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I'm not even sure if these forums allow for stickies (I think they do...) in any case, I think it would be very helpful for a stickied post with at least unofficial rule clarifications.

The main questions I'm seeing deal with how Alpha Mutations work and how Engineered Humans work.

If we have a stickied topic, maybe it'll help new people find answers faster than having to scroll through all the messages in the thread (search is useless on these forums).

ORIGINS:
Q: Do Engineered Humans add their overcharge bonus to the overall overcharge bonus?
A: Yes, if Engineered Human is the characters primary origin. According to the rules and default option for determining your origins, the Engineered Human origin will always be a secondary origin. The rules state that only the primary origin provides an overcharge bonus. Since E.H. is a secondary origin (by default) its origin overcharge bonuses are not applied.

Q: Since the Engineered Human origin's overcharge bonus is not typed does that mean it adds it's overcharge bonus to the character?

A: No. Whether the power is typed or not, it does not overrule or supercede the ruling about overcharge bonuses coming strictly from the primary origin.

Q: Do overcharge bonuses stack?

A: No. As stated on Page 34 of the rules, only the primary overcharge bonus is used.

Q: Since page 34 states that all of an origin's traits add together, do the overcharge bonuses add together?

A: No. The general rule is that all origin traits add together. The specific rule is that only the primary origin's overcharge bonus applies. The main rule is that specific overrides general. Therefore overcharge bonuses do not stack and the primary overcharge bonus is the only one considered in the final character build.

Q: How can I get the +2 to all overcharge rolls if I'm an Enhanced Human?

A: Your DM can house rule that you gain both overcharge bonuses, whether or not they stack, or any other ruling the DM wishes to impose. If your DM allows you to choose your origins, you can gain the +2 bonus to all overcharge rolls by selecting Enhanced Human as your primary origin (unless the DM has provided house rules that state otherwise). The rules allow players to choose their origins if the DM allows it, this rule is in a sidebar in the origins section of creating a character (though the rule suggests you be labeled a chicken, a giant, rubber-nosed-honking-purple chicken...OK, maybe just a chicken).

Q: Does my Doppleganger duplicate everything? Does that mean he has his own ammo?

A: Probably not. Your doppleganger is the result of your origin's power, it is not a separate being but more an extension of your character. This would indicate that ammo is shared between you and your doppleganger. You either have ammo or you don't and if you fire your gun once and your doppleganer fires its gun once, then you are out of ammo at the end of the encounter. This is a tricky subject and your DM may rule differently.

Q: Can I use my doppleganger to allow me to see around corners or improve my attack rolls?

A: No. Your doppleganger does not share sensory information with you. Due to the way the game works, however, anything your doppleganger sees is known to you (the player) and is presumably passed on to your character. It does not mean that you can use your doppleganger to overcome blindness or other penalty-inducing status conditions. It also does not mean that it allows you to ignore cover if your doppleganger has unobstructed line-of-site to a target while you do not. This does not mean that you won't have an Alpha Mutation that allows this nor does it mean that your DM may rule in favor of this.

ALPHA MUTATIONS:
Q: If I overcharge an Alpha Mutation, do I still recieve the benefits of the non-overcharged version of it if I fail the overcharge roll?

A: Yes, the basic effects/power/benefit of an Alpha Mutation is always in effect unless the overcharge roll dictates otherwise.

Q: If I roll a natural 1 and I've used my only Alpha Mutation, what happens?

A: You must discard your used Alpha Mutation and draw a new Alpha Mutation to replace it. The new Alpha Mutation is readied (face up next to your character sheet or in front of you) and its power takes effect immediately.

Q: Can I overcharge an Alpha Mutation more than once during an encounter?

A: No. You can only overcharge an Alpha Mutation one time during an encounter. You indicate that this has happened by tapping it (turning your Mutation card 90 degrees, leaving it face-up). Tapped Alpha Mutations cannot be overcharged. However, since they are readied, you still benefit from the Alpha Mutation's power.

Q: Does that mean that if I have an Alpha Mutation that gives me Resist 5 Physical and I overcharge it successfully to Resist 10 Physical that I now have Resist 15 Physical? In other words, do overcharges stack with the normal power of an Alpha Mutation?

A: No, unless the overcharge effect specifically states this happens. In most instances, the effect of the Alpha Mutation in it's non-overcharged state is replaced by the successful overcharge power. If the overcharge effect does not say something like "You instead gain Resist 10 Physical" (paraphrasing here) then the normal power remains in effect.

Q: What happens to the normal power if I fail my overcharge roll?

A: Unless the failed overcharge effect states that it replaces or changes the normal power, the normal power's effect remains.

OMEGA TECH:
Q: If I fail my recharge check with an Omega Tech, what happens?

A: This is entirely left to your DM. He may follow the rules as written and have you discard the Omega Tech unless you are able to salvage it; he may allow you to keep the Omega Tech as scrap; he may do neither. The rules state that unless you are of high enough level to salvage Omega Tech you discard the card. This is rarely a problem, however, since you can shuffle your Omega Tech back into your deck after an extended rest. This means that you may eventually find that specific piece of equipment again.

AMMO/FOUND WEAPONS:
Q: During an encounter, I found ammo for my gun. Since I didn't use my gun during the encounter, can I shoot it twice and not lose ammo?

A: No. According to the rules, you either have ammo or you don't. If you give your ammo to another player, you no longer have ammo. If you use a weapon that requires ammo (such as a gun) more than once in an encounter, you are out of ammo. Your DM may rule differently through house rules.

Q: If I use my gun more than once during an encounter and an ally gives me more ammo but I no longer use the weapon after that, will I still have ammo when the encounter ends?

A: Probably not. Checking for depleted ammo happens at the end of the encounter. If you used your gun more than once during that encounter then the rules state you are out of ammo. If your ally gives you ammo after the ammo depletion check (IE after the encounter) then you will have ammo again. Again, your DM has final say.

Q: I picked up a weapon that a monster was using against us. It had crazy powers! Will it work for me in the same way?

A: Probably not. When a monster uses a weapon, the powers listed in the monster's stat block will include a monster's skill and talent with the weapon. In much the same way that you cannot use a dragon's firebreath ability if you take a dragon's head, you cannot use the powers from a monster's weapon. Think about it this way: There are origins with special powers that have weapon as a requirement. If someone takes your one-handed light gun from you, would they be able to use your origin's power with your stolen weapon against you? It's the same way with monster powers. The weapon you've found is a generic weapon (it may have a name or specific look but it's still generic) such as a two-handed heavy gun that provides combat bonuses as described in the Gamma World rule book. Additionally, even if the weapon was not fired by the monster, the monster's ammo is considered depleted.

Oct 27, 2010 -- 4:02PM, Palmerkun wrote:

Q: Can I store some extra ammo in my wagon/truck/canoe/motorized outhouse?
A: Very good question. This one is not covered by the rules, so it's up to your GM. It does seem perfectly reasonable and logical. Just remember that having ammo stored somewhere means needing to go get it, which may not be practical in the middle of an adventure.

A: Probably not. Anything listed in your possessions is available to your character. If you have ammo, you have ammo whether it is on your person or on your wagon. If you fire a gun more than once during an encounter, you don't have ammo anymore.

Oct 28, 2010 -- 6:01PM, Khopesh122 wrote:

Q: All the origins At-Will powers are standard actions, except for the Yeti's, which is listed as a Minor Action.  Is this an intentional feature of yetis, allowing for an at-will minor action melee attack (and thus up to 3 melee attacks every round)?

**Edit**  Nevermind, I now see that it's actually an encounter power.  The green bar threw me off

I'll stll answer since this has come up quite a lot and there are a lot of house rules detailing some of the inconsistency...

A: All Origins' Novice Powers have a green title bar which has indicated an At-Will power to those familiar with the D&D 4e and Essentials rules. However, upon closer inspection, you will find that some of the powers are Encounter powers which normally have a red title bar. This was overlooked in many initial games and DMs found that treating Novice Powers as At-Will powers did not affect the game in a bad way. We do not know if the green title bar was a copy & paste template error or if categorization of the powers as encounter powers was a typo.

As mentioned previously, there are several house rules and power modifications to try and balance these powers out so they fit within the power range of a standard At-Will power. You are free to try any of these house rules.

As for the action type of the Yeti's power; Immediate Reaction, Immediate Interrupt, Minor, Standard, Free, and Move are the action types typically associated with game powers. The color of the title bar (green, red, black, blue, etc) has no bearing on the action type, only whether the power is an At-Will, Encounter, Daily, etc.

Personally, I will use the powers as written unless official errata stipulates different rules. You or your DM (if you're a player) will have to make the call on how to handle this particularly confusing inconsistency.