During Step 2 of character creation (ref. pg. 46 of the Core Rulebook), one selects their powers and assigns them to abilities. For three of the Power Sources (Supernatural, Alien, and The Multiverse), you can gain an additional power before the Archetype step. My question is whether this additional power is available for use with the Power Source abilities at this point, or do you have to wait until the Retcon step to assign that power to a Power Source ability?
If one is being a strict rule freak, I would think that you have to move down the list of each Power Source. As in choose your powers, assign your dice, select your abilities with their specified powers, add (or adjust) an additional power (or quality), and finally roll your dice for Archetype selection. The Alien Power Source only potentially grants an additional power (if you don’t already have a d6 power), it is also the only one that would seem to specifically require the creation method described above. I base this conclusion on the direction (ref. pg. 67): “Then, upgrade one d6 power or quality to d8. If you have no d6 powers, instead add a new power from the above list at d6.” The other two Power Sources do not have that statement, but is it implicit in the layout of the Power Source creation step? It may be one of those things left to the GM’s discretion, but does anyone have an idea how restrictive the developers intended to be with the creation rules?
You’re right in that you have to go in order down the power source. The bonus powers from those power sources won’t be available for the abilities gained from the power source, as the bonus power is gained after the abilities.
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That’s my read on it as well. If course, the GM can always choose to relax that restriction, and you could opt to use your retcon to swap which power (or quality) an ability is keyed to if it seemed worthwhile.