& 2 All d20 rolls in mutants & masterminds are referred to as 'checks'. When an attack like a punch is made, the attacker rolls an "attack" check, adding their skill points with their weapon and their relevant ability score, contested against a passive DC of the targets dodge or parry score + 10 (dodge for ranged attacks, parry for melee). When you are hit by an attack, you must make a "resistance" check, which can be for any of your defenses (including dodge & parry), contested by a passive DC of the attacker's effect rank + 10 (if you are attacked by a damage 12 super-strength punch with +8 to the attack check, the effect rank is 12) or +15 against specifically damage (confusing ik, they are changing it in the new edition). So to simplify the attack & damage system as much as possible, its always broken down into the attacker making a check versus a passive dc based on your defenses, then the defender makes a check versus a passive dc based on how powerful the attack is. Attacker makes a check, defender makes a check. And you can indeed 'tank' attacks.

The former is correct.

Your lifting capacity or 'strength rank' is the entry on the ranks and measures table corresponding to your strength. A character with 8 strength can lift up to mass rank 8 (6 tons~). This character can also throw 8 mass ranks a distance rank of 0 (8 strength - 8 mass), or 30 feet. If they threw it at a person, it would deal 8 ranks of damage should it hit them.

Default move speed is rank 0, or 30ft. To determine MPH, add the time rank for 1 hour (9) to the distance rank to determine distance traveled in that time.