Epic Power Pools and Going rogue

One of the issues that the devs have no doubt considered with Going Rogue is how to handle Epic Power Pools for characters that switch sides (or start in Pretoria and go to the non-standard side for their AT). Players with Villainous Heroes are going to want to select an Arachnos Patron for them and it doesn’t make a lot of sense for Heroic Villains to have access to Patron Power Pools (especially ones who came up through Pretoria and therefore haven’t done a Patron arc. I’m sure the devs have their own ideas for solving this but here is the solution I would use if I were them (and had infinite resources). This is more of a "what I'd like to see" than a strict suggestion since I really doubt we'll see anything like this.

In my system there are three types of Epic Power Pools. A character can still only select one but which ones you have access to are limited by your alignment. The types are:

1. Ancillary Power Pools (APPs): These pools function in exactly the same way as the current hero ones. You can start taking them at level 41 and are available to all ATs (both hero and villain) regardless of alignment.
2. Patron Power Pool (PPPs): These function the same way as the current Villain Patron Power Pools. You have to do an arc to select a Patron before you can access them. After doing the arc they are available at 41 to all ATs BUT you must be of villainous alignment to use them.
3. Phalanx Training Pools (PTPs): The heroic equivalent of the PPPs. In order to unlock these you have to do a story arc focusing on you assisting the Freedom Phalanx with something in order to unlock them. After that they unlock at 41 regardless of AT, BUT you must be of heroic alignment to use them. Like the PPPs these would be somewhat based on the powers of one of the Freedom Phalanx members. So Citadel would give gadget style pools (ala Munitions Mastery or Weapons Mastery), BaB would give pools focusing on improving your body or punching things (ala Body Mastery), Numina would give pools focusing on magical powers of illusion and gravity manipulation (ala Psionic Mastery or Psychic Mastery) and Synapse would give powers focusing on Speed and Electricity.

1. What happens when someone with a PPP or PTP switches sides? Are they forced to respec immediately? Are the powers unusable until they voluntarily respec? Do they get to keep them powers and if so what happens when they respec later?
2. Do Vigilantes and Rogues still get access to PTPs and PPPs?

1) I'm betting that the Devs are going to do something along the lines you suggest, with Ancillary pools open to all ATs, and then Patron/Phalanx pools open to their side.

2) Just one little note: respec, not respect. Respec is short for respecification, so there's no need for the 't' on the end.

LOL, I thought it was a little odd that you had done that.

While we're at it... How about giving Imperious and some Vanguard guys their own Epic Pools and make that accessible to both sides? I can only imagine the Dark Watcher Patron Pool as being inherently cool.

For character theme, it's not neccesarily a huge deal. I've got a few characters with Soul Mastery and one with Leviathan Mastery, and for all of them I just play it off as their own abilities. Making them Patron Pools makes them more entertaining in-game and gives them cooler feels, and for RP purposes you can just write off that arc.

As for the flexibiliy, I agree. Villains are REALLY missing a Fire PPP and there's no sign of getting one because all the patrons are accounted for and none of them use fire. That being said, it wouldn't be too outlandish to add another. Perhaps allow you to use the CoT to get a Baphomet Patron Power Pool that gave you fire powers.

This is an alternate reality none of the "old" rules apply i dont see this as an issue at all even with any story lines that deal with Pretoria..

Alternate realities means anything can change and be different from the one your used to.

If my Brute can be good why cant his Mu companion ...

If my Tanks Bad well not muching changing there except my attitude lol

A story line explaining anything can happen in this reality is all that they need.