SamtheDagger wrote:1) Exactly how much damage is dealt?
Greetings and Salutations. I'd say that it does double damage,
then add in PS/HtH damage bonus. Maybe that's the mathematician in me, but there are several indicators to suggest this is the case. Despite Bill's earlier quote, his quote addresses "Critical Strikes." Jump Kicks do double damage. Jump Kicks are Critical Strikes. Critical Strikes do double damage. Power Punches do double damage. But this does NOT mean that a Power Punch is a Critical Strike any more than it means a Power Punch is a Jump Kick. His quote came from page 65 of HU2. Let's look at HU2 some more then, shall we?
Page 67: "Power Punch - does double dice damage +P.S. bonus damage (if any), but counts as two melee attacks."
--Notice how it says "double dice damage" then the "+P.S. bonus" after. Now, this could mean double both, potentially. But if you'd like, I can get into the placement of the plus and the space by forming a pattern in HU2 powers as being a separator.
Page 69: "The advantage of a jump kick is that it works as a critical strike ..."
--There is no such reference in the Power Punch section. Though now we'll get some contradiction.
Page 68: "Jump Kick - 3D6x2."
Page 69: "
Jump Kick: 6D6 damage plus P.S. or hand to hand damage bonuses!
--Note how Bill's quote earlier said to add it before, then on page 69 Palladium just went out of the way to double the dice damage BEFORE the P.S. damage bonus.
OKay, now let's look back at R:UE ...
Page 345: "
Power Punch: Does double damage, plus any other damage bonuses, but counts as two melee attacks."
--To me, that coma is important, because it shows a separate thought/section. That's not just math, but grammar too. But now we'll get a bit more confusing.
Page 345: "
Punch: A normal human punch does 1D4 damage. A Karate style punch or chop does 2D4. A Power Punch does double damage. In all cases, include any P.S. attribute bonus (for P.S. 16 and higher) as well as any damage bonuses from a Hand to Hand Combat skill, or special powers."
--Now, the first two sentences we once again see them doubling the "dice" damage. The third sentences mentions how a Power Punch does double damage (reminding us). So far makes sense. Then it mentions "in all cases" to add in the other bonuses. While reading things in order and math makes me say that you need to double damage before adding in the other bonuses, something about the wording ("In all cases" as well as the "double damage") makes me think maybe (just maybe) you're supposed to add it first.
SamtheDagger wrote:2) When does the punch occur?
This is never spelled out. Though I've always ruled it lands on the second attack (along with most other two action moves). In my games, a Power Punch CAN be interrupted. A simple punch normally won't do it though. The reason for this is while a spell can be disrupted by being hit, that's a matter of thought. With a power punch, the first action is putting the force and momentum into it. That physical force (even if the mind gets thrown off by a hit) will still come barreling forward. Attacks such as a trip or a flip takes the character off his feet though and disrupts that momentum. That's at least how
I run things. Your mileage may vary.
Now, these rulings (1 and 2) do limit the usefulness of Power Punch, but doesn't quite make it pointless either. When dealing with Supernatural Strength a Power Punch doesn't always deal double damage. Sometimes it deals
more than that (look at the various SNPS tables some time). In Rifts, with Robotic (or is it Augmented?) Strength it can be the ONLY way to inflict M.D. There's also the times of launching a surprise attack, or if you have a character making a straffing run (like a speedster with a turning radius) and you only get one swipe as they make their run, or if someone's broken into a full charge to close the distance giving you that time to prep, etc. While it's not something you'd use every combat, it does still have its purposes.
Note: In HU2, wrestlers get holds at level 1, MA at level 3, Expert at level 4, and Basic at level 5. While this shows how different the systems can be, I'm stating it here to show that in some settings (such as HU2, and even N&S) that holds can play a bigger role in the game.
Anyways, that's my take on things. Hope some of that helps. Thank you for your time and patience, please have a nice day. Farewell and safe journeys for now.