Post by takewithfood on Jun 6, 2010 17:45:49 GMT -5
Hey gang,
So, I'm instituting a big round of changes to rules, mostly from feedback from other players. Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed! It's really helped me out!
Abilities
* Recovery gains a new Option:
Actions
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Super strength and razor sharp claws aren't the only ways to be dangerous in toe-to-toe combat. Some of the most deadly combatants can defeat you with the gentlest touch.
Harmful Touch is a catch-all Action that covers just about any dangerous effect that can be inflicted just by touching an opponent. Touching can be accomplished with the Close Combat action (see rules for Touching). Maintaining a grapple can be a great way to keep touching an opponent in subsequent pages. If your touch is unsuccessful, your stones of Harmful Touch are refunded to you at the end of your panel.
By default, Harmful Touch does not have an effect: you must purchase at least one Option below. You may purchase more than one effect, but without the Multiple Effects option, you may only inflict one type of effect at a time (per touch).
You can purchase range for the usual cost of +1 Cost Level per step on the Range row of the D&R chart. If you do so, you must use Ranged Combat instead of Close Combat to make your touch attacks.
options
+1 CL or +3 CL = Drain Energy. The most basic form of harmful touch drains energy from your victim and returns it to you. This may be painful, or perhaps the victim simply starts to feel sleepy. For each stone of effect, your victim loses 2 stones of energy from their Energy Pool; additionally, you are refunded your stones of effect at the end of the page, on top of your normal energy recovery, making this one of the most efficient attacks in the game. You can exceed your normal energy reserve by an amount equal to your AN; these excess stones bleed off at a rate of 1 per panel. If you drain more stones than an opponent has left in their Energy Pool, any excess drain results in damage. As a +3 CL option, you are instead refunded double your stones of effect.
+3 CL = Paralyzing Touch. Your touch hampers your victim's ability to act, effectively paralyzing them. Compare your stones of effect against your opponent's durability: for every 3 stones of "damage", or fraction thereof, your opponent loses one action, starting with any actions they may have coming up. If more than 2 actions are lost from a single attack, the paralysis carries over into subsequent pages.
+2 CL = Lethal Touch. Your touch can be outright deadly. Compare your stones of attack versus your opponent's durability. Any stones in excess are treated as damage.
+1 CL = Corrosive touch. Your touch is corrosive to inanimate objects. Compare your stones of attack to the object's hardness. Small objects will likely dissolve instantly, whereas any excess stones of attack are subtracted from the resistance of a larger object.
+1 CL = Multiple Effects. By paying one extra stone of energy, your touch can inflict two effects at once, using your stones of effect for each one. You can purchase this option multiple times, allowing for even more effects inflicted per touch; pay one extra stone of energy per additional effect.
-1 CL = Requires Skin-to-Skin Contact. Your initial touch attack does not ignore armor, and even heavy clothing may pose a problem.
-2 CL = Must Pierce Skin. Similar to Requires Skin-To-Skin Contact, but your initial touch attack does not ignore armor or Toughness. The touch attack does not necessarily have to deal damage to break the skin - even a simple scratch will do.
Example: Thanks to genetic engineering, Scorpion (Carmilla Black) has a unique physiology that not only makes her immune to ordinarily poisonous chemicals and toxic radiation, but allows her to store them up and unleash them with a deadly touch. She bought Harmful Touch with an AN of 6, and bought the Paralyzing Touch and Lethal Touch options, as well as one Multiple Effects option. When she touches an opponent with Close Combat, she can choose to incapacitate them with sickness, or go for the kill. Against truly dangerous opponents she can pay an extra stone and inflict both paralysis AND damage at once, though this lowers her maximum stones of effect to 5.[/quote]
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This Action allows you to manipulate and control a specific element, such as fire, wind, radiation, or magnetism (choose one from the list of elements on page 43 of the core rule book, or work with your GM to invent a new one). The limits of what you can accomplish with a mastery are defined only by your AN, your creativity, and the leniency of your GM.
To begin with, you may record one "specialty" per point of AN. Each specialty should represent one type of task that your character can comfortably carry out with their mastery, such as creating a stiff gust of wind to push back opponents, lifting heavy objects with magnetism, or turning stone into molten clay with a mastery of earth. Work with your GM to establish a game mechanic for the type of task in which you have specialized; from then on, you can perform that task without penalty.
Some tasks may be more powerful or useful than others, especially if they emulate an existing Action, such as Telekinesis or Entangle. In these cases, you may need to pay additional Cost Levels for these tasks; consider the base cost of a similar Action as a good guideline and come to an agreement with your GM.
You can attempt just about any feat with your mastery, but without a specialization, the GM may impose a situational penalty to represent unfamiliarity with that type of task. Large penalties should be applied when a player attempts something potentially game-breaking, such as using a Mastery of Water to boil someone's blood, or a using Mastery of Fire to create flames inside someone's head. For the sake of balance, the GM should be prepared to say "no".
Common tasks may include:
* Create Element: Create a mass (consult the Weight row on the D&R chart for solid or dense elements) or volume (consult the Area row on the D&R chart for gaseous or energy-based elements) of your element. It remains for only a single Page, but you can extend it's duration by paying additional stones along the Duration row of the D&R chart. If instead you pay additional cost levels (typically +1 CL, or possibly more for rare elements), material you create is permanent.
* Move Element: Push or pull a mass (consult the Weight row on the D&R chart for solid or dense elements) or volume (consult the Area row on the D&R chart for gaseous or energy-based elements) of your element. Functions within a default range of 2 (30 yards); pay additional stones for additional range. This is likely to be the most basic and common task.
* Shape Element: Craft your element into basic shapes and forms. Consult the Weight or Area row of the D&R chart for costs relative to mass and volume (as with Create Element, above); you may need to pay additional stones or combine with an appropriate Action to craft complex items. If you can also create your element, you can pay an additional cost level for the ability to shape your element for free as you create it.
* Basic Attack: You can use your Mastery as an attack by exposing opponents to your element in one way or another. Stones of effect are compared to defense normally. Comes with a default range of 2; you can spend additional stones to increase the Range.
* Barrier: You can create a wall out of your element. Physical, tangible walls have a Hardness and a Resistance equal to stones of effect; walls made out of less tangible substances have no Hardness, but instead deal an attack equal to your stones of effect to anyone and anything foolish enough to try to pass through it. These barriers have an area of 2 on the Area row of the D&R chart, and last for one Page by default; you can pay additional stones of effect for a larger area or greater duration. For +1 CL, your barriers are permanent.
* Hinder: Stones of effect are added to the resistance of any movement into a default Area of 2, or count as free stones of movement out of the area. Pay additonal stones for a greater area. A master of Wind or Air might blast opponents with a stiff gust of wind; a master of water might do something similar with waves, or with currents if their targets are under water; a mastery of gravitation might ramp up effective gravity in the area, pinning opponents to the ground; a master of frictional forces might make the ground slippery and cut air resistance to next to nothing.
* Entangle: Wrap, cover, or otherwise bind your opponent with your element. This functions just like the Entangle Action, and costs +2 CL.
* Communicate with Element: You have the ability to "speak" to your element - this obviously works best with things that can feasibly communicate back, such as plants, animals, the dead, microscopic life, etc.
* Move Anything: Better than just the Move Element task - this functions just like Telekinesis, as long as your element is present. Costs +2 CL.
Get creative with your specialty tasks, and try to be resourceful during gameplay, too. Most importantly, however, be cooperative with your GM and remember that the GM's word is final.
Notes: The "Transform Into Element" option is removed; instead, see the Transform Self Challenge.
Having a Mastery does not grant you a discount to Flight; however, it will likely justify the "fits with main power" discount.[/quote]
Modifiers
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For those characters who excel at jumping, the Leaper Modifier helps you overcome the Difficulty and, in particular, the Resistance of a jump.
Add your MN to your Strength for the purposes of overcoming the Difficulty of a jump, and subtract your MN from the Resistance of a jump, to a minimum of 1.
Example: Toad has just been caught spying on the X-Men from a near-by alleyway, and he figures he should try to escape before they catch him. The GM informs him that the two buildings that share Toad's alley are two and three stories tall - roughly 20 feet and 30 feet, respectively. His Strength of 2 is barely enough to get him 5 feet into the air, but fortunately he bought the Leaper Modifier at an MN of 3. This gives him a total effective Strength of 5 when making leaps, meaning that he can clear up to 50 feet vertically (or 100 feet horizontally!). He decides to leap up onto the third story roof, a Difficulty 5 leap. The Resistance drops to only 2 stones, which he easily covers with his Acrobatics. Toad puts as many stones as he can into Acrobatics and shifts the rest to defense. With luck, the X-Men will have a hard time following him.[/quote]
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Perhaps you have a guardian angel watching over you, or the mutant ability to skew the laws of probability, or maybe you're just lucky - either way, things just tend to work out for you in the end.
You gain a pool of red "luck stones" each issue equal to 3x your MN. These stones are spent by adding them to an Action you undertake, at GM's discretion. You can announce that you would like to use your luck stones, but ultimately the decision of whether your luck kicks in, and to what extent, is up to the GM. Alternately, the GM can spend these stones to cancel the stones of effect of an Action used against you by an opponent (on a 1 for 1 basis).
Options
-1 CL = "Good" Luck Only. Your luck stones can only be used to enhance your own Actions. You cannot spend Luck Stones to cancel stones of effect used against you.
-1 CL = "Bad" Luck Only. Your luck stones can only be used to cancel stones of effect used against you. You cannot spend luck stones to enhance your own Actions.
-1 CL = Backfire. Your luck stones may backfire and be used against you instead of for you if you violate some taboo or fail to meet or uphold some condition.
Example: Black Cat has Luck 3 with the "Bad Luck Only" option. She begins each issue with a pool of 9 luck stones. In this issue, she successfully infiltrated a museum and cleaned out a safe containing a priceless ancient Egyptian scepter without tripping any alarms. It seems she'll make a clean escape.. but as she climbs up to her extraction point on the museum roof, she finds herself confronted by Spider Man!
After trading some witty banter, Black Cat decides that Spider Man isn't going to let her go easily this time. She pounces suddenly, delivering a powerful dropkick, then plans to swing to safety on her grapple gun. Spider Man has higher initiative and acts first, however. He places 6 stones into Entangle to hit Black Cat with his Web Shooters - easily enough to overcome her Reflexive Dodge of 3.
Figuring that this will stop the thief in her tracks, Spider Man doesn't bother allocating any stones to defense. Ordinarily this would be a safe move, but the GM rules that Black Cat's wicked luck comes into play. The GM spends 3 of Black Cat's luck stones and reduces Spider Man's Entangle Action to only 3 stones of effect. Spider Man's webshooters both jam simultaneously!
Unhindered, Black Cat's dropkick connects brutally, knocking the hero flat on his back. She gives him some barbed parting words as she swings to safety on her grapple gun.[/quote]
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Advantages & Disadvantages
-4 CL = Only When Dramatic. You must spend a Drama Stone each time you wish to use this Action or Modifier. A single Drama Stone allows you to use the Action or Modifier for the rest of the scene or combat.
Miscellaneous Rules
* Buying one action no longer gives you a discount on other actions. That goes for all "bought with" discounts. Telepathy no longer affords a discount on Telekinesis; Telekinesis no longer affords a discount on Force Field; Animal Senses no longer affords a discount on Reflexive Dodge, and so on.
* Leaping: Consult the Area/Leaping row of the D&R chart to determine the Difficulty and Resistance of a leap. (Halve the distance listed when attempting a vertical leap.) Your Strength must be equal to or higher than the Difficulty to even attempt the jump, but you can use Strength, Agility, or Acrobatics (or Speed, if you have a decent running start) to overcome the Resistance. You must overcome the Resistance in one attempt; you may not whittle away at the Resistance over multiple panels. If you want to be really good at jumping, check out the Leaper Modifier.
So, I'm instituting a big round of changes to rules, mostly from feedback from other players. Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed! It's really helped me out!
Abilities
* Recovery gains a new Option:
Option
+X CL = Absorb Ambient Energy. Your character absorbs a specific type of energy from their surroundings, such as solar energy, sound, heat, or electricity. Effectively, you recover additional energy, but at a rate that varies with proximity to your chosen energy source. Work with your GM to come up with an appropriate table detailing how much you recover in which situations. Here are some examples (feel free to come up with others, or even other versions for the same energy type, as appropriate to your character):
+2 CL = Absorb Ambient Solar Energy
+0 stones = total darkness, artificial lighting only
+1 stones = starlight, moonlight
+2 stones = indirect sunlight (shade, overcast skies, or being near a window)
+3 stones = direct sunlight
+1 CL = Absorb Ambient Sound
+0 stones = veritable silence (library, calm field or forest)
+1 stones = noisy (city street, your average fight)
+2 stones = deafening (gunfire and explosions, rock concert)
+2 CL = Absorb Ambient Heat
+0 stones = sub-zero temperatures (winter, skating rink, walk-in freezer)
+1 stones = cold weather (early spring/late fall, cool nights, jacket weather, cranked AC)
+2 stones = room temperature (your average day)
+3 stones = heat wave (sweaty summer day, in a burning house, in a desert)
+2 CL = Absorb Ambient Electricity
+0 stones = wilderness (forests, fields, the ocean)
+1 stones = bare necessities (telephone poles, small appliances,)
+2 stones = the city (large powerlines, buildings near-by, in the wilderness during a thunder storm)
+3 stones = power centers (near a generator, in the Danger Room, on board an alien space craft)
Example: Surge absorbs ambient electricity, and is therefore strongest and most energetic near great sources or conduits of electrical power. When she is caught off-guard by Predator X while on a camping trip, she knows she's in trouble. Her normal recovery is that of an athletic teen (Recovery 2), but that alone won't be enough to take down a genetic monster designed specifically to hunt and kill mutants, and she is currently absorbing zero stones of ambient electrical energy out in the wilderness.
Without any options, she makes a run for it - and the monster follows her. Luckily, she spots just what she needs: a set of enormous power lines in the distance, connecting two of the local towns. Barely staying ahead of the beast, she keeps running until she's under the power lines. The GM decides that they count as a two-stone source of ambient electricity, and her recovery suddenly jumps up to 4. Now she at least stands a chance of defending herself. In the few seconds before Predator X catches up to her, she makes a desperate call over her X-Men communicator for help. Now she must hold out until it arrives..
+X CL = Absorb Ambient Energy. Your character absorbs a specific type of energy from their surroundings, such as solar energy, sound, heat, or electricity. Effectively, you recover additional energy, but at a rate that varies with proximity to your chosen energy source. Work with your GM to come up with an appropriate table detailing how much you recover in which situations. Here are some examples (feel free to come up with others, or even other versions for the same energy type, as appropriate to your character):
+2 CL = Absorb Ambient Solar Energy
+0 stones = total darkness, artificial lighting only
+1 stones = starlight, moonlight
+2 stones = indirect sunlight (shade, overcast skies, or being near a window)
+3 stones = direct sunlight
+1 CL = Absorb Ambient Sound
+0 stones = veritable silence (library, calm field or forest)
+1 stones = noisy (city street, your average fight)
+2 stones = deafening (gunfire and explosions, rock concert)
+2 CL = Absorb Ambient Heat
+0 stones = sub-zero temperatures (winter, skating rink, walk-in freezer)
+1 stones = cold weather (early spring/late fall, cool nights, jacket weather, cranked AC)
+2 stones = room temperature (your average day)
+3 stones = heat wave (sweaty summer day, in a burning house, in a desert)
+2 CL = Absorb Ambient Electricity
+0 stones = wilderness (forests, fields, the ocean)
+1 stones = bare necessities (telephone poles, small appliances,)
+2 stones = the city (large powerlines, buildings near-by, in the wilderness during a thunder storm)
+3 stones = power centers (near a generator, in the Danger Room, on board an alien space craft)
Example: Surge absorbs ambient electricity, and is therefore strongest and most energetic near great sources or conduits of electrical power. When she is caught off-guard by Predator X while on a camping trip, she knows she's in trouble. Her normal recovery is that of an athletic teen (Recovery 2), but that alone won't be enough to take down a genetic monster designed specifically to hunt and kill mutants, and she is currently absorbing zero stones of ambient electrical energy out in the wilderness.
Without any options, she makes a run for it - and the monster follows her. Luckily, she spots just what she needs: a set of enormous power lines in the distance, connecting two of the local towns. Barely staying ahead of the beast, she keeps running until she's under the power lines. The GM decides that they count as a two-stone source of ambient electricity, and her recovery suddenly jumps up to 4. Now she at least stands a chance of defending herself. In the few seconds before Predator X catches up to her, she makes a desperate call over her X-Men communicator for help. Now she must hold out until it arrives..
Actions
Harmful Touch AN +0
Super strength and razor sharp claws aren't the only ways to be dangerous in toe-to-toe combat. Some of the most deadly combatants can defeat you with the gentlest touch.
Harmful Touch is a catch-all Action that covers just about any dangerous effect that can be inflicted just by touching an opponent. Touching can be accomplished with the Close Combat action (see rules for Touching). Maintaining a grapple can be a great way to keep touching an opponent in subsequent pages. If your touch is unsuccessful, your stones of Harmful Touch are refunded to you at the end of your panel.
By default, Harmful Touch does not have an effect: you must purchase at least one Option below. You may purchase more than one effect, but without the Multiple Effects option, you may only inflict one type of effect at a time (per touch).
You can purchase range for the usual cost of +1 Cost Level per step on the Range row of the D&R chart. If you do so, you must use Ranged Combat instead of Close Combat to make your touch attacks.
options
+1 CL or +3 CL = Drain Energy. The most basic form of harmful touch drains energy from your victim and returns it to you. This may be painful, or perhaps the victim simply starts to feel sleepy. For each stone of effect, your victim loses 2 stones of energy from their Energy Pool; additionally, you are refunded your stones of effect at the end of the page, on top of your normal energy recovery, making this one of the most efficient attacks in the game. You can exceed your normal energy reserve by an amount equal to your AN; these excess stones bleed off at a rate of 1 per panel. If you drain more stones than an opponent has left in their Energy Pool, any excess drain results in damage. As a +3 CL option, you are instead refunded double your stones of effect.
+3 CL = Paralyzing Touch. Your touch hampers your victim's ability to act, effectively paralyzing them. Compare your stones of effect against your opponent's durability: for every 3 stones of "damage", or fraction thereof, your opponent loses one action, starting with any actions they may have coming up. If more than 2 actions are lost from a single attack, the paralysis carries over into subsequent pages.
+2 CL = Lethal Touch. Your touch can be outright deadly. Compare your stones of attack versus your opponent's durability. Any stones in excess are treated as damage.
+1 CL = Corrosive touch. Your touch is corrosive to inanimate objects. Compare your stones of attack to the object's hardness. Small objects will likely dissolve instantly, whereas any excess stones of attack are subtracted from the resistance of a larger object.
+1 CL = Multiple Effects. By paying one extra stone of energy, your touch can inflict two effects at once, using your stones of effect for each one. You can purchase this option multiple times, allowing for even more effects inflicted per touch; pay one extra stone of energy per additional effect.
-1 CL = Requires Skin-to-Skin Contact. Your initial touch attack does not ignore armor, and even heavy clothing may pose a problem.
-2 CL = Must Pierce Skin. Similar to Requires Skin-To-Skin Contact, but your initial touch attack does not ignore armor or Toughness. The touch attack does not necessarily have to deal damage to break the skin - even a simple scratch will do.
Example: Thanks to genetic engineering, Scorpion (Carmilla Black) has a unique physiology that not only makes her immune to ordinarily poisonous chemicals and toxic radiation, but allows her to store them up and unleash them with a deadly touch. She bought Harmful Touch with an AN of 6, and bought the Paralyzing Touch and Lethal Touch options, as well as one Multiple Effects option. When she touches an opponent with Close Combat, she can choose to incapacitate them with sickness, or go for the kill. Against truly dangerous opponents she can pay an extra stone and inflict both paralysis AND damage at once, though this lowers her maximum stones of effect to 5.[/quote]
Inventing
As listed, but with the following changes:
1. Remove the "Works On Paper" option that must be applied to new inventions. (I don't want to penalize people for inventing new and creative stuff.)
2. Players may choose to substitute their Wealth instead of their Intelligence when determining how many white stones they have to make inventions at the start of each issue. (Not everyone with the Inventing Action invents their own stuff, after all.)
3. Option: +1 CL = Utility Belt. You carry an assortment of helpful gadgets with you in a utility belt or a series of pouches. No matter what situation, you always seem to have just the right tool for the job on hand. If you have set creation stones aside, you can convert them into gadgets instantly, as a free action, essentially pulling the gadget from your utility belt as though it had been there all along; however, it costs you 1 white creation stone, or one Drama Stone, each time you attempt to produce a gadget this way, so use this option sparingly.
3. Option: +2 CL = Bleeding Edge. Count both your Intelligence and your Wealth when determining how many white stones you have for making inventions each issue.
As listed, but with the following changes:
1. Remove the "Works On Paper" option that must be applied to new inventions. (I don't want to penalize people for inventing new and creative stuff.)
2. Players may choose to substitute their Wealth instead of their Intelligence when determining how many white stones they have to make inventions at the start of each issue. (Not everyone with the Inventing Action invents their own stuff, after all.)
3. Option: +1 CL = Utility Belt. You carry an assortment of helpful gadgets with you in a utility belt or a series of pouches. No matter what situation, you always seem to have just the right tool for the job on hand. If you have set creation stones aside, you can convert them into gadgets instantly, as a free action, essentially pulling the gadget from your utility belt as though it had been there all along; however, it costs you 1 white creation stone, or one Drama Stone, each time you attempt to produce a gadget this way, so use this option sparingly.
3. Option: +2 CL = Bleeding Edge. Count both your Intelligence and your Wealth when determining how many white stones you have for making inventions each issue.
Mastery of Elements AN+1 CL
This Action allows you to manipulate and control a specific element, such as fire, wind, radiation, or magnetism (choose one from the list of elements on page 43 of the core rule book, or work with your GM to invent a new one). The limits of what you can accomplish with a mastery are defined only by your AN, your creativity, and the leniency of your GM.
To begin with, you may record one "specialty" per point of AN. Each specialty should represent one type of task that your character can comfortably carry out with their mastery, such as creating a stiff gust of wind to push back opponents, lifting heavy objects with magnetism, or turning stone into molten clay with a mastery of earth. Work with your GM to establish a game mechanic for the type of task in which you have specialized; from then on, you can perform that task without penalty.
Some tasks may be more powerful or useful than others, especially if they emulate an existing Action, such as Telekinesis or Entangle. In these cases, you may need to pay additional Cost Levels for these tasks; consider the base cost of a similar Action as a good guideline and come to an agreement with your GM.
You can attempt just about any feat with your mastery, but without a specialization, the GM may impose a situational penalty to represent unfamiliarity with that type of task. Large penalties should be applied when a player attempts something potentially game-breaking, such as using a Mastery of Water to boil someone's blood, or a using Mastery of Fire to create flames inside someone's head. For the sake of balance, the GM should be prepared to say "no".
Common tasks may include:
* Create Element: Create a mass (consult the Weight row on the D&R chart for solid or dense elements) or volume (consult the Area row on the D&R chart for gaseous or energy-based elements) of your element. It remains for only a single Page, but you can extend it's duration by paying additional stones along the Duration row of the D&R chart. If instead you pay additional cost levels (typically +1 CL, or possibly more for rare elements), material you create is permanent.
* Move Element: Push or pull a mass (consult the Weight row on the D&R chart for solid or dense elements) or volume (consult the Area row on the D&R chart for gaseous or energy-based elements) of your element. Functions within a default range of 2 (30 yards); pay additional stones for additional range. This is likely to be the most basic and common task.
* Shape Element: Craft your element into basic shapes and forms. Consult the Weight or Area row of the D&R chart for costs relative to mass and volume (as with Create Element, above); you may need to pay additional stones or combine with an appropriate Action to craft complex items. If you can also create your element, you can pay an additional cost level for the ability to shape your element for free as you create it.
* Basic Attack: You can use your Mastery as an attack by exposing opponents to your element in one way or another. Stones of effect are compared to defense normally. Comes with a default range of 2; you can spend additional stones to increase the Range.
* Barrier: You can create a wall out of your element. Physical, tangible walls have a Hardness and a Resistance equal to stones of effect; walls made out of less tangible substances have no Hardness, but instead deal an attack equal to your stones of effect to anyone and anything foolish enough to try to pass through it. These barriers have an area of 2 on the Area row of the D&R chart, and last for one Page by default; you can pay additional stones of effect for a larger area or greater duration. For +1 CL, your barriers are permanent.
* Hinder: Stones of effect are added to the resistance of any movement into a default Area of 2, or count as free stones of movement out of the area. Pay additonal stones for a greater area. A master of Wind or Air might blast opponents with a stiff gust of wind; a master of water might do something similar with waves, or with currents if their targets are under water; a mastery of gravitation might ramp up effective gravity in the area, pinning opponents to the ground; a master of frictional forces might make the ground slippery and cut air resistance to next to nothing.
* Entangle: Wrap, cover, or otherwise bind your opponent with your element. This functions just like the Entangle Action, and costs +2 CL.
* Communicate with Element: You have the ability to "speak" to your element - this obviously works best with things that can feasibly communicate back, such as plants, animals, the dead, microscopic life, etc.
* Move Anything: Better than just the Move Element task - this functions just like Telekinesis, as long as your element is present. Costs +2 CL.
Get creative with your specialty tasks, and try to be resourceful during gameplay, too. Most importantly, however, be cooperative with your GM and remember that the GM's word is final.
Notes: The "Transform Into Element" option is removed; instead, see the Transform Self Challenge.
Having a Mastery does not grant you a discount to Flight; however, it will likely justify the "fits with main power" discount.[/quote]
Metamorphosis
As before, with the following change:
1. The Self Repair option's cost drops from +2CL to +1CL.
As before, with the following change:
1. The Self Repair option's cost drops from +2CL to +1CL.
Phase Shift AN+3 CL
Phase Shift is the power to slide through solid objects and matter, moving through the spaces between atoms or through an alternate dimension. It costs 2 stones to activate, and requires 2 stones of upkeep every page that you wish to remain phased.
You can move through and ignore attacks from at Material Class 1 or higher substances, depending on your AN:
AN 3 = material class 2
AN 6 = material class 3
AN 9 = material class 4
Attempting to phase through a higher material class can be taxing and even painful. For each page of movement through a dense material, you suffer energy loss equal to the difference between your Phase Shift AN and the effective AN of that substance's material class.
If you are (or if anyone you are phasing is) attacked by a weapon, force blast, or other damage source of a higher material class, you take energy drain from the attack instead of normal damage, up to a maximum of the difference between your AN and the source's effective AN.
Two characters who are phase shifted can attempt to attack or otherwise physically affect each other as though they were both solid. If one character has a higher Phase Shift AN than the other, they gain free stones of defense equal to the difference between their ANs.
You can remain phased for a number of consecutive panels equal to your AN, after which you must remain solid for at least one panel before attempting to phase again.
Options
+2 CL = Phase Stun. Though typically a defensive and evasive power, Phase Shift can be used in conjunction with physical attacks to a variety of devastating effects. While phased, you can make Close Combat attacks against non-phased opponents, ignoring any armor or Toughness that you can phase through. Such attacks are extremely painful for the victim and cause stun damage (stones of damage come out of their Energy Pool instead of their health) instead of conventional damage.
+3 CL = Phase Attack. A superior and more lethal version of Phase Stun. This Option works in the same manner as Phase Stun, but also allows you to deal real damage instead of stun damage by physically disrupting the victim's body. Such horrendous attacks automatically gain the x2 damage Advantage and are morally questionable at best.
+1 CL = Disrupt Electronics. You can disrupt or even destroy electronic devices by phasing through them. If your AN is equal or exceeds a device's Technology rating (see the Technology row on the Difficulty & Resistance chart), the device is disrupted or possibly even destroyed at the GM's discretion.
+1 CL = Phase Mind. While phased, your mind is particularly difficult to contact with mental powers such as Telepathy. You may add your Phase Shift AN to your Mental Defense.
+1 CL = Phase Soul. While phased, you are particularly difficult to affect with magical powers. You may add your AN to your Magical Defense.
-1 CL = Gaseous/Liquid/Energy Form. You do not phase out entirely, but instead adopt a gaseous, liquid, or energy form with some physical mass. You may not shift through solid matter, but you can squeeze your body through the tiniest cracks; only a completely air-tight container will hold you. Regardless of Material Class, physical and energy attacks directed at you deal stun damage (stones of damage are subtracted from your Energy Pool, not your white stones of health), and you may treat your Phase Shift AN as free defensive stones.
Example: Kitty Pryde is trying to sneak into Mr. Sinister's base in a rather desperate attempt to rescue Cyclops, who had been captured earlier. While the rest of the X-Men lauch a diversionary attack on the front gates, Kitty sneaks in through the back.
She begins by activating her Phase Shift Action by placing 2 stones in her Action Box. Her AN is an impressive 7, so she will easily pass through anything Material Class 3 or lesser materials and can remain phased for up to 7 consecutive panels (roughly 3 or 4 minutes). She is in a hurry, so she also allocates 2 stones of speed.
While sneaking around, she finds some sort of security room that has been left empty (the diversion worked!). She stops phasing (she needed to take a break to catch her breath anyhow) and uses her Computers Action to patch into the compound's security cameras. After a quick search, she locates the cell where Cyclops is being held.
She phases again and sinks through the floor until she reaches the basement level. The GM notes that the cell seems to be made of some super-dense alien alloy (with a Material Class of 4), but Kitty isn't about to give up yet. She phases through the cell anyway, losing an additional 2 stones of energy in the process. Inside, she finds Cyclops alive and conscious, but chained to a wall. She touches him and pays an additional stone to cause him to phase too, at least long enough let him phase out of his restraints. She pays another 2 extra stones of energy to phase back out of the cell. It is exhausting and painful work, but she is through the worst of it. Now to retrace her steps and join her fellow X-Men!
Phase Shift is the power to slide through solid objects and matter, moving through the spaces between atoms or through an alternate dimension. It costs 2 stones to activate, and requires 2 stones of upkeep every page that you wish to remain phased.
You can move through and ignore attacks from at Material Class 1 or higher substances, depending on your AN:
AN 3 = material class 2
AN 6 = material class 3
AN 9 = material class 4
Attempting to phase through a higher material class can be taxing and even painful. For each page of movement through a dense material, you suffer energy loss equal to the difference between your Phase Shift AN and the effective AN of that substance's material class.
If you are (or if anyone you are phasing is) attacked by a weapon, force blast, or other damage source of a higher material class, you take energy drain from the attack instead of normal damage, up to a maximum of the difference between your AN and the source's effective AN.
Two characters who are phase shifted can attempt to attack or otherwise physically affect each other as though they were both solid. If one character has a higher Phase Shift AN than the other, they gain free stones of defense equal to the difference between their ANs.
You can remain phased for a number of consecutive panels equal to your AN, after which you must remain solid for at least one panel before attempting to phase again.
Options
+2 CL = Phase Stun. Though typically a defensive and evasive power, Phase Shift can be used in conjunction with physical attacks to a variety of devastating effects. While phased, you can make Close Combat attacks against non-phased opponents, ignoring any armor or Toughness that you can phase through. Such attacks are extremely painful for the victim and cause stun damage (stones of damage come out of their Energy Pool instead of their health) instead of conventional damage.
+3 CL = Phase Attack. A superior and more lethal version of Phase Stun. This Option works in the same manner as Phase Stun, but also allows you to deal real damage instead of stun damage by physically disrupting the victim's body. Such horrendous attacks automatically gain the x2 damage Advantage and are morally questionable at best.
+1 CL = Disrupt Electronics. You can disrupt or even destroy electronic devices by phasing through them. If your AN is equal or exceeds a device's Technology rating (see the Technology row on the Difficulty & Resistance chart), the device is disrupted or possibly even destroyed at the GM's discretion.
+1 CL = Phase Mind. While phased, your mind is particularly difficult to contact with mental powers such as Telepathy. You may add your Phase Shift AN to your Mental Defense.
+1 CL = Phase Soul. While phased, you are particularly difficult to affect with magical powers. You may add your AN to your Magical Defense.
-1 CL = Gaseous/Liquid/Energy Form. You do not phase out entirely, but instead adopt a gaseous, liquid, or energy form with some physical mass. You may not shift through solid matter, but you can squeeze your body through the tiniest cracks; only a completely air-tight container will hold you. Regardless of Material Class, physical and energy attacks directed at you deal stun damage (stones of damage are subtracted from your Energy Pool, not your white stones of health), and you may treat your Phase Shift AN as free defensive stones.
Example: Kitty Pryde is trying to sneak into Mr. Sinister's base in a rather desperate attempt to rescue Cyclops, who had been captured earlier. While the rest of the X-Men lauch a diversionary attack on the front gates, Kitty sneaks in through the back.
She begins by activating her Phase Shift Action by placing 2 stones in her Action Box. Her AN is an impressive 7, so she will easily pass through anything Material Class 3 or lesser materials and can remain phased for up to 7 consecutive panels (roughly 3 or 4 minutes). She is in a hurry, so she also allocates 2 stones of speed.
While sneaking around, she finds some sort of security room that has been left empty (the diversion worked!). She stops phasing (she needed to take a break to catch her breath anyhow) and uses her Computers Action to patch into the compound's security cameras. After a quick search, she locates the cell where Cyclops is being held.
She phases again and sinks through the floor until she reaches the basement level. The GM notes that the cell seems to be made of some super-dense alien alloy (with a Material Class of 4), but Kitty isn't about to give up yet. She phases through the cell anyway, losing an additional 2 stones of energy in the process. Inside, she finds Cyclops alive and conscious, but chained to a wall. She touches him and pays an additional stone to cause him to phase too, at least long enough let him phase out of his restraints. She pays another 2 extra stones of energy to phase back out of the cell. It is exhausting and painful work, but she is through the worst of it. Now to retrace her steps and join her fellow X-Men!
Telekinesis
As before, but with the following change:3
Options
+4 CL = Intelligence Bonus. Intelligence Bonuses cost more than they used to, but still come at a slight discount.
As before, but with the following change:3
Options
+4 CL = Intelligence Bonus. Intelligence Bonuses cost more than they used to, but still come at a slight discount.
Modifiers
Energy Defense
As before, with the following options:
Options
+1, +2 or +4 CL = Absorb Energy. Any stones of damage blocked by your Energy Defense are instead absorbed. Set aside an Action Box or start a second pile of stones representing absorbed stones of energy. You may store up to twice your MN at a time; any stones absorbed beyond this maximum are wasted. At the end of any page in which you did not absorb energy, subtract one stone from your Absorb Energy action box.
You may spend stored energy normally, as though it was your Energy Pool. You can apply a -1 CL option to any Action indicating that that Action can only be powered with absorbed stones.
As a +1 CL Option, you only absorb energy from a single element, such as fire, or acid, or gamma radiation. For +2 CL you can choose a group of related elements, such as "heat" (which may include lava, fire, or plasma), "radiation" (which may include microwaves, light, cosmic radiation, etc), or so on. For +4 CL you can absorb any kind of energy.
-2 or -3 CL = Limited Scope. As a -3 CL option, your Energy Defense only defends against a single element, such as acid or electricity. As a -2 CL option, choose instead a group or related elements, such as "weather" (which might include lightning, wind and frost).
As before, with the following options:
Options
+1, +2 or +4 CL = Absorb Energy. Any stones of damage blocked by your Energy Defense are instead absorbed. Set aside an Action Box or start a second pile of stones representing absorbed stones of energy. You may store up to twice your MN at a time; any stones absorbed beyond this maximum are wasted. At the end of any page in which you did not absorb energy, subtract one stone from your Absorb Energy action box.
You may spend stored energy normally, as though it was your Energy Pool. You can apply a -1 CL option to any Action indicating that that Action can only be powered with absorbed stones.
As a +1 CL Option, you only absorb energy from a single element, such as fire, or acid, or gamma radiation. For +2 CL you can choose a group of related elements, such as "heat" (which may include lava, fire, or plasma), "radiation" (which may include microwaves, light, cosmic radiation, etc), or so on. For +4 CL you can absorb any kind of energy.
-2 or -3 CL = Limited Scope. As a -3 CL option, your Energy Defense only defends against a single element, such as acid or electricity. As a -2 CL option, choose instead a group or related elements, such as "weather" (which might include lightning, wind and frost).
Generic Modifier MN+3 CL
Not all heroes are created equal; some just happen to have the upper hand. Whereas Actions represent skill and supernatural potential, Modifiers to those same Actions represent some kind of inherent edge that makes them easier to use. Wolverine's claws, a famous example, complement his Close Combat training, making him a very dangerous foe (or a powerful ally) in a fight.
Modifiers provide free stones from the General Pool, but they can't do all the work: you may only benefit from one free stone per stone of your own energy placed in the appropriate Action.
By default, generic modifiers only work in some limited situations. For example, Wolverine's claws won't help him if he's drop-kicking an opponent or putting him in a choke hold. Generic Modifiers that apply at all times, representing a very broad benefit or advantage, exist, but are more expensive.
Options
+2 CL = No Condition. Your Modifier works in any circumstance, in any application of the Action or Action it modifies.
+1 CL or +2 CL = Versatile. Some advantages can logically be applied to more than just a single Action. For +1 CL, choose a second Action to which your Modifier applies. If you use both of these Actions in the same panel, you must split your Modifier between them as you like. For +2 CL, you can work with your GM to choose a bundle of Actions along a common theme, such as "Psionics" (which might apply to Telepathy, Telekinesis, Force Fields and Psi-Weapons), or "Targeting" (which might apply to Ranged Combat, Tendril Whip, or any Ranged Combat the character may possess).
+5 CL = Universal Action. Your Modifier applies to every action you undertake. For whatever reason, you are at least a little talented in every thing you do.
Example: Spider-Man is known for his fast quips and cutting remarks, which he likes to toss out even in the middle of heated fights. It may not seem like much to the untrained eye, but Spidey uses his jokes to keep himself calm, while simultaneously throwing his opponents off their game. To represent this, his player chooses a Generic Modifier at MN 2 and names it Razor Wit. First, he records that it modifies Social Skills, with the condition that it only works when coming up with jokes and taunts. For +2 CL, the GM allows him to apply the Modifier to a range of combat Actions as well, such as Close Combat, Ranged Combat, and the Entangle attacks of his Web Shooters, under the condition that the player must come up with some sort of witty remark to spout during each page. The whole Modifier costs him 6 white character creation stones, but it gives him a distinct edge in combat - and makes him fun and challenging to play!
Not all heroes are created equal; some just happen to have the upper hand. Whereas Actions represent skill and supernatural potential, Modifiers to those same Actions represent some kind of inherent edge that makes them easier to use. Wolverine's claws, a famous example, complement his Close Combat training, making him a very dangerous foe (or a powerful ally) in a fight.
Modifiers provide free stones from the General Pool, but they can't do all the work: you may only benefit from one free stone per stone of your own energy placed in the appropriate Action.
By default, generic modifiers only work in some limited situations. For example, Wolverine's claws won't help him if he's drop-kicking an opponent or putting him in a choke hold. Generic Modifiers that apply at all times, representing a very broad benefit or advantage, exist, but are more expensive.
Options
+2 CL = No Condition. Your Modifier works in any circumstance, in any application of the Action or Action it modifies.
+1 CL or +2 CL = Versatile. Some advantages can logically be applied to more than just a single Action. For +1 CL, choose a second Action to which your Modifier applies. If you use both of these Actions in the same panel, you must split your Modifier between them as you like. For +2 CL, you can work with your GM to choose a bundle of Actions along a common theme, such as "Psionics" (which might apply to Telepathy, Telekinesis, Force Fields and Psi-Weapons), or "Targeting" (which might apply to Ranged Combat, Tendril Whip, or any Ranged Combat the character may possess).
+5 CL = Universal Action. Your Modifier applies to every action you undertake. For whatever reason, you are at least a little talented in every thing you do.
Example: Spider-Man is known for his fast quips and cutting remarks, which he likes to toss out even in the middle of heated fights. It may not seem like much to the untrained eye, but Spidey uses his jokes to keep himself calm, while simultaneously throwing his opponents off their game. To represent this, his player chooses a Generic Modifier at MN 2 and names it Razor Wit. First, he records that it modifies Social Skills, with the condition that it only works when coming up with jokes and taunts. For +2 CL, the GM allows him to apply the Modifier to a range of combat Actions as well, such as Close Combat, Ranged Combat, and the Entangle attacks of his Web Shooters, under the condition that the player must come up with some sort of witty remark to spout during each page. The whole Modifier costs him 6 white character creation stones, but it gives him a distinct edge in combat - and makes him fun and challenging to play!
Hensin 2r
Perhaps you have super speed and keep a costume under your clothes at all times, or maybe your powers are magical or cosmic in nature and include a disguise - for whatever reason, you have the ability to quickly change into a distinct costume or uniform at will. Doing so costs only a Free Action. (Catch phrase optional.)
Perhaps you have super speed and keep a costume under your clothes at all times, or maybe your powers are magical or cosmic in nature and include a disguise - for whatever reason, you have the ability to quickly change into a distinct costume or uniform at will. Doing so costs only a Free Action. (Catch phrase optional.)
Immovable MN+1 CL
When your feet are firmly planted on the ground, you are surprisingly difficult to move. So long as you remain conscious, add your MN to your weight to determine your total effective weight (consult the Weight row on the D&R chart). Anyone attempting to move you must overcome this effective weight.
Example: The Brotherhood of Mutants has just attacked the X-Mansion. Avalanche knocked a big hole in the wall, giving the the rest of the Brotherhood a way inside the school; Blob's assignment is to block the hole back up, keeping the X-Men from escaping. His actual weight is somewhere around 500 lbs (admittedly, it's been a while since he stepped on a scale), but his Immovable Modifier 7 gives him an effective weight of somewhere between 75 to 100 tons! Someone would need a Strength of 10 to even try to lift him. Nobody moves the Blob!
When your feet are firmly planted on the ground, you are surprisingly difficult to move. So long as you remain conscious, add your MN to your weight to determine your total effective weight (consult the Weight row on the D&R chart). Anyone attempting to move you must overcome this effective weight.
Example: The Brotherhood of Mutants has just attacked the X-Mansion. Avalanche knocked a big hole in the wall, giving the the rest of the Brotherhood a way inside the school; Blob's assignment is to block the hole back up, keeping the X-Men from escaping. His actual weight is somewhere around 500 lbs (admittedly, it's been a while since he stepped on a scale), but his Immovable Modifier 7 gives him an effective weight of somewhere between 75 to 100 tons! Someone would need a Strength of 10 to even try to lift him. Nobody moves the Blob!
Leaper MN CL
For those characters who excel at jumping, the Leaper Modifier helps you overcome the Difficulty and, in particular, the Resistance of a jump.
Add your MN to your Strength for the purposes of overcoming the Difficulty of a jump, and subtract your MN from the Resistance of a jump, to a minimum of 1.
Example: Toad has just been caught spying on the X-Men from a near-by alleyway, and he figures he should try to escape before they catch him. The GM informs him that the two buildings that share Toad's alley are two and three stories tall - roughly 20 feet and 30 feet, respectively. His Strength of 2 is barely enough to get him 5 feet into the air, but fortunately he bought the Leaper Modifier at an MN of 3. This gives him a total effective Strength of 5 when making leaps, meaning that he can clear up to 50 feet vertically (or 100 feet horizontally!). He decides to leap up onto the third story roof, a Difficulty 5 leap. The Resistance drops to only 2 stones, which he easily covers with his Acrobatics. Toad puts as many stones as he can into Acrobatics and shifts the rest to defense. With luck, the X-Men will have a hard time following him.[/quote]
Luck MN+4 CL
Perhaps you have a guardian angel watching over you, or the mutant ability to skew the laws of probability, or maybe you're just lucky - either way, things just tend to work out for you in the end.
You gain a pool of red "luck stones" each issue equal to 3x your MN. These stones are spent by adding them to an Action you undertake, at GM's discretion. You can announce that you would like to use your luck stones, but ultimately the decision of whether your luck kicks in, and to what extent, is up to the GM. Alternately, the GM can spend these stones to cancel the stones of effect of an Action used against you by an opponent (on a 1 for 1 basis).
Options
-1 CL = "Good" Luck Only. Your luck stones can only be used to enhance your own Actions. You cannot spend Luck Stones to cancel stones of effect used against you.
-1 CL = "Bad" Luck Only. Your luck stones can only be used to cancel stones of effect used against you. You cannot spend luck stones to enhance your own Actions.
-1 CL = Backfire. Your luck stones may backfire and be used against you instead of for you if you violate some taboo or fail to meet or uphold some condition.
Example: Black Cat has Luck 3 with the "Bad Luck Only" option. She begins each issue with a pool of 9 luck stones. In this issue, she successfully infiltrated a museum and cleaned out a safe containing a priceless ancient Egyptian scepter without tripping any alarms. It seems she'll make a clean escape.. but as she climbs up to her extraction point on the museum roof, she finds herself confronted by Spider Man!
After trading some witty banter, Black Cat decides that Spider Man isn't going to let her go easily this time. She pounces suddenly, delivering a powerful dropkick, then plans to swing to safety on her grapple gun. Spider Man has higher initiative and acts first, however. He places 6 stones into Entangle to hit Black Cat with his Web Shooters - easily enough to overcome her Reflexive Dodge of 3.
Figuring that this will stop the thief in her tracks, Spider Man doesn't bother allocating any stones to defense. Ordinarily this would be a safe move, but the GM rules that Black Cat's wicked luck comes into play. The GM spends 3 of Black Cat's luck stones and reduces Spider Man's Entangle Action to only 3 stones of effect. Spider Man's webshooters both jam simultaneously!
Unhindered, Black Cat's dropkick connects brutally, knocking the hero flat on his back. She gives him some barbed parting words as she swings to safety on her grapple gun.[/quote]
Prescience MN +2 CL
You have a 6th sense that alerts you to danger even when your other senses cannot. When you would ordinarily take damage from a physical attack, subtract up to your MN's worth of damage from your Energy Reserve first. Any stones of damage that remain can be converted to white stones of health lost, as usual.
Additionally, if you also have Reflexive Dodge, your Prescience allows your reflexes to act even when your other five senses fail to trigger them. You can apply a number of your stones of Reflexive Dodge up to Prescience MN towards your defense even when you have absolutely no other warning of the attack.
Example: High up on a rooftop, the Amazing Spider Man watches as Silvio Manfredi holds meeting of underworld sub bosses in an abandoned warehouse across the street. But little does Spider Man know, he is being watched, as well.
A Maggia sniper has managed to spot the meddling wall-crawler and has him in his sights. He is flanking the costumed hero from a safe distance; there is no way he can miss. The GM allocates 5 stones in the sniper's Ranged Combat Action, and factors in 2 more stones from the General Pool for his rifle scope's Targeting for a total of 7 stones of attack. Due to the rifle's high caliber, the sniper also inflicts x2 damage. If he bags the Spider Man, he'll be a made man for sure!
Spider Man is not anticipating an attack and does not have any stones shifted to defense; he will have to rely on his Modifiers to save him. He has Toughness 2, which is a good start, but because the sniper's bullet is traveling faster than the speed of sound and is coming in from behind, the GM rules that Spidey's Reflexive Dodge 3 is useless.
Or it would be, were it not for his trademark Spidey Sense (bought as Prescience 3). The familiar tingling warns our hero of the impending danger, allowing his Reflexive Dodge to kick in. With both his Toughness 2 and Reflexive Dodge 3 working for him, only 2 stones of damage remain. These last two stones come out of his Energy Reserve, as though he had them shifted to defense the whole time.
Miraculously, Spidey ducks just in time to dodge the bullet; it grazes his shoulder, slicing through his uniform but leaving him unharmed. The Maggia sniper has been made alright, but not the way he hoped.
You have a 6th sense that alerts you to danger even when your other senses cannot. When you would ordinarily take damage from a physical attack, subtract up to your MN's worth of damage from your Energy Reserve first. Any stones of damage that remain can be converted to white stones of health lost, as usual.
Additionally, if you also have Reflexive Dodge, your Prescience allows your reflexes to act even when your other five senses fail to trigger them. You can apply a number of your stones of Reflexive Dodge up to Prescience MN towards your defense even when you have absolutely no other warning of the attack.
Example: High up on a rooftop, the Amazing Spider Man watches as Silvio Manfredi holds meeting of underworld sub bosses in an abandoned warehouse across the street. But little does Spider Man know, he is being watched, as well.
A Maggia sniper has managed to spot the meddling wall-crawler and has him in his sights. He is flanking the costumed hero from a safe distance; there is no way he can miss. The GM allocates 5 stones in the sniper's Ranged Combat Action, and factors in 2 more stones from the General Pool for his rifle scope's Targeting for a total of 7 stones of attack. Due to the rifle's high caliber, the sniper also inflicts x2 damage. If he bags the Spider Man, he'll be a made man for sure!
Spider Man is not anticipating an attack and does not have any stones shifted to defense; he will have to rely on his Modifiers to save him. He has Toughness 2, which is a good start, but because the sniper's bullet is traveling faster than the speed of sound and is coming in from behind, the GM rules that Spidey's Reflexive Dodge 3 is useless.
Or it would be, were it not for his trademark Spidey Sense (bought as Prescience 3). The familiar tingling warns our hero of the impending danger, allowing his Reflexive Dodge to kick in. With both his Toughness 2 and Reflexive Dodge 3 working for him, only 2 stones of damage remain. These last two stones come out of his Energy Reserve, as though he had them shifted to defense the whole time.
Miraculously, Spidey ducks just in time to dodge the bullet; it grazes his shoulder, slicing through his uniform but leaving him unharmed. The Maggia sniper has been made alright, but not the way he hoped.
Power-Up MN +1 CL
Some characters take a while for their powers to warm up before they can really show off their potential; others, like the Incredible Hulk, are frightful to begin with, but become utterly devastating under the right circumstances.
Choose a physical Ability and record a trigger, such as when you are overcome with rage, when you are standing still or instead when you are in motion, or so on. Once your trigger activates, you gain a 1 point increase in your chosen Ability, per page, until a total bonus equal to your MN is reached (or until your Ability hits a maximum of 10). The effect ends when your trigger deactivates - if you become calm, if you move or are stopped from moving, or whatever the case may be, depending on the trigger you selected.
With your GM's permission, you may choose an appropriate Action or even a Modifier in place of an Ability.
Options
+1 CL = Rapid Buildup. You gain an additional point to your Ability score at the start of each Page. You can choose this Option multiple times, representing an almost instantaneous power upgrade.
+1 or +2 CL = Additional Power. For +1 CL, choose an additional Ability; when you power up at the start of each Page, you can choose which Ability gains the boost. Each Ability can be raised a maximum number of points equal to your MN. For +2 CL, choose an additional Ability as usual - however, both Abilities power up at the start of each Page. You can choose this Option multiple times, representing a broad scope of power.
+2 CL = Limit Breaker. Your Ability can power up beyond the normal limit of 10, pushing you into uncharted territory. This can be dangerous to say the least, both to yourself and others, so be warned!
-1 CL = Trade-Off. Choose an Ability that is naturally at least AN 2 or higher; this Ability actually decreases by one point each time you power up at the start of a Page, to a minimum of 1.
Example: The Incredible Hulk had only been mildly irritated by the puny soldiers and their silly little guns, and had been content simply to smack them out of his way - until the helicopters and tanks arrived. A tank shell exploded in the sand right in front of the Hulk's face. That made Hulk angry!
Hulk naturally has a Strength of 10 and a Recovery of 7, but he also has the Power-Up Modifier (renamed "Rage") with an MN of 8. As one might expect, he chose Strength as his primary Ability, but he also paid an extra 2 cost levels for the Additional Power Option to have his Recovery increase as well. He also bought one level of Rapid Buildup and, of course, the Limit Breaker Option.
Immediately at the start of the next Page, the Hulk's Strength and Recovery each jump up by 2 points, to 12 and 9 respectively. So long as he remains furious, his rage will build, only leveling off at a maximum of Strength 18 and Recovery 15. In case you ever wondered, that's why you wouldn't like him when he's angry.
Some characters take a while for their powers to warm up before they can really show off their potential; others, like the Incredible Hulk, are frightful to begin with, but become utterly devastating under the right circumstances.
Choose a physical Ability and record a trigger, such as when you are overcome with rage, when you are standing still or instead when you are in motion, or so on. Once your trigger activates, you gain a 1 point increase in your chosen Ability, per page, until a total bonus equal to your MN is reached (or until your Ability hits a maximum of 10). The effect ends when your trigger deactivates - if you become calm, if you move or are stopped from moving, or whatever the case may be, depending on the trigger you selected.
With your GM's permission, you may choose an appropriate Action or even a Modifier in place of an Ability.
Options
+1 CL = Rapid Buildup. You gain an additional point to your Ability score at the start of each Page. You can choose this Option multiple times, representing an almost instantaneous power upgrade.
+1 or +2 CL = Additional Power. For +1 CL, choose an additional Ability; when you power up at the start of each Page, you can choose which Ability gains the boost. Each Ability can be raised a maximum number of points equal to your MN. For +2 CL, choose an additional Ability as usual - however, both Abilities power up at the start of each Page. You can choose this Option multiple times, representing a broad scope of power.
+2 CL = Limit Breaker. Your Ability can power up beyond the normal limit of 10, pushing you into uncharted territory. This can be dangerous to say the least, both to yourself and others, so be warned!
-1 CL = Trade-Off. Choose an Ability that is naturally at least AN 2 or higher; this Ability actually decreases by one point each time you power up at the start of a Page, to a minimum of 1.
Example: The Incredible Hulk had only been mildly irritated by the puny soldiers and their silly little guns, and had been content simply to smack them out of his way - until the helicopters and tanks arrived. A tank shell exploded in the sand right in front of the Hulk's face. That made Hulk angry!
Hulk naturally has a Strength of 10 and a Recovery of 7, but he also has the Power-Up Modifier (renamed "Rage") with an MN of 8. As one might expect, he chose Strength as his primary Ability, but he also paid an extra 2 cost levels for the Additional Power Option to have his Recovery increase as well. He also bought one level of Rapid Buildup and, of course, the Limit Breaker Option.
Immediately at the start of the next Page, the Hulk's Strength and Recovery each jump up by 2 points, to 12 and 9 respectively. So long as he remains furious, his rage will build, only leveling off at a maximum of Strength 18 and Recovery 15. In case you ever wondered, that's why you wouldn't like him when he's angry.
Unstoppable MN+2 CL
The "Irresistible Force". This power gives you the ability to crash through any obstacle in your path with a hardness less than or equal to your MN, regardless of resistance, and keep on running. (If you want to be unstoppable when flying, buy the Unstoppable Option for Flight!)
What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object? If you should be unfortunate enough to encounter an opponent with the Immovable Modifier and an effective weight greater than your Unstoppable Action, any stones of attack you direct at them are reflected back at you, instead. If your Unstoppable Action and their effective weight are equal, you both suffer the attack. Otherwise, you plow through them just like everyone else!
What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object? If you should be unfortunate enough to encounter an opponent with the Immovable Modifier and an effective weight greater than your Unstoppable Action, any stones of attack you direct at them are reflected back at you, instead. If your Unstoppable Action and their effective weight are equal, you both suffer the attack. Otherwise, you plow through them just like everyone else!
Toughness
As usual, but with the following Option:
Options
+3 or +4 CL = Absorb Kinetic Energy. Any stones of damage blocked by your Toughness are instead absorbed. Set aside an Action Box or start a second pile of stones representing absorbed stones of energy. You may store up to twice your MN at a time; any stones absorbed beyond this maximum are wasted. At the end of any page in which you did not absorb energy, subtract one stone from your Absorb Energy action box.
You may spend stored energy normally, as though it was your Energy Pool. You can apply a -1 CL option to any Action indicating that that Action can only be powered with absorbed stones.
As a +3 CL Option, you absorb only blunt-force trauma, such as punches, falls, being hit with a baseball bat, and even bullets, but not attacks from sharp weapons, such as knives, swords, claws, or spears. (Your Toughness still defends against cutting attacks, but you do not absorb their kinetic energy.) As a +4 CL option you absorb all sorts of physical trauma, including cutting attacks.
As usual, but with the following Option:
Options
+3 or +4 CL = Absorb Kinetic Energy. Any stones of damage blocked by your Toughness are instead absorbed. Set aside an Action Box or start a second pile of stones representing absorbed stones of energy. You may store up to twice your MN at a time; any stones absorbed beyond this maximum are wasted. At the end of any page in which you did not absorb energy, subtract one stone from your Absorb Energy action box.
You may spend stored energy normally, as though it was your Energy Pool. You can apply a -1 CL option to any Action indicating that that Action can only be powered with absorbed stones.
As a +3 CL Option, you absorb only blunt-force trauma, such as punches, falls, being hit with a baseball bat, and even bullets, but not attacks from sharp weapons, such as knives, swords, claws, or spears. (Your Toughness still defends against cutting attacks, but you do not absorb their kinetic energy.) As a +4 CL option you absorb all sorts of physical trauma, including cutting attacks.
Advantages & Disadvantages
-4 CL = Only When Dramatic. You must spend a Drama Stone each time you wish to use this Action or Modifier. A single Drama Stone allows you to use the Action or Modifier for the rest of the scene or combat.
Miscellaneous Rules
* Buying one action no longer gives you a discount on other actions. That goes for all "bought with" discounts. Telepathy no longer affords a discount on Telekinesis; Telekinesis no longer affords a discount on Force Field; Animal Senses no longer affords a discount on Reflexive Dodge, and so on.
* Leaping: Consult the Area/Leaping row of the D&R chart to determine the Difficulty and Resistance of a leap. (Halve the distance listed when attempting a vertical leap.) Your Strength must be equal to or higher than the Difficulty to even attempt the jump, but you can use Strength, Agility, or Acrobatics (or Speed, if you have a decent running start) to overcome the Resistance. You must overcome the Resistance in one attempt; you may not whittle away at the Resistance over multiple panels. If you want to be really good at jumping, check out the Leaper Modifier.
Touching
You can declare that a Close Combat attack is only to touch, rather than to damage. If you do so, compare stones of attack, ignoring Toughness - but instead of dealing damage, any stones in excess of your opponent's defenses (if any) are refunded to you at the end of the Page. Depending on whether you need to make contact with skin, you might also be able to ignore your opponent's armor.
Example: While defending himself against Sabretooth, Elixir rationalizes that his potentially deadly Mastery of Biological Structure (call it what you want) probably won't kill the ferocious mutant, but it might just slow him down long enough to make an escape. He is hopelessly outclassed in Close Combat, but all he has to do is make a touch. He puts 5 stones into Close Combat - the most he can manage, knowing that he'll be refunded anything in excess. With his second Action, he allocates several stones in his Mastery for a deadly attack.
The arrogant Sabretooth wants to torment his victim and hasn't bothered to shift stones to defense. His Toughness 2 is ignored and his Reflexive Dodge 3 isn't enough to protect him on its own! Elixir's touch is successful and he is refunded 2 stones of energy at the end of the panel. Now the important question becomes: will his Mastery be enough to put the monster down?
You can declare that a Close Combat attack is only to touch, rather than to damage. If you do so, compare stones of attack, ignoring Toughness - but instead of dealing damage, any stones in excess of your opponent's defenses (if any) are refunded to you at the end of the Page. Depending on whether you need to make contact with skin, you might also be able to ignore your opponent's armor.
Example: While defending himself against Sabretooth, Elixir rationalizes that his potentially deadly Mastery of Biological Structure (call it what you want) probably won't kill the ferocious mutant, but it might just slow him down long enough to make an escape. He is hopelessly outclassed in Close Combat, but all he has to do is make a touch. He puts 5 stones into Close Combat - the most he can manage, knowing that he'll be refunded anything in excess. With his second Action, he allocates several stones in his Mastery for a deadly attack.
The arrogant Sabretooth wants to torment his victim and hasn't bothered to shift stones to defense. His Toughness 2 is ignored and his Reflexive Dodge 3 isn't enough to protect him on its own! Elixir's touch is successful and he is refunded 2 stones of energy at the end of the panel. Now the important question becomes: will his Mastery be enough to put the monster down?
Transform Self
The Transform Self option is a special set of character creation rules designed for those heroes and villains who who have two or more principal "forms": Bruce Banner becomes the Hulk, Curt Connors becomes the Lizard, and Rahne Sinclair can transform into a wolf, or into a hybrid form that is equal parts wolf and human.
What it is not: These rules are not meant for characters who can choose a variety of forms as they please - that is the domain of the Metamorphosis Action. Likewise, characters who simply mimic the appearance of other people should use the Shapeshifting Action.
1. Determine the number of forms. Start by choosing a "default" form (usually your "human" form, but not always), and one alternate form. You may choose additional forms at the cost of 1 white per total number of forms. (So, if you choose 3 forms, pay a total of 3 white.)
2. Determine when you transform. Some characters transform with with greater control than others; many cannot even shift voluntarily, and are instead forced to transform under certain circumstances.
By default, your transformation is totally involuntary. Choose which of your forms is your "default"; then choose a trigger that causes you to transform automatically into your other form, such as when you become enraged, or when exposed to the light of the full moon. Get creative! If you have more than one extra form, choose a trigger for each.
At a cost, you can choose to increase the degree of control you have over your transformations:
2w = Suppress Transformation. When your transformation is triggered, you can, with some effort, decide not to transform. If you have already transformed, you can voluntarily shift back to your default form. However, you cannot voluntarily change forms unless your transformation is triggered.
2w or 3w = Voluntary Transformation. For a cost of 2 white stones, you can decide to transform out of your default form even if your trigger hasn't been activated. For 3 white stones, you can also voluntarily return to your default form, as long as your initial transformation was also voluntary; if you were forced into an alternate form, you cannot voluntarily shift back.
5w = Total Control. A combination of Suppress Transformation and Voluntary Transformation: you have complete control over your transformations and can shift to and fro as you please. There is no need to record any triggers.
3. Choose the speed of your transformation. Some characters can switch forms more rapidly than others. By default, transforming costs you all of your Actions in a panel (including Free Actions). You benefit from any defensive modifiers that your new form may have during that page, but you cannot use any Actions or spend any energy.
At a cost, you can improve your transformation speed:
3w = One Action. It costs you only one Action to transform, and you may also take Free Actions. You can use Actions from one CAD or the other (indicating that you are using the action either before or after the transformation is complete).
5w = Free Action. It costs you only a Free Action to transform (you can use one Free Action per panel, which does not count against your usual 2 Actions in a panel). You can use Actions from one CAD or the other (indicating that you are using the action either before or after the transformation is complete).
4. Buy common Abilities, Actions, Modifiers and Challenges. The next thing to do is start building your CADs. First, start buy buying your Abilities and any Actions or Modifiers that are common to all of your forms. Pay only for the lowest rating that any of your CADs will have. That is to say, if you have two forms, and both of them have Toughness, pay for the lowest of the two Toughness ratings.
Pay only once. At the end of Step 4, all of your CADs should look the same.
You should also choose any Challenges that are common to all of your forms and add your Challenge stones back into your pool of white character creation stones immediately.
5. Multiply your remaining stones. Add up the number of white character creation stones that you have left. Multiply this number by 1.5, rounding up to the nearest red or white stone.
6. Improve your individual CADs. With your new total of stones, you may increase the Abilities, Actions or Modifiers of your individual CADs. If one CAD has a higher Toughness rating, pay for the increase.
You can also buy entire Actions or Modifiers that do not even appear at all on your other forms. This is also where you choose any Challenges that apply to on one form; refund these Challenge stones into your pool without multiplying them by 1.5. Once all of your stones have been spent, you are done!
Powered Armor
Making a Powered Armor character is just like making a Transform Self character, with a few specific differences. Instead of an alternate form that you transform into, you pay for a suit of high-tech armor that you don.
1. Determine the number of suits. Set aside one CAD to represent your "pilot", and a second CAD to represent your powered armor suit. You can have multiple suits with different features; in this case, pay one white stone for the total number of CADs (including your pilot) that you wish to use.
2. Determine access to your suit. Owning a powered armor suit necessitates at least a little baggage. Many pilots keep their powered armor suit in a safe location (a safe house, secret lab, or what have you) and must go to that location in order to don their suit. Indeed, this is the default. You can pay extra stones for easier access to your suit:
2w = Homing Algorithm. Your suit is constantly aware of your location and can come to you, on auto-pilot. The speed at which it arrives depends on its method of movement (buying Flight is almost a must), and once it arrives, it takes only a single Action to don. You benefit from any defensive Modifiers while donning your suit and you may use your suit's CAD with your second Action that Panel.
5w = Portable. Your suit collapses into a portable form, such as a stylish briefcase or light backpack. With the push of a button or a simple command, it unfolds, ready to be worn. Donning your suit is a Free Action, allowing you to use it to its full capacity almost instantly.
3. Choose functionality. There is a reason they call it "powered" armor. By default, your suit can operate for up to 2 hours before needing to be recharged. You must return to a specially prepared location, such as your safe house or laboratory and leave the suit powered down for 1 hour to recharge. Moreover, anyone can use your suit if they manage to find it, though they will be as much a danger to themselves as anyone else unless they are familiar with its use. You can improve these traits at an additional cost:
1 red = Energy Supply. For each red stone spent on Energy Supply, your suit will function for an additional 2 hours. Regardless of the size of your Energy Supply, it still only takes 1 hour to recharge.
1w = Recharge Anywhere. By absorbing solar energy, ambient electricity, or through some other high-tech method, your suit can recharge itself anywhere simply by powering down for one hour.
4w = Self-Sufficient. Your suit has a limitless (or nearly limitless) energy supply. You never need to worry about your batteries running low.
1w = Exclusivity. Your suit recognizes its owner (or other authorized personnel) and will not allow others to use it.
The remaining steps of character creation are identical to Transform Self: choose common Abilities, Actions, Modifiers and Challenges, then multiply the remaining stones by 1.5 and pay for individual improvements. Be sure to rename features on your CAD appropriately, if only for fun. A Force Blast becomes a Proton Beam, a stone of Self Contained Life Form to negate the need to breathe becomes "Life Support", and so on. Ultimately, it's flavour that really sets a powered armor character apart from the rest.
The Transform Self option is a special set of character creation rules designed for those heroes and villains who who have two or more principal "forms": Bruce Banner becomes the Hulk, Curt Connors becomes the Lizard, and Rahne Sinclair can transform into a wolf, or into a hybrid form that is equal parts wolf and human.
What it is not: These rules are not meant for characters who can choose a variety of forms as they please - that is the domain of the Metamorphosis Action. Likewise, characters who simply mimic the appearance of other people should use the Shapeshifting Action.
1. Determine the number of forms. Start by choosing a "default" form (usually your "human" form, but not always), and one alternate form. You may choose additional forms at the cost of 1 white per total number of forms. (So, if you choose 3 forms, pay a total of 3 white.)
2. Determine when you transform. Some characters transform with with greater control than others; many cannot even shift voluntarily, and are instead forced to transform under certain circumstances.
By default, your transformation is totally involuntary. Choose which of your forms is your "default"; then choose a trigger that causes you to transform automatically into your other form, such as when you become enraged, or when exposed to the light of the full moon. Get creative! If you have more than one extra form, choose a trigger for each.
At a cost, you can choose to increase the degree of control you have over your transformations:
2w = Suppress Transformation. When your transformation is triggered, you can, with some effort, decide not to transform. If you have already transformed, you can voluntarily shift back to your default form. However, you cannot voluntarily change forms unless your transformation is triggered.
2w or 3w = Voluntary Transformation. For a cost of 2 white stones, you can decide to transform out of your default form even if your trigger hasn't been activated. For 3 white stones, you can also voluntarily return to your default form, as long as your initial transformation was also voluntary; if you were forced into an alternate form, you cannot voluntarily shift back.
5w = Total Control. A combination of Suppress Transformation and Voluntary Transformation: you have complete control over your transformations and can shift to and fro as you please. There is no need to record any triggers.
3. Choose the speed of your transformation. Some characters can switch forms more rapidly than others. By default, transforming costs you all of your Actions in a panel (including Free Actions). You benefit from any defensive modifiers that your new form may have during that page, but you cannot use any Actions or spend any energy.
At a cost, you can improve your transformation speed:
3w = One Action. It costs you only one Action to transform, and you may also take Free Actions. You can use Actions from one CAD or the other (indicating that you are using the action either before or after the transformation is complete).
5w = Free Action. It costs you only a Free Action to transform (you can use one Free Action per panel, which does not count against your usual 2 Actions in a panel). You can use Actions from one CAD or the other (indicating that you are using the action either before or after the transformation is complete).
4. Buy common Abilities, Actions, Modifiers and Challenges. The next thing to do is start building your CADs. First, start buy buying your Abilities and any Actions or Modifiers that are common to all of your forms. Pay only for the lowest rating that any of your CADs will have. That is to say, if you have two forms, and both of them have Toughness, pay for the lowest of the two Toughness ratings.
Pay only once. At the end of Step 4, all of your CADs should look the same.
You should also choose any Challenges that are common to all of your forms and add your Challenge stones back into your pool of white character creation stones immediately.
5. Multiply your remaining stones. Add up the number of white character creation stones that you have left. Multiply this number by 1.5, rounding up to the nearest red or white stone.
6. Improve your individual CADs. With your new total of stones, you may increase the Abilities, Actions or Modifiers of your individual CADs. If one CAD has a higher Toughness rating, pay for the increase.
You can also buy entire Actions or Modifiers that do not even appear at all on your other forms. This is also where you choose any Challenges that apply to on one form; refund these Challenge stones into your pool without multiplying them by 1.5. Once all of your stones have been spent, you are done!
Powered Armor
Making a Powered Armor character is just like making a Transform Self character, with a few specific differences. Instead of an alternate form that you transform into, you pay for a suit of high-tech armor that you don.
1. Determine the number of suits. Set aside one CAD to represent your "pilot", and a second CAD to represent your powered armor suit. You can have multiple suits with different features; in this case, pay one white stone for the total number of CADs (including your pilot) that you wish to use.
2. Determine access to your suit. Owning a powered armor suit necessitates at least a little baggage. Many pilots keep their powered armor suit in a safe location (a safe house, secret lab, or what have you) and must go to that location in order to don their suit. Indeed, this is the default. You can pay extra stones for easier access to your suit:
2w = Homing Algorithm. Your suit is constantly aware of your location and can come to you, on auto-pilot. The speed at which it arrives depends on its method of movement (buying Flight is almost a must), and once it arrives, it takes only a single Action to don. You benefit from any defensive Modifiers while donning your suit and you may use your suit's CAD with your second Action that Panel.
5w = Portable. Your suit collapses into a portable form, such as a stylish briefcase or light backpack. With the push of a button or a simple command, it unfolds, ready to be worn. Donning your suit is a Free Action, allowing you to use it to its full capacity almost instantly.
3. Choose functionality. There is a reason they call it "powered" armor. By default, your suit can operate for up to 2 hours before needing to be recharged. You must return to a specially prepared location, such as your safe house or laboratory and leave the suit powered down for 1 hour to recharge. Moreover, anyone can use your suit if they manage to find it, though they will be as much a danger to themselves as anyone else unless they are familiar with its use. You can improve these traits at an additional cost:
1 red = Energy Supply. For each red stone spent on Energy Supply, your suit will function for an additional 2 hours. Regardless of the size of your Energy Supply, it still only takes 1 hour to recharge.
1w = Recharge Anywhere. By absorbing solar energy, ambient electricity, or through some other high-tech method, your suit can recharge itself anywhere simply by powering down for one hour.
4w = Self-Sufficient. Your suit has a limitless (or nearly limitless) energy supply. You never need to worry about your batteries running low.
1w = Exclusivity. Your suit recognizes its owner (or other authorized personnel) and will not allow others to use it.
The remaining steps of character creation are identical to Transform Self: choose common Abilities, Actions, Modifiers and Challenges, then multiply the remaining stones by 1.5 and pay for individual improvements. Be sure to rename features on your CAD appropriately, if only for fun. A Force Blast becomes a Proton Beam, a stone of Self Contained Life Form to negate the need to breathe becomes "Life Support", and so on. Ultimately, it's flavour that really sets a powered armor character apart from the rest.