Power Level

Power level is an overall measure of effectiveness and power, primarily combat ability, but also generally what sort of tasks a character can be expected to accomplish on a routine basis (see Routine Checks in The Basics).

The minimum power level (for everyone) is 1 and there is no maximum.

Power Level Limitations

Power level is a value set by the Gamemaster for the players. It places certain limits on where and how players can spend Character points when creating or improving their heroes. Advantages and all modifiers (including circumstance) are included when determining power level limitations. Power level imposes the following limits:

• Ability Rank: Your hero's Ability rank (including those from Enhanced Trait) cannot exceed the series power level +10. This is the same as most skills (see below). This only applies to Dexterity, Intellect, and Awareness since they are the only ones that don't affect unarmed Damage or a Defense. This doesn't apply to Strength (since unarmed Damage is covered by "Effect rank of an Attack"), Agility (since Dodge is covered by "Defense Modifier"), Fighting (since Parry is covered by "Defense Modifier"), Stamina (since Fortitude and Toughness are covered by "Defense Modifier"), and Presence (since Will is covered by "Defense Modifier").
• Combat Skill Modifier: Your hero's total modifier (ability rank, skill rank, advantage modifiers, etc) of both Close Combat and Ranged Combat cannot exceed the series power level. This is the same as the attack limit (see below).
• Every other Skill Modifier: Your hero's total modifier (ability rank, skill rank, advantage modifiers, etc) with any skill except Close Combat and Ranged Combat (see above) cannot exceed the series power level +10. This includes untrained skill modifiers using only ability rank, and so sets an effective limit on all abilities since each is associated with at least 1 skill (see above).
• Attack Modifier: Your hero's total attack bonus (from ability rank, skill rank, advantage modifiers, accurate extra ranks, etc) cannot exceed the series power level.
• Effect rank of an Attack: Your hero's effect rank of an attack power cannot exceed the series power level.
• Defense Modifier: Each of your hero's defenses cannot have a total that exceeds the series power level. This includes ability rank, protection rank, defensive roll, etc.

Note that power level limitations are global so that if for any reason a number total would exceed the maximum then it is instead reduced to the maximum permitted. Power level limitations can't be trumped by other rules, however since power level is character specific, two allies may have different capabilities. One reason power level limitations are like this is to prevent an Enhanced Trait that Affects Others from making someone more powerful than the player's normal limits (power level can't be increased by any effect).

Weak Player Characters

The GM may want to keep an eye out for very low toughness or attack. For the most part, these designs are self-limiting, but they can pose problems in comparison to better-balanced characters. A player might not know how useless an effect with low attack is until later. A player be thinking "it'll be rare but when it hits: you better watch out" then after several battles without landing a single attack will regret the idea. That would be a good time to allow point reallocation but you can save time by watching out for it when initially making a character.

Unusually low toughness, on the other hand, is a different gamble. A player may think "I'll be a regular human with great equipment" wanting to be the underdog or Batman or something. But if his friends all have high toughness and they all fight against a villain with high damage... No one wants the character they made to die in a single hit and it might be hard for a GM to manage fights with people with very different combat abilities. Don't put too much faith into Parry/Dodge because: there's always a 4% change you'll fail, Perception range always hits, and the conditions Vulnerable and Defenseless (which can be caused by a surprise round or other circumstances) lower/eliminate active defenses. And don't put too much faith in staying out of range: the villain might have Perception range effects or other tricks. Admittedly some of these things wouldn't happen accidentally but everyone probably wants to be able to participate in the battle and not "we'll handle this while you sit in the corner for the next few minutes" (which is also the problem with low attack, low damage, and an unbalanced team in general).

How little is too little? The problem is about inconsistency and not about specific numbers. If the entire team has Toughness 5 then challenges can be made accordingly even if that's well below the maximum for the power level. A human with skills, advantages, and equipment can help out his superpowered friends but if his friends are too strong they'll be out of his league in combat. He might end up being utility only: "you handle skill checks and we'll do everything else" which can still be fun in certain circumstances as long as everyone has realistic expectations. As an example when Batman and Superman team up against Darkseid (all 3 from DC Comics) Batman can't fight Darkseid so he does something else instead such as hack into Darkseid's base.