As I suggested in my
Intro Post to this series, I want to reverse my character creation process, to an extent, to see if I can fix what I usually do wrong when building a M&M character. I envision it kind of like the suggestions of spell checking your writing, which I do terribly, by reading what you have written backwards (from the bottom up, right to left). Why do they suggest this? Simple, your mind will fill in what it perceives should be there, whether the words are spelled correctly or not.
Now I just need a concept, something simple (hopefully) that I can track through the process in this series. I want to start with a Power Level (PL) of six. The first character I made was intended to be a PL4 character. I lost sight of that and, well, it just turned into a mess. One of the key things that I had an issue with that character was trying to get all the things I wanted out of the concept from the limited Power Point supply (60pps). Hopefully a different approach will help that issue. So on to the concept, take your basic fighter and give him some cool maneuvers and
if I have some PPs left over, then give him some cool gear to support those maneuvers.
Here is the Combat Stat blocks that hold the four parts of what I suspect is the Holy Grail of character construction:
Combat [#pp]: Base Attack +0 [+0
type], Base Defense ## [## flatfooted], Initiative +0, Grapple
(BA+Str+Size), Knockback
(1/2 tough save, size, immovable), Hero Points #
This and the Damage and Toughness stats. Now, I will admit that I shamelessly 'borrowed' the layout for my character build sheet from Brian Roth, aka
Joshua Dunlow, because I could read through it and see all the interlacing connections of how things built upon each other. I think I need to design something that more fits my process and features reminders that I often forget. Though his layout reads well and I can follow it, I just haven't had any success building a character with it. The only drawbacks I see in this is that a layout I envision will be longer (wordier) and it won't be what the experienced masses of M&M character designers are used to seeing. If it works though... magic.
So, a new layout starting with a Combat Stat block where small print, utilized as a reminder, will be removed on completion. (Work in Progress)
Combat Stats [#pps]
Initiative: mod
(=dex mod)
Base Attack: mod [Ranged: mod, Melee: mod, Grapple: mod] (#pp)
(2pp/+1,Limit=PL)
Base Defense: mod [Dodge Bonus: mod
(1/2 Base Defense), Flat-footed: mod] (#pp)
(2pp/+1,Limit=PL)
Knockback: mod
(1/2 tough save, size, immovable)
Hero Points: #
The two other stat blocks that directly correlate to the Combat Stat block is the Damage Stat block and the Saves Stat block. Damage because it corresponds to Base Attack, and Saves because it contains Toughness that corresponds to Base Defense. For this series I am going to try putting Toughness and Damage Stats in the Combat Stats block.
Combat Stats [#pps]
Initiative: mod
(=dex mod)
Base Attack: mod [Ranged: mod, Melee: mod, Grapple: mod] (#pp)
(2pp/+1,Limit=PL)
Damage (dc): Unarmed (+0), etc
Base Defense: mod [Dodge Bonus: mod
(1/2 Base Defense), Flat-footed: mod] (#pp)
(2pp/+1,Limit=PL)
Toughness:
Knockback: mod
(1/2 tough save, size, immovable)
Hero Points: #
Now I should be able to work the whole interlinked stats in one place by setting them to the maxes I want, and then retrofitting them backwards as the character develops. How I envision the character is a fast (+Defense) lightly armored (-Toughness) quick hitter (+Attack) that does maneuvers rather than Damage (-Damage). So I set the stats at their max (6) modified for the tradeoffs and if they can be bout-out-right I figure the full pp cost of doing so:
Combat Stats [#pps]
Initiative: mod
(=dex mod)
Base Attack: +7 [Ranged: mod, Melee: mod, Grapple: mod] (14pp)
(2pp/+1,Limit=PL)
Damage (dc): +5, Unarmed (+0), etc
Base Defense: +7 [Dodge Bonus: mod
(1/2 Base Defense), Flat-footed: mod] (14pp)
(2pp/+1,Limit=PL)
Toughness: +5
Knockback: -2
(1/2 tough save, size, immovable)
Hero Points: #
I think that is all I can do for this step in the series. I now have to figure out (justify) why the stats have the level they do individually. I will take each individually in the upcoming series.
Best,
TB
