Basic Action Super Heroes!

Alright, so this is a pretty simple question, and probably going to illicit a hand to forehead reaction from me. I've been reading over the equipment section trying to reason if Equipment itself costs anything. It says that Equipment does not count as a power so I can see how it wouldn't cost a power point to just purchase regular equipment. However by the same token it doesn't seem quite fair that I could basically have everything for free.

So simply enough, does it cost a point to buy a piece of equipment by itself?

My understanding is that mundane equipment is always free, and does not cost any CP.

However, I've read that some folk, and I'd throw my lot in with them, are of the opinion that the GM should take a look at the equipment that the PC's want, and make a decision as to whether to allow it. The main thing I'd be looking for, would be contraband type items (explosives, machine guns, biological weapons, etc), things that make no sense for the character (average joe guy with a helicopter), and characters that want to carry an unrealistic amount of stuff on them as they adventure (so.... 100 lbs worth of gear). Exceptions might be made for some things though - a Punisher type character should have explosives, and a Batman type character should have a helicopter, and a top research biologist/department head of the counter terrorism task-force with the CDC should have access to infectious diseases (at work). Use common sense, and let people have what they want as long as it isn't game breaking, verisimilitude breaking, or genre breaking.

On the other hand, if it's an item with super powers, or one that grants super powers, that's a gadget, and gadgets have to be bought, just like any other power. EDIT: Exceptions should be made for common items of course. Don't charge/pay for binoculars, cameras, cell phones, knives, etc.

If the equipment is something that duplicates a power such as an armored vest for example, it must be paid for to gain the benefits.
Otherwise if it makes sense for the character to have something, in general they can have it. Your character can have a cell phone or a car, even guns and it's not a big deal, as long as it makes sense.

Helicopters might qualify as a super vehicle though.

Thanks I knew about Gadgets costing, I just wasn't sure about the weapons in the equipment section.

So that's good, makes some sense. Still kinda odd that you can just take like every weapon on there. But yea, GM can always say no which is always good.

The Punisher has them. He of course does need to pay for his weapon technique. Bear in mind though that even The Punisher cannot walk around with all of his guns.

Boost wrote:Helicopters might qualify as a super vehicle though.

Actually no. A normal helicopter is REALLY expensive though. So you would need Resources Advantage to have one (but with Super Vehicle you can get one that is better than a regular copter).

When it comes to mundane equipment there are 2 rules.

1. If it is a power, it is a power. So if you want a kevlar vest that is just for decoration, you have it. If you want one that counts as 2 pts of Armor, you have to buy Armor 2. Ordinary weapons, cell phones, etc are specifically not powers. This was done because of a bad taste in my mouth from another game system where my character who was a "skilled normal" type w/ no powers had a camera and a commercially available sports car. Those two items were so expensive that I had no other powers at all of any kind. Everyone else in the party could fly, shoot lasers out of their eyes, etc, but they had to take the subway in their secret ID. Fail.

2. Use common sense. Does it make sense to have this? Here is a handy checklist to see if you should have certain things:

Do you have the destitute disad?
Then you cannot afford much of anything. Even a cell phone would be a stretch.

Do you have the Resources advantage?
Then you can afford a lot of things that "regular" people cannot have like helicopters. That doesn't allow you to walk down the street with a machinegun and handgrenades, however.

No to either?
Then you are "middle class" and can afford the things that would be reasonable for that standard of living. I for instance, in real life have a computer, a car, a television set, a cell phone, etc. It would be reasonable for a character who isn't destitute to have these things. But not race-cars and private jets. For that you need resources.

Do you have the Police Powers Advantage?
Then you *could* walk down the street with a machinegun and hand grenades (assuming you work for some agency that authorizes you to have them). Otherwise, if you have "restricted" weapons like this, you are technically breaking the law, and likely have the "on the run" disad if you'be been shooting up bad guys without a license.

Kanji wrote:Thanks I knew about Gadgets costing, I just wasn't sure about the weapons in the equipment section.

So that's good, makes some sense. Still kinda odd that you can just take like every weapon on there. But yea, GM can always say no which is always good.

You cannot have "every" weapon. Many of them are "restricted" like rocket launchers, hand grenades, etc.