved by shoving it about with STR (like globes in the standard rules). If it's detachable it is initially attached but may be made unattached by breaking it free with STR (the default behaviour of Barriers in the standard rules). See Anchoring the Barrier, 6E1 170.

Allocatable (6E1 172) is not allowed.

One-Way Transparent (6E1 173) will be heavily scrutinized and very seldom allowed: most uses break the balance guideline that attacks with impunity should not be allowed.

Another form of the Transparent Advantage is either Physical or Energy transparency. In these cases the Barrier is transparent to the range of specified attacks in both directions. The Barrier can be transparent to a limited range of attacks versus PD or versus ED for +1/4. Transparent To All Physical or All Energy Attacks is a +1/2 Advantage.

The final type of Transparent Advantage for Barriers is Transparent to All Except a specified range of attacks or special effects. The cost of this advantage will usually be between +1/4 to +1/2 as determined by the approval reviewers. If such a Barrier can be used as a Detect by blocking certain things from passing through, the Detect should be bought, but takes a -1 Limitation. (It is not necessary to buy Range for this Detect, but the Detect only functions on things attempting to pass through the Barrier.)

Examples of Transparent to All Except Barriers:
 * The force shield across the open doors of a space station docking bay holding in a breathable atmosphere: Barrier Transparent To All Except Gases.
 * Barrier Transparent to All Except Undead: this requires a Detect Undead to be bought for the Barrier, since it could be used to weed vampires and zombies out of a queue of people.
 * A spirit ward for a medicine lodge: Barrier Transparent To All Except Spirits And Ghosts. This requires the Barrier to have the Affects Desolid Advantage and also Detect Spirits - unless the spirits are imperceptible so there's no way to tell whether or not the Barrier stopped them.

Change Environment
(6E1 174)

This is subject to "DC" balance limits like an offensive power unless it is strictly noncombat in its applicability.

It is always possible to reverse the effects of a Change Environment with another appropriate Change Environment, even if this would apparently violate the rule against positive effects (cf. Positive Effects; Negating Other Effects, 6E1 177).

Long-Lasting (6E1 177) is not in use. If you want Change Environment to last, buy it 0 END (or Costs END Only To Activate) and apply Time Limit (6E1 346) or Uncontrolled (+1/2) and Persistent (+1/4) for an effect lingering more than 5 minutes (if allowed by staff; higher levels of Time Limit may be required instead). Purely cosmetic effects without game effect (e.g. flowers blooming) may persist as long as makes sense for the SFX at no cost; a GM may also rule that other effects endure in appropriate circumstances (e.g. ice in below-freezing conditions).

Clairsentience
(6E1 179)

Clairsentience in any form, and especially Precognition and Retrocognition, may destroy a gamemaster's plot. Thus it will be scrutinized carefully for game balance and roleplaying implications. Limitations such as Vague and Unclear, which make Clairsentience less reliable, will make approval more likely. Clairsentience may be bought with Targeting so it may be used set a safe teleport destination, though it may not be used to target attacks.

Clinging
(6E1 182)

Clinging should be bought no higher than 10 points more than your highest allowed STR by the balance rules.

Damage Negation
(6E1 183)

This affects defensive balance according to a special rule.

Damage Negation is a new Power this edition, and so staff are not entirely sure of its balance implications. You may buy it, but be warned that you may be required to reduce it even after your character has been approved, if it's proving unbalancing.

Damage Reduction
(6E1 184)

This affects defensive balance according to a special rule.

Desolidification
(6E1 190)

Affects Physical World (6E1 192) will almost never be allowed, since it allows attacks with impunity; an exception would be if the Desolidification Doesn't Protect Against Damage (6E1 192).

Even if the Desolidification is Only To Protect Against [Limited Type Of Attack] (6E1 193) one may not have Affects Physical World powers, with or without paying for it. Instead, buy a lot of standard defenses to protect against the limited type of attack (one may get an exemption from defensive balance limit for this).

Drain
(6E1 195)

The old "Transfer" Power may be built with a Linked Aid as should in the sidebar at 6E1 197; the Aid should also take a further -1/2 Limitation that the amount Aided is not to exceed the amount Drained after defenses apply (the value of this may differ if the amounts Drained and Aided are not identical) - and note that things cannot be Drained below 0 for these purposes!

See also #Adjustment Powers

Duplication
(6E1 198)

A character may purchase a maximum of two duplicates with this Power, thus having a total of 3 forms, the original form and two duplicates. Detailed sheets for each duplicate will be required so the amount of work involved in character creation is significant. We restrict the number of duplicates to two or less because handling any more than that number in a MUSH environment is difficult and slows play down for everyone.

For +1/4 Advantage any duplicate can create the other duplicates - however with a maximum of 3 duplicates this is seldom useful.

Endurance Reserve
(6E1 205)

Charges may not be taken on Endurance Reserve in the way described at 6E1 206. It could conceivably be used to model an END Reserve which can only be drawn on a fixed number of Phases a day - that is, the END would be shared by all the charges, rather than that much END per charge being available.

Restricted Use (6E1 206) may not be taken.

Enhanced Senses
(6E1 207)

As Special Powers, Enhanced Senses cannot usually be put in a Framework. However, exceptions may be made, typically when there is some effort involved in changing between sense (e.g. the senses are in Foci and can only be used one at a time, or a shapeshifter can develop different senses). Such exceptions will rarely if ever be granted for any Framework other than a Variable Power Pool. Note, however, that Special Powers, including Senses, can take the Unified Power limitation. All such cases, of course, will be scrutinized for balance.

Enhanced Senses purchased with Targeting will be scrutinized carefully for game balance. Combinations of Penetrative Targeting Senses and attacks with the Indirect Advantage, etc., will be scrutinized very carefully for game balance and will probably not be allowed.

Characters can purchase a Detect Mind Enhanced Sense but cannot use it to target an opponent with Mental Powers even if they buy Targeting. There is already a power for doing that, which is Mind Scan.

8- Detects for a 3-pt Detect Category ("Detect Familiarity") may be bought for 1 point (6E1 210).

Rapid (6E1 214) gives +5 per level (not +3), only to negate time penalties.

Note that surveying the world for someone will take a lot of Rapid as well as Telescopic for one's senses: Telescopic alone won't serve as an instant find-all.

A Sense bought in a Focus has the full PER Roll of the user, unless defined otherwise at character creation (cf. Focus, 6E1 215).

Normal Touch is considered A Targeting Sense, though of course unranged.

Mystic Awareness costs 5 points; it allows the detection of active (but not passive) mystical effects, though it can't determine their nature without Discriminatory. It includes the "Sense" Sense Modifier, and is in the Mystic Sense Group, which provides it with Range.

Entangle
(6E1 215)

If an Entangle blocks damage from an attack to an entangled character the damage that gets through is reduced by 3 STUN for each BODY blocked.

The Mental Paralysis version of Entangle (6E1 217) is allowed, but with a Mental Defense no higher than 2. The BODY rolled of such an Entangle is reduced by 1 for every 5 points of Mental Defense the target has.

Extra-Dimensional Movement
(6E1 220)

This is allowed but discouraged. It will be scrutinized very carefully for game balance; in particular it shouldn't generally be usable in combat situations, but rather as a means of moving from one scene to another.

The Time Travel (6E1 221) version of this Power is not allowed. See the many-worlds and elastic-band theories of time travel described in Theme for the reason for this prohibition. Active Time travel is reserved for plot devices and GMs. You may use time travel in a character background as a means of getting into the campaign.

Extra Limbs
(6E1 224)

The cost of Extra Limbs is 4 points for 1 limb, with twice the limbs for every +1 additional point (so 2 limbs for 5 points, 4 for 6 points, and so forth). What matters for the cost is the number of limbs for the purpose of Grabs; it the actual number is different it should also be noted. For instance an elastic character might have only the normal number of limbs but be able to loop them to be able to hold people as if they were more, or someone with prehensile hair might have 10,000+ "limbs" but they'll function as fewer for Grabbing purposes - unless the hair is very strong!

Variable Special Effects (+1/4) allows a variable number of limbs.

Only With Extra Limbs is seldom worth more than -0 as a Limitation, since under most circumstances people use their most effective limbs.

Flight
(6E1 227)

Turn Modes are not in use, and the gravity rules are not applied to Flight (although the special Gliding one is in use).

Turning off Flight will result in a fall from the height the character was at when Flight was turned off. Breakfall can be used to avoid taking damage and having to spend a Half Move standing up.

Landing from Flight is a Half Move action, though this may be combined with an actual Half Move. However, someone who is flying only just above the ground and has Position Shift on their Flight may land as a 0-Phase Action.

Flying characters who take Knockback must make a Breakfall roll or lose a Half Action to re-orient themselves.

Flight may be defined as Atmospheric at character creation. If it is Atmospheric, then (as described at 6E1 228) is may be used for Gliding at half its usual combat movement rate. If it is not Atmospheric, then there is no free Gliding, but it may be used in the absence of an atmosphere (e.g. in space). If you want to be able to do both, buy your Flight Usable As Gliding (+1/4); it then function either as non-Atmospheric Flight or as Gliding at the full Combat distance (not half). Lastly, you can buy Flight with the Gliding (-1) Limitation, in which case is functions only as Gliding, with the full Combat distance.

Growth
(6E1 229)

If you buy Growth to the third level (Huge) or build a character who is normally on that scale, his or her STR is Area of Effect (1m Radius) (see Area of Effect). However, this Advantage does not count toward the EAP limit, making characters of this size viable.

Healing
(6E1 232)

The Tracking Injuries rule (6E1 233) is not in use.

The Healing and Being Stunned rule (6E1 233) is in use.

Healing may optionally be bought as Simplified Healing (6E1 234).

Healing Inanimate Beings And Nonliving Objects (6E1 234): normal healing will affect people animals. Healing may instead be defined as affecting (a) plants and other non-animal living things, (b) machines, or (c) simple inanimate objects - other similarly broad categories will be considered. Categories this broad do no merit a Limitation, though narrower one do. (This is similar to classes of minds for mental powers.)

Flash Healing and Transform Healing (6E1 235) may be bought.

Resurrection Healing (6E1 235) is allowed (although only usually of significance when applied to NPCs, since PCs never die without player consent). However, use of this power is not necessarily to be recommended: quite apart from the likelihood of acquiring hordes of cult followers and people begging for their loved ones back, there are traditionally problems with upsetting the balance of nature and/or angering death deities. ^Talk to staff before applying for such a character, if you really want one.

Decreased Re-use Duration may be bought even at the level of one Healing per Phase (+1 3/4) - in fact this is recommended as the best way to show most types of superheroic Healing. Re-use also resets every time a character is entirely recovered from the type of damage the Healing applies to (this makes, for instance, Flash Healing useful without buying Decrease Re-use Duration).

Doesn't Work On [Defined Type Of Damage] (6E1 236): note that the text of 6E1 has the values backwards. Not working on a Very Common form of attack should be -1 and not working on a Rare attack should be -1/4.

Instant Change
(6E1 307 sidebar)

Instant Change may be bought as described at 6E1 307, but if you use the standard build don't bother to write out how the Power is built in full: simply show one of these:


 * (3 pts) Instant Change (two sets of clothing) <5 AP>
 * (4 pts) Instant Change (any set of clothing) <6 AP>

Use of either version of this Power costs 1 END.

Alternatively, you could build your own version, but then you'd have to show the details of how you build it from Transform.

This power should not be put in a Framework (although technically it's a Standard Power it won't work right in a Framework).

With Instant Change you may change IDs in a Zero Phase Action without risk of revealing your identity to onlookers; without it it takes one Phase to change IDs safely. (Invisible Power Effects or such are not necessary to get this effect; it's considered part of the genre.)

The 3-pt version may be used to change between two identities safely in this fashion, even if the difference between the identities is not one of clothes.

Killing Attack
(6E1 241)

Remember that heroes on Champions MUSH do not kill; Killing Attacks being used on characters you are not sure can take it is frowned on, to say the least. Characters incapable of nonlethal combat will not be approved.

Increased STUN Multiplier (6E1 242) may be bought no more than twice on a Power.

Luck
(6E1 246)

Instead of the usual effects, Luck provides additional Heroic Action Points (HAPs) for the player to spend (though they can, of course, be spent on standard Luck effects). However, Luck may still favorably affect the character in minor ways, quite independently of HAPs rolled.

Mind Control
(6E1 253)

A victim may not be ordered to "Die" (cf. EGO +30, 6E1 254) - or at least it has no effect - that would be a Mental Blast, Does BODY (and probably not allowed to a player character anyway).

Mind Scan
(6E1 261)

Mind Scan will be scrutinized both for making it too easy to find people and for allowing the character with Mind Scan to attack with impunity.

The Advantage One-Way Link (6E1 265) is not allowed.

Multiform
(6E1 266)

Characters purchasing Multiform are limited to a maximum point total of (points character is built on - Multiform cost) in their alternative forms. Characters can buy a maximum of two alternative forms during initial character creation. This gives a total of three forms, the base form and two alternatives. Each form requires a detailed character sheet, so the amount of work involved in character creation is significant. We restrict the number of alternative forms to avoid slowing down the character approval process for both the character with Multiform and other characters also waiting in the queue. The character can buy additional alternative forms during powerups with Experience Points gained in play.

Multiform is not allowed in Power Frameworks (it is considered a Special Power on Champions MUSH).

Regeneration
(6E1 274)

Can Heal Limbs may be bought, although PCs don't often suffer such damage (though a GM could always rule it, or a Transform could heal as a broken limb).

The Resurrection Adder as listed isn't in use; this is because PC death only occurs on Champions MUSH with player consent. However, if a character comes back from "death" they usually have to spend some time at GM discretion, perhaps as much as a month, recuperating. A character can instead buy a lower recuperation time: for the cost of 1 BODY Regeneration as shown on the Regeneration Table, a character may "Resurrect" in the time shown. However, the character must also have enough Regeneration to regenerate 2x their BODY score in that time. So if you have a BODY of 10 and want to be able to come back to life in 6 hours, you must (a) spend 6 points for a 6-hour Resurrect and (b) have enough Regeneration to regenerate 20 BODY in 6 hours - 1 per 5 Minutes is the requited level (12 points). You may take Resurrection Only (-2) on the Regeneration part but not on the Resurrection part.

Resistant Protection
(6E1 275)

If this is Impermeable (6E1 276) it should be noted on your character sheet.

Allocatable (6E1 276) is not allowed.

Running
(6E1 277)

Running takes an obligatory -1/2 Limitation ("Running").

Consequently, if you sell back your base 12m of Running, you recover only 2 points for each 3m sold back.

Shapeshift
(6E1 277)

Shapeshift normally allows one level of Striking Appearance (6E1 279), whether of beauty or ugliness. Makeover (6E1 280) raises this to three levels, which covers the full range of non-meta appearance. Imitation (6E1 279) allows for two more levels (i.e. cumulative with Makeover levels, if any), but of course only if the imitated target has such an appearance.

Shrinking
(6E1 281)

The dice can reduce the Knockback resulting from the Knockback Modifier: the "raw" Knockback provided by the dice-rolling commands is used as a base. For example: Microman has +6" of KB from Shrinking. If the damage dice roll gives a raw Knockback of -2" the distance Microman is knocked back is 4" (6" - 2").

If a character takes a Side Effect on Shrinking that each level of Shrinking loses them 5 STR, 5 PRE (for offensive purposes only) and 5AP from all their attack powers, then the character may take as much Shrinking as they like. (Alternatively, all those things could take the Reduced by Shrinking (-1/4) Limitation, but this is appropriate only if Shrinking is the character's only major power; if he or she has other tricks the Side Effect approach is preferable.)

The purpose of this rule is to allow for "Noncombat Shrinking" - without it Shrinking would be capped when you reach the maximum DCV allowed by house rules. If this rule is abused (say, by frequently turning very small when fighting normal level characters, so they can't hit you while you still have enough STR to hurt them) then the GM has every right to rule that the normal's shoe is big enough to count as an Area of Effect attack against you!

Skills
(6E1 283)

Skills may be purchased as powers, with staff permission.

Stretching
(6E1 284)

Stretching Dimensions (6E1 284): this is allowed but costly! If you want more than a small amount, you may be better off achieving the effect with Shapeshift.

You may (contrary to 6E1 286, 2nd paragraph) pull yourself toward an object you have grabbed with Stretching, but are at half DCV if you do so. (The Power to do this without penalty is Swinging.)

Reach
(6E1 284)

Reach costs a flat 1 pt (Active and Real) per metre of reach, and does not take Limitations; it is a Power unto itself, distinct from Stretching. It works as having extended reach naturally would, not as built from Stretching in the text.

Summon
(6E1 287)

The Summon power is discouraged and will be scrutinized carefully for game balance. Characters should be capable of dealing with challenges using their own Skills and Powers. Fully detailed sheets will be required for summoned creatures. All Summoned creatures must be approved by staff before use. This Power will normally only be used as a plot device.

If you attempt to Summon more beings than you are entitled to (see Number of Summoned Beings, 6E1 289), you automatically lose control of the excess. The Amicable Advantage (6E1 290) does not guarantee they will be friendly in such a circumstance!

Telepathy
(6E1 297)

Altering dreams significantly requires Mental Illusions, although a telepath may speak in a dream with Telepathy (cf. Unconscious and Sleeping Minds, 6E1 298).

Teleportation
(6E1 300)

A modified DEX roll may be used, as described (Velocity and Facing, 6E1 301), to avoid taking damage when entering a moving vehicle, etc, if the motion is not a surprise.

Transform
(6E1 303)

A Spirit Transform Works Against PRE, Not BODY, which is a -1/4 Limitation (see Transforming the Spirit, 6E1 306).

Inflicting a Complication on a victim does not require rolling additional BODY, unlike adding an ability (cf. Transform and Complications, 6E1 307).

See also Instant Change.