Character Creation Concerns

Greetings all,

So I'm feeling a little concerned. I've read a lot, including the guides and such. However, I'd really like to understand before diving in as I feel not understanding could cause problems later. Let alone, I don't want to join something I am not kosher with.

I'm trying to make a Character Creation process document even to help make it so people can just jump from link to link as they try to plan. I found myself going through posts in circles. I've read through many bios and I do think clearing out some of people that aren't around would help a lot. A lot of clutter with "possible bios" and bios that aren't played anymore.

At any rate...

1. Can someone explain to me the difference between skills and abilities? I know the powers/abilities guide reads that abilities are more powerful but how aside from percentages?
   
   
2. Also, what's the limit of the sub power? It could be an amazing power it's just the abilities can't go above A rank (reach S rank)? Is that it?
   
   
3. Is it intended to have the various classes (i.e. mutant vs otherworldly) have the possibility of equality or no? It seems that mutants with less powers but more skills seem to then be at a disadvantage or is there a plus for being human with many skills that I'm missing?
   

For a good advanced example, I looked to the Legion, one of the Admins, who has some potent subpowers like teleikinesis, technopathy and metallokinesis. It's more that those abilities will be limited in growth but can still be pretty potent, correct?

Also the skills for Legion, the Living DarkForce Suit that basically gives him a number of special attack methods. The Dark Force Body provides protections and absorption. Tip the Balance is a projection that benefits Telepathy. It's incidental but strong when useful. I take this to mean that skills can be supernatural related (where the examples in the guide don't really seem so) but are usually incidentally useful, certainly not as strong as abilities, and typically defensive or miscellaneous rather than offensive and often applicable.

Thank you for the follows up all. I just want to make sure I understand 1) what I'm joining and 2) what I should be making/aiming for.

Thanks!

EDIT: And I understand the admins might have more powerful characters to police issues here and there at times.

Sorry if it feels a bit cluttered this is still a fairly young site and we have hit a few bums before we were able to fine tune the system around here it will be cleared out very soon. I will however be happy to help you with your questions.

1. Skills vs. Abilities
Abilities spawn from powers. A power on this site is basically the potential While an ability is the outlet for that potential. For example if I have the power for telepathy(the potential), mind reading, psionic torrents, mental domination would all be the abilities. So basically an ability is what a power can do. Skills are just that, they are crafts that can be honed by anyone who is trained in it(i.e hacking, lock picking,martial arts styles). A person decked out with skills would be your batman. They are less potent but more versatile and less restrictive. You will find that the less powers a class has the more skills which represent a dependency or lack of said powers.

2. Sub powers cannot branch is the first restriction. With a main power you could stretch it's abilities into other aspects sort of like how the flash can speed up his molecules to phase through things using his super speed. With a sub power you would be restricted to it's primary function which is to move fast basically. Also it does not go above A-rank.

3. Humans are a lot more flexible. There specialties cover broad areas while most powers cover a lesser scope. They also get a bonus on tech. Skills are cheaper and you will find them very useful in countering or resisting a lot of things super powers can do. Mutants are like hybrids.... they have a healthy combination of both. Besides that if there powers were ever cut off which tends to happen around here they would not be defenseless.


Lastly the specialty that many supers use and the ones you referred to on my bio were from projection. Projection is a specialty made for supers. Skills that let those with powers augment them in different ways to make them unique. It's what makes my telepath and someone else's different. My projection skill is tip the balance while anthers may be a 20% increase in range or effecting an added person(s).

I hope I clarified things for you if you still have any questions feel free to post here, ask me in chat , or PM me.

Thanks for the detailed and thoughtful response.

I certainly understand the site is young and finding its foundation. I've been there, having more fall out from under me than not. My buddy's been along for those rides too so we know it can be tough. That's why I figured a process document with a list of what to hit when and what to read would be helpful. What helps me, helps others.

I certainly appreciate the various character aspects review and with such consideration. I did understand Projection but how they all connected was getting a little confused. Again, that is partially coming into something new but also the site building its foundation.

Hopefully I'll finish my first character bio today.

I'm looking forward to it more now based on your response.

Thanks again.