Mutants & Masterminds - [Review] Power Profiles #9: Speed Powers

[jameson (ST)]

Power Profiles #9: Speed Powers

Vitals: Published By Green Ronin • 6 pages • $0.99 • full color PDF

Descriptors, Countering & Features

Two descriptors, speed and light-speed, are given a slightly longer discussion than usual before we receive a quarter page talk about Speed Hazards. Specifically this talks about the comic book tradition of ignoring most of the deleterious effects and impossible logic behind superspeed. It's a nice couple of paragraphs that expands on the Speed Complications later on. Countering with speed is short, as Speed powers don't tend to have a lot of natural counters. Four Features round out the section.

Offensive Powers

Seven powers and a Side Bar! In this case the side bar advocates the use of speedy stunts in an array format. While most experienced players will find this old hat, I think newer players will be helped by it since it's not an obvious candidate for an array if you are new to the concept. As for the powers themselves we get a couple of different afflictions, a few different damaging effects, and, perhaps most interesting, we get an area effect disarm ability. This is nothing new to comics, disarming a dozen or more mooks within the blink of an eye is pretty standard, but its nice to see how it can be done within the rules and logic of the system.

Defensive Powers

Five powers and six effects. From simply moving fast enough to avoid being hit at all, to being immune to certain descriptors, and even the ability to become intangible. The powers here are nicely diverse, covering a wide range of potential effects and builds. The standout is probably Untouchable, which is an expensive power, but well worth it's cost if you can afford it. My only surprise and/or disappointment in this area is the complete lack of mention of the Evasion Advantage. It seems a natural choice here, probably as an add-on to the Fast Defense power.

Movement Powers

Nine powers and eleven effects. Much like the defensive powers before it this section is diverse, and really does a good job covering all aspects of a speedster beyond simply "running real fast." Everything from simple stunts of speed like running on water (sidebar: The Incredibles really made that one shine) and running up walls, to running faster than time itself (complete with a humorous pop culture reference), and an effect that proves that no matter how fast you flap your arms you will never fly.

Utility Powers

Six powers that fall into the "we couldn't fit them elsewhere" category. The meat of this section falls into the discussion on Quickness. Obligatory mentions of staple effects like enhanced initiative and regeneration (via super fast metabolism) are here as well. I can hardly fault the brevity of this section after the surfeit of goodness that we got with Defensive and Movement powers, but it is worth noting that those familiar with speed power may not find anything new here.

Complications

Seven complications are here. This section could have been a full page if the Speed Hazards discussion from earlier had been placed here instead, and as it is the Accident complication does reference back to that section. Power Loss and Disability both get the meat of the content, but I find that the Weakness and Addiction complications were the more useful reads, brief though they may have been. I think these are areas of potential that don't always see exploration by players, and that's a shame because they can add a good deal of character depth during the quieter moments of a game.

Closing Thoughts

Speed Powers really delivers. There's a lot here that new players, and those who are "new" to playing a speedster will find very useful, and so it earns its place among the other products of the line right there. The plethora of second tier movement and defensive effects that are given is a welcome surprise though, giving speedsters more options that just outrunning their enemies and any attacks, and allowing players to inject an amount of uniqueness that I felt was missing from the Speedster archetype. Minor though they may be my only real issue was the lack of a mention of Evasion as a Speedster Advantage, and the fact that I didn't see anything in the Utility section that surprising and new, but I could easily be nitpicking as well, I think most will find this a very worth $1 purchase.

Rating: 95% - Speed Powers hits the ground running, and never really slows down, a few minor omissions barely diminish the overall quality and utility of the product.