Equipment question

[viresanimi]

I have finally gotten around to making a M&M game with my friends and I am quite liking the system. But there is one thing I just can't seem to find the answer to. Does equipment also figure in to the trade off system?

To be clear. I understand that if you have a high toughness, your defences can't be good. If your damage potential is high, then your to hit chance is lower than average. But is equipment factored into the trade off between skill and damage? Say, if you have a high melee skill, but low damage power to follow that, can you then boost your damage by using a sword, or are the trade off limits set in stone?

Vires Animi

[adammar]

As always it is up to the GM but generally equipment or gadgets do not ignore the hard PL caps. This could be handled in different ways - Your master martial artist isn't as skilled with his sword (Raising Damage - Lowering To Hit)