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Mutants & Masterminds - [Review] Power Profiles #19: Plant Powers


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Power Profiles #19: Plant Powers

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

Descriptors, Countering & Features

Plant powers starts out with discussion of two primary descriptors; Plant and Wood. Plant includes discussion of the use of the Indirect extra, while wood includes a brief mention on base toughness and other innate aspects of wood. Countering is shortly followed by four new features which do a good job covering the various minor abilities of plant powered heroes and villains.

Offensive Powers

Eight powers ranging from damaging effects to Afflictions. As if often usual the Affliction based effects steal the show here, either mechanically, or by description. For example, the Internal Flora power uses a fairly common Affliction build, but gets loads of points for originality based on its description of causing a targets internal symbiotic flora within their digestive tract to run wild. Phytotoxin provides a wide range of possibilities based on the numerous possible effects of plant born toxins.

Defensive Powers

Three defensive powers make this a short section. The Woodskin power highlights the possibility of the Noticable flaw while Regrowth discusses other possible power effects that may be included depending on the scope of the plant hero's regenerative powers.

Movement Powers

Six effects that cover nearly all of the major movement type powers. About half of the effects here are low fixed cost and a plant character could easily take a number of them as a single power while gaining various ranks of the others as Alternate Effects depending on their concept. The section strongly maintains the theme of the chosen profile while maintaining the flexibility to use a number of effects.

Utility Powers

Seven powers round out the last of the power sections. The theme of plant based powers is again strong here while maintaining an open mind for various effects creating such powers as Green Memory, Warp Wood, and Green Network. Animate Plants, a staple of the genre, is also present and includes a pair of example animated plants to use with the effect.

Complications

Wrapping up the profile is a discussion on nine possible Complications. Addiction presents an interesting twist on the common expectation, while Disability covers the possible effects of a plant based physiology including the need for different "food" and other environmental resources.

Closing Thoughts

The Plant Powers Profile gets high marks for maintaining the feel of the theme, one which is sometimes derided and often considered a little weak, while presenting a number of options both traditional and progressive. A strong faithfulness to the theme helps to buoy the lesser power effects while the discussions of powers and the Complications section help to provide ideas to flesh out and round out a plant power using character in various ways.

Rating: 90%, A solid profile that is strong on theme. Good for players of plant characters, and may be useful for some veterans.

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