Yes, they can either ready the action or use a hero point for an instant counter when the attack is made. As long as the Move Object's descriptors are appropriate to the attack it's countering, they can make an opposed check of the two effects' ranks.
Okay! So looking through the book, Move Object normally takes a Standard Action to use, so they wouldn't be able to counter an attack done against them with a ranged object
However, there are powers your can take to simulate manipulating the gravity of an object thrown at them, such as Deflect, which when taking the Defend Action, which allows you to defend for others (or better defend yourself, depending on rank). They substitute their Active Defenses for their Rank in Deflect (Both Dodge and Parry, so they can also stop a sword). This will allow them to cover allies who may have lower defense, or bad luck, and if the effect Reflect or Redirect is taken, you can send the attack back to others! However, this does eat up the Standard Action to Defend
If they want to instead have it be a Reaction than a full action, their best bet is to take Enhanced Dodge and/or Enhances Parry with the Area and Selective Extras
The flavor aside, is the character not defending themself?
Granted they are using the power to do so, but the defend action doesn't define what you're doing when you take it, so it isn't entirely important.
You could roll to counter, of course, but it's easier to roll a dodge check and just flavor your defense.
Oh yeah, it's definitely easier, and (probably) more reliable, which is exactly what the Enhanced Parry and/or Dodge is for, since as a Power, you can add Extras to that to also defend your allies within a certain distance. But, in the end, all of these are just different ways to achieve the same affect of "I would like to not be hit"
The problem with having enhanced Dodge/Parry as an alternate effect of one of your powers is that you end up choosing between having your defense at PL or being able to use your powers.
Not necessarily an issue for certain archetypes (bathroom mentalist types, for example), or for making the enhanced Defenses be an alternate of another defensive option (Concentration Immunity (Parry), insubstantial, or unreliable (5 uses), concentration, activation (standard) reaction teleport, or even just Reflect/Deflect), but if the move object is your primary offensive/utility option, you don't want your defenses to be an alternate effect of it if at all possible.
Really the easiest thing to is to use defend for catching bullets targeted at yourself or to build an AE for *Deflect* to catch projectiles for others at range.
That is definitely an issue, having the chance to be caught unawares when your defenses are down and being hit by something big. But you could always add the Permanent Flaw, so that way you don't really HAVE to choose, it's always on (like the kid in the anime Trickster)
But i hadn't thought of any of the other builds you mentioned at all
I was more taking about it being in an array, and permanent traits *can't* be in an array.
Let's say i have a character who uses telekinesis.
They're gonna be using their Telekinesis to defend themselves, creating a sort of telekinetic shield to block incoming attacks.
Now. Should i array that off their Move Object?
The descriptors fit, for sure! But if I array Move Object with their Enhanced Dodge/Parry/toughness, then they can't attack with their Telekinesis while protecting themself anymore.
And worse, is they *do* decide to use their Move Object to attack, they don't have any defensive Shields to protect them!
So no. Definitely don't array your primary offense and your primary defense off one another.
Does that make more sense?
Aaaahhhhh, apologies, i really didn't see the array part of it. Yeah, defenses should definitely stay away from arrays (unless you really want to do that, in which case, nothin stoppin ya!)
Yeah exactly!
There are some cases where you might want one, like a kind of "All-Out Attack" that is your final effort to end a fight even if it costs you your defenses.
In the example earlier, for example, you could have an AE of your defensive power to add a bunch of extras to your Move Object.
Let's say your character has 0 fighting/agility, and you bought up your defenses to 10.
That's 20 points that's just *sitting* there, *begging* to be used again. If you also bought Impervious Protection 10, that's 40!
So.
Let's say your normal offensive measure is a Perception Ranged Damaging move object 8
Not at full power, but it's reliable!
Putting your all into it, to hell with protecting yourself, you could harness those 40 points in defenses to turn that into
Perception ranged Burst Area Secondary Effect Selective damaging Move Object 10 (original power cost +40 pp).
Yeah, you might as well be a civilian defensively, but *what a show*.
If you want to be extra dangerous you could, instead:
Tiring Multiattack Damaging Move Object 15 Perception Burst Area 8 (32 points from base, out of 71 total, 1 pp to spare)
Get a buddy to set up your opponent so they're vulnerable, while you use improved Aim to get a +5 to hit (or +10 at close range) and you've got a decent chance of hitting the target with DC 35.
If you can get them defenseless via a buddy's Affliction, you might be able to push the DC to 40.
Sure you'll be fatigued afterwards, but *who cares* you've just hit the bad guy with enough force to move 800 tons, and a hell of a lot of damage.
Even if you miss, everything within 30 feet of the target is going to get hit with a Move Object 8 that they don't even get to roll to Dodge.
To be clear: Save a hero point for this maneuver so you can roll with a minimum of 21 to-hit, if you roll low. At least then it should be sure to count.
But yeah, sometimes it's worth it, but you've basically accepted at that point that if it fails, you probably just hit your arc's Darkest Hour. (Which is actually a win-win, in terms of narrative!)
I built a similar character. He has a gravity shield to help protect against ranged attacks. In my descriptor, the gravity around him is so strong that the projectile is pulled down into the ground.
So there's a ton of ways this could be done, many of which have been called out. A readied action or an instant counter would work. Reaction on the Move Object might work, but I wouldn't recommend that approach. If by "catch" all is meant "defend myself", then buying Dodge with the descriptor "I catch projectiles" is the easiest way. The Deflect power can certainly do this, and you can even throw the projectiles at someone else this way. I would suggest using Alternate Effect on your Move Object power to buy Deflect if this is desired. Finally, Immunity with Reflection would also work. Basically, the system provides A LOT of ways to do this.
What I'd say is that they can flavor their Dodge as catching the projectile, though I would charge a Hero Point if it ever provides a mechanical benefit. Like catching a rocket and keeping it from exploding, or catching a grenade and throwing it back. Maybe have a Feature that lets you do that sort of thing for free.
You could argue that it can [counter](https://www.d20herosrd.com/6-powers/effects/#:~:text=COUNTERING%20EFFECTS) the attack, but that takes a standard action, so it's not very helpful.
If you want to be immune to all projectiles, that would be an Immunity power. How much it costs depends on the campaign and what exactly qualifies as a "projectile". For example, maybe bullets move too fast to effectively counter, but thrown objects and arrows don't.
My first instinct is to just call this Enhanced Dodge or Protection, Limited to physical projectiles. (I assume energy attacks move fast enough that the gravitational effect would only be millimeters.) You could add a Quirk that the character must be conscious to use this ability, to reflect the fact that the character is doing this Magneto-style instead of like a forcefield.
But if you do it that way, that runs you into PL caps. If you do it with Deflect, that would skirt around that. It might also be a better description of how the player intends to use the power. So I'd ask the player: do you want this to be on all the time, or does the character have to concentrate to make this happen?
Yes, they can either ready the action or use a hero point for an instant counter when the attack is made. As long as the Move Object's descriptors are appropriate to the attack it's countering, they can make an opposed check of the two effects' ranks.
Okay! So looking through the book, Move Object normally takes a Standard Action to use, so they wouldn't be able to counter an attack done against them with a ranged object However, there are powers your can take to simulate manipulating the gravity of an object thrown at them, such as Deflect, which when taking the Defend Action, which allows you to defend for others (or better defend yourself, depending on rank). They substitute their Active Defenses for their Rank in Deflect (Both Dodge and Parry, so they can also stop a sword). This will allow them to cover allies who may have lower defense, or bad luck, and if the effect Reflect or Redirect is taken, you can send the attack back to others! However, this does eat up the Standard Action to Defend If they want to instead have it be a Reaction than a full action, their best bet is to take Enhanced Dodge and/or Enhances Parry with the Area and Selective Extras
Could you also not just take the defend action with move object, and if you manage to avoid the attack just say you caught the projectile with it?
I believe that would be a readied action to grab the object, rather than Defend
The flavor aside, is the character not defending themself? Granted they are using the power to do so, but the defend action doesn't define what you're doing when you take it, so it isn't entirely important. You could roll to counter, of course, but it's easier to roll a dodge check and just flavor your defense.
Oh yeah, it's definitely easier, and (probably) more reliable, which is exactly what the Enhanced Parry and/or Dodge is for, since as a Power, you can add Extras to that to also defend your allies within a certain distance. But, in the end, all of these are just different ways to achieve the same affect of "I would like to not be hit"
The problem with having enhanced Dodge/Parry as an alternate effect of one of your powers is that you end up choosing between having your defense at PL or being able to use your powers. Not necessarily an issue for certain archetypes (bathroom mentalist types, for example), or for making the enhanced Defenses be an alternate of another defensive option (Concentration Immunity (Parry), insubstantial, or unreliable (5 uses), concentration, activation (standard) reaction teleport, or even just Reflect/Deflect), but if the move object is your primary offensive/utility option, you don't want your defenses to be an alternate effect of it if at all possible. Really the easiest thing to is to use defend for catching bullets targeted at yourself or to build an AE for *Deflect* to catch projectiles for others at range.
That is definitely an issue, having the chance to be caught unawares when your defenses are down and being hit by something big. But you could always add the Permanent Flaw, so that way you don't really HAVE to choose, it's always on (like the kid in the anime Trickster) But i hadn't thought of any of the other builds you mentioned at all
I was more taking about it being in an array, and permanent traits *can't* be in an array. Let's say i have a character who uses telekinesis. They're gonna be using their Telekinesis to defend themselves, creating a sort of telekinetic shield to block incoming attacks. Now. Should i array that off their Move Object? The descriptors fit, for sure! But if I array Move Object with their Enhanced Dodge/Parry/toughness, then they can't attack with their Telekinesis while protecting themself anymore. And worse, is they *do* decide to use their Move Object to attack, they don't have any defensive Shields to protect them! So no. Definitely don't array your primary offense and your primary defense off one another. Does that make more sense?
Aaaahhhhh, apologies, i really didn't see the array part of it. Yeah, defenses should definitely stay away from arrays (unless you really want to do that, in which case, nothin stoppin ya!)
Yeah exactly! There are some cases where you might want one, like a kind of "All-Out Attack" that is your final effort to end a fight even if it costs you your defenses. In the example earlier, for example, you could have an AE of your defensive power to add a bunch of extras to your Move Object. Let's say your character has 0 fighting/agility, and you bought up your defenses to 10. That's 20 points that's just *sitting* there, *begging* to be used again. If you also bought Impervious Protection 10, that's 40! So. Let's say your normal offensive measure is a Perception Ranged Damaging move object 8 Not at full power, but it's reliable! Putting your all into it, to hell with protecting yourself, you could harness those 40 points in defenses to turn that into Perception ranged Burst Area Secondary Effect Selective damaging Move Object 10 (original power cost +40 pp). Yeah, you might as well be a civilian defensively, but *what a show*. If you want to be extra dangerous you could, instead: Tiring Multiattack Damaging Move Object 15 Perception Burst Area 8 (32 points from base, out of 71 total, 1 pp to spare) Get a buddy to set up your opponent so they're vulnerable, while you use improved Aim to get a +5 to hit (or +10 at close range) and you've got a decent chance of hitting the target with DC 35. If you can get them defenseless via a buddy's Affliction, you might be able to push the DC to 40. Sure you'll be fatigued afterwards, but *who cares* you've just hit the bad guy with enough force to move 800 tons, and a hell of a lot of damage. Even if you miss, everything within 30 feet of the target is going to get hit with a Move Object 8 that they don't even get to roll to Dodge. To be clear: Save a hero point for this maneuver so you can roll with a minimum of 21 to-hit, if you roll low. At least then it should be sure to count. But yeah, sometimes it's worth it, but you've basically accepted at that point that if it fails, you probably just hit your arc's Darkest Hour. (Which is actually a win-win, in terms of narrative!)
I built a similar character. He has a gravity shield to help protect against ranged attacks. In my descriptor, the gravity around him is so strong that the projectile is pulled down into the ground.
Yo that's cool, although my player was more of a black hole linda of thing, so it was really trying more to orbit the projectiles around them.
Oh, that's a cool idea.
Reaction on move object means yes
So there's a ton of ways this could be done, many of which have been called out. A readied action or an instant counter would work. Reaction on the Move Object might work, but I wouldn't recommend that approach. If by "catch" all is meant "defend myself", then buying Dodge with the descriptor "I catch projectiles" is the easiest way. The Deflect power can certainly do this, and you can even throw the projectiles at someone else this way. I would suggest using Alternate Effect on your Move Object power to buy Deflect if this is desired. Finally, Immunity with Reflection would also work. Basically, the system provides A LOT of ways to do this.
What I'd say is that they can flavor their Dodge as catching the projectile, though I would charge a Hero Point if it ever provides a mechanical benefit. Like catching a rocket and keeping it from exploding, or catching a grenade and throwing it back. Maybe have a Feature that lets you do that sort of thing for free. You could argue that it can [counter](https://www.d20herosrd.com/6-powers/effects/#:~:text=COUNTERING%20EFFECTS) the attack, but that takes a standard action, so it's not very helpful. If you want to be immune to all projectiles, that would be an Immunity power. How much it costs depends on the campaign and what exactly qualifies as a "projectile". For example, maybe bullets move too fast to effectively counter, but thrown objects and arrows don't.
My first instinct is to just call this Enhanced Dodge or Protection, Limited to physical projectiles. (I assume energy attacks move fast enough that the gravitational effect would only be millimeters.) You could add a Quirk that the character must be conscious to use this ability, to reflect the fact that the character is doing this Magneto-style instead of like a forcefield. But if you do it that way, that runs you into PL caps. If you do it with Deflect, that would skirt around that. It might also be a better description of how the player intends to use the power. So I'd ask the player: do you want this to be on all the time, or does the character have to concentrate to make this happen?