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(03-05-2015, 11:56 AM)Knahli Wrote: Stay true to his character and clean them all out swiftly and easily? Or downplay his character so that it doesn't eliminate the sense of tension/the scene in general for the others - in which case it just stops being a character's trait and more of a "I am OP when I can get away with it" card?

Do what's best for the story, is what I'd say. If you subscribe to the "everyone at the same tier has the same level of power" superhero comics logic, then if the story says that small group of Amalj'aa are a real threat, then they are. It's up to the player to decide how best to achieve that, whether it's by external circumstance ("they're wearing corrupted crystals -- my spells can't affect them"), internal conflict ("I was abused by Amalj'aa -- I just can't do this"), or pure bad luck ("I tripped and fell, losing my staff"). A key part of playing a powerful character in situations with less powerful characters is that you have to share the spotlight by only asserting the level of power necessary for the story in which you find yourself. That's one of the characteristics that separates a well-played powerful character from the "super-power wish fulfillment solves every problem" nightmare that everyone's seen far too many times.

With that said, it can often be difficult to combine the stories of powerful characters with those that aren't powerful. The Avengers just aren't operating on the same level as the Runaways, for instance, and putting them into the same story requires the narrative chicanery outlined above to ensure that the Avengers just don't resolve the issue themselves. This is another reason why cross-FC or world-spanning plots tend to have issues -- with legitimately varying takes on the average power level of characters in the setting, it's almost impossible to write a plot that lets everyone participate in the manner they feel is appropriate for their character. You don't have these sorts of issues in "hangout RP" or events like the Grindstone where the dice specify the narrative and part of the RP challenge is making that work.

I may be somewhat cynical in this regard through experience, though.