It's a great set for duo/small group consistent play. Pugs, no idea, don't think I'd bother.
But Fortitude is a corker of a buff available very early on that makes a lot of the levelling play experience easier, granting tohit, and defense and damage.
I don't know if that's enough for a powerset to exist, but to me, I don't at all feel bad about rolling an empath to hang with a friend. Most of what I do on my empaths is fortitude the people who need it, auras when they're up, adrenaline boost an optimal target, and then I am all pew pew pew.
It is a bit rough that most of its powers, I'd skip, but I mean that's true for me of Forcefield and Sonic too.