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Any comments on these?

EMPATH

Toy with Their Emotions                    Empath Novice

With a simple tug of the heartstrings, you throw your enemy's emotions out of balance.
At-Will * Psi
Minor Action                                         Close Burst 5
Target: One creature in burst
Attack: Charisma + your level vs. Will
Hit: The target grants combat advantage until the end of your next turn.
Special: You can choose this power instead of Vitality Transfer as your novice Empath power.

GIANT

Fee, Fie, Foe, Fum                                        Giant Novice

You can easily reach over adjacent allies or foes to strike your target.
At-Will * Bio, Physical, Weapon
Standard Action                          Melee 2
Requirement: You must be wielding a two-handed melee weapon.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength + your level + weapon accuracy vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier + twice your level physical damage.
Special: You can choose this power instead of Brickbat as your novice Giant power.

HAWKOID

Airstrike                                                             Hawkoid Novice
From way up here, it's easy to look down on your foes.
At-Will *   Bio, Physical, Weapon
Standard Action                                Ranged weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a ranged weapon.
Target: One creature
Effect: You fly your speed and at any time during your movement you can make the following attack.
Attack: Wisdom + your level + weapon accuracy vs. AC. You do not receive the normal -2 penalty to attack rolls for attacking while flying if you attack when directly over your target.
Hit: 1[W] + Wisdom modifier + your level physical damage.
Special: You can choose this power instead of Terrifying Shriek as your novice Hawkoid power.

 

HYPERCOGNITIVE

Defensive Feint                                                       Hypercognitive Novice
You make a quick, calculated strike and then prepare yourself for your foe's counterattack.
At-Will   * Psi, Physical, Weapon
Standard Action                                          Melee or Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: 1[W] + Wisdom modifier + weapon accuracy vs. Reflex
Hit: 1[W] + your level physical damage, and you gain a +2 bonus to all defenses until the start of your next turn.
Special: You can choose this power instead of Uncanny Strike as your novice Hypercognitive power.

 

PLANT

Another Vine Mess                                              Plant Novice
Your vines writhe around the battlefield and drag your foe along with them.
At-Will   * Bio, Physical
Standard Action                                       Melee 2
Target: One creature
Attack: Constitution + your level vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d6 + Constitution modifier + your level physical damage, and you slide the target one square.
Special: You can choose this power instead of Lashing Creepers as your novice Plant power.

 

RAT SWARM

Spread Out!                                                                  Rat Swarm Novice
You spread out in a wide swarm, biting and nibbling at your foes, then pull yourself back together in a new location.
At-Will * Bio, Physical
Standard Action                                    Close burst 1
Target: Each enemy in burst
Attack: Dexterity + your level vs. AC
Hit: Dexterity modifier + your level physical damage, and you shift one square.
Special: You can choose this power instead of Swarm! as your novice Rat Swarm power.

 

SPEEDSTER

Whirlwind Spin                                  Speedster Novice
You spin in a tight circle, weapon in your hand, as you slice your slower foes to ribbons.
At-Will   * Psi, Physical, Weapon
Standard Action                                      Melee weapon
Target: Each enemy in burst
Attack: Dexterity + your level + weapon accuracy vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + your level physical damage.
Special: You can choose this power instead of Quick Attack as your novice Speedster power.

 

YETI

Bigger Claws                                                   Yeti Novice
You score a hit and lash out savagely with your sharp claws.
At-Will   * Bio, Physical
Free Action                                           Melee 1
Trigger: You make a successful unarmed attack.
Target: One adjacent creature
Hit: 1d10 + your level physical damage.
Special: You can choose this power instead of  Big Claws as your novice Yeti power.

 

The encounter novice powers were clearly meant to be encounter powers -- most of them are too powerful to be at-wills, even in Gamma World.

I suspect that the "what if you roll up a crappy Hawkoid Empath" situation is meant to mimic previous versions of Gamma World where, indeed, you could roll up a crappy character and you were just stuck with it.

In such a case, I recommend getting killed off as soon as possible, to be honest! Which is more entertaining than whining at the GM because your character sucks.

That said, I think it's fair to allow players to switch out for an at-will if the GM allows, which is why I wrote up these. Some were made specifically to address the situation describe here -- a Hawkoid Empath under these house rules would have the possibility of two at-wills, one which makes the target grant combat advantage as a minor action and another which lets them fly over someone and shoot them with a Wisdom-based ranged attack.

you know you could just make the encounter powers at-wills. they're actually less powerful than some other at-wills, if you look.

I think it's a valid game design. The idea being that there are some mutations which just aren't as useful as others.

What they didn't check for, though, was whether or not they were cheesing out the Wis/Cha mutants.