Ok, so let's say my V Karma mind controls my opponent's lockjaw and E multiple man, who are adjacent. Since they are both friendly to my force, I have lockjaw carry multiple man next to my V colossus. Multiple man was carried so he can't, for example, attack lockjaw. But, he's still friendly to my force until I take an action with him. So, can I use his perplex to lower his own defense?

Then colossus pounds him.

That's fine. In fact, Multiple Man could attack, if you wanted. Here's why:

MIND CONTROL (OPTIONAL): Give this character a power action; it makes a close combat or ranged combat attack as a free action. A successful attack deals no damage; instead, the target becomes friendly to your force and opposing to your opponent’s force, and any of the target’s canceled powers return until it returns to its owner’s force. Each target hit can be assigned one action as a free action. Immediately upon resolving this action, the target becomes an opposing character to you and friendly to its owner’s force. This character takes 1 damage for each 100 points of the successfully hit targets’ combined point value. If this character has a range value of 0, its range value is 4 for purposes of this power and cannot be further modified.

and from the Danger Room rule book (page 21):


When a carrying character ends its movement for the action, the carried character must be placed in a square adjacent to the carrying character that the carried character can occupy and at the same elevation. A carried character does not receive an action token for being carried unless specified by a feat, power, or team ability, and it may not be given an action (other than a free action) until the beginning of the next turn.

Since the action granted to the controlled character by MC is a free action and since carried characters can perform free actions after being carried, Multiple Man can actually do whatever he wants after being carried by Lockjaw: use his Perplex (free action), attack Lockjaw (free action), try to breakaway from Lockjaw (free action), etc.

Wow, ok that makes sense. Very cool.
Thanks a lot!

Hair10 ruled that MC figures were still subject to NAAT and therfore the "Free" action granted by Mind Control could not be an otherwise tokenable action if the figure was carried prior to being given its "Free" action. Here's the link!

FWIW, I thought it should work too but alas the RA has the final say.

BoT

Hmm... missed that one. While I totally support this ruling (it was a little silly that it was so relatively easy to get around NAAT), that really isn't how the rule book and PAC read. It would be great if this was included in the clarifications or FAQ to prevent further misunderstandings.

Thanks for digging that up, BoT.

I don't know if I'd qualify multi-MC-taxi-and-passenger-to-get-around-NAAT as relatively easy......:cross-eye I do however agree with your assessment that the rulebook and PAC don't clearly rule out the effect working as you originally described (even though it would obviously be against the intent of NAAT). I doubt however that it will make the FAQ or E&C since it hasn't yet and the thread goes back to the begining of the year.

No problem BTW, you've found more than one obscure ruling for me in my time.

BoT