Basic Action Super Heroes!

Hi there,

I'm a little confused about the correct rules for figuring out damage with area attacks, especially with regards to Push.

Special Attack says this:

Hand to hand and thrown weapon attacks use Brawn as a base Damage Multiplier. Ranged and area attacks add Mind to damage multiplier.

Push says this:

Essentially, it functions exactly like the Special Attack power with a few exceptions.

None of the exceptions in the power apply to which stat is used for the DM, although there is an exception that changes the attack stat from Agility to Brawn for a hand-to-hand contest.

So by the book, the DM for any area-of-effect Special Attack or Push would be based on Mind + ranks allocated to DM. However, in the archetypes, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Blaster: his Haymaker is a no-range variation that still seems to use his Mind for damage. Should the damage be Brawn+5 = x6 instead of Mind+5 = x9?

Brick: his Shockwave has Push 2 with the 2 points going to buy Close range and Small Burst. He still has x10 knockback, presumably because it is using his Brawn 5 for the DM, despite the fact it is both ranged and area.

Behemoth: his Shockwave is Push 3 with all 3 points going to buy Large Burst. He still has x10 knockback, presumably because it is using his Brawn 5 for the DM, despite the fact it is an area (but not ranged).

Personally, I think the concept that the archetypes present is actually more consistent than the real rule. If the Hulk smashes the ground to make a shockwave, the DM should be based on his Brawn 5, not his Mind 0. If the Blaster channels all his power up-close-and-personal, it shouldn't get weaker just because he made it no-range instead of close range.

Would a change to the text in Special Attack make sense as a clarification (maybe included in the errata)? For example:

By default, hand to hand and thrown weapon attacks use Brawn as a base Damage Multiplier, while ranged and area attacks add Mind to damage multiplier. The narrator is encouraged to change the default stat when appropriate, allowing a super strong character to use his Brawn for DM when causing an area effect with his strength, or an energy manipulator to use his Mind for DM with an energy attack at no range.

Or would it be better to stick to the rule as written and consider the archetypes as needing the errata?

1. The blaster is still doing an energy attack. I think that if the attack is energy-based, it is also mind based.

2. The attack that the Brick is doing is slamming his foot/fist on the ground and making ripples. So for him it makes sense that it is Brawn based, since the source of the attack is him pounding something with his body.

I think the text of special attack did say something like this- but perhaps that got shortened out in editing. The original edition may have this clarification in it.

I suppose I can add something to the errata that if the source of the attack is physical slamming with the body, then it is Brawn Based, and if it is some form of energy, that it is mind.

Thanks, Bashman!