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DC HEROES
ROLE-PLAYING GAM_E
 4 Reaci this First I

6 Chapter One: An Introduction to DC Heroes 111

14 • Welcome To Gotham City Solo Advepture 111

17 Chapter Two: Character Design 112 Chapter Seven: Gadgetry

17 I. Terminology 112 I. Basic Concepts
18 II. Character Creation 113 II. Building Gadgets
31 Ill. Experience and Character Growth 116 Ill. Modifying Existing Gailgets
32 IV. Advantages and Drawbacks 117 IV. Repairing Gadgets
41 V. Bonuses and Limitations 117 V. Replacing Destroyed Gadgets
43 VI.Powers 117 Vt. Omni-Gadgets
74 VII. Skills 118 VII. Mystical Gadgets
118 VIII. Gadgets in Combat
82 Chapter Three: The Rules 118 IX. Real World Gadgets
82 Idea One: Attribute Points
83 Idea Two: Attributes 124 Chapter Eight: Wealth
85 Idea Three: Rolling the Dice
85 Idea Four: The Action Table 126 Chapter Nine: Gamemasterlng
86 Idea Five: The Result Table 126 I. Principles of Being a GM
88 Idea Six: Powers, Skills. Advantages, 127 II. Running the Adventure
and Drawbacks 128 Ill. Don't Panic
88 Idea Seven: Hero Points 129 IV. Creating an Adventure
89 Idea Eight: Automatic Actions 132 V. Standard Awards

91 Chapter Four: APs and the World 135 Chapter Ten: Subplots
91 • General Rules 135 I. Gamemastering Subplots
91 • Movement 141 II. Playing Subplots
92 • Throwing Things 142 Ill. Subplot Categories
94 • Breaking Thing~

95 Chapter Five: Combat 144 Appendix A. The DC Universe

95 I. Time 144 I. History of the DC Universe
95 II. Actions 149 II. Places of Interest in the DC U ni verse
95 Ill. Keeping Track of Position 156 Ill. Inside the DC Universe
96 IV. Combat Sequence 160 IV. Character Roster
98 V. The Nuts and Bolts of Combat 169 V. The Death of Superman
98 VI. Damage
99 VII. Recovery 172 Appendix B. Animals
100 VIII. Knockback
101 IX. Combat Maneuvers 176 Appendix C. Genres
104 X. Defensive Combat Maneuvers 176 I. Genre Types
104 XI. Initiative Maneuvers 176 II. Genre Rules
104 XII. Special Combat Situations 176 Ill. Customizing Genres
107 XIII. Perception Checks
107 XIV. Example of Combat 177 Appendix D .
108 XV. Putting It Al l Together Character Design Summary

109 Chapter Six: Character Interaction 180 Charts and Tables

109 I. Types of Character Interaction
109 II. Resolvi ng Character Interaction 183 Batman (from Who's Who #4)
110 Ill. Time
111 IV. The Chari sma Skill

Read This First!
When you opened this book, you
opened a whole new world: a world
filled with heroes and exciting
adventures, a world infested by villains
and great dangers, a world where
anything can happen. Welcome to the
world of DC HEROES. DC HEROES is a role-
p Ia yin g game. But even if you've ,
played role-playing games before, :
you'll find DC HEROES different from the
rest. For those who have never played
role-playing games, please read the
next section. Experienced role-players
may skip this and start on page 6 at An
Introduction to DC Heroes.
What is a Role-Playing Game?
A role-playing game ( RPG) lets you play a role, li ke
an actor does on a stage. But unlike an actor, a role-player
does not have a script. Everything a person does affects
the outcome of the ga me, making every time yo u play
different and more exciting.
In the DC HEROES Role-Playing Game, each person may
play the role o f o ne hero. You , the pl aye r, can play
anyo ne in the DC Un iverse, includin g Batman, Superman,
Green Arrow, or even a Character you've made up.
Each hero has definite Powers and/or Ski ll s, each has
a Motivation for acting as a hero, and some have spec ial
Advantages, Drawbacks, Vulnerabi lities, and Limitations.
The hero you choose to play, called the Character, is
involved in creati ng an interesting story with the other
Players of the game. This creati on is not hard. In fact, it's
lots of fun. Everyo ne can learn role-playing games. They
are straightforward, logical, and deal with understandable
ideas.
Most people learn ro le-playi ng thro ugh ex perience.
Start slowly. Take as much time as you need, then stop
when it becomes confu sing. The more yo u pl ay the DC
H EROES RPG , the more yo u wi ll understand why certain
rules ex ist, and how to use them.
The rul es in the DC HEROES RPG allow you to make
up you r own stories abou t your fa vorite heroes. In stead of
j us t readin g a co mic book featurin g Ju st ice League
International, you will play the ro le of one of the heroes.
You dec ide wh ic h actions the hero will take, act as the
Character wou ld when meeting other Characte rs, and
behave as if yo u were th e hero. Your hero will th e n
participate in an advent ure which is coord inated by
another person, called the Gamemaster ( GM).
One person must be chosen as the Gam e mas te r.
Before playing, this person should be fam ili ar with the
rules of the DC HEROES RPG . The Gamemaster is like the
writer o f a DC com ic book , unfolding th e s tory and
making it work. This person also has the important task of
p lay ing the roles of all of the other C haracters in the
adve ntures. Characters who are not bei ng played by a
Player are called Non-Player Characters (NPCs).
For example, in the solo adventure, Welco me to
Gotham City, on page 14, the GM would play the th ief,
or anyone else that Batman might meet in the story.
The Gamemaster writes down the basic framework of
the story, drawing out plans for the various locations,
assigning Powers and Skil ls to the vill ains, and creating
the special plot twists for each story.
The Gamemaster must have a good gras p of the rules
of the game, since he is the one who conducts play and
acts as a referee. Much of the material in the DC HEROES
RPG is devoted to the Gamemaster, and gives helpful
hints on how to run a good ga me.
When your group sits down wi th the Gamemaster to
pl ay, everyo ne has hi s ass igned ro le. As Playe rs, yo ur
C h arac ters are a ll heroes. Th e Gamema s ter run s
everythin g else.
The Gamemaster wi ll then present the beginning of
the s to ry to the asse mbl ed group , b ut not as a dry
summary of the facts. He will try to e ncourage you to
im ag ine yo urse lf in the DC world , by describ in g the
general setting, people, and other important information
about the situation the heroes find themselves in . Like the
beginning of a comic book, a role-playi ng ga me can start
with a bang or build slowly toward an exciting cl imax.
As a Playe r, yo u mu st identi fy wi th yo ur chosen
hero ic Charac ter, a nd place him in th at settin g. Ask
yo urse lf que s tion s abo ut the e n vi ro nment and the
Character. How wo uld Wonder Woman ac t in th is place?
What would she say or try to do? It 's all ri ght to ask the
Game master questio ns to help yo u understa nd what 's
going on.
Four e nvironme nts should always be kept in mind
whi le you are role- play ing:
1. The immediate environment inc ludes those
things that are closest to your Character: hi s costume, the
chair he is sitting in, the gadgets and equ ipment included
with hi s costume, etc.
2. The general environment is the area in which
t he c h ai r is p laced: a room in th e Charac ter's
headquarters, or a shack with ail of its features (doors,
windows, etc.) detailed by the Gamemaster.
 3. The larger environment is the area beyond: the
space outside the windows and doors, the city in which
the headquarters is located, the swamp next to the shack,
the trees, sky, birds, etc.
4. The world environment is usually the world of
DC HEROES , but it could be a planet trillions of miles from
Earth, the heart of a supernova, a cave one hundred miles
bene ath th e s urface of a planet , or anyw here the
Gamemaster takes your Character.
Once the environment and the heroes and othe r
people have been establi shed, the first problem can be
presented by the Gamemaster.
A problem can be anything that forces you and the
other players to become involved with the story . It cou ld
be a clue your Characters must solve, a bank robbery they
must foi l, or even a full scale attack on their headquarters!
At thi s point yo u and the others are no longer passive
observers. You must do something. Your decisions affect
the outcome of the story, so that the story isn't just being
told by one person, but being experienced and changed by
the whole group.
Wh e n yo u act, th e Gamema st er wi ll ask for
information about yo ur Characters. Each Character in the
DC HEROES RPG has numbers that are used to rate that
Character's Abilities and Attributes.
Sometimes the Gamemaster will ask yo u to roll dice.
Thi s is the method by wh ich Players determine how
successful their Character will be in certain actions. Once
the dice are rolled , the Gamemaster will look at his tables
and tell yo u the result of your actions.
After the first problem, yo u and the other Playe rs
take control of the game. Your Characters might have to
follow up o n clues or fi ght the bad guys to find more
clues with which to keep the story moving.
Som e time s , you' ll hit a dead end, and the
Gamemaster must be prepared to start again by presenting
a new problem wh ich lets the action move forward. And
so it goes throughout the adventure; the Players and the
Gamemaster working together to create a totally unique
story, like those found in DC comic books.
The ru les presented here give you a framework on
which LO build the world of the DC HEROES RPG . They
allow yo u to create and experience new adventures, and to
find out just how fast, strong, or powerful yo ur favorite
Character is.
Role-playing is fun and challenging. It helps develop
the im agi nation , a nd le ts people und e r st a nd th e
importance of team work and honesty. But most of all ,
role-playing lets you li ve the lives of your favorite heroes
and share in the ir exc iting adventures!
Editor's Note
to Players of the Second Edition
Welcome to the latest edition of the DC H EROES
Role-Playing Game., lf you're like me, you've been
playing the 2nd edition for years, and you might be
thinking: "'Why a 3rd edition? The second edition was
a big improvement over the fi rst, which was already an
excellent system." There are two answers to thi s
question:
First, we ran out of 2nd edition boxed sets, and the
decision was made to switch to a more convenient (and
less costly) softcover fonnat. Since we had to layout
the entire book anyway, we decided to revise the rules
as well , rather than simply putting out a reprint in a
different forn1at.
The se cond (less imp orta nt ) reason is that ,
although the 2nd edition was an exceptional system in
its own right and much im proved over the original, it
still contained a number of minor rules probl ems ,
typographical errors, etc., many of which were brought
to our attention by Players who attend conventions or
write letters.
When I was handed this project, it was made clear
that the 3rd edition bad to be I00% compatible with all
2nd edition products. I also decided that I would not
change the actual game system (sti ll intact from the I st
edition), and that I would make every attempt to
change the rules in such a way that existing Characters
would not need to be revised or re-written (especially
considering our recent Who's Who supplements) .
With these guidelines in mind, the task of putting
this book together became a bit more diffic ult, but I
think h was well worth it. All the minor changes that
have gone into the rules are fa r too nu merous to
summarize here, so I can only suggest that at least one
member of any DC H EROES gro up, preferably the
Garnemaster, should read thi s entire book and pass o n
the specifics to the others. Particular attention should
be paid to Chapter Two : Character De sig n , s in ce
many of the Power descriptions have been expanded
and clarified, and some Base Costs and Factor Costs
have changed .
The product you hold in your hands contai ns the
same fun and exiting game as the prev ious edi tions,
with the added benefit of revised rules, new Abi lities,
and updated DC Characters, including the notorious
Doomsday!
Enjoy !
Bryan Nystul
DC H EROES Editor
 Attribute Points arc the basic form of measurement in the
DC HEROE S RPG . Eve rythin g, inc lu di ng tim e, di sta nce, and
vo lume, is measured in Attribute Points. Att ribute Points are
abbreviated APs. You should reme mber thi s abbreviation: we
use it a lot.
Si nce Att ribu te Po int s meas ure eve rythin g in th e DC
HEROES RPG , it is easy to tran sfer these Points from one form of
meas ure men t to a nother. Fo r instan ce, to find how muc h a
Character ca n lift, find his Attribute Points for Strength. This is
the number of Attribute Points of weig ht he ca n lift without
strain.
Attribute Points are also used to measure how effecti ve a
Character's actions are. So in combat, APs are used to find how
much damage a Character inflicts or sustains. In a race. APs are
used to find out how fast a Character runs. An d so on.
APs can even measure kn owledge or money: 1 AP equals
th e informmion in a magaz ine o r $50, 3 APs equal a two-
vo lume diction ary or $200, and 5 APs equal a te n-vo lume
encyclopedia or $800.
These amounts of damage, speed, info rmati on. or volume
are related LO real wo rld unit s like pounds, fee t, and seconds
There is a base va lue for each type of measurement called Effect
Units. These are as fo ll ows:

Measurement Effect Units

Weight 50 pounds
Distance 10 feet
Time 4 seconds
Volume I' X I' X l '
Money $25
Information I Paragraph

These Etfect Units are eac h equal to O APs. In th e DC

H EROES RPG , 0 has a measura ble va lue.
Zero APs of time, or 4 seconds, is referred 10 as a phase
This term is often used durin g combat.
Right now, just co nce ntrate on the fo ll owing: Eac h addition a l AP of meas ure me nt is wo rth twice as
mu ch as the AP before it. Therefore, a Character with a Strength
1. Attribute Points of 6 is twice as strong as a Character with a Strength of 5
There is a tabl e later in thi s book (called the Benchmark AP
2. Attributes Table) that explains how LO quickl y conve rt APs into their real
3. How to Use the Dice wo rld equiv a lents and real wo rld me asures into APs. This,
however, is not important fo r the Players. It is enough to know
4. The Action Table
how many APs somethin g has, because a// measureme nt s are in
5. The Result Table APs, not pounds, inches, or cubi c feet.
6. Powers, Skills, Advantages, Drawbacks Weight, for instan ce, goes like thi s·
7. Hero Points APs Real World Weight
8. Automatic Actions
50 lbs.
lOOlbs.
Once yo u have read through these secti ons, you will be
ready to play the solo ad ve nture, Welcome to Gotham City.
200 1bs.
After you have mastered that, you should be able to play the DC
4001bs.
HEROES RPG with someo ne who understand s a ll of th e rules
800Ibs.
1,600 lbs.
After you've played a few tim es, read the rest of the book to add
3,200 lbs.
variety to the game.
 Distance also works o n thi s scale so that:
APs
Sin ce a ll meas u re me nt s are re late d , you can use the m
interchangeabl y. Fo r instance, a Character with a Strength of 6
APs can li ft 6 APs of we ight. A C harac ter who has 5 APs of the
Fli ght Power can fl y S APs of d istance in a sin gle phase (0 APs
or 4 second s) of time.
A Character with 6 APs of Flight can fl y 6 APs of distan ce,
wh ich is twice as far as 5 APs, in the sa me amount of ti me.
Thi s brin gs up an im po rt a nt po int : APs in crease very
qu ickly. An average adult we ighs 2 APs, I O APs of weight is I S
tons, and 20 APs is I 5,000 tons. Th erefo re, you have a slim
chance of defeatin g someone in an arm wrestl ing contest if he
has 4 APs more o f strength than you do.
The di ffe rence between a Strength o f 2 (Jimmy O lsen) and
a Strength o f 25 (S uperman) is much larger than it might seem
al fi rst. Th is leads us to our nex t idea: Attributes.
Attributes are natural abilities that every C haracter in the
DC wo rld possesses. If you loo k at a C haracter 's desc ription
(see the Character Roste r, p. 160), yo u will noti ce a seri es of
abbreviations and numbers. This sec tion will exp lain what th ose
words and numbers mean and how they are use d in the DC
H EROES RPG
Most of the terms in thi s secti on are fami liar. Nine of these
te rm s re fe r to A b ili ti es of yo ur C h a ract e r . Th ese are hi s
Attributes . The other seven term s refer to the two ways the nin e
Attributes are grou ped. This may see m like a lot of terms, but to
make it eas ier, we wi ll use the Batman as an example of how
these terms are interrelated .
Attributes arc measured in APs, so they are related to the
Attribut e Po ints fro m Idea O ne . Attr ibutes are grouped int o
three diffe rent areas of hum an characteri stics: ph ys ical, mental,
and mystical. These Auributes are:
Each Auribut e has a spec ifi c mea nin g that is di sc ussed
fo llowing. Abbrev iations fo r each Attribute are in parentheses
foll ow ing the Attribute.
DEX: 9 STR: 5 Boov: 6
INT: 12 WI LL: 12 MIND: 10
! NFL: 10 AURA: 8 S PIRIT: I0
INITIATIVE: 35 H ERO POI NTS: 150
Physical Attributes
Dex terity ( DEX) is you r C h ara cter's skill in us in g hi s
hands and body, the degree of control he has over hi s phys ica l
self, o r hi s abilit y to de fl ec t a Ph ys ic a l A tt ac k. Batm an 's
Dex te rity o f 9 is in credib le. He is ma ny many tim es m o re
acc urate and agile than the average person, whose Dex terity is 2.
In combat, thi s Dexterity is used to determine if Batman lands a
pun ch o r dod ges a bl ow, de pendin g o n wh eth er he attac k s
someone or is defending himself.
St rength (STR) is yo ur Character's ph ys ical power, the
amo unt of ph ysica l fo rce he can bring to bear o n an object.
Batman's Strength o f S is very good, but within human limits;
he is as strong as the best we ight li fters. Batman 's Strength is
used to fin d out how much damage he g ives when he lands a
punch.
Body (Boov) is more than just your C haracter's physical
se lf. ll is hi s resistance to phys ica l damage. When he sustains
damage from a Ph ys ica l Atta ck ( li ke a pun ch), th e n umber
representing hi s APs of Boov is lowered . Thi s lowered number,
however, is on ly your Ch aracter's Curren t Boor Condition ; hi s
BooY Auribute always remains constant when de fendin g against
an opponent.
When the dam age g iven to a Character's BODY brings hi s
Current BODY Condition to 0, he will become unconsc ious. If a
C ha ra c te r 's C urre nt BooY Co nditi o n is eve r lowe re d to a
negati ve value below hi s ori g inal BooY APs, he is dead.
The Batm an's BooY of 6 is very good. He has conditi oned
himself so we ll that he can take more damage than almost any
other human. If he sustains enough damage in combat to bring
hi s Current Boov Condition be low -6, he will die.
D EX : S TR: B ODY:
INT: 12 WILL: 12 MIND: 10
[ NFL: LO A URA: 8 SPIRIT: 10
I NITIATIVE: 35 H ERO POINTS: 150
Mental Attribute s
Int e ll ig e n ce ( INT) is a meas ure of h ow eas il y yo ur
Character grasps ideas, the degree of control he has over mental
ene rgy, and hi s abi lit y to manipu late inform atio n. Batman 's
Intelli gence of 12 is s upe ri o r. He is a tho usa nd tim es mo re
perceptive than the average human (w hose Intelli gence is 2).
Will (WILL) is your Character' s mental power, the amount
of mental energy and strength he has naturall y. Batman's WI LL of
12 APs is a measure of how we ll he can organi ze facts and draw
co nc lu s io ns. Thi s s tre ngth is d er ived fr o m hi s r ig id se lf-
di scip li ne and proven resolve to fi ght crime. Batm an's WILL is
his mental "musc le."
M ind ( MI ND) is yo ur C haracter 's res ista nce to me nta l
damage in the form of Me ntal Attacks li ke Mind Probe. Whe n a
C haracter sustains mental damage, his Curren t M IND Condition is
lowered . If there is enou gh damage to lower his C urrent M1No
Condition to 0 , he will beco me unco nsci ous. If a C haracter 's
C urre nt MINO C onditi o n is eve r lowered to a nega ti ve va lue
below his original MI ND APs, he is dead.
Even if some villain were able to strike at Batman 's mind ,
hi s MIND of IO APs wo uld make it ve ry hard to destroy hi s
ab ili ty to think . On ly a powerful o r sustain ed Mental Attack
would kn ock him unconscious (by reduc ing his C urrent MI ND
Co nditi on to 0), and ki ll ing him (by reducing hi s C urrent MIND
Conditi on to - 11 or lower) wou ld be almost impossible. It would The DC HEROES RPG has a uniqu e way of findin g the chance
be much eas ier to kill hi m physicall y of s uccess. Every Acti ng Attribute mu st be compared to the
Opposing Attribute of the object or person your Character wants
to affect. When a C haracter uses o ne of hi s Attr ibut es, the
Acting and Opposin g Attributes arc the sa me.
D EX : STR: B ODY : For instance, if the Batman were going to punch a crook,
INT: 12 WILL: 12 MIND: 10 hi s DEX (Acting Attribute ) wo uld be compared to the Dex
INFL: 10 AURA : 8 SPIRIT: 10 (Opposi ng Attribu te) of th e crook he wa nts to hit. Th e two
Attributes are compared on the Action Tab le, which is exp lained
I NITI ATIVE: 35 HERO POI NTS: 150 on pages 9 through m
Usuall y, a Character's Ac ting/Opposin g Attributes are hi s
Mystical Attributes Dex terit y (for ph ys ic al ac ti ons), Inte lli ge nce (fo r mental
Influence (INFL) is the force of a Character's personality, action s), and Influence (for mystical ac ti ons). There may be
hi s ability to affect the e motions and responses of others, and his other abilities that can be used instead of these Acting/Opposing
mystical potential. Batman' s Influence of 10 allows him to scare Attr ibutes. Fo r in stance, whe n a C ha rac ter use s one of hi s
the wits out of most of hi s opponents. Powers or Ski ll s, he ca n often use differ e nt Acting and
Aur a (AURA) is the e ffec tiven ess of yo ur Characte r 's Opposin g va lues. For exa mple, Batman can use the APs of hi s
personality, hi s ease at contro lli ng a group, and hi s mys ti ca l Detect ive Skill in place of hi s Intelli gence to determine if he can
strength . Batman 's AURA is what makes him abl e to lead Justi ce ana lyze a clue or not.
League International so we ll. Hi s contact with supernatural foes
and alli es has dri ven him to increase hi s AURA beyond the leve l
of a normal human.
Spirit (SPIRIT) is your Character's abi lity to resist fear, hi s D EX: STR: BODY:
control of emotion , and hi s res istance to Mystical Damage. If INT: 12 WtLL: 12 MI ND: IO
there is enough damage to lower hi s Current SPIRIT Condition to 0,
INFL : 10 AURA: 8 10
SPIRIT:
he will become uncon sc io us. If a Character's Current SP IRIT
Condi ti on is ever lowe red to a negati ve va lue below his original I NITI ATI VE: 35 H ERO P OINTS: 150
SPIRIT APs, he is dead. Batman 's SPIRIT of 10 makes it very hard
for an opponent to dam age him with a Mystical Attack . More Effect Attributes a re th e amou nt s of pow e r that a
than 20 AP s of Mys tic a l Dam age wou ld be nee ded to kill Characte r can direc t at an opponent or obj ect once it has been
Batman. determin ed that hi s action is s uccessfu l. This amount can be
physical strength , mental strength, or strength of personality. A
There is another way to group the nine Attributes. Like the Character's Effect Attributes are Strength, Will and Aura.
fir st se t of ca tego ri es, whic h grouped th e Attrib ut es into As with Actin g and Opposing Attributes, an Atlribute of
Phys ical , Me ntal , and Mys ti ca l Attributes, thi s second set of the attacker is compared to an Altributc of the defender. Once it
categories gro up s th e m into Acting, Oppos in g, Effect, and ha s bee n det e rmin e d than an action is s uc cess ful , thi s
Resistance Attributes. co mparison tak es p lace on th e Resu lt T abl e. Th e attacke r 's
Th ese a re th e las t four ter m s yo u nee d to learn to Effect Attribute is com pared to the d e fender 's R esis tan ce
understand Attributes. Each of the Attribu tes is grouped under Attribute (see the fo ll ow ing descripti on) to find a number ca lled
one of these categories: the Result APs ( RAPs)c
Thi s numbe r is use d for mo re than just the amount of
Acting/Opposing damage. The Res ult APs are used to see how large a hole a
Attributes: • Dexterity Charac te r can s m as h in a wa ll , how large a n ice blo ck a
C haracter makes with hi s lee Production Power, o r how many
• intelligence
clues a Character finds at the scene of a crime, as well as how
• Influence mu ch damage a Character recei ves.

" Effect Attributes: • Strength

• Will
• Aura D EX: STR: BODY : 6
INT: 12 WILL: 12 MIND: 10
Resistance Attributes: • Body INFL: JO AURA: 8 SPIRIT: 10
• Mind INITIATIVE: 35 HERO POINTS: 150
• Spirit
Resistance Attr ibutes determine how muc h damage a
BATMAN , Character can take in phys ical, mental, and mysti cal areas. The
Resisrnnce Attributes are Body, Mind, and Spirit.
DEX: 9 STR: BODY: The Res istance Attribute is co mpared on the Res ult Table
INT: 12 WILL: 12 MI ND: 10 to the Effect Attribut e o f the a tt acker. The numb er found
INFL: 10 A URA: 8 S PIRIT: 10 te mpora ril y r ed u ces the AP s o f th e Current Co ndition .
Re membe r, no mauer how serio usly a Characte r is hurt , he
INIT IATIVE: 35 HERO POI NTS: 150 always defends at the ori ginal value of hi s Res isrn nce Attribute.
The Character's C urrent Boov, M1ND, or SPIRIT Condition is used
Acting/ Opposing Attributes are used to determine if an to determine only two thing s: if th e hero ha s been rendered
ac tion is s uccessful. These Attr ibutes are not used just fo r unconscious, or if he has died in batt le.
act io ns in co mb at; any act ion ca n be eas il y and quick ly For instance, Batman 's Resistance Attribute for Ph ys ical
determined. Actions can be landing a punch, fi guring o ut a clue, Attacks is hi s BoDv. Even if he los t 3 APs from hi s Current BODY
usi ng yo ur Li ghtning Po wer to bl ow a ho le in th e wa ll, or Condition, he wo uld still defend at 6 APs. If a Res istance
painting a picture. All actio ns use the Action Tabl e to fi gure out Attribute (Boov, M1ND, OR SPIRIT) is temporarily reduced to O or
the chance of success. below, the Character fa ll s unconscious.
 Action Table
Opposing Value Columns

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 36 4 1 46 51 56
to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 +5

1-2 6 11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32 36 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 +5
3-4 5 9 11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32 36 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75
5-6 4 7 9 11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32 36 40 45 50 55 60 65 70
7-8 4 5 7 9 11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32 36 40 45 50 55 60 65
9-10 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32 36 40 45 50 55 60
i
C,
11 -12 3 9 11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32 36 40 45 50 55

..
a.: 13-15
.a 16-18
3
3
3
3 3
7
4" 5
9
7
11
9
13
11
15
13
18
15
21
18
24
21
28
24
32
28
36
32
40
36
45
40
50
45
19-21 3 3 3 4 5 7 9 11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32 36 40
~ 22-24 3 3 J 3 9 11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32 36
a,
C 25-27 3 3 3 3 3 9 11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32
~ 28-30
31 -35
3
3
3
3
3
3 3
4
3
5
4
7
5
9
7
11
9
13
11
15
13
18
15
21
18
24
21
28
24
36-40 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 7 9 11 13 15 18 21
41 -45 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 7 11 13 15 18
46-50 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 7 9 11 13 15
51-55 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 7 9 11 13
56-60 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 7 9 11
+5 C
+S: On e Colum n Shift f o r each +5 . C: Ca nce l - One +5 Ro w ca nce ls o n e +S Colum n .

Jf a Character 's Current Condi tion is ever lowered lo a Yo u do not get to keep rollin g. Furthe rmore , even if do ub le
ne ga t i ve va l ue bel ow h i s orig in al Bo o v, M I ND , or SPIRIT I 's is ro ll e d o n t he second or g reate r ro ll , the roll fai ls. For
Condi tion , he is dead. For Batman to be kill ed wi th a Ph ys ical in stance. if you ro ll double S's, the n d o uble 7's. then d o ubl e I 's,
Attac k, for in stance, his BODY Condition must be reduced to -7 your action fa ils.
APs.
Four
Three The Action Tobie, togethe r wit h the Result Table, re so lves
ne arl y a ll of the actions in the DC H EROES RPG . Thoug h they look
Rolling the dice is a very trivial yet importan t pa rt of every
co mp lex, u s in g t h e Tab les is re la t i ve ly easy. Read th e
role-play ing game. In order to pl ay the DC H EROES RPG you w ill
descript io n and examp les that fo ll ow. Soon you ' ll kn ow how to
need two te n-s ided dice (wh ich sho ul d be readi ly a vailab le at the
reso lve a lmost any act ion in the DC H EROES RPG .
store where you got thi s book). A ten-s ided die is referred to as a
The re are e ig ht new terms associated w ith the T a bles, but
D10. If you are asked to ro ll a D IO, ro ll one d ie. The numbe r
do n' t worry: some are fami liar terms used in a s lig ht ly new way
show ing on top is your roll; 0 is cou nted as te n, not zero
These te rm s are:
If 1he Ga me ma ste r asks yo u to ro ll 1D10, you w ill most
like ly be ro ll ing fo r Initiative. Ini tiati ve is used d uring combat to
Acti o n Ch ec k, Act ing Valu e, Opp os in g Va lu e, Su ccess
de term in e whic h C ha rac te r ge ts to dec lare an d perfo rm h is
Numbe r, Co lumn Shift, Co lu mn Shift Thres ho ld , Effec t Va lue,
action first
a nd Resistance Va lue .
To determ ine your Initi ative, roll ID IO a nd add the res ult
Th e fo llowing example pits Night wing o f the New Titans
to your Charac te r's Init iative ratin g. Whoe ver has the lowest
against Deadshot o f the Suicide Squad (who has just run out of
Initiati ve declares hi s ac tio n first. Then , when comba t begin s,
ammunition). It will help you gain a better understanding o f how
whoever has the hig hes t Initia ti ve perfo rm s hi s act io n first.
the terms mentioned above apply during plo y.
You ' ll get to prac ti ce rolling Initiat ive in the so lo ad venwre ,
We lco m e t o Go tha m City .
In o rd e r to foll ow alo ng, you w il l need the Ac 1ion and
Whe n you a rc asked to roll 2D10. roll bo th dice and add the
Resu lt Tab les, a long w ith these sta1i s 1ics fo r N ig h 1w in g a nd
results together. If you ro ll doubl es (the same numbe r on e ach
Deadshot:
d ie), you may add the total the n roll again. Add the new d ice roll
to your first ro ll to get your total. For instance, if you rolled a 4
and a 4, the n a I a nd a 9, your to tal ro ll wou ld be 18.
If you keep roll in g doubles, you may kee p add ing the new DEX: STR: B ODY:
rolls a nd t he n ro ll th e dice aga in . You do no t ha ve 10 keep
ro lling if you ge t doubles : yo u may stop ro lling the d ice any1ime
INT: W ILL: M IND:
afte r your first ro ll. I NFL : AURA: SPIR IT:
EXCEPTION : If at any time you roll a 2 (double 1's), you I NIT IATIVE : 28 HERO POINTS: 90
automatically fail at the action you were attempting.
 I ,a t Fourth: Roll the two ten -sided dice. If you roll your
DEX: STR: B ODY:
I NT: WILL: MI ND:
I NFL: AURA'. SPIRIT:
I N ITI ATI VE: 24 H ERO P OINTS: 55
Th e Ac ti on Table is read both down and across. Wheneve r
we wa n! you to read down, we ca ll the listin g a Column. When
we want yo u to read across. we call the listing a Row
Nightwing is attempting ta punch Deadshat.
First: Find the Acting Value column. Th e Acting Values are
located in the left-hand column of the Act ion Table. Th e Ac tin g
Va lu e is mo st often a mea s uremen t of a C haracter" s Ac ti on
Attribute (DEX, INT, or INFL ). De pe nding o n whi ch type of actio n
is being performed. a ce rtain Acting/Oppos ing Attribute is used.
Actl~';; Type Acting/ Opposing Attributes
• Physical • Dexterity
•Mental • Inte lligence
~ ystical • Influence
Sometimes, ot he r Attr ibutes ca n replace th e normal
Act in g/Oppos in g Attr ibut es (Dex, INT, or IN FL ). Powe rs
or Ski ll s. fo r instance. us ua lly th e ir own rat in gs as th e
Ac tin g Va lue .
Beca use Nightwing is attempting to perform an
action, it is time to begin our Action Check. Pun ching
someone is a Physical Attack, so use Nightwing 's DEX of 8 as
the Acting Value. The fifth Row down is the 7-8 Acting
Value Row.
If Nightwing had a Mental Power that he wanted to
use, like Heat Vision or Hypnotism, he would use the APs of
that Power as the Acting Value, not his DEX.
Second: Find the Opposing Valu e row. Th e
Opposing Values are located in th e topmo st row of th e
Action Table. Like the Ac ti ng Va lue, the Opposin g Val ue
is common ly the Act ing/Opposing Attribu te (Dex, INT, or
INFL) of th e defending Character. But the Oppos ing Val ue
can come from ot her Attributes. lf the Cha racter is usin g a
Powe r or Ski ll to defe nd him se lf fro m attac k, th en th e
APs of the Power o r Ski ll become th e Oppos in g Va lue.
Deadshot will try to dodge Nightwing 's blow with his
own Dexterity. Deadshot has a Dexterity of 8. Go across the
Opposing Value row until you find the 7 to 8 Opposing
Value Column.
If Nightwing were using a Mental Attack, Deadshot
would defend with his Acting Attribute for Mental Attacks,
his Intelligence . If Nightwing had the power to use a
Mystical Attack, Deadshot would defend with his Acting
Attribute for Mystical Attacks, Influence. But Nightwing has
no way o f making Mental or Mystical Attacks and must use
brute force; instead he tries to punch Deadshot.
Third : Find the Success Number. Find where 1he
Acti ng Va lue Row and the Opposing Va lue Column mee t.
Th e number at thi s inte rsec ti o n is th e Success Number.
Thi s is th e lowes t number you ca n ro ll on the two ten-
sided di ce (2D10 ) for your C harac ter to succeed at hi s
ac11on .
By looking at the Action Table where the 7-8 Acting
Value Row and the 7 to 8 Opposing Value Column meet,
you see you need to roll an 11 for Nightwing to hit
Deadshot.
Success Number or better, the acti o n is successful.
You roll a 2 and 2, a 4. It is doubles, so you roll again.
Now say you roll an 8 and a 1, a 15. The total is 19
(Z+ Z+ B+ l= 19). Nightwing has definitely hit Deadshot.
Fifth: Determine if the roll is within the Column
Shift Threshold. When a C haracter does so methin g we ll ,
he mi ght earn a bonus to add IO hi s result . This bonus is
ca ll ed a Column Shift. But be fore thi s bonu s c an be
earned, two co ndition s mu st be met:
A) Th e rol l mu s t be greate r than th e Success
Number, and
B ) The to ta l di e roll m us t li e on or beyond th e
Column Shift Thresho ld .
The Actio n Table is se t up so that any roll over 11
mi ght earn the Player a Column S hift. Notice that the 11 ' s
split th e Ac ti o n Tab le in two. Th is is the Column Shift
Threshold.
Nightwing needed an 11 or better to hit Deadshot. If
you compare Nightwing 's Success Number of 11 with his
roll of 19, you see that he is well to the right of the 11 's.
This not only means that Nightwing was successful in his
action, but it also makes him eligible for a Column Shift
Bonus.
If Nightwing had rolled an 11 , his action would have
been success ful, but it would not have been good enough to
earn him a Column Shift Bonus. In this case, you would
immediately go to the Result Table.
Sixth: Determine the number of Column Shifts.
Place your fin ger on the Ac ti on Table where the Opposing
Va lue Column in te rsec ts th e Act in g Row . Thi s is the
S uccess Numbe r th at your Character needed to ro ll to hit.
If yo u ro ll e d hi g her than yo u r C haracter's S uccess
Number, he hit hi s opponent so we ll that he rece ives a
bonu s.
Mo ve your finger across the row (to the right) to the
nex t number. If it is small er than the die roll. count th at as
o ne Column S hift, a nd move o ne mo re Column to the
ri ght. If that number is sma ll er th an the di e ro ll, count th at
as another Col umn Sh ift . You no w have two Co lumn
Shifts
You co ntinu e mov in g your fin ge r. cou ntin g each
move as an add itio nal Column Shift . Once you reac h a
number hi gher th an your d ie ro ll , sto p counting.
Th e numb e r of mo ves is th e numbe r of Co lumn
Sh ifts that a C harac ter wi ll receive. You sho uld remember
the numbe r of Column Shift s because it increases your
results on the Res ull Tab le.
Place your finger on Nightwing 's Success Number of
11. This is located on the intersection of the 7-8 Acting
Value Row and the 7 to 8 Opposing Value Column. Move
one Column to the right to the 13, counting "one." So far,
you have gained one Column Shih.
Move again, this time to the 15, counting "two. " And
again to the 18. You now have three Column Shifts.
Move one more time, but this time the number is 21.
Your roll was 19 (less than 21 ), so you do not receive
another Column Shih.
Seventh: Go to the Result Table. Once you have the
num be r of Column S hifts ( if any). it is time to use the
Re s ult Table. The Re s ult Table is never used when a
C haracter fail s to roll hi s S uccess Number on the Ac ti on
Tab le. Th at C haracte r s impl y " mi ssed" or fail e d to
perform hi s ac tio n.
Keep in mind that Nightwing has 3 Column Shifts
against Deadshot.
 Result Table
Resistance Value Columns
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 36 41 46 51 56
to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to
X 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 +5

1-2 +I A N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N +5
3-4 +I A I N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N
5-6 +I A 3 N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N *
7-8 +I A 2 N N N N N N N N N N N N N N *
9-10 +I A 4 3 2 N N N N N N N N N N N N N

j 11-12
13-15
+l A
+I A
IO
12 II
7
9
6
8
4
7
3
5
N
3
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N N
N N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N *
N
16-18 +I A 14 13 IJ 10 9 8 6 4 N N N N N N N N N N
~

.
;; 19-21 +1 A 18 17 16 14 12 IO 8 6 4 N N N N N N N N N
> 22-24 +I A 21 20 19 17 15 13 II 9 7 N N N N N N N N

i 25-27
28-30
31-35
+I A
+I A
+I A
24
27
30
23
26
29
22
25
28
20
23
26
18
21
24
16
19
22
14
17
20
12
15
18
1.0
13
16
II
14
6
9
12
N N
7 N
IO 8
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
36-40 +I A 35 34 33 31 29 27 25 23 21 19 17 14 12 9 N N N N
41 -45 +I A 40 38 36 34 32 30 28 26 24 22 20 18 16 13 IO N N N
46-50 +I A 45 43 41 40 38 36 34 31 28 26 24 22 20 17 14 JI N N

.
51 -55 +I A 50 48 46 44 42 40 38 36 34 32 30 27 24 21 18 15 12 N
56-60 +I A 55 53 51 49 47 45 43 41 39 36 33 30 27 24 21 18 15 13 *
+5 A C
• for every 5 APs of Effect Value over 60, Increase the RAPs by 5 .
*Shift the Effect Value up o n e row for each +5 column and use the 6 0 Resist a n ce Va lue.
A All . The Result APs are equal to the Effect Value.
C Cancel. One +5 Row ca ncels one +5 Colu mn .
N No Effect . The action has no effect on the targ et .

Five If Nightwing had a Power like Heat Vision or Hypnotism, his

Effect Va lue wou ld equal the APs of this Power instead of his
The Result Table tells you how effective your acti on was, by Strength.
telling you the number of Res ult APs (RAPs). It is poss ible,
however, to have a successful acti on which has no effect. Any Second : Find the Res istance Va lue row. Thi s is foun d
Charac ter ca n probably hit a wall (a successful act ion), but it is along the top of the Res ult Tab le. The defender's Resistance
less likely that he will damage the wa ll (getting APs of res ult). Value is usuall y one of his Resistance Attributes:
Once you have succeeded on the Action Tabl e, the Result
Tabl e is consulted to see what effec t your Charac ter's acti on Resista nce Type
had.
Below is a ste p by ste p gui de to the Resu lt T ab le. Th e • Phys ical
previo us exa mpl e is co ntinu ed. So fa r, Nig ht win g has hit • Mental
Deadshot and has gotten 3 Column Shifts. • Mysti cal

Fi rst: Fi nd the Effect Value column. Th is is located on the Th e Res ista nce Valu e co uld a lso co me fro m o th e r
fa r left-h and side of the Result Table. The Effect Value usually Attributes. For insta nce, a de fender' s Powe r or Sk ill could be
eq uals your Character's Effec t Anribute. used to resist da mage, and its APs would be used instead of a
Depend ing on whi ch ty pe of auac k is bei ng made, certai n Resistance Attri bute.
Effect Attributes appl y:
Since Nightwing is using a Physical Attack, Deadshot resists
Effect Type Effect Attributes with his physical Resistance Attribute: his Body.
Deadshot's Body is 5. Move your finger across the Resisting
• Physical •Strength Value row ta the 5 to 6 Column.
• Mental • Will If Nightwing had attacked Deadshot with a Mental Power
• Mysti cal • Aura like Hypnotism, Deadshot would use his Resistance Attribute for
Mental Attacks: his Mind.
The Effect Value may also come from other Attributes. For
instance. when a Power or Skill is used to perfo rm .in acti on, th e Third: Get the Resu lt APs. Find where the Effec t Va lue
APs of the Power or Skill are used as the Effec t Va lue. Row and the Resistance Value Column meet. This number is the
nu mber o f Res ult APs (RAPs).
Nightwing is attacking physically, so his Effect Attribute is his If the res ult is an 'N' then there is No Effect. If the Res ult
Strength. Respectively, Nightwing has a Strength of 4, so his Effect is an 'A,' th en the RAPs are equ al to th e APs of th e Effec t
Value is 4. Move your finger down the Effect Va lue column to the Value. If the result is in the + I Column, add I AP to your Res ult
3-4 Row. APs fo r every time you shift into th is Column.
 Unl ess yo u are playing w ith Characters who are as tou gh or
tougher than Superman, you will not need the +5 row. The Rules
sec lion has thi s ex planation
Nightwing has an Effect Value of 4, and Deadshot has a
Resistance Value of 5. By following the 3-4 Effect Value Row to
where it intersects the 5 to 6 Resistance Value Column, we see an
N. This would mean that Nightwing did negligible or no damage
to Deadshot, but ... we haven 't yet applied the Column Shifts
Nightwing received on the Action Table ..
Fourth: Apply the Column Shifts. Any Column Shifts from
th e Ac tion Tabl e are app li ed to the Co lumn s on th e Re sult
Tabl e. Colu mn Shift s on the Result Table are made to the left,
decreasing numbers in the Resistance Value row, but increasing
the number of Resu lt APs within the Ta bl e itself. The more
Column Shifts you gai ned on the Act ion Table, the more the
defender' s Res istance Value is lowered. Thi s causes the number
of RA~s to in crease. T he defende r is accumulating damage at
thi s pomt
Nightwing had 3 Column Shifts. This shifts Deadshot 's
Resistance Column three to the left, from an N to an A. This means
that Nightwing received a number of Result APs equal to his Effect
Value of 4. Nightwing did 4 RAPs of damage to Deodshot 's
Current Body Condition.
If Nightwing had only rolled an 11 on the Action Table, you
would still go to the Result Table to determine how much damage
he did to Deadshot. In this case, Nightwing would not have
earned any Column Shifts, and his Effect Value of 4 versus
Deadshot's Resistance Value of 5 would have resulted in an N- no
damage.
Thi s is as fa r as thi s exa mpl e goes. Feel free to run throu gh
it again, this t ime giving Dea d shot a c ha nce to st rik e a t
N ight wing
Six
Powers and Skills are what make heroes (and vi llains) better
than the average hum an. But whil e the average human may have
certa in Skills in wh ich he is proficient, Powe rs are somethin g
that on ly "supe r'' Characte rs possess.
Th ere is onl y one AP value for a Powe r or Skill. This value
is used for it s Ac tin g and Effect Values or its Opposin g a nd
Re sistan ce Value. depend in g on whether th e C haracter is
Attacking someo ne or defe ndi ng himself.
For instance, Captai n Atom has an Ene rgy Blast Power ol
16 APs. When using hi s Energy Blast, hi s Ac tin g Attribute is hi s
Ener_gy Blast Power of 16. Therefore his Acting Value is 16. If
he hits a vill ain , hi s Effect Allri bute is hi s Energy Blast Powe1
of 16, the refore hi s Effect Value is 16. Since this is a Phys ical
A tt ac k, Capta in. Atom 's oppo nent wo uld have a n Opposin g
Va lue equal to hi s Dex terity and a Res istance Val ue equal to hi s
Body.
Powers and Sk ills of the DC HEROES RPG are li sted in the
Characte r Design sec tion , a nd a re catego ri zed as Ph ys ical ,
Me nta l, or Mystical.
Some DC Characters ha ve spec ia l Bonuses or Limitations
that vary the spec ifi c effects of the ir Powers or Skills. Darkse id,
fo r example, can use his Energy Blast Power to di sintegrate an
oppon e nt. Later, he may res urrec t tha t C ha rac te r, if he so
chooses.
Advantages and Drawbacks are two more things that make
DC C harac ters uniqu e. We a ll k now that S upe rm an was
vulnerable to Kryptonite. T hi s is an example of a Drawback. But
Superm an also knew the c ity of Metropo li s like the back of hi s
hand . Thi s is an exa mple of an Advantage.
Advantages, Drawbacks, Bonuses, and Limitations are not
:~1~0;::nJ~~~~
~easured in Auribute Points, but th is does n' t mean th ey are not
Character Design section covers these categories
Seven
Hero Points are used in many differe nt ways in the DC
HEROES RPG . T.hey are earned through adventuring and spent like
money to.obtam iten~s, Powers, Skills, or temporary increases in
yo ur Acting, Opposin g, Effect, or Resistance Values. All the
uses of Hero Points are covered in full detail later in this book,
so for now le t 's co nce ntrat e o n te mp o rar il y in c reas ing a
C haracter's Va lues durin g play. Th e following exampl e will
help explain how thi s is done.
Mike 's hero is hurt. He has accumulated a lot of damage and
doesn't have much fight left in him. The villain knows it. But the
hero summons up his final reserves of strength for one last attack.
Haw can he da it? The answer is Hero Points.
Our fri end is in trouble, but he has 5 Hero Points. He can
spend them to te mporaril y inc rease the APs of hi s Abiliti es.
T he He ro Points are added to th e Act ing or Opposing
Values (on the Action Tab le) or the Effect or Resistance Values
(on the Resul t Table). For every Hero Point spent, the APs of
the appropriate value increase by I.
Before Mike or the Gamemaster rolls the dice for an action,
Mike must declare that he is adding the Hero Points, and where:
to the Acting and/ or Effect Value (if his hero is doing the action),
or ta the Opposing and/ or Resistance Value (if his hero is the
target of the action). In this case, Mike 's hero is doing the
attacking, so he would opt to increase his Acting and/ or Effect
Values .
Look at the Action Table and find the Acting Value Column.
Say Mike 's hero hos a Dexterity af 8 (Acting Value) and the villain
has a Dexterity of 6 (Opposing Value).
Find where the Acting Value Row (1-8) ond the Opposing
Value Column (5 to 6) meet: 9, Normally, Mike would need to roll
a 9 or better on two ten-sided dice for his hero to score a hit.
With Hero Points, Mike can increase his hero's chance to hit
by temporarily increasing his Acting Value. He decides to spend 3
Hero Points and declares this to the Gamemaster before he rolls
the dice.
The 3 Hero Paints are added to the hero's Acting Value of 8
for a total of 11. Looking down the Acting Value Column go to the
11 . 12 Row. Find where the 11 -12 Row (new Acting Value) and the
S to 6 Column (Opposing Value) meet: S.
Now Mike only needs to roll a 5 or better for his hera to hit
the villain.
The fo ll ow ing are specific guide lines fo r the use of Hero
Points. We will co ntinu e wi th our e xampl e to better exp lain
what is meant.
1. Hero Points can be spent to increase the Acting
Value and / or the Effect Value, or the Opposing Value
and / or the Resistance Value.
Instead of spending the 3 Hero Points to increase Mike 's
hero 's Acting Value from 8 to 11 , he declares at the beginning
of his turn that he wants to increase his hero's Effect Value
instead. Since this is a Physical Attack, his hero uses his Effect
Attribute for Physical Attacks: his Strength.
Mike 's hero has a Strength of 5. His Effect Value is then
normally 5. If 3 points are added to it, he will have an Effect
Value of 8.
Mike still must roll on the Action Table to see if his hero
hits the villain on his Acting Value Row of 7-8. He needs a 9
and rolls a 10. He has hit!
. Now Mike goes to the Result Table. Usually, his hero
stnkes on the 5-6 row of the Effect Value column, because his
Strength is 5 APs. But Mike has spent 3 Hero Points to raise his
Effect Value to 8.
This new Effect Value is compared to the villain's Resistance
Value for Physical Attacks: his Body. The villain has a Body of 4.
Find where the 7-8 Effect Value Row and the 3 to 4 Resistance
Value Column meet: 4.
Normally, Mike 's hero would give the vi/fain 2 RAPs of
damage, but because he has increased his Effect Value to 8, he
gives the villain 4 RAPs of damage!
2. Hero Points can be spent to increase both the Acting
and Effect Values o r the Opposing and Resistance Values in a
single phase of combat.
Mike 's hero has 5 Hero Points. Before any rolls are made, he
declares that he is spending 3 Hero Points to increase his hero's
Acting Value and 2 Hero Points to increase his hero's Effect Value.
By adding 3 Hero Points to Mike 's hero 's normal Acting Value of 8
(his Dexterity), we see that his new Acting Value is 11. His last 2
Hero Points are used to increase his normal Effect Value of 5 (his
Strength) to an Effect Value of 7.
3. A Hero Point increase of APs is a o ne-shot deal. The
benefit is lost as soon as the results of the action are applied.
Mike 's hero spent 3 of his 5 Hero Points to increase his
chance to hit (Acting Value) and the remaining 2 Hero Paints to
increase his Effect Value. Even if his action fails (Mike rolls lower
than his Success Number), the 5 Hera points ore "burnt" and gone
forever. Mike cannot get them back.
4. The maximum numb er o f He ro Points spent to
increase any value is equal to the APs of the Attribute o n
which that Value is based.
Mike 's hero has a Dexterity of 8. He may spend no mare than
8 Hero Paints to increase his Acting Value for Physical Attacks to
16.
On the other hand, Mike 's hero hos a Strength of 5. He may
increase his Effect Value to 10 by using 5 more Hero Points.
If Mike decides to spend 8 Hero Points on his Acting Value
and 5 Hera Points on his Effect Value, he will hove spent a total of
13 Hero Points. This is the maximum amount of Hero Points he
can spend during this phase. However, it is not necessary ta spend
the maximum number of Hero Points.
5. Non-Player Characters can also have Hero Points. The
Gamemaster will control the use of Hero Points by a Non-
Player Character.
The villain in this example also has a set number of Hero
Points. The GM con spend these Points to counteract the Hero
Points spent by Mike 's hero. The process is called bidding, and it is
explained following .
6. Bidding : When you declare you are spending Hero
Points (before the roll of the dice), the Gamemaster may
declare that his Non-Player Characters are spending Hero
Points, too.
Once the Game master makes hi s declaration, you have a
chance Lo inc rease the num ber of Hero Poi nts you are spending
on lhe acli on. You may increase the number of Hero Poi nt s you
bid until you reac h your maximum limit.
You may not shift Hero Points previou sly co mmitted. For
examp le, if you have bid 4 Hero Poi nts on yo ur Act ing Va lue
and 4 on your Effec t Va lue fo r a total of 8, you ca nn ot bid a
total of 9 Hero Poi nts, a ll on yo ur Ac ting Value . Four Hero
Points were a lread y com mined to the Effect Value.
Bidd in g e nd s w hen yo u and th e Garn e ma ster ha ve both
stopped adding Hero Points and sa id '· pass." No more Hero
Points may be bid aft er this point. The dice are the n rolled for
the action.
let's say that Mike 's hero still has 5 Hero Points. The villain
he is toeing has 3 Hero Points . Mike spends 3 Hero Points to
increase his hero 's Acting Value for Physical Attacks (based on his
Dexterity) from 8 to 11. Mike declares this before he rolls the dice.
The Gamemoster also declares his intentions before the dice
roll. He bids 1 Hera Point for the villain, raising the villain 's
Opposing Value for Physical Attacks (based on his Dexterity) from
6 to 7. This move increases the Opposing Value enough to move it
one column to the right (7 to 8).
Mike 's hero now has 2 Hero Points left and so does the
villain. Mike decides to increase the bid, and add his last two Hera
Points to his hero 's Acting Value for a total of 13.
The Gamemaster decides to burn one more Hero Paint, but
puts it toward the villain 's Resistance Value for Physical Attacks
(based on his Body of 4). This move increases the villain 's
Resistance Value from 4 ta 5. Look at the Action Table to find
where the Acting Value (13 - 15) and the Opposing Value (7-8)
meet:5.
Mike must roll on 5 or better to hit the villain. He rolls a 3.
He missed!
Even though Mike 's hero missed, the Hero Paints the villain
committed to his Resistance Value are lost. Therefore, at the end af
this phase of combat, Mike 's hero has no Hero Points left, and the
villain has 1 Hero Point left.
Thi s example is just one of many ways to use Hero Points.
Consult the Rules secti on for ot he r uses of He ro Points
Eight
Automatic Actions are those actions that are so si mp le to
perform , th ey do not require a die ro ll. Liftin g. th rowi ng.
jumping. and eve n using so me Powe rs a nd Sk ills. are considered
Automatic Actions
In most cases, any ac.tion whic h does not cha nge the APs of
an object or Character can be considered an Automatic Actio n.
Lifting a steel bloc k is a n Automatic Action because the APs of
the block are not c hanged . Smashin g a stee l block is not a n
Automatic Action , becau se yo u are a ttempting to c hange it s
numbe r of APs. and therefore, you mu st co mpare your Effect
Value aga in st its Res istance Value.
Automati c Acti ons can be accompli shed wi th out rolli ng on
the Action Tab le. To find lhe Result APs (RAPs) of an action ,
s impl y find th e appropri a te Power. Sk ill. or Allribute . Th e
Res ult APs will be equal to the APs o f th e Power, Ski ll. or
Att ri bute. Th e Playe r may choose to ha ve fewer RAPs, if he
wis hes.
For in stance, when trying to lift something. St re ngth is the
appropriate Attribute. A Charac te r w ith 6 APs of Stre ngth ca n
lift 6 A Ps o f weight without strain. A Characte r w ith a Fli ght
Power of 12 may automaticall y fl y a d istance of 12 APs in a
sin g le phase. The C haracte r may, however. c hoose to fly at a
slower rate.
Living Dangerously ...
Or Not Living At All
Deat h is c loser at hand in the DC HER OES RPG than it is in
the com ics. In th e co mi cs, the writer has compl ete contro l of the
outcome of the story. In the DC HER OES RPG , the GM , Pl ayers ,
and the di ce all influence the outco me.
The death of a Pl ayer's C haracter or favorite Non- Pl ayer
Character is a risk of playing the game. Remember that you do
not lose the game whe n yo u Jose a Character. No 111.iner how
important the charac te r may have see med , he is a produc t of
your imagination.
So put your imagi nation back into ge.i r and create a not he r
Characte r. You will lind that the gam e can be j ust as exci tin g
with a new fa ce in front of you
Where do I go from here?
Now that you've read the In troduct ion. continu e w ith the
so lo advent ure. Welcome to Gotham City. Thi s will he lp give
you an even bener understanding of what the DC H EROES RPG is
all abou t.

Welcome to Gotham City
So far you've read qui le a bi t about the DC Heroes Rol e-
Playing Game a nd how it works, but th ere's just no substitute
fo r experience. We're now going to ask yo u to put on the
Batman ' s cape and cowl and step o ut into the cold Gotham ni ght
to learn what be in g a hero is all about.
Welcome to Gotham City is a short adve nture that you can
play on your own, without a Gamemaster. By the time you' re
fini shed pl ay in g th rough the adventure, you should have a pretty
good idea of exact ly what the game is all about You can then
mo ve on to th e res t o f th e book. Befo re lo ng yo u w ill fi nd
yourself creati ng fan tastic adventures of your own, featuring the
entire line of DC superstars
How to Play
Dur i ng thi s adve nture yo u w ill be pla y in g th e ro le of
Batman . The last page o f thi s book is a copy of Batman's page
from the Who 's Who in the DC Universe Role-Playing Supplement
#4. You can tear the page out for reference during pl ay, and you
will also need two JO-sided dice, a lo ng with a pad of scratch
pape r a nd a penc il. You sho uld reco rd yo ur startin g Curren t
BODY, MIND , a nd SPIRIT Conditions o n your scratc h paper. For
Batman, these wou ld be 6, 10, and 10, respectively.
Begin reading the adventure with Paragraph #1. Ac the end
o f eac h parag raph you wi ll be g ive n a seri es of c hoices a nd
paragraph numbe rs. Dec ide what you wa nt to do and flip to the
appropriate paragraph; it 's thal ~irnple !
.., I I
q,~t!Jam
I City, '
12:JtAM. j ~e night wind cuts across y~ur
face as yqu don Jungle to the rhythm of the cr,sp
"· AOl,ii e all its own. Its life is your
qhd its hundreds o f hungry
bathe in the light
Of co ur se there is a c ha nce that yo u wi ll take a little
damage fro m the fa ll. You have just fa llen 30 feet. T he Acting
and Effect Val ues of the "attack" you suffer when you strike the
ground are equal to 4/4. In thi s case, your APs of BODY serve as
bo th th e Oppos in g and Res istance Values. Make a standard
Action C heck and apply the RAPs as damage to your C urrent
BooY Conditio n. Remember that you can spend Hero Points to
increase yo ur Opposing and Res ista nce Val ues against the
fa lli ng damage, but yo u mu st decide how many po ints you are
going to spend before you roll the dice.
You quickly get up and try to clear the cobwebs out of your
head. Falling means noise; noise means trouble.
Sure enough, a lone thief armed with a baseball bat comes
bolting out of the warehouse, ready to attack.
If your C urrent Body Conditi on was red uced down to zero
or be low by the fa lling damage, read Para graph # 17. If you
wou ld li ke to try to hide from the thief for the ti me being and
c hoose your own mome nl to strike, read Paragraph #4. If you
wou ld like to baltl c the thief as he comes out of the warehouse,
read Paragraph #19.
3
The Batarang twines itself around a chimney, and you
quickly make your way up to the roof and skylight.
Looking down through the dirty glass, you see o lone thief
rooting around in the boxes stacked upon the warehouse floor.
He 's armed, but it doesn 't look too bad-just a baseball bat.
Definitely an amateur.
If you wou ld like to strike an imposing silhouette against
the moon and come crashing down through the skylight in the
ho pes of sca rin g th e thi ef, read Paragraph #6. If you wou ld
simpl y like to cras h dow n th rough the sky light and attack the
thief, read Paragraph # 11 .
4
 7 phase with a new Initiati ve ro ll. Keep fi ghtin g until someone
You approach the window and begin searching for clues. drops unconsc ious.
Making a combat attack is a Di ce Act ion, using your DEX as
Here is where Batman uses hi s Detect ive Skill . Make an th e Actin g Va lu e a nd your Sm as th e Effect Val ue. Th e
Action Check using your APs of Skill as the Ac tin g and Effect Oppos in g Valu e is equa l to yo ur opponent's DEX , and th e
Values. against Opposing and Res is;ance Values of 7 and 7. If Resistance Va lue is equa l to your opponent ' s Boov. Any RAPs
you receive 7 or more RAPs. read Paragraph #18, ot herwise yo u rece ive in co mbat indi cate the amount of damage taken by
read Paragraph #13. yo ur oppon e nt a nd a re s ubtra c ted from hi s Cu rren t Boo v
Co ndition . Once a C haracter's Current Boov Co ndition drops
8 dow n to zero or less, he is unconsc ious.
You jerk open the loading door with a creak, casting a long
The thief has these stati sti cs·
shadow across the warehouse floor. The thief hears the creaking
noise and stops what he is doing. Whirling around, he spots your
silhouette in the doorway.
DEX: STR: B ODY:
Read Paragraph #11.
I NT: WILL : MIND:

9 I NFL: AURA. SPIRIT:

You step around your young opponent and make your way I NITIAT IVE: 9 H ERO POINTS:
through the warehouse. Cautiously, you begin searching behind
the piled up crates - rats usually come in packs. •Equipment: Baseball Bat [BODY: I. EV: 4]
Behind a half.ruined desk you finally find him - the
accomplice. He 's big, but scored. Kid 's got a knife. He's making a The thief is also armed with a baseball bat. mea nin g that he
ca n use an Effec t Va lue of 4 when he strikes Batman, in stead of
the usual 3 dictated by hi s STR.
Play out thi s batt le just like th e last one. (If yo u didn ' t I f y ou are kno c ke d un co nsc iou s b y th e thi e f , rea d
battle the first thief, read the first two non-ita li ci zed paragraph s Paragraph #17. If yo u kn oc k th e thi ef uncon scious, you ca n
of #11.)
The thief' s stati stics are:
1
~~ ;a~r:;~r~~;~ ir \~~e:·~~r:~~~o;h:c~i1: hbo u~~(~~:de ~ua::~;:;~
0

#9)
THIEF .•

DEX: STR: 12
I NT: WILL:
I NFL: AURA:
I NITI AT IVE: 9

You slowly approach .the thief, hoping to .find a clue to his

identity. '
You are openly.a foot away from t/Je young punk r,hen you
hear light breathing behind you. There Were two of them/ Yoli

shoul~z:;;~:~o:':!:dc;;,-::~~lf face to face with anoi her thief.!

This one Is armed with o knife.
Now you' ve got to _bat
f Qrjlbat is_ fought in phases. First, you' ve got to ch.eek and see if the thief caught
!roll for Iniaat1ve. Roll IOI Batman by•surprise. To do so, have Batman make an Action
Check using his .INT and W1LL as lhe Acting and Effect Values
~;~;./~::'u:~.~~o~~ gets to make the
1j>pase. After the Initiative winner makes
against Opposing and Resistance Values of 5/5. If this check,
succeeds with one or more RAPs, y6u noticed the thief in time,
'loser gets to make a counter-attack, assuming he is stjJI otherwise Batman is ,S urprised and cannot act during the first
cori~ ~~ ~.! both parties have made an atta; k, begin a new phase of combat.
 Play this banle just like the last one. 21
The thier statistics arc: You 've subdued and cuffed both thieves. A search of their
jacket pockets reveals that neither is carrying any Identification. A
quick coll to Commissioner Gordon and you con be on your way.
D EX: TR: BODY: Another job well done. Welcome to Gotham City.
INT: WILL: Ml, D:
L FL: AURA: PIRIT: Common Abbreviations
I ITIATIVE: 9 H ERO POll\"fS:
APs Attribute Points AV Acting Value
•Equipment: Knife !BODY: 2. EV: 41 cs Column Shift DEX Dexterity
EV Effect Value GM Gamemaster
Th is thi ef is armed wi th a knife. meaning th at his Effect HPs Hero Points INFL Influence
Value is 4 when he auacks Bai man. INT Intelligence NP( Non-Player Character
If you r Current Boov Cond ition is reduced to 1ero or less ov Opposing Value RAPs ResultAPs
during the bn1tlc . read Paragra ph # 17 , o th erwise read RV Resistance Value STR Strength
Paragraph #21. 2010 Two ten~sided die~

15
You've managed to scare the thief completely out of his wits. Terms First Defined
He drops his baseball bot and shields his eyes In horror. Dropping
Into the shadows, you reach down to your utility belt and toss the Acting Value (AV) p. 10
thief a pair of Botcuffs. Acting/ Opposing Attributes p. 8
· Put them on, • you growl, ·Nowr Action Check p. 9
Quivering, the thief quickly slaps the cuffs ocro.u Ms wrists.. Action Table p. 9
Advantages p. 12
You can now either c;carch the thief for clues ( Paragra ph Attributes p. 7
#14). or look around the warehouse (Paragraph #9 ).
Attribute Points (APs) p. 6
16 Aura (AURA) p. 8
Arching your body as you foll, you barely manage to grasp Automatic Actions p. 13
the ledge on the way down and pull yourulf up. In no time, Bidding p. 13
you 've already rttovered the Batarang, tied the lint off. and made Body (Boov) p. 7
your way up to tM skyllghl Character p. 4
Column p. 10
Read Paragraph #3. Column Shift (CS) p. 10
Column Shift Threshold p . 10
17 Current Boov Condition p. 7
As you slump i to unconsciousneu, you see the thief grin and Current MIND Condition p. 7
start toward you . This loob like.. the end. Certainly not an Current SPIRIT Condition p. 8
honorable way to go. Dexterity (Du) p. 7
But txp«ting th• wont, you ~t 1M bnt. Just as th• thief is Drawbacks p. 12
hovering over you, you htor Som«JM shout, " Frtezel " Charging Effect Attributes p. 8
up ~ind tM frightened thief a.-. Commiu/oner Cordon and four Effect Units p. 6
of his men. TM young punk drops his weapon. Effect Value (EV) p. 11
Lucky, old man. Lucky. Gamemaster (GM) p. 4
Gotham is a dangerous place, and nobody ever said being a general environment p. 4
hero Is easy. Hero Points (HPs) p. 12
Immediate environment p. 4
Why don·t you go back to Paragraph #1 and tr) agam? Influence (INFL) p. 8
Intelligence (INT) p. 7
18 larger environment p. 5
Whoevrr smashed the window occidentally kicked over a
buc•et of sawdust, scattering its contents acrou the pavement. In Mental Attributes p. 7
the dust you notice two sets of footprints - there must be two Mind (MINO) p. 7
thieves/ Mystica l Attributes p. 8
Non-Player Character (NPC) p. 4
ow you can ei 1her look in through the hrok n window Opposing Value (OV) p. 10
(Paragraph #5 ), chmb up 10 tbe skylight (Paragraph #10), or Phase p. 6
enter throu~h the loading door (Paragraph #8 ). Physical Attribute< p. 7
Playe,- p. 4
19 Powers p. 12
You see the thief approach and prepare yourself for his Resistance Attributes p. 8
attack. Resistance Value (RV) p. 11
Result APs (RAPs) p. 11
Read Paragraph # 11 . Result Table p. 11
Row p. 10
20 Skills p. 12
From behind the dumpster, you Stt tM thkf stop and loolt Spirit (SPIRIT) p. 8
around. After waiting a few second.s, he nervously .step.s bock Strength (Sn) p. 7
inside. He must not hove s«n you. Success Number p. 10
2010 p. 9
You ca n now l ook in throu gh th e broken window Wlll(WllL) p. 7
( Paragraph #5) . or enter thr o u g h the op~ n load in g. door
world environment p. 5
(Paragraph #8).

T h is c ha pt er prov ides info rm ati o n o n c rea tin g origi na l
heroes and villa ins for use in the DC HEROES Ro le- Playing Game.
Players a nd GM s can c rea te C ha ra c te rs possessi ng a ny
comb in atio n of Powe rs. Ski ll s. Adva nt ages. o r Dra wbac ks
des ired, subject 10 lhe fo llow ing rul es.
Crem ing a tota ll y new Character ca n be a diffi cult process
and probab ly s hould not be a tte mpt ed unt il a Playe r/GM is
co mforta b ly fam ili a r w ith th e sys te m. Pl aye rs who a re not
inte res ted in creat ing their own Charac te r might wish to skip the
rest of this chapter and return late r. When des igni ng a Charac ter,
a Player wi ll probably want 10 use a calcul ator and some sc ratc h
paper. Secti ons of thi s book that are pa rti cul arl y usefu l whe n
designing Characte rs inc lud e: the AP Purchase Chart (page 30),
th e Benchmark APs Table s ( page 180 ), a nd Appendix O.
Character Des ign Summary. whi ch li sts al l of the Adva ntages,
Drawbac ks. Abilities. etc. a long w ith the ir Hero Point Costs a nd
page refe rences.
I. Terminology
Listed fo ll ow ing, are many of the basic te rm s used in the
DC HEROES Role-Playing Game system. Since readin g through a
ge neral glossa ry o r infor mat ion ca n be inter min abl y bor in g,
Pl ayers arc e nco ura ge d to b r ie fl y rev iew thi s li s t - bul
reme mber where it is located. in the event an un fa mi lia r term
sho uld be e nco unt ere d . Mos t o f th e foll ow in g te rm s we re
inil i::i ll y presented in Chapter One.
Ability: A Power or Skil l
Advantage : A specia l ca p~1b il i t y possessed by a
hero/v ill ai n. A d va ntages are not meas ured in A Ps - th e
hero/v illai n ei the r possesses the Adva ntage or he does not.
Attribute: One of the nine basic characte ri sti cs possessed
by eve ry living thin g in the DC HEROES RPG (DEX, STR, Bo ov, INT,
WILL, MINO, INFL, AURA, and SPIRIT). In add ition. many non-livi ng
objects possess one or more Att ri butes (a tabl e would possess
STR and BODY. fo r instance).
Attribute Points (APs): T he bas ic form of measure ment in
DC HEROES. A Ps are full y exp l;.1i ncd in Ch apter Three a nd
Chapter Four. but a po im mus! be made he re regardin g APs of
Powers a nd Skills. Norma lly , APs .ire not added or subt rac ted
Automatic Action: An y acti on whi c h has no Oppos ing or
Resistance Values and does not require a dice ro ll. Movement
co ns titut es a typ ic a l Aut o ma ti c Ac tio n . Th e R A P s of a n
Auto matic Acti on are norm ally equa l 10 a Charac ter ' s APs of
Powe r of Ski ll.
Automatic Power or Skill: A Powe r or Ski ll that fun cti ons
as a n A ut o ma tic Act io n durin g p lay ( i.e. no d ice ro ll is
required). A uto mati c Po we rs a nd Ski ll s may be Pu shed (see
Pu shing Automatic Actio ns in Chapter Three ).
Base Cost: The cost in Hero Point s for acquirin g O A Ps of a
partic ular Power or Skill. A Pl ayer creating his ow n Character
mu st a lways pay t he Base Cos t of eac h o f th e C harac te r's
Powers and S ki ll s.
Bonus: A spec ial modifica tion that in creases a Powe r or
Skill 's effec ti veness (for exa mpl e, the ·'Usabl e On Oth e rs"
Bonus a llows a C haracter to te mporari ly bestow the mod ifi ed
Power or Skill upon another Characte r).
Dice Action: An ac ti on perfo rm ed aga inst Opposi ng a nd
Res ista nce Values and , as suc h, req uiring a roll of the dice.
Drawback: A spec ia l pe na lty suffe red by a he ro/v ill ai n
w hi c h affec ts hi s effec ti ve ness in pl ay. Dra w bac ks are not
meas u re d in A P s - a he r o/v ill a i n e it her p ossesses th e
Drawback or he does not.
Fac tor Cost: A measure of the re lati ve effec ti ve ness of a
Powe r o r Ski ll. Factor Cos t influe nces the num be r o f Hero
Points a Pl ayer must spe nd to purchase APs of a Powe r or S kill
during a Characte r's creation a nd Growth stages.
Gamemaster (GM): The person who acts as refe ree for the
ga me. The GM should be we ll versed in the DC HEROES RPG
rul es a nd es pecia ll y fa mili a r w it h the event s, loca ti o ns, a nd
Non-P laye r C haracters in the parti cul ar adventure be in g played.
as he is th e u lti mat e auth o rit y o n w h a t o cc urs dur in g a n
ad venture.
Genre Rules: G uide lines for pl ay spec ifi ca lly des igned to
acc urate ly refl ect the fee l of a partic ular adventure e nviron ment
(such as the oppressive story lines o f the Watc hmen or the za ny
c irc us atmosphe re of A mbush Bug); for additi onal in format ion.
see Appendix C.
Hero Po int s: N u me ri ca l re fl ec t ion s of a C harac te r ' s
ad ventu rin g ex perie nce. Hero Points ca n be used to permane ntl y

APs Benchmarks
1-2: The person has normal agility and can
perform activities associated with daily living.
3-4: The individual has agility e.q uivalent
one who practices athletic abilities beyond,wha~
is required for daily living s_uch as: police qfflcers,
firemen, clowns, stage performers, dancers
5-6: The person possesses agility eqUivalent
to individuals who·are well honed in athletic
prowess as Gymnasts, --Stunt men, and CJr:cus
Aerialists. Animal Man, Cyborg
7-8: The individual is agile enough to be a "
medal-winning Olympic gymnast. Aquaman, Blue
Beetle, Starfire, Vandal Savage, Deai:/man
9-10: This person possesses .the best agility
humanly possible and could easily become a
record-setting Gold Medal Olympic gymnast.
Batman, Bronze Tiger, Ra's Al Ghul, Kobra ·
11-12: This is a superhuman level of athletic -
prowess, where the individual can actually
dodge high velocity projectiles such as arrows
and bullets aimed directly at him or her with
moderate effOrt. Elongated Man, Spectre, Mister
Miracle, Amazo
13-15: This level of agility allows the dodging
of laser fire and the ability to sight and catch
slower moving projectiles, such as arrows and
bullets. Wonder Woman, Superman, Cheetah,
Captain Marvel
16-18: The person is capable of athletic
maneuvers that seem to defy the ability of the
humanoid structure. His or her reactions are so
swift laser fire appears in slow motion. Monitor)
Anti-Monitor
19-21 : Reaction time ·-and coordination are so
attuned that the individual's thoughts and
actions are simultaneous.
22-24: The character's actions begin before
the human brain can complete a thougtit. Flash
(Jay GarrickJ[while substituting Superspeed for
DEX]
25-27: A person with agility of this magnitude
sees his surroundings, even~energy, as
motionless and can easily dodge multiple laser '
fire.
28-30: A level of agility where the lndivi!luars
reactions occur as if he was cla.i rvoyant.
obta in additional Powers and Skills to reflect a Character 's
grow th as a hero and /or to provide a C haracter w it h a
temporary increase in Attri butes, Powers, and/or Skill s during
an adventure.
Knowledge Points: RAPs received from successful use of
an info nn ation-gain ing Power or Skill (such as Mind Probe or
Detective). The Knowledge Points gai ned govern the amount of
information learned by a character. I RAP reveals ve ry little
information, 1/2 RV in RAPs reveals a fairly detailed amount of
information, and Full RV in RAPs reveals everything available
regardin g the inquiry.
to
Limitation: A spec ial modifi ca ti on wh ich decreases a
Power or Skill ' s effecti veness (the ''Power Burnout" Limitation
occas iona ll y ca uses a mod ifi ed Pow e r o r Sk ill to become
inoperable for a time).
Link Attribute: Attribute from which a part icul ar Power or
Skill deri ves its potenc y. When creating a Character, a Player
may choose to link a Power or Skill to its Link Attribute (e.g.,
Flight to DEX). The Player then pays the Base Cost of the linked
Power and reduces its Factor Cost (see above) to receive APs of
the Power equal to the Character's APs in the Link Attri bu te. If
a Link Attribute increases or decreases, the APs of any linked
Powers or Skills usually increase or decrease respecti vely (see
linking Powers and Skills on page 22).
Range: The max imum di stance (measured in APs) at whi ch
a Powe r or Ski ll is e ffecti ve. "Normal" Ran ge Powers can
functi on at a di stance equal 10 the user's APs of the Power. A
Range of "+3" indicates that a Power can function al a distance
of 3 APs greater than the user' s APs of the Power. A Range of
"Self' indicates that a Character possessing the Power or Skill
can onl y use it on him self, wh ile a Range of "Touc h" indicates
that th e C haracter ca n use th e Power or S kill on anyo ne he
touches.
RAPs: Result APs ~ the effecti ve number of APs produced
by any action whk h seeks reso lution between forces (combat,
Knowledge rolls, etc.).
Subskills: Separate abil ities which compri se an entire Skill.
A Character wi th APs in a Ski ll auto matica ll y possesses an
equal number of APs in each Subskill unless he has chosen to
spec ialize (see Subskills on page 74).
II. Character Creation
When creating a Character, a Player beg ins with 450 Hero
Po ints which are used to purchase the Charac ter's Attributes,
Powers, Skill s, and Advantages. A Pla yer ma y a lso se lec t
Drawbac ks for hi s Character to receive additi onal Hero Points
usabl e in Character Des ign . When the Characler is co mplete,
any Hero Points whi ch remain are reta ined by 1he Charac1er for
fut ure expendi1ure.
The creation of any Character for use in the DC HEROES RPG
sys1em fo llows a ten-step process:
Step 1
Confer with the GM
Prior to designing a new C haracter, a Player should talk 10
the GM, who mi g ht be p lannin g an adve nture or cam paign
whi c h requ ires ce rt a in ty pes of C haracters o r heroes with
parti cul a r Pow er s. A Pla yer s hould kn ow s uch g uid elin e
informati o n before crea tin g a Charac ter w ho would be
in appropr iate in a campaign (a Character possess in g flashy
Powers and Ski lls wo ul d be out -of- pl ace in the world of the
Watchmen, for example) .
 If a GM planned to run a myst icall y ori ented ca mpaig n
which featured adve ntures like those prese nted in the Doctor
Fate, Spectre, Swamp Thing . and Hellblazer co mi cs. a Playe r STRENCTH (STR):
would probably wa nt to create a mysticall y oriented hero. If the HStrength represents a Character's ability
GM planned an average good·g uys vs. bad.g uys ca mpaig n to lift weight and withstand duress. "
which feat ured so me adve ntures like those presented in Justice
league America, the New Titans, and Infinity Inc. co mi cs. for APs Benchmarks
exa mple. the Playe r would have a great deal of llex ibilit y in
Character Design 1-2: A normal human who can 11ft 200
A GM mi ght also give the Player ad vice which does not pounds above his head.
di rec1ly relate to a Character's Powers and Skills: fo r example,
he mi ght in form you that the ca mpaign is going to be set in 3-4: A person with exceptional human
World War II and that the heroes will all become members of strength, equivalent to that of professional
the AIJ.Star Squadron. Altern ately. he might sugges t th at the weightlifters.
heroes in the campaign will be worki ng as government agents. Uftlng Range: 400 - 800 pounds
Such information mi ght not affec t the types of Powers or Anthro the Cave Boy, Jonah Hex, Amanda Waller,
Skills a Player wou ld purchase for a Character, but it mi ght have WIidcat
qu ite an impact upon the Character's backgrou nd. description.
S-6: This is the level of maximum human
and personality. as we ll as an y Advan tages or Drawbacks the
Character mi ght possess. strength.
Uftlng Range: 900 - 1,600 pounds.
Batman, Starflre, Hawl<man, Creeper

Step 2 7-8: This is super-human strength capable

Think Carefully of bending a steel crowbar.
Uftlng Range: 3 - 6 tons.
Before ac1u a ll y purchasi ng th e Charncter' s Attr ib ut es. Aquaman, Nuklon, Firehawk
Powe rs. Skill s. and Ad vantages, a Player should thin k carefully
about every thin g co nce rnin g th e new Character. decidi ng 9-10: A person with strength of sufficient
force to demolish a concrete barrier.
exactly what kind of hero is go ing to be created and what kind
Uftlng Range: 12 - 25 tons.
of Powe rs and Sk ills are suitable. ls the hero a super·powe red Houtman, Metamorpho, Red Star
energy blaster with remarkable s1 rcngth and agilit y or simply a
highly sk illed human like Batman or Nightw ing? What about the 11-12: The power of the individual's strength
Character's background an d personality ~ how did he rece ive can rupture a steel wall.
such fantas tic powers and how docs he deal with them? Lifting Range: 50 - 100 tons.
This Character bluepri nt will be va luable when deciding Big Barda, Troia, Cyborg, Lead of The Metal Men
exac tl y what Attributes, Powers. Ski ll s, and Adva ntages the
Character requ ires. A Playa might also di scuss Character ideas 13-15: The individual can summon strength
wi th ot her Pl ayers to avoid crea tin g team me mbers with to crush titanium without real effort or throw a
duplic:1te abilities. car a half mlie (this can be done at a 15).
In thi s manner. a Player can deve lop a good idea of exactl y Lifting Range: 200 - 800 tons.
what sorts of Powers and Skill s to select fo r hi s Charac ter. so the Iron of The Metal Men, Mammoth
re mai nder of the design process shou ld be quite simple.
For our example, a Player may decide ta create a Character
16-18: " At this level of strength, most barriers,
natural or man-made, cannot stop this
called Pulsar who possesses fight-based Powers ond abilities. Our
Individual, as he can easily demolish a fortified
Player decides that Pulsar will probably have some type of energy
bunker.
blast, a force field, a sma ll degree of super strength, and the
Uftlng Range: 1,600 - 6,400 tons.
ability to fly. At the same time, our Pla yer decides that Pulsar is a Spectre, Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman,
tough-talking reformed street thug who recently dedicated his life Solomon Grundy, Crodd, Lobo
ta fighting crime.
19-21: This Individual possesses strength
equivalent to that of the giants of ancient
Step 3 legends.
Purchase Attributes Lifting Range: 12,800 - 51,200 tons.
Kallbok, X'Hal, Captain Marvel
When creating a Cha racter. every Allrib ute. Power, Ski ll
and Advantage must be purchased usi ng Hero Poi n1s. A Player 22-24: At this level the individual possesses
begi ns with a base of 450 Hero Points fo r Character Design and god-like strength.
the first th ing to acwa ll y purchase is the new Cha rac ter's Uftlng Range: 102,400 . 409,600 tons.
Att rihu1cs. Darludd, Orlon, Ares
Every thin g a Pl ayer purc hases toward desig nin g hi s
25-27: Beings with strength in this range
Character that is measured in APs (Powers. Attributes, Skills, have Titan-level prowess.
and Wealth) is give n a Fa(; tor Cost. which is a meas ure of how Lifting Range: 819,200 - 3,276,800 tons.
use ful the Power. Att ribute. Sk ill . or Wealth rating is du ring Sup,rman, Heracles, Atlas
act ual play. Init ial Factor Cos ts rang e from I to 10: abi liti es
which have a minor usefulness possess a Factor Cost of I, whi le 28-30+: This is entity-level strength. Small
those whic h are ex tremely usefu l possess a Factor Cost of 10. celestJal bodies are obliterated with the exercise
The Factor Cost of an Attribrne, Power. or Ski ll determines of this level of strength.
how many Hero Poi nt s a Player must pay to pu rchase APs of Lifting Range: 6,553,600 • 13,107,200 tons.
that Attribute. Power. or Skill (the higher the Factor Cost. the Monitor, Anti ·Monitor, Trigan
more ex pensive in Hero Poin ts the Attri bute. Powe r. or Skill)

Boov:
"This Attribute represents a Character's
standard resistance to physical damage."
APs Benchmarks
1-2: A no rmal human who is susceptible to
no rmal pa in stimulus.
3-4: Body cond itioned to withstand
moderate damage without great pain. The
individual can weather many blunt attacks, as a
prizefighter or a martial artist. Amanda Woller,
John Constantine, Huntress, Captain Boomerang
5-6: The body is conditioned to withstand
the greatest amount of physical damage
humanly poss ible. The individual possesses
exceptional resistance to fatigue. Batman,
Bronze Tiger, The Warlord, Jonah Hex
7-8: The body can endure attacks from
street-level weaponry, such as knives, chains,
bats, and small caliber guns. The body has a
density eq ual to a brick wall. Swamp Thing,
Aquaman, Hawkmon, Deathstroke the Terminator
9-10: The body is resilient enough to resist
most military weapons, such as high caliber
automatic rifles. Big Barda, Red Star, Cold.of TM
Meta/Men
11 -12: The body can withstand high impact
explosives that could demolish a reinforced
co ncrete bunker. Characters with a Body in this
rang e literally possess steel-hard skin.
Metomorpho, Firestorm, Demon
13-15: The body has density ranging from
titan ium (a t a 13) to diamond hardness (at a
15). At thi s level the individual is nearly
invulne rabl e and can easily withstand anti-tank
fire. Wonder Woman, Mort/on Manhunter, Power
Girt Solomon Grundy
16-18: The body is virtually indestructible and
can withstand highly charged plasma beams and
direct hits from powerful demolition bombs.
Superman, Darkseid, Ares
19-21 : At this level, the body is impervious to
conventional weaponry save for nuclear
munitions, and has the density of a wall of
Promethium (at a 20). Brimstone
22-24: At th is level, the body can survive the
crushing forces of space for extended durations
and survive the direct detonation of amulti-
kiloton nuclea r device.
25-27: Bodies in this range can withstand
forces unleashed by gods. Spectre
28-30+: The body can resist a direct hit from a
100 megaton nuclear weapon.
Monitor, Anti -Monitor
On the AP Purchase Chart (page 30). by cross-refe rencing
the Factor Cost of an Attribute, Power. or Skill wi th the number
of APs desired, a Player can sec how many Hero Points he must
pend (for exa mp le. 5 APs of a Power or Ski ll at Factor Cost 5
costs 20 Hero Point ).
Action A1tributes (DEX, INT, and IN FL) always possess Factor
Costs of 7. Ail othe r Attributes (STR, 8oov, WILL, MIND, AURA,
and SPIRIT) possess Factor Costs of 6. To purchase a DEX of 7.
for exa mple, a Player must spend 56 Hero Poi nts. whi le a STR of
7 costs only 48 Hero Points.
The next step is for the Player to selec1 the number of APs
to purchase for eac h of the new Cha racter's Attri butes. The
Player shoul d determin e th e nu mbe r of Hero Points he must
spend for these Allri bute APs and total 1he e nti re Hero Point
cost for all nine Allributes.
The followi ng paragraphs present guidelines for purchasing
each of the nine Charac1er Attributes:
Dex: Dexterity represent a Character' s physical agility and
nimbleness. Most heroes have a Dex th at falls in the 5-7 AP
range. A DEX of IO represents the abso lute peak of unau gmented
human performance.
If a Character has a D EX grea ter than 10, he is either not a
true human (l ike Superman or Wonder Woman) or his agility
has someh ow been augmented (Elongated Man, fo r example,
has a DEX of 12 APs because his rubbery body boosts his agi lity
to superhuman levels).
To continue our ex ample from Step 2 , our Player would
probably won t to purchase a DEX of 6 APs for o Character like
Pulsar. Since DEX is on Action Attribute and the Factor Cost is 7,
this will cost our Player 42 Hero Points.
5tr: Strength represents a Character's ab ility to lift we ight
and with sta nd du ress. Mos t heroes who do not possess a
measure of superstren gth have a STR in the 3-5 AP range. A STR
of 5 APs represents a human in peak physical cond ition (such as
Batman). The absolute strongest normal men and wo men in the
DC Co mi cs have a STR of 6 APs (the greatest wei ghtlifters who
ever Jived, for exa mpl e), but these persons are extremely rare.
Characters with superhuman strength have a STR of 6 APs
or greater. The \Ve ight column of the Benchmark APs Table (see
page 93) s hows how mu c h a Charac te r w ith su perhuman
strength ca n lift. With a STR of 25. Superman was without a
doubt one of the stronge st men on 20th century Ea nh (being
able to effortlessly lift nearly 500,000 tons).
Returning to our example, our Player has decided that Pulsar
will have o small measure of superstrength, so he will purchase a
STR greater than 6 APs. Looking at the Benchmark APs Tobie, our
Pla yer decides that Pulsar should be able to lift around three tons
(about the weight of a small elephant) and should thus have a SrR
of 7 APs. STR is not on Action Attribute, so the Factor Cost is 6,
and 7 APs will cost our Player 48 Hero Points.
Body: This Attr ibute re prese nt s a Charac ter s standard
resistance to ph ysical damage. Typical human heroes usuall y
have a BODY th a t fa ll s in the 4-5 AP range. A BODY o f 6
rep resent s un aug me nted human perfect ion (Ba tm an). If a
Character has a BODY greater than 6. he is either not human (like
Hawkman) or hi s stamina and ph ysica l res ili ence have been
increased (the Terminator has a BODY o f 7 because his stamina
was enh anced by a seru m developed by th e U.S. Arm y).
In Pulsar's case, our Pla yer decides that his Powers give
Pulsar a degree of superhuman invulnerability (meaning a Boor
greater than 6 APs), so he gives Pulsar a Boor of 7 APs. Boor is not
an Action Attribute (the Factor Cost is 6), so 7 APs will cost our
Player 48 Hero Points.
Int: Intelli gence re presents a Character' s abi lit y to thi nk
ra pidl y and his knowl edge of facts. Most heroes have an INT in
the 5-7 AP range. Ex tremely wise or resou rceful heroes can run
much hi gher (Batman has an INT of 12: Lex Luthor has an INT of
14). It is possible to have a barbarian w ith a hi gh INT (like the
Vik in g Prince) or a sc ienti st from a fu turi sti c soc iety w ith a
rather low INT. as their ow n kn ow ledge of avai lab le foc ts ca n
obviou sly d iffer great ly.
Since Pulsar began as a street punk and our Player does not
envision him as being particularly reso urceful or quick-witted,
Pulsar should receive an INT of 5. Sine INT is an Action Attribute
(Factor Cost 1), 5 APs will cost our Player 28 Hero Points. Thus far,
our Player has spent a total o f 166 Hero Points on Pulsar's
Attributes.
Will: Thi s Attribute represents a C haracte r's ab ility to draw
conclusions and hi s wi llpower in general. Most heroes have a
WILL in the 3-6 AP range. A particularl y percepti ve or dedicated
hero will have a higher WILL (Batman , who is an excepti onall y
dedicated hero.has a W 1LLof 12).
In our exa mple, Pulsar is not particularly dedicated or
perceptive, so our Player gives Pulsar 5 APs of W1u, which at
Factor Cost 6, costs our Player 24 Hero Points.
Mind: Thi s Attribu te is a mea s ure of a C h arac te r 's
resistance to ment al st ress. Most heroes have a MI ND in the 4-6
AP range. whi le those who are partic ularly res istant to mental
damage possess much hi gher MI NDS . Again. Batman has a very
formidab le MI ND of 10 APs
Pulsar, while mentally resilient, is no more so than any other
hero, so our Player gives Pulsar a MIND of 6 APs (Factor Cost 6),
which costs 36 Hero Points.
Intl : Influ e nce represents th e p owe r of a C h arac te r 's
personality and presence. Average heroes have an INFL in the 3-
4 AP range . Those w ith particularly strong personali ties (like
Batman or G uy Gardner) have highe r Influ ences . M ys ti ca ll y
oriented heroes typica ll y have hi g he r-tha n -normal INFLS, as
these heroes o ften ex hibit an ex treme ly powerful prese nce.
Our Player decides to give Pulsar an /NFL of 6 because he
envisions th e hero as having an unusually strong, belligerent
personality (Pulsar having once been a street thug). Since INFL is
an Action Attribute (Factor Cost 7), 6 APs will cost our Player 42
Hero Points.
Aura: Th is Attr ib ute represe nts a C h arac te r' s ab ili ty to
intercede w ith hi s persona li ty to affect the actions of others and
also indicates hi s leve l of magica l power. Most heroes have an
AURA in the 3-5 AP range. although those who are excepti ona ll y
coo p e ra t ive (G reen Lantern Hal J ordan) or intimidatin g
(Batm an) often possess much hi ghe r AURAS, as do myst ica ll y
orie nted heroes.
Our Player determines that Pulsar would probably not work
well within a group, as a result of his belligerent personality, and
gives Pulsar an AURA of 3 (Factor Cost 6) for a Hero Point cost of
12.
Spirit: Thi s Att ri b ute represents a C harac ter 's abil ity to
w ith s t a nd mys t ical st ress a nd is a lso a re fl ec t ion of th e
Character· s general s piritual resolve. Most heroes have a SPIRIT
in the 3-4 A P range. whil e more mysti ca ll y res ista nt and reso lute
heroes possess much hi gher S r1R1Ts.
Returning to Pulsar, our Player determines that Pulsar is not
unusually resistant to mystical attacks and gives him a SPIRIT of 4
(Factor Cost 6), Hero Point cost of 18.
Now complete in the Attribute Design stage for Pulsar, our
Player has spent 298 of the allotted 450 Hero Point Base on
Attributes for the new Character (42 + 48 + 48 + 28 + 24 + 36 +
42 + 12 + 18 = 298).
APs Benchmarks
l'."2: This person has the problem- solving
clbllities of the average high school graduate.
Major force, <;nort
3~: This individual is the equivalent of a
particularly bright high school graduate.
Plastic {Vian, R9gman1 _Peacemaker, Guy Gardner
5,6: TheJndlvidual has the ability to
pro~eSs information on the level of th e
ind~strious college _student. Anthro the Cave Boy,
The Flash (Wally West), Robin, Major Disaster
7-8: The·person's intellectual capacity rival s
a,, professional who is one of ten authorities in a
field of study or a born genius. Aquaman,
Nlghtwihg, Scarecrow
9~10: The Intellect equals a professional who
is one of three world authorities on a subject.
Swamp Thing, Hawkman, Grodd, Wonder Woman,
Joker
;.it,
11-1,.2:. The person is a genius or has intellect
on par wltfl an individual who is the best
authority In the world on a subject.
Batmafl, Supetm'an; John Constantine
13-15:° -The Individual's Intelligence is beyond
wh~t is normally experienced on Earth, with the
.;,· abilityto·concelve·concepts centuries beyond
current conventions. lex luthor, Pariah,
TMBraln, /or-El
16--18:' 'The persOn has an intellect giving the
ln,dlvldual the ability to adopt concepts
completely 'f orelgn to his society o r
environment. Vril Dox II of the LEGION, Brainiac,
Hlghfather, Darkseid
"°19-il: · ·• This Individual has the intellectual
abili~y to master every worldly subject.
Phantom Stranger, Sandman
22-24: This individual possesses intellect with
the abillty.to comprehend and utilize knowledge
sPannin9 the galaxy.
25-27t At this level, the individual can
understarcl and process knowledge on a
universal scale. Anti-Monitor
28·30: • The individual can understand and
conceive1 ~nowledge that is multi-versal in
magnitude. Monitor

WILL:
''This Attribute represents a Character's
ability to draw conclusions and his/ her
willpower in general."
APs Benchmarks
1-2: The Individual possesses the will to
face a new morning and confront the obstacles
of a normal life.
Solomon Grundy, Ma and Pa Kent, Ab/gall Arcane
Cable
3-4: The person has a focused dedicated
will and can summon the courage to save victims
from hazardous situation;s such as burning
buildings. He might naively risk his life for, stories
or glory. Mr. Mxyzptlk, Commissioner Gordon, Lois
Lane
5-6: This individual has exceptional self-
discipline and can remain rational and calm
during a crisis.
Captain Atom, Pariah, Doctor M/d-nlte (original),
Rocket Red
7-8: The individual possesses the resolve to
conquer any human, rational threat or fear, save
death .
Bronze Tiger, Cotwoman, Mister Miracle, Hawkman,
Maxwell Lord
9-10: The individual possesses enough
willpower to override .self-preservation and enter
an obviously unsurvivable battle.
Lady Quark, Sergeant Rock, The Warlord, Enemy
Ace
11 -12: The will is of an unyielding
determination and fanatical strength and the
individual is fully capable of confronting sanity-
threatening situations and mystical
phenomenon with no loss of resolve.
Batman, Joker, Power Girl, Wonder Woman
13-15: The person possesses superhuman
resolve to overcome paranormal situations
beyo nd the scope of human comprehension.
Swamp Thing, Amethyst
16-18: The individual has sufficient willpower
to wield great power with unfaltering
confidence or arrogance.
Brainiac, Raven, Guy Cordner, Highfather
19-21 : Individuals at this level of willpower
can dominate situations that could have
planetary repercussions.
Superman, Orion
22-24: The individual's will is formidable
e nough to challenge Intergalactic menaces
without fear. Metron,
Green Lantern (Alan Scott), Green Lantern Oohn
Stewart), Sandman
25-27: The individual possesses god-like
mental resolve and is accustomed to overcoming
universal obstacles and threats. Phantom
Stranger, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Darlueld, Arn
28-30: The Individual ls resolute even In the
face of universal destruction. Monitor, Anti·
Monitor, Guardians of the Universe
Step 4
Purchase Powers and Skills
Following the purchas ing of Auributes for a new Character
is th e select ion of Powers and Skills, which are purchased in
much the same fashion as Attributes. Each Power and Skill has a
Factor Cost listed in its descripti on (later in thi s chapter).
To purchase a Power or Skill, a Player should simply cross-
index the Power/S kill Facto r Cos t with the number of APs
desired on the AP Pu rchase Chart. The resulting number will be
the Hero Point cost the Player mu st spend 10 pu rchase th at man y
APs of the Power/Skill for the new Character.
Base Cost
When purchasing Powers and Skills, a Player must also pay
a Hero Point fee called the Base Cost for each Power and Skill
purchased. The Base Cost represe nt s the cost of acquiring the
Power or Ski ll at O APs; the Player onl y pays th e Base Cost
o nce, no matter how many APs of th e Power or Ski ll are
purchased. For example, if a Player buys IO APs of the Flame
Project Power (Factor Cost of 3, Base Cost of 15), he mu st
spend 63 Hero Points (48 HPs for IO APs of a Factor Cost 3
Power plus a Base Cost of 15).
Linking Powers and Skills
Whe n purchasing a Powe r or a Ski ll , a Player has the
optio n of linki ng th e Po wer or Ski ll to its Link Attribute
(denoted in the Power/Skill descri ption).
Linked Powers and Skills derive their effectiveness di rectly
from a Character's Auri butes. When a Player chooses to link a
Power/Ski ll , he mu s t purch ase a numb er of APs of th e
Power/Skill eq ual to the number of APs possessed in its Link
Attribute.
One of the advantages of li nking Powers and Ski lls is that
Hero Point Costs are much less expensive - a Player is allowed
to subtract two (2) from the Factor Cost of any lin ked Power or
Skill (lo a minimum Factor Cost of I).
Once a Power or Skill is linked, ii is forever ti ed to its Link
Attribute. If the Link Attribute shou ld ever decrease, so will any
Po we rs a nd Skil ls whi ch are link ed to that Attr ibute. For
example, if a Character has 8 APs of 8oov and 8 APs of the Skin
Armor Power linked to hi s Boov, and later loses 3 APs of Boov
due to a vi llain 's use of the Power Drain Power, his Skin Am1or
Powe r wou ld also be reduced to 5 APs. (Note howeve r lhat
damage does not lower a Character's Att ribute, only his Current
Condition. If the same Character had taken 3 RAPs of Physical
Damage, he would have a Current Boov Condition of 5 but he
wou ld sti ll have 8 APs of Boov and Skin Armor.)
Another disadvantage to linked Powers and Skills is that
they are much harder to improve throu gh Character Growth (see
page 3 1). A Player can not spe nd Hero Poi nt s to increase a
linked Ab ilit y alo ne; he mu st in c rea se th e Abi lit y"s Link
Auribute, as well as all ot her Powers and Skills that are linked to
that Attribute (if any) at the same time, whi ch will generally cos t
more Hero Points.
For example, if a Character had a STR of 5 APs and the
Player wanted to purchase a linked Energy Blast, the Player
must purchase 5 APs of Energy Blast, but at a Factor Cost of
on ly I (Energy Blast' s Factor Cost is 3, minus 2 to the Fac tor
Cost fo r linki ng, equals a Factor Cost of I). 5 APs of a Factor
Cost I Power costs 5 Hero Points; adding 15 Hero Points for
Energy Blast' s Base Cost establ ishes a total cost of 20 Hero
Points.
The Player saved 7 Hero Po ints by li nkin g the Power (5
APs of a Factor 3 Power normall y costs 12 Hero Points plus 15
for Energy Blast's Base Cost would have equall ed 27 Hero
Points). However, it will now be more d ifficuh to improve the
Character's Energy Blast over time. When he wants to increase
the APs of his Energy Blast Power, he must also increase (and
pay for) hi s STR Attribute and any other Abi li ties he has linked
to it (note that the Factor Cost of hi s Energy Blast is sti ll only I).
 Bonuses and Limitations
A Player can purchase one or more Bonuses or Limitations
in conjunction with each of the Character's Powers. Bonuses are
modifiers which increase th e effecti veness of a Power while
Limitations decrease a Power's effecti veness. (For a complete
description of available Bonuses and Limitations, see page 4 1.)
In the desc ription of each Bonus and Limitation is a Factor Cost
Modifier listing; this modifier is applied 10 the Factor Cost of
the respecti ve Power at the time of AP purchase.
The "No Range" Limitation, for exam ple, has a Factor Cost
Modifier of - 1. This means if a Player were to purchase the "No
Range" Limitation in conj un c tio n wit h E nergy Bl ast, fo r
exa mp le, th e Powe r wou ld possess no Ran ge (it s Range
becoming "Touch," the Character's DEX becoming the AV) and
i1s Factor Cost would decrease to 2.
Similarl y, the "Usable On Ot hers" Bonus has a Factor Cost
Modifier of +5. This mea ns if a Player were to purchase the
"Usable On Others" Bonus in co njunction with Energy Blast,
the Power would be transferrable to anoth er Character and its
resultin g Factor Cost would increase to 8.
Factor Costs can never be decreased to less than I through
the adoption of Limitations. For Factor Costs that surpass I 0
through purchase of Bonuses, calculate the cost of th e Power at
Facto r Cost IO and also calcul ate the cost at th e remaining
Factor Cost level. Add these num bers together to determine th e
increased Hero Point cost. Thus, a Factor Cost 15 Power would
cost the same as the Power at Factor Cost I0, plus the Power at
Factor Cost 5.
Again returning to our example of Pulsar, our Player knows
what Powers he wants to purchase from the blueprint devised in
Step 2. It seems that Pulsar should hove the Energy Blast, Force
Field, and Flight Powers; the decision that remains is how many
APs of each Power to purchase.
Our Player decides to buy Pulsar 8 APs of Energy Blast
(Factor Cost 3, Base Cost 15) at a cost of 45 Hero Points; 4 APs of
f orce field (factor Cast 6, Base Cost 30) at a cast of 48 Hero
Points, and 10 APs of Flight (Factor Cost 3, Base Cost 10) at a cost
of 58 Hero Points. The total cost of Pulsar's Powers is 151 Hero
Points (45 + 48 + 58 = 151).
Now for Pulsar 's Skills . since Pulsar used to be a street thug,
our Player chooses to give him APs of Thief and Vehicles Skills. The
decision is made to purchase 4 APs of Thief Skill (Factor Cost 8,
Base Cost 10) at a cost of 34 Hero Points, and 5 APs of Vehicles
Skill (Factor Cost 5, Base Cost 5) at a cost of 25 Hero Points. The
total cost of Pulsar's Skills is 59 Hero Points (34 + 25 = 59).
Thus far, our Player has spent 508 Hero Points designing
Pulsar (298 + 151 + 59 = 508), a figure that exceeds the original
450 Hero Point Base. Our Player realizes that he will need to
assume some Drawbacks to acquire more Hero Points later.
Step S
Purchase Advantages
The next step is to purchase any Advantages necessary for
the Charac ter (fo r a co mp lete desc ripti on of avai lab le
Advantages, see page 32). Each Advantage has a Hero Point
cost li sted in its desc ripti on; to obtain an Advantage fo r a
Character, the Player must simply pay the Hero Point cost.
Since Pulsar was o street punk, our Player decides to buy him
Low level Street and Police Connections while also giving the hero
the Area Knowledge Advantage (Pulsar grew up on the streets, so
he must know a Jot about his home city). Low level Connections
cost 10 Hero Points apiece, Area Knowledge costs another 20 Hero
Points, so Pulsar's Advantages ore going to cost our Player 40
Hero Points altogether.
Pulsar's running subtotal after purchasing his Advantages
now equals 548 Hero Points.
MIND:
"This Attribute is a measure of a
Character's resistance to mental stress. 1'
APs Benchmarks
1.2: A person can endure the normal stress
of dally existence.
3-t: The person's mind Is conditioned to
withstand stressful conditions slmular to those
faced by polke officers, firemen, and doctors.
Hourma,r, Rocket Red, Cyborg, Speedy
5-6: The person's mind ls equipped to deal
with great stress as a part of daily life.
Undercover agents, leaders of nations, and most
heroes flt this category. Deadman, Green Arrow,
Rrt, Vixen
7-8: The Individual has the mental fortitude
to continue normal activities even in persistently
painful or stressful situations, such as those
experienced by hardened soldiers.
MartJat1 Manhunter, Sergeant Rock, Ra's Al Chui
9-10: . The Individual will maintain self-
dkdpHne and sanity even under strenuous
torture or pain. Wa,rder Woman, Ee/ipso,
SGlomot, Grundy, Circe
11-12: This person's mental endurarn:e is at
the peak of human fortitude. Batman,
Swamp Thing, Raven, Brother Blood
13-1S: A person with this level of Mind is
accustomed to dealing with alien or inexplicable
phenomena, or problems outside any human
experience. Individuals can handle the stress
equated to "the weight of the world" In stride.
Demon, Superman, Bralnloc
16-18: This person can mentally endure the
consistent strain of a hostile and taxing
condition such as war for centuries. Highfather
19-21: At this level, the person has a god-like
mental stamina. Darkseid, Guardians of the
Unlvtffll, Chemo
22-24: The mind remains whole even in
.dtuatlons where the laws of reality shift.
ZS..27: The mind can withstand an assault that
strikes to the core of the individual's existence.
l'llantomStranger
:18-30+: An Individual with mental stamina at
the level of a primordial entity. Monitor,
And-Monitor, Death, Sandman
 Step 6
INFLUENCE: Purchase Wealth
"Influence represents the power of
Th e nex t as pec t o f C ha ra c1e r Des ig n to co ns id e r is a
a Character's personality and presence."
Character's ava il able fin ances and s1anda rd of li ving (measured
as Wealth). APs of Wea lth are purchased at a Fac1o r Cost of 2.
APs Benchmarks Further inform ati on on the Wealth raling and its use in the
DC HEROES RPG may be fo und in Chapter Eight. T he fo ll ow ing
1-2: The individual receives the normal table pro vides be nchma rks to he lp de term ine lhe purc hase o f
attention accorded any living creature. Wea lth of APs.
Returning to Pulsar, our Player decides to purchase 5 APs of
Wealth, giving Pulsar an annual in co me o f approximately
3-4: This person has the persuasive ability $40,000. Since Wealth has a Factor Cost of 2, this will cost our
to hold and draw the attention of a small Player 8 Hero Points.
audience. most minor eritertainers Pulsar's subtotal after purchasing his Wealth rating is now at
556 Hero Points.
5-6: The individual at this level of Influence
can hold and draw the attention of a large Weahh Approx. Annual
audience_ Flash (Jay Garrick), Black Canary, (In APs) Income
Booster Gold, Wildcat
0 $ 1250
I $2500
7-8: The personality is so unique as to be 2 $5000
highly regardedby several people across a nation 3 $ 10,000
or a state. Viking Prince, Queen Hippolyte, 4 $20,000
Green Arrow, Blackfire 5 $40,000
6 $80,000
7 $ 150,000
9-10: This individual's personality is strong
8 $300,000
eno ugh to attract the attention of the leaders 9 $500,000
and citizens of many separate nations. 10 $ 1.000,000
Amanda Waller, Batman, Circe, John Constantine, 11 $2,000,000
Wonder Woman 12 $4,000,000
13 $8,000,000
11-12: The person's presence is powerful 14 $ 15,000,000
15 $30,000,000
enough to have gained the attention of e.ven
16 $50,000.000
legendary personages. In some cases their 17 $ 100,000,000
notoriety is so comprehensive as to be a 18 $200,000,000
hou sehold word across the world. 19 $400,000,000
Swamp Thing, Child 20 $800,000,000
21 $ 1,500,000,000
13-15: This individual can easily gamer the
attention of an individual from another species.
Step 7
Spectre, Demon
Character Background,
16-18: This person cari attract the attention of Description, and Personality
powerful personages such as Demons and the
Lords of Order and Chaos without effort. On e im port ant aspect to consid er in Charac te r Des ign is
Doctor Fate (as Nabu) wh e th e r o r no t to c re ate a Bac kg ro und, Desc r ipt io n. and
Perso nality fo r the new hero. While each o f these three e leme nts
is opti o nal, a Player rece ives an add itio nal 15 Hero Points to the
19-21: This individual receives reactions from initial 4 50 He ro Po in1 a ll o tme nt ro r eac h ele me nt des ign ed
people as if the person were a god or goddess (c rite ri a of co mpl e te ness a t th e G M 's di sc re ti o n). up to a
without needing any display of power or a maximum of 45 add itio nal Hero Po ims
reputatio n. Phantom Stranger T he fo ll o wi ng are g uide li nes 1o ward desig nin g a new
Character's Back grou nd , Descript ion, and Personality.
22-24: This person has an overwhelming
presence. and can establish a reputation across Background
the galaxy. A Bac kg rou nd co nsis ts o f a C harac tc r·s hi s lo ry a nd
persona l d ata. To receive the add it iona l Hero Po in1s fo r creating
a Bac kg rou nd, a Player sho uld desig n an e ntry for the new
25-27: This person can force a reaction from Characte r that would be si milar to 1hose fou nd in the DC Who 's
universal audiences and personages such as Who seri es.
Dea th, Destiny, Sandman, etc. Nergal A ty pic al W ho's Wh o en try co ns ists o f th e fo l low ing
informat io n·
28-30: Multi-versa! notice can be Character Nam e, Alter Eg o (sec re t id e ntity, if any),
accomplished. Death Occupation (job) , Marital Status, Kn own Relatives, Group
Affiliation (hero team memb er?) , Base of Op erations (city),
Height, Weight, Eye Color, Hair Color, and Personal History.
 A Pl ayer should fill in each portion with the appropriate
information . Chnracter Name. Alter Ego. Group Affiliation,
Base of Operat ions. Height, Weight. Eye Color. and Hair Color AURA:
should be relat ively sim ple. For Occupation, the Player should "This Attribute represents a Character's ability
se lect a job wh ich correspond s to the Charac ter's Wealth rating to intercede with his/ he r personality to affect
- a Character with only 2 APs of Wea lth is not li kely going lo the actions of others and also indicates
be a doctor or lawyer. while a Charac ter with 20 APs is probably h is or her level of magical power."
not going to be a school 1eacher.
For Mari ta l Sw ws. a Player shou ld on ly indicate that his APs Benchmarks
Character is marri ed if he pla ns to se lect the Married Drawback
Known relatives cou ld in clude ot her Pl aye rs' Characters, hero ic
1-2: At this level an individual can leave a
Non-P layer C ha ra c 1ers (s ubj ect to GM a nd other Players'
approval). or could s impl y be non- heroic Non-Player Characters basic impression on someone.
who might occasio nal ly show up in an adventure (pare nt s.
sib lings. ch ildren. etc.) 34: This individual possesses an Aura
The most im porta nt port ion of a Background by fa r is the equivalent to a that of a very amiabl e person,
hi story entry . Somew here in the history a Player should ex plain such as an actor or a priest. Jonah Hex, Speedy,
how the new Character ga ined hi s Powers and Skills. why the Hourman (Rex Tyler), The Atom (Ray Palmer)
Charac ter dec ided 10 beco me a hero, and which heroes o r
vil lai ns ( if a ny ) from the DC Uni ver se the Characte r has 5..6: This person has a presence strong
enco unt ered in the past (among o the r use ful information ). enough to change the emotional statu s of an
Detail s are co mpletely up to the Player as suits the Character. A auditorium-sized crowd of people from dead
thoroug h histo ry e ntry s hould provide th e GM wit h man y
calm to an electrified fren zy. Queen Hippolyte,
poss ible plOl thread s thal he coul d integra1e into an adventu re or
Aquoman, Big Barda, Mister Miracle
campaig n.
For exam pl e. suppose a Pl ayer explained in his history 1ha t
Captain Charisma ga in ed hi s Powers by fal li ng into a vat o f 7-8: This individual has a mystique capable
irra dia ted Kodac h rome whil e inves t iga tin g h is fiancee· s of affecting the opinions of people across the
di sappearance. A GM wou ld th en have an instant plot thread for nation. The person can gain loyalty and respect
a ca mpai gn (w hat rea ll y happened to Cha ri sma' s fi ancCe and upon appearance. Batman, Enemy Ace,
who abduc ted her?). The Warlord, Green lantern (Hal Jordan)
GM s s hould a ppro ve any Backgrou nd th a t ( 1.) makes
sense. ( 2. ) ti1 s the needs of the adventu re or campaign, and ( 3.) 9-10: The individual can alter t he opinions of
is approp ri ate within the DC Unive rse. A Player shou ld not
various citizens across the wo rld and is capable
expect additiona l Hero Points for a History read ing: "Superman
of generating a cult foll owing within a region
always asks my Cha racter for adv ice" or " I be ca me a hero
beca use I killed Captain Co ld while he was robbing a bank and I the size Of a country. Wonder Woman
was surpri sed at how easy it was.··
A sample Background for Pulsar might read like this: 11 -12: This individual is capable of generating
myths and legends that last for several
Pulsar Centuries. John Constantine, Ee/ipso

Personal Data 13-1 5: This personality can gain the respect of

Alter Ego: Lloyd Wood even legendary figures, such as King Arthur, and
Occupation: Private detective, sway the opinions of beings of great mysti cal
former street criminal power. Arion, Circe, Zatanna, Brother Blood
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Roger (brother)
16-18: The individual can reason with and
Group Affiliation: None
possibly alter strong pe rsonalities, such as those
Base of Op~rations: Midway City
of angels and demons. Demon, Darkseid
Height: 6 ' 1", Weight: 210 lb,.
Eyes: Blue, Hair: Blond
19·21 : When It comes to stre ngth of
Hi story: This co nsi sts of an intri catel y detail ed summ ary of personality, this individual can walk among st the
the eve nts. persons. and locat ions which surrounded a hero 's gods as a near-equal. Spectre, X'Hal, Superman
incep tion . A hi story li sts fo r th e Play er and GM. informat ion
pert inent to how the Character developed hi s Powers, Skills, and 22·24: This indivudal's Aura is powerful
Moti vati on: it provides an esse nce to the hero by es tablish in g a enough to make his or her word law across th e
definit ive b iograph y upon whi ch effec ti ve C haracte r ro le- galaxy. Doctor Fate (as Nabu)
pl ayin g ca n be based.
Fo r ex amp le. S u perma n is a n alien who deri ves h is
25·27: This personality is powerful enough to
fa n1as 1i c po we rs fro m the effect s of ye ll ow s un rad iat ion;
etch a legendary standing across the universe.
rea lizing he possesses abilities far beyond those of mortal men,
Superman uses hi s powers to uphold th e laws of soc iety and The most powerful beings in the universe will
defe nd all peop les. The Baiman is a hero scarred by a tragedy heed this individual. Phantom Stranger, M onitor,
wh ich occurred in his early childhood. his parents having been Anti-Monitor
gunned down before his eyes by a street thug: the chi ld grew up,
ho ning hi s phy sica l and mental s ki ll s to le ve ls of human 28-30: The individual's presence stretc hes
perfecti on . and dedicated himse lf 10 enforci ng hi s own bra nd of beyond the confines of this universe.
justice upon soc iety·s crimina ls
 While all heroes share som e co mmon characteri stics, each
hero will possess a unique biography. Beyond variations in
SPIRIT: Powers, Skills, and flashy costumes, it is the spec ial personal
hi story of a Character which serves to se parate him from the
multitudes of heroes which fly today's skies and will sw in g
tomorrow ' s darkened streets.
A sample History for Pulsar might read like this:
APs Benchmarks
Lloyd Wood grew up a poor orphan in the slums of Midway
City and joined a local street gang at the age of fourteen. A
1-2: tough, strong-willed youth, Lloyd quickly took control of the gang
himself until he was noticed by the local syndicate and recruited
into its operations.
3-4: Lloyd soon grew disillusioned with the syndicate after
learning that the mob made its money by bleeding dry the
0
businesses and residents in his old neighborhood through a
his or her core beliefs. Ice, C,hangeling, Desaod, protection scheme. Yet Lloyd was quickly promoted to working the
Checkmate Knight protection racket himself. His first assignment was to murder the
only resident of the area who stood up to the mob 's strong-arm
5-6: This person is sO $ecure in his or ~~r :t' tactics: Professor Robert Dalton, a S. T.A.R. labs scientist who
himself had grown up in the slums.
beliefs that he or ,she is Willing to die for them.
When Lloyd confronted Dalton in the scientist's home, Dalton
Most Heroes: Huntress, Fire, ·Booster Gold '
quickly recognized Lloyd's misgivings and managed to convince
the errant youth to forgo his criminal ties and join the fight
7-8: against the mob. Dalton convinced Lloyd to participate in the
several major crises without loss of re59:lve. experimental "vita-ray process, " a treatment designed by the
John Constantine, Deadinan scientist ta imbue its subject with powers to use against the
syndicate.
Lloyd agreed to the treatment and accompanied Dalton to
9-10: S. T.A.R. Labs. However, Dalton's process went awry, as the instant
Dalton activated his vita -ray process, an eclipse cut off the
equipment's solar power source, causing a dangerous power
surge. The accident destroyed the vita-ray equipment and nearly
killed Lloyd Wood; yet, amazingly Lloyd emerged from the vita-ray
chamber imbued with powers even more fantastic than Dalton
had imagined. Lloyd created the costumed crime fighting identity
11 -12: This person hai can easily cope with of Pulsar and immediately turned his attention to eradicating the
extraordinary phenomena and knows no tru~ mob 's local influence.

:~:r~:: s isl:;~::~ ~o~;:~~:: :; :or entry in~o1

0 0
Brother Blood, Hal Jordan, Arion, Sinestro
13-15:
attacks from a master 1,evel sorcerer and
traumatic supernatural catastrophes routi~ely.
Amethyst, X'Hal, Zantqnna
16-18: This person's.spiritual resilience is
equivalent to that of a god-like mystical being. ·
Darkseid, Ares
19-21:
even in the ravages of a hostile environrrient
such as Hell or Qward. ,Lards of Order and ChaoS
22-24:
During the intense battle between Pulsar and the mob which
followed, Dalton was accidentally killed. Pulsar would have died
as well, had it not been for the timely intervention of Hawkman,
who saved Lloyd's life and helped defeat the syndicate.
The syndicate defunct, Lloyd decided to apply his thieving
talents and street smarts toward positive ends and became a
private detective, continuing ta fight crime in his alter-identity of
Pulsar.
Description
A Descripti on consists of a written account of a Character's
physical appea ran ce in both super and non -s uper id entiti es.
Po ints to co nsider include: clothing, facial features, hair style,
height , weight , build, and any particular manneris ms he might
possess (both physical and verbal)
When describing a hero, conce ntrate on the Character 's
costume, emphasizing spec ifi cs such as design, material, and
color. Does il include a mask, cape, or spec ial sy mbol ? If the
Player or any member of the group is an artist, the Player could
substitute a sketc h of the Character for a written Description and
st ill receive the 15 additional Hero Poi nts.
Our Player visualizes what he imagines Pulsar to look like,
and comes up with the following description:

25-27: In his heroic identity of Pulsar, Lloyd Wood wears a costume

an entity-level mystical force. Trigon
woven of a special material designed by S. T.A.R. Labs. It appears
to be a simple light blue spandex body suit, until he activates his
powers. His powers react with the special fibers in the suit to
create a glowing, star like symbol in the center of his chest: the
symbol of Pulsar! To protect his secret identity, Pulsar also wears a
mask made of the same material, which adequately hides his
facial features .
 In his everyday identity of Lloyd Woad, our hero tends to
favor off-the-rack business suits in order to make himself look the
part of a competent private detective. However, his top button is
almost always undone, and his tie is loosened, giving him a
somewhat disheveled look. At six foot one and two hundred ten
pounds, Wood's blue eyes and blond hair give him an imposing
look, even when he is not in his costumed identity. During his
years as a street thug, Lloyd learned how to use his /oaks to his
best advantage, developing a scowl that makes even the bravest
tremble.
Personality
Thi s secti on sho uld descri be a Character's physical , me ntal ,
and emotiona l manneri sms, how he deals with other Characters
and vice versa. Perso nalit y traits are ofte n c lose ly associated
with a Character's Motivation (see Step 9 ). From a role-playing
stan d po int , c rea tin g a uniqu e Persona lity feature for each
Character wil l increase interest and enjoyment for all Players.
On e of th e reasons Ju stice League A merica a nd Ju sti ce
League International are suc h enjoyable comics is that eac h hero
is clearly defined and has some unique facet to hi s personality.
The Martian Manhunter is stern and serio us, but addicted to
Oreos ; Rocket Red is a nai ve farmboy desperate ly trying to
ass imilate him self into American culture, and Guy Gardner is a
brash, arrogant fool.
A sample Personality note on Pulsar might read like this:
Pulsar is a tough-talking, arrogant type who is new to the
super-business. While he genuinely cares about people and their
problems, he can be quite impetuous, often thinking with his fists
instead of his head. Something of a hot dog, given a choice in
combat, Pulsar will select the tactic which best displays his
amazing abilities.
In his everyday identity of Lloyd Wood, Pulsar tries to be a bit
mare low-key, hoping that no one will notice the similarities
between his dual identities. Pulsar offers Wood the chance to
really cut loose and enjoy his new-found powers, an opportunity
he doesn 't have in his civilian life. Uoyd 's other major personality
trait is his curiosity, which frequently gets him involved in matters
that others might not have noticed.
Since our Player has created all three of the Background,
Description, and Personality aspects for Pulsar, he receives 45
additional Hera Points to add to the 450 base. Since 556 Hero
Points hove already been spent on Pulsar, our Player must still
come up with 61 Hero Points in Drawbacks (556 - 450 - 45 = 61).
Step 8
Select Drawbacks
If a Pl aye r has purc hased Attributes, Powers, Sk ill s, and
Adva ntages that cost more than the 450 Hero Po ints alloned for
Character Des ign, he mu st now locate additio nal Hero Points to
pay for the Character's creation . T hi s is acco mpli shed by giving
Drawbacks to the Character.
Drawbacks are the opposi te of Advantages. Each Drawback
description (see pag e 36) li sts a Hero Point bonus, which is the
numbe r of addi tional Hero Point s award e d fo r se lect in g a
Drawback
In the example, our Player must locate at least 61 Hero
Points in Drawbacks to purchase all of Pulsar 's characteristics.
Since Pulsar's abilities are light-based, our Player decides to give
him a Loss Vulnerability which is activated by darkness, specifying
that none of Pulsar's abilities is ever able to function in complete
darkness.
Since this Vulnerability affects Pulsar's Powers and Physical
Attributes, and has a Range of O APs, selection of the Drawback
awards 85 Hero Points. Additionally, Pulsar has the Secret Identity
Drawback, which is worth 10 Hero Points.
With the inclusion of these Drawbacks to Pulsar's Character
Design, our Player has a " bank" of 34 additional, unspent Hero
Points after creating Pulsar (450 + 45 + 95 - 556 = 34)
Step 9
Select Motivation
Two important steps remain toward completing design of a
new Character. First, every hero requires a Motivation , which is
the driving purpose behind the Character's decision to be a hero
and fight crime. Five basic Mo tivatio ns exist for heroes in the
DC Universe: Upholding the Good, Responsibility of Power,
Seeking Justice, Thrill of Adventure, and Unwonted Power.
A beg inning Character can possess one (and only one) of
these Mot ivat ion s. Se lec tin g a M oti vation neither cos ts nor
awards Hero Points. However, keeping a Character's Moti vation
firml y in mind during a n adventure and campaign will help a
Player to ro le pl ay , a nd consistent role-playing ca n result in
receiving additional Standard Awards (see Chapter Nine ).
Motivations often dramatica ll y affect a Character's Personality
(see Step 7)
Th e following descriptions provide information on each
Motivation and present personal in sights from representative DC
heroes.
Our Player determines that Seeking Justice, Batman 's
Motivation, fits Pulsar's history and psychological outlook best.
UPHOLDING THE GOOD
A C haracter wi th the Motivation of Upholding the Good
be li eves steadfast ly in traditi o nal moral values: compassion ,
justice, truthfulness, and a resolute faith in society's laws. A
Character Upho lding the Good is unre lenting in the pursuit of
Good and would never overstep the boundaries of the law, even
if it may occasionally see m ju sti ce wou ld be better se rve d
otherwise.
A C haracter wi th the Motivation of Upholding the Good
be lieves societal laws to be ultimately benign and will defend
those laws at all costs.
S upe rman po ssessed the Motivation of U ph o ldin g the
Good, which he explained in thi s manner:
"All people, not just heroes, have the privilege and duty to
support the laws of their society. While my powers allow me· to
uphold these laws to a greater extent than I could otherwise, I
would pursue my beliefs even without my powers.
" Upholding the Good means to acknowledge that all living
creatures have value. For my part, I do whatever I can to improve
the good elements in our world and to eliminate evil while
working within society's rules, since laws are designed to benefit
everyone. I realize that some lows are outdated and ill-conceived
but I refuse to allow a few bad lows to impede the entire system.
" Ultimately, good is more than the mere absence of evil.
Were there no villains, I would still hove much work to accomplish;
there is world hunger to combat and human injustice to
overcome. There will always be plenty of good I can do besides
keeping Lex Luthor out of trouble. "
RESPONSIBILITY OF POWER
A Character with th e Motivation o f Respo ns ibility o f
Power decides to change as a resuh of the awesome Powers and
Skills w hi ch separate him from the re st of the world. The
Character, no longer o rdin ary , accepts that with great power
comes g reat responsibility.
Such a hero will generally uphold the Jaws o f society,
reali zing that he is an example to others and th at such power
d e mand s a more disciplined life styl e than the hero might
otherwise have chosen. However, the course of ac tion this
res po nsi bilit y di c tates oc cas ion a ll y s tra in s s uc h a hero's
patience
Gree n Lantern is bound by the Respo nsibility o f Power. He
exp lains his Moti vation in th is manner:
"Being a member of the Green lantern Corps is probably the
highest honor anyone, human or alien, could achieve. Yet, the
power the Guardian s grant us brings with it awesom e
responsibility. The universe is filled with evil and injustice; it often
seems impossible just to protect space sector 2814. I have to try.
"The power I wield obligates me to continue where others
might quit. The responsibility is tremendous and I often find myself
plagued with doubt; yet, the satisfactions of a job well done are
sufficient reword.
"On the other hand, I am also a human being. I cannot be
perfect twenty -four hours a day for the rest of my life. The
Guardians espouse a strict code of ethics and behavior and require
that I follow their ideas of what is important, not mine. Sometimes
I find myself resenting my power ond responsibilities for interfering
with my life."
SEEKING JUSTICE
A C harac ter with th e Mo ti vati on of See kin g Ju sti ce will
ig no re anyth ing whi ch interfe res with a qu est. Th is hero will
willing ly subvert society's laws, some of whi ch he believes help
protect crimin als. This hero will see k out a criminal at whatever
socia l leve l the criminal ex ists, matching deed fo r deed, vio lence
wi th vio lence.
Batm an·s Mot ivati on is Seeking Justi ce, which he ex pl ains
in thi s manner:
"Anyone with eyes can see that atrocities are committed
every day. Today's criminal believes it is his right to prey upon the
innocent. Many people are willing to let that slide. .. lawyers,
judges, even the police . .. I am not.
"I bring justice into the night, where the criminal hides. If he
uses stealth, I move even more quietly. If he uses violence, I match
his brutality. It is the only language he understands, and I am
fluent in it. He loves to make others fear him. He fears me.
"I would never harm innocents. More often than not, I am
the only friend they have. I do not kill; my life is committed to
eradicating the evil which permits one man to kill another. While
despair, loneliness, and doubt wish to turn me from the path of
justice, I will never surrender. No criminal can escape the grip of
justice ... my justice.
"Comparatively, Superman is an admirable person, but he
refuses to see the evil which strangles society, preferring to hide
behind his red, white, and blue blindfold. Society is a dying
patient and I am the surgeon who will tear the criminal heart, still
beating, from its body. "
THRILL OF ADVENTURE
A Character with the Motivat io n o f Thrill of Ad ve nture
takes extreme chances in co mbat and enjoys every minute of it.
So metimes the hero will overestim ate his abilities and peo ple
will o ft en co nsid er the C haracter flipp ant and occ as ionall y
ridicul ous. Yet, such a hero woul d neve r dese rt a fri end or run
from a fi ght.
A Character out fo r the Thrill of Ad venture will not easil y
accept other people ' s concepts of justi ce. Simil ar to a Character
who is Seekin g Ju stice, th is is an independent hero who works
under a stri ct code of behav ior. Thi s Character enj oys hav ing
Powers and Ski ll s and thri ves on the fa me whic h comes with
bein g a hero. Such a hero will often use humor during see mingly
inappropriate combat or d iplo matic si tuations.
C hange lin g is mo tivated by the T hrill o f Adve nture. He
desc ri bes hi s Moti vati on in thi s ma nner:
"I have occasional doubts, like when we're clear across the
country in the middle of some nuclear detonation site and Brother
Blood's getting ready to knock my head back to Titans Tower. But
if I can go from being a suave hero to a dead smudge in a couple
of seconds, my doubts can 't last long. Half a second to get the
layout of the area, transform into a cheetah, then valiantly whip
around my fallen comrades at top speed to outflank the evil bad
guy.
"In the blink of an eye, I turn into an eagle and fly overhead,
zeroing in on Brother Blood as he prepares to lay waste to the
remaining New Titans. Without thought for my own personal
safety, I turn into a huge African elephant and drop pell-mell right
on top of Blood - a green trumpeting bomb from the sky. Just for
good measure, I hop up on all fours and tromp back and forth over
the nasty villain until I'm absolutely sure he poses no more threat.
 "The menace eliminated, I hoist my teammates' unconscious
bodies onto m y back with m y trunk and march to ward the
nearest hos pital, where I am greet ed with th e ch eers and
applause o f m y adoring public. Sure, it 's a tough life . .. but
somebody has to live it. H
UNWANTED POWER
A Charac ter with 1he Moti vation of Un wanted Power was
usually created by acc ident or at the whim of others. T his hero
in no way desi res such Powe rs and abiliti es. the possess ion of
which ofte n brings seve re pe rsona l co nse qu e nces. Th is is a
reluctant hero, one who would glad ly ret urn to his fo rmer life if
given the opponunity.
Suc h a C ha ra cte r o ft e n jo in s a he ro team , see kin g a n
acceptance denied the Character in the normal worl d. Thi s hero
regularl y fo rm s ex tre me ly close, perso nal att ac hme nts to othe r
heroes and is very loya l to the team. A he ro with Unwanted
Powe r may strongly fe el that soc iety owes him a deb1 and can
often be shon -tempe red.
Cy bo rg possess U n wa nt ed Powe r . He ex pl a in s h is
Motivation in th is manne r:
"Being a member o f the New Titans is exciting. The Titans
are the best thing that has happened to m e in a long time. They
give me a sense o f belonging that I like ... that I need. I wish I felt
the same about the res t o f the human race. The metal half of me
hos power far beyond anything I would have thought possible;
but possessing it means I con never feel com fo rtable when I am
around normal people.
"Sometimes it seems there are over four billion people out
there who would rather forget I exist than try to understand me;
these are the people I'm supposed to help? I can do tremendous
things with m y abilities, but I could also do a lot o f good if I were
normal. I sure wish I could have that chance.
''Superman is on ideal to me. He and Starfire are even aliens,
and they fit righ t in with people. They can do it but I just stand
out in a crowd - like the ones which form ta ga wk at me. Green
Lantern has it mode: stomp the bod guys, then go home and take
o ff the ring. What a clear-cut job; nine-to-five and afterwards you
can go bock to being a regular person."
Step 10
Calculate Remaining Hero Points
The fi nal step which rema ins in designi ng a new Character
is to ca lc ulate the numbe r of Hero Points re main ing from the
purchase of all the various Character e le ments. T hi s re mainin g
numb e r w il l be t he He ro Po i nt s the C ha ra c te r w il l have
" banked" (s wred fo r late r ex pe nditu re. as ex pla in ed in Idea
Seve n: Hero Points in Chapter Three ).
In the example, Pulsar has 34 Hero Points left (450 + 45 + 95
· 556 = 34). Now complete as a newly designed Character, Pulsar
has ended up looking like this:
DEX: STR: B ODY:
I NT: W ILL : M IND:
I NFL: A URA: SPIRIT:
I NITI ATIVE: 17 H ERO POINTS 34
• Powers: Energy Blast: 8, Fligh1 : 10, Force Field: 4
• Skills: T hief: 4, Vehicles: 5
• Advantages: Area Kn owledge (Midway Ci1y);
Conneclions: Street (Low), Police (Low)
• Drawbacks: Loss Vulnerab ility: Powe rs and
Physical Attributes in total darkn ess; Sec rel Ident ity
• Alter Ego: Lloyd Wood
• Motivation: Seeking Justi ce
• Occupation: Private Detective
• Wealth: 5
Creating Villains
The GM ca n also use the Character Design syste m IO creaic
vi ll ains for an advent ure or campaign. A vill ain designed on 450
Hero Poi nts should be a matc h fo r a hero des igned on 450 Hero
Poin ts. and vice ve rsa.
Th e o nly rul es whi ch vary fo r c reat ing vill a ins a re th at
villains neve r rece ive an add iti ona l 45 Hero Po in ts for th e
Bac kground, Pe rsonality, and Descrip ti on aspec ts of the des ign,
and tha t vil lain s possess diffe re nt Moti va tions th an he roes, as
indi cated in the fo llow ing desc riptions:
Mercenary
T his Characte r co mmi ts crimes fo r the money involved.
whic h may co me from the c rime itse lf, or the vi ll ai n may be
pa id be an outside source to comm it the crime. Be ing an outlaw
business person. in effec t, a Mercenary will not comm it a c rime
if 1he fee is not right. A Mercenary possesses his ow n partic ul ar
standards: some will not hes itate to ki ll in order 10 complete a
c rime. bu t for most Merce na ries. murder necess iiates a muc h
hi gher fee. A Merce nary will reg ularl y negotiate fees. fo r cri me
is a business. not a re ligious ca lli ng.
Nihilist
T his Character des ires, above all e lse. comp lete destruction
on as wide a scale as poss ible. The vill ain is suici dal. thi nki ng
nothi ng of 1a kin g his life as long as thousa nd s of othe rs d ie in
the process. Be ing dri ve n by an unreasoning hat red of a ll th ings,
a Nih ili s1 will o fte n enter Killi ng Comba t. ma king the use of
Persuas ion on 1he villai n near ly imposs ible.
Power Lust
T his Charac1er wants to rule the country. world . ga laxy. or
uni verse, depending on the ex tent of an ind iv idu al's ambiti ons
a nd a b ili1i es. Th e vil la in w ill no t seem unreaso nab le in
de meanor as long as everyth ing goes his own way. Characte rs
governed by th is Mot iva tion inc lude leaders o f ··noble causes"
who espouse conce p1s li ke, "My rule will benefit all o f you, fo r
only I con save/ help/ lead you. Oppose me, and all humanity will
suffer!H
A villa in w it h Powe r Lu s t co nside rs murde r tO be a
perfect ly viable mea ns to an e nd. and wi ll use ii accord ing to his
ow n ev il standards. However. he will not ki ll hi s e nemies simp ly
fo r killing·s sa ke.
Psychopathic
T hi s C hara c te r is ru le d by unco nt ro ll a bl e. neg at ive
e moti ons such as hatred, j ealousy. fear, and arroga nce, which
a llow th e vill ain 10 fe e l j ust ifi ed in co mmitt ing ev il. Th e
psyc hopath may be comp le te ly insa ne or si mply be gove rned by
a twisted and ev il mora li ty. T he ac t of ki lli ng does not bother the
psyc ho pa th . w hose fee li ngs a nd reaso ni ng are ofte n
incomprehensibly warped. Most vill ain s described as "pure evil''
would be c lassi fi ed as psyc hopat hs.
Thrill Seeker
Th is Character li ves in the c rimin al world fo r kicks. Unl ike
h is hero ic co unt e rp a rt . t his Thrill Secke r has no s tomac h
whatsoever fo r co nfrontation. ff eve nts turn agai nst th is vi ll ain.
he turns int o u coward. The T hri ll Secker will not attempt IO kill
a he ro unl ess terri bly des pe rate: heroes have bee n know n to
beco me upse t by such attempts and might then hurt th e vill ain.
whi ch is certain ly not any fun
 AP Purchase Chart
FACTOR COST
Other Action
Wealth Attribute Attribute
2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10

1 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5
2 2 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
3 3 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
4 4 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 3
5 5 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 4
6 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48 54 60
7 8 16 24 ' 32 40 48 56 64 72 80
8 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
9 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96 108 120
10 16 32 48 64 80 96 112 128 144 160
11 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
12 24 48 72 96 120 144 168 192 216 240
13 28 56 84 11 2 140 168 196 224 252 280
14 32 64 96 128 160 192 224 256 288 320
15 40 60 120 160 200 240 280 320 360 400
16 45 90 135 180 225 270 31 5 360 405 450
17 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
18 55 110 165 220 275 330 385 440 495 550
19 60 120 180 240 300 360 420 480 540 600
20 65 130 195 260 325 390 455 520 585 650
21 70 140 210 280 350 420 490 560 630 700
22 80 160 240 320 400 480 560 640 720 800
23 90 180 270 360 450 540 630 720 810 900
24 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
25 11 0 220 330 440 550 660 770 880 990 1100
26 120 240 360 480 600 720 840 960 1080 1200
27 130 260 390 520 650 780 910 1040 1170 1300
28 150 300 450 600 750 900 1050 1200 1350 1500
29 175 350 525 700 875 1050 1225 1400 1575 1750
30 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000
31 225 450 675 900 11 25 1350 1575 1800 2025 2250
32 250 500 750 1000 1250 1500 1750 2000 2250 2500
33 275 550 825 1100 1375 1650 1925 2200 2475 2750
34 300 600 900 1200 1500 1800 2100 2400 2700 3000
35 350 700 1050 1400 1750 2100 2450 2800 3150 3500
36 400 800 1200 1600 2000 2400 2800 3200 3600 4000
37 450 900 1350 1800 2250 2700 3150 3600 4050 4500
38 500 1500 1000 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000
39 550 1100 1650 2200 2750 3300 3850 4400 4950 5500
40 600 1200 1800 2400 3000 3600 4200 4800 5400 6000
Per AP
Over40 +50 +100 +150 +200 +250 +300 +350 +400 +450 +500

Creating More• or Liss-Powerful Heroes

y using a 450 Hero Point Base, a Player can design a Character roughly equivalent in power to an average
of the New Titans. Yet. what if an adventure or campaign features more- or less-powerful heroes? The
is to adjust the Hero Point Base.
By multiplying the 450 Rero Point Base by a factor of two or three, a Player can design a Character fit for the
J:si~i~~~guu;:!r:•:u:•fo~~~~~~:;.Hero Point Base by a factor of tlm and a Player can design a Character !
0 n!r.r:::.o"::~°!::!;;:~~;:~t:1r0 i:::::.1~.!:r::;n~;.~::i.: ~~~~::;:0 ~a1r (down to 225 points) I
Whenever altering the Hero Point base, a Player should also increase or decre.ase the Hero Point costs and!
onuses for all Advantages and Drawbacks by the same factor. Advantages cost twice as much for 900 point
haracters; but Drawbacks net them twice as many Hero Points. Advantages cost half as much for 225 point
haracters; but Drawbacks only earn them half as many Heto Points.

No\~:'n~::;::r ~i: !~~e~e;i::e::i~; ~:~-:~ :!ecth:•:~:~~:::t:; ~::;;;;t:~w;7o:;: I


Ill. Experience
and Character Growth
At the completion of an adventure, a Character will receive
a Hero Point award for playing the game. These Hero Points can
be used to improve the Charac te r's abi li 1ies over time. The
di stribution of th ese Stand ard Awa rd s are subj ec t to th e
following guidelines. For more thorough information regarding
the awarding of Hero Points, see Standard Awards in Chapter
Nine.
Gaining Experience in Adventures
An adventure is defined in term s relating to a villain's plo1
and it is through the completi on of adventures that Charac ters
gain experience. Once the villain is encountered and the plot has
e ither de finit e ly s ucceeded or bee n foi led, the ad ve nture is
complete and Characters are awarded Hero Points based on the ir
le ve ls of success. An adventure ma y take severa l gaming
sessions to resolve, depending upon its complex ity; until its
resolu tion. no Hero Points are awarded.
Hero Points arc awarded re lat ive 10 five basic levels of
heroic ac hievement :
1.) Participation In the adventure.
2.) Role-playing the Character well.
3.) Saving the lives of Innocent bystanders.
4.) Thwarting the plot of the villaln(s).
5.) Role-playing Subplots.
A sixth award (termed the Mi scellaneous awa rd ) may be
gran ted at GM di sc reti on 10 reward especiall y heroic action s not
cove red by th e five prim ary ca 1ego rie s. Fo r exa mpl e. a
Character who did not enter Killing Combat agai nst a foe who
did. or a Character who devised a clever solution to a problem
should each receive a Miscellaneous award.
Each of the se le ve ls of heroic achi eve men t is worth a
specific number of Hero Points called a Standard Award, which
is a variable be nchmark for judging an adventure on its ow n
merit s. The Standard Awa rd is a reflection of th e level of
diffi cult y that th e heroes encountered whi le compl etin g th e
adve nture - the more diffi cult the adve n1ure, the grea ter the
Standard Award. For instance, pa rt icipating in an adven1ure
agai nst street thugs wo uld probab ly be less difficult than an
advent ure against Dark seid.
Characters may receive less than a ''full '' Standard Award if
th ey only co mple te ce ri ain portio ns of an adve nture (i f a
Character participated and saved innocent bystanders but did not
thw art th e vill ain . that Character wou ld receive onl y tw o
Standard Awards. at GM disc retion).
Note: Any heroic Character who in itiates Killing Combat
must automaticall y fo rfeit any and all Hero Poi nts available as
Standard Awards fo r th at adve nture, cxcep1 in cases where the
villai n he is fi ghting first entered Ki ll ing Combat. In such cases
the hero·s Awards arc hn lved. Killing is neve r a rewa rdable act.
Participation (1 Standa rd Award)
Any Character who takes part in an adventure receives one
S1andard Award for simple participation. The exception to thi s
rul e is a Character who initiates Killin g Combat during th e
adve nture; this Character forfeits all Hero Point awards available
as a result of the unheroic action.
Note: Characters who consistently fo rfeit th e Participation
awa rd ma y be asked by th e GM not to parti ci pate in funher
adventures.
Role-Playing (up to 1 Standa rd Award)
A Character in the DC Heroes RPG should have fri ends,
colleag ues, a nd a persistent foe with whom to interacL If a
Player ' s utiliza ti on of the C harac1 e r is co nsiste nt wi th the
Charac1cr' s Moti vat ion and pe rsonality, a Standard Awa rd is
di stributed for accurate role-play ing.
Conversely, if a Character' s act ions violate his Moti vation
or if the Character goes through sudden personality changes, no
Standard Award should be distributed for ro le-playing.
A Player who constant ly adds new facets to his Character
or who ro le-plays with exce pti onal consiste ncy, particularly
when 1he result ing actions could place the Character in jeopardy,
may be eligib le for bo nu ses. A GM sho uld feel free to
ge nerously re ward creati vity in ro le- play ing.
Saving Innocent
Bystanders (1 Standard Award)
If an adven tu re conni ct endange rs the lives of innocent
bys ta nd e rs, a tru e hero wi ll a lways a11e mpt to save th e
bystanders. even at th e risk of the hero' s own life. Characters
who save innocent bystanders receive I Standard Award.
Onl y No n-Player Characters who happen into action by
mistake are considered innocent bystanders: if the Joker plans to
blow up Got ham , for example, and the Batman thwarts the
sc heme. the milli ons of Gotham citize ns are 1101 co nsidered
innocent bystanders.
Thwarting the
Vlllaln(l Sta ndard Awa rd )
This Standard Awa rd is di stributed to Chnracters who were
ab le to success full y foil the plan of the adven ture's primary
vi llain or villains.
Subplots (1 Standard Award)
Every Character possesses a unique pe rso nal hi story th at
includes past experi ences and acqu aintances. Often a Character
wi ll have the opponunit y to int erac t with th ese eleme nts,
renewing a connict with an old foe or returnin g 10 the home
wor ld from whi ch th e hero was ex iled. A Character who is
in volved in his own Subplot receives one Stand ard Award. For
further information. see Chapter Ten.
Miscellaneous (up to 1 Standard Award)
A Character may receive anywhere from I Hero Point to an
entire Standard Award for heroic actions which ar not covered
by the five previously lis1ed cmegories. The decision not to en ter
Ki lling Combat against a foe who had done so would be wo rthy
o f a n additiona l S ta nd ard Awa rd , as wo uld inventing a
part ic ul a rl y in gen io us so lution to a diffic ult prob le m.
Mi sce ll aneous Standard Award s are comp letely a t GM
di scretion and need not be distributed at all.
Character Growth
As Characters progress through their heroic careers, they
become more experienced and ski lled in the use of their superior
ab ili ties. In the DC HEROES RPG , thi s aspect of Character Growth
is represented by a Character using Hero Points to increase his
APs of an Allri butc. Power. or Skill.
A Charac ter wishing to inc rease his statisti cs purchases
addi1ional APs of Attributes, Powers. a nd /o r Skills on the
Increasing Attributes Chan below. jusl as he did when designing
the Character ori ginall y. However. whe n increasing stati stics
throu gh Grow th , a C ha r:ic tc r mu st purc hase eac h of th e
add itional APs indi vid ua ll y. whi ch results in a much more costl y
in vestment.
Suppose a Character wanted to increase his DEX for m 6
to 9 APs . DEx is an Action Attribute (Factor Cost 7);
referencin g the chart reveals that 7 APs of DEx cost 70 Hero
Points, 8 APs cost 70 Hero Poin ts, and 9 APs cost 105 Hero
Points. To increase his DEX from 6 to 9 APs, the Character
must pay 245 Hero Points (70 + 70 + 105 = 24S).
 Increasing Attributes Chart

AP Wealth
Range 2 4

1,8 10 20 30 "40 50 60 70 80 90 100

9-15 15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135 150
16-24 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
25-35 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250
36-40 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300
41 -45 35 70 105 140 175 210 245 280 315 350
46-50 40 80 120 160 200 240 280 320 360 400
51 -55 45 90 135 180 225 270 315 360 405 450
56+ 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

Similarly, su ppose th e Characte r wa nted to in crease his
Fo rce Man ipulatio n (Factor Cost 10 Powe r) fro m 7 to 10 APs;
8 APs of a Factor 1O Power cost 100 Hero Points, 9 APs cost
150 Hero Po ints, and 10 APs cost 150 Hero Points. Th us, the
Characte r mu st pay a tota l of 400 Hero Poi nts to increase his
APs of Power from 7 to 10 APs (100 + 150 + 150 = 400).
No t e: When increasing any Pow e rs and Skills through
Character Growth, any Bonuses and Lim itations placed o n the
ex isting Power o r Ski ll sti ll affect the Factor Cost. For example,
to increase APs of Energy Blast with th e No Ran ge Lim itation,
the new APs would sti ll be purchased at Factor Cost 2.
When increasing Attributes, Powers, and/or Sk ill s, Hero
Points needed for a parti cular increase must be paid at one time;
partia l expenditure is not allowed.
Adding New Powers and Skills
B eyo nd growth of C haracte rs throu g h Att r ibute
modifi cation, a Pla yer may occasiona ll y want to divers ify by
adding totall y new Powers and Ski lls to hi s C haracter's ab ilities
Purchasing an additiona l Power for an ex ist ing Character
costs 10 times the Base Cost. Adding a new Skill cos ts 5 times
the Base Cost. Thi s gives the Character O APs of the new Power
or Sk ill ; th e P laye r mu st the n purc ha se ind ividual APs of the
Power on the Increasing Attributes Chart. taking into account any
Bonuses or Limitations wh ich may affect the Power or Ski ll' s
Factor Cost
To link a new Powe r or Ski ll , the Playe r follows the same
procedu re for adding a new Power or Skill just described ( I O or
5 t ime s the Base Cost, plu s ind ivi dual APs on the Increasing
Attributes Chart) , with the usua l -2 Factor Cost bonus for linking
an abil ity (see page 22) and any other Bonuses or Limitations
that appl y . Howeve r. the Player mu st buy a number of APs of
th e Power or Ski l l equal to t he ex is tin g AP s of the Link
Attribute immed iately. Once he has done so, the new Power or
Skill is co nsidered linked to the Attribute, and must inc rease if
the Player later dec ides to purchase a hi g her AP leve l of the
Link Attribute.
In addition to adding APs to an existing Power, a Player
may add Bonuses to a Character's Power or convert one or more
Powers to an appropriate more ex tensive Power with ex perience
by pay ing the difference betwee n what the new (or improved)
Power wou ld cos t and wha t th e o ld Power( s) wo uld cos t if
purchased throu gh Characte r Growth. Changes of th is nature can
only be made w ith GM approva l , a nd s hould require an
ex plan at ion in the fo rm of one o r more Subp lots.
Banking Hero Points
Hero Po int s may be saved by a C ha racter unti l they are
ex pend ed either duri ng an ad ven tu re or throu g h Character
Growth; thi s method of retain ing Hero Point s (ca lled " banking" )
• is often used by extreme ly powerfu l Charac ters who must reta in
a great number of Hero Points to raise APs of their abi lities.
The banking of un spent Hero Point s in no way threatens
the ir loss. Characters canno t accidental ly lose banked Hero
Points in batt le or have a vi ll ain steal them ; a Character mu st
w illingly expend Hero Points for hi s bank to dimini sh.
Purchasing New Advantages
A Character ma y use Hero Points to purch ase new
Advantages. Purcha s in g a new Advantage for an ex isti ng
Characte r cos ts 5 t i me s the li sted He ro Point cost of the
Advantage.
Removing Drawbacks
A C haracter may also use Hero Points LO remove any pre-
existing Character Drawbacks. Removing a Drawbac k from an
ex isting Character costs 5 times the number of Hero Points the
Character origi nal ly receiv e d for adopt i ng th e Drawback.
Drawbacks cannot be removed w ithout express GM perm iss ion.
Exa mpl e: When Batman started hi s career, he possessed the
M istru s t Drawback (as see n in Ba tm a n: Year One) . By the
second year of hi s career, Batman had removed this Drawback
and added a High level Connection with the GCPD (as seen in
Batman: Year Two) by spending accumu lated Hero Points
IV. Advantages
and Drawbacks
Advantages
Advantages are Character capabil itie s whic h are not
measured in APs; a Character e ither does or does not possess the
Advantage.
Listed w ith each Advantage is a Cost, wh ich is the Hero
Po int cost to purchase the Advantage. If the Hero Point Base of
a Character has been multiplied or divided from the normal 450
Hero Point Base, the Advantages ' Costs must a lso be multiplied
or divided by tha t same amou nt at the time of purc hase (see
page 30).
AREA KNOWLEDGE [COST: Va riab le]
A Character w ith thi s Advantage has thoroug h knowledge
of the te rrain and landmarks which dominate a spec ifi c area. The
area with wh ich a Character is fa miliar must be exac tly spec ifi ed
when thi s Advantage is purcha sed. Th is Advantage may be
purchased more than once for Characters familiar with more
than one area
A Character with this Advantage can automatica lly locate
any feature or landmark within 1he area by gaining RAPs on a
Perception Check against an OV/RV of 2/2 ('"where is the
nearest public phone?'": .. which bayou leads to LaBostrie's
shackT; "where is Wayne FieldT; and so on). Additionally, a
Character with Area Knowledge receives a +2 Column hift
bonus to his OV/RV against Per eption Checks made to detect
him while he is using the Thief ( tealth) Subskill within the
area. Simi larly, the Charncter receives a -2 Co lumn Shift
modifier to his target's OV/RV when making Perception Check
to detect others who are using Stealth in the area.
uch tcolth modifiers are discretionary. as Batman's Area
Knowledge of Gotham City would aid him while auempting to
hide in an alley. but probably would not help him sneak around
in idc the Penguin 's Gotham City hide out. Likewise, a Green
Lan tern who is in 1imntcly fam ili ar with hi s Space ec tor
would n' t necessarily know every back alley and rooftop therein.
The Hero Point cost of Arca Knowledge is based on the
sile of the area known. according to the following table:
Are.a Size llffol'GlntCost
Neighborhood 10
City 20
Suue/Provincc 30
Country 40
Continent 50
Planet 75
Solar Sy tem 100
Gnlaxy/Dimension 125
Space Sector 150
Known Universe 200
ATTRACTIVE [COST: 15)
A Character with th is Advantage is extremely phy ically
auracti\'c. uch a Chara ter receives a - I Column Shift modifier
to the OV of any Persuasion aucmpt made against membe rs of
the opposite sex. For further information. see Chapter Six :
Character Interaction.
BUDDY [COST: 25)
A Cham lcr with 1his Advantage begins the game with a
close personal friend who is privy to all of his secrets. The
Buddy will help the hero in any way that he can. and hould be
considered westruck/Enamored for the purposes of Character
In teraction. The help that a buddy provides could include
providing excuses for the absence of the hero·s alter ego when
he is oul fighting cri me. doing de1ec1ive or research work for the
hero. or even di~guising himse lf as the hero to provide a
di trnc1ion.
The GM should create stari tics for the hero's Buddy. and
the Buddy can obviously become a frequent on-Player
Character in the hero's ubplots. A Buddy will always remain
loyal to the hero. no mailer what happen . A Buddy should not
be married to the hero. as thi ~ constitutes a Drawback (see page
38). A Buddy also can not be nnother hero. The GM has fi nal
approval of the Buddy Advantage.
Batman has a Buddy in Alfred Penn ywort h. and Tom
"Piefncc" Kalmaku was formerly the Buddy of Green Lantern
Hal Jordan. uperman would not receive the Buddy Adva ntage
for Jimmy Olsen. as Jimmy does not know Superman's secret~:
although Mn and Pa Ken t could possibly be considered
Superman·s Buddies, even though they are not listed as such.
CONNECTION
[COST; 10 or 15, see following]
onntttion is a Non~Player Charac1er who is friendly 10
a Character possessing this Advantage. A Connection can either
be an individual (like uperman ) or an organization (like the
Gotham City Police Deportment).
When purcha~ing this Advan tage. a Character must exactl y
pecify with which individunl or organization he is connected
and if 1he Connecti on is High or Low level.
A High level Connection allows unique familiarity with an
individual (if the Character is one of Supennan's close friends)
or contacl with someone at th e upper echelons of an
organi,ation (such as Commissioner Gordon of the GCPD). A
High level Conncc1ion will automati cally inform n Character
wi th this Advantage of everything he or his organization knows
on any panicular subject. Additionally. High level onncction
can often be Persuaded to lend a Character assistance or
equipment. See Chapter Six for more details.
A High level Connection cost 15 Hero Points.
A Low level Connection allow a slight acquaintance with
an individual (the Character once helped Superman defeat Lex
Luthor) or con ta ct with someone in the lower ranks of an
organi zat ion (s u h as beat cop in the GCPD) . A Low level
onnec tion can often provide somewhat usefu l in formation
when questioned but usually will not know everything which his
organization kn ows. or will not revea l all the information he
knows 10 the Character.
A Low level Connection cost IO Hero Points.
Note: To purcha c a particularly powerful or innue ntial
onnection (the White House. Supennan. etc.) a Character must
spend twi ce the normal Hero Points (20 for Low, 30 for High),
and 111us1 describe in hi s Background how the hnracter
acquired the Connection. The GM has the right to refuse such
onnections, especial ly if they are High.
This Advantage may be purchased more than once for
haracters wi th more than one Connection. Example
Connections include; (Individuals) - potentially any Character
in the DC niverse; and (Organizmions) - the CIA. City Hall,
Congress. the FBI. a Foreign Consulate, Checkmate, the Justice
League International. the M ilitary. a Major Televi sion rntion. a
Museum. a Newspaper. the Police. S.T.A.R. Labs. the trcct. the
cw Titans, the Underworld. etc.
CONNOISSEUR [COST: 5)
A Character with lhis Advantage has apprecin ti on and
knowledge of life's fincrt hings; antiq ues, the arts, food . jewelry.
wines, and high fashion. A Connoisseur can appraise any item
through a successful Perception Check (A V/EVs being equal to
the Character's J,rr/W 1LL) agai nst OV/RVs of 2/2.
An aucmpt made by a Connoisseur to Per. uade another
Chara ter receives a - I Column Shift modifier to the OV if the
Character has had the opportunity to exercise his Connoisseur
abilities (wining and dining the subject. engaging in clever and
articu late conversation. etc).
FREE ACCESS [COST: 10]
hnracters wi th this Advantage have either a press pa.s ,
police identification. or other credentials that allow them to gain
en try into area that have been restric1cd by the civil authorities.
ormally. restricted areas include crime scenes. arc.as where
VIPs nre present. and operational faci liti es wi th in poli ce
hcadquancrs. Nole that 1his Ad vanrngc does not grunt access 10
"top•secrct" or sensitive military loca ti ons. Such access requires
proper Security learance (see below).
GADGET [COST: Variable)
A haracter with thi Advantage begins his career wi th a
Gadget. The Player must design his Gadget using the guidelines
presented in Chapter Seven and must pay the Gadget' s Hero
Poi nt cost. Gadgets purchased through thi s Advantage are
au1om:11ica ll y bui lt successfu lly (no Gadgetry hecks are
required). and no Wealth Check needs to be paid. A haracter
with this Advantage doc not have 10 possess the Gadgetry kill.
but should at least know of a Character who can build it for him.
Thi Advantage may never be purchased afier a haractcr' s
creation: it i onl y an op1ion for beginning Characters. Obtaining
a new Gadgel for an exis1ing Charac ter requires design.
purchase. and creation under the normal Gadgetry rules. Thi s
Advantage may be purchased more than once for a Churacrnr
who debuts with more than one Gadget.

GENIUS [COST: 2SJ
A Character with thi s Adva nt age may use hi s Gadgetry
Ski ll 1.0 cre~te iten~s or dev ices that use technology which is
un available m the ·' rea l world" of the late 20th century ( i.e.,
te lep~rta_tion machines, _force fi eld belts, etc.). For a complete
desc np11on of th e Genrns Advantage and its ap plica tion s to
Gadgetry, see page 11 4.
GIFT OF GAB [COST: 20]
A Character wit h thi s Adva ntage is a maste r of verbal
interplay. Whenever such a Character successfu ll y performs an
Interaction Maneu ver (see page I I I), he receives a -2 Column
Shift modifi er to th e target 's OV/RV instead of th e usual - 1
Col umn Shift bonu s.
HEADQUARTERS
[COST: 10 or 15, see fo ll owing]
A Character with thi s Advantage begins his career wi th a
serviceable headqu arters. The Character must choose Lhe extent
of th e Headqu arters at Lhe time of the Adva ntage purchase:
Confined or Expansive.
A Confined Headquarters is a small (approx. 400 square
fee t or )ess) bui lding., apartmem, or rented space located in a
major city or population ce nter. A secret room in a Character's
apartment would constitute a Confined Headquarters.
A Confi ned Headquarte rs costs IO Hero Poin ts at the time
of purchase.
An Expansive Headquarters is a we ll-hidden, vast ( 1500+
square fee t) complex, usuall y located in an isolated, difficu lt-to-
reach area. The Batcave constitutes an Expansive Headqu arters.
An Expa nsive Headq uarters costs 15 Hero Points at th e
time of pu rchase.
Note: The inc lu sion of parti c ul ar Gadgets (ve hicl es,
co mputers, etc.) wi thin th e Headq uarters is not co nsidered in
Lhi s Adva nt age's Cos l; such dev ices mu st be purchased
separately with the Gadget Advantage if the Character begins
his career wi th such devi ces.
This Advantage may never be purchased after a Character
has begun his caree r; it is on ly a n opt io n fo r beginning
Characters. Obta ining a new Headqua rters fo r an ex istin g
Character requires design, purchase, and creation under normal
Wealth rul es, fo und on page 124.
INSTA-CHANGE [COST: SJ
A Character with thi s Advantage can switch into costume
insta.ntaneous ly. Such a Charac ter's costume normally possesses
special mo lecules which transform at the hero/villain's will .
Utili zing thi s Advantage costs a Character one Automatic
Ac ti o n du rin g th e phase of l nsta -C hange to c ha nge into
costu me. A Character who possesses nei ther thi s Advantage nor
Superspeed mu st spen d an entire phase switching c lothes
(during which time the Character ca n take no other ac1ion).
The Atom has th e lnsta-Change Advantage.
INTENSIVE TRAINING [COST: 20]
A Character with th is Advantage has spen t most of his li fe
ri gorously training mind and body IO perfection.
An Intensive ly Trained Character receives a special -2
FaclOr Cost modifi er to any Skills linked during Skill purchase
in add iti on lo the normal -2 Factor Cost modifier fo r linked
Skills (see page 22). Factor Costs may never be reduced below
I
Converse ly, a Charac 1er wit h the Intensive Trainin g
Advan tage also adds +2 to the Factor Cost of any Powers
purchased for him. The Player mu st also pay an add itional 50
Hero Points eac h time (pe r AP) th at the Character raise s an
Action Attr!bute io a va lue gre~ter than 8 APs. The Player musl
pay an add itional 40 Hero Po1ms 10 ra ise any ot her Attribute,
Power, or unlinked Skill above 8 APs.
Example: A Pl ayer who se Character has th e Intensive
Training Advantage wants to raise hi s DEX from 7 10 9 APs
1hrough Character Grow1h. DEX is an Ac ti on Attribute (Factor
~ost 7), so the increase from 7 to 8 APs costs 70 Hero Points (as
indicated on the Increasing Attributes Chart, page 32). However,
the increase from 8 to 9 APs cost 155 Hero Points: 105 Hero
Po!nts for the normal Act ion Attribute increase plus 50 Hero
Points for an l.ntensively Trained Character raisi ng an Action
Attribute above 8 APs. The !Ota\ cost for increasing from 7 to 9
APs is therefore 225 Hero Poi nts.
Th ese mod ifi e rs for a n Inte nse ly Trained Char ac te r
co ntinue after initial Character design. An Intensely Trained
Character who purchases and li nks a new Skill s1ill receives the
-2 Factor Cost modifi er. Sim il arl y, an lnle nsive ly Trained
Charac ter who purchases a new Powe r st ill receives the +2
Factor Cost penalty.
IRON NERVES [COST: 20]
A Character with this Advantage is unu sually resistant to
fea r and intimidation. Such a Character receives a +2 Column
Shi ft modifier to hi s OV/RV aga inst th e Aura of Fear and
Phobia Po we rs, as we ll as a ny Character Int erac ti on
(Intimidation) attempts made agai nst him
LEADERSHIP [COST: 25]
A Characler with thi s Advantage is skilled in the arts of
strateg ic planning and givin g orders. The Character may
automa ticall y transfer his ow n Hero Points to any member of a
team which the Leader com mands; Hero Point transfer may be
in any amoun t de sired by the Leader (provided th e Charac ter
possesses a suffi cient number to transfer) and may be transferred
to any teammates at any time.
Once received by anothe r Cha racte r, tran sferred Hero
Points will function exactly as the recipient's own, except that
th ey canno t be used for Characte r Growth , and ca nn ot be
regained by the Leader. For the purpose of thi s Adva ntage, onl y
one Character at a time may Lead a team. If more than one
Character possessing this Adva ntage is present, team members
must selec t a Leader by mutu al consent.
 LIGHTNING REFLEXES [COST: 20]
A Charac te r with this Advantage possesses li ghtnin g-fast
reflexes and react ion times. Possession of th is Advantage allows
a Charac te r to permane ntly add two (2) po in ts to his base
Initiati ve score.
LUCK [COST: 15]
A Character wit h thi s Adva nt age is unusuall y fortunate.
Once per adventure. the Character may in voke the Advantage
and receive either - I Column Shift to an opponent's OV/RV or
+ I Column Shift to his own OV/RV when making an Action
Check. The Player may choose whic h of these bonu ses to ut ili ze
and when to invoke the Luck Adva ntage
Exa mple : If a Pl ayer decide d to in voke Luc k w hil e hi s
lucky Character was att ac king an opponent in hand-to- hand
combat, {he Character' s target wou ld receive a - I Column Shift
modifier tot his OV/RV for that att ac k. Conversely, if the lucky
Character were defending against an attack, he could receive+ I
Column Shi ft to his OV/RV for the defense.
OMNI-CONNECTION [COST: 25]
A Character with 1his Advantage has friends and potenti al
Con nec tio ns nearly eve ryw here (see th e prev iously- li sted
Connecti on Advantage). A Charac1er wi1h Omni-Connecti on is
allowed to pay a Hero Point fee during an adve n1ure IO suddenly
estab lish a new Connecti on to assist the Charac1er.
Establishing a Hi gh level Conneclion in 1his manner cost a
Character 15 He ro Poin1s, while es1ablis hin g a Low level
Con nec ti on cosls 10 Hero Poi nt s. Co nn ections estab li shed
1hrough Omni-Connection are onl y 1emporary and the Charac ter
may question or Persuade the Connec1ion (if desired) only once.
If 1he Character wishes to question the Connection further or at a
later time. he must agai n pay the respective Hero Point fee for
the Connec tion.
App li cati on s of thi s powe rful and potent iall y abu sa ble
Advantage are at GM disc retion. Omni-Connection could not be
used to sudde nly give a Charac1er a High level Connection with
the pol ice officer about to arrest the Character, for instance.
Example: While wor kin g on a case, John Co nsta ntine
discove rs his quarry is somehow co nn ected with th e hu ge
co nglom era te kn ow n as th e Sund erla nd Corpora tion.
Consta ntine dec ides to spend 15 Hero Poin1s to es tabli sh a
te mporary High leve l Co nn ec 1i on at Sund erl and to ga th er
infor rnmi on ("Sunderland?" Constantine says, "Whal a stroke of
luck ... an old mate of mine is a big shot at Sunderland!" ).
Constantine wi ll then be able to ask his Connection one fairly
detailed question and receive acc urate informat ion. If he wants
to ask further question s or call his "old mate" at a later date,
Constantine must again pay the 15 Hero Point Connecti on fee.
PET [COST: Variable]
A Character with lhis Advantage begins his career with an
animal assista nl which will aut omatica ll y foll ow all of th e
Character's instructions wi thout error.
This advantage has a variable cost, as it is dependent on the
comp lex ity of the pet adopted . The pe t must be des igned as a
co mpl ete Character (i.e. , ca lcu lati on of costs for th e Pet 's
Attri butes. Powers, and Skills) and the Character must pay one-
half ( 1/2) thi s Hero Poi nt tota l (round fr ac ti o ns up). Sam pl e
statis ti cs fo r different an imals are avai lable in Appendix B.
These statislics represe nt a typical member of the animal 's
species: most heroi c pets possess addi1ional APs of Attributes.
Powers. and/or Skills.
A Character with th is Adva nt age may con trol all of his
Pet's ac tio ns during play throu gh the use of one Au tomatic
Ac1 ion
Example: Suppose that Beast Lord wants to purchase the
Pet Advan tage; his Pet will be a loyal elephant named Simba.
Beas t Lord dec id es th a t hi s ele phant should possess th e
following statistics:
Simba .
D EX'. STR:
INT: WILL: MIND:
! NFL'. AURA: SPIRtT:
I NITIATIVE'. 10
As a stand ard Character, Simba wo uld cos t 193 Hero
Poi nts to design. However, designed under the Pet Advantage.
Simba onl y costs Beast Lord 97 Hero Poin ts ( 193/2 = 96 1/2 ,
rounded up to 97).
POPULARITY [COST: 20]
A Charac1er with thi s Advantage is respected among th e
citizenry and the media. Such a Character tends to attract a huge
crowd of well -w ishers and au tograp h seekers whereve r he
appears.
Most non-essential NPCs begin play wi1h an Anitude of
Frie ndl y (see Chapter Six : Characte r In te ractio n) towa rd
Charac ters with the Pop ul arity Ad va nt age. Imp ort a nt or
essen ti al NPCs such as vill ains, thu gs, and major supportin g
Characters should still have their Att itudes toward the Popular
hero indi viduall y set.
Additiona ll y, Multi -A uac k pena lti es (see pag e 102) on
Persuasion attempts against non-essen1i al NPCs arc redu ced by
one Column Shif1 when made by a Character wi th Popularit y.
The Character wo uld recei ve no Column Shift penalties fo r
Persuas ion of 2 targets, a + I Column Shift mod ifier to the
target' s OV/RV agai nst 3-4 targets, and so on.
RICH FAMILY /FRIENDS [COST:lS]
A Character wi th thi s Adva ntage has a ri ch fam il y member
or a friend upon whom the Character may call once every th ree
month s to re ques t fin ancial ass istan ce (OV/RVs to thi s
Persuasion attempt are at 7/7). Receipt of positi ve RAPs allows
the Character to use the contact's Wealth rati ng (usuall y 3 APs
hi gher than the hero's own Wealth) fo r one week 's wo rt h of
purchases.
The wealthy friend or family member shou ld be designed
by the GM as a No n-Player Charac ter and in1 rod uced ir110
cam pai gn sce narios occasiona lly for role-p lay ing/S ubpl ot
1nteract1on.
Example: The Human Leech, whose Wealth Rating is 4,
has a wea lthy fam il y member, a well-10-do aunl. Every lh ree
mon ths, the Hu man Leech can call on his aunt fo r money in a
pinch. To gel any money, the Hu man Leech must successfu ll y
Pe rsuade hi s a unt (w ith au tomati c OV /RV s of 7/7). Posit ive
RAPs allow the Human Leech to use hi s aunt 's Wealth rating (7:
his ow n Wealth plus three) for one wee k.
SCHOLAR [COST: 10]
A Character with this Advantage has devoted a great deal
of time to academic study of a particular subject: as such, the
Character possesses an intricate knowledge of and ex pertise in
that area of learning.
A Scholarl y Character may recall extensive informat ion on
th e subj ec t studi ed at wi ll . Addi1ionall y, any Acti on Check
uti li zing the Scholar Advantage (such as an I NT check to analyze
a clue, iden ti fy a n ite m, or de cipher a book fo r exampl e)
receives a -2 Column Shift bonus to the OV/RV of the attem pt.
This Adva ntage may be purchased in conjun ction wit h
infor mati on ga th e rin g or c reativity based Skill s (s uc h as
Detec ti ve or Artist). A Characte r may possess more than one
Scholarl y Advantage (indicatin g th at the Character is learned in
several subjects) bul the Ad va ntage may only be purchased once
10 cover any particular subject. Thus, a Character co uld not
purchase th e Scholar (Literat ure) Advaniage three times to
ac hi eve a cumulat ive +6 modi fi er on literary subjects.

.,:-,f,4J:···
Note th at in add iti on to represe nting sc ientifi c and literary
knowledge , th e Scho lar Advan tage can also re prese nt ot her
areas of lea rning and expe rti se. such as la nguage and trivia. In
th~ case of languages , each Scho lar Advant age im parts th e
ability to speak. read. and wri te one addi ti ona l language.
SECURITY CLEARANCE [COST: 1S/ 20/ 2SJ
Most Governme nt Agents (and so me metahuman s) will
hav e a Secur it y Cleara nce of a g ive n leve l. a ll ow in g th e
Charac te r access to certai n gove rnm e nt and m il ita ry
install ati ons. Note that all leve ls of Security Clearance usuall y
provide the benefits of the Free Acce!->s Advan tage (see above).
alth ough so me situat ions may restri ct its use as such; A bac k-
woods sh~ri ff mi ght not recognize a Checkmate ID badge. and
deny a Knight access ID a cri me scene.
A Low Level Security Cleara nce ( 15 poin ts) gran ts access
to "secret' ' areas and documents, and genera ll y all ows free entry
and ex it from any military co mpound . althoug h ce rtain areas
wi ll be off-lim its. In ga me terms, a Low Clearance all ows the
bearer to pass th rough Government Security Systems ra nked at
12 APs or less (s ubject to GM di screti on. of course)
A Medium Level Sec urity C learance (20 po ints) all ows
deepe r access into Go vernment fac ilities and fi les, inc luding
those .cons idered "to p secret. '' The bearer can pass th rough a
Secu rny System ranked at 15 APs or less.
C haracters with High level Sccurily Clearance (25 points)
are among the lop leade rs of Government , Intelli gence, and the
Military. Suc h C lea ran ce is not li ghtly gra nted, as it all ows
access to all leve ls of sec ret Government in forma ti on (a lt hough
rh ere are always excepti ons). Hi gh Leve l Clea ra nce all ows the
bea rer to pass Securit y Syste ms ra nked at 18 APs o r less. A
Player who wishes to pu rchase High Clearance for hi s Charac ter
must incl ude in hi s Background how he ga ined such C learance,
?nd G Ms arc perfect ly en titled to r.cfu se thi s (or any ) Advant age
1f lhey deem it inappropriate to their campaigns.
SHARP EYE [COST: 15]
A Characte r wi th thi s Advantage has a keen eye for detai l
a nd is except io na ll y pe rce pti ve. A Shar p Eye d C haracte r
automat ica ll y rece ives a - I Co lu mn Sh ift modifie r to the OV o f
all attem pted Perceptio n C hecks.
MISCELLANEOUS
ADVANTAGES [COST: S/ 2S/ 50]
A .Charac~er who possesses an Advan tage whi ch ca nnot be
catego ri zed usmg any of the preced ing Advantages must pay 5,
25, or 50 Hero Points .For a Mi sce ll aneous Adva~tage. The cost
of such an Adva ntage 1s always subject to G M d1 sc re1ion. based
on the ne_w Mi sce ll aneous Advantage's usefu ln ess as compared
to those li sted above
DRAWBACKS
Dra wbacks are di sadvantages. quirk s, and fo ibles whi ch
may be se lec ted lo increase a Charac ter's initial Hero Point
level. Like Adva ntages. Drawbacks are not measure in APs: a
C haracter either does or does not possess the Drawback.
The Hero Poim bonu s rece ived fo r each adopted Dri.lwback
is listed in the Drawback's descript ion.
~
~
AGE [BONUS: 15]
A Character with thi s Drawbac k is of an unusua l age for
adventur in g. be in g ei ther old or yo ung in co mpa r iso n to
tradit ional heroes/vi ll ains. Unu suall y old Characters (t hose over
50 years of age) mu st always subtract two points (-2) from their
Ini tiati ve scores. Unu sua ll y yo ung Characters (!host be low 18
yea rs of age) are limited throug h the need to ;.me nd school
regularl y, a concern of adult aut hority. and being unab le to ente r
certain publ ic areas (s uch as bars).
The Dark Kni ght and hi s sidekick. Rob in (Carrie Kelley).
possess thi s Drawback as old and young respectively.
ALTER EGO [BONUS: 2S / 7S]
A Charac ter wi th lh is Drawback has two di stinct fo rms: a
su per-po we red fo rm and a normal form. Wheneve r the
Character wants to go about his dai ly life. he must sw itch 10 his
normal form. The transforma tion fro m normal to super-powerful
(and ba~k) takes a fu ll phase, during .which the Character may
do nothrn g else, although he does receive the full OV/RV of the
form he is changi ng from .
No rm all y. th e trans form ati on from s upe r-powe rful to
norm al is contro lled by the Character. This 1ype of Alter Ego is
known as Controllable, and is worth a bonus of 25 Hero Points.
However, so me Characters ca nn ot con trol their chan~e from
normal to super- powerful , often havi ng mon strous or vil lainou s
Alter Egos. In these cases. the Drawback is Uncontrollable. and
is wor th 75 Hero Points. A Character adop ting ;.111
Uncontro ll ab le Alter Ego must specify the cond it ions wh ich
tri gge r the transformation from no rm al to super-powe red and
back aga in . Common exa mples inc lude: Changes during the full
moon. changes when ange red. changes wheneve r someone says
a ce rtain word or phrase. etc
To des ign a Character with an Alte r Ego. a Pla ye r must
first des ign the super- powered form, based on lhe normal Hero
Po int sca le fo r the campa ign (norma ll y 450). It is this form that
receives rhe Hero Point bonus for the Aller Ego Drawback. The
super-powerfu l form mu st have a di st inctive appear;.mce. such
that the Character could not simp ly change into st ree t cl ot hes
and condu ct every-day life wirh all of his Powers (if thi s is the
case. then rhe Drawback is worth no Hero Po ints). For instance.
when Bi ll y Batso n beco mes Captain Mar ve l. he becomes a
powe rfull y musc led hero wi th a bri ght red costume .i nd a loud.
boomin g voice. It woul d be impossi ble fo r Batson to go about
his normal life as Marve l. si nce everyone wou ld recogni ze him
as a super-hero, eve n wit hout hi s costume. Another exa mple
would be Tas manian Dev il. whose large and fur ry Alt er-Ego
would have a tough time bein g an effective dranrn coach
The norma l form is then designed wit h a Hero Poi nl Base
of 225. The normal form is bu ih as any Character. except that it
shoul d not ha ve any Powers. Add itionall y. most normal forms
s ho ul d ra re ly ha ve Attri but es or S kill s highe r tlrn n 5 APs.
alth oug h th is is up to the GM 's d iscret io n. If the Charac ter
automaricall y sw itches into costume when becomi ng "su pc: r:·
both characters mu st have the lnsta-C hange Adva ntage.
No te that th e two forms need no t h ave the sa me
Mot iva ti o n, W ea lth ratin g. o r Perso nalit y. In fac t. the
Charac1er' s Alter Ego might not eve n reme mber wha t happen s
to him while in his other form . Th is should be worked into th e
C haracter·s Background and Subplots. and can pro vide man y
inte resti ng role-playi ng opportunit ies.
 ARCH ENEMY [BONUS: 15]
A Character with thi s Drawback beg in s the game with a
similarl y-powe red foe who is a lread y de termined to destroy the
hero at all costs. The GM must approve thi s Drawback and
invent sta ti s t ic s for th e e ne m y, who s hou ld pop up with
annoying frequency in th e Character 's Subplots. The Arch
Enemy ca n neve r be re form e d and wi ll not work w ith th e
Charac ter under a ny c ircumstances. This Drawback can only be
removed if the enemy is somehow ki lled during the course of
play. in which c ase the hero immediate ly loses 75 Hero Point s,
whether he was res ponsible for the e nem y's death or not.
Note that "similarl y-powered" does not refer only to Hero
Points, but also to wea lth , influe nce, a nd prestige. It is up to the
GM lO determine if an Arch Enemy is sufficient ly " powerful" to
provide a challe nge fo r the he ro, regardless of the APs in vo lved.
A synops is of lhe e ne my's orig in and why he ha tes the hero
mu st be included as pa n of a C haracter's Background in o rder
fo r th e Pl aye r to rece ive th e He ro Point bon us. V ill a ins may
never rece ive Hero Point s for the Arc h Enemy Drawback.
AUTHORITY FIGURE [BONUS: 15]
A C haracter wit h th is Drawback, o ften the rul er of a small
coum ry. is respo nsible for the welfare of a large g roup of people
and usual ly adve ntures to adva nce or defe nd hi s peo p le's
po lili cal o r econo mi c statu s. A n Aut ho rity Fi g ure is, first a nd
foremo st. a pol it ic ia n concerned w ith th e intere s ts of hi s
const ituency.
Th is Charac ter ree ls (not always inacc urate ly) that , shou ld
he be injured or killed , hi s soc iety would be plunged into a state
of anarchy wh ich would de s tro y hi s people . A s s uc h , an
Aut hority Fig ure will avoid en ter in g any battles whic h mi g ht
seriously injure him (attempti ng to flee the scene, if necessary) .
Co nverse ly, s uc h a Character w ill e nter Killin g Combat and
figh1 wi1h startling ferocity if hi s own defea1 seem s inev itable
(automatica ll y forfeiting a ll pote ntial Hero Point Awards for the
advenlure).
DARK SECRET [BONUS: 25]
A Character wi1h thi s Drawback harbors some d eep secret
whic h mu st be protected at a ll cost. T he Character's secret must
be specified whe n the Drawback is adopted. A Dark Secret is
always o f suc h a m agnitude that its di sclosure would effecti ve ly
end the hero ic career of the C haracter with thi s Drawback.
Example: A Characte r adopts the Dark Secret that he was
once a hit man for the mob and assassinated hundreds of targets.
If the sec ret was ever revea led. the Charac ter would face a long
jai l se nte nce a nd be the s ubjec t of te rrible publi c bac klas h,
ruin ing the C haracter' s caree r.
EXILE [BONUS: 10 o r 15, see fo llowing]
A C haracter wi1h thi s Drawback has been ostracized from
hi s native civ ili zation and forced to remain in the locale where
he as a hero, e ngag ing in absolute ly no soc ia l interact ion
with home la nd . The Character's native c ivilization could be
anythin g from a foreign country to another planet o r dime nsio n.
Thi s Dra wback should be an importa ni pa rt o f the Character's
Background and ma y provide th e GM with mate ri a l for t he
Hero's Subplo1s.
A Character who vo luntaril y placed him self in Exi le
(Vo lun tary Exile ) IO Hero Point s for adopting the
Dra wbac k: a C haracter Ex il ed again st hi s w ill ( Forced Exil e)
rece ives 15 Hero Poi nt s.
Starfi re of th e New Titans is in voluntary Exile from her
ho me world of T a maran whi le S hade the C hang in g Man has
been in vol unlaril y Exi led fro m the Meta-Zone. Aquaman was
o nce a n Ex ile from At lant is wh ile Phase o f the L.E.G. 1.0.N. has
been Exil ed from her home time of the 30th century.
GUilT [BONUS: 50]
A Character wi th thi s Drawback is p lagued by g uilt over
some pas t fai lure or series of fa ilures in hi s heroic o r personal
li fe. S uch a C haracter must automatically forfeit 5 Hero Points
(call ed a "G uilt Fee") at the beg innin g of every week of game
time. If the Character shou ld eve r fail to pay thi s fee, he w ill
suffer a +I Col umn Shift pe na lty to the OV/ RV o f a ll hi s Di ce
Actions until he pays all overdue Gu ilt Fees.
INNOCENT [BONUS: 10]
A Character with th is Drawback is exceptionall y naive of
t he ways of soc ie ty and the w il es o f m a nkind . An Innocent
Character be li eves in the inhe rent goodness o f all creatures a nd
as s um es al l other pe rso ns feel th e sa m e way he does. A n
Inn ocent Characler sees the world throug h rose-colored g lasses
and cannot understand ev il o r inconside rate action s.
An Innoce nt C haracter suffe rs a -1 C o lumn Shift pena lty to
hi s OV aga in s t C h aracte r Interacti o n ( P e r s ua s ion and
Interrogation) attempts and manipulat ive Me ntal Powers such as
Broadcast Empat h, Co ntrol , Hy pnoti sm, a nd so on .
IRRATIONAL
ATTRACTION / HATRED [BONUS: 5/ 25 / 50]
Characters wi lh the Irrationa l A ttrac tion Drawbac k a re
unu sua ll y illle rested in ce rta in obj ects, materi a ls, a nimal s, or
fo rm s of ex press ion (go ld, silk , cats, or prac tica l j o kes, for
exa mple). A C haracter mu st spec ify the subj ect of the Irrat iona l
Attraction whe n thi s Drawback is ad o pted.
The Character with an Irratio na l Attraction w ill go out of
his way to find its source a nd sati sfy h is des ires. If the attrac ti o n
is for a n object, for in stan ce, the Character w ill be unab le to act
in th e object's prese nce ; if th e C haracte r i s attrac ted to a
ma nn e ri s m , he w ill frequent l y manife s t that particular
manneri sm
Irrationa l Attrac ti o ns c ome in three d egrees of severity :
Minor, Serio us, and Catastroph ic . The deg ree o f Attraction must
be se lected whe n the Drawbac k is ado pted. Associated w ith eac h
degree is a Res istance N umbe r. When ever exposed to the object
of the Irrational Attraction, the Character must roll g reater than
or equal to the Resistance Number to overcome the Attract io n.
If th e rol l is s uccess ful , 1he C h aracter overcomes th e
Attractio n until re-expo se d to the s timulu s at a la ter tim e.
Otherwise, the Character succumbs to the Attrac ti on and mu st
allow the source of the Attraction to occupy hi s atte ntion to the
exclusion of a ll e lse, a lthou g h the Character may agai n attempt
to overcome the Attrac tion the following phase. Hero Po ints
may never be spent to affect thi s roll in any way.
The fo ll ow in g tabl e summari zes th e va ry ing degrees of
severity fo r Irrat iona l Attractio ns, the ir Resistance Numbers, and
Hero Points gain ed by adopti on of the Drawback.
Degree Resistance
Minor 5
Serious II
Catastrophic J8
T he opposite of Irration al Attract ion is Irrational Hatred :
fo ll ow th e sa me g uide li nes as stated above , exce pt th a t th e
Character wil l atte mpt 10 destroy o r deface the subj ec t of hi s
hatred if he fai ls the Res ista nce Check. Note that th is vers ion of
the Drawback is no rmall y used o nl y by vill ai ns, who o ften have
unreaso ning hatreds of certain places, objects, or (es pec iall y)
Characters . A Non - Pla ye r C haracte r w ho ha s an Irra ti onal
Hatred of a Pla ye r Charac ter is a lways ass um e d to ha ve a n
initia l Att itude of Personal Vendetta (see Character Inte ractio n,
page 110) towa rd that Character.
Exa mpl e : Th e Ridd le r , w ith Catas trophic Irrati onal
Attractio n to Ridd les a nd Puzzles, wa nt s to co mmil a c rime
without leaving a riddle beh inc,I as a c lue. Such an acti o n would
require a roll of 18 o r g reate r o n 20 10. If he fai ls. he m ust leave
a riddle c lu e.
Ill
 Simil arl y, if a va lu able book o f ancient C hin ese riddl es
wen t on display at the Gotham Museum of Natural History, the
Ridd ler would need to suppress his irrational Attraction or steal
the book.

IRRATIONAL FEAR [BONUS: 5/ 25/ 50]

A Character with thi s Drawback has an unreasoning fear of
a parti cular s ituation , co nditi on, object, or a nim al (fear o f
he ig ht s, co nfineme nt, g un s, or s piders, for exa mpl e). A
C hara cte r mu st spec ify th e su bject of the Fear when thi s
Drawback is adopted.
Irrat ional Fears come in three degrees of Severity: Minor,
Se ri ous. and Catastrophic. The degree of Fear mu st be selected
when thi s Drawbac k is adopted. Associated with each degree is
a Res istance Number. A Character encountering the source of an
Irrati ona l Fear mu st make a "Fear Roll" eac h phase that he is
exposed to the source of the Fear, rolling greater than or equal to
the Resistance Number on 2DI0 to overcome the Fear.
Success indicates the Character does not succumb to the
Fear and may act normally, not needing 10 ro ll again to defeat
the Fear unt il exposed un der d ifferent ci rcumstances. Otherwise,
the Character mu st attempt to withdraw from the location and
flee in panic; if the Character cannot withdraw, he can take no
ac ti on whatsoever, bei ng immobilized with fear the entire phase.
Such a Character may again attempt to overcome the Irrational
Fear during subsequ ent phases. Hero Points may never be spent Note: Villain s never receive bon u s Hero Po int s for
to affect the Fear ro ll in any way. adopting th is Drawbac k.
The foll ow ing chart summ ari zes the varyi ng degrees of
Batm an had thi s Drawback during the first year of hi s
severi ty for Irrational Fears, their Resistance Nu mbers, and Hero
Points ga ined by adoption of th e Drawback.

Degree Resistance Bonus PHYSICAL

Minor 5 5
ll 25
~~hie 18 50
Example: The Mart ian Manhu nter, with a Minor Irrational
Fear of Fire, find s himse lf in a burning building and must roll a
5 or greater to remain in the area. If thi s roll fa ils, the Manhunter
wi ll fl ee if possib le, or stand paral yzed with fear, taking no
actions and possibly sustai ning damage from the fire during that
phase. The Martian Manhunter could then attempt to overcome
his Fear the fo ll ow ing phase.
MARRIED [BONUS: 25]
Despi te what great poets have written, being Married often
poses defi ni te problems in the hero world. The spouses of heroes
1end 10 be used as hostages agai nst their husbands/wives with
alarm ing frequency.
When adopting th is Drawback, a Character must specify
cer ta in detai ls a bo ut hi s s po use fo r Subp lo t use ( h is/her
stat istics, profess io n, interes ts, locati o ns frequ ented , etc .).
Vi ll ains who di scover a Marri ed Character's identity will almost
always attempt to use the spouse against the hero. Spouses also
possess an uncanny ab ility IO blunder into hero versus villain
conflicts and to tum up at the wrong pl ace at the wrong time.
A Character who adopts this Drawback can not also receive
Hero Poin ts for adopting a Secret Identity Drawback. Further, a
C haracter ad optin g th is Draw back whose spo use is also a
superhero receives no Hero Point Bon us for the Drawback
MISTRUST [BONUS: 50]
A Charac ter with th is Drawback is often mi staken for a
vill ain by law e nforce ment agenc ies and other heroe s. The
C haracter is untrusted among peers and is usuall y a fu giti ve
from justice.
Law enforce ment offi cers and Non-Player Character heroes
wi ll automati ca ll y be Hostil e towards a Character with thi s
Drawback (see Character Interaction, page 110). Additionally,
poli ce will usu all y attempt to arres t a Mi strusted Character
wherever and whenever they encounter him.
RESTRICTION [BONUS: 5/ 25/ 50]
A Character with thi s Drawback has so me sort of phys ical
hand icap. He mi ght be b lind , co nfin ed to a whee lc hair, or
mi ssi ng a limb. Ph ys ica l Res tri cti o ns norm all y fit into two
genera l categori es: sensory restrictions and physical handi caps
A Character with a sensory restri ction is mi ss ing one or
more of hi s senses. A bli nd Character who possesses no special
d etec ti o n Po we r s ( R ad ar Se nse, So na r , e tc.) mu s t treat
everythin g as In visible in co mbat (see the In visib ility Power).
whi le a deaf Character who possesses no Mental communicati on
Powers (suc h as Te lepath y) could onl y communicate throu gh
the use of sign lan guage or li p read ing.
A C hara c ter wit h a p hys ica l handi cap is ph ys ica ll y
impaired in some manner; such a Drawback may necess it ate
improv isati on of specifi c rules fo r the physicall y handicapped
Character (a Character confined IO a wheelchair. fo r example,
might be limited to mov ing onl y I AP of di stance per phase).
Hero Poi nt s rece ived for a Ph ys ica l Restri ction depe nd
upo n the seve rit y of the han di cap and how it impairs the
indi vidl;(al, as summarized in the fo llow ing guideline table.
Examples Bonus
No sense of taste or smell,
Trick knee, Missing one eye 5
Deaf.Mute,
Missing a limb 25
Blind,
50
PSYCHOLOGICAL
INSTABILITY [BONUS: 5/ 25/ 50]
A Character with th is Draw back is mentally unstab le and
subj ect to dramati c mood shi fts, periods of extreme depression,
or even vio lent outbursts and schi zophrenic behavior normall y
triggered by a failure 10 deal with the real world . A Character
mu st state the severity of hi s instabi lity and its effec t when
adopting thi s Drawback.
 Whenever a Psychologically Unstable Character rol ls a
natural ,;2" (doub le ones), on any Dice Action (combat,
Perception, Character Inleraction. etc.). he will break down and
suffer consequences relative to the Instability' s severity for a
length of time (in APs) indicated on the chart below. Mo st
Psychological Instabilities. especia ll y Minor and Serious. result
in partial or total inactivity on the part of the affected Character.
Catastrophic effects, however, may re sult in the di splay of
extreme violence by the Character, often direcled at his own
teammates or innocents.
A Character undergoing the Instability (roll in g double
ones) must experience thi s effect and is not subject to any form
of assistance (Exorcism, Recovery. burning Hero Points, etc.).
Severity Effect
Minor Memory Lapse
Serious Severe Depression;,;
Self-Arguments
Catastrophic Catatonia, schizo~
phrenicattacks
* measured in APs
PUBLIC IDENTITY [BONUS: SJ
A Character with thi s Drawback has taken no steps
whatsoever to protect hi s alter ego and as such , hi s rea l name is
known to the public at large. Possible effects of thi s Drawback
might include crowds of people gathering outside of the hero's
home, villains attempting to strike at the hero through the hero' s
family and/or friends, or the government trying to get the hero to
pay for damages caused during battles with villains.
Any Character removing this Drawback during hi s career
must create a new identity of some sort for himself. A Character
adopting thi s Drawback can not also adopt the Secret Identity
Drawback(see below).
Guy Gardner has this Drawback.
SECRET IDENTITY [BONUS: 10]
A Character with thi s Drawback leads a dual life: in one
gui se the Character is a hero or villain while in another he is an
ord inary man or woman. Possess ion of thi s Drawback assumes a
dramatic negati ve effect on the Character's heroic and personal
life should the Secret Identity ever be revealed.
A Character with a Secret Identity must take ex traordinary
measures to safeguard hi s secret. If a Character' s Secret Identity
should ever be revealed, the Character immediate ly loses 50
Hero Points.
A C haracter adop tin g thi s Drawback ca nnot adopt the
Public Identity Drawback. and receives no Hero Points for this
Drawback if he also has the Married Drawback. Nearly eve ry
Character in the DC Universe has thi s Drawback.
STRANGE APPEARANCE [BONUS: 30]
A Character with thi s Drawback is so strange-looking that
people tend to fear him. A Character with a Strange Appearance
automatically causes a + I Column Sh ift modifier to a target's
OV/RV on any Persuasion attempts. Intimidation attempts,
however, have the target· s OV/RV red uced by a -I Column
Sh ift. Suc h modifiers are only applicab le against ·'normals" (t hat
is, Charac ters who are not heroes. villains. or important NPCs).

RAGE [BONUS: S/ 2S/50]

A Character with th is Drawback occasionall y breaks into
an uncontrollable fury. often accidentally killing or seriously
wou nding opponents
The Player se lecting th is Drawback must decide at what
level of seve rity the Rage exists; the frequency of enraged
outbreaks is dependent on the Drawback's severity relative to
the Character's Rage Number (indicated on the chart below).
Whenever a Player whose Character has this Drawback rolls a
number equal to or lower than his Rage Number during combat,
the Character wil l become enraged and au tomaticall y ent er
Killing Combat (see page 98) against his opponent, cont inually
attacking th e opponent each phase until either the opponent is
dead, the enraged Character has been subdued , or the Rage has
been broken.
An enraged Character may attempt to regain composure
during each enraged phase (this does not count as an Ac tion), an
attempt which requi res a successful Action Check with AV/EVs
and OV/RVs equa l to the enraged Character's W1uJ WiLL (thus
requiring an " 11 " to succeed). Hero Points may never be spent
to affect this Action Check.
A Character who enters Killing Combat as a result of Rage
still loses potent ial Hero Point Sta ndard Awards for the
adventure (see page 134).
Starfire of the New Titans used to have thi s Drawback, as
did her sometimes-teammate, Hawk

Degree

Minor
Serious
Catastrophic
 Durin g d ay- to-day ex is ten ce, a Charac te r w ith thi s
Dr awback mi g ht accid e n ta ll y fri g ht e n an y " norma ls"
e ncount ere d. In s u c h a case, a Charac te r wit h Stra n ge
Appeara nce mu st make a n [ntirnidati o n a tt e mpt (w ith 1he - 1
Co lumn Shifl ) again st a ll " no rm a ls" in the a rea (Multi -Attac k
pe nalti es ap pli cable ). The C ha racter w ith Stra nge Appearance
must use hi s fu ll INFLiAURA as the AV/EV of thi s Action Chec k.
Hero Po ints may ne ver be spent to affec t th is ro ll in any way.
The spec ial Intim idati on Check does nol count as a n Action
for the [n1imidatin g Characte r. Thi s Int imi dati on Check should
be mad e w he neve r a C haracter w ith S t ra nge Ap pea ran ce
e nco unt e rs " norma ls" for th e first tim e or makes a s udden
a ppeara nce/threate ni ng move, etc .
Examp le: Whi le 1rave llin g bac k to Lou is ian a, Swamp
Thin g acc identall y sprouts up in the prod uce section of a local
supe rm a rk e t w hi c h wo ul d probabl y be quite a shock to the
s hopp e r s pr ese nt. Swamp Thin g mu s t mak e a s pec ia l
Int imi da tion a tte mpt (w hich does not count towards hi s three
Ac ti o ns in thi s ph ase) on a ll o f the s hoppers us in g hi s full
INFLiA URA. Swamp Thin g m ust a lso suffe r the - I Column Shift
modi fie r for hi s Stra nge Appearance.
Resoluti on of this lntimi da1ion Chec k is made norm a ll y. If
Swamp Thin g succeeds . th e sho ppe rs w ill run in fear. If th e
Check fai ls, Swa mp Thin g faces the immine nt dan ger of be in g
pac kaged as a tofu sa lad.
TRAUMATIC FLASHBACKS [BONUS: 60)
A Charac ter w ith this Drawback is pe riodi call y subject to
relivin g a particu larl y di stress ing past eve nt. A Characte r must
specify th e condition which tri gge rs the F lashbac ks whe n thi s
Drawback is adopted . Acceptable exa mples incl ude: ment ion of
a spec ifi c wo rd , sighting a spec ifi c obj ec t, hea rin g a spec ifi c
song, sme lling a spec ific scent, or the Charac ter's prese nce in a
specific locatio n.
Wh e nev er th e C harac te r is ex po s ed to th e s pec ifi e d
conditi on, Tra umatic Flashbacks occ ur. A Character exposed to
the condi1i on mu st make an Acti on Check with the AV/E V a nd
OV/ RV bo1h equal to hi s W 1LLIW1LL (thu s requiring an 11 10
succeed).
If thi s Check fa ils, the Character ca n take no action s during
th at phase , as he is to o ab sorbed in re liv ing th e F lashbacks'
events. Otherwi se, the Characte r does not succ umb to 1he trauma
a nd may ac t norma ll y. He mu st cont in ue roll in g aga in st th e
traum a eac h phase that he is ex po sed to the c o ndit io n. He ro
Poin ts may never be spen t to affect thi s Act ion Check in any
way.
Attack s made agai nst a C haracte r ex periencing Traumati c
Flashbac ks a utomatically rece ive the - 1 Column Shift Blindside
bon us to the Characte r's OV . See page 105 in Chapter Five:
Com bat.
Examp le: Th e Bat ma n has 1he Trau m a tic F la s hback s
Drawbac k, te nding to re live the death s of his pare nts whe neve r
he visit s C rime A ll ey in Gotham Ci ty. If Batman were to chase
the Joker into Crime A lley, he would have to begin making a
Flashbac ks Action Chec k eac h phase to dete rmi ne whether or
not he succ umbs to the trauma .
At the beg innin g o f hi s phase, Batman mu st roll a n I I or
better o n 2 DIO or s imp ly sta nd in pla ce a nd e xper ie nce the
Flashbac ks. If th e Joke r were to sw ing at the Batman durin g thi s
phase, the C low n Prin ce of Crime would receive the Blindside
mod ifier to th e attack. If Batman succeeded in hi s Flashbacks
Action Check, he cou ld ac t normally that phase, but would have
to ro ll again every phase he spent in C rime A lley.
Uncerta in Characte r au to mat ically loses lnitia1i ve to a ll other
C haracters (both Pl aye r and Non -Playe r) and must perform his
Actions last during th at phase.
Often Charac ters plagued by Unce rta inty have acc ide ntally
ki lled opponents in the e xerc ise of the ir Powe rs and. as such .
possess ex treme gu ilt for their acti o ns ;.i nd fear repeat in g th e
unfortu nate event whic h so !roubles the m.
UNLUCK (BONUS: 25)
A Charac ter w ith thi s Drawbac k is unusua ll y mi sfonunate:
th e chips never seem 10 fa ll the ri ght way for him
At the beg inni ng of each ad ve nlure, the GM mu st ro ll ID 10
for eac h C haracter possess in g Un lo ck a nd reco rd th e resu lt .
W he n the Character has made a num ber of Acti on C hec ks equ al
to the result of th e GM· s d ie ro ll, th e C haracter immed ia te ly
suffers a +2 Column Shift modifie r to the OV/RV of hi s ne xt
Ac tion C hec k. If the GM' s die roll wa s a ;·2;· the Cha rac ter
wo uld suffer the pe nalty on hi s second Action Check: if the roll
was a''? ," the Characle r woul d suffe r the pe nall y of the Unluck
Draw bac k o n his seventh Action Chec k. and so o n.
Un luc k w ill onl y affec t a Character o nce pe r adve nture
VULNERABILITY [BONUS : Va ri able)
A C ha racte r with o ne of these D ra wbac ks is weake ne d
under s pec ial circ um s ta nces. Su pe rman. for insta nce . had a
Vu lne rab ili ty to Kry pto nite and the Martia n Ma nhunt e r once
had a Vulnerability 10 Fire. Vulne rabili ties normall y occ ur in the
three fo ll owing forms: Atta c k V uln erabil it ies. Fata l
Vulne rabiliti es, and Loss Vulne rabiliti es
Attack Vul ne rabil ities
A n A tt ack Vu lne rab ilit y c a uses a Charac te r to s uffer
ex tre me da mage from a parti c ular altac k form. whi c h musl be
ge neral in nature (such as fire, coll.I. Ph ys ica l Powers. etc .) and
mu st be spec ified whe n the Drawback is ado pted .
A C harac ter w ith an Attack Vu lnerabili ty suffe rs a ce rt ai n
number of Co lu m n S hift pe naltie s to his O V/ RV aga in st the
s pec ified attac k fo rm . Th e numb e r o f Col umn Sh ift s the
Charac te r is penali zed de te rmin es the He ro Po int bo nu s fo r
adoption o f the Dra wback.
cOi;'mn Shifts Bonus
-1 15
-2 25
-3 45
-4 65

UNCERTAINTY [B ONUS: l SJ
A C harac te r wit h thi s Drawbac k is o ft e n un s ure o r hi s
abiliti es a nd questi ons hi s convict ions durin g tense situati ons.
Whe n fa tes of innocents or the defeat o f a vill a in depend so le ly
on suc h a Charac ter, he is plagued with doubt as to hi s he roi c
mett le a nd competence to deal with the situ at ion.
Once pe r adve nture (normally at the climactic mo me nt ), an
 Fata l Vulne rabilities indi cated o n the fo ll owi ng c han . A C haracter adopti ng a Loss
A Fatal Vulne rabi lity c<ILI SCS a Characte r tO suffe r Ki ll in g Vulnerabilit y wi th no intrin sic R::mgc (s uc h as los ing Powers at
Damage fr o m e .xpusure 10 u su bstance o r cond it io n w hic h is ni g h!) rece ives no Ra nge bo nu s or pena lt y.
normally ha rm less 10 eve ryone e lse (s uc h as Kr y pton ite or
stayin g out of w;.it e r for more 1ha n o ne ho ur) . Th e object. Range of Vulnera bility Bonus
subswn ce. or co ndition 10 w hi c h a C h::1racter ha s a Fata l
Vulnerability mu st be spec ified whe n the Drawbac k is adopted . 5 APs +20
A Ch,ir.ictcr wit h a Fata l Vul nerabi lity who is exposed to 4 APs +10
the specified suhstancc or conditi o n sust::1ins I AP o f damage 10 3 APs 0
hi s Currclll Body Condi ti o n during eve ry one minute (4 APs of 2 APs - 10
time) of ex pos ure. Thi s is init ia ll y treated us Ki ll in g Damage.
I AP -30
but rc vcn:,;; to norma l Bash ing Da mage o nce the C ha racter is
0 APs -50
removed from proximi ty to the s ubsta nce. Recove ry is then
performed norm all y (sec page 99).
If an Auribut e . Po we r . or S kill su bje c t 10 a L oss
Whe n thi s Drn wback is adopted, the subsianct: o r condition
Vulnerability is rated at 5 A Ps or greater. its va lue drops to 2
m whic h the Character is vu lnerabl e mu s t be categori zed a s
APs in the presence o f th e s pec ified su bstance o r cond it ion .
either common o r rare . A co mm on substan ce/co ndition is o ne
Ot he rw ise. the ra tin g drops to zero (0) APs as the C haracte r
whi c h o rdin a ry peop le e nco u nter eve ry da y (wa ter . iro n .
darkn ess. o r e n<.:los ure . for ex ample ). A ra re c ffec1ivc ly borders o n the brink of consc io usness.
Exa mple : A Lo ss Vu lne rnbili1 y w he re a C hara cte r 's
substancelcondition is one whic h only spec ific villains o r c li 1e
Ph ys ical Attributes and All Powe rs .ire reduced in the presence
org.:1nizatio ns a re likely 10 encounter ( Kry pt o nitc . e leme nt a l
isotopes. havi ng o nc ·s mind re ad. o r be in g buried a li ve. fo r o f uranium at 4 APs dista nce would be worth 145 Hero Po int s
(35 fo r the Ph ysica l Attribu tes. 100 fo r the Powers und 10 for
example}.
be ing susce ptible at 4 APs R,mge).
A Fmal Vu lncr:ihi lity to a com mo n o bjec t o r cond itio n is
wonh 150 Hero Poi nt s: a Fatal Vulne rabil ity to a rare o bject or
conditi on is wort h 75 Hero Points. Fina ll y. a C haracte r who is MISCELLANEOUS
\'U lnerabl e to a s ub s ta nce must d ec id e at w h.i t Ran ge he DRAWBACKS [BONUS: 5/ 25/ 50]
beco mes s u sce ptib le t o dama ge . T he Ran ge o f a F.:1t.1 I A Cha racter w ho adopt s a Dra wbac k w hi c h c ann o t be
Vu lnc:rabilily affec ts 1hc Hero Po int bonu s as indi cated on the cat egori zed usin g uny o f the preceding Dra wbac ks rece ives 5.
fo llowing l'hart. A C harac1e r adopting .1 Fat:11 Vu lne rability w ith 25. o r 50 Hero Po int s fo r a Mi sce ll aneous Drawb;,1ck. The bonus
no intrinsit: range (such as dyi ng whe n o ut of water} rece ives no of such a Drawback is always su bjec t 10 GM d iscreti o n. based
Range bonu~ o r pena lty. on the new Mi sce lla neous Draw back 's severit y as compa red to
those listed above.
Range of Vulnerablllty Bonus

5 APs +20 V. Bonuses and Limitations

4 APs + 10
3APs 0 Bo nu ses and Limitations arc speci al modifiers wh ic h may
2 APs - 10 be purchase d t o increase o r decre a se ( res pec ti ve ly) th e
I AP -30 e ffecti ve ness of Powers. E.1ch Bonus and Limitatio n has a Facto r
O APs -50 Casi Modifier included in its description which is added 10 (or
subtr.tcted from) the F.ictor Cost of the Powe r which it alters.
Loss Vul nera bilities In some cases. Bon uses may c au se a Powe r's F:1cto r Cost
A Los:,,. Vulncr:1bi lit y causes a C haracter to temporari ly lose to be hig he r 1h.i t 10 . In thi s c a se. see the ru les o n page 23.
APs of a p~11·ti c ular Powe r. S kill. or Attribute in the presence of a Lim itati o ns ma y neve r redu ce th e Fac tor Cos t o f .i n y Powe r
certain subst..1111.: 1.; o r cond iti o n. wh ic h must be speci fi ed wh e n be low I.
the Drawback is adopted .
Th e n um hcr o f Hero Point s gai ned for ad o ptin g a Loss
Vu lnaabi lity depend:,,. u pon whi ch characte ri sti cs :.are reduced by Bonuses
the Vul nerab ili ty. ,1s fo ll ows:
Area Effect
Vulnerablflty Effect Bonus [Factor Cost Mod: + 1 or m o re ]
Thi s Bo nus allo ws a Powe r tO automati c,ll ly affect eve ry
Physica l. Mental, or ta rget wit hin ii 3 A P rad ius of the Power·s target point. Auac ks
Mystical Attributes 35 per group mac.le in thi s m,mne r must be reso lved se parn te ly {with no Multi -
All Allri but es 125 Atrnck penalti es) . A Powe r w ith thi s Bo nu s m ust atta c k a ll
All Powe rs • 100 ta rgets w ith in the stated radi us. fri e nd o r foe. A C ha racte r using
A ll Powe rs and Sk ill s 150 a Power with and w ith o ut th is Area Effec1 mu st purc hase th e
All Skill s •• 100 Power twice: o nce w ith and o nce withou t 1hc Area Effec t Bonus.
A ll Auributes and Powers • 175 W ith GM :.approv,11. 1he arc.:1 covered by a Powe r with a n
All Auributes and Skills •• 175 Arc a Effect cu n be ex pande d . For eac h add iti o na l + I to the
All Alt ribu tes, Powers, Factor Cost. the radius o f e ffect also increases by+ I AP.
und Skills 250 Norma ll y. an Area E ffect Powe r a l ways affec ts th e
• Can o nl y be adopted if the Character has more m axi mum po ss ibl e area ( norma l ly 3 APs r;,1di u s). For an
Powers than Sk ill s. add it iona l + I to th e F.iclOr Cost. the Char.icier c.in use the
•• Cun only be adopted if the Character has more Powe r to affect any sized area he c hooses (up to its max imum }.
Ski ll s than Powers. including a s ing le target.
Exa mple: A Charact er with Soni c Bea m/A reu Effect fires at
Fina ll y. a C h.irac te r who is vulne rable to a substa nce mus1 a vill a in. Eac h C ha racte r ,111d obj ec t (e ne m y. fri e nd . bui ldin g.
dei.:i<ll' ~ll what Ran gt: he hccume s susce ptibl e to damage. T he e tc.) w ith in 3 APs o f tha1 villain is a lso allac ked w ith a se para1e
Rangl' of a Los:,,. Vulncrnbili 1y affec t:, . the Hero Po int bonu s ;,as Action Check. with no Multi·Altack pc n.:1hies .ipplicable.
 Range [Factor Cost Mod: + 1 J
This Bonus allows a Power which normally has a Range of
Touch or Self to possess an effecti vely Normal Range. Exactly
how thi s alteration affects the Power's use wi ll vary fro m Power
to Power, and will often require GM adjudication . ln any case,
each Power a Character has ca n only be used once per phase,
whether at a range or not.
The Range Bonus can never be used to bestow Powers upon
another Character (as the "Usable on Others" Bonus allows).
Usable On Others [Factor Cost Mod: +SJ
This Bonus allows a Power to be temporaril y transfe1Ted to
anoth er Charac te r. Such a tran sfer attempt is automati cally
successful pro vided th e rec ipient Character is within Norma l
Range of the Power to be transferred
A rec ipient C haracter auto matica ll y rece ives a tran sferred
Power at the award in g C haracte r's fu ll APs of Power. If th e
transferred Power is linked to one of the transferring Character's
Attributes, the recipient Character onl y receives APs equal to his
own APs of the transferred Power's Link All1ibute, but never at an
AP level higher than that possessed by the transferring Character
A Charac ter who transfers a Power to anoth er Character
loses use of the tran sferred Power for a length of time ( in APs)
eq ual to the APs of the transfe rred Power, after which the Power
leaves th e recip ient a nd returns to him. Th e tran sfe rrin g
Character may recall the tran sferred Power prior to thi s time if
the Character so des ires.
Miscellaneous Bonuses
[Factor Cost Mod: + 1 or more]
A C haracter who purcha ses a Bonus whi ch ca nn o t be
ca tegorized us in g an y of the preceding Bonuses rece ives a
Factor Cost Modifier of+ I or more for a Mi scellaneous Bonus.
Th e Factor Cos t Modifi e r of a ne w Mi sce ll aneous Bonu s is
always s ubj ec t to GM di sc retion , ba se d o n th e Bonu s'
usefu lness as co mpared to th ose li sted above.
Limitations
Diminishing [Factor Cost Mod: -1)
Th e EV of this Power is red uced by range, losing l AP
fro m its EV for every AP of di stance trave led
Fatiguing [Factor Cost Mod: -2)
This Limitation causes a Power to be extremely tiring to
use. After reso lv in g the use of th e Pow e r no rm a ll y, th e
Characte r must make an Action Check with the APs of Power
actually used (whi ch may be less than maximum) as the AV/EV
The OV of the C heck is eq ual to the APs of Power (regard less of
h ow m a ny APs we re use d) wh il e th e RV is ei th e r th e
Character's BODY, MI ND o r SPI RIT, depe nding on whether the
Po we r is P hys ica l, Menta l, or Mysti ca l, respec tiv e ly . Hero
Po in ts may be spent to increase 1he OV/RV of 1his Check.
RAPs scored are immediate ly applied to the C haracter as
the appropriate type of Bashing Damage (Phys ical, Menta l, or
Mys ti ca l depending o n the Power). This da mage cannot be
reduced by Last Ditch Defe nse, however.
Note that the above proced ure must be repeated fo r each
phase th e Power is in use, and that it is to the C haracter's
advantage to use a Fatiguing Power at less than max imum APs
wheneve r possib le.
Lethal [Factor Cost Mod: -1J
Use of an attack Po wer with thi s Limitation is alway s
considered Killin g Combat, and its use by a heroi c Character
will result in the usual loss of Hero Points (see page 134). Note
th~t this Limitation cannot be applied to certain Powers which
are alread y described as bein g Killin g Combat o nl y, such as
Claws and Disintegration .
No Range [Factor Cost Mod: -1 J
This Limitation cau ses a Powe r wi th Norma l or greater
Range to have its effecti ve Range reduced to that of Touch. If
use of a Power limited in 1his manner is a Dice Action, i1s AV
becomes the possess in g Character's DEX whil e the Action 's OV
becomes the opponent's DEX.
Example: A Charac ter with Mind Blast/No Ran ge would
have to successfull y touch his opponent to inflict damage. The
AV/EV of the attack would equ al the Character' s DEx/A Ps of
the Power again s t a n OV / RV equa l to th e op pon e nt 's
DEx/Mt ND.
Power Always On
[Factor Cost Mod: -1)
This Limitation prohibits a Power from ever being turned
off by the Character. Only Automatic Powers (specifically, only
those Powers which a Character can normally turn on and off)
may be altered in 1his manner. (For exa mple, Density lncrease,
Dispersal, and Growth are Powers which can be turned on and
off but Powers such as Comprehend Languages, Danger Sense,
and Iron W ill ca nnot.)
Power Burnout
[Factor Cost Mod: Variable)
Th is Limitatio n causes a Power to be usable a limited
num ber of times before the Power fails. When this Limitation is
adopted, a C har·acter mu st specify the Limitation' s seve rity
relati ve to the followin g chart. On ly Di ce Powers may be altered
by thi s Limitation.
A Power susceptibl e to Power Burnout possesses a Burnout
Number that reflects the severity of the Limitation. If any in itial
roll (before re rolling for doubles) made with thi s Power is equal
to or less than the appropriate Burnout Number, the Power fail s
and is reduced to O APs. In this case, the Power cannot be used
again until it has been Recovered (see page 100). If the roll is
over the Burnout Number, the Power takes effe ct normall y and
can continue to be used.
Factor Cost
Modifier
-I
-2
-3
Power Restriction [Factor Cost Mod:- 1)
A Character with this Limitation possesses a Power which
will not fun ction aga inst a spec ified class of objects or under a
ge nera l co nditi o n (o rg a ni c items, s uperna tural influ ence ,
nighttime, or in red sun radi ation , for example). The object or
conditi on which restricts a Character's Power mu st be specified
when this Limitation is adopted.
Similarly, a Power may be restricted by a special condition
under whi ch it wi ll work ; in thi s case, unless the condition is
fulfilled , the Power wi ll not function (a Power which mu st be
recharged every 24 hours or one whi ch mu s1 be focused through
a particular object, for example)
Miscellaneous Limitations
[Facto r Cost Mod: -1 o r mo re]
A C h arac ter who adopts a Limitation whi ch ca nnot be
categori zed us in g any of the preceding Limitations receive s a
Fac tor Cost Modifi e r of -1 o r more for a Mi sc e ll a neou s
Limitation. The Factor Cost Modifier of a new Miscellaneous
Limitation is always subject to GM discretion, based on the
Limitation's severity as compared to those listed above.
 Type: Dice
Factor Cost: 3
The Bomb Powe r a ll ows a Character to ca us e an
ex plosion wh ich start s at the point of ground co ntact and
extends out to a di stance equal to 1he APs of the Power divided
by two (round fraction s down). The Charac1er possessing the
Bomb Power is not affec ted by th e explosion, although 1he
Character is affected by explosions created by other Characters
usi ng the Bomb Power.
Use of the Bomb Power is treated as an ex plosion (see page
106). The ex plosion, a Physical Attack against everyone and
everyt hing within Range except the user, strikes with an AV/EV
equal to the APs of the Power. Both the AV and EV of thi s
attack are reduced by 2 APs for every AP of di stance between
the target and the initial point of exp losion.
This Power may be purchased with a special + I Fac tor
Cost Bonu s: Con1ro ll able Bl as t Radiu s, wh ich al lows th e
Character to .s pecify the maximum APs of di stance the attack
will extend to (up to its normal maximum ).
The Human Bomb of the Freedom Fighters has thi s Powe r.

Link: DEX
Range: Touch Type: Dice
Base Cost: 25 Factor Cost: 1
A Character with the Claws Power possesses claws or other
sharpened attack methods (such as teeth. spines, or quills). The
Character's DEX acts as th e AV while the APs of the Claws
Power acts as the EV for any attack the Character makes with
th e C laws we apon. C laws APs ca n also sub stitute for the
Character's EV in an attempt to cut or rend materials.
Depending on which set of Genre rule s are in play (see
Appendix C), use of the Claws Power on another Character
cou ld automatically constitute Killing Combat.
Wonder Woman 's nemesis Cheetah has thi s Power, as does
Dartalon of 1he Wanderers.

1 CLING""
'Link: 5TR
Range: Touch Type: Auto
Base Cost: 10 Factor Cost: 2
Cling allows a Character to trave rse perfectly ve rti cal or
VI. Powers eve n inverted surfaces (like most walls and ceilings) as if they
were level ground. Attempts to cling to an y unusuall y slippery
substances are resolved according to the Universal Modifier
When referrin g to a Power's Type. a listing of "Auto"
Table (ice or Teflon is Difficult , while an oil-coated wall or
indi cal es th e Pow er is co nstantl y operat in g or is ac ti va ted
ceiling mi ght be Extreme.)
automaticall y by the Character's thought: "Dice" indicates the
Eac h AP of Cling allows the Character to carry 1 AP of
Power requires OV/RYs and, as such, necessitates a Dice roll.
weight. The APs of Powe r mu st be sufficient to support th e
weight of th e Character and any objects being carried; 1he
Physical Powers collec ti ve weight of objec ts carri ed whi le the Character uses
Cling cannot exceed the Character's Sm
Unless otherwise stat ed. all attacks mad e with Ph ys ica l
Powers are considered Phys ical Attacks (OV/RV s equal to the
Link: BODY
target' s DEx/BODY) Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: S Factor Cost: 4
ACID This Power all ows a Character to protect himself against
Link: BODY cold weal her condilions or cold-based attacks. A Character with
Range: Normal Type: Dice Cold Immunit y add s th e APs of Power to his RV when
Base Cost: 15 Factor Cost: 3 defending against such auacks.
A Character wit h thi s Powe r can shoot stream s of Ac id
from hi s fin ge rs. Use of thi s Power is trea ted as/or normal
Physical Attack with AV/EVs equal to the APs of Power and
OV/RVs eq ual to the target's DEx/Boov. If Ac id is used to
attack a metallic object (s uch as an android Character), th e Range: Normal Type: Auto
target's RV is decreased by one col umn Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 7
Caress of the Fatal Fi ve has this Power with the "No Darkness all ows a Character to generate a field of darkness
Range" Limitation. as does Plasm us of the Brotherhood of Evi l throu gh wh ic h no normal li ght ca n pass. Vis ion Powe rs
requirin g li gh L (Te lesco pi c Vision, Thermal Vi sio n, etc .) are
com pl ete ly blocked , and the APs o f Darkness beco me th e
OV/RV of an Uhra Vi sion attempt to see through the Darkness.
The fie ld of generated Darkness has a vo lume equal lO the
Character's APs of the Power plus fi ve, which can be shaped
and centered any way the use r desires (w ithin Normal Range).
Anyone withi n the Darkness field has hi s AV and OV of all
Ph ys ical Act io ns reduced by the APs of Darkn ess. Dark ness
remains in effect as long as the Character wishes (through the
expenditu re of an Automatic Acti on each success ive phase) or
until the Character e ither fa ll s un consc ious or ex its Range. Use
of Darkness does not affec Lthe vision of the Character using the
Powe r.
Nightshade o f the Suicide Sq uad has the Darkness Power.
DIGGlf;IG_' _ _ _ __
Link: STR
Range: Touch Type: Dice
Base Cost: S Factor Cost: 2
Di ggin g enabl es a Character to tunnel th rough an assortment
of substances. The AV/EVs fo r a Di ggi ng attempt are eq ual to
th e Character ' s A Ps o f Powe r; OV / RV s a re d e te rm ined
acco rdin g to the fo ll ow in g table. The RAPs of the Di gg in g
Ac ti on Chec k equal the vo lu me of the substance removed.
Substance OV/ RVof Dig
Sand 2 Captain Atom has thi s Power.
Dirt 4
Rocky Soil 6
Soft Rock (Limestone) 8
Hard Rock (G ranite) 10
Steel 12
Di amond 15
D SINiE<'.;RAiiON
Link: Sr•
Range: Touch Type: Dice
Base Cost: 100 Factor Cost: 4
Thi s Powe r Allo ws a Character to break dow n the actual
molecular bonding of an object, causing its structu re co di ssolve
into no1hingness. The use of Disintegra1ion is a Ph ys ica l Attack
wi th the att acke r' s DEx/BoDY as O V/RV .
On ce a w rge t ha s bee n s uccess ful ly a ll ackc d w ith
Di si nteg rat io n, he w ill conti nue to be attacked by th e Power
eac h successive phase. using the APs of Power as AV/EV and
the victim' s BooY/ BODY as OV/RV until o ne of these attacks
fa ils. (Recu rren t attacks do not count as one or the Powe r user's
act io ns fo r the phase.) If any Di sin1 egrati o n a1tack red uces a
vic ti m to a leve l equ a l to neg ati ve hi s ori g inal BODY , th e
Character wi ll be co mp lete ly di sinLegraLed, wit h no porti on o f
him re ma inin g. Partiall y- di s integrated C harac Lers Recove r
damage norm all y
Not e: Th e use of Di s integ ration on li v in g crea tu re s is
always considered Killin g Combat.
ENERGY ABSORPtlON
Link: BODY
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 2S Factor Cost: 5
Thi s Powe r al lows a C harac Le r to absorb damage fro m
Physica l Attac ks (Energy Blast, Heat Vis ion , Li ght ning , etc .),
with the exception of those resu lting fro m normal hand-lO-hand
combat. Th e energy absorbed is graduall y diss ipated throughout
th e C haracter's sys te m with no ill e ffec t. Absorbed ene rgy
ca nnot be diverted or changed, onl y neutrali zed
A Characte r wit h the Energy Absorption Powe r must come
into contac t with the attack for the Power lO fun ction. at whi ch
poi nt the Character's APs of Energy Absorp ti on are subtra cted
from 1he RAPs of the attack . If dam age inOi cted exceeds the
Character's APs of Energy Absorpt ion, the Powe r fai ls and the
Character sustain s full damage to hi s Curre nt BODY Condition
Example: A Character with 7 APs of Energy Absorpti on is
s t ru c k by a Li g htni ng A ll ack th a t rec e ive s 7 RA Ps : the
C ha rac Le r takes no damage . However, if the sa me attack
rece ived 10 RAPs, the Energy Abso rption Powe r would fa il and
the Character would susta in the full 10 RAPs of dam age.
A Character may use Energy Absorption on more than one
attack per phase. In thi s case, the Character must divide the APs
of Po wer betwee n each of the attacks at h is d isc re li on; the
Character does not receive full AP protecti on against each attack.
This Powe r may be purchased with a spec ial -2 Factor Cost
Lim itat ion: Usable Against One Energy Type (i.e., electricity,
magnet ism, li ght, etc.)
Thi s Power ma y be purchase d wi th a specia l +3 Factor
Cost Bonus: A bsorbed Energy Adds to Power Reserve. Only a
Character with both Energy Absorptio n and Power Reserve may
acqu ire thi s Bonus.
RAPs neutra li zed by thi s type of Energy Absorpt io n must
be imm ediat e ly ass ig ned as des ired a mo ng th e Powe rs and
Attributes eli gibl e for augmentation (see Powe r Reserve, p. 61 ).
Thi s increase lasts for APs of time equal to the Character's APs
of Energy Absorption , minus th e RA Ps absorbed from that
attack. A Character may neve r have more tota l RAPs absorbed
al one time than hi s APs of Power Rese rve.
Note that the increases ga ined by the use of thi s Power are
independent of the increases gained from the Powe r Reserve·s
ow n APs.
link: BODY
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 1S Factor Cost: 3
This Power all ows a Character LO lire a bo lt of pure energy
from any particular part of the body. such as th e eyes or hands
This Power is a Ph ys ica l Attack , with APs servi ng as both AV
and EV.
A Character should define which type of energy blast is
fired when pu rchas in g thi s Powe r (Light ene rgy, magne ti c
energy, rad iation, "cosmic powe r." e1c.).
Starfire of the New Titans has this Power.
EXTRA LIMB
Link: STR
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 4
A Charac te r w ith th e Ex tra L imb Power has a fu ll y
fun c ti ona l lim b o r app endag e whi c h is not possessed by a
normal human (such as prehensile ta il , ex tra arm s, elc.).
Wh e n li ftin g objec ts or mak in g Ph ys ical Att ac ks, th e
C haracter' s DEX acts as the AV wh ile the APs of Ex tra Limb
subst itute for the C harac ter's STR (as th e EV). In additi on, a
Charac ter with one or more Ex tra Limbs receive s a - I Col umn
S hi ft to the oppo ne nt' s OV for eac h addit ional limb when
mak in g Grappling Attacks.
Thi s Powe r m ay be pur c h ased more th a n o nce for
Characters with more than one ex tra li mb.
Salakk of the Green Lantern Corps woul d have purchased
thi s Power twice, once for each of hi s add itional arms
FLAME BEING
Link: STR
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 10 Factor Cost: 6
This Power allows a Characte r co create and cove r himself
with a sheet of fire wh il e sustaining no damage . Thi s flam e
covering will co ntinue to burn for as long as the Charac ter wi th
Flame Being des ires (throu gh the expenditure of an Automati c
Acti on eac h success ive phase) or until he falls unconsc ious.
 Any fire- or heat-based attack against a C haracter with an
active Flame Bein g Power is made with the C haracter's APs of
the Power added to hi s RV. Converse ly, the Characte r's RV
rece ives a -2 Column Shift penalt y aga inst ice or co ld-based
attacks.
Add itionall y, anyone touched by (or tou ching) a Character
wilh an activated Flame Being Power (including co ntact made in
hand-to-hand combat) incurs a Physic al Attack with AV/EV s
equal to APs of Flame Be ing; thi s special attack form does not
count as an Action for the Flame Being Character. The APs of
Flame Bein g may also be substituted for a Character's STR as
the EV of any hand-to-hand allacks.
Fire of Justice League America has thi s Power.
Link: BODY
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 4
This Power allows a Charac1er to protect himself against
fire and heat-based attacks. The APs of Power are added to the
Character's RV aga inst any and a ll such anacks.
Brek Bannin (Po lar Boy) has thi s Power.
FLAME PROJECT
Link:Sr•
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 15 Factor Cost: 3
A Character with th e Flame Project Power ca n fire forth
a stream of flame from hi s bod y like a flam ethrow er. Use of
thi s Power is a Ph ys ical Attack w ith AV/EVs e qual to the
APs of Power.
Dirk Morgna (S un Boy) of the Legion of Super-Heroes had
this Power.
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 4
(a nd initiati ve) for a number of phases equ a l to th e RA Ps of
the Flash attack.
Add iti onall y. Flash may be steadil y produced at a lowered
intensity to effecti ve ly create a brig ht g lo win g li g ht.
This Power may be purchased with a special - 1 Factor Cost
Limitation: Flash Inca pable of Multi- Attac ks (usab le on on ly
one target per phase).
Dr. Li ght II of Ju sti ce Leag ue Intern ational has 1his Power.
link: DEX
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 10 Factor Cost: 3
Flight allows a Character to move free ly in any direction
through air o r space. (Mos t forms of Fligh t also allow travel
underwa1er at the usual -2 AP speed pe na lt y.) Flig ht by itself
does not all ow a Character to survive in o uter space but does
pro vide him with the abi lity to move throug h it.
Th e A Ps of F li g ht arc the APs of di sta nce that th e
Character ca n trave l eac h phase. In addition , a Character may
use the APs of Fli g ht as the OV against any Physical Attacks
provided he performs no Dice Action during that phase.
Link: STR
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 3
Fog allows a Character to use any atmospheri c moi sture to
form a de nse fog which obsc ure s vis ion and visio n- re lated
Powers (such as Sonar, Thermal Vision, Ultra Vision. and X-
Ray Vision). The OV/ RV of an attemp t to see throu gh the fo g
using o ne of these Powers is eq ua l to the Character' s A Ps of
Power. Any attacks made by Characters within the fog receive a
+2 Column Shift modifier to the OV. The APs of Fog plus fi ve
equal the volume (i n APs) of fo g cove r, whi ch mu st take the
form of a simple sphere unl ess conforming to an enclosure.
The fog c reated b y thi s Po we r w ill tra ve l w ith the
Character, if so desired , provided the Character is not travelling
at a speed (A Ps of di stance per phase) surpass ing the APs of Fog
Powe r. A wind or volum e of ai r moving faster than the APs of
Power wi ll instantl y di ssi pate the fog.
Thi s Power may be purch ased with a spec ia l + I FaclOr
Cos1 Bon us: Fog Does Not Inhibit User's Vision.
The Spectre has thi s Power.
 link: STR
'Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 30 Factor Cost: 6
This Powe r allows a Character to create a field of physical
energy to protect hi s own body. The APs of Powe r are added to
the Character's RV against Physical Attacks.
A Force Field is spherica l in form and is centered around
the Character of origin. A field shelter may be generated at the
sam e AP s o f vo lum e as th e Powe r 's AP s, pro tec tin g a ll
Characters within the fie ld. No Ph ys ical Attac ks with exterior
targets can be made from within the field
This Power may be purchased with a special -2 Facto r Cost
Limitation : Field Protects Power User Onl y.
This Power may be purchased with a special Bonus: Can
Attack Through Field. T his Bonus allows Physical Attacks with
exterior targets to be made by Characters within the Field. This
Bonus doubles the Base Cost of the Powe r (to 60) and adds + I
to the Factor Cost.
Troia of the New Titans had thi s Power.
illnk: Sm
Ra.nge: N\)rmal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 10 Factor Cost: 5
This Power allows a Character to create a shield of ph ysical
e nerg y whi c h prov ides pro tec ti o n fro m Ph ys ic al Atta c ks.
Anyone protected by a Force Shi eld has the APs of Power added
to his RV against Physical Attacks.
The Force Shie ld call ed into being is circ ular in shape,
possesse s an appro ximate di a meter of four feet, and can be
projec ted at Range. Such a shi e ld is use less ag ainst atta cks
whi ch originate from behind the Character unl ess the Character
es tabli shes th e shi e ld there, in whi ch case the Character is
defenseless against frontal assault.
Agent Liberty's gauntlets project thi s Power at No Range.
r Link: DEX
GLIDING
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 2
This Power allows a Character to glide throu gh the air at
APs of di stance equal to the sum of the APs of Power and the
APs of height the Character begins above the ground
Example: A Character with Gliding of 2 APs jumps from
th e roof of an eight-story building (which is approximate ly 3
APs above th e ground). From thi s height, he may glide to the
ground 5 APs di stant.
A Character with Gliding travels at a speed equ al to th e
APs of Power in distance per phase (i t would take the Character
in the previous example 3 phases to travel the full 5 APs).
Mothman of the Minutemen had this Power.
GilJE- - - - - - -
ii.Ink: STR
Range: Normal Typ·e : Dice
Bases Cost: 15 Factor Cost: 5
A C ha rac ter with th e Powe r of Glue can emit a sti cky
substance whi ch glues the target to the ground or surroundin g
te rrain upo n a success ful Ac tion C hec k. To g lue a target, a
Character makes an Acti on Chec k using the APs of th e Powe r
as th e AV/EV against the targe t 's DEx/STR as th e OV/ RV .
Positi ve RAPs indicate that the target ca nnot move and has his
DEX (and Initi ati ve ) reduced by the APs of the Glue attack until
he breaks free.
In order to brea k free, a glued Charac ter mu st mak e a
success ful Acti on Check (i .e., gain one or more RAPs) using
STR as both AV and EV aga inst OV/ RV s equal to the RA Ps
gained by the original Glue attack
II
Gro wth allows a Character to increase his size. For eac h
AP of the Growth Power engaged (a Character need not grow to
max imum size) the fo llowing effects occ ur:
• 1 AP Is added to the Character's weight and volume.
• 1 AP Is added to the Character's STR.
Ad diti ona lly, fo r eve ry three APs of Growth engaged, a
Character's he ight is increased by I AP (startin g at a base of 0
APs) and he gains + I AP to his Running ( I to 2 APs of Growth
engaged has no effect on Runnin g, while 3 to 5 adds I AP, and 6
to 8 adds 2 APs, etc.)
As a Character becomes larger, he is also easier to see (and
hit with attac ks). As a res ult, fo r eve ry two APs of Gro wth
e ngaged , a C harac ter 's O V aga in st Ph ys ica l A tt ac ks a nd
Perception Chec ks dec reases one AP ( I AP of Growth engaged
has no e ffec t on OV , while 2 to 3 APs engaged dec reases the
Character's OV by I AP, and 4 to 5 APs engaged dec reases OV
by 2 APs, etc.).
When purchas ing thi s Power, a Character has the opti on of
selecting a special -5 Fac tor Cost Limitation: Growth Does Not
Cause STR Increase.
Le viathan of the Legionnaires has thi s Power.
- - -HVPER~EfJSITlVETOUCH
link: DEX
Range: Touch Type: Dice
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 2
This Power allows a Character to "see" with his fingertips.
The Character can read a newspaper by feeling the ridges of the
ink, feel the vibration of a smoothl y runnin g machine through a
thi ck wall, or li ste n to phone co nve rsati ons by tou ching the
phone lines. A Character using Hyperse nsiti ve Touch makes an
Acti o n Chec k usin g th e APs of Powe r as AV/ EV ag ain st
OV/RV s determined on the follo wing table (additional OV/RV
assignment at GM di scretion ). Positi ve RAPs indicate success in
an attempt.
OV/ RV
3/3
515
10/10
Link: ST~
Range: Normal Type: Auto/Dice
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 10
Thi s Power a ll ows a Characte r to crea te vo lumes of ice
from thin air. The ice produced may be fo rmed into any shape
the user desires, such as a wa ll , an ice dagger, a bridge, etc. Ice
Production has a number of useful application s:
• The user may trap a targe t in a block of solid ice. Make an
Ac tion Chec k with AV/EVs equal to the APs of Power and
OV/RVs equal to the target's DEXISTR. RAPs fro m thi s Action
Check equ al the ice APs which have trapped the target as well
as the vo lume of ice created. While the target is trapped, his
DEX (and Initiati ve) is reduced by the APs of ice and he cannot
move. To brea k free, th e targe t mu st ma ke a success ful
Ph ys ical Attac k (i.e., earn positi ve RAPs) against O V/RVs
equal to the RAPs of the successful Ice Producti.on attack.
• The User may make so lid ice co nstru cts, such as wa ll s,
bridges, etc. , w ith vo lum e and BODY both equal to the
APs of Po wer.
• The user may create an "ice slide" to move along the ground at
a di stan ce pe r phase eq ual to th e user ' s APs o f Po we r
(maximum movement rate is 8 APs per phase, regard less of
the Character's APs of Power).
• The user may use Ice Production to create an "ice barrier." In
this case, the user's APs of Power are added to the RV against
Physical Attacks. Such a Charac ter will be un able to enter
Physical combat while within the barrier.
• The user may make a si mple Phys ical Attack, using the APs of
Power as AV/EV.
Volumes of ice created with this Power will melt after APs
of time equal to the Character's APs of Power. All Constructs
created by thi s Power have -2 Column Shift modifiers to their
RV against fire- or heat-based attacks.
Brek Ba nnin (Po la r Boy) h as this Power, as does
Cap tain Cold.
rcn,rc
. !rile SiR
;Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 5
Icing allows a Character to cover himself with a sheet of
ice and not incur any damage. The APs of Icing are added to the
Character's RV against ice- or cold-based attacks.
Against fire - or hea t-based attacks, such a C haracte r
suffers a -2 Column Shift modifier to hi s RV. APs of Icing may
also be substituted for the Character ' s EV when maki ng hand-
to-hand attacks.
nk::DEX
(Range: Self
Base Cost: 45 Factor Cost: 4
This Power a llows a Character to become imposs ible to
detect with one se nse (us uall y s ig ht ). The se nse th a t th e
Character is invisible to mu st be chosen when the Power is
purchased: Sight, Hearin g, o r Smell/Tas te (S mell and Taste
count as one sense for the purposes of thi s Power). Note that if
yo u want to be " in visible" to the Touch se nse, yo u mu st
purchase the Dispersal Power (see page 54).
Whe n a C ha rac te r act iva tes this P owe r, he becomes
imposs ible to locate wi th the normal sense(s) to whic h he is
invisible. Special perception Powers may be used to locate an
invisible Character by making an Action Check using the APs of
Power as the AV/EV and the APs of In visibility as the OV/RV.
Positive RAPs indicate that the in visi ble Character is located.
Characters who have successfull y located an invisible target in
thi s way are not affected by thi s Power until the invisible
Character has taken steps to disguise his location again.
Characters without perception Powers may also attempt to
locate an invisible Character with their other se nses, but it is
much more difficult. First of all, they must have some reason to
suspect the in visible Character'.s presence (GM ' s d iscret ion).
Then, they must make a Percep tion C hec k (see page I 07)
against OV/RVs equal to the APs of In visibility. If the RAPs
scored are equa l to or greate r than the RV, an attack may be
launched with +I Column Shift to the OV. If the RAPs scored
are at least 1/2 the RV, an attack can sti ll be made, but at a +3
Column Shift penalty to the OV.
Location of an in vis ibl e Character with norm al senses
(other than Sight) only lasts unt il the end of the next phase, after
which another attempt mu s t be made to spot th e in visible
Character.
Atte mpting to gui de an attack with norm a l senses othe r
than Sight is ex tremely diffic ult at best. Any suc h attack will
suffer a penalty of +3 Column Shifts to the OV in addition to the
penalties listed in the above paragraph. (Note that none of these
penalti es apply if a Character successfull y uses a perception
Power to locate the in visible Character.)
C haracters are a utomatica ll y S urpri sed (see page 105)
w he n initially attacked by unde tected in visi ble opponents.
Immed iate ly after being attacked, the ta rget may attem pt fo
locate the in visible C haracter (us in g the appro priate me thod
above) with a bo nu s of -2 Column Shi fts to the OV/RV of the
attempt. T hi s attempt does not use up a Character' s Dice Action
for that phase.
This Power may be purchased with specia l Bonuses that
ex tend the invis ib il ity into o ther sense areas. T he base Power
affec t s o ne of the three "sen ses " (Sig ht , H eari ng , or
Smell/Tas te). The o ther senses may be added, each for a +3
Factor Cost Bo nu s. Add itiona ll y, if a ll three "senses" are
affected, the Base Cost of the Power is doubled (to 90). Note
that Characters who are in visible to all three " senses" cannot be
located at all unl ess the spotti ng C haracte r has some sort of
perception Power.
Martian Manhunter has this Power.
link: BODY
Range: Self Typ.e : Dice
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 7
A C harac te r with thi s Power is ve r y diffi c ult to ki ll
(a lth ough it does not make him any harder to injure; for thi s
effect use the Skin Armor Power). When such a Charac ter has
suffered damage from Physical Attacks which wou ld cause him
to die under normal ci rcum stances (the Character is reduced to
negative APs of BODY), he makes an Action Check using curren t
BODY A P s (abso lute va lu e) as OV/RVs a nd th e A P s of
In v uln erab ilit y as AV/EVs. RAPs fr o m this roll eq ual the
number of BODY po ints the Character regains.
A side-effect of this Power is its ability to extend the li fe of
a Character; It allows a check even if the Character di es of
natural causes or di sease. T he actual impact of this Power on the
life span of Player C haracters is up to the GM's discretion.
This Power may be purchased with special + I Factor Cost
Bonuses fo r each of th e fo ll owi ng: the Power cou nteracts
Mental damage, and the Power counterac ts Mystical damage.
Superman had this Power.
pnk: StR
Range: Self
Base Cost: 15
Thi s Power a ll ows a Character to lea p across great
d istances or to great heights through a natural or mec hanical
prowess. A C haracter w ith Jumping can traverse a horizon tal
distance equal to the C haracter's APs of Power, and ca n jump to
he ights equal to hi s APs of Power minu s I.
Doomsday has thi s Power.
-------rrcwm1Nc--....--,..........
link: STR
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 15 Facto r Cost: 3
This Power all ows a Character to fi re and control a bolt of
li ghtnin g from hi s body. Lightning strikes as a Physical Attack
in combat wit h AV/EVs equal to the APs of Power and OV/RVs
eq ual to the opponent ' s DEXIBODY.
A n oppone nt w h o is na t ura 11 y in su lated (such as a
Character using Molecu lar Cha meleon to assume the form of
rubber) has a +2 Colum n Shift modifier added to hi s RV against
Lig htnin g. Electroni c and/or metalli c dev ices and Characte rs
(such as Cyborg of the New Titans) receive a -2 Column Shift
penalty to their RV against Lightning.
Cyborg himself has thi s Power.
Link:' Dex
rlink: STR ··oMNI-ARM

Range: Normal Type: Dice Range: Self Type: Auto-

Base Cost: 50 Factor Cost: 10
A C haracter with the Mim ic Power can dupli cate and use
lh e STR A llribul e or Powe rs of an y ot her C ha rac ter within
Range. The APs of Mimic are lhe APs of time the Character can
use any Mi micked Power.
To Mimic a Powe r, a C harac ter m ust make an Ac ti on
Check us ing the APs o r Powe r as the AV /EV and the targe t's
APs of the Power to be Mim icked as the OV/RV. A Character
who successfull y Mimi cs a Power rece ives th at Power in APs
equa l to hi s APs of the Mi mi cked Power's Link Attribute, plus
the RAPs received on the M im ic attempt , up to a total equ al to
the APs of Power the target possesses. An attempt to mimic the
STR A tt ribu te o f an o ppo nen t ha s a n OV/ RV equ a l to th e
o ppo ne nt 's STRISTR. Mul t i- Attacks my be mad e us in g thi s
Power; at any one time, a C haracter may only possess a numbe r
of Mimi cked Powe rs eq ual to hi s APs o f Mimi c.
Example: A Charac ter wi th 10 APs o f Mim ic and BODY of
5 A Ps tri es to Mimi c ano th er Characte r's Energy Bl as t. Th e
C haracte r with Mimi c makes an Acti on Chec k using 10/10 (hi s
APs of Mimi c) as the AV/EV aga inst the target's APs of Energy
B last as the OV/ RV. If th is Check ga in s pos itive RA Ps, the
Character wi th Mimi c receives 5 APs of the Energy Blast Power
(the Attribute of Energy Blast is BODY), plus the RAPs
on th e Mimi c ro ll (u p to a to tal equal to th e APs of
possessed by the ta rget). T he C harac ter ca n use 1he
Mimi cked Energy Blas l fo r 10 APs of time (the APs of Mimi c).
Base Cost: 10 Factor Cost: 5
The Omni-Arm Power allows a Character to transfo rm the
physica l shape o f hi s ow n limbs into anythi ng des ired. Materi al
and mass of the transform ed objec1 re mai n the sa me but shape
and fun cti on can vary. Arm s can be converted inw lobster claws.
hammers, or giant scissors. fo r examp le.
When using Omni-Arm, a Character may subst itu te the APs
of Power fo r STR (incl uding EV) when perfo rming an <ic lion
Metarnorpho, o f Ju stice League Internati onal fam e. has this
Power, as does the fi ex ible Pl astic Man.
~ - - - - - - . , , , PARALYSIS-:--·
Link: Sn
Range: N6rmal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 3
T hi s Powe r all ows a C ha rac ter to phys ica ll y res trict an
opponent. AV/EVs fo r suc h an attack equal the Character' s APs
of Para lys is whil e OV/ RVs equ a l the opponen t' s DEX/ BODY:
pos iti ve RAPs indi cate success, with the opponen t held fast and
un able to move (DEX= 0).
A Paralyzed opponent may atlem pt to free himse lf thro ugh
an Actio n Check with AV/EVs eq ual to !he oppone nt 's STR/STR
against OV/RVs equal to the RAPs of the successfu l Paralysis
ana~k. If .cumul at ive RAPs from th is , . , .
Actio n Chec k eq ual or exceed RAPs
fr om t he Pa ra lys is att ac k , th e
oppo nent 1s re leased. -

Link: STR
Range: Touch Type: Dice
Base Cost: 30 Factor Cost: 3
This Power all ows a Character to evo lve or devo lve a target A Charac ter with thi s Powe r is
into a new life for m. The user must make an Ac ti on C hec k with ab le to ge nerate a s ub sLance whi ch
hi s DEx/APs of Power as the AV/EV and th e target's DEX/BODY irritates the skin o n con1ac1, causing ..
as 1he O V/RV. If the C hec k is successful , th e user the n ro ll s d a m age to a n o pp o ne nt. In iti a l
aga in on 2010 lO determine the mutati ve resul ts, as presented on
~~~~!P~s o; t~:e~i~~ lt~E~e~·.~~ ),
11
the tab le below·
!h e op p o n e nt 's D Ex/ BODY as
~~:a~~,\;e~~e;; i~~Z'ii~~:e~ppone nt :=·~::}:..
In s ~ccess ive p h ases, the ::::,
2 APs of Claws o ppo nent 1s furth er att ac ked by !he
2 APs ofGrowth APs of Po ison Touch as the AV/EV · ···
aga inst th e victim 's Boo y/Bo o y as · .•..
11 +2 APs of STR
th e O V/RV. Th.ese att ac ks co nti~ue · ·~-~
12 2 APs of Flight eac h ph ase unlll o ne of th e m fa d s. •
13 +2 APs of !NT These continuin g attacks sim ulate the .•
14 +2 APs of BODY sp rea d of th e po iso n t hro ug h th e ¢::·
oppo ne nt 's body. Th e attac ker may ·• ·
15 2 APs of Skin Armor not make an oth er attempt to Poison
16 2APs of Energy Blast To uch the victim until the prev ious
2 APs of Superspeed att ac k fa ils. C um u lati ve att ac ks are
2 APs of Shrin king 1101 poss ibl e.
Poison Ivy has thi s Power
.2 APs of X-Ray Vi sion
2 APs of any Power se lected by the GM
'i>RO)~CTILE WEAPONS
Link: STR -
Mut a ted crea tures aut om at ica ll y p ossess th e S tra nge Range: Normal Type: Dice
A ppearance Drawback. Th e Power use r ca n bes tow multipl e Base Cost: 15 Factor Cost: 2
mut at io ns up o n a but th ey do not ad d if th e sa me Thi s Power allows a Character to
mu tati on is ro ll ed ; In cases, ro ll aga in. If the rnrgel of the fi re projectiles from hi s own body al an
Mutati on al ready possesses the Power ro lled , it is in creased by 2 opponent or target. The AV/EVs of an
APs. Mutati ons las t for a lengt h of time (in APs) equal 10 RA Ps attack usin g Projectile Weapons equ al .'
gained on th e Mulation attempt DEx/A Ps o f Power w h ile O V/RVs
This Power can be purchased with a spec ial +2 Facto r Cost
Bonus: Use r Can Choose Mutati on instead of ro lling.
equal the opponent' s DEX/BODY.
Shrapne l has thi s Power k. .
 RU ING a Percepti on C heck is made to notice a shru nken C haracter, the
Link: DEX APs o f Power whi ch the C haracter has e ngaged se rve as th e
Range: Self Type: Auto OV/RV to the Perception attempt. The APs of Shri nking reduce
Base Cost: 0 Facto r Cost: 2 the character in size as deta iled on the fo ll owing chart:
This Powe r allows a Character to move across level ground
(a nd /or ot her s urfac es th at are normally trave rsa bl e by the APs Size
Charac ter) at ex treme speeds. The di s tance per phase that a
Character w ho possesses Running can move i s equ al lO hi s A Ps 2 Small Human
of the Power 3 Dog
5 Cat
6 Small Bird
SEALrDSVsnMs 8 Mouse
1Link: Boov II Insect
Range: Self Type: Auto 13 Tiny [nsect
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 5 25 Virus
Thi s Power all ows a Character to sustain him se lf in any 32 Atom
sty le at mos phere o r e nv iro nment , eve n th ose in whi ch th e
Character could not norm all y surv ive. Sealed Systems lasts for a This Power may be purchased with a spec ial -2 Factor Cost
length of time in APs equal to the Character's APs of the Power. Limi tation: Character's STR and Weight Are Reduced By The
Beyo nd this time. th e Powe r fai ls and m ust be Recovered APs of Shrinking Engaged.
normall y (see page I 00). Salu Di gby (Shrink in g Vi o let) of th e Leg ion of Supe r-
In add iti on, a Character with Sealed Systems can add the Heroes has thi s Power
APs of Power to hi s RV agai nst gas or radiation attacks. Sealed
Sys te ms ca n be purc h a sed w ith s pec ia l -2 Fa ctor Co s t
Lim itatio ns: Power In effec ti ve Agai nst Gas Attack s; Power SKffil ARMOR
Ineffec ti ve Agains t Radiation Allacks. Ink: Boov
Range: Self · Type: Auto
EL MAf.ffPOLAt lON Base Cost: 50 Factor Cost: 5
Link: DEX Th is Power a llows a Charac te r to add. hi s APs of Ski n
Range: Self Type: Auto Armor to the RV (BODY) aga inst those Physica l Attack s that
Base Cost: 75 Facto r Cost: 10 cause injury through force or impac t. Possess io n of thi s Power
This Power allow s a Cha racte r to shape hi s own body into makes a Character ex tremely resistant to these fo rms of Physica l
[ha1of any object he desires. The Character must di vide his APs Damage. However, Skin Armor has not effec t against Ph ys ica l
of Self Ma n ip u lation (as d esi red) betwee n th e Ph ys ica l Attacks such as gas or radiation.
Attributes and Powers of any o bjects ass umed. However, any Cyborg has th is Power.
object formed retains the using Character's BODY and damage
done to the object is sustained by the C haracter. - - - - . . . - --..-•filA-~
R~e· - - - - - - -
Exa mple: Plastic Man (Self Manipu lation o f 15 APs) can link: STA
turn himse lf into a boat or truck thal possesses a STR of 8 APs Range: Normal Type: Dice
and a speed of 7 APs (th e Sw immin g o r Runnin g Powers) . Base Cost: 1 S Factor Cost: 4
Similarly, he could assume the fo rm of a spring with a STR o f 6 This Power allows a character to entang le a target in rope-
APs and also possessed 9 APs of the Jumping Power. like bonds. To Snare a target, a Character makes an Act io n
The volume of any obj ect ass umed through the use of Self Check using th e APs of Power as the AV/EV against the target 's
Manipu lation cannot exceed the Character's APs of Power. DEx/STR as the OV/RV. Positi ve RAPs indi cate lhat the target
As prev iously mentio ned, Pl astic Man has thi s Power, as do has been caught in the Snare, and has his DEX (a nd Initi ati ve)
the amazing Metal Men. reduced by the RAPs of the Snare Altack unti l he can brea k free.
If the C haracte r wi shes the Snare to restri ct th e target's
movement (by enwrapping hi s legs, wings, etc.) he mu st use a
SHADE Trick S hot, sufferi ng a +2 Column Shi ft modifier to the OV. If
link: B ODY the attack is successful , however, RAPs are subtracted from both
Range: Self Type: Auto the target 's DEX and hi s mo vement speed
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 4 In o rder to break free , a s nared Characte r mu st make a
This Power prov id es a C haracte r w ith pro1ec ti on from successful Action C heck (i. e ., gai n o ne or mo re RAPs) using
sudden chan ges in lightin g cond it ions, such as the use of the STR as both the AV and EV againsl OV/RVs equ al to the RAPs
Flash Power. The APs of Power are added to the Character's RV gained by the original Snare attack.
agai nst any and all such attack s.
SOLAR SUSTENANCE
li nk: Boov
SHRINKING Range: Self Type: Auto
link: STR Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 1
Range: Self Type: Auto Th is Powe r a ll ows a C h arac te r to de rive no uri shm e nt
Base Cost: 15 Facto r Cost: 5 di rec tl y from the s un. Before thi s Power ca n take effec t, a
Thi s Powe r a ll ows a C haracter to dec rease hi s s ize. For Character must be ex posed to sunli ght for 10 APs of time, at
each AP of Sh rinking that such a C haracter engages, one AP is which point he will fee l immed iately reple ni shed.
ad ded to hi s OV agai ns t Ph ys ic al A u acks a nd o ne AP is No ot her fo rm of sustenan ce (ne ither fo od o r water) is
subtracted from hi s move ment speed. A Character need not use requ ired by a Character wh il e thi s Power is in effec t. The APs
the full APs of S hrinking; he may choose how much to shrink. A of Powe r equa l th e leng th of tim e in AP s a C harac ter ca n
Character' s Attributes are not affected by the use of Shrinking. re ma in s ustai ned w ith o ut e ithe r traditi o na l no uri s hm e nt o r
In addit io n, a C haracter with Shrink ing mi ght be hard to ex posure to sun light.
notice in certain situ ati ons, depending on the Charac ter's size. If Starfire of the New Titans and Swamp Thing have thi s Power.

Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 15 Factor Cost: 4
A So ni c Beam is a coherent stream of sonic energy whi ch
ha s Lh e abi lil y to shatter solid objects. Projection of a Sonic
Beam against a li vin g be ing is treated as a Ph ysica l Attack with
an AV /EV equa l to the APs of the Power. If Sonic Beam is
projected agai nst an inanimate object, the targe t will vibra le,
crac k, and fin ally shaller upon receiving damage equal to twice
its BODY.
1f a So ni c Beam is d irected agai nst a Characte r usin g a
hearing Power (Extended Hearing, Super Hearin g, etc.), the RV
of the attack recei vcs a special -2 Column Shift modifi er. If an
in animate object is destroyed by a Sonic Beam Trick Shot (see
page 103), th e re sultin g vibrations can cause th e obj ec t to
explode wi th a force eq ual to its ori gin al Boov APs. If no Trick
Shot is utilized, no exp los ive damage is inflicted by th is Power.
A Soni c Beam mu s t have a med ium throu gh whi c h to
trave l. This Power does not work in a vacuum.
The villain Sonar has thi s Power.
'Link: DEX
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 50 Factor Cost: 10
Thi s Power allows a Character to separate him self into two
or more complete beings. Each Spli t being possesses the same
Attributes, Powers, and Skills as the original Character at the
Character's AP- leve l, minu s one (1) for eac h Split.
Example: A C haracter wi th all hi s Attributes at 6 APs, Split
of 2 APs, a nd an Energy Blast of 8 APs could S plit twi ce,
resulting in three separate beings, each of whom would possess
all Attributes at 4 APs and 6 APs of Energy Blast. Duplicates
created through the Split Power do not possess the Split Power
themselves.
A C haracter can Split a total number of times equal to the
APs of Power. Rejoining of duplicates is instantaneous at the
o ri g in al Charac ter's will, at which point the Character sustains
the gre ate s t a mo unt of da mage take n by any o ne of th e
duplicates. Dead duplicates ca nno t rejo in w ith the or ig in al
C harac ter; additi o na ll y, for every d upli ca te wh ich di es, th e
ori gi nal C haracter automati ca ll y loses one AP from each of hi s
Attributes, Powers, and Skills.
Triad of the Legion naires has thi s Power.
Link: DEX
Range: Self
Base Cost: 10 Factor Cost: 6
Thi s Power all ows a Character to elongate hi s own body a
number of APs of d istance eq ual to the APs of Power (a ll owing
the C harac ter to make hand -to- hand attacks, see ite ms more
closely, pick up objects at thi s range, etc.).
In addition, a Character with Stretchin g can absorb most
Physical Attacks by stretchin g under the impact, thu s slow in g
the force of a punch or projectile. In thi s manner, a Character
adds the APs of Stretching to hi s RV. However, to utili ze thi s
aspect of the Stretc hing Power, a C haracter must announce th at
he is defendin g during the phase and taking no other action.
Elongated Man has thi s Power, as does Plastic Man
SUPER BREATH
Link: STR
Ran'g e: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 10 Factor Cost: 4
This Power allows a Character to ex hal e a powerful stream
of air. The Character can attack all targets within a one AP-wide
corridor extendin g from the site of origin with no Multi-Attack
pe nalties (i.e., the attack is made aga inst each target separately).
Use of S uper Breath is a Ph ysical Attack with the APs of
Power se r vin g as AV/EVs a nd the targe t 's DEX / BODY as
OV/RVs. However, th e target does not sustain damage fro m this
attack; instead, the target is Knocked Back a number of APs
di stant eq ual to the RAPs received minus the target's weight in
APs (most humans weig h 2 APs, see Knockback, page 100)
Note: When a Character is Knocked Bac k in thi s fashion,
he may sustain auxiliary damage from co ntact with objec ts
(b uildings, the ground , etc.). This damage is considered as being
sustained in Kill ing Co mbat, although the Charac ter using Super
Breath is not penali zed as s uch during th e d istributi o n of
Standard Awards unless the resulting damage actually killed a
Character.
Superman had thi s very noisy Power
Link: DEX
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 25 Factor Cost: 5
S uperspeed gives a Character the abi lity to move, run , type,
read, or perform any other phys ical action faster th an is hum anly
possible. A C haracter with thi s Power ca n do a number of
things:
• Add the APs of Power when calcul ating Initiative to perform
any action,
• Tra vel at a speed eq ual to the APs of Power, and
• Subtract the APs of Power from the time (in APs) necessary to
perform some task. For example, if it takes 13 APs of time (8
hours) to read a book, a Character with 8 APs of Supers peed
could read the book in 5 APs of time (2 minutes).
In addi ti o n, a Character with Superspeed has the option
eac h phase of sub stitu ting the APs of Powe r for D EX (us in g
Superspeed APs as the AV/OV for/again st Physical Attacks) or
s ub stitutin g S uperspeed APs fo r the EV whe n perfor min g a
physical action.
The Flash has thi s Power.
µ nk:,STR
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 2
This Power allows a Character to move through water and
other fluid s at a speed equ al to hi s APs of Swimming. This
Power does not provide the Character with the ab ili ty to breathe
underwater (as wou ld Sealed Systems or Water Freedom).
Aquaman has thi s Power.
. . - - - --.sYSlEI\/IJ<:,l;NTIOOTE
link: Boov -
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 4
Thi s Power g ives a C harac ter a limited immunity to
Phy sical damage ca used by any chemical , poi so n, or dru g
attack. In such a case, the APs of Systemic Antidote are added
to the Character's RV aga inst such attacks
Poison Ivy has thi s Power
link: DEX rwo:qrMENSIONA~ ·~4
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 75 Factor Cost: 5
This Power allows a Character to mo ve along the surface of
a n obj ec t lik e a s hadow. Whil e a C harac ter us in g T wo-
Dimensional can only be Phys icall y Attacked by anot her T wo-
Dimensional Character (a nd , as such, is completely immune to
normal Physical Attacks wi th forceful res ults), the C haracter
will still s ustain damage/effects fro m all gas and rad iati o n
attacks such as Flash, Fog, etc.
 A Character using thi s Po wer is invi sibl e whe n viewed
from the side. In such situation s, the Character is treated as if he
had the In visibi lity Powe r (to Si ght only; see page 47) rated at
an AP level equivalent to the Two~Dimensional Power.
The Shadow Thier and Obsidian have this Power.
the user the ability to vibrate nearby objects at
great e nough to damage tho se objects. Such an
is a Di ce Action using the APs of Vibe as the AV/EV
agains t OV/RVs equal to the target 's DEx/Boov (if the target is
a living being or Gadget) or agai nst the target's Boov/BODY (if
the target i s an inanimate object) . RAPs ea rn ed equa l the
damage from the attack
Reverb of the Conglomerate has thi s Power
t ink:DEX
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 3
Thi s Power allows a C haracter to move through water and
other liquids as eas il y as the average human moves through air
A Character w ith Water Freedom do cs not s uffer any
underwater combat penalties (see page 105)
While submerged, a Character with thi s Power can breathe
free ly and may substi tute hi s APs of Water Freedom for DEX
(recalcu late In itiative score).
Aquaman has thi s Power
Mental Powers
Un less otherwise slated , all attacks made by Menrnl Powers
arc Me ntal Attack s with affected OV/RV s of l NT/MJ ND,
respecti vely .
..
c ~k-,,NT
- - - - .AOAl'fAflOf.f'~ - - - ·......
Range: Special Type: Auto
Base Cost: 1000 Factor Cost: 10
Thi s Power allow s a C haracter to duplicate any ex istin g
Power or Ski ll from any other C haracter. To utilize Adaptation,
a Character must have witnessed the use of the Power/Skill to be
Adapted, and must be within Normal Range of that C haracter to
adapt a n y numb e r of Power s and /o r S kill s, provid e d th e
cu mulative APs do not exceed hi s APs o f Adaptati on.
A Character utili zing Adaptation must concentrate for one
phase prior to utilizing the Adapted Power/Skill , at whi ch point
he rece ives A Ps of the Adapted Power eq ual to those of the
Characte r fro m whom the Power was Adapted; if the Adapted
Power was linked , the Ada ptin g Character recei ves APs of
Power equal to hi s APs in the Adapted Powe r's link Attribute.
(Re me mber. th e total APs of a ll Adapted Powers and Ski ll s
cannot exceed the Character's APs of Adaptation.)
Once a Character has Adapted certain Powers and/or Skills,
he can keep them until he replaces them with other Powers or
Ski ll s (a lthoug h he may a lso inten ti o nall y " lose" the m at w ill
witho ut addi ng new o nes).
Note: Powers and Skills w ith Base Costs g reater than 100
Hero Points can never be Adapted using this Power.
Thi s Powe r can be purc hased w ith the following spec ial
Limita1ions: Ca nn o t Adapt Ski ll s (- 1 Fac tor Cost); Ca nn o t
Adapt Powers (-3 Factor Cos t).
Amazo, the " One- Man Ju st ice Leag ue," had thi s Power.
Link: INT
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 9
Thi s Power allows a C haracter to control the move me nt of
a vo lume of a ir. A C haracter with Air Control may utilize th is
Power toward a number of app licati ons:
• The User may aim forceful wind gusts at an opponent in an
attempt lO damage him/it. This is treated as a Physical Attack
us in g th e A Ps of A ir Control as AV/EV and the target's
Dex/BODY as OY/RY.
• The user may summon strong winds to buffet abou t opponents.
Thi s is treated e xactly like attac ks made via the Super-Breath
Power, excep t the w inds a ffect everyo ne and eve rythin g
(except the user) within a volume equa l to the APs of Power
(rather than the I-AP-wide corridor of Super Breath).
The user may shape thi s volume as desired. In addition , the
Power user may choose the direction in which to Knoc k Back
e ach o f the targe ts , not necess aril y c ho os ing th e sa m e
direction for each target. Damage susta in e d through
Knockback is considered Killing Combat: sec page 98 ..
• Th e use r can re move ex ist in g volumes of air to create a
vacuum. Thi s attack requires a successfu l Ac ti on Check wi th
th e user ' s APs of Air Con trol as the AV/EV agai nst an
OV/RV e qual to th e vo lum e of air to be di splac ed. Th e
OV/RV receives a spec ial +2 Col umn S hift modifie r due to
the difficulty of cre atin g a vacuum . C harac ters ca ug ht in a
vacuum lose I AP of Current Body Condition per phase of
exposure (cons idered Killing Combat in m ost Genres, see
page 176).
• The user may prope l himse lf via g usts of air, movi ng at a
distance per pha se e qual to th e C harac ter 's APs of Air
Control.
• Finally, the user may simply move a vo lume of air. OV/ RV s of
such an attempt are the APs of volume to be moved; RAPs
equal the distance the vo lume is di spl aced. For exa mple, a
Character with Air Contro l c ould use the Powe r to pu sh a
cloud of poisonous o r radioactive air away from a crowd of
spectators or toward a group of villa ins.
The Red Tornado, Eanh 's air e le mental , has thi s Power.
pnk:Witt
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: S Factor Cost: 2
Thi s Power allows a C haracte r to wa lk , fi ght , a nd run on
the a ir itse lf as if it were solid g round. Whil e airbound, the
C haracter ca n move a t norm al la nd m ove men t rate in any
direction ( including straig ht up and straig ht down).
The APs of Power equal the maximum hei ght from ground
level that the use r ca n a ttain by Air Walking. Some form of
atmo sphere mu st be pre se nt for thi s Power to function: Air
Walking will not work in outer space o r in a vacu um
The Trick ster's Air Walker Shoes give him this Power.
ANAl.'.VffCAi?'SMELL/IRACKINC SCENI
Link: INT '
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 10 Factor Cost: 4
The Analytical Smell portion of thi s Power a llo ws a
Character to ide ntify an item or perso n by scent alone fo llowing
a successful Action C hec k using th e APs of Power as AV/EV.
The OV/RV s of particular sce nt s vary: com mon scents have
OV/RVs of O; uncommon scents have OV/ RV s from 2 to 4; rare
or masked scents have OV/RVs from 6 to 8: and unique , faint ,
oraliensccnts haveOV/RVsofup to 15.
If three or fewer RAPs are earned o n an Anal yti ca l Sme ll
Act ion Check, the Character will possess a basic idea of what or
where the smell is co ming from . If 4 or more RAPs are earned,
the Character can ident ify the source of the smell prec ise ly.
 A Character with A nalyti cal Sme ll also possesses th e
Power of Tracking Seem , whi ch allows the Character to track a
being or object by sce nt alo ne. Once the C ha rac te r ha s
encou ntered a scent, he may use thi s Power to track the scent
OV/RVs of such a T rack ing attempt are at 6/6 fo r a generic type
of scent (s uch as hum an, horse, or cypress tree) and 8/8 for an
indi vidual see m (such as Jimm y Olse n, Secretariat, or the dusty
smell of the villain 's warehouse)
On Trackin g Scent attempts, RAPs received on the Check
eq ual the leng th of time (in APs) a Character can fo llow the
move me nt s of hi s qu arry w itho ut need in g to rero ll on the
Tracking attempt. Inc lement weather ca n increase OVs to an
attempt from I (fog or a li ght wind) to as much as 8 (torrential
rains and high winds).
This Power may be purchased with a special - l Factor Cost
Limitat io n: Power Limited to Eithe r Ana lytica l Smell or
Track ing Scent
ANIMAi: MIMICRY
Link: W1u
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 50 Factor Cost: 5
This Power allows the user to mimi c the Power, Skills, and
Physical Attributes of any animal. However, Animal Mimicry
does not give the user the shape of the animal or its natural
weaponry (tusks, ho rn s, claws, etc.). Stati stics and abi lities of
many anim als can be fou nd in Appendix B.
The A Ps of An ima l Mimi cry are th e maxim um APs an
orig in al anima l can possess if its abi lity is to be Mimicked (a
C haracter wi th 4 APs of A nim al Mim icry ca nn ot Mimic an
eagle's 5 APs of Flight). A C haracter Mimi cking an animal may
c hoose to take o n a ny of th e animal' s Powe rs, Ski lls, and
Ph ys ical Attributes (pro vided he has suffi cient APs), but need
not Mimi c all of the animal 's Attributes, Powers, and Ski lls,
onl y those des ired.
A Character choosing to Mimic more than one ability must
split up hi s APs of Mimi c between these abi lities as desired (a
Character cannot possess ful l Mimi c APs in several abilities).
This Power may be pu rchased with a special -2 Factor Cost
Limitati on: Power Onl y Mimics Animals Up to 8 APs Distant
from User.
An imal Man has thi s Power with the special Limitation.
Link: MIND
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 15 Factor.Cost: 4
This Power allows a Character to attract and repel creatures
and o bjects toward or .away from the C haracter's own body.
Th is attac k requires a s uccessful Action Check with AV/EVs
eq ual to the APs of Attractio n/Repulsion.
The OV of an Attraction/ Repulsion attempt is equ al to the
target's DEX or STR (w hi chever is hi gher) if the target is a li ving
creat ure or the target' s speed or BODY (whichever is hi gher) if
the target is an inanimate object; the RV is equal to the target 's
we ight in APs (mo st human C haracters we igh 2 APs). RAPs
ind icate the d istance whi ch the target was moved closer to or
further from the Powe r user.
This Power may be pu rchased with a spec ial - I Factor Cost
Limitation: Power is Limited to Either Attraction or Repulsion
Alone.
BROADCAST EMPATH
Link:WILL
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 5
This Power allows a Charac ter to make another Character
fee l any emot ion the user wi shes. Fo r example, the user coul d
make an opponent run in total fea r, feel too sad to do anything,
or fee l bl issful and calm.
The use of Broadcast Empath is treated as a norm al Mental
A ttack w ith AV/E V s equ a l to th e use r' s AP s o f Powe r;
however, a s uccess full y attac ked vic ti m ta ke s no Me nta l
damage. In stead, if the RAPs earned by the attac k ro ll are
greater than or eq ua l to the oppo ne nt 's MI ND, the oppo nent
s ucc umb s to whateve r emo ti o n th e use r broad cas ts. Thi s
e motional state wi ll last fo r RAPs of time (or the Power user
may choose to release the opponent at any time before hand).
A C haract~r affected by Broadcast Empath ca n break free
o f the e ffec t by mak in g a s uccessful Act io n Chec k w ith
INT/W1LL as AV/EV and th e RAPs of the Broadcas t Empath
attack as OV/RV.
The Psycho-Pirate had this Power.
CELL ROT
llnk:WILL
Range: Touch Type: Dice
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 3
Thi s Power gives a C harac ter the abi lit y to ca use any
fo rm erl y li ving ma te ri a l to deco mp ose. For thi s purpose,
" formerly living material" is defi ned as any natu ra l substance
deri ved fro m a once li ving source, incl uding leather, hemp rope,
clolh, paper, and wood products.
A Character wi th Cell Rot can completely decompose an
inan imate o bject in an amount of tim e equal to th e objec t's
BODY minu s the Character's APs of Power. Fo r exa mpl e, a
Character with 8 APs of Cell Rot can destroy an object with a
BODY of 10 APs in 2 APs o r time, or 16 second s ( 10 - 8 = 2). An
object need only be touc hed o nce for thi s co ntin ua l Cell Rot
effect to occur. An object with a BODY less 1han or equal to the
C haracter's APs of Powe r can be completely decomposed in a
single phase.
Cell Rot can also be used as a normal Ph ys ica l Attack
against Ji vin g creatures. In such a case, AV/EVs are equ al to the
Character's DEx/APs of Powe r, wh il e OV/RVs arc equal to the
oppo nent 's DEx/Boov. Damage fro m thi s Ce ll Rot attack is
no rmal Ph ys ical d a ma ge , cea s in g at th at ph ase with no
co ntinuin g damage in s ubsequ e nt ph ases (unl ess target is
reattacked).
The Batman's nemes is, Clayface !fl, has thi s Power.
CHAMELEON
ink: INT
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 3
A Character with th is Power ca n alter hi s appeara nce 10
rese mble any other C haracter. Fo r greates t effec ti veness. the
imperso nated C harac ter sho uld be ro ug hl y the sa me heig ht,
weight, and build as the Power user (w ithin one foo t and sixty
pounds). Normall y, the Chameleon's clothing also tra nsfo rm s to
resem ble that of the target, although weapon s and special gear
are not dupl ica ted.
Th e AP s of C hame leo n act a s th e OV/RV o f a ny
Percepti on Check (see page 107) made to pene1rate the use r's
di sg ui se. This OV/RV automaticall y receives a -2 Colu mn Shift
modifi er if the user is attempti ng to impersonate a member of
the opposite sex or someone with a radica ll y d ifferent build
Note: Chameleon does not include the ability to duplicate a
target's voice or personality, as does the Actor Subski ll of Artist.
This Power may be purchased with a spec ial - 1 Factor Cost
Limitatio n: User's Clot hing Does Not Transform to Resemble
Target 's Clothing.
Marti an Manhunter and Starman ha ve thi s Power.
COMPREHEND LANGUAGES
link: MIND
Range: Self Type: Dice
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 2
A Character with thi s Power may attempt tO co mmu nicate
with another intelligent being who speaks a different lang uage.
The AV/EVs of such a communication attempt are equal to the
Character's APs of Power; OV/RVs are determined relative to
the degree of difference between the user's language and the
target creature· s language. as summarized in the fo llowing chart
Po si ti ve RAPs indicate the Character can understand and
communicate in the language completely.
Language Relation
Same Group (e.g., Spanish and F
Same World (e.g., Genman and S
Alien Language
This Power can be purchased with a spec ial + I Factor Cost
Bonus: Comprehend Written Languages.
The Po wer Ring s of the Green Lantern Corps po ssess
this Power.
llnk:Will
CONTINIJiJMC:ONfl!O[ :,:: :. ' \ :I
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 550 Factor Cost: 10
Phenomenall y potent, thi s Power provides a Character with
the ability to alter the very nature of matter and, thu s, con trol
over the time/s pace continuum . A Character with the Power of
Continuum Control is able to automatically mimic the effects of
each of the fol lowing Powers: Damage Transference, Energy
Blast. Matter Manipulation, Re gene ration , Te leportat ion, and
Time Travel
The APs of Cont inu um Control function as the APs of any
Power that the user wishes 10 mimic . A user wishing to mimic
more tha n o ne Power at a time mu st divide the APs of
Continuum Control betwee n the Powers as desired.
A Character using Continuum Con trol must spend one full
phase to ··activate" the Powe r (performing no other action
during t hi s phase). Beginning w ith the next pha se, the
Continuum Control is activated and the user can mimic other
Powers. All uses of Powers mimicked with Continuum Control
during a phase are t reated as a singl e Dice Action when
determining the number of actions in that phase (thus, regardless
of 1he number of Powers mimicked via Continuum Control, the
col lective attacks serve only as the Character's Power use action
fort hatphase)
Note : When mimi c ked via Continuum Control,
Teleportation ha s a Range of Norma l instead of its usual +7.
However, th e user may Teleport any target within Norma l
Range. not just those within O APs
Darkse id has this Power.
Type: Dice
Factor Cost: 7
Thi s Pow e r a ll ows a Character to mentally attack an
opponent and then dictate all of the opponent's actions. When a
Character successfu lly uses this Power on another, he is ab le to
completely control the victim ' s body.
To cont rol a target. the user must make an Action Check
with AV/EVs equal to the APs of Power and OV/RVs equal to
the target' s INT/MJ ND . If RAPs exceed the opponent's MIND. the
oppone nt fal ls under the use r 's co nt ro l and will remain
con trolled until the use r vo lu ntari ly releases the opponent, fa ll s
unconscious, or the opponent succeeds in breaking free of the
control.
While contro lled. a victim 's actions are entire ly dictated by
the Power user. The user must ex pend an Automatic Action each
phase to transm it instruc tion s to any and all Characters under
contro l. with no need for d irect communication (instructions are
given mentally with an unl im ited range).
A victim of Control is entit led to combat the effect each
phase with an AV/EV equa l to the victim 's INT/WILL against an
OV/RV equa l to the contro ll er ' s APs Pow e r. Hero Point
expenditure on the OV/RV is not allowed. If/when the victim 's
cumu lative RAPs from these attempts exceed the user's APs of
Con trol ,the victim breaks free
Imra Ardeen-Ranzz (Saturn Girl) of the Leg ion of Super-
Heroes has this Power.
i: •· ·•• •, 'OAMAC::E.TRANSFEl!ENCE ~li""'
~:~f~~~ch
Type: Auto
Base Cost: 1 S Factor Cost: 5
Thi s Power allows a Character to heal physica l wou nd s.
With the Damage Transference Power a Character can heal up to
his APs of Power in BODY damage to any other Character
(When thi s Power is initially purchased, the Player may choose
to have it affect MI ND o r SP IRIT instead of BODY.) Use of
Damage Transference takes one minute (4 APs, or I 5 phases)
The Character using thi s Power run s the risk of injury each
time he use s Damage Tran sfe ren ce. Th e number of APs of
damage the user heals in any phase becomes the AV/EV of an
Action Check against OV/RVs eq ual to the use r's INT/MIND.
RAPs from this Action Check equa l the amo unt of damage
sustained by the user. who may dist ribute thi s damage between
MIND and BODY in any fash ion desired.
This Power can be purc hased with speci al Bonu ses th at
allow the user to heal an addi tiona l type of damage for+ I Factor
Cost each (for example, to heal BODY and SPIRIT would be a
Factor Cost of 6).
Raven has this Power.
;·un~:" INT
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 25 Factor Cost: 3
This Power allows a Character to sense the fact that he is in
imminent danger. When such a Character is in a situation where
some person, item, or presence poses an im mediate threat , the
GM must make an Act ion Check using the Character's APs of
Danger Sense as AV/EVs against OV/RVs determined by the
intensi ty of the danger (as summari zed on the fo llowing tabl e)
If this Action Check earns between I and 7 RAPs, 1he GM
mu st indi cate that the C haracter is in danger. If the Act ion
Check receives 8 or more RAPs, the GM mu st re veal the exact
sou rce of the danger.
Note: A Character may never spend Hero Points to increase
his Danger Sense in any fashion. Also, use of thi s Power never
costs the Character an Ac tion in combat: the Power
automatically activates if danger is present.
Danger Intensity OV/RV
Critical Threat (e:g., attackby a superior foe,
imminent accident to cause death, etc:) '" 2/2
Major Threat (e.g., attack by an evenly matched •.•
foe, imminentaccident to cause serious damage, ~tC'.) 4/4
Minor Threat (e.g., attack by a weaker foe,
imminent accident to cause minof dam'age, etc.) 8/8
Timber Wolf has this Power.
Type: Auto
Factor Cost: S
This Power allows a Character to increase hi s mass at will
Each AP of Density Increase engaged by the Character initiates
the following effects:
• One AP is added to the Character's RV against Physica l Attacks .
• One AP is added to the C haracter' s we ight (hum an Charac1ers
beg in wit h a weigh t of 2 APs).
• One AP is subtracted from the Charac1er's DEX fo r every two
APs of Density Increase engaged.
The APs of Power eq ual lhc maximum amount of de ns ity
the C harac ter can increase. The Character need not acti vate all
of hi s APs o f Density Increase at any given time.
Th is Powe r can be pu rchased wi th a spec ia l +3 Factor Cos t
Bonus: APs Of Densit y Increase Engaged Add To STR.
ukl on o f Infi ni ty Inc. has th is Power.
DETECT
link: INT
Range: Normal Type: Auto/ Dice
Base Cost: 10 Factor Cost : 3
This Power g ives a Character the ability to detect any one
specific item, presence, or qualit y (termed IPQ). Exact ly what it
is the C haracter can detect mu st be specified when the Power is
purchased (i.e .. Detect Evi l, Detect Li es, Detect Radi ati on, etc.).
The IPQ selected mu st be fai rl y specific and is subject to GM
approval.
Detect is treated as an Automati c Act ion unless there is an
intelli gent creature attempting to mask the IPQ from the Powe r
user. In such a case, Dc1ect becomes a Diec Ac1ion where the
detec tor must make an Actio n Chec k using the APs of Power as
A V/EV s aga inst OV/ RV s eq ual to the oppo nent 's INT/M1 No.
Pos iti ve RAPs indi cate success.
For exa mpl e, Detect Radiati on is normal ly an Au to matic
Acti on because there is tittle anyone can do to hide radioacli vity,
whil e Detect Lie is always a Dice Act io n because th e liar is
obv io usly trying to hide the lruth from the Character.
De1cct may be purchased as ofte n as des ired . However, the
Power must be purchased with a + I Factor Cost Bon us for each
add itional IPQ the C haracter can Detect past the first.
DIRECTIONA[ HEARING
link: INT
Rang e: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 3
Thi s Power a ll ows a Charac ter to p inpoint th e exact
locatio n of the source of a sound. This is an Automatic Action
un less the source of the sound is a Character or Gadget with the
Stealth Subsk ill o f T hief or so me Power which all ows s il ent
move ment. In such a case, the use of Directio nal Hearing is a
Di ce Acti on, wi th OY/RVs eq ual to th e oppon ent 's S kill or
Power (pos iti ve RAPs indi cat in g success).
Th is Power does not all ow the Character 10 hear sounds at
an increased d is tance. as does Ex1ended Hearing, it me rely
locates the exac1 location of a norma ll y audib le sound .
S uperm an had thi s Power.
DISPER-S
llnk:WILL
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 10 Factor Cost: 6
Thi s Powe r a ll ows a C haracte r to di sperse h is atoms to
beco me inlangible 10 the po int o f bei ng ab le to pass throug h
solid objects. Each AP of Dispe rsa l engaged by the use r has the
fo llowi ng effects:
• One AP is added to the Character s OY/RV aga inst Phys ica l
Attacks.
• One AP is subtracted from the C haracter's Sm. (to a minimum
of O APs) and weight.
In addi tio n, a C haracter with APs of Dispersal greater than
or equal to the BODY of an object may free ly pass through the
object, meeting with no resistance whatsoever.
A C haracter with Dispersa l may use ii as a Phys ical Auack
by pullin g hi s h a nd in s id e hi s ta r get a nd th e n p a rti a ll y
so lidi fying . Thi s a tt ack is dangerou s to both attac ker and
d efe nd e r; bo th s uffer a tt ac k s w ith AV/EYs e q ua l to th e
att ac ker' s DEx/APs o f Power. T he OV/ RV for the attacker is his
BODY/BODY, wh ile the defender's is hi s DEX/ BODY. The on ly
Powers th at w ill a id eithe r C haracter agai ns t thi s att ack are
Densi1y Increase an d Dispersa l. whi ch will add 1heir APs to the
OV and RV against this au ack.
Dispersa l makes a C haracter harder to spot with Radar Sense
and Sonar. In order to locate a Dispersed Character with one of
these Powers, a Perception C heck must be made with the APs of
sense as the AV/EV and the APs of Dispersal as the OY/RV.
If two Dispersed C haracters attack one ano1her, on ly the
C ha ra cter with th e h ig he r AP s o f Di s persa l rece ives a ny
modifier to hi s STR and RY . The mod ifi er is equal to hi s APs of
Dispersal minus the ot her Characters APs of Dispersal. If both
C harncters have the same APs, they treat each mher as though
neither of them had any Dispersal.
This Power may be purcha sed wi1h a s pec ial + I Factor
Cost Bonus: Partial Dispersa l Allowed. Th is Bon us allows the
Cha rac ter to so li d ify par1s of hi s bod y whi le keeping the rest
Dispersed . Whe n pa rti all y Di spe rse d, 1he C haracte r does not
lose any po ints fro m hi s STR score. and gets to kee p th e RV
bo nus. However, the so li d parts of his body may be targeted
wi th a Tri ck S ho t, the numb er of Co lu mn S hift s va ry in g
dependi ng on how much of the body is solid (GM 's di screti on).
Ph ase of the L. E.G. 1. 0 . . ha s th is Powe r wi th th e
spec ia l Bonu s.
- - - - ~'EARTH COI\ITROL
link: INT
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 7
This Power a llows a C haracter to ca use and control the
movement of a vo lume of earth , rock . or so il. A Character wi th
Ea r1h Co nt ro l m ay ulili zc the Power towa rd a nu mber of
appli cations, incl uding:
• The Power user may flin g earth at an opponen1 in an att empt to
damage him/ it. Th is is tre ated as a Ph ysica l A1tac k with
AV /E Ys e qual to th e u se r ' s A Ps o f Ea rth Co ntro l and
OV/RVs equal to the opponent 's Dex/BODY.
• The Power user may create a powerful din storm in an attempt
10 blind C haracters within a vo lume equal to 1he user's APs of
Power. In thi s case, the Player mu st make an Action Check
with an AV /EV equal to the APs of Eart h Cont rol while the
OV/RV is equal to each target' s DExiDEx. RAPs earned are
then subtracted from each 1arget's DEX (and Init iative total )
for a number of phases equal to the RAPs o f the attack. All
targets within an affected volume are attacked separately and
without the usua l Multi -A ttack penalties.
• T he Power user may s impl y move a vo lume of Eart h. This
requires an Act ion Check with AV/EYs equal to the APs of
Earth Contro l 3nd OV/ RV s equal to the mass of eart h the user
wi shes to move. RAPs equal the di stance the user may move
the volume of earth .
Terra of Team T itan s has thi s Power.
EMPATHY
llnk:WILL
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 10 Factor Cost: 3
T hi s Powe r a ll ows a C haracter to fe e l th e e mo1io ns o f
oth e rs a nd deter min e the pe rso n 's exact emotiona l qua li ty:
happy, sad, a ng ry, a fr aid, o r ex pe ri encing any o th e r bas ic
emotion.
A s uccess ful Ac ti o n C hec k w ith OV/ RV s equa l to the
ta rge t' s INT/ MI ND is ne cessary for 1hi s Powe r to fun ction.
Posi ti ve RAPs indi cate the Character "tunes in '' on the target"s
emotions. If the Check earn s 5 or more RAPs, the C harac ter also
di scovers the cause of the target' s emotj ons.
The res ult s o f a s ucce ss fu l Empath y C hec k will re vea l
ac tu a l feelin gs a nd e mo t io ns; no me th od o f ma s ki ng tru e
fee lin gs (s uc h as a C haracter utili zing the Actor Skill) will
subvert thi s Power.
Raven has thi s Power.
 A Character may create more than one object at one time,
but hi s APs of Force Manipulation mu st be split up among all
Range: Normal Type: Auto created objec ts, a nd of course, he can on ly make one Dice
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 1 Action per phase, regard less of how many objects he ha s
This Powe r allows a Character to increase the range of hi s c reated.
normal hearing. A Character wi th active Extended Hearing Usuall y, objects created can only possess APs of Ph ysi cal
Attrib ute s and Powers, but the y may have Mental Powers if
subtracts the APs of Power from the di stance between him and a
those Powers have an obvious phy sical derivation. For example,
sound. the resu lt being the appa rent di s tan ce between the
Green Lantern could create a huge magnifying glass that focuses
Character and the sound
the rays of the sun into the Heat Vision Power. but cou ld not
For examp le. a Character with 8 APs of Extended Hearing
make a laser gun that accomplished the same effect. since it
who is li stening to ·a sound 9 APs away (o ne· half mile) wi ll
would not have an obv ious physical source.
hear that so und as if it were o nl y I AP away (20 feet ). Mental Powers that can be mimick ed by Force
Normally. a whisper can be c learly discerned at a range of 0 Manipulation in c lu de (but are not limited to): Air Con trol ,
APs. normal conversation at a range of 3 APs. and loud shouts Extended Hearing, Heat Vi sion, Magneti c Control. Microscopi c
atarangeof 7 APs. Vi sion, Reflection/Deflection , Remote Sensing, Sensory Block,
If someone shouts with in an effec ti ve I AP di stance of a Telescopic Vision , and Water Control.
Character using Exte nded Hearing. the Character is te mporaril y Objects created with Force Manipulation need not be given
deafened. an effect which wil l last for a number of phases equal APs of BODY, but in such cases. the created object immediate ly
to the APs of Ex te nded Heari ng which were active. disappears upon physical contact with another so lid object
Superman had this Power. Note that when making an auack using an object created by
Force Manipulation, the AV of the attack is not equal to the APs
of Power; it is de te rmin ed by th e Powers pos sesse d by the
object , or it s DE X whe re appropriate. In so me cases. the
Character's DEX or Weaponry Sk ill ca n be used as the AV ,
Range: Normal Type: Dice
subject to GM discretion.
Base Cost: 10 Factor Cost: 6
Green Lantern Power Rings have Force Manipulation with
Thi s Power a ll ows a Character to cont ro l both the intensity
a Power Restriction: Powe r Not Functional On Yellow Objects
and spread of flames. Flame Contro l does not, however, give the
Character the ab ilit y to ge ne rate fire (as does Fla me Project).
only the abili ty to manipulate pre existi ng flames. Flame Control
can be used each phase toward one of the following effects:
• The user may increase or decrease the intens ity of a vo lume of
flame. Flame int ensities are me asu red in term s of their
AV /EV, as indicated on page I 06. A normal fire might have
an AV/EV of 6/6. whi le the name at the heart of a volcano
might have an AV/EV of 12/12. Any Character within such
flames is automat ically Phy sically Attacked by this AV/EV
each phase.
A Character with Flame Control can make an Action Check
with AV/EVs equa l to the APs of Power again st OV/RVs
equal to the flame' s indi cated A V/EV s; add or subtract (as
desi red ) the RAPs earned by the ro ll from both the AV and
the EV of the flames . For example, a Character wi th IO APs
of Flame Control who rol ls a 13 against a normal fire (AV/EV
of 6/6) w ill rece ive 8 RAP s. The Character cou ld then
increase the AV/EVs of the flames to 14/ 14. or extinguish the
flames altogether.
This aspect of Flame Contro l affects a ll the flames with in a
volume equa l to the user·s APs of Power.
• The user can simply move a volume of name. The OV/RVs
of such an auempt are eq ua l to the AV/EVs of the flame;
RAPs earned indicate the di stance (in APs) whi ch the flames
may be moved.
Firestorm has thi s Power.

FORCE MANIPULATION--;'"'~
Link:WIU
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 75 Factor Cost: 10
This Power gives a Charac ter th e ability to shape energy
into so lid cons tru c ts. The Character ca n c reate a ny object
desired out of thi s formidable e nergy. Created objects have total
APs in Ph ys ica l Attribu tes and Powers equal to the Character's
APs of Force Manipulation. The Character ma y divide th e
Power APs between the object's Physical Attributes and Powers Link: INT
as desired. Created objects have a maximum vo lume in APs Range: Normal Type: Auto
equal to the APs of Power. Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 1
Example: Green Lantern Ha l Jordan 's Power Ring (Force This Power a llows it s use r to see anythi ng w ith in a full
Manipulation of 25 APs) can c reate a boat with JO APs of BODY, 360·degree sphe re arou nd hi s perso n . 11 is imposs ibl e 10
10 APs of STR. and a speed of 5 APs (the Sw imming Power). Blindside someone with the Full Vision Power (see page I 05).
Alternate ly. he mi ght make a cl ub wit h a STR of 25 unless the attack originates at a di stance (in APs) greater than
the Character's APs of Fu ll Vi sion. For exa mple, a Characte r
w ith 6 APs of Full Vision wou ld be unable to notice a n Energy
Blast origi natin g 7 APs away in time to react.
The APs of Full Vi s ion is the maximu m Ra nge at whi ch an
objec t can be seen using the Power.
Link: INT
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 75 Factor Cost: 4
Thi s Po we r al lows a C ha racte r to dec rease the pu ll o f
grav ity on any give n obj ect. The Character can subtract the APs
of G ravity Decrease from the we ight of any object (most human
C haracte rs weigh 2 APs).
An obje c t w hose we ig ht ha s been co mpl e te ly nega ted
through the use of thi s Power wi ll float in place unless so me how
propelled. If fewer th a n the full APs o f Power are needed to
ca nce l th e we ight of a n object. the Character can prope l the
object at a speed equal to the re maini ng APs of the Powe r.
For example, Geo-Force (Gravity Decrease of 11 APs) can
propel a n object weighin g 2 APs (such as him self) at a speed of
9 APs per phase ( 1 1 - 2 = 9).
Link: INT
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 4
Thi s Po we r al lows a Character to in crease th e pu ll of
gravity o n any give n object. If the target is a n ina nimate object,
th e C haracter simpl y adds th e A Ps of Powe r to th e ta rget 's
weight. If the target is another Character, the Power user mu st
ma ke an Ac tion Check aga in st an OY/RV equal to the target 's
STR/80DY
If the Action Check s ucceeds with RAP s e qua l to o r
exceedin g th e targe t 's STR, th e targe t is co ns ide red to be
Grappled with a STR equ al to the APs of Gravity Increase (see
page 101). In addition, a ny RAPs that exceed 1he targe1's STR
a re taken as damage to the target' s Current B ODY Condition.
Thom Kallor (Star Boy) and Geo-Force have thi s Power.
Link: INT
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 15 Factor Cost: 3
Thi s Power a ll ows a C haracter to heat , b urn , o r me lt
obj ects through the projection of inte nse beams of li ght from the
Cha racter's eyes. The A Ps of the Power are use as the AV/EV in
a normal Physical Attack. Beings or objec ts us in g co ld-based
it ems or Pow e rs as defenses (an iceberg o r a Character with
Icing, for examp le ) suffer a -2 Column Shift penalty to their RV
aga in st Heat Vision
Superman had thi s Power.
HYPNOTIS-llil
Link: WILL
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 50 Factor Cost: 6
Thi s Power a ll ows a Character to mes me ri ze a vict im. The
use of Hypnoti sm is an Action Check with AV/EVs equa l to the
A Ps of Power a nd OV/RV s equa l to the o ppone nt 's INT/MIND.
The Character may then im pla nt suggest ions as he wishes, up to
the number of RA Ps rece ived on the Check.
The Characte r must div ide the RAPs earned betwee n each
of the implanted suggesti ons as desired . The co mplet io n of each
s ugges tion is then 1rc ated as se parat e a Action C hec k w ith
AV/EVs eq ua l to th e RAPs a ll ocated by the Character, and
OV/RVs equa l th e oppone nt 's I NT/M INO. If a n Action Check
succeeds, t~e sugges tion is carried out by the vict im.
A Hy pnoti s m vic tim w ill not do an y thi ng co mpletel y
aga in st hi s motivations or be li efs. but a cle ve r Character can
ofte n ge t around thi s res tri c ti o n. If so meo ne a tt em pt ed to
Hy pn o ti ze Batman int o inj urin g Com mi ss ione r Gordon. for
exa mple, the attempt would fa il: but the pe rson coul d possibl y
Hypnoti ze Batman int o be li ev in g that Com miss io ne r Gordon
was actually the Joker, probab ly creat in g the sa me res ult .
Example: A Charac ter with JO APs of Hypnotism tries to
Hypnoti ze another Character, who has an INT/MI ND of 3/2. First,
the Power user makes an Action Check and receives 10 RAPs.
Th e user then tries to im pla nt three suggesti ons. a ll ocat in g 3
RAPs to each of the first two suggesti ons, a nd 4 RAPs to the
third .
The first sugges ti o n is th at the vic tim will ca rry a bomb
(made by the Powe r user) into the victim 's office; the second
suggestion is that the vict im will acti vate the bomb and leave the
office; and the third sugges tion is that the vi c tim wi ll forget
everythin g whic h occ urred . Eac h of the se suggesti ons mu st be
resolved as a separate Ac ti on Check.
The Power use r lirst roll s to see if th e victim w ill take the
bo mb into the office (AV/EVs of 3/3, OV/RV s of 3/2 . 1 RA P
necessary fo r success): the use r then roll s to sec if the victim
w ill ac ti vate the bomb a nd leave the room (sim ilar AV/EYs and
OV/RV s); and finall y, the use r ro ll s to see if th e victim w ill
forget everylhing whic h occu rred (A V/EV s of 4/4, OV/RVs of
3/2). If any of these suggestion s is failed . the victim will break
the Hypnosis and all e nsuing suggestion s w ill be obliterated.
ICE CONTROL
link: Int
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 8
Thi s Power al lows a Character to move a nd co ntrol
vo lum es of ice. lee Co ntro l does not, howeve r. g i ve th e
C h a ra cter th e a bilit y t o ge n era t e ice (as do es Ice
Produ c tion ), on ly th e a bilit y to c ontro l and manipulate pre
ex ist ing ice formations .
Ice Control has a number of useful effects. inc lu di ng:
• The ability to hurl ice a t a target to ca use damage. Thi s is
treated as a Phys ica l Attac k wit h AV/E Vs equa l to APs of
Powe r and OV/RVs equal to the target's DEx/Boov.
• The ability to surround onese lf wi th ice formations wh ich w ill
provide defen se against Ph ys ical Attacks (APs of Ice Contro l
be ing added to the Character's RV).
• The ab ility to move vo lum es of ice. AV/EV s are equal to the
APs of Power w hil e OV/RYs are eq ua l to th e APs of ice
volume to be moved. RAPs eq ual to di stance (in APs) which
the ice is di splaced.
ILLUSION
llnk:W1tt
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 50 Factor Cost: 10
Thi s Power allows a Character to make ot he rs see what he
want s the m to see. Th e lllu sion Power does not c rea te matter
whe re there is none, but ii may a lte r the appearance of ex isting
matter. An illusory staircase could not be c lim bed. but a ri c kety
s ta ircase could be mad e to look as good as new. Since an
illu sion is unreal , it ca nnot negate materi a l rea lit y. A wa ll cou ld
be di sgui sed or made in visibl e, but anyone w ho tried to pass
through the wall would sli ll hit ii
The APs of the Illu sion Power serve as both the amount of
time an illusion will re main believab le and the maximum
volume the illusion can occ upy. The Powe r use r could , however.
create an identical illus ion just before a n ill usio n was to exp ire.
effecti ve ly " resenin g the clock" on the ill us ion's belie vability.
The APs of Il lu s ion a lso se r ve a s OV / RY s to an y
Pe rception C hec ks made to de termine w hethe r or not an object
is rea l. If a Character suddenly saw a hu ge golden c it y in the
middl e of the de sert whe re a mome nt ago the re was none. he
could make a Perce pti on C hec k to determin e whether the city
was rea l or illusory.
 The GM sho uld mak e al l Percep ti on Checks for lhe
Character in secret , determini ng the numbe r of Hero Points the
Character wishes to spend on AV/EVs before ro lli ng the d ice. In
this manner, a Character who anempts to detect an ill usion and
fails will be unab le to te ll if the object tru ly exists or if it is
simply beyond hi s powers of detect ion to pe netrate the illu sion.
An illusion itse lf cann ot cause Physica l damage but a liv in g
targe t can believe that he has been hurt , causin g great me nta l
strain (RA Ps o f !he ill usion doing normal Mental Damage). If
the Illu sio n Power is used to create an ill usion o f a li ving
creature or anythi ng else capable of damaging an opponent, the
creature or object created will fight with Attri butes, Powers, and
Skills equal to the use r's APs of Ill usion (a n ill usory d ragon cast
by someone with 10 APs of Ill usion would have a 10 DEX , 10
STR. 10 BODY. 10 APs of Flig ht, and 10 APs of Fl ame Projec t;
an ill usory bom b wou ld have IO APs o f the Bo mb Powe r) .
Damage from ill uso ry objects is sustain ed by the target" s
MI ND nlthough t he target may be li eve t he dama ge to be
Physica l.
Projectra (Sensor Girl) has th is Power
IRON Will
link: WILL
Range : Self Type: Auto
Ba se Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 3
Th is Power all ows a Character to res ist all forms of Me ntal
co ntrol Powe rs . incl udi ng (b ut not limi ted to) Broadcas t
Empath. Control. a nd Hy pnot ism. T he APs of Iron W ill are
added lO th~ Character's RV against such Powers.
This Power does no t pT-o tec t a C harac te r from Me ntal
Allacks (such as Aura of Fear and Mi nd Blast).
Irma Ardeen-Ranzz (Sa tu rn Girl) has this Power.
LIFE SENSE
llnk:WILL
Range: Normal Type: Auto/ Dice
Base Co st : 35 Factor Cost: 4
This Powe r allows a Charncter to detect the exact locations
of any living bei ngs with in Range. The C haracter may attempt
to detect the location of a spec ific living bei ng or merel y the
presence of li fe in general. In the for mer case, the Character is
informed of the target 's ex a c t locat io n ; in t he \a lte r. t he
Character is info rmed of the number of life form s within Range
and the ir type ( i. e .. th ree humans and one dog).
Life Se nse beco mes a Dice Ac tio n if the C harac te r is
attempl in g to detect the locati on of someone who is avoid ing
detection. In th is case . th e C haracte r mu st make an Action
Check wit h AV/EVs eq ua l to th e A Ps of Life Sense aga in st
OV/RVs equal to the target's INT/ MI ND.
Posit ive RA Ps indicate success a nd the C haracter is the n
entitled to the appropriate information. A specific living bei ng
who avo ids detec ti o n and is unfa mi liar to (neve r encou ntered
by) the de tect ing C haracter rece ives a +2 Column Sh ift modi fie 1
to hi s OV/RV
Th is Powe r may be purc hased with a spec ial - I Factor Cost
Limitation: Detection is of ei ther Speci fi c Life Forms or Life in
General.
MAGNETIC CONiROl
link:WtLL
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 1S Factor Cost: 10
This Power all ows a C haracter to create a nd then cont ro l
1he !low of mag net ic fie lds around his pe rson. A Character with
Magneti c Control may uti lize the Power towa rd a number of
applications. inc luding :
• The abili ty to hurl metallic o bjects at a target to cause Physical
damage. For such an att ack to occur. meta ll ic objects must be
present. AV/EVs o f the attack are equa l to the Character ' s
APs of Power wh ile OV/ RV s are the target 's DEX/BODY.
• The ab ili ty to defo nd onese lf from ,mac ks involvi ng metallic
objects (swords . bull ets. Physica l Attac ks by C haracters in
metal ba11 les uits. e1c.). In thi s case. the Characte r add s the
APs of Power to his OV .
• T he abi lity to move me ta ls and metall ic objects. AV/EVs are
equa l 10 APs of Power, whil e OV/ RVs are equal to the weig ht
of the object(s). RAPs will equa l the di stance (i n APs) that the
meta ll ic mass may be d isplaced .
Cosm ic Boy of the Leg io nnaires has thi s Power.
MATIER MANIPULATION
Link: INT
Range: Normal Type : Dice
Base Cost: 100 Facto r Cost: 10
Th is Power a ll ows a Charac ter to temporarily alter both the
basic shape and the mo lec ular structure of no n-organi c (i.e ..
non- li vi ng) matter. The Character coul d, fo r examp le, tu rn lead
int o go ld o r create an iron cage o ut of thin ai r.
To use Matter Ma ni pul at ion. the C haracter mu st make an
Act ion C heck wi th AV/EV s eq ual to the A Ps of Powe r and
OV / RV s e q u a l to ei1her th e B ODY o f t he obj ec t to be
ma nipu lated or the BODY o f the new object the C harac ter is
t ry in g to mak e , w hiche ve r is higher. If thi s Action Check
succeeds. the C haracter can create a new object, assig ni ng the
APs of Matter Manipul at ion as des ired lo the object' s Ph ysica l
Attribut es and Powe rs. The vo lum e of the crea ted object (in
A Ps) mu st eq ua l lh e Vo lume of the o ri g in a l o bject. plu s o r
minus the num ber of RAPs sco red o n the check. A C haracte r
may nOI affec t a n objec t which has more vol ume than he has
APs of Ma ller Manipu lation
Usua ll y. objects created can o nly possess A Ps of Physica l
Att ributes and Powers, bu t they may ha ve Me nt a l Po we rs if
those Powe rs have a phys ical derivatio n. Menta l Po wers that
can be possessed by o bjects created by Matt er Manipulat ion
inclu de (but are not li mited to): Ai r Cont rol, Extended Heari ng ,
Hea t V isio n, Mag ne ti c Cont ro l, Mi crosco pi c V ision , Radar
Se nse. Renect io n/De n ecti o n, Remote Se nsin g, Sensory Block.
Sonar. Te lescopic Visio n, Therma l Vision. Ultra Vi sio n. and
Wate r Co ntro l ( It is up 10 the GM to decide wh ich Powers can
and ca nnot be possessed by c reated o bjects, as appropri ate for
eac h object).
Man ipulated matter auto matica ll y return s to its or ig in a l
for m fo ll ow ing a ti me ( in APs) equal to the Characte r's APs of
the Matter Man ipu lat ion Power.
Ex a mpl es: F ires tor m ( Mau e r Ma nipul a tion ol' 18 A Ps)
co ul d ma ke a stee l cage o ut of thin a ir. T he AV/EV o f the
attempt woul d be 18/18, and the OV/RV would be 12/ 12 (the
BODY of steel. since it is higher than the BODY of ai r at 0/0). If
the Ac1ion Check succeeded, Firestorm wou ld g ive the cage a
BODY of 12 APs, as we ll as ot her Attributes and Powers 101aling
no more than 18 APs.
If Firestorm wan1 ed to create a speedboat from a pi le of
bri cks, the AV/EV would be 18/1 8 wh ile the OV/RV wo uld be
8/8 ( th e BODY of br ick). I f th e Act io n C heck s ucceeded,
Firesto rm co ul d g ive the boat a SrR of 4, a BODY of 4. and the
Swimming Power rated at 10 APs (or any combi nat ion thereof.
provided the BODY d id not exceed 8 and the total was 18 o r
Jess). If Firestorm wa nted to turn a sect io n of a re inforced bank
wall into air so he could pass throug h it. the OV/ RV would be
14/ 14 (the BODY of a bank vault)
Matter Master, an old foe of Hawkman's. also has thi s Powe r.
M!:NTAL BLAST
link:WILL
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost : 15 Factor Cost : 3
Th is Power allows a Charac1er 10 project a bolt of force from
his mi nd which is capable of causing phys ical harm. This force
strikes as a Ph ys ica l Attack wi1h AV/ EVs eq ua l to the APs of
Menta l Blast and OV/ RVs equal 10 the target's DEx/BODY. RAPs
eq ual the amount of Phys ica l (BODY) damage taken by the target.
Braini ac has thi s Power.
 -,,\

link: INT
Type: Dice Range: OAPs Type: Auto
Factor Cost: 3 Base Cost: S Factor Cost: 1
Thi s Power a ll ows a Characte r 10 menta ll y res t r ic t a n Th is Powe r a ll ows a C h aracter to see ex tre me ly small
oppone nt. A V/ EV s fo r suc h an auac k equ a l the Charac1e r's APs objec ts. Fo ll owing is a !able whic h li sts the objec ts th at become
of M e ntal F reeze w h i le OV/RVs e qua l th e oppo ne nt 's vis ib le at the va ri ous ac ti vated AP leve ls of Mi croscopi c Vi sion:
INT/ MI ND; pos iti ve RAPs ind icate success, with th e oppo ne nt
he ld fast a nd unab le 10 move (DEX= 0). APs Obfect Vislble
A Me nta ll y Frozen o ppone nt may a nc m pt to free him self
1hrough a n Action C heck with AV/EV s eq ual to th e o ppone nt's
Cloth Weave
INT/Wi LL against OV/ RV s equal to the RAPs of the success fu l
M e nta l Freeze a ttack. If c umul a tive RAPs from thi s Ac tion Hair Follicles
C heck eq ua l or exceed RAPs from the Me nta l Freeze all ack, th e Tiniest Insects
oppon e nt is re leased. Human Cells
Max ima has th is Power. JO Metal Fatigue
12 Bacteria
MENiAL IUUSION
llnk:WILL 23 Vimses
Range: Normal Type: Dice 26 DNA Structure
Base Cost: SO Factor Cost: 6
28 Molecules
Thi s Power a ll ows its user to a lte r th e perce pti o n of i1 s
targe1 , ca us ing him lO percei ve (see, hear, sme ll , e tc.) whatever 30 Atoms
1he use r wi shes. The me nta l illusion is visible on ly to its target, 35 Electrons
but that pe rson will reac t to it as if it were rea l.
To projec l a menia l ill usion, the user must make a n Action Superman had thi s Power.
Check w ilh AV/EVs equa l to the APs of Me nta l Illusio n aga ins l
OY/RYs equal to the target's INT/MIND. If the RAPs exceed the MINOBLA~R
victim 's MI ND, the vic tim pe rceives wha teve r the use r w ishes link; MIND
(no te le pathi c or verbal contact is necessary). The illu sio ns will Range; Self Type : Auto
e ndu re fo r a time in APs equa l to the a mount of RAPs whi ch Base Cost: S Factor Cost: 4
exceeded the vic tim 's MI ND. A subseque nt check can be made Thi s Power a llows a Charac1er to negate a ny and a ll mind-
before th is ti me is up to contin ue the illu sio n readi ng or mind -sca nnin g atte mpt s m a d e up o n him . Th e
A victi m of Me nta l Illu sion ca n subco nsc iously combat its C harac ter adds the APs o f Mind Bla nk to the RV aga in st attacks
e ffe c ts eac h p has e by ma kin g an Ac ti o n C heck u s in g hi s utili zing Powe rs such as Life Sense, Mind Probe, and Te lepath y.
INT/W1LL as the AV/EV aga in st OV/RVs equ al to the APs of the The A ppc ll ax ia ns have thi s Power.
use r' s Me nt a l Illu sio n Power. Hero Po int ex pe nditure on th e
OV/ RV is not a ll owed . If the victi m' s cumul ati ve RAPs exceed MfND BLASi
th e user's APs of M e ntal Illu s io n, t he vic tim 's pe rce pt io n LJnk: WILL
returns to normal. Range: Normal Type: Dice
A ta rge t under the effects of Me nt a l Illu sion ca n sustain Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 3
dam age if he is "attac ke d" by the illu sion he is experie ncin g. Thi s Power allo ws a Character to launch a powerful psioni c
A ny illusory da nger c reated w ill fi ght w ith Attributes, Ski ll s, attac k upon a nother Charac te r. The AV/EV s of thi s attack are
and Powers eq ual to the user's A Ps o f Me ntal Illu sion. Damage eq ual to the user's APs of Mind Blast while OY/RYs equal the
done by illu sory assaila nts is susta in ed by th e ta rge t' s M IND. target's INT/M IND. RAPs from the attac k represe nt the Mental
thou gh the target may perce ive it as ph ys ica l da mage. Damage sustained by the target from the attack.
Doc tor Psycho has th is Power. Maxima has thi s Power
 'd<:Wlll
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 3
This Power allows a Charac ter 10 drain MIND APs from hi s
opponent and add those APs to hi s own MIND. Use of Mi nd
Drain is treated as a Men tal Attack with AV/EVs equa l to the
APs of Power and OV/RVs equal to the op po ne ni 's INT/M IND.
RAPs are subtracted from the opponent's MIND a nd added to the
attacker's MIND.
Results of a Mind Drain a re treated as normal M e nt a l
dam age (lh e vict im 's Current M IND Condit ion must be
Recovered, as explained on page 99). A Character may never
use this Power to increase his own M1ND hi gher than its normal
AP level.
The villa in Sleez has thi s Power.
MINDFTE[D
iUnk:W1LL
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 6
This Power allows a C haracter to c reate a fie ld of me nta l
energy to protect himself. When usin g th is Power, a Character
adds the APs of Mind Field to hi s RV against Mental Attacks.
A Mind Field is spherica l in form and is ce ntered around
the Character of ori gin. A fie ld she lter may be generated at the
same APs of volume as th e Pow e r 's APs and protects a ny
Characters located withi n that vo lume from exterior Men tal
Attacks. No Mental Attacks w ith exterior targets may be made
from with in lhe fie ld.
Thi s Power may be purchased with a specia l -2 Factor Cost
Limitation: Field Protects Powe r User Only.
Th is Powe r ca n be purchased w ilh a special Bon us: Can
Attack Through Field. This Bonus a llows Menta l Attacks with
exteri or targets t6 be made within the Fie ld. It doubles th e Base
Cost of the Power (to 40) and adds + I to the Factor Cost.
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 3
This Power allows a Character to read the thoughts and
memories of other Characters. When using Mind Probe, a
Character mu st be searc hing for a spec ific subject or memory.
There is no limit to how far into a target's me mory a Character
may search.
Use of Mind Probe requires a n Action Check with AV/EVs
equal to the APs of Power and OV/RVs equal to the target's
INT/MIND. RAPs are the number of Knowledge Points ga ined by
the probing Cha rac ter. Examples o f potential i nformation
received are su mmari zed in the fo ll ow ing c hart:
Knowledge Information
Points Learned
I RAP Target's surface thoughts on the subject
("Yes, I know the Joker. I don 't like him much.'!)
1/2 RV Thoughts easily recalled by the ta,get
( " The Joker is hiding out near Clark and Addison, I
always thought his complete irrationality was his
greatest weakness.")
Full RV Distant thoughts 'Or memories
( " The Joker and I first met on Moy 21, seven years
ago. We were in a wafehouse in Manchester.")
:~~~:~~: :~~J~3:tget may ,n-ot e~en realize~'~ kn<iws
( " The Joker's left leg twitches when he Is fl{filous. Jt
would make logical sense (or him to kl/I me alter (11114
next heist.")
Gori ll a Grodd has thi s Power.
link: MINO
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 15 Factor Cost: 1
Thi s Power allows a Character to neutralize the effects of
damage susta ined in Physical Attacks for a short period of time
After s ustainin g Ph ysica l damage s uffici e nt to render him
uncon sc iou s, a Character possess ing Mind Over Matter may
continue combat for a number of phases equa l 10 the APs of the
Power. At the e nd of this lim e, the Cha rac ter wi ll fal l
unconscious as the Mind Over Matte r a utomati ca ll y fa il s. The
Power must then be Recovered normally (see page 100).
If a Character possessing Mind Over Matter eve r sustains
damage suffi cient to ki ll him, thi s Power wi ll a utomat icall y fai l.
Link: W1LL
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 10 Facto r Cost: 5
Th is Power a llows a Character to create a shield of me ntal
energy which provides protection from Mental ALtacks. Anyone
protected by a Mind Sh ie ld has the APs of Power added to hi s
RV aga in st Menta l A ttacks.
T his Mind Shield ca ll ed int o bei ng is ci rcular in shape,
possesses a n approximate d iameter of four feet, and ca n be
projected at Range. S uch a s hi e ld is useless against auacks
whic h originate from beh ind the C harac ter un less the Character
es tab li shes th e s hi e ld th e re . in wh ic h case the Character is
defenseless against fronta l assault
lmra Ardeen-Ranzz (Saturn Girl) has th is Powe r.
r-
· - - -11,1o[ECUI.AlfCHAMECEdN
llnk: W1LL
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost : 75 Factor Cost: 10
This Power gives a Character the abi lity to restructure hi s
ow n mo lecules into any material touched. A C haracter may use
Mo lecular Chame leon to ass ume the shape of a ny existing gas,
liquid, or solid.
When Molecular C h a m e leo n is act ivated, bot h t h e
Character's STR and BODY in stantly assume AP levels equal to
the BODY of the substance touc hed, but neit her may be raised
hi gher than the Character's APs of Molecular Chameleo n. For
examp le, if a C haracter with 8 APs of Mo lecular Chame leon
were to touch rei nforced steel w ith 12 APs of Boov, hi s STR a nd
BODY would each become 8 APs, not 12 APs
A liquid or gaseous C haracter is t reated as having the
Di spersal Power rated at th e same APs as hi s Molecu lar
Chame leo n Power (hi s Boov stays at it s origina l AP level).
Howeve r, a C haracter in suc h a form cannot actua ll y "pass
through" so lid objects, a lthough he can "flow" through the m if
there arc sufficien t gaps or openin gs
A Character us in g Mo lec ul a r Chame leon has co mpl e te
control over his body. The Character's mo lecules do not " leak
away" if they c hange to nui d nor are they complete ly rigid if the
Character changes into a solid
This Power may be purchased w ith a spec ia l +3 Factor
Cost Bonus: Needs No Material To Copy.
Metamorpho of Justice League Internati onal has this Power
with the specia l Bo nu s.
llnk:W1LL
Range: Normal"' Type: Dice
Base Cost: 25 Factor Cost: 4
Thi s P owe r a ll ows a C haracter to negate one of h is
oppone nt 's Powers. S uch an anack req uires a n Action Check
with an AV/EV equ al to the opponent's APs of the Power to be
negate d . RAPs a re t he n temporarily s ubtrac ted from the
 opponent 's A.Ps of the Power. Powers neutrali zed in this manner
mu st be Recovered norm all y (see page 100).
Ne utralize ca n also negate Powers possessed by a Gadget
and a Character's STR Anribute (to a mi nimum of 5 APs). Th is
Powe r may be purc hase d w it h a s pe ci a l -2 Fac to r Co s t
Limitation: Power Onl y Effecti ve Aga inst One Specific Power.
link:W1LL
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 1
This Power all ows a Character to tune in on any familiar
obj ec t and beco me awa re of it s loca ti on and s urroundin gs
provided the object was in physical contact with th e Character
within twe nty four hours of Power use.
Onl y one object may be "tu ned in" by the Character at any
one time. Once the object is tuned in, the Character can use any
se nse (s ig ht , hea rin g, s mell , etc .) as if he we re standin g
alongs ide the object. The APs of Object Awareness equal the
max imum distance ove r whi ch an object can be detected. The
me nt a l prese nce o f th e C haracte r usin g Obj ec t Awa re ness
cannot be sensed in any way at the object's location. Further, no
attack of any kind can be projected or rece ived th rough the
object.
Thi s Po wer may be purchased w ith a special +2 Factor
Cos t Bonu s: Powe red Sen se s Ope rabl e Through Obj ec t
Awareness.
PERSO~DTY"TRA-i''IISHR
Llnk:WILL
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 30 Factor Cost: 8
This Po wer allo ws a Character to take possess ion of an
opponent 's body. Use of the Personality Transfer Power requires
an Action Check with AV/EV s equal to the APs of Power and
OV/RV s equa l to the o pponent 's I NT/MI ND. RAPs mu st be
greater th an or equal to th e opponem's MI ND for Personality
Transfer to succeed.
Whil e possess ing an opponent, the Character moves hi s
own Mental and Mysti cal Attributes, Powers, and Skills, and his
ow n Phys ical Skills into the opponent (temporarily replacing lhe
o pp o ne nt 's own). Ph ys ica l A ttributes and Po we rs o f th e
C haracter are 11 0 1 tran sferred to the opponent.
.,
Whi le thi s Power is active, the body of the Character using
Pe rso na li ty T ra nsfe r te mp o raril y di sa ppea rs. Wh e n th e
Character leaves the opponent, the body reappears within IO fee t
(0 APs) of the released opponent.
A Cha rac te r s uccessfull y us in g Pe rson a lit y Tra nsfe r
possesses to ta l con trol ove r a ll of th e opponent 's Ph ys ica l
Attributes, Powers, and Skills. However, none of the opponent's
Mental or Mystical Attributes, Powers, or Skills can be used by
either the possessing Character or the opponent while this Power
is acti ve unl ess such usage results in a Ph ysical effec t.
A victim of Perso nalit y Tra nsfer ca n s ubcon sc io usly
combat its effects each phase by making an Action Check using
hi s INT/W ILL as the AV/EV aga inst OV/R Vs equal to the APs of
the user's Personality Transfer Power. Hero Point expenditure
on the OV/RV is not allowed. If the victim 's cumul ati ve RAPs
exceed the user's APs of Personality Transfer, the user is·forced
out of the victim 's body
This Power can be purchased with a special -3 Factor Cost
Limitati o n: Body Le ft Behind Whil e Transfe rred . After a
successful Personal ity Transfe r with thi s Limitation, the user's
body is left behind, immobile and apparentl y lifeless. While the
C haracter is "possessin g" another person, he remains aware of
his ori ginal body in onl y the vaguest sense; any ti me the body is
moved, spoken to. or attac ked, he can make a Perception Check
(see page 107) agai nst OV/RV s equal to the range in APs to his
body 10 sense what is going on. Of course, the user always has
the option of dropping the Power and retreating to hi s own body
at any time.
This Power can be purchased with a special - I Factor Cost
Limi tati on: Personalities Switch. In thi s case, the personality of
the user and the target sw itch bod ies after a successful attack.
Je ri c ho o f th e New Tita ns had thi s Powe r wi th the
fo llowin g Limitati on: The user cannot control the voca l cords of
hi s vic tim unl ess he tra nsfers in to him aft er he is a lread y
unconscious.
0131A
Llnk:WILL
Range: Nonmal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 15 Factor Cost: 4
This Power all ows a C haracter to create' a great irrational
fear in the mind of an opponent. Use of Phobia automatica lly
manifes ts an illusion of whatever is most feared by the opponent
(thi s illu sio n ca n on ly be seen by
the opponent).
Use of Phobia requires an Acti on
Check with AV/EVs equ al to the APs
of Powe r and OV/RVs equ al to the
o ppo ne nt 's l NT/ M 1ND. RAPs mu st
equal or exceed the opponent 's MI ND
fo r th e att ac k to succeed, in wh ic h
case the opponent can do nothing but
qui ve r in fea r fo r a time (i n APs)
equ a l to the RAP s ea rn ed by the
Phobia Action Check. The effects of

Type: Dice
Factor Cost: 2
This Power allows a Character to touch an obj ect and sense
what has happened to that object in the past. Such an attempt
requires an Action Check with AV/EV s equal to the APs of
Postcognition and OV/RVs equal to how far back (APs of time)
the Character wishes to probe.
RAPs from a Postcognition Check eq ual the numbe r of
Knowledge Points gained by the user; I RAP would be a series
of fuz zy impressio ns: whi le RAPs equa l to one-half ( 1/2) the
Check's RV would give a fairly detailed picture and RA Ps equa l
10 or greater than the Check's RV wou ld give the Character a
mental image as strong and c lear as i f the object had eyes to see
the events.
Example: A Charac ter wi th 9 APs of Postcog nition wants
to know what happe ned to a bulle t two hour ago. The AV /EV
would be 9/9 whil e the OV/RV wou ld be 11 / 11 (two hours in
APs). A successfu l Action Check might revea l tha t the bul let
was load ed into a re vo lve r by a man w ith scarred hand s,
darkness was fo ll owed by an exp losion, and th e n th e bull e t
impacted with a you ng person .
Postcognition is a measure of the " psyc hic imprints" le ft on
an object: as such, unless the object was handled by someone,
no information ca n be derived from use of thi s Power. A bu llet
which has been si tting in a gun on the dresser for fiv e month s
could elicit no information regarding a c rime wh ich occurred in
,
the same room.
Bloodwynd of Ju stice League A me ri ca has thi s Power.
k:W1LL
1
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 40 Factor Cost: 9
Thi s Power all ows a Characte r to absorb the Powe rs of a n
opponent. Such an attack necessitates an Ac tion Check w ith
AV/EVs equa l to the APs of Power Drain and OV/RVs equal to
the vict im 's: DEx/BooY if the Character is attempting to absorb
a Phys ical Power, INT/MI ND if the Character is attempting to
ab so rb a Me ntal Po we r , or INFL/SPIRIT if the Character is
attempti ng to absorb a M ys tical Power. The C ha racter th e n
receives a number of APs of the opponent 's drained Power eq ua l
to the RAPs rece ived from the Ac ti o n Check; an eq uiv a lent
numbe r of APs are also tempo rari l y s ubtrac ted fr o m the
opponent's APs of the drained Power.
The Character using Power Drain maintain s any drained
APs for a time equal to the RAPs of the Power Drain Action
Check. The opponent mu s t regain los t Pow e r APs throu g h
normal Recovery (see page 99)
This Power may be purc hased with the fo ll ow ing spec ial
+l Fac tor Cost Bo nu ses: Can Drain Ph ys ica l Attributes; Can
Drain Mental Attributes; Can Drain Mystica l Attributes.
Thi s Power may be purc hased with a speci a l - I Fac tor
Cost Limitation : Can On ly Drain Limited Range Of Pow ers
(Fire Powers, Mental Powers, etc.), or it ca n be purchased w ilh
a specia l -2 Fac tor Cost Limitatio n : Can Onl y Drain One
Specific Power.
The villain Parasi te has this Power.
,, POWER Rl:S"ERVE
Unk: W1t(
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 150 Factor Cost: 1O
Thi s Power a ll ows a Character to es tabli sh a " poo l" of
APs whi ch he can later divide as des ired and add directl y to
spec ifi c Attributes and Pow e rs. AP s al loca ted to va riou s
Att ribu tes and Powers thr o ugh Power Reserve can b e
redi stributed by the Character at any tim e. Do in g so in co mbat
isan Auton1ati c Ac tion.
Example: A Character w ith a STR of 8 APs, 8 APs of Force
Field, 8 APs of Flight, a nd 8 APs of Power Reserve could enter
battl e w ith a STR of 12 APs, Force Fi e ld of 10 APs, and Fli ght of
IO APs. Durin g th e next phase, th e Character co uld use a n
Automatic Act ion to place the e ntire Power Reserve inLO hi s
Force Field, raising it to 16 APs, a nd returning hi s STR a nd
Flight to 8 APs.
W hen Power Reserve is purchased , th e Cha racter must
s pec ify exact ly w hat Attributes a nd Powers a re e ligibl e for
augmentation by the Power Reserve. F ive Hero Points must be
adde d to th e Base Cost of Powe r Rese rve for eac h e li g ible
Power or Attribute past the second .
T hi s Power can be purc ha sed with a specia l Limita tion :
Must Be Fue led By E ne rgy Absorption. Thi s Limitat io n ca n
on ly be used if the Character also has th e Energy Absorpti on
Power with th e spec ial Bo nu s "A b sorbed Energy Add s To
Power Reserve" (see page 44). With thi s Limitat io n, the A P
rating of the Power Reserve only represents the max imum RAPs
that can be absorbed at one time. Without a ny absorbed e nergy,
the Power Reserve is e mpty (0 A Ps). Thi s is a -5 Factor Cost
Limitation, and reduces the Base Cost of Power Reserve to 75.
Booster Gold 's battl esuit had thi s Power.
link:WtLL
Range: Self Type: Dice
Base Cost: 75 Factor Cost: 3
This Power allows a Character to view the future. AV/EVs
to suc h an attempt are equal to the APs of Precog nition while
OV/RVs are equal to how far into the future (APs of time) the
Character is tryin g to see. RAPs from a Precog nition attempt
eq ual the number of Knowledge Po ints earned.
Example: A Character with 7 A Ps o f Precogniti on tries to
see what will occ ur to him in one hour ( 10 APs). The AV/EV is
equal to 7/7, whi le the OV/RV is equal to 10/ 10.
A Character may only use the Precognition Power to learn
w ha t w ill happen LO him se lf or another li vin g being. Images
perceived wi ll represent a tru thful image of the mos t important
event in which the appropriate Character will be in volved durin g
the time peri od probed. C la rity of the vis ion is determined by
the number of Knowledge Points (RAPs) earned on the attempt:
I RAP reveals an ex tre me ly fu zzy repre sentation ; 1/2 RV in
RAPs gives a fair ly detailed picture, ye t o ne w hi c h is still
diffi c ult to interpret; and full RV RA Ps mea ns th e C harac te r
receives a crystal c lea r vision of future eve nts.
Events which a re perceived through Precognition represe nt
a like ly version of th e futur e but one th at is by no means
abso lute. Exact details could reso lve quite differently. Once a
pe riod of a C haracter's future has been subject to Precogniti o n
(whe th e r t h e atte mpt was s u ccess ful or not) , no furth e r
Precog niti on attempts may be made by the Cha racter on that
particular event.
Nura Nal (Dream G irl ) has thi s Power.
'unk: W1LL
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 15 Factor Cost: 3
Pyrotechni cs is the Power to use one's mind to acce lerate a
target's mol ec ul ar motion. If th e Power use r so desires, thi s
motion can be increased to the point whe re the target becomes
unco mforta bl y hot and poss ibl y to the po int w here the target
bursts into flames.
In DC HEROES terms, thi s is an attack using the attacker's
APs of Pyrotec hni cs as the AV/EV against OV/RVs eq ual to the
target' s DEx/BODY.
The youn g Metropoli s hero Sinbad has thi s Power
a
 AADAk SENSE
Link: INT
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 1
Thi s Powe r a ll ows a Chara cter to e mi t rada r waves and
"see" objects and pe rsons in the vic init y as de tail ed outlines.
When in use. Radar Sense will auto mati call y be de tec ted by
Charac ters in Norm al Range with 3 A Ps or more of Super
Hea ring or Radi o Co mmun ication.
A Character wit h Radar Sense projec ts a radar bea m in the
direct ion he is fac in g. Any object greater than 1/2 inc h in size
locate d a lo ng t hi s bea m (a nd w it hin No rm a l Ran ge) is
aut omaticall y distingui shed by the Character (even if the area is
darkened, the obj ec t is in visibl e, etc.).
Radar Sense may be jammed e lec troni call y. OV /RVs to
such an attempt are equ al to the Cha rac ter's APs of Radar Sense.
Link: INT
Range: +S Type: Auto
Base Cost: 10 Factor Cost: 3
Thi s Power all ows co mmuni cati on ove r radio waves. A
Cha ra cte r wi th thi s Powe r ca n rece ive an y ra di o signal and
1ransmi1 to any radi o (o r Charac ter with 1his Powe r) within
Range. Locating a specific frequ ency requires an Ac ti on Check
using INT as the AV and the APs of Rad io Comm unicat ion as
th e EV aga in st O V/ RVs de te rmin ed by th e G M (usin g th e
U11ii·er:wl ModUier Table). The OY/RV to loca te a Scra mbl ed
signal is equ al to its APs. modified by the GM if necessary.
This Power may be purchased with the special + I Factor
Cost Bonu s: Scrambl ed. This makes the signal more difficult to
locate and impossible to accidentally stumble ac ross on the dial
Th is Power may also be purchased with the fo ll owing . J
Factor Cost Limitati ons: Transmit Onl y; Rece ive Onl y; Signal
Onl y. A Signal Onl y radi o can send and receive onl y an alarm
to ne a nd ge nera l indi ca ti o n of ran ge a nd direc ti on to th e
signaling Character
RECALL
Link: MINO
Range: Self Type: Auto/ Dice
Base Cost: 5 Base Factor: 1
Thi s Powe r a ll ows a C harac te r to me nt all y retain vast
amoun ts of in forma ti on (i.e .. he has a photographi c memory)
T he amount of info rmati on whi ch can be retained is effecti ve ly
limi tless; the APs of Power represen t how good the Character is
at utili zing this store house of me mory.
In orde r to re me mber a specifi c fac t, a n Act ion Chec k
must be made using the APs of Reca ll as the AV/E V aga inst
OV/RVs equ al to the Character" s ow n INT/INT. Column Shifts
are appl ied to thi s attempt by the GM based on the obscurit y of
th e in fo rm at ion be ing so ught (using th e Universal M odifie r
Table) . Posi ti ve RAPs ar e trea ted lik e t he res ult s o f a
Detecti ve/C lue Analys is Sk ill Chec k (see page 76) in terms of
what is re membe red
Note th at a lthough a Pl aye r ca n never use thi s Powe r to
··remember" something whi ch his Charac ter did not know in the
fi rs t place. it ca n be used in so me instances to come up with
tri via such as li ce nse plate numbers. newspaper headlines. etc.
th at th e Cha rac te r co uld ha ve pic ked up in pass in g (G M's
di screti on)
Captain Co met of the L. E.G. 1.0.N. has thi s Powe r.
REFLECTION/DEFLECTION
Link:WILL
Range: Self Type: Dice
Base Cost: 40 Factor Cost: S
This Power all ows a Character to defl ect incomin g Ph ys ical
Att ac ks (exc ludin g any normal hand· to- hand co mbat bl ows)
The use of Reflection/Defl ection consumes both the Characte r's
Movement and Dice Acti ons for the phase.
a
Us ing thi s Power requires an Acti on Chec k wi th AV/EVs
equal 10 the APs of Renecti on/Denection and OV/RVs equ al to
th e APs of the inco min g attac k. Posi ti ve RAPs ind icate th e
attack is automati call y denected away from the Character and
does not strik e him . T he Characte r then has th e op ti on of
att emptin g to Refl ect thi s att ack toward the original attacker. in
whi ch case AV/EVs of the co unt era tt ac k will equ al the RAPs
whi ch were ea rned from the ori ginal Reflec ti on/Deflection ro ll
The medium (Power) of thi s attac k is the same as the origina ll y
Defl ected att ack and ca n neve r be at a hi gher AP level than the
original attac k
A Character attac ked Ph ys icall y who has not dec lared the
use of Refl ec ti on/ De fl ec ti on fo r th e phase has the option of
ca ncellin g hi s dec la red ac tio ns fo r !ha t phase and usin g
Reflec ti on/ Defl ec ti on instead. provided he has ye1 to ac t during
that phase.
This Power may be purchased with a special . J Factor Cost
Limitation: Power Limi1ed IO Defl ec ti on onl y.
REGENERATION
l ink: WILL
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 25 Factor Cost: 8
Th is Power allows a Character to acce lerate hi s own na1ural
recuperati ve powe rs, enab ling him to rege nerate Current B ODY .
MIND. a nd SPIRIT Co nd iti o ns at a n exce pt io na l ra te. T he
Character's APs of Regeneration are added to the APs of time
spent Recovering (see page 99). mea ning th at the Charac1er can
make Recovery Chec ks with increased frequency and thus heal
more qui ckly.
A Chara cte r with 10 APs of Rege nera ti on ca n make a
Bashin g Recovery Chec k eac h phase during combat (doing so
counts as a Dice Acti on). A Character with 11 APs of Recovery
can make two Bashing Recovery Chec ks each phase. one with
12 APs ca n make three Chec ks. etc
Likewise, a Charac ter with 15 APs of Rege nerat io n can
ma ke a Killi ng Recovery Chec k eac h phase durin g co mbat
(doing so cou nts as a Dice Acti on). A Character with 16 APs
can make two Chec ks. etc
Attemptin g multiple Recovery Chec ks durin g one phase
count s as a single Dice Action regardl ess of how many Chec ks
are made. A Character with Rege nerati on need 1101 be conscious
to utili ze thi s Powe r
Re-An image of the Wa nde rers has thi s Power
REMOTE SENSING
Link: INT
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 35 Factor Cost: 4
This Power all ows a Charac ter to use se nses (s ight. hearing.
touch, taste, etc.) 10 observe an area from afa r. Such a Charac!er
may choose a ny spec ifi c locati on within Nor ma l Range to
remote ly se nse, receivin g se nso ry input just as if he we re
actuall y at th at loca ti on.
The max imu m amount of total time (in APs) that Remote
Sensing may be used to observe an area eq uals the Character· s
APs of Re mote Sensin g minus the APs of distance over which the
Character is using the Power. At the concl usion of this time. the
Power will fail and mu st be Recovered normall y (see page 100).
Example: Heclor Hammond has Remote Sensing of 45 APs
The Range of his Power, therefore, is eq ual to 45 APs of distance.
If Hammond were in pri son on Ea11h. he could observe what was
occurring on Saturn (39 APs away). Hammond coul d 1hen see.
hear. and smell everyt hing th at happened on Saturn for fo ur
minutes (6 APs of time) as if he were actuall y present. Similarl y.
Hammond could observe the events in the cell nex1 to his ( I AP
away) fo r 2.097. 152 years (44 APs of time ).

: WILL
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 30 Factor Cost: 7
This Power allows a Character to totall y obstruct the senses
of an opposing Character. Such an attempt req uires an Action
Check with AV/EVs equal to the APs of Sensory Block and
OV/RVs eq ual to the opponent's INT/MIND. lf RAPs exceed the
opponent's MIND, hi s senses wi ll be completely blocked for an
amount of time (in APs) eq ual 10 the RAPs earned (or until the
using Character either falls unconscious, volun tari ly rel eases the
opponent, or moves out of Range)
A Character with blocked se nses has th e OV/RV of any
Action Check he attempts increased by the RAPs earned by the
Sensory Block auack. In addition, such a Character suffers a -2
Column Shift modifier to his OV against Physical Attacks.
This Power may be purchased with a special -2 Factor Cost
Limitation: Power Only Blocks One Particular Sense.
Projectra (Sensor Girl) has this Power.
Unlt:W1LL
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 35 Factor Cost: 10
This Power allows a Character to alter his shape into that of
any known and pre ex isting ani mal. The Character au tomatica ll y
gains the ani mal's Attribu tes, Powers. Ski lls. and natural attack
fo rms, whi le also maintaining all of hi s own Powers and Skills.
Note tha1 a Character's Mental and Mystical Attributes are never
affected by Shape Cha nge. Statis ti cs and abi lit ies of many
animals can be found in Appendix B.
There is a limit to the size of the animal form assumed. The
Character's APs of Shape Change represent both the maxi mum
limit of the BODY of forms assumed (for large anim als). and
their APs of Shrinkin g (for small an imals)
In add ition to assuming anim al form, the Character may
add the APs of Shape Change to any of the animal's Attributes,
Powers, or Skills (or divide the APs of Power between several
different Attributes, Powers. and Skills, as des ired) provided no
abi lity is raised to more than twice its initial value.
A Charac ter with thi s Power can assume a new ani mal
fo rm (and thu s new statistics) each phase, if desired. although
each change does count as an Automatic Action. Any damage
iaken by one anim al fo rm is carried over to any othe r form s
assumed, including reversion to the Character's origi nal form.
Example: Changeling of the New Titans has Shape Change
of 8 APs. lf he becomes a gorill a, Changel ing cou ld add 3 APs
to the gori ll a's DEX (doubling it to 6) and 5 APs to the gorill a's
STR(doublin g it to 10).
This Power may be purchased with a special +3 Factor
Cost Bonus: Can Assume Any Imag ined Anima l Form (not just
known.preexist in g ones)
This Power may also be purc hased wit h lhe fo ll ow in g
special Limitations : Power APs Ca nn ot Be Divided When
Increas ing Stati stic s or Powe r APs Only In crease Hi ghest
Statistic Avail ab le (-2 Factor Cost); Can Onl y Assume Limited
Range Of Forms (birds, reptiles, creatures of the night. etc.) (-2
Factor Cost) or Ca n Onl y Ass ume One Specifi c Form (po lar
bear. white shark, etc.) (-4 Factor Cost).
As previously noted, Change ling has this Powe r
Unit: INT
Range: Normal Type: Auto/ Dice
Base Cost: 10 Factor Cost: 2
Thi s Power all ows a Cha rac ter to "see" nea rb y objects
through the emission of high frequency sound pulses. Sonar is
accurate enoug h for a C ha racte r to receiv e all information
normall y rece ived through sight, wi th the exception of color.
So nar pro vides a full 360-degree awareness around the
Character to a Range equal to the Character's APs of the Power.
It is imposs ible to Bli ndside a Charac ter possess in g Sonar (see
page 105), with the exception of the Character be in g anacked by
a Power 1ha1 ori gin ates outs ide of hi s Range. For example, a
Character with 8 APs of Sonar wou ld not be ab le to detect a
Characte r atlack ing with Flame Project from 12 APs away in
enough tim e to react. Sona r may be used to detec t inv isible
objects or bei ngs (see In visibility on page 47)
Thi s Power ca n be blocked by a Charac ter or devic e
emi ttin g sharp sounds at the sa me frequency upon which the
Sonar operates. In thi s case, Sonar is treated as a Dice Act ion
with an OY/ RV eq ual 10 th e APs of th e Power used in the
Jammmg anempt.
Note: Thi s use does no t co unt as an Act ion when
determining the number of Actions the Character may perform
eac h phase
The Man-Bat has this Power.
F-· ,1 --- SPEAl(Wlfi·fANIMALS
Link: INT
Range: 1 AP Type: Auto
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 2
This Power gives a Charac ter the ability to spea k with all
animals in their nati ve tongues althou gh it does not guarantee
the animals wi ll be friendly , just understandable. It should be
noted that some animals, particularly small er creatures and those
that eat plants, are not very intclligen l. Speak With Ani ma ls
does not make ani mals smarter, it simply allows a Character to
com mu nicate. The APs of Power equal the APs of time durin g
whi ch an an im al may be que stioned.
Aquaman has this Power wi th the Limi tation: Only Usable
On Marine Life.
1 .._..SUPER HEARlNe
link: INT
Range: +3 Type: Auto
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 1
Thi s Power all ows a Character to hear sounds of extremely
hi gh or low freque ncy. A Characte r with Supe r Hearing can
detect sound s well outs ide the norma l ran ge of human hearing
including dog whi stles, radio and television transmi ss ions, and
radar waves.
Superman had thi s Power.
l ~S-IJP£1ry£NfRlCOQ1,JlSM
Link: INT ' '
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 2
Thi s Power all ows a Charac ter to "throw" hi s voice a
distance (in APs) eq ual to the APs of the Super Ve ntriloqu ism
Power
The Gotham Ci ty crimelord Ven triloquist has thi s Power.
--·
Llnk:WtLL
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 1
This Power all ows a Character to enter in to a deep, trance-
1ike state. A C haracte r who uses Suspension must stale th e
specific amount of time he wishes to rema in in th is trance or
what event wi ll trigger hi s revival. Wh il e under the effects of
Suspension, a Character may subtract the APs of Power from the
amo unt of "subj ec ti ve time " that pa sses fo r hi m. Suc h a
Character will age, heal. and consume food and air al the same
subjective rate.
Characters in Suspension cannot attack in any manner but
will sustain Physical, Mental , and/or Mysti ca l damage if so
anacked
Example: Merlin the Mighty has Suspension of 20 APs and
wishes to remain Suspended fo r 1000 years (33 APs of lime) .
During this time , Merl in will age approximately 8 ho urs (33 - 20
= 13 APs, o r 8 hours).
Dag Wenti m (S t o ne Bo y) of th e Le g i on SUBS has
thi s Power.
Llnk: WILL
Range: Normal Type: Auto/ Dice
Base Cost: 15 Factor Cost : 6
Thi s Power allows a Character to move objects with mind
power a lone. The APs of Te lekines is eq ual the weigh t (i n APs)
of a ny objects mo ved plus th e d ista nc e ( in APs) that tho se
objects may be moved in a s in g le phase. A C harac te r w ith
Te le kines is need not use the full APs o f Powe r at any one time;
he may to m ove an object less than the max imum
A Charac t e r or obj ec t may res is t be i ng mo ved by
Te lek inesis if he or it has an appropriately res istant Powe r (as a
Character w ith Flight could subtract the APs of Flight from the
di stance moved by Te le kines is).
Telekines is may be used 10 flin g objects at a target to cause
Physical damage. Such an attempt is a Dice Act ion with AV/EVs
equal to the C haracter's APs of Te le kines is/t he weig ht o f the
object thrown ; OV/RVs equal the target's DEx/BODY. A C haracter
may a lso use Telekinesis as a means of se lf-propu lsion, trave lling
a d istan ce per p hase e qual to th e A Ps of Powe r minus the
Character's we ight (most humans weigh 2 APs).
Gorill a Grodd has thi s Power
Link: INT
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 4
Thi s Power allows a C haracte r to establi sh me ntal contact
with anot her se nti e nt bei ng. A te lep ath may automa t ica ll y
establish a menta l link with any other C harac te rs w ithin Range.
Each addi ti onal Character past the first included in the mental
link red uces the maxi mum te lepathi c Ra nge between the linked
Characters by I AP.
C haracters in me ntal lin k may communi cate as if they were
able to speak to eac h othe r as lo ng as contact is maintained with
the lin ki ng telepat h. T e lepath y o nl y allows free communi catio n;
this Powe r does not al low a C haracte r to read the thou ghts of
another against hi s wi ll (as does Mind Probe).
Charac te rs who are me nta ll y linked through Telepathy may
engage in mind-to-mind combat. Atli.lcks made in thi s fash io n (a
fo rm of Mental com bat ) do Me nta l Damage using the attacker' s
Menta l stats o r Powers as AV/EVs and the defender's Menta l
stats or Powers as OV/RVs
Th e C haracte r possess in g th e T e lepa th y Power m ay
automat ica ll y disengage anyone from the men tal link at any time
desi red. A mentally linked C haracter may attempt to sever the lin k
using his INT/W1u. as the AV/EV aga inst the APs of Te lepathy as
the OV/RV. Pos iti ve RAPs indicate success, do damage to the
te lepat h's Current MIND Co ndition . and are subt racted fro m the
telepath's APs of the Te lepath y Power. Telepathy APs lost in thi s
manner mu st be Recovered: see page I 00.
Te le path o f th e L.E.G. 1.0.N. has thi s Power.
TELEPORTATION
link: W1u
Range: +7 Type: Auto/ Dice
Base Cost: 50 Factor Cost: 4
Thi s Powe r a ll ows a C ha rac ter to in stantane o us ly trave l
from o n e locat io n to a n y o ther wi thout passing throu g h
intervening s pa ce. R a nge fo r T e leportat ion re fe rs to th e
ma x imum distance (i n APs) throu g h w hi ch a Character ca n
tra ve l in this mann er
Th e maximum we ig ht wh ich a C ha ra cter may te lcport
eq ual s the APs of Teleportation . A ll obj ects or persons to be
T e leporled must be with in O APs ( 10 fee t) of the C haracter, who
may c hoose whi ch objects/perso ns within the O A P radi us to
Te le port. No " parti a l" te leportings are poss ible: a Charac1e1
must teleport all of a specific object or none of it.
A Character who does not wish to be Te lepon ed may resist.
which req uires another Action C heck the foll ow in g ph ase by the
C haracte r with Te lepo rtati o n. Th e AV /EV of this addi ti onal
Check equal s the APs of Power, wh il e the OV/RV equal s the
target's INT/MI ND. Posi ti ve RA Ps g reate r than or equa l to the
res istin g Character's MI ND indi cate lh a t he is auto mati ca ll y
T eleported; othe rwi se. the Characte r remains whe re he is
Thi s Power can be purch ased wit h a specia l + I Factor Cost
Bonu s: can Teleport Ta rgets In Normal Range.
Thi s Power ca n also be purc ha sed w ith the follow in g - I
Factor Cost Limitation s: Ran ge l s Norma l rather than +7:
Self Onl y
Ambush Bug possesses thi s Powe r
Link: INT
Range: Special Type: Auto
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 1
Thi s Power allows a Charac ter to sec o bjects at a distance.
When usin g T e lescop ic V is ion to view a dista nt obj ect. a
C ha ra cte r is a ll owed co subtrac t th e APs o f Power from 1he
distan ce to th e viewed objec t. the result bei ng th e apparent
di stance between the C haracter and the object
Exa mple: A Character with T e lescopic Vis io n of 5 APs is
look in g at a n o bj ect 6 APs dista nt. Using this Po we r, the
Charac ter w ill see the obj ec t as if it we re on ly I AP away
from him .
Objec ts th e siz e of a ca r a re ge ne ral ly visib le a t one
unobstruc ted mile ( 10 APs) , while man-s ize objects are visibl e
at one-quarter mil e (8 APs), and a small. hand -he ld item (s uch
as a calc ulator) mi ght be visi bl e at 150 feet (4 APs)
Superman had thi s Power.
THERMAL VISION
Link: INT
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 1
T hi s Powe r a ll ows a C harac ter to see th e
te mperat ure across a give n area. A Charac te r
Vision will see va ri at ions of th e co lo r red in
variation s o f blue in cool areas.
For example. whil e uniforml y cool surfaces suc h as a ca,·e
wa ll woul d not regis te r o n Th erm a l V ision , if so meo ne had
recentl y touc hed the wal l. a red. blurred hand print would be
visibl e. Footprints are detectab le w ith Thermal Vision for a time
equal to the C haracter 's APs of Power. A source o f intense heat.
such as a to rchflame , will comp lete ly "white ou!"· all Thermal
Visio n in its vic inity.
A Charac te r ca n use Th e rmal Vision to detect Inv isible
C harac te rs o r o bjec ts (see In visi bilit y) . Howeve r. a ll items
v iewed t h rough thi s Pow er wi ll be b lu rry a nd lac k deta il.
making defin iti ve identifi cation diffi cult
S uperman had thi s Power
TIME TRAVEL
Llnk: WILL
Rang'e: Special Type: Auto
Base Cost: 500 Factor Cost: 4
Thi s Power a ll ows a Characte r to ve nt ure fo rwa rd or
backward along the time strea m. The A Ps of Time Travel is the
maximum le ng th o f tim e di stance ( in A Ps) a C haracte r may
tra ve l in ei ther d irecti o n. A Characte r may also Ti me Trave l any
persons o r objects with in O APs ( 10 feet) of himse lf. to a
ma ximum weight equal to the C haracter·s APs of Power.
A ny C ha rac te r within the O AP radi us of the effect who
does not wish to Trave l may resist. pro vided the C haracter has
nol committed a n aclio n durin g the Time Tra ve l phase. Suc h
resistance requires an Action Chec k wilh AV/EVs equa l to th al
Character' s INT/W rLL an d OV/RVs eq ual to th e RAPs of the
Time Tra ve l all empL If thi s C hec k succeeds, ea rning RAPs
grea1er than or equal to the RAPs of the Time Trave l attempl,
the Character remains al that poinl in time . Characters who have
already acted durin g th e Time Tra ve l phase are automat ica ll y
Travelled.
Note: Under all bul the most extraordinary c irc umslances
(GM 's disc re ti on). a Characte r affected by Tim e Tra ve l is
merely sem to an alternati ve timeline. As such. there w ill be no
opport unity for the Charac ter to co mmit actions th at wou ld
affect his ow n iime line. A Characte r cannot Time Travel bac k to
when an opponen t was a child and imprison him , ne ither coul d a
Characte r trave l back in time to warn himse lf of an imminent
attack. An infinile number o f these time lines exists.
It is im possib le fo r any Character usin g Tim e Tra ve l to
travel forward or backward in time and meet himse lf in a future
incarnmion.
Wave rider has lhi s Power
I"
TRUESIGHT
Unk:W1LL
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 3
Th is Power a ll ows a Charac1e r to see through any illusion
or other Mystica l or Menta l co ncealment (i nc ludin g an In visibl e
Character). If a Charac te r' s APs of Trues ight are greater than or
equa l to the RAP s of Illu s ion (or ot he r concea lm e nt ), 1he
Illusion fail s to fool the Powe r use r, although others w ith the
Charac1er may believe the illu sion.
If a C haracte r· s APs of True s ig ht are in s uffi c ie nt to
automati ca ll y pe ne trat e an illu s ion (or co ncea lm e nt ), the
Character· s APs are added to the AV of any Perception Check
aimed al reveal in g the illus ion. Use of Trues ight w ill ha ve no
effect on naiural (no n-Powered) fo rms of concealment suc h as
the Subskil ls of Camo ufl age o r S tea lth from the Military
Science and Thi ef Skills. respecti ve ly.
llnk:INT
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 10 Factor Cost: 1
This Power allows a Charac ter to see at ni ght or in the dark
just as if it we re day li ght. Thi s effec t is created throu gh the
int ensi fi catio n o f ex ist in g luminary so urces (radio waves.
electrical impulses. e tc.). A Characte r ca n use Ultra Vi sion to
spot In visible objects (see ln vis ibili1y).
Superman had thi s Powe r.
WARP
link: WrLL
Range: Special Type: Dice
Base Cost: 100 Factor Cost: 5
Th is Po we r a ll ow s a Character to ope n an ex t ra-
dim e ns ional rift be tw ee n t wo po int s of rea l space, w ith
in stantaneous tra ve l the n possib le by ste pping throu gh the warp.
A Wa rp may nol be o pe ned into so li d maile r
Whil e a warp is open. there is no limit to the numbe r or
weight or objects whi ch ma y pass throu g h the wa rp. A warp
collapses the in sta nt the Powe r use r steps through the rift . wills
it to close. or fall s un conscious
Th e OV / RV s to an attempt to open a wa rp eq ua l 1he
distance (i n A Ps) between the location s connected by the warp
If a Characte r were trying to open a warp o ne thousand mil es
long.. for exa mple, OV/RVs would be 20/20. RAPs from the
Warp Ac ti on Chec k equal the length of time (i n A Ps) the wa rp
will remain ope n (unless the Powe r user steps through, wi ll s il IO
close. or fa ll s un co nscious. as prev iously exp lain ed) .
A warp may be used to attack anothe r C ha racter after 1he
wa rp has been c reated. In such a case. RAPs from the ro ll whi ch
ope ned th e wa rp fun ct ion as AV/EVs of the att ack w ith th e
target's DEx/ BODY serving as OV/RVs. If RA Ps from thi s attac k
eq ua l or exceed the di srnnce (in APs) between the large t a nd the
warp, the targe t is instantl y dra wn in to the rift.
Warp of 1he Soc iety of Sin has thi s Powe r as do the Boom
Tubes from Apoko lips and New Ge nesis.
......- · - - - ··WATER-CONTROL
Link: INT
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 35 Factor Cost: 8
Thi s Powe r a ll ows a Charac te r to control the mov e me nt
and flow of water. Wate r Control does not give a Characte r the
ab ility to create water, however, onl y the ability to control pre
ex isting wate r. A C haracte r w ith Water Control may utili ze the
Power toward a numbe r of applicat ions, including:
• T he abil it y to su mmon a large wave to attack a n o ppone nt.
Thi s is a Phy s ica l Attack w ith AV/EYs e qual to the
Cha ra cte r 's APs of Pow er a nd OV / RY s e qual to th e
opponent 's DEx/Boov.
• The ab ility to sweep a n oppo nent underwater in an effon IO
drown him . Thi s a tt ack requires an Ac ti on C hec k wit h a n
AV/EV equ a l to the C harac1er's APs of the Power against an
OV/RV equal to the opponent ' s DEx/STR. If thi s C heck yie ld s
positi ve RAPs, the 1arge1 is dragged unde rwater and suffers
the approp ri a le pe na lti es (see page 105 ). To res urface, the
opponent must ga in posili ve RAPs on a n Action Chec k, usi ng
hi s DEx/STR as 1he AV/EV and the RAPs from the ori ginal
Water Control Attack as the OV/RV .
• Th e abi lity to a utomat ica ll y summ on forth a large wave for
propulsion. In thi s manne r, a Character can trave l at a speed
equal to the APs of Water Control (maxim um movement is 8
APs per phase, regard less of the Character's A Ps of Power)
• The abili1y to move vo lum es of wate r. AV/EVs to s uch an
attempt eq ual the Charac ter's APs of Wa ter Contro l whil e
OV/RVs eq ual the volume of the water to be di splaced. RAPs
indi cate the di stance the volume of water may be moved
Mera has thi s Power.
Link: INT
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 15 Factor Cost: 3
A Character wi th thi s Power ca n see through virtua ll y any
mate ri al. OV/RVs of an X-Ray Vis ion attempt equa l the BODY
of the obj ec1 whic h 1he Character is atle mptin g to see through.
When purchasing thi s Power, a C haracter must select a co mmon
substance th rough whi ch the X-Ray V ision wi ll neve r fu ncti on.
Supe rman had thi s Power.
Mystical Powers
Unl ess ot herwise indi ca ted, all attack s made by Mysti ca l
P owe rs are M ys ti ca l A ll acks w ith affec 1cd OV / RV s of
INr-LISPIRrr. respective ly
My stic Link appears first in thi s sec ti on because il is a ve ry
spec ial Power whi ch perm its Ph ys ica l and Metal Powe rs to be
linked to a Character's Mystica l Att ribute. The re mainde r of the
Mystical Powers sect ion is in alphabetical order.
Link: AURA
Range: Self Type: N/ A
Base Cost: + 10 Factor Cost: N/ A
Mysti c Link is not a di stinct Power that fun ct ions alone:
ralhe r, ii allows a Character to purchase a Physic al or Me ntal
Powe r and utili ze that Power to cau se Mys ti ca l e ffects. Mysti c
Link mu st be purcha sed in co nj unction with a Ph ys ica l or
Ment al Powe r. To do so, a Character must spend IO Hero Points
(the Base Cost of Mystic Link) in addition to the Base Cost of
the Power to be lin ked. The Character then purchases indi vidual
APs of th e Mys ti call y Linked Po we r at th at Power's norm al
Factor Cost: the Character does not purchase individual APs of
Mysti c Link.
Once a Powe r has been purchased through Mystic Link, it
functions exac tl y as desc ribed in its ow n Power desc ripti on,
with the excepti on th at the Powe r now has AURA as its Link
Attribute. For exa mp le, Flame Project would still function as a
Dice Action with OV/RV s equal to the opponent's DEx/ BODY,
and would still cause Phys ical Damage in a successful attack.
Note that there is a difference betwee n "Mys ti c Link" and
·'Jin k." A Power that is Mysticall y Linked has AURA as its Link
Attrib ute, but is not automatically lin ked to AURA . If a Player
wishes to link the Power, he may do so using AURA as the Link
Attribute. receiving all of the usual advantages and penalties fo r
doing so (see page 22).
AIR AN-IMATION
Llnk: AURA
Type: Auto
ANIMAL CONTROL
Link: INFL
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 25 Factor Cost: 7 .
Thi s Power allows a Character to gain control over and
coo pe rat ion from membe rs of th e a nimal kin gdom . To take
control of an animal, a Character must make an Acti on Check
wi th an AV/ EV equa l to the APs of Ani ma l Control and an
OV/ RV eq ual to the targe t animal' s ) NFL/S PIRIT. An y RAPs
earned indicate the length of time (in APs) that the animal wi ll
se r ve th e Character. Animal sta ti s ti cs ca n be fou nd in
Appendix B.
A controlled animal will never perfo rm an action contrary
to the Character' s wishes. However. for the Character 10 actuall y
instruct the an imal, he mu st have a meth od of communication
with the animal (such as Speak With Animals). Contro l ove r an
anim al is lost when the Character's RAPs of time expire, or
whenever th e Charac ter either will ingly relinquishes co ntrol.
falls unconscious, or moves out of Range.
Animal Control gi ves the Charac ter comro l over all forms
of animals, categorized as follow s: Amphib ians, Birds. Fish,
In sects, Mam mals, and Re ptiles. Animal Co ntro l will not
functi on on humans.
This Power may be purchased with a special ·2 Factor Cost
Limitation: Power Only Usable On One Animal Category.
Aquaman has this Powe r with the Limitation: Onl y Usable
On Marine Life.

ANIMAL SUMMONING
Link: INFL
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 35 Factor Cost: 2
This Power allows a Character to conv oke animals of a
specific type (sharks, falcon s. rabbits. etc.) within the Range of
the Power. As many a nim als of th e spec ifi ed type as the
Character desires wi ll answe r the summons au tomati call y and
w ill t rave l towa rd th e C haracter a t bes t s peed. Anima l
Summoning m ay not be used to summon an animal with a B oov
greater th an the Character's APs of Powe r. nor may it be used to
summ o n c reatures with hum a n or g rea te r
intelligence. Ani ma l stat isti cs can be found in
Appendix B.
Thi s Power may be purc hased with th e
following Bonu ses: Summon a Category Of
Anima ls (birds, mamma ls. sea life. etc.) (+I
--=::::::::. _i:-- - - ~ ~~~~r Cost); Summon Any Animal (+3 Factor
-=:,-· ~-_.----.:::. Aqu ama n has this Power.

'--.\'\~~ ' "· _z:_ ANIMATE DEAl>

~ . -=:::::::::~~:~:":O,mal Type: Dice
;:::,.._ Base Cost: 25 Factor Cost: 6
Th is Power allows a Character to animate
~ ~~e5~~:~~~!.o~~~,~~~~~:t~[eth! nJe~~llr~~~~;~ea:
~ ~ Action C heck with A V/ EV s equal to th e
~ Character 's AP s o f Anim ate Dead aga in st
u•-=,-.-~ ~ ~~:~~s ~:~1tiel~~~~;~~;;~~ ~~~haen~ h~!:
0
~
1
=A ttribut es o f 2). Pos iti ve RAP s in di ca te
',i- ~ ==== successfu l animati on .
Meni a l o r Mys li ca l Powe rs. o r a ny Sk ill s . an d s uffe r a -2
Column Shifl modi fier to the ir RV whe n att ac ked by fire.
Aninw tcd <lc:11.J arc cx 1rc mc ly stupi<l . mindless c re atures
wh o ca n t a ke no ac.: ti o ns w ith o ut d irect o rders f ro m th e
Character. who mu st spen<l o ne Auto mat ic Ac ti o n e ac h phase to
mainiain the anim atio n. The maxi mum numher o f dead th at a
Character may animate at any time eq ua ls the A Ps of the Power
Papa Midni g ht uses R itua l Magic to mimi c thi s Powe r.
ANIMATE IMAGE
k:AuRA
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 35 Factor Cost: 7
Thi s Powe r a ll ows a C hara cte r to turn a n ex isti ng two-
dimensional image (suc.: h as a <.: artoo n fi g ure. hill bo.ird p;.1inting.
or an im age o n a te lc ,·isi on scree n) int o a n exac t 1hrec-
dimens ion,tl dupl i<.:atc fi g ure w hi ch w il l obey the C harncter's
commands . The re must he a n existing two-dime nsio na l inrnge
for Anim ,ll e Im age to fu nc t io n : a C ha r,u.: te r c ann o t s impl y
summon a ti ~tire fro m his ima~ in.it ion
The tlu'ce-dime nsiona l l{gurc cre ate d hy A nima te lm agc
wi ll possess Ph ys ica l. Me ntal. a nd Myst ic al Attrih utcs. T he
Character wi1h Animate lma ~c mu st di vi de the APs o f Powe r
between these Att ri hutes as des ired to d e te rmi ne the image's
staus1i1:s.
An animated image will possess a ll Powe rs and S kill s o f
the fi gure it re prcscn1s. For 1.:xam pl e . an animated bird wo ul d
have Fli ght. an ani mated si nge r would havc the Singe r S ubskill
o f Ani st. ,111d a n a nimat ed S up er man wo uld have all o f
Su pe rm an's Powe rs and Sk ill s . Eac h o f an Animated lmage ·s
Powers and Skill s is ;.1t an A P le vel equal IO th e Link Att ribute of
the respec ti ,·e Powe r o r S kill (j ust as if the Power/S kill we re
linked)
An anim ated image will ex isl for a le ng th of time ( in APs)
equal to the Powe r user's APs o f A nimate Im age o r until th e
Character rn lumaril y d ispels the image
Superman·s ne mes is. M r. M.xyzptlk . has this Powe r.
f" ANIMATE OBJECTS
Unk:AuRA
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 30 Factor Co st : 6
This Po wer all ows a C harac.:tcr to cause inan im ate objects
to move and beha,·c as if they we re ali ve. Animated o bj ects a rc
al ways under th1..· t(lla l co nt ro l o f the Power use r. T ht.: A Ps of
Animatc O bjec ts e 4u a l ho th th e ma xi mum BoD Y of an y
<:~~~~~:
~:~il;~~l~:~!
1 1~1~~:·~~11
t h~ ~\\~~ ~eb~n~
1
a·~:do~~cti:~~~ imum
An animated objec t w ill possess a D E:\ and STR equal to the
Character's APs of Power h ut re1ains it s own 8 0 1>Y. The objec t
also possesses Mys1ic.:a l A1tribu1es eq ual to the C haracte r' s APs
of An ima te O hjects. An anim ated o hjec1 possesses no Me ntal
Anri butes,1nd isi m mune toM e ntal Auae ks
Animat ed o hjec ls canno t chan ge shape bu1 if the objec l has
any li mbs or ap pe nd age- lik e co nstru cts. these c,m fu nct io n as
arms and legs. a ll ow ing the o hjecl lo move a nd li ght.
Brother Power the Geck hus thi s Powe r
AURA OF FEAR
Unk:AURA
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 30 Factor Cost: 5
Thi s Powe r all ows a C h;.1rac.: tcr lO ge ncrnle an aur;.1 whi c h
causes oppo ne nt s to fee l ext re me fear . T he aura ex ten ds to a
di st.I nce tin APs) c4u a l to the C haracter's A Ps of Power. Any
Character within R,mge of Aura o f Fe ar is a ll ac ked separa1 e ly
with no Mu lt i-A ttack pe nal ty . T he C harac te r u1ili zi ng Aur.i of
Fear m.iy vo luntaril y exdude C harac.:tcrs fro m the Power's e ffec ts.
To use A ura o f Fea r. a C harac te r mu st make an Ac tion
CheL· k wit h AV/EVs t:'4 ual to the A.Ps or Pm,·cr agai nst OV/RVs
equal to the o ppo nent 's INFLiS PIRIT. If RA Ps scored are g reate r
than o r equal to an o ppo ne nt 's S PI RIT. th e o ppo nent w ill simpl y
stand in place and qui ve r w ith fear for the du ration of the Power
Othe rw ise. if pos iti ve RA Ps we re sco red. the o ppo ne nt w ill nee
the sce ne. In e ithe r cuse, the effect lasts fo r a le ngth o f tim e ( in
APs) eq ua l to the RA Ps earned
A C harac te r A ffec te d h y A ura o f Fe ar m ay att e mpt to
o ve rc om c th e fea r. Eac h p hase fo ll ow in g th e att ac k. 1h e
C harncter can ma ke an Ac tion C hec k w i1 h AV/EVs equ a l 10 his
INFIJAURA against OV/RVs equal to the R APs of th e successful
Aura o f Fea r Atwc k. Pos iti ve RAPs fro m thi s C hec k indicate the
C harac.:ter is free o f 1he Power's e ffects.
The S pec tre has thi s Power.
AWARENESS
Link: lnfl
Range: Special Type: Dice
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 1
T hi s Power a ll ows a Charac ter to be " in tun e '" w ith the
l'Os mos while possess in g a ce nain fac ulty for a ntic ipatin g eYc nts
o n th e c o s mi c sca le a nd recog ni z in g w hen th e c o smos is
th reate ned .
Whenever ;.1 cos mi c eve nt or ca1astrophe is imminent. the
G M s ho uld a ll ow a C harac te r w it h Aw are ness to ma ke a n
Ac1io n C hec k w it h AV/EVs e qu a l to th e A Ps o f Powe r a nd
OV/ R Vs as d e ter min e d re la ti ve to t he foll ow in g examp les
(normall y. the more ca lamito us th e ca tast rophe or sig ni fica nt the
eve nt. 1he lowe r the O V/RV s). Pos iti ve RA Ps o n a n Aware ness
att e mpt indi c at e the C ha rac ter has a " fee ling" so me th ing is
destined to occ ur a nd knows who the primary pa rti c ip.i nts in the
eve nt will be.
Note: Awa re ness may on ly be used to de tec1 eve nt s on the
"cosmi c sca le" (i.e .. those tha1 could po1e 111ia ll y affec 1 life across
an e ntire pl anet or cos mos ), and o nl y eve nt s that are the res ult of
the co nsc iou s ma nipul ati o n o f se nti e nt bein gs. For in stance,
Aware ness would not e nable a C harac ter to detec t that the Earth
was to be stru ck by a giant meteor. unless so me ex1e rio r force
purpose ly aimed the meteor at the Earth . Aware ness al so has no
e ffect upo n e ve nts with no Myst ica l sig nifi cance.
Exa mples of eve nt s wi thin th e DC Uni verse whic h coul d
have bee n d e1eL·1ed th roug h th e use o f th t! Awa re ness Powe r
indudc:
THE CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS (OV / RV : 1/1). A
C haracter woul d have felt 1hat the most te rri ble 1ragedy ever 10
roc k the multi vc rsc was abo ut to occ ur a nd th e Ant i-M.11te r
Uni verse o f Q wa rd was some how involved
THE COMING OF THE MILLENNIUM (Millennium Mini-
Series; OV / RV: 6 / 6) - A C ha rac te r would ha\·c fe lt that mankind
was sudde nl y he adi ng toward so me fania sti c.: dest in y w hi c h
in vol ved the G umdi ans o f the Uni ve rse and lhe be ings kn ow n as
the C hose n.
THE BRUJERIA' S ATTEMPT AT UNLEASHING THE HAND
OF DESTRUCTION ( " The American Gothic Saga," Swamp Thing
#41 -50; OV/ RV : B/ 8) - A Charac ter would have f elt that new
powe r was fo r min g in t h e cosmos. a powe r w hi c h w a s
connec ted ne ither lO Heu\' en nor He ll
THE DEPARTURE OF THE LORDS OF ORDER (Doctor Fate
Mini-Series; OV/ RV : 12/12) - A C ha racte r would h;.1ve fe lt th at
the Lo rd s of Orde r we re sudde nl y abse n1 in thi s uni ve rse.
THE WAR BETWEEN THE RESURRECTION CRUSADE AND
THE DAMNATION ARMY (Hellblazer # 1-12; OV/ RV: 12/12) · A
C ha rac te r wo uld ha ve felt that sp linter fo rces of He a ve n a nd
He ll we re loc ked in so me sort of stru gg le. ,v ith Eart h as th e ir
battl egro und
St!t! Appendix A fo r furth er ex pl unat io n o f some or
th ese
e,·enl s. Most me mbers of DC's mystic community has thi s Power.
 DIMENS1dN"T8AVEL
link: AURA
Range: Special Type: Dice
Base Cost: 500 Factor Cost: 6
Th e Dim e ns io n Trave l Po wer a ll ows it s use r to trave l
between the variou s dimen sions compris in g the DC Multi ve rse.
By definition. these dime nsion s are separate pl anes of ex iste nce
th at parall el eac h other w ithout conn ec tin g. The re are three types
o f Dimension T rave l: Banishment. Su mmoning. a nd T rave l
BANISHMENT: Dime ns io n Trave l ca n be used to strand
an object or a living be ing in ii dimens io n of th e Powe r use r's
c hoi ce. The user first determines th e dimension to w hi ch he
is attempting tu se nd the targe l. then makes an Acti on C heck
w ith a n AV/EV e qu a l to hi s APs o f Pow e r and an OV/RV
e qual to th e target 's lNFLISPJR IT (or Boov/Boov if the ta rget
is a n in a nim a te o bj ec t ). If th e RAP s e arned during lhi s
Act ion Check are greater than o r equal to the target' s RV. the
target is Banished
A Banishe<l Character ca nn ot leave the Jimens ion to whic h
he was BanisheJ w ith out us in g a Dimens ion Trave l Powe r w ith
an AP rating exceeding the RAPs earned during the Banishment
Ac ti on Chec k. A C haracte r who is Banished to the Rea lm of the
Ju st Dead w ith 14 RAPs. for in stance. cann ot leave that realm
wi th ou t using a Dime nsion Tra ve l Powe r rated at 15 APs or
highe r. (A n ite m with 15 APs o f Dimension Trave l, mimic kin g
Dimension Travel w ith 15 APs of Sorce ry. or being Summoned
with 15 APs of Dime ns ion Tra ve l or greater are all acce ptabl e.)
Banishm ent may neve r he used aga in st a Characte r or item
with a weig ht or volume exceeding the user's APs of the Powe r.
A Sorcere r with 3 A Ps of Dimen sio n Tra ve l. fo r ex ampl e,
ca nnot attempt to Ba ni sh a batt le tank that we ighs 11 APs
SU MMONING : Summoning is the oppos ite of Banishment.
It a ll ows th e us e r to pull a pe rson or o bj ec t from another
dimen s ion onto th e use r's own plan e. A Summonin g attemp t
require s an Act ion Chec k using the Summoner's A Ps of Powe r
as th e AV/EV again st an OV/RV eq ua l to the target's INFIJS PI RIT
(or Boov/Borw if th e targe t is an ina nimate obj ect). If the RA Ps
earned during thi s Ac ti on Chec k equal or exceed the target's RV ,
the Summoni ng is successful. Summoning a Character who has
heen Banis he<l . re member. requires a t least as ma ny APs of
Dim e nsion Travel as the RAPs earned during the Banishment
Ac tion Chec k
DIMENSION TRAVEL GUIDE
THE AFTERWORLDS
l HEAVEN
2HELL
3 MOUNT OLYM PUS
4ASGARD
S LI MBO
6 DOMAIN OF THE LORDS OF ORDER
7 HELIOPOLIS
Like Banishme nt. Summonin g may neve r be used to target
a C haracter o r item with a we ig ht o r vo lume exceedin g the
user's APs of Power.
S umm oning a W illin g Targel: An at te mpt to Summon a
willing target uses the Trave l Di stance (see below) be twee n the
target and the summ oner. rather that the larget's INFLiS P!RIT as
the OV/RV of the Summ oning Action Check
TRAVEL: Dimension Tra ve l is mo st o ften used to a ll ow the
use r to Tra ve l between dimen sions. Tra ve li ng in thi s fashion
requires a successfu l Action Check using the Tra veler's APs of
Po wer as th e AV/EV a nd th e Tra ve l Di sta nce (see be low)
betwee n the use r and his as th e OV/RV. A
Character usin g Dimension in this fas hi on may bring
a long a ny willing Charac te rs w ithin O A Ps ( 10 feet) o f hi s
locati on. Unwilling Characte rs mu st be Banished as desc ribed
prev ious ly. Ne ith e r th e co mbin ed we ig ht nor the co mbin e d
vo lume of a ll Tra ve lin g Characte rs may exceed th e use r's APs
of Power.
A Characte r wi th both the Dimension Tra,·e\ Power and
Area Kn ow ledge of a n indi vidual dimension may automatica ll y
trave l to th at dimens ion w ith out making a n Action Check as
long as th e Tra ve l Di stance be tween hi s c urre nt locat ion anJ th e
dest in a1i o n is less t ha n o r eq ual to h is APs of Dimensio n
Travel. Area Kn ow ledge in no way affec ts Bani s hm e nt o r
Summoning attempts
Limitations: Dimension Trave l may be purchased wi th a
spec ia l - I Fac tor Cost Limitati on for eac h o f the three basic
functi ons that are stripped off by the purc ha ser (users capabl e
of T rave l onl y. for instance. purchase Dimension Travel at a
Factor Cost of 4 ). Furthe rmore. the Base Cost of Dim e nsion
Trave l ca n be reduced to JOO Hero Points if th e Character is
only capable of Tra ve lin g back and forth belwee n two speci fi c
dimension s (use r who can Tra ve l only between the Earth and
the Green. for exa mpl e).
Tra ve l Distances: Look at th e Dimension Travel Guide
Be low. To ca lculate the Trave l Distance, trea t eac h of th e bands
and c irc les as squares on a checkerboard and count the numbe r
of spaces between the Trave ler's location and hi s de stinati on
The Travel Distance betwee n the Eart h Dimension and an y of
the Inner Worlds. for examp le. is 1. since the Earth and the Inner
Worlds are adjacent. The Trave l di stan ce between th e Earth
THE INNER WORLDS
l APOKOLI PS/ N EW GENESIS
2BGTZL
3 THE CONTROLLERS' DIMENSION
4 DARKWORLD
5 THE HI DDEN LAND
6 MERA'S WORLD
7 THEMYSCIRA
B SKARTARIS
Dimension and the HeaYens is I 0: one for the band between the
Earth and the Green. plus one for the Gree n, plus one for the
band between 1he Green and th e Astral Plane, plus one for the
As1ral Plane. plus one for lhe band belwee n the Astral Place and
the Dream Dimension. plus one for the Dream Dimension. plus
one for the band bet ween th e Dream Dim e ns ion and
Cyberspace. plus one for Cybe rspace, plus one for the Realm of
the Just Dead . plu s one for 1he Heavens equals 10. The Trave l
Distance between Azar,uh and Mount Olympu s is 4: one for the
Realm of Faerie. plus one for Cyberspace. plus one for the
Realm of the Just Dead. plus one for Mount Olympus equa ls 4.
A Character who is us ing Dimensio n Tra ve l does not
necessarily physica ll y pass through the interve ning dimensions
when he uses the Power. It is poss ible. for in stance. to travel
directly from the Eart h dimension to Gemworld without pass ing
through the Gree n. th e Astra l Re.i lm . the Dream Dimensions.
Cyberspa ce. an d Fa e ri e . The map is s impl y a g uid e for
de1ermini ng Trave l Di sta nc es for the va riou s plane s of the
multi ve rse.
The Trave l Di stance of a Dimension Trave l attempt is used
as the OV/RV of the necessary Dimension Tra ve l Ac ti on Check
when the Tr,wel fun cti on or Summoning willing targets.
Travel modifi es 1he OV/RV of a Banishment attempt
or an anempt to Summon an unwilling largct as follows:
Distance Difficulty
Challengi ng
2-7 Difficult +2
8+ Strenuous +3
Subdimensions: Many dim ens ions are surrounded by a
number of sma ll er rea lm s kno wn as subdim ensions. Are s'
private rea lm. the Areopag us. for examp le. is a subdimen sion of
Mount Ol ympu s. He ll co ntain s a subd im ension where the
Predca d. who once ruled Earth. were im prisoned by th e
Timel ess Ones. Subdimensions are at a Travel Distance of I
from their parent dimrnsions. Thus. the Earth Dimension is at a
Travel Distance of l I from the Areopagus: IO for the di stance
bet wee n Earth and Mount Olympus. plus I for the di stance
betw ee n Mo unt Olympus and 1he Areo pa g u s. Any tw o
subdimensions wi th the same pare nt dimension are
Trave l Distance of 2 from eac h oth er: one for the
between the first subdimensions and the parent. plu s one for the
di siance between the parenl and the seco nd subdimcnsion
DUMB LUCK
Unk: INFL
Range: Self Type: Dice
Base Cost: 200 Factor Cost: 7
Th is Po wer allo ws a Character 10 in vo ke unkn ow n
Mysti cal forces which cause the Character to be exceptionall y
fortu nate in hi s action s. the use of which is the game equiva lent
of rubbing a rabb i1' s foot
To use Dumb Luck. a Character mu st make an Ac1ion
Check aga in st hi s own Mys1ical stati sti cs. The AV/EV is the
APs of th e Po we r. while the OV/RV is th e Charac ter' s own
l~FLISPIRIT. RAPs from thi s Ac ti on Check. if any. may be added
to th e Cha rac ter's AV. EV. OV, or RV 1he fo ll ow in g phase
(Player's choice). Thi s effect oct.: urs regardl ess or the type of the
Dice Action that fo ll ows (attack. de fe nse , c lu e anal ys is.
Percept ion. etc.)
The Dumb Luck Powe r may be used cu mula1i ve ly. adding
1he RAPs from one Dumb Luck attempt to the AV or EV of
anot her anempi: however. should a Character ever fail .s uch a
cumu lati \'C roll. the RAPs gained to that point will be sub1racted
from either the Character's AV. EV. OV. or RV (G M opt ion) for
the following phase.
Example: A Character with Dumb Luck of 8 APs and an
INFl/Sr1R1T of 7/6 wishes to "gel lucky" on his next Energy Blast
attack. The Character makes an Action Check usin g 8/8 (hi s APs
of Dumb Luck) as the AV/EV and 7/6 (hi s INrLIS PIR IT) as the
OV/RV . The Character rolls a 13. whi ch provides him wi th an
additional 4 APs to utilize on ei ther AV or EV nex t phase
Plasti c Man has thi s Power.
EARTH ANIMATION
Link:AURA
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 25 FactorCost:8
This Power allows a Character to su mmon into ex islencc an
actual crca1ure of li ving earth and rock who will follow the
Power user's in struction s for a length of time (in APs) equal to
the Character's APs of Earth Animation. At the end of this time,
the creature will disperse i1110 normal earth
A Character usi1H!. Ea rth Ani 111,1tion di vides the APs ol
Power into two numhc;s as des ired. The firs! number serves as
the ea rth c rea ture's DEX, STIC and BODY whi le th e seco nd
number se rves as the creature's I NFL AURA. and SPIR IT again st
My sti cal Attacks. Earth c reatures do not possess Me ntal
Attributes and , as such. are im mune to all Mental Attacks
An earth creature occ upi es a vo lume eq ual to its APs o f
Sm and moves at a speed equal to its DEX
ENCHANTMENT
Llnk: AURA
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 200 Factor Cost: 10
This Powe r all ows a Character to hesww upon an other
Character a temporary but dramati c increase in Powers. Th e
Character may add his APs of En chan tment to any one ol
ano1her Character's pre ex is1ing Attributes. Powe rs. Sk ill s
th e oth e r Character ma y di vide th e APs be twee n
different Anributes. Powers. and Skill s).
A Person will remain Enchanted for a length of time (in
APs) equal IO the Character' s APs of Enchantmell\ or until the
user vo luntaril y removes the effect. Enchant ment may onl y be
perform ed upon one indi vidual at any give n time
EXORCISM
Link: SPIRIT
Range: 1 AP Type: Dice
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 3
This Power allows a Charact er IO remove a person from the
effec1s of mind control or possession (i.e .. Contro l. Hypnosis.
and the Personality Transfer Powe rs). The Character mu st mak e
an Action Chec k with AV/EVs eq ual to the APs of Ex orcis m
against OV/RVs equa l to RAPs from the original co ntrol or
possession Action Check. Positi ve RAPs indic,;,e success. with
the targe t no longe r affec ted by the control or possess ion Power
EYE OF THE CAT
Link: AURA
Range: Normal Type : Auto
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 2
animal. Eye of the Cal will not function ,1111 c,;s an an1111a1
within the Powe r' s Ran ge. If more th an one animal is withi n
Ra nge, th e Charact er ma y cho ose whi ch animal to use !'or
purposes of the Power.
On ce Eye of th e Ca t is active. th e Character can see
eve ryt hing the anima l sees, includin g thin gs the animal can see
on ly through the use vision Powers. such as a cat's
Ultra Vision. Statislics va riou s an imal s ca n be found in
Appendix B. Eye of the Ca t wi ll not allo w a Character to see
through the eyes of a human

Link:AURA
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 2S Factor Cost: 8
This Power all ows a Character to summo n into ex istence an
actual creature of li vin g fl ame who will foll ow the Character's
in s tru ct io ns f o r a le ng th of tim e ( in A P s) e qual to th e
Charac ter's APs of Flame Anim ati on. At the end of thi s time,
the creature will di sperse into thin air.
A C haracter using the Flame Anim ati on Power d ivides the
APs of Powe r into two numbers as des ired. The first number
serves as the fl ame creature's DEX, STR , and BODY while the
second number serves as the crea ture's INFL, AURA, and SPI RIT
aga inst Mysti cal Attac ks. Flame creatures do not possess Mental
Attributes and are therefore immune to all Men1al Attac ks.
The flam e creaLUre occ upies a volum e equ al to its APs of
STR and moves at a S peed equal to its DE X. In add iti o n, an
anim ated fl ame creature suffe rs a -2 Column Shi fl modifier to its
RV aga inst cold-based attacks.
1
"'ltE'ARiMATION
link:AURA
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 2S Factor Cost: 8
This Powe r all ows a C haracter to summon imo ex istence an
ac tual crea ture of li vin g ice who will foll ow the C haracter's
instructi ons fo r a length of time equal to the C haracter' s APs of
Ice Animatio n. At the end of thi s time, the creature will di sperse
in to ice and water.
A Character usin g Ice Anim ation di vides the APs of Power
into two numbers as des ired . The first num be r se rves as the
creature's DEX, STR, and BODY while the second num ber serves
a s the crea ture's INF L, AUR A, and S PI RIT ag ain st M ys ti cal
Attacks. Ice creatures do not possess Mental Attribu tes and are
therefore immune to all Mental Attac ks.
The ice creature occ upi es a vo lume equal to its APs of STR
and mo ves at a Speed equal to its DEX. In addition , an animated
ice creature suffe rs a -2 Column Shift modi fie r to its RV aga inst
heat-based attac ks.
s<-11\'.~rffl~
'Link: AURA
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: S Factor Cost: 1
Thi s Power all ows Charac ter to "join" him self to the Earth .
Whil e so jo ined (norm all y at the feet), a C haracter cann ot be
Kn oc ked Bac k, blo wn awa y, o r o th erw ise moved eas il y. A
C haracter w ith thi s Power add s the APs of Jo ined to hi s RV
aga inst potential Knockback attacks made against the Character
(the Planned Kn oc kback maneuver, Super Breath , etc.)
Swamp Thin g has thi s Power.
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 3
This Power all ows a Character to emit a powerful bolt of
Eldritch energy from hi s body (th e bl ast no rmall y emanatin g
from th e hand s or fin gertip s). M ag ic Bl as t is trea ted as a
Mysti cal Attack with A V/EVs equal to the APs of Power and
OV/RY s equal to the opponent 's INFLiSPIR IT.
Link: AURA
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 6
This Power allows a Character to create a fi eld of arca ne
energy to protect hi s own body. The APs of Power are added to
the Character's RV aga inst Mystical Anacks. A Mag ic Field is
spheri cal in form and is ce ntered around th e Character of ori gin
A fi eld shelter may be generated at the same APs of vo lume as
the Power's APs and protects all C harac ters withi n the field's
volume. No Mysti ca l Allac ks with ex teri or targets can be made
from within the fi eld.
This Power may be purchased with a spec ial -2 Fac tor Cost
Limitati o n: Fie ld Protec ts Power User Onl y.
Thi s Power may be pu rc hased with a specia l Bonu s: Ca n
Attac k Through Fie ld. This Bonu s all ows Mystical Attacks with
ex teri or targe ts to be made by C harac ters within th e Mag ic
Field. Ii doubl es the Base Cost of the Power (to 40) and adds + I
to the Factor Cost.
MAGIC SENSE
link: INFL
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: S Factor Cost: 1
This Powe r all ows a C haracte r 10 auto mat ically detec t all
mag ic and mag ic- usin g creatures within Range. Use of Magic
Sense will only reveal that an item or Character has some form
of Mystical abilities; no informat ion will be avail able re lati ve to
what those abiliti es mi ght be or how powe rful they are.
MAGIC SHIELD
'link:AuRA
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Base Cost: 10 Factor Cost: 5
This Power all ows a C haracter to create a shi eld of arca ne
energy whi ch pro vides pro tec ti o n from Myst ical All acks.
A nyo ne protec ted by a M agic Shiel d has th e A Ps of Power
added to hi s RV aga inst Mysti cal Attac ks
The Mag ic Shi e ld ca ll ed into be in g is circul ar in shape.
possesses an appro ximate diame te r of fo ur fee l. and can be
projec ted at Ran ge. S uch a shi e ld is use less agai nst att ac ks
which ori g in ate fro m behind the C haracter unless the Character
e stabli s hes th e shi e ld th e re, in whic h case th e C harac te r is
defe nseless aga inst frontal assault
link: AURA
Range: Normal
Base Cost: 25
Type: Dice
Factor Cost: 3
Thi s Powe r a ll ows a C harac te r to mag ica ll y restri ct a n
oppo nent. A V/EVs to such an anack equal th e C harac1er"s APs
o f M ys ti c F reeze w hil e O V/ RV s e qual th e o ppon e nt's
INFLIS PI RIT; pos iti ve RAPs indicate success. with the oppo nelll
held fast and unable to move (DEX= 0)
A Mysti ca ll y Frozen opponent may allempl to free him self
through an Action C heck with AV/EVs equal to the opponent 's
INFLIAURA again st O V/RV s equal to the RA Ps of the successful
Mys ti c Freeze Attack. If cumul ati ve RAPs fro m thi s Actio n
Chec k equal or exceed RAPs from the Mys ti c Freeze Attack. the
opponent is released.
PLANTCONTROL
Linki AuRA
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 6
Thi s Powe r all ows a Charac ter to take co mpl ete control
over local plant life. A Character with Pl ant Co ntro l may utili ze
the Power towa rd a number of appli catio ns, inc ludin g:
• Th e abilit y to ca use a n appro priat e pl ant (v ine . tree , etc.)
to whip o ut o ne of its appe nd ages to att ack an oppo nent.
Thi s is trea ted as a Ph ys ica l Att ac k with A V/EVs equ al to
th e A Ps o f P lant Co ntrol a nd O V/ R Vs e qu al to the
oppo ne nt 's DEx/ BooY.
• The ability to cause an appropriate plant to wrap itself around
an op pone nt in order to res trai n him. Th is is treated as a
 Grappling Attack (see page IOI ), with the AV being equal lo
the APs of Plant Con trol and STR equal to the plant 's BODY.
• The ability to move a mass of pl ants fro m one area to another
AV/EY s of such an attempt equal the APs of Pl ant Co ntrol
while OV/RVs equ al the vo lume o f plants to be di spl aced .
RAPs indicate the di stance the pl a nts may be moved .
Note: Plant Control on ly controls pre-ex isting plant life. It
does not summ on new pla nt li fe into be in g, as does Pl ant
Growth. In additi on, appropri ate pl ants mu st be present fo r a
Character to impleme nt any of th e attac k form s prev io usly
descri bed. A Character could no t atte mpt to G rapp le so meone
with the short grass of a putting gree n, fo r instance.
Poison Ivy has this Power
·AuRA
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: S
Thi s Powe r a ll ows a C harac ter to rap id ly in c rease the
growth rates o f natu ra l pl ant li fe. AV/EVs of such an attempt
equal the APs of Plant Growth while O V/R Vs equal the vo lume
of plants to be grow n. RAPs are instantl y added to the pl ants'
vol ume (e ith er in creas in g th e pl a nts ' sizes o r the a rea over
which they grow, C haracter's cho ice). Plants g rown through this
Power will remain grown unti l the user voluntaril y re turn s them
to their ori ginal cond iti o n and can later be cont ro lled using Plant
Control.
Example: A C haracte r w ith Plant G rowt h of 30 APs is
anempti ng to use hi s Power o n a 20 A P vo lum e fo res t ( th e
AV/EV is 30, the OV/RV is 20/20). If the C haracte r were lo roll
an 11, he would ne t 15 RAPs , and the fo rest could grow up to a
volume of 35 APs, at the Pl ayer's di scre tion
In additi on, a C haracter w ith Pl ant G rowth o f 15 APs or
more can make a special Physica l Auack in whi ch he causes the
microscopic plant life which res ides in the intestines o f a li ving
creature to expand , thus d amag ing the opponent. The Character
must decide how many APs of Pl ant G rowth to use in the attack
(between one( \ ) and full APs). Thi s number is used as AV/EVs
of the attac k, wi th OV/RVs equa llin g the opponent's STR/BooY
Dependin g on the Genre Ru les be ing used (see Appendix C),
this type of attack may be conside red Killin g Combat.
Swamp Thing has thi s Po wer
k:AURA
Range:Va ries Type: Auto
Base Cost: 750 Factor Cost: 10
Characters with the Sorcery Power have comple te control
over the mana stream and can refocus its e nerg ies to produce a
staggering variety of mag ica l results. In game te rm s, Sorcery
allows its user to m im ic the effects o f olhe r Powers, subj ecl to
certain bas ic restric1io ns.
Using the Sorcery Power is co mmo nly known as casting a
spell, which is a lhree-step process:
I. The caster dec ides what effec l he w ishes to achieve and
de lermi nes whi c h Power most cl ose ly rese mbl es th at e ffec t.
Powe rs invoked throu g h So rce ry mu st be a pp roved by th e
Gamemaster before they can be used. The Pl ayer or the GM may
also de1ermine what Bo nu ses o r Lim i1a1io ns o n lhe se lected
Powe r are appro pri a te fo r lhe des ired effec t, such as casti ng
Invisibil ity with the Usable o n Others Bo nu s.
2. The Sorcerer deci des how many APs o f Sorcery to use
while in vo kin g the effec t (a n yw he re bet wee n I AP a nd th e
caster's full APs of Sorcery). Sin ce spe ll casti ng is ex treme ly
taxing on the psyc he, the caste r mu st the n immedi ate ly cross-
reference the nu mber o f A Ps o f Sorcery he is in voking (as an
EV) agains t his SP IRIT (as an R V) o n 1he Result Table. The
result ing RAPs (i f any) are immed iately infli cted upo n the easie r
as Mystica l Bashi ng Damage and subtracted fr om his Current
SPIR IT Cond itio n. Damage ea rn ed in thi s fas hion m ay not be
e liminated through the use of Last Ditch Defense (see page 99) ,
nor may Hero Po ints be spent to raise th e caste r's RV agai nst
such damage .
3. Fina lly, the caster resolves the effects of the mimicked
Power using the appropri ate rul es. Powers in voked through the
use of So rcery fun cli o n exact ly like the ir natu ral counterpart s
except that thei r effects are auto mati call y considered m agica l,
meanin g th at suc h Powe rs w ill have a g rea ter effec t ag ainst
characters who are particu larly vul nerab le to magic . T hey wi ll
be detectable w ith the Magic Sense Powe r, and so o n.
A Power mimi cked by Sorce ry may be used as lon g as the
caster likes. Howeve r, fo r every ph ase that a mim ic ked Power is
used or remains in effect, the caste r aga in suffe rs the appropriate
Mystical Bashing Damage described above.
A Sorce re r may in vo ke more tha n o ne Powe r at a time
usin g Sorcery, but the tota l number o f A Ps the Sorce re r has
pl aced in mimi cked Powers may never exceed hi s Sorce ry APs.
Furthermo re, the to tal AP value of al in voked Powers is used as
th e Effec t Va lu e w he n de te rminin g th e M ys ti c al B as hi ng
Da mage suffered by a Sorce rer w ith mo re th an o ne invoke d
Power in effect. Sorce rers are al lowed to d rop in voked Powers
at will in orde r to make roo m for othe rs.
Exam ple: A mage with 40 APs of Sorcery and a S PI RIT o f
22 APs casts a spell mimi cki ng the Energy Blast Power with an
intensit y of 20 APs (leav ing 20 APs of So rcery le ft over fo r
other mim icked Powe rs). Cross-referencing an EV o f 20 against
the mage's RV of 22 yie lds an "N," so the mage would suffer no
Bashin g Da mage fo r cas tin g suc h a spe ll. Usin g the Ene rgy
Bl ast costs the mage a Di ce Actio n, but he may co ntinue to use
it as lo ng as he lik es with o ut tak in g a ny da mage ( until he
decides to mimic one o r mo re additio nal Powers)
Duri ng a later phase, the mage cas ts a spe ll mimi c king the
Skin Armor Power, rated at 6 APs . Cross-referenc in g an EV of
26 (20 fo r the Energy B last plu s 6 for the Sk in Arm or) again st
an RV of 22 yield s a result of 8 R APs. Eac h phase that the mage
leaves bolh of these Powers in Effect at the ir c urre nt leve ls, he
suffers 8 RAPs of M ysti cal Bashing Da mage. At the beginnin g
of any phase, he may drop on e or both Powers vo lun taril y in
orde r to avo id suffering the assoc iated d amage o r to make room
fo r other Powers.
A Sorcerer m ay d upli cate as many Powers during a single
ph ase as he sees fit but may o nly resolve those Powers subject to
the usual restricti ons fo und in Chapter Five under Actio ns.
Pus hing Sorcery: T he So rce ry Power may be Pu shed to
earn add iti onal APs of invokable Powers, but Powe rs mimi cked
through Sorcery may no l be Pu shed themselves. In other words,
a c haracter with 20 APs of Sorcery who mim ics Ene rgy B last
and S ki n Armor eac h al 10 A Ps may not boost his 10 A Ps o f
Skin Arm or. Instead, he mu st Pu sh hi s 20 APs of Sorce ry and
devote th e gains to the mi micked S kin Armo r
Link: \NFL
Ra nge: Special Type: Dice
Base Cost: 3.5 Facto r Cost: 5
T hi s Power all ows a Charac te r to commun icate with " the
Green," which is the massive collec tive co nsc iousness shared by
a ll p la nt s in th e DC U n iverse. S pea k W ith P la nts has t wo
primary appli catio ns:
• Th e C haracte r m ay ca ll upo n th e G ree n to t rack d ow n a n
indi vid ua l or o bj ec t located anyw here o n the surface o f the
Earth . AV/EVs of such an atte mpt eq ua l the APs of Powe r
while OV/R Vs eq ual the distance between the C haracte r and
the targe t so ug ht. Th e ta rge t of th e searc h mu st be we ll -
known to the user.
R A P s a re s ubtr ac te d fro m th e dis t a nce be t wee n th e
C haracter and th e targe t to de termin e how lo ng the searc h
las ts (dow n to a minimum o f O A P s or 4 seco nd s) . Th e
C haracter using Speak W ith Plants need not re mai n in ac1i ve
whil e the sea rc h is in prog ress; the G reen will co ntact the
C haracter whe n it has found the target.
 Example: Swamp Thing has Speak With Plants of 25 APs.
If he is in California and wants to locate Abby Cable. who is
so mewhere near Houma. Louisiana (22 APs away). he wou ld
need to make an Ac ti o n Check with an AV/EV of 25/25
agains t an OV/RV of 22/22. If Swampy rolled an 11. he
wou ld rece ive 10 RAPs and it wo uld take the Green 12 APs
of time (2 2+ 10). or four hou rs to locate Abby.
Once the Green has located a target. it ca nnot co nstantl y
monitor that target. Takin g the exa mpl e. if Swamp Thin g
trave ll ed to Loui siana. the Gree n could not tell him Abby's
exact lm:ation had she moved. Swamp Thing would need to
make anothe r Actio n Check to relocate Abby
• Seco nd. the Character may ca ll upon the Gree n fo r in forma ti on
about a g ive n area. A V/EVs are aga in equal to the APs of
Powe r and OV/RVs are equal lo th e di stance betwee n the
Character a nd th e area in que s tion. RAP s ar e used to
de te rmin e th e a mount o f tim e that th e qu e ry tak es as
pre viously stated
In thi s case. ho wever. RAPs also equal th e number ot
Knowledge Po ints g,1ined. One RAP genera ll y in dicates the
Character rece ives a fu zzy impress ion of the area; RAPs equa l
to 1/2 RV indicate a fairl y detail ed picture ; and full RV RAPs
indicate a crystal clear view of the location.
For Speak With Plants to fun ction. plant life mu st ex ist
around th e indi vidual or object so ught or the area subj ec t to
inquiry. If the plant life around the target is sparse, th e OV/RV
of all attempts suffer +2 Colu mn Shift modifiers.
Bes ides th e Swu mp T hin g. Floro of the Ne w Guard ians
also ha s th is Power.
SPIRIT TRAVEL
Link: AURA
Range: Self Type: Auto
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 2
Thi s Power allows a Character to separate the spiril from
hi s or her body. The spirit may then travel at a speed eq ual to the
Character's APs of Spi rit Trave l. A se parated spirit can on ly
obse rve the physical plane and ca n make no attacks, but it can
eas il y pass through any ph ysical obs tacles. A separated sp iri t is
subj ect onl y 10 Mysti cal Attacks from the non-S pirit world wh il e
in thi s state. Howeve r. such a Character is subj ect to nll normal
effe cts (Ph ys ica l. Me ntal. and Mys tical ) from oth er Sp irit-
Trave lling Charactc rs while in thi s state.
Whi le th e spirit is se parated. a Character·s body is left
barel y ali ve ( ii ca nnot mo ve and possesses no consc iousness).
Th e bod y remain s susceptibl e to Ph ysi cal damage during !his
tim e (althou g h the bod y's no rm a l Ph ys ical de fe nses remain
act ive and th e Charac te r may burn Hero Point s 10 re move
inflicted dam,H!e)
If a C ha;a cter's bod y is des tro ye d whil e th e spirit is
sepa rat ed. th e spirit will be trapped in its free stat e and wi ll
begi n 10 di ss ipate at th e rat e of I AP of SPIRIT per da y until
it di es (reac hes a negati ve SPIRIT: a se pa ra ted C harac ter
wi th a normal SPIRIT of 7 APs wou ld di e upon reac hin g -8
APs of Srrn1T).
SPIRITUAL DRAIN
link:AURA
Range: Touch Type: Dice
Base Cost: 15 Factor Cost: 8
This Power all ows a Characte r to absorb the APs of another
Character's SPIR IT. An opponent mu st be touched for Spiri tu al
Drain to take effec t. To use thi s Powe r aga inst an opponent. a
Character mu st make an Acti on Chec k wit h AV/EVs eq ual to
hi s DFx/APs of Spi ritu al Drain agains t OV/RVs equal to th e
oppo nent' s DEx/SPJR ll
If this atl e mpt is SlH: Cess ful. RAP s ar c te mp ora ril y
subcraded from the opponent's SPll{IT and added to the allacking
Character's SPIRIT. Th e Spi ri tual ly Drained APs will remain
transfe rred in th is way for a number of phases eq ual to th e
Character\; APs of Power
A victim of Spiritual Drain ma y not he drained again until
th e o ri g in al e ffec t ceases. A Cha racter's SPIRIT ca nn ot be
elevated to higher than hi s normal AP through the use of
Spiri tual Drain, whil e an o pp o nent ' s ma y ne ver be
red uced to less th an ze ro (0).
TRANSMUTATION
link; AURA
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 1S Factor Cost: 8
This Power allows a Charac ter to perman en tly tu rn any
element or compound into any other element or com pound. To
be affected by Transmu tati on. an elemen t nr co mpou nd mu st be
909r pure: impurities remain un changed
To utili ze Transmutati on, a Character mu st make an Action
Check with AV/EVs equa l to the APs of Power aga inst OV/RVs
equal to the substance's BoDY/Brnw (the B ODY of most gasses is
0). RAPs indicate the vo lume of the chosen material \\· hi d1 ma\
be tran s mut ed. C hanges wro ught throu g h usc o f th C
Transmutation Powe r are permanent un less nega ted hy anothet
use of the Power. Transmutation will not fun cti on on orga ni c
(li ving) ma11er. ~
Additio na ll y. so me e lemellls and com pound:-. arc more
diffi cult to trn nsmute th an oth ers. In these t.:.tses. refe r to th e
U11il'ersal ModUler Clum fo r approp riate OV/RV Column Shift
modifiers. Ex amples folhl\\
Plexiglas, (+2) - Difficult. Plexiglas, has a BooY of 8
Oxygen to Nitrogen (+3)- Strenuous. Turning all of the
oxygen in an area into nitrogen is a common tactic
emvloyed to knock opponents unconscious._ If
Transrnutat(OQ is successful , all Characters 111 the affec ted
area are Physically Attacked with an AV/EV of 7/7 against
an OV/RV that is equal to each Characters BOD Y/BODY.
•Multi-Attack penalties do not apply. Skin Armor does not
affect such an attack but a Character with Sealed Systems
may add the APs of Power to his RV.
Glass (+4) - Extreme.
~'"_ Asbestos (+S)-Pushing the Limit. An article of clothing
Transmutated into asbestos will provide the wearer wi th 6
APs of Flame Immunity.
Plutonluln (+6) - Herculean. Any and all plutonium created
through use of the Trans mutation Power may become
•unstable and explode with each RAP from the
·.Transmutation attempt equal to I AP of Bomb Power.
Kryptonlte (+7) - Beyond the Limit.
Jan Arrah (Elemen t Lad) has thi s Po wer.
VAMPIRISM
Link:AURA
Range: Normal Type: Dice
Base Cost: 35 FactorCost:9
This Powe r all ows a C haracter to tran sfer APs of BODY
from an op pon e nt to hi s ow n BODY. Such a n attemp t
requires an Act ion C hec h: with AV/EVs eq ual to the APs of
Powe r and OV/RVs equal to th e opponent's DEx/801))';
RAP s equal th e number of APs tra ns fe rr ed th rough th e
Vampiris m all ack
APs tran sferred throu g h use o f Vampi ri sm wi ll repair
damage a Cha racter ha s re1:eived. Hmi,.'eve r. the total Bo1w of a
Character may neve r rise above hi s normal AP level th rough th e
of thi s Power. A fully heale d (P hys ica ll y und ama ged)
still use Vampiri sm as an attack for m to damage
an opponent
 VOODOO Weather Condition Weather Level
Link:AURA PRECIPITATION Drought
Range: Normal Type: Dice Dry
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 3 Muggy/Damp
This Powe r allows a Character to inflic t Physical damage Rain
upon an opponent by causing similar damage to a magical do ll Monsoon
which con tai ns an item belonging to the opponent (a lock of
hair.a piece of clothing. etc.). TEMPERATURE Record Cold
Use of Voodoo is a Myst ical Auack wi th AV/EVs equal to
Cool/Freezing
the APs of Power aga inst OY / RV s equa l to the opponent·s Mild
INFtlSPJRIT. RAPs are always taken by the opponent as Ph ysica l
Hot
dama!!:e and arc subtracted from the opponent· s BODY.
Record Heat
ACharacter with Voodoo can create a suitable voodoo do ll
in one minute ( 15 phases) pro vid ed he has access to an item
WIND Still
which bel?ng s to the oppone nt. If the attac~ing Charac~er is
Slight Breeze
separated from the doll. the voodoo effects wi ll cease until the
Windy
doll is rernvered
Gale
Houngan· s Computer Feti sh grants him thi s Power
Hurri cane
Tornado
WATER ANIMATION
Unk:Aura
Range: Normal Type: Auto
Special Powers
Base Cost: 25 Factor Cost: 8
This Power allows a Charac ter to summon into ex istence an OMNI-POWER
actual creature of li ving water who will fol low the Character's Link: Special
instruction s for a length of time eq ual to the Character's APs of Range: Varies Type: Auto
Water Animation. At the end of thi s tim e. th e crea1ure will Base Cost: 500 Factor Cost: 10
disperse into normal water This Power allows a Character to possess awesome co ntro l
A Character using the W,uer Animation Power divides the over the forces of the uni verse. Such a Charac1er·s Powers and
APs of Power into two numbers as desired. The firs! numbe1 abi liti es are limited primarily by th e Charac1cr·s own
serves as the water crea ture·s DEX . STR. and BOD Y while the 1maginatmn.
second number se rves as the creature's l NFL. AURA, and SP1R n APs of Omni-Power can be used to mimi c any Power or
against Mystica l Attacks. Water creatu res do nOI possess Mental Skill at any time. Whene ver Omni-Power is in voked. howeve1
Attributes. and are therefore immune to Mental Attacks. 1he Character mu st pay a Hero Point fee eq ual to the Base Cost
The water cremu re occupies a volume equal lo its APs of of the Power or Sk ill mimicked. A Character can mimic several
STR and moves at a Speed e4u al to its DEX. In addition. an Powers or Ski lls at the same: lime but mu st di vide hi s APs of
animated water creature suffers a -2 Column Sh ift modifier to its Omni -Power as de sired betwee n these Powers/Sk ill s and pay
RV when defending aga inst co ld- and heat-based allack s. eac h Base Cost.
Powers and Ski lls mimi cked wi th Omni-Powe r are onl y
WEATHER CONTROL available to th e Characte r for one hour ( 15 APs). follow in g
Unk:INFL which time the Character must again pay th e res pec ti ve Base
Range: +S Type: Dice Cost fee for co nt in ued Power/S kill use. A Character can
Base Cost: 25 Factor Cost: 8 automati ca ll y cancel the ava il abil it y of .iny mimicked
Th is Power allows a Character to manipulate and control Power/Skill to pro vide for the use of another
0 Note that Omni-Power is in a specia l Powe r class ification
~a;:r;,~sc~~; ~c~~it;e:t7~v~:eqi!·1 :t~~:e~~ ~r~~:iu:,;iin~\~ in and of itself: it is not a Phys ica l. Mental. or Mystical Power.
base OV /RV s of 0/0. Fin al OV/RVs to a Weather Control Omni -Power ma y be linked to o ne half a Char;H.:ler's WILi.
attempt are modified accord ing to the follow ing tab le. C.ilculate (rou nd fractions down)
the pre~e!n weather conditions by a~din¥ the "Weather Levels" Example: Hal Jordan' s Power Ring possesses linked
of prec1p11.1tion. temp~ratu re. and w~nd !or current weather. The Omni-Power. Sin ce Hal' s Will is 25 APs. he has I~ APs o!
diffe rence between thi s calc ulated ti gure and the total Weather Omni-Po wer (25 / 2 = 12 l/2. rou nded down to 12). If Hal late1
Le vels of 1he condi ti on 1he Characte r dec ides is the number of increased hi s WILL to 26 APs. hi s Omni-Power would increase
Column Shifts made to the OV/RV of the attempt. from the base to 13A Ps(26/2= 13)
OV/RV of 0/0. If Gree n Lantern wished 10 use hi s Ring to turn him se ll
Example: Central City is curren tly ex periencing Dry. Cool invi sible. he could automaticall y use Om ni -Powe r to mimic 1~
weather with a Slight Breeze off the lake (total Weather Level of APs of In visibilit y; doin g thi s wou ld cost Gree n Lanlern 45
2 + 2 + 2 = 6). A Characte r wants to change these conditions to
Hero Points (the Base Cost for Invis ibility). Lantern could then
Monsoons with Record Hea t and Tornadoes (Weather Leve l of 5
rema in in visible for one fu ll hour. after whi ch lime he mu st
+ 5 + 6 = 16). In this case. the OV/ RV wo uld recei ve +10
Colum n Shifls ( 16 - 6 = 10) from the base 0/0, mov in g it to the again pay th e 45 Hero Point Base Cost to co ntinu e th e
22to~..J.Column In visibility for anot her hom
RAPs from a Weather Contro l attempt indicate the length
of time (in APs) the mod ified weather wi ll persist. although a SELHINK
Charac1e r has the option of automati ca ll y returning conditions to Link: None
normal al anyt ime. Range: Self Type: Auto
A<ld itionall y. a Character usin g Weather Con trol to crc:.ite Base Cost: +SO Factor Cost: N/ A
hurricane force winds can attack opponents wi thi n Range as ii Self-Link is not a di stinct Power whi ch fun ctions alone:
he possessed APs of Air Control equal to hi s APs of Weather rather ii is purchased in co njunct ion with another Power and
Control. Similarly. a Character who summons mon soons can allows a Charac ter to assume an actual form related to tha t Self-
attack opponents in Range with APs of Weather Control (such Linked Power. Unless the Self-Linked Power is purchased with
a11acks arc at -2 to AVs for uncontrolled lightn ing bolts). the Power Always On Li mitation . the Character may free ly

115
sw itch fro m norma l to Se lf- Linked fo rm by using one Automat ic
Actio n. Se lf-L ink automaL ica ll y adds 50 Hero Points to the Base
Cost of th e Powe r w ith wh ic h it is purchased. Th e Characte r
does not purc hase indi vidual APs of Se lf-Link.
There ex ists a limit ed numbe r of Powe rs whi c h may be
Self-Linked . These Powers are:
PHYSICAL: Ac id , Bomb, Darkness, En e rgy Blast, Flash,
Fog, Lightning. and Projectile Weapons
MENTAL: Warp.
MYSTICAL: Plant G rowth and Spirit Tra vel.
The effects of Self-Linking these previous ly- li sted Powers
are as follow s:
Attack Powers: (Ac id , Darkness, Energy Blast, Flash, Fog.
Li gh tnin g, And Wa rp). The use r ca n become a li vin g be in g
co mposed of the attac k form (i.e., Se lf-Linked Acid C harac te rs
are Ji vin g poo ls of acid w hil e Se lf-L inked Flash Characters are
li ving ba ll s of light ). Such C harac ters possess the ir Se lf-Li nked
Power at a Ran ge of To uc h (if t he use r wishes to project the
Power at its norma l Range, he must purchase the Powe r twice:
once with a nd o nce w ith out the Se lf-Link). Characters wi th Se lf-
Linked Powers can move at a pe r phase rate eq ua l to one half
( 1/2) the ir APs of Se lf-Linked Power.
C h arac ters w ith Self-Linked attack Powers possess no
sp ec ia l p ro tec ti o n agai ns t attack. Thu s, Se lf- Link ed Fog
Characte rs can s till be dama ge d by pun c hes a nd g un s hots
normally , unl ess they possess the Dispersa l Power as we ll.
Bomb, Projectile Weapo ns: T he user is able to ex pl ode hi s
ow n body at w ill (Se lf-L inked Proj ect il e Weapo ns Cha racters
fire away pi eces of the ir ow n bodi es). After "explodi ng," the
u se r can a u to ma ti ca ll y re for m hi s body in s ta ntl y at th e
beginning of lh e next ph ase, o r re ma in di scorporate for a
max imum le ngth of time (in APs) equal to hi s APs of the Self-
Linked Powe r. Charac te rs tota ll y discorporate as a res ult o f thi s
Powe r (utili zing mo re APs of Bomb/ Projec tile Weapo ns than
their o wn Boovs) are immun e to Ph ys ica l Att ac k. Howeve r.
such C haracters cannot perform any Dice Actions during the
phase in whi c h they reform
Characters who ha ve SeJf. Linked these two Powers do fu ll
normal damage upon explosion
Plant Growth: These Characters can become li vin g plant
masses who can control the size of the ir ow n bodies through the
use of the Self-Linked Pl ant Growt h Power (Ph ys ical stati stics
do not alte r unl ess Charac te rs possess the Growth Pow e r as
we ll ). Self-Linked Plant Growth does 1101 cause othe r plant s to
grow (as does the Plant Growth Powe r itse lt).
A C haracter who possesses bolh Se lf-Linked Plant Growth
and Self-Link ed Spirit Travel can leave hi s plan t body and grow
a new body in any locati on reached by hi s spi rit pro vided the
destin ation possesses pre-existing pl a nt li fe.
Spirit Travel: The C harac te r ca n become a di se mbodi ed
s pirit w ith no ph ys ical bod y. He ca nn o t be Ph ys ica ll y or
Me ntall y Attac ked, except by othe r Spi rit T rave ling Characters:
nor can he make such attac ks.
Note: SeJf.Link ed Characters a re always susceptibl e to
a ny spec ia l vulne rabiliti es inhere nt to their Se Jf. Linked for ms
(Se lf- Link ed Plant Growth Characte rs suffer damage fr om
defo li a nts, Se lf-Linked Li g hlnin g C harac te rs suffe r d a ma ge
fro m waler.etc.)
VII. Skills
Like Powe rs, Sk ills are special abilities whi ch are measured
in APs. The di fference betwee n Powers a nd Skil ls is that Powers
are ge nera ll y onl y possessed by super~humans, whereas nearly
any norma l human can possess a Sk ill . A loc ksmith might have
a few APs of th e Locks and Safes Subskill of T hi ef. while a
doctor would possess the Medicine Ski ll.
Format
Ski ll s are prese nted usin g the same format as Powers. Each
S kill is given a Link ALtribute. A Base Cost. and a Factor Cost.
T he Ra nge of all Skill s is "Self' and a Skill's "Type" is a lways a
Dice roll , unl ess otherwise indicated.
Note: If th e Sk ill 's L ink Att ri bute is follow ed by an
aste ri s k c:=), no po rt io n of th a t Skill may be attempted in
"U nskill ed Use'' (see exp lanati on fo llow in g).
Unskilled Use
A Charac ter can oft e n attempt to use a Ski ll or Subskill ,
eve n if he has not ac tu a ll y purc hased that Sk ill/S ub skill. A
Charac le r who is alte mpting Unskill ed Use must substitule hi s
Link Attrib ute for the APs of the appropriate Ski ll and add +2
Co lumn Shifts to the OV and RV of the ac ti on.
Sk ills w hich ha ve th e ir Link Attributes fo ll owed by an
asteri sk ("*' ' - such as Marti a l Arti st) can neve r be attempted
through Unskilled Use. Particular Su bskill s whi ch may not be
atte mpted in Unski ll ed Use are de noted wit h asterisks prior to
the Subsk ill 's li sting (o ne example wo uld be* Forensics)
Exampl e: A Character with an INT of 7 who doe s not
possess the Gadget ry Ski ll is attempti ng to ide ntify a Gadget. ~n
Ac ti on whi c h the GM dec ides has an OV/RV o f 5/5. In thi s
case, th e C harac ter wou ld use hi s INT as the AV/EV of the
Ac ti on Check and woul d rece ive a +2 Co lumn Shift penalty to
t he OV/RV. re s ultin g in a n effective OV/RV of 9/9. Th e
Character ma y still op t to spe nd Hero Po int s to in c rease hi s
AV/EV whe n making an attempt at Unskilled Use.
Subskills
Finally, each Sk ill li sted consists of two or more Subski ll s,
indepe ndent ab ilities which are related to that partic ular Skill . A
Characte r wi th a certain number of APs in a Sk ill automati cally
has th at many APs in all of the Subskill s.
A Character can exc lu s i ve ly pur c h ase o ne or more
Subs kill s w ith o ut purc has in g the e ntire S kill to wh ic h the
Subskill s re late. For exa mpl e, a C haracte r could purchase the
A nal ysis Subski ll of Scient ist by it se lf. mea nin g the Character
co ul d no t use hi s sc ie ntifi c abiliti es to Dra w Plan s. Th e
advantage to thi s option is that purchasin g indiv idua l Subsk ills
is c heaper than purc hasin g an e nlire Sk ill.
When purcha sin g indi vidual Subsk ill s, subtract one from
th e Ski ll ' s Factor Cost for each Subski ll the C haracter is unab le
to use. De tective ( Law) by itself, for examp le, would have a
Factor Cos t of 3 (normal Factor Cost of 7 minu s 4 Subski ll s)
whi le Weaponry ( Firea rm s. Me lee Weapo ns) wo uld have a
Facto r Cost of 3 (norm al Fac tor Cost of 6 minu s 3 Subskills).
Link: DEX
Range: Self Type: Dice
Base Cost: 15 Factor Cost: 7
Acrobatics is composed of three se parate Subskills; these
are Climbing. Dodg in g, and Gymnastics
Climbing e n a bl es a Characte r to cli mb wa ll s , t rees .
building s, e tc. Guide lin es fo r determi nin g th e O V/RV of
C limbin g attempts ca n be found on thefo ll owing chart:
 Object Climbed - - - - - -ov11>.11
Tree 3/3
Telephone Pole 4/4
Brick Building 6/6
Shee r Cliff 8/8
Glass and Steel Skyscrape_r _ _ _ _10_11_0 _ _
A C limbing Ac Li on C hec k mu st be made prio r to th e
climbing attempt. If thi s Actio n C heck fa ils, the Character will
fa ll when he reac hes th e ha lfway po int of the surface ( I A P
be low the surface's total he ight). The APs of C limbing equal the
di stance (in APs) a Character can trave l in o ne phase (w ith a
max imum of 3 A Ps unless the Character has the Superspeed
Powe r, in whi ch case the climbing speed eq ua ls th e A Ps o f
Acrobatics or S upe rspeed, whi chever is Lower).
* Dodging enables a C ha racte r to avo id a bl ow o r o the r
Ph ys ica l Attac k. In order to use th is S ubs kill, th e Pl aye r mu st
ch oose the D o d ge m a n e u ve r in co mb a t (see p age I 04 ).
Instead of rece ivin g a + I Column S hift bonu s to hi s OV fo r a
Dodge, a C ha rac ter w ith thi s S ub s kill may add the APs o f
Dodging to hi s OV.
* Gymnastics enabl es a C haracter to perform ro lls, tumbles,
nips, etc., and also all ows a C haracter to jugg le. This Skill gives
no benefi t in co mb at but will rea dil y im p ress a cro wd . A n
Ol ympi c gy mnast would possess 6 or 7 APs o f thi s Subskill.
A no rmal tumblin g ro utine has O V/R Vs o f 2/2 whil e an
Olympi c-ca li ber routin e has OY/RY s o f 6/6
W he n a C h a ra cte r is att e mptin g to ju gg le, eac h ite m
beyo nd the third add s + I Co lumn Shift to th e OY/RY of the
attempt. The base O Y/RV is 2/2. An attempt to juggle fi ve items
wo uld have a n OY / R V in the 5 lo 6 Co lumn . T he OV / R V
shoul d be in creased by +2 C olumn S hifts if the item s are o f
differen t ba lances and we ights, such as jugg lin g tooth brushes
and bow li ng ba ll s. Pos iti ve RAPs ind icate th e C haracte r may
successfull y jugg le the items for a leng th o f tim e (in APs) equal
to the RAPs o f the Acti on Chec k.
If a C haracter who is perfo rmin g fo r an interested or neutral
crowd receives 1-2 RA Ps, the audi ence was pleased ; 3-4 RAPs
mea ns th ey loved th e p e r fo rm a n ce; a nd 5 o r m o re R A Ps
indi cates that the audi ence burst into frenzied appl ause. eight o r
more RAPs ga in ed indi cates a trul y e lectrify in g perfo rm ance
that will be remembered fo r years.
J(NIMAl HANDLING
link: INFL
Range: Self Type: Auto/ Dice
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 4
T he Anim a l Ha nd lin g S kill has two S ub s kill s: A nim a l
Training and Ridin g. The Animal Trainin g Subskill of Animal
Handling cann ot be used Unskilled .
* Animal Training enables a C haracter to train animals with
which he has dail y contac t. O V/ RVs fo r an Anima l T ra inin g
anempt eq ual the animal' s INFL/S PI RIT. RAPs re flect the number
of sim ple co mm ands the anim al may be tra ined to perform (such
as "attac k," "fetch," "scout ahead," and "fin d ho me").
A comm and mu st be simpl e eno ugh fo r an animal to act
upon it w ith its nati ve ability. A co mmand such as " program the
nav igatio nal com puter with att ack coordin ates" g iven to a pet
monkey, fo r exa mpl e, would result in ra ndom monkey moti ons
at the conso le of the nav igatio nal co mputer.
Fo ll ow in g a s uccessful Anima l Trainin g ro ll , an a nim a l
mu st be train ed fo r o ne full week ( 18 APs) . .O nl y one animal
may be trained at any given time and onl y o ne training attempt
may be made per week. If so des ired , a C harac te r with thi s
Subskill may train an animal to carry him , provided the animal
is of suffic ient size and strength .
Riding enabl es a Character to ride any sort of animal that
has bee n tr a in e d fo r th a t pu r pose. T hi s ty p e of ridin g is
Automati c . If the animal is untrained, the O V/RV of the Riding
attempt equals the DEx/STR o f the animal.
A Ch ara cter w ho ha s made a successful R idin g Ac ti o n
Chec k will not lose control of the mount unless an attac k upon
the animal is made whi ch e ither knocks the beast unconscious or
rece ives RAPs whi ch exceed the C harac ter's APs o f Ridin g.
ARTIST
link: INFL"
RANGE: Self Type: Dice
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 8
Th e A rti s t S kill h as seve n S ub s kill s: Ac to r, Da n ce r,
Mu sician, Painter, Photographer, Sculptor, and Writer, each of
which has the potenti al to please an audience. A Hostile group
does no t co ns titut e a n aud ie nce; th ese S u bs kill s w ill o nl y
impress willin g and interested viewers.
Wh e n a C h arac te r uses A ni st to pe rfo rm o r produ ce a
work , O V/RVs are at 4/4 unless perfo rm ed o r produ ced fo r a
spec ifi c person, in which case that person 's INFLIS P1R1T acts as
OY/ RV s. If th e perso n possesses the Arti st Sk ill , th e APs of
Arti st will act as O V/RV to the attempt. Multi -A ttack penalti es
fo r Arti st attempts are not appl icable. RAPs o n an Arti st atte mpt
indicate the fo ll ow in g effects:
1-2 The performance or work is accepted.
3-5 The perfo rmance or work is well received.
6 -9 The arti st receives critical acclaim (equal to a g,tandin
ovation if it is a performance).
10+ The arti st g ives an immortal performance or creates a
masterpiece which the audience will neve r forget.
An audi e nce whi c h li ked a C haracte r 's pe rfo rm ance o r
work will be Friendl y toward the Arti st. Utili zing Arti st in thi s
fashi on during combat will be ineffectual.
A C haracter sho ul d re membe r that great works of art are
not produced hourl y. Whil e no fixed time-ex ists for the fruition
o f ge niu s, a stand ard g uid e lin e is two mo nth s (2 1 APs) per
maj o r w ork. Sa le abl e a rt wo rk s m ay be pr o du ce d in th e
minimum times li sted in the fo ll owin g Subskill s:
Actor gives the C haracter th e ability to act in dram as and
beco me ad e pt at po rtra yi ng man y di ffe re nt pe rso nae. T h is
Subskill may be used to di sgui se a C haracter, in whi ch case the
APs of Actor serve as the O V/RV against a Percepti on C hec k to
detect the impersonati on. RAPs indicate the degree to whi ch the
o ppo ne nt is abl e to see th ro ug h th e di sg u ise if a t a ll. See
Perception Checks (pag e 107) fo r more informati on
A C haracter who uses Actor to impersonate a well -know n
fi g ure rece ives a +2 Co lumn S hift modifi er to th e O V. T he
impe rso nati o n o f a ge ne ri c indi v idu a l, s uch as a g uard at a
military install ati on, receives no O V modifier. Use of the Actor
S ub sk ill does 11 0 1 prov id e a C haracter wi th a ny in fo rm ati o n
know n by an impersonated Character, such as password s or hide
out locati ons.
The Actor Subsk ill may also be used to penetrate a di sgui se
or to res ist being foo led by another C harac1er usin g the Acto1
Subs kill. In such cases, th e APs of the Actor serve as A V/EVs
and O Y/RV s, respecti vely.
Dancer allows a Character to perfo rm intri cate dance routi nes
in a num ber of styles, inclu din g ballroom, j azz, ba llet, etc.
Musician e nables a C harac ter to s ing a nd p lay mu s ica l
instruments.
Painter in c lud es a ny o f th e g ra phi c art s; co mi c boo k
illu strators wo uld fit into thi s catego ry. Each pa rti c ul ar wo rk
attempted by a C harac ter is a separate action and takes at least
o ne week ( 18 APs) to complete.
Photographer is th e art of crea ti ng ph otog ra phi c works.
Fas hi o n pho tog raph ers and film direc tors would fit into thi s
category.
Sculptor in c lud es th e c r ea ti o n o f a n y thr ee-
d im e ns io nal fo rm o r a rt. Eac h p a rti c ul a r wo rk att e mpt e d
by a C ha rac ter is a sepa rate Act io n a nd ta kes a t leas t o ne
wee k ( 18 APs) to co mpl ete.
 Writer enab les a C haracter to produce nove ls, screenplays,
comic books, prose, poetry, or any olher creation in vo lving the
written word. Each particular work attempted by a C haracter is a
separate Action and takes at least o ne week ( 18 APs) to complete.
Link; INFL"'
Range: Self Type: Dice
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 6
C hari sma has three Subskills: lnterrogalion, Intimidation,
and Persua sion . The use of Charisma is ofte n a struggle of
Menta l o r Myst ical strength made between Characters.
A Character wi th Charisma can use hi s APs of the Skill as
both the AV and EV for all Character Int eracti o n attempts in
place of the usual INFL/AuRA. To use Charisma in thi s manner, a
C harac ter mu st possess the a ppro priate Chari s matic Subskill
whi ch corresponds to the lype of Character lnlerac tio n wh ich is
being attempted (see page I09).
Link: INT
Range: Self Type: Dice
Base Cost: 1 O Factor Cost: 7
The Detect ive Ski ll possesses five separate Subskill s. these
are C lu e A na lys is, Coun te rfe il Reco gnit ion, Identification
Systems, Law, and Po li ce Procedure.
Clue Analysis is th e a bility to glean information fr o m
physica l c lues left by a crim e o r criminal. RAPs equal the
Knowledge Points gai ned, and so me pieces of information may
requi re more Lhan a single Knowledge Po int to uncover.
There is a three-tiered clue structure to the reve lat io n of any
c lu e. Each step co nta ins a piece of inform at ion and ha s a
Know ledge Poi nt tota l necessary to reac h it. O nce a step is
reac hed, all information avai lable in preceding steps is
automatica ll y awarded as well.
Revelation of info rm ation from a C lu e Analy s is is
dependen1 upon how many RAPs the Analysis gained: I RAP
( lillle inform a tion), 1/2 the RV in RAP s (a good deal of
informati on), or Full RV RAPs (everythi ng there is to know
about the clue).
A V/EV s to a C lue Analysis equal a Character's APs of
Detective w hile OV/RV s vary depending on th e si tuation ;
normall y these are either the )NT/M IND of the criminal leavi ng
the c lue or 1he criminal 's APs of Thief Skill.
Exa mple: A police deteclive with Detecti ve of 3 APs finds
a c igarenc holder th at has the fo llowi ng clue structu re:
Knowledge Points Clue
I RAP A
l/2RV B
Full RV C
OV/RVs to th e cigare ll e holder c lue are at 3/3. The
detec tive rolls an I I. succeeding but with no Column Shifts. The
detec tive receives I RAP, suffi cient informalion to di scover A,
the first clue, but I AP short of cl ue B. The detective di scovers
that the c igarene holder is a style used exc lusively by women.
Batm a n. wi th a De tec ti ve of 12 AP s. find s the sa me
ciga re u e holder. Batman roll s a 13, s ucceeding w ith tw o
Column Shifts a nd receivi ng 12 RAPs. more than e nough to
unra ve l the entire clue.
Batman di scovers that:
(A) This style of cigarette holder is used exc lusive ly by women.
(8) The ciga rette holder has a narcotic residue and a small tube
run s lhe length of the mouthpiece in which the re are traces of
a deadly poiso n, and
(C) The mouthpiece det ac he s fr om the res t of the holder,
pres um ably to load the poiso n tube; the poi son has an herba l
base, which suggests the invo lvement of Batman' s o ld enemy.
Poiso n Ivy.
II
• Counterfeit Recognition enables a Character to idenlify
phony money, fake art, forged signatures, o r anything that is a
fr audul e nt cop y. The AV/EV of a Counterfeit Recognition
atte mpl is equa l lo the C haracte r's APs of Detective while the
OV / RV is equ al to the RAPs of the Thi ef (Forgery) Check
whi c h made th e object being identified. If thi s Check gains
posit ive RAPs, the object is un covered as a fake; ot herwise, the
Character believes the arti cle to be ge nuine.
• Identification Systems enables a Character to verify the
identi ty of ano lher Character from fingerprints, retinal or voice
pauerns, etc. if he has access to the proper equipmen t. If the
target Character is unknown by any auth ori ty, there exists no
cha nce to identify him through Identifi cati on Systems.
The AV/EV equals the Character's APs of Detective while
OV/RVs equa l the Thief Skill of 1he target Character. Pos iti ve
RAPs re vea l th e identity of the C haracter sough t.
• Law enables a C harac ter to e xe rcise jurisprudence to free
him self and/or friends from lega l constraint s. The AV/EV of
such atte mpt s equals the C haracter' s APs of Delective, whi le the
OV/ RV eq uals the APs of Law of the opposing lawye r.
OV Column Shift modifiers apply to Law atte mpt s as
fo llows: +6 Columns when lhe defendant is blatantly gui lty: +3
to +5 if the defenda nt has been framed (if the framing Character
is ex posed, 1he OV modifier becomes a -2 Column Shift for Law
use). An innoce nt defendant who has not been framed receives a
- I Col umn Shift modifier.
Positive RAPs o n any Law attemp t indi ca te successful
defen se o r prosecutio n.
• Police Procedure enables a Character to avoid both police
co nfli ct and sec uril y. For example, suc h a Character could
apprehend felons and gain access to a crime scene without being
arrested for interfering with an investigation.
A Character with Police Procedure will be on Friendly or
Neutra l terms with the police unless th e C harac te r has the
Mi stru st Drawback. This Subs kill may be substitut ed for Lh e
AV/E V of Pers uasion when dea ling with law e nforce ment
personnel.
GADGETRY
Link: INT
Range: Self Type: Dice
Base Cost: 25 Factor Cost: 8
Gadgetry is th e abi li ty to build, ide nt ify. and use
tec hno logical de vices. The Gadgetry Skill consis ts of tw o
separate Subskills: Build Gadget and Iden tify Gadget.
"'Build Gadget enab les a Character to design and build new
Gadgets. For furth er informatio n on the Gadgetry rul es and how
to build Gadgets, see Chapter Seven.
Identify Gadget allows a Character to identi fy the functions
of an unknow n or unfamili ar Gadget. Identifying a Gadget is a
normal Dice Action, using the Character's APs of Gadgetry as the
AV/EV and the Gadget's sin gle hi ghest AP va lue as the OV/RV.
Attempts by a Character to identify a Gadget whi ch is the
product of an isolated or alien technology should be modified by
the Universal Modifier Table. An attempt to identify a device buih
by a lie ns who are remark ably similar to human s mi g ht be
Difficult , while an auempt to identify a dev ice constructed by
a li ens so d ifferent from humans that th eir tho ught palterns are
comp lete ly in compre he nsibl e to Lhe hum an mind mi g ht be
Beyond th e Limit.
If a Character auempt in g s uch identificat ion rece ives I
RAP. he possesses a rudimentary understanding of the dev ice
and can operate it with a +3 Column Shift modifier lO all of its
funclion s. If the Character receives RAPs eq ual to one half ( 1/2)
the RV of th e Id ent ify Gad ge t a llempt , he unders tand s the
dev ice and can control all of its functions without pe na lty.
If the Characler rece ives RAPs equa l to or greater than the
RV of the Identify Gadge t attempt , he completely understa nds
the de vice, can co ntrol its fun cti ons without penalty, and ca n
even modify o r repair the item. if necessary.
Eri:
Base Cost: 25
MARTI:~., Dice
Factor Cost: 6
A Character with the Martial Artist Skill is extremely
proficient in hand-to-hand combat. Not all Characters who
possess this Skill are actuall y trained in the Oriental Martial
Arts; some merely excel in hand-to-hand combat or possess a
unique fighting prowess.
Possession of the Martial Artist Skill bestows two abilities
on the Character
• The Martial Artist is allowed to permanently add two points
(+2) to hi s Initiative score. an addition wh ich reflect s the
Martial Artist's ex treme physical agility and finely tun ed
presence
• The Martial Artist is allowed to substitute his APs of Skill for
either AV, EV, OV , or RV when engaged in hand -to-hand
combat. The Martial Artist may only substitute hi s APs of
Skill for one of these va lues each phase and must declare for
which value (if any) he will substitute during the upcoming
phase. Substitutions of this nature only affect hand-to-hand
combat and attacks made with melee weapons (knives,
swords,staves,etc.).
Example: A Martial Artist who had chosen to substitute
APs of Skill for his RV is attacked by an Energy Blast; since
this attack is neither hand-to-hand nor melee combat, he wou ld
defend with hi s normal RV , not with the APs of Martial Artist
Similarly, if the Martial Art ist was planning to fire an Energy
Blast during the upcoming phase, he could not use hi s APs of
Skill as the AV or EV of the attack
Note: A Character substituting Martial Art ist APs for any
value can only spend a number of Hero Points equa l to his
substituted Attribute va lue on the attempt. For example, if the
Batman (STR of 5 APs, and Martial Artist of 9 APs) were to
substitute hi s APs of Martial Art ist for his EV, he cou ld spend a
maximum of 5 Hero Points on hi s EV, as thi s figure was the AP
level of hi s substituted Attribute (STR).
- ---'-""'-'MEY510N£- - - -
,Ra~!'."se11 Type: Dice
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 6
The Medicine Skill is composed of four Subski lls; these are
First Aid, Forensics, Medical Treatment, and Surgery. First Aid
and Surgery are only useful toward healing damage done to the
BODY of a Character. Medica l Treatment may be used to heal
BODY , MtND, or SPIRIT. First Aid is th e only Subskill o l
Medicine which may be attempted through Unskilled Use.
First Aid enables a Character to treat wounds inflicted in
Killing Combat by reducing or delaying the resulting damage
(bleeding may be stopped and the infection of wounds can be
prevented). The AV/EV of a First Aid attempt is the APs of
Medicine, whi le the OV/RV equals the total amount of damage
to the Current BODY Condition of the Character be ing treated
A successful First Aid attempt will halt the loss of Current
BODY Condition APs sustained by a Character reduced to a
negative Current BODY Condition by Killing Combat. The RAPs
earned equal the length of time in APs that the bleeding has been
slopped. At the end of th is time, wounds will reopen and the
injured Character will again sustain damage every 8 APs of time.
• Forensics enables a Character to ascertain inform ati on
regarding the manner of death by exa mining a body. Such
analysis using this Subskill must be conducted in a laboratory in
all but the most obvious of cases. In a laboratory, the exact
cause and approx imate time of death may be determined.
The time of death determined through a Forensics Check is
accurate to within 5 APs of the length of tim e (in APs) th e
victim has been deceased. For example, if a body had been dead
one week ( 18 APs), the time of death can be accurately
determined to within 8 hours ( 13 APs).
If Knowledge Points may be gained from examination of a
corpse. Forensics may be used to gather this information. The
AV/EV of such an attempt equals the Character's APs of
Medicine Skill, while the OV/RV equal s 414 for a body dead
one week to six months, and 10/10 for a body dead more than
six months. Positive RAPs reveal Knowledge Poi'nt information
normally.
• Medical Treatment enables a Character to aid others in
combating the effects of disease. Medical Treatment may on ly
be attempted once per day on any one Character. RAPs are
added directly to the patient' s Recovery RAPs (see page 99) to
determine how rap idl y the Character heals. If Recovery is
un successful for any reason, Medical Treatment has no effect
AV/EVs to Medical Treatment equal the Character's APs of
Medicine wh ile OV/RVs equal the absolute value of damage (in
APs) sustained by the Character treated (if a Character's BODY is
reduced 10 -6, OV/RVs to Medical Treatment are at 6/6).
Optionall y, OV/RVs may equal the APs of the disease or
poiso n which affected the Character. Positive RAP s from
Medical Treatment indicate the patient Character stops losing
points of BODY fo r a length of time (i n APs) eq ual to the RAPs
of the Medical Treatment.
If any Medica l Treatment is administered to a Character
who has sustained MIND damage. the patient may only be treated
once per week, regardless of whether or not the treatment was
successful (received positive RAPs).
Medical Treatment require s proper eq uipment and
medicines. such as those avai lable in hospitals and mental health
facilities. If these are not avai lable, Medical Treatment may not
be administered and only First Aid may be given. A Character
speciali zing in Medical Treatment must also possess the First
AidSubski ll .
If a Character fails a Medical Treatment auempt and hi s
APs of Medicine are less than the absolute value of the damage
sustained by the patient (in APs), the Medical Treatment ha s
made the condition worse and the patient loses hi s next Resting
Recove ry Ro ll. If a Character's APs of Medicine are greater
than or equa l to the absolute value of damage sus tained, no
additiona l damage is done to the patient: the Treatment was
simpl y unsuccessful.
lf damage sustained by a Character is to a specific organ or
portion of the body and the Character's BODY has been reduced
below 0, Medical Treatment is of no use; Surgery is required
• Surgery enables a Character to repair extensive Physical
damage sus tained by anothe r Character. It also allows the
surgeon Character to perform normal surgery up to and including
transplant operations and implantation of artificial organs
The AV/EV of a Surgery Attempt equals the Character's
APs of Medicine, and the OV/RV equals the absolute va lue of
the damage sustained by the patient. For example, if a Character
with a BODY of 5 APs was reduced to a Current BODY Condition
of -4, the OVIRV of Surgery wou ld be 919. The OVIRV receives
a + I Column Shift modifier if vital organs such as the heart,
lungs, or brain are subject to Surgery. A Character may undergo
Su rgery a maximum of once per day, although a Character may
receive Surgery and other forms of Medicine, such as First Aid
or Medical Treatment, on the same day.
Specific organs or limbs which have been damaged may be
repaired through Surgery. RAPs on the Surgery attemp t are
added directly to the patient Character's BODY APs to repair
damage sustained
If a Character fai ls a Surgery attempt and his APs of
Medicine are less than the absolute value of the damage
sustained by the patient (in APs), the surge ry has made the
condition worse. The patient Character then sustains one ( I )
additional AP of damage from the failed surgery and loses hi s
next Resting Recovery Roll.
If a Character's APs of Surgery are greater than or equal to
the absolute value of the damage sustained by the patient (in
APs), no additional damage was done to the patient; the surgery
was simply un successful
A Character with the Surgery Subskill mu st also possess
both the Medica l Treatment and First Aid Subskills
 """'1v! ILITARY SCIENCE"
link: INT
Range: Self Type: Dice
Base Cost: 10 Facto r Cost: 8
M ilit a ry Science possesses s ix ba s ic Subski ll s:
Camouflage. Cartography, Danger Recog ni tion, Demo liti on,
Field Command, a nd Tracking. Camouflage, Cartography, and
Trac kin g are lhe only Subsk ill s of Mi litary Science which may
be attempted throug h Unskilled Use.
Camouflage enable s a C harac ter to a lte r the a ppearance of
objects and equipmen t in an effort to conceal them from view.
Pe rception Checks mad e in an aue m pt to spot Camoullaged
items have OVs inc reased by the Ca mouflaging Character's APs
of Ski ll .
Cartography e nable s a C harac te r to draw a nd interp ret
complex maps a nd charts. An inte rpretive Cartography attempt
is a n A utomati c Ac tion provided th e m a p 's lege nd is in a
lan g uage known by the Characte r. If the map is in an unknown
but recognizable language. the allempt is a Di ce Action w ith
OV/RVs of 4/4. If the nature of the map is co mpl ete ly a li en to
the reader, OY/RYs are at 10/10.
RAPs from a Dice Ac ti o n Ca1tography attempt are treated as
Knowledge Points. 1 RAP indi cates a vague unders tanding of the
map; 1/2 R V RAPs indi cate a genera l knowled ge of the map's
purpose; and Full RV RAPs indica te a correc t interpretation of
every sy mbo l and re lationship dep icted o n the map.
In a n y case. the amount of kn ow l edge ga in ed b y a
Character throu g h a Cartography attempt is limited by the map 's
de tail a nd acc uracy; ve ry littl e information co uld be lea rn ed
about an indi vidual city , for exampl e, fro m a map of the entire
United States
Maki ng a map is an Automat ic Act io n for a Character with
the Cartography Subski ll. The time required to do so is equal to
5 APs plus the APs of information contained in the map. A map
co ntainin g o nly 1 AP of informati o n is a very rough sketch ,
w hile an 8-AP map is a hi g hl y accurate topographi c m a p
featuring bui ldings (repre se nted in exact sca le a nd pro vi ding
informati o n regarding the buildin g's construction ), the local soil
types, and the nati ve vegetation.
* Dang e r Recognition allows a Character to a vo id an
ambush by identifying and recogn izing subtl e pec uli arities in the
battlefield e nvironm e nt. The APs of th e Danger Recog niti o n
S ubskill act as a C haracte r's AV/EV when rolling to avo id the
effects o f S urprise (see page 105).
In add iti o n. Danger Recogn itio n functions exactl y li ke the
Dan ge r Se nse Pow e r (sec page 53) whenever th e Ski ll e d
Character is operating o n a m ilitary battlefie ld. In o th e r words,
Sg1. Rock can use hi s Da nge r Recognition Subski ll to rea lize
that the re are German land min es on the road up ahead of him ,
but a su perhero would need the actual Dange r Se nse Powe r to
de tect the prese nce of supe rvill ain s in the area. Sgt. Roc k li kes
to re fe r to hi s Dan ger Recogn ition S ubskill as hi s "co mbat
anten na.''
* De molition e nabl es a Character to work safe ly wit h
ex pl osives and to ac hi eve d es ired e ffe c ts from a c ha rge,
pro vide d that the c h arge i s s uffi c ie ntl y powerful. In a
Demo liti o n atte mpt, the AV is equa l to the user's A Ps of S kill
and the EV is equal to the explos ive·s A Ps of th e Bomb Powe r.
A Character us ing the De mo li tion S ubskill must work with
the ex plos ive charge for roughly four minutes (6 APs) in orde r
to ac hi eve th e desired res ult . A C harac ter spendin g less time
subtracts a numbe r o f APs from hi s AV eq ual to the mandatory
tim e that was no t spe nt (spending o nl y t wo minut es. for
examp le . subtrac ts 5 from the AV).
* Field Command e nabl es a C hara c te r to lead troo ps in
batt le . The Fi e ld Comma nd Subski ll di ctates the number of Hero
Po int s a troop co mmande r may spe nd to affect a unit 's dic e
ro ll s. as d isc ussed in the rul es for fi e ld batt les found on page 91
o f the World ar War S011rcebook
Tracking g ives a C haracte r the ability to fo llow the trail of
a nothe r C haracter. The AV/EV of a Trac kin ~ attempt is equa l
t o the tracke r 's A Ps of Sk il l. Th e OV/RV is e qual to th e
qua rry's DEX/DEX .
The OV of a Tracking attempt receives a + I Co lu mn Shift
modifier if the quarry is a Character witho ut th e Trac kin g
Subski ll who is consc io usly attempting LO conceal his path. If
more than one C haracter is bei ng tracked simulta neously. the
OV/ RV of th e attempt eq ua ls the lowest D Ex/DEx of all the
C harac ters be in g trac ked.
A Character with Military Science who tri es to obscure hi s
ow n trail o r th e trail s of others uses hi s Track in g APs as both
OV/RV to any attempt to trac k the Characters. A C haracte r need
not obscure such a trail at full Tracking APs: he may c hoose to
di sg ui se the path at an A P va lue less than the APs of Tracking to
'' lead o n" tracking C haracte rs ( in thi s case. a C ha racter may
assig n OV/RVs to th e track ing allempt up 10 hi s A Ps of the
Tracking Subsk ill ).
A qu arry with the Trac kin g S ubskill may make a spec ial
e ffort to co ncea l hi s ow n trail and that of hi s compa ni o ns ,
substituting hi s APs of Track ing for DEx/DEx whe n co mputing
the OV/RV o f the attcmpl. C haracters operating in thi s fashion
do not have to obscure the ir trail s at the ir full A P va lue in orde r
to lead a tracker and obsc ure th e ir own Ski ll leve l.
Po si ti ve RAPs o n any Tracking auem pl indi c at e th e
di stance over which th e tracke r may follow the quarry ·s tra il. At
the end of this distance , the tracker mu st make anothe r Tracking
C hec k to pi c k up the trail again.
Th e OV of a Tra c kin g attempt i s modifi e d by
e nv ironm e ntal c ir cumsta nces, acco rdin g to th e U11frersal
Modifier Table. Tracki ng a quarry throug h fresh mud o r snow is
an Easy act ion, w hil e follo w in g a C ha ract er at ni g ht over
conc rete in a blindin g rainstorm is Beyond the Limi1.
OCCULflSr -
Unk:INFL•
Range: Self Type: Dice
Base Cost: 20 Factor Cost: 9
C haracters with the Occu ltist Skill are intimate ly fami li ar
w ith the wor ld of th e supe rn atural and all it s pa raphe rn a li a.
Skilled O cc ulti sts ca n identify a nd c re ate m ys ti ca l objects.
pe rform magi c ritual s , and se nse mystic e ne rgy. Occ ulti st
cons ists of fiv e separat e Subskil ls: Create Artifact. Ide ntify
Artifact, Occ ult Kn ow ledge, Ritu al Magic. a nd Pre mo niti o n.
None of these may be atte mpted with Unsk illed Use.
Note: For a more detai led treatment of thi s Skill and magic
in general, consult the Ma gic sourcebook
Create Artifact enable s the use r to create m ysti ca l devices.
In order to differentiate them from Gadgets. suc h occu lt dev ices
a rc kn ow n as A rtifac ts. Arti facts a re ge nera ted in the same
fashion as Gadgets (see Chapter Seven ) w ith the fo ll owi ng
exceptions:
1. Appropriate Ski ll : C haracters construc tin g Artifacts use
the Occultist (Create Artifact) Subsk ill in pl ace of the Gadgetry
Sk ill when calculatin g th e AV/EV of an attempt to in sta ll an
abi lity or make repairs. Objects co nstru cted w i1h the Gadgetry
Ski ll may no t be repaired with the Occultist Skill o r vice versa
2. Work sho ps: Occ uili sts use Wo rkshops in stead of the
Laborato ri es descri bed o n page 11 5. A Workshop cos ts as ma ny
Hero Points as a Laboratory with an ide nti ca l A P rating (that is.
a Factor Cost o f 3). Due to the clash between magic and scie nce.
C haracters attempting to co nstruct a Gadget in a Workshop
receive a +2 Column Sh ift pe nalt y to the OV/RV or a ll the ir
Gadgetry C hec ks. The sa me hold s tru e for C haracte rs w ho
attempt to co nst ruct an A rti fact in a Laboratory. Workshops are
ma int ained in the same fashion as Laborato ries.
3. Part s: T he parts necessa ry for th e cons tru c ti o n of
Anifacts are not as easy to obtain as the sc ie ntifi c co mponents
u se d to co ns tru c t Gadgets. In stead of th e Wealth C heck
necessary to purchase pan s (Step 4 o f the Gadget-construction
p rocess), th e G a m e ma s 1er mi g ht occasio n a ll y requ ir e a
C haracter constructi ng an Artifact to obtain o ne o r two specia l
com ponents during the course of hi s adve ntures. Ge nerall y. the
diffi c ult y of obtai nin g th ese co mpo ne nts sho uld re late to the
potency of the Artifact the Character is cons tru cting.
 Identify Artifact enables a Character to ide ntify the speci fi c
funclion of unknown or unfamiliar occuh Artifacts. An Identify
Artifact attempt is a Dice Action using the Occultist's APs as
the AV/EV against an OV/RV eq ual to th e Artifact's sing le
highest AP value. The number of RAPs earned delermines how
much information about the Arti fac t the Occultist is ab le to
di scern, in the same fashion as the Ide ntify Gadget Subskill of
Gadgetry.
Any attempt lO Identify a particu larly complex or obscure
Artifact should be modified according to the Universal Modifie,
Table. [dent ifying an Artifact created during another age, such
as an Allantean occult Art ifact, would be a Difficult ta sk, for
examp le, while identifyin g a n Artifact created by a Sorcerer
from another dimension would be Extreme.
A successfu l Identification only indi cates th at the Occultist
has di scerned the Artifact's function and can activate its abilities.
It does not indicate that the Occultist recognizes the Artifact or
knows its name and hi story. Only a successful use of the Occult
Knowledge Subskill will provide thi s sort of information .
Occult Knowledge provides a C harac ter with in format ion
and useful lore pertaining to occul t hi story, occult personaliti es,
and locations with an occu lt s ignifi cance. The use of this
Subskill is a Diec Action with an AV/EV equal lo the Occu ltist's
APs of Ski ll and an OV/RV relative to th e obscur it y of the
information in question (G M 's di scretion) . When a ppropriate,
the RAPs earned on an Occult Kno wledge Action Check are
treated as Knowledge Points.
Ritual Magic enables a character to wield magical ene rgy by
performin g mysti ca l rituals. To perform a rilual , the Occultist
must have learned the ritual at some point in hi s caree r. New
ritua ls are learned by study ing rare tom es and in sc ripti o ns,
receiving instructio n from other Occultists, or conducting Occult
Experiments (see below).
The Parts of a Ritual
All Rituals consist of an Effect, a Casting Time, a li st of
Necessary Components, a li st of Special Restrictions, and a
Hero Point Cost.
The Ritual's Effect is a Powe r or Ski ll mimi cked by the
Ritual and its associated AP va lue. A rain for in stance,
might have the Weather Contro l Power rated at APs as its
Effect. The Gadgetry and Scientist Skills, being inhe re ntly non-
magical, may never be dupli cated using Ritual Magic.
The Casting Time represe nts the le ngth of tim e (in APs)
actually required to perform the Ritual. Usua ll y, this tim e is
spent concentrating, chanting, making ritua li sti c hand motion s,
and genera ll y preparing. If th e O cc ulti s t is di s turbed or
di stracted durin g the cast ing process, the Ritual automatically
fa ils and must be attempted anew.
Necessary Components are spec ial items the Occu lti st must
possess in order to pe rform the Ritual without co mpli cat ion
Generally, these items are consumed during lhe casti ng process
and must be reacquired before repeating the Ritua l. Necessary
Components a rc assigned both a description and a cost. A
Transmutation Rirnal, for example, mi ght require an ounce of
gold worth $400 (4 A Ps). Before a Ritua l may be performed, the
Occultist must make a Wea lth Chec k lO acquire its Necessary
Components.
Special Restrictions are unu sual conditi ons that the Occultist
mu st meet before he may atte mpt to perform the Ritua l or
unusual limitations on the Ritual's Effect. A Restri ction mi ght
require an Occultist to fast for severa l days before aue mpting a
Ritual, for instance, or limit a Ritual wi th a Dimension Trave l
(Sum moning) Effect to summoning a sin gle, speci fi c in dividua l
The Ritual's Hero Point Cost is lhe cost the Occultist must
pay in order to learn the Ritual. An Occultist who comes across
a new Ritual and refu ses to pay its Hero Point Cost is e ntitled to
perform that Ritu a l o nl y if he is able to consult a w rilt e n
desc ription of the Ritual during its actua l castin g.
Performing a Ritual
To perform a Ritual , the Occultist makes an Action Check
with an AV/EV equal to hi s APs of Ritua l Magic against an
OV/RV equal to the Ritual's listed APs of Effect. A Character
performing a Ritu al with a Weather Control Effect rated at 15
APs, for exa mpl e. would roll aga inst a n OV/RV of 15/15. One
or more RAPs indicate that the Riwa l has succeeded, and its
Effect is imm edi ately resolved. Failure indi cates that the Ritual
was improperl y performed or so mehow failed to take effect. In
thi s case, th e Occultist mu s t reac quire any Necessary
Compo ne nt s and perform th e approp ri ate procedures before
attempting the Ritual again.
Modifying a Ritual Magic Attempt
Casting Time: With the GM's permiss ion , each AP of time
an Occultist adds to a Ritual's li sted Casting Time allows the
Occu ltist to add I AP to hi s AV/EV when rolling to perform the
Ritual. An Occultist who takes a full hour ( JO APs) to perform a
Ritual wi lh a Casting Time of I minute (4 APs), for instance,
may add 6 APs to both hi s AV and EV.
Necessary Components: With th e GM's pe rmi ss io n ,
Occu lti sts may perform Ritu als even th o ug h th ey ha ve not
acquired a ll of the Ritua l' s Necessary Components. Increase the
OV/RV of such an attempt by an amount equal lO the valu e of
the Necessary Components, min us the va lue of the Components
the Occultist did manage lO acquire. A mage who acquires $200
(3 APs) worth of Components for a Ritual req uiring $ 1,000 (6
APs) worth of Components, for exa mpl e, in creases the OV and
RV of the attempt by 3 APs each.
Pushing a Rituaf Effect: Once a Ritua l has been
performed but befo re its Effec t has been resolved, the
may attempt to Push the Effect, as described on page 89. In this
case, the AV/EV o f th e Pu sh attempt is equal to the RAPs
earned on the Ritual Magic Action Check that indicated that the
R itual had been successful. The OV/RV is the APs of Effect
Hero Points and Rituals: Hero Points may not be spent to
aller the AV/EV of a Ritual' s Dice Effect. In other words, once a
mage pe rforms a Ritual with an Energy Blast Effect, he may not
spend Hero Points to increase the AV/EV of the actu al Energy
Blast attack. In stead, the Effect must be Pu shed using the ru les
desc ribed above. Thi s is a specia l exception lo the rul es th at
generall y prohibits Characters from Pu shing a Di ce Act ion
Duration of a Rit ual Effect
Ritu als with a Dice Effect (such as Energy Blast, Exorcis m,
or Weather Control) las t for one d ice ro ll only (t hat is, one
Energy Blast, one Exorcis m att e mpt , or one Weather Control
attempt). Riw a ls wi th an Autom atic Effect normally last for an
amoulll of time (in A Ps) equal lO the ir Effecl's APs ratings (A
Ritual wi th a Skin Armor Effect rated at IO APs protects the
caster for one hour), but the GM is free to set other limits
Occult Experimentation
Occu lti sts may create new Rituals during play through a
four-s tep process known as Occult Experime ntati on.
1. Des ign the Ritua l: During this step, the Occultist designs
th e Ritu al by its Effect, Castin g Time, Necessary
Components, and Before the process can
continu e, the GM m ust approve th e Ritual , usi ng th e sa me
criteria used LO approve new Gadgets (see page 11 4)
2. Calculate Hero Point Cos t: To ca lculate the Ritual's
Hero Point Cost, use the rules in Chapter Two to determine the
number of Hero Points necessary to purchase the Ritual 's Effect
as thou gh the Power or Skill in question were being purchased
for a new Character. Mod ify the Factor Cost of the RiLLi al' s
E ffe ct by it s Casting Tim e and th e cos t o f it s Necessary
Components as indi cated on the fo ll ow ing tables:
 Casting Time Factor Cost Modifi er 3. Fina ll y, Characte rs with the Premo niti on Sub skill ca n
de tec t waves of sy nc hroni c it y e ne rgy and th e e nt rance s to
0-3 APs +I sy nchroni city "hi ghways." Suc h an effort requires a successful
4-7 APs 0 Act ion Check using the Occ ulti sl· s A Ps of Pre monition as the
8-11 APs -I AV/EV aga inst an O V/RV th at is determined by co nsulting the
12-15 APs -2 Universal Modifier Table . D e tec tin g a powe rful w a ve o f
16-19 APs -3 sy nchroni ci ty energy. such as th at prod uced by a ve ry serious
-4 and imm edi a te mys ti cal c ri sis is a C ha ll eng ing action. for
20-23APs
exa mpl e,w hile detec tin g th e minute a mount s of e nergy left
,,,.,,?;!+ APs -5
be hind by a n amaz in g co in c iden ce o r a rece ntly pe rform ed
Occultist Ritual is a He rc ulean ta sk. Note that thi s abilit y onl y
Necessary
a llo ws the Occ ulti st to de tect sy nc hroni c it y e nerg ies in hi s
Components Cost Factor Cost Modifier
imm e di a te v ic init y. Detec ting a d istant m ys tica l cr isis or
sy nc hroni c ity concentrati on requires the Aware ness Power.
0,3APs +I
4-5 APs 0
6-8 APs -I SCIENflSi
9-llAPs -2
-3 Range: Self Type: Dice
12-\5 APs
Base Cost: 10 Factor Cost: 5
16-19APs -4
Th e Scienti s t Sk ill possesses two di sti nct Subs ki ll s:
20+APs ' -5
Analysis and Drawin g Plans
Analysis enabl es a Charac ter to identify the structu re of any
Und e r no c irc um sta nces ca n these tabl es redu ce a Factor
phys ica l object, ranging from an e lec tronic co mputer co nso le w
Cost to less than l. Any mod ified Fac tor Cost that is reduced
an ali e n ge ne ti c code. A C ha rac te r w ith 1hi s S ub ski ll ca n
below I is treated as 1
discover how such objec ts are designed a nd can recogni ze even
Once you have de te rmined the modified cost of the Ritual' s
minor structural fla ws
Effec t, subtract IO points fo r eac h of it s Specia l Restri c tion s.
The AV/EV o f Analys is atte mpts is the Charac te r" s APs of
Special Restri cti on s cann ot red uce a Ritual' s cos t by more than
Sc ie nti st, whi le the OV / RV equal s e ith e r t he Scie nt ist or
1/2 it s modifi ed cos l. In othe r word s. a Ritual w ith a mod ifi ed
Gadgetry Skill of the Character who des igned the object. RAPs
Effect cost of 92 He ro Points a nd 5 Spec ial Restrict ion s has it s
are interpreted in Kn ow ledge Points as described below :
cost red uced to only 46 Hero Points. l RAP: The Character possesses a rudime nt ary und erstand ing of
Fin a ll y, afte r yo u've accounted for Spec ia l Rest ri c ti ons, the object suffici ent to operate the obj ect (if appli cable) with a
divide the torn l by a Ritual Bonus of 4 to calcu late the Ritual 's +4 Column Shift modifie r to the OV of such an atte mpt (w ith
fi nal Hero Po int Cost. Round a ny fra ct ions up . Gadget ry or Scientist APs acti ng as the AV/EV). This pe na lty
3. Purc h ase S u pp li es: Th e pro cess of occ ult replaces Un skilled Use modifi ers.
ex pe rim e ntati o n req uires in g redi e nt s . mate ri a l components , 1 / 2 RV: The Character possesses a worki1H! knowledge of the
refe re nce book s, a nd o th e r bas ic s uppli es . Befo re th e object and ca n use it with a + I Co lumn Shift rnodit1er to the--....
ex pe ri mentation process may co ntinue. the Occult ist mu st ga in OV of s uc h an a tt e mpt. Furth e r. the C hara c te r is
positi ve RA Ps on a Wea lth Check with an OV/ RV equal to the know ledgeable of a ny hid de n weakne ss es inh e re nt to the
AP ra tin g of the Ritual 's Effect. If thi s Wealth Chec k fail s, o bjec t, allowin g th e Character to di scove r a Ph ys ica l or
ex pe rime nta tion may not continue until the Occult ist is e ntitl ed Mental Attack form to wh ich the object is vu lnerab le and the
to another Wealth Chec k. pe r the rules found in Chapter Eight loca tio n mos t lik e ly to ca use th e g rea tes t d a mag e. Th e
4 . Create the Ritual: Finall y, the Occulti st makes a Ritual object's OV is redu ced by the A Ps of Sc ie nt ist Skill (to a
Mag ic Acti on Check aga inst an OV/RV equal to the AP rating minimum of 1) for one attac k onl y.
of th e Ritual" s Effect. If thi s Chec k ga in s posi ti ve RAPs, the Full RV: The C ha rac te r possesses co mpl ete know ledge of the
attempt is success ful and the Occ ulti st may learn the new Ritual object and may ope rat e it w ith no pe nalti es whatsoever. A
by pay in g its Hero Point Cost. If the Chec k fail s, the attempt is Character po ssess in g the Dra w in g Pla ns Sub skill may a lso
un success ful and the Occultist must begin the whole process all dev ise plans to duplicate the object, which will fun cti on once
over again created al an AP leve l eq ui vale nt to the ori gi na l object
The base time necessary to create a Ritual is one month (20 • Drawing Plans allows a Character 10 dev ise blueprints for
A Ps of tim e). Thi s base tim e ma y be alte re d upward or objec ts . Use of lhi s Subskill is an Automatic Act io n. Pl a ns
dow nwa rd usin g the sa me rules fou nd on page 11 5. drawn using thi s Subskill provide the potenti al for objects to be
Premonition is th e a b il it y to se nse omens and s ubtl e more effective upon the ir construction. by givin g a -2 Co lumn
po n e nts. C hara cters w ith thi s S ubsk ill have three spe c ial Shift modifie r to the OV of a Character using such plans to build
abili ties: an object. A lternately. a Characte r's APs of Scientist could be
1. By pay in g a fee of 50 Hero Points, a Character wi1h the sub stitut ed for the EV in anoth e r Character' s Bui ld Gadge t
Pre monit ion Subs kill to ask the Ga mc master fo r the attempt , in which case the -2 Column Shift modifier is not used.
res ult s of a n acti on he act ua ll y co mmits to performin g A Character po ssess in g Sc ie nti st may Draw Plans fo r a ny
tha t ac ti on. If the a Di ce Action. th e dice are rolled dev ice o f a Ph ys ica l o r Me nt a l nature. Th e C harac te r mu st
norm all y to determ ine a res ult. spec ify the object's properti es according to Gadget ry categories
Occultists w ith the Pre mon ition Subsk ill may not use thi s (see Chapter Seven ), s uch as a norma l dev ice o r an Omni -
Powe r to foresee the result s of an action performed by another Gadget. Each plan takes one week ( 18 APs) to de sign and costs
Character. 2 Hero Points 10 deve lop.
2. Characters wi th the Pre moniti on Subskill may also pay a
fe e of 50 Hero Points in order to dete rmine whe the r a bein g or THIEF
object is aligned wi th the fo rces of good. the forces of ev il , or Link: DEX
ne ith e r. On ce the fee ha s bee n paid. th e Occ ulti st mak es a n Range: Self Type: Dice
Act ion C heck using hi s APs of Premoni ti on agai nst an OV/RV Base Cost: 10 Factor Cost: 8
eq ual to the targe t's INFL.JSPIRIT (if the target is a li vin g be in g) 0 1 Th e Thi ef Skill possesses six spec ific Subsk ills: whi ch are
agai nst an O V/ RV de te rmin ed by co ns ultin g th e Universal Escape Artist , Forgery. Lo cks and Safes. Pi c kpoc ke tin g .
Modifier Table (if the target is an obj ect). Sec urit y Systems, and Stealth
 Escape Artist enab les a Character 10 escape from close
restraints: ropes. cha in s. ha ndc uffs, e lc . The AV/EV of suc h
a1temp1s eq ual s the Character's APs o f the Ski ll . The <?V!RV for
typical restra ints can be found o n the tab le below. Positive RAPs
indicate a successful escape.
Restrain t Type OV/ RVs
Quick Binding 2/2
Tightly Bound 4/4
Handcuffs 6/6
Chained to Wall 8/8
Locked in Jail Cell 10/10
Locked in Safe 15/15
• Forgery enables a Character 10 c reate exce ll ent copi es of
si2natures or works of art. The AV/EV of Forgery eq uals the
~~~~et~;~~~~~ ~-~~e~o!~fn~~/:~r~·o~/!l~~~l~~~J~L~~~ci;:;rn:~~
creator ' s APs of Artist: and the OV/RV for monetary
counterfeitin g is 8/8.
The R APs fr om a successful Forgery C heck ac t as th e
OV/RV against Det ec ti ve (Co unt e rfe it Recog nition ) and/or
Perception C hecks made to ex pose the Forgery
Locks and Safes e nable s a Character to open locks, with an
AV/EV equal to the Character's APs o f Thief and an OV/RV
equal to the Gadge try APs of the loc ksm ith who designed the
lock or sa fe.
Sim ple locks. suc h as those found in nor mal hou ses have
OV/RVs of 2/2. Complicated loc ks (time loc ks. for examp le)
may possess OV/RVs of 10/ 10 or hi gher, providing for th e
locksmi th 's Gadgetry AP leve l.
A simple safe ha s OV/RVs o f 4/4 w hil e ext re m e ly
complicated and secure sa fe s would have OV/RVs of 15/15 or
higher. p~ovidin g fo r the creator's Gadgetry AP leve l. . .
Pos iti ve RAPs o n a Locks and Safes attempt indi ca te
success. It takes at least one phase (4 seco nds/0 APs) to ope n a
lock and at least one minute (4 APs) to open a safe.
Pickpocketing enables a Character to tak e va luabl es fro m
another Character wi thout that person·s knowledge. The AV/EV
is equal to the APs of Thief, the OV/RV is eq ual to the targ~t's
DEX/INT and could be increased by as much as +3 Co lumn Shifts
if the valuab le so ught is in an inaccessible locati o n. suc h as the
inside jacket pocket of a man wearing an overcoat (GM's
discretion ).
* Security Systems allows a Character to override e lectronic
secu rit y alarms. The AV/EV equals the C haracter's APs ofTh_ie~
agains~ an OV /RV equa l to the cre~tor·_s Gadge1r_y_ or Thie~
(Secunty Syste ms) Skill, whichever is hi g her. Posit ive RAPs
indicate success in overriding the syste m .
A sta nda rd sec urit y sys te m ha s OV/RVs of 5/5 w hil e
complex systems have OV/RVs of 15/1 5 or hi g her. provi.ding
for the creator's Gadgetry AP level. It takes at least one minute
(4 APs) to override a device through Security Systems.
Stealth is a Character's ability to move sil entl y and wi thout
being see n by other Characters. The APs of Thief are used as the
OV / RV aga in st Percep ti o n Checks made to di scove r the
stealthful Character.
Pos iti ve RA Ps indicate success in locating the stea lthful
Cha racte r. Use o f Stealth is mo st co mm o n at ni g ht or und e r
ot her visual ly-obsc urin g conditi o ns . Follow ing a re cumulative
OV/RV co lumn modifi e rs to d e tec ti o n of Stea lth a1te mpt s
pertaining to cnvironm emal condition s
Circumstance OV / RV Modifier
Intruder Alert Activated -I
Day/Bright Area -2
No Cover Exists -3
VEHICLES
Link: DEX
Range: Self Type: Dice
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 5
Vehicles has four Subskills: Air Vehicles. Land Vehicles.
Water Vehicles. and Space Cra ft. Eac h Subsk ill function s in an
identical mann er with th e exce ption o f th e type of craft
controll able through use of the Subskill
Eac h Vehicle Subskill enabl es a C haracter to safe ly operate
the respecti ve ve hicle unde r norm al conditi o ns. Use of on- board
weaponry while operating a ve hi c le has an AV equal to. the
operating Character's Vehicl es Ski~!. If firing .at another veh ic le,
the OV equa ls the Ve hi c les Skill of the op posmg operator.
A Character w ho a tt em pt s a tri ck mane u ve r. suc h as
leapin g a ca nyo n o r avoiding a co lli sion in an asteroid t~ield.
receives a Column Shift modifier to the OV for the Vehicles
att~mpt based 01.1 th e Universal Modifier. Table. A + I Colu,~rn
Shift wou ld modify a si mpl e motorcycle Jump ove r a car. while.
a+ 7 Column Shift wou ld modify a ni g ht o n the event horizon o l
a black hole.
Air Vehicles includes use of fi xed wing (a irpl anes). rotary
wing (helicopters). lighter-than-air (~iri gibles). craft. etc.
Land Vehicles in c lud es use ot cars. trams. trucks. tank s.
hovercraft, and so forth
Water Vehicles inc ludes use of sa ilboats. aircraft carriers,
sub marines , tugboats, and so o n.
• Space Craft inc ludes use of tra nsport intended to fun ction
in deep space or to convey objects or persons from any planetary
su rface int o space.
WEAPONRY
Link: DEX
Range: Self Type: Dice
Base Cost: 5 Factor Cost: 6
Weaponry has fiv e Subskills: Firearms. Exoti c Weapons.
ru~:~il~f:atc~~;~s~~s:i~ei:~i~~~~aa;~erH:~~J t~e::ien;;i!~t~~-
the type of weapon w ieldabl e through use of the Subski ll
Unskilled Characters ma y not use the Exotic Weapon s subski ll
Th e A Vs for attacks made with Weaponry eq ual a
Character' s APs o f th e Ski ll. subst itut ed for DEX. wit h EVs
equal to damage inflicted by the weapon itself. Weaponry Ski ll
also e nabl es a Character to repa ir weapo ns whi c h become
damaged or m a lfun c tion : a gun w hi c h jams or a bowstring
which breaks may automatically be repaired by suc h a C haracte r
in one minute (4 APs)
• Exotic Weapons includes the use o f spec iall y-des igned and
co mm e rciall y unavailab le weaponry. most notably weapons
designed express ly for a parti cular hero or vi llain
Use of an exot ic weapon by a Character for whom the
weapon was not designed re quires an Ac ti o n Check w ith
AV/EVs equa l to the Character's APs of Weaponry. OV/RVs to
this attempt eq ual the weapon·s highest Attribut e or Power as
rated in APs.
Firearms includes use of all weapons th at fire c he mi ca ll y
powered proj ec til es or beam weapons . Guns. basically
Heavy Weapons in c lud es use of a ll viol en tl y exp l~sive
proj ectile weapons from gre nade laun chers Lo tank gun artillery
torockets.
Melee Weapons incl udes use or knives. clubs. swords. or
any o th e r manner o f we ap o n e mpl oyab le. in hand -10- ha'.1d
co mbat. Melee weapo ns do not no rm a ll y in c lude proj ectile
wea p?n s, but a C haracter sw in.gin g a rifle w ith the intent ? f
clubbing an opponent would utili ze the Melec Weapons S ubsk ill
rather th an the Firearms S ubskill to resolve the attack
Missile Weapons includes use of a ll manually-prope ll ed
objects fro m thrown rocks and g renades to lo ng bows.
 Thi s cha pter re itera tes and ex pan ds upon the "eig ht ideas"
fou nd in th e Intr oduction to DC H EROES. Mu c h of th e
in fo rmation he re wi ll be fam iliar to you, but some of it is new,
incl uding several o ptional rul es fo r ad vanced Players. If yo u are
a lread y comfortable with the DC Heroes rul es, fee l free to skip
thi s sec t io n and go on to Chapter Fou r . H oweve r, w hen
questions a rise regard ing the rul es of the ga me, refer bac k to this
sectio n rat he r tha n the Introduction .

The Gamemaster and the Players

Eac h o r the partic ipants in the DC H EROES RPG has a vita l
role to play. O ne o f the parti c ipa nts is always the "Game master"
(GM for short), w hile the oth ers are " Players ."
Each o f the Pl ayers takes o n the role of o ne o f the heroes
from DC Co mi cs. In e ffect, the Pl ayers tempo rarily become the
heroes. They dec id e w hat th e heroes wi ll do in a ser ie s of
situatio ns. S hou ld Batman sw ing down o n hi s Batrope to k nock
the thu g un consc io us o r should he just throw down a Batara ng
to do the job? Is it better fo r S uperman to go and confro nt Lex
Luther now, before a ny more people are injured, o r should he
wai t until he has more hard ev idence of LexCorp 's in vol vement
in the e pide m ic that is sweepin g the easte rn seaboard ? T he se are
the kind of qu es ti o ns that the Pl aye rs p layi ng Batman a nd
Superman m ust a nswer. In the Welcome to Gotham City solo
adventure, yo u were play ing the role o f Batma n.
The Game master does not take on the role or an indi vidual
hero. In stead , he sets th e stage for the ad ve nture in whi ch the
Playe rs' heroes w ill pa rti c ipale. He fun c tion s like the write rs
who sc ript DC C o mi cs: the GM dec ides w hi ch vill a in (s) the
heroes w ill e nco unter d uring the ad venture, what the vill ain s a re
aft e r, and how they hope to acco mpli sh the ir goa ls . The GM
also pl ays the rol es of the villains and the minor c haraclcrs th at
the he roes e ncounte r along the way. S uppose, fo r example, that
yo u a re playin g Batm an and you dec ide to go ask Comm issio ner
Gordon fo r he lp o n a case. The GM would then assume the ro le The Eight Ideas
of Go rdon a nd dec ide whether o r not the Co mmi ssione r ca n be
of an y help to you. The re a re e ig ht simp le ideas be hi nd th e ru le s for the DC
One of the G ame master's o the r respon sibil ities is to serve H EROES Role-Playing Gam e . In orde r to p lay the gam e, Pl ayers
as a sort o f referee. I-l e mu st m ake sure that all the Pl ayers are mu st be co mpl e te ly ramili ar w ith these eigh t ideas. These are
fo ll ow ing the ru les of the game, and be pre pared to ma ke snap th e sa me co ncepts th at were cove red in the Int roduction to
dec isio ns as to w hat the Pl ayers' C haracters ca n a nd cannot do DC H EROES .
T he G ame maste r al so ultim a te ly d ec ide s th e o utco me of th e
heroes' acti o ns. Idea One: Attribute Points
In sho rt , the Ga memaster functi o ns as a so rt o f sto ryte lle r.
He ke e ps p la y fl ow in g sm oo thl y, int e rpre ts t he ru les, a nd Just about everythin g in the DC HEROES RPG is me asured
des ig ns the c hall e nges that th e heroes mu st tac kle. Jr you are in Attribute Po ints, or APs for sho rt. It is the AP system whi ch
un sure o r exac tl y what the GM does durin g play, re fer back to all ows the rules of the game to runc ti o n c lea nl y. Examples of
the What is a role-playing game? secti on o f th e Introduction. q ua ntiti e s th a t are meas ure d in APs inc lud e: t im e , weight,
 APs are e nt irely interc hangeab le. A C haracte r who has 6
APs of Strength , fo r exam p le, can lift an o bject that we ighs 6
APs (about 3000 lbs); w h ile a C h arac te r w h o has 6 A Ps of
Flight can trave l 6 A Ps of d istance (600 feet) every O A Ps of
time (4 seconds or a sin g le phase of acti on ). Note that zero is
always used as a unit of meas ure me nt, and fo r a ll q uantiti es ,
zero rep resents th e base va lue arou nd w hi c h t he indi v id ua l
measurement system is des igned.
APs Me asure Amount
Weight 50 lbs.
Distance IO fee t
Info nnation I paragraph
Time 4 seconds
M o ney $25
Each add itiona l one AP o f a qu antity doub les the a mo unt
measured by the previous A P. For instance, 0 A Ps of weight is
equa l to 50 lbs. I A P is 100 lhs. 2 APs is 200 lbs. 3 A Ps is 400
lbs. and so on . Wi th hi s Stre ng th o f 25. Superman could lift 25
APs of weig ht. o r app ro xim ate ly 972.800,000 lbs (abo ut 8 1,000
tons). Exampl e:
[
Measure Amount
Weight l .6001 bs.
'Di stance 320 fee t (about 100 yards)
Information 32 paragraph s (a term paper)
Time 4 minutes, 16 seconds
Money $800
Each A P actua ll y represents a ro11ge of va lues rather th an
an absolute fi gure. As we sa id earlie r, 0 A Ps of we ig ht is equa l
to 50 pound s. and I A P of we ight is 100 pounds. A Player mi ght
wo nder, the n, how ma ny A Ps of we ig ht is so me thin g that
we ighs 75 pounds? T he answer is I A P, becau se I AP o f weig ht
actually represe nts the ent ire ra nge o f values fro m 5 1- 100 lbs; 2
APs of we ight re prese nt s the range of va lues fro m 101 -200 lbs,
and so on . Si mi larl y, 0 A Ps of d is tance is 0 -1 0 fee t, w hile I A P
is 11-20 feet, and 2 A Ps is 2 1-40, etcetera
The Benchmark APs Table in the next chapter li sts va lues fo r
the first 20 A Ps of eac h o f the most commo nly used q uantities in
the ga me (t ime. d ista nce, we ig ht. vo lum e, in fo rm at io n, and
money) . In th e case of the last fo ur q uan titi es. ex am p les are
prov ided right o n the tab le. For exam p le, the e ntry of 10 A Ps of
reads: ··OC-9 Ai rp lane (25 to ns).' . Thi s means th at I 0
of we ig h t i s approxi m a t ely 25 t o n s, w hi c h i s t h e
approxi mate we ight o f ;,i DC-9 ai rp lane. T hese examp les prove
very helpful du ring pl ay. S uppose. for exa mple, th at S uperman
wan ted to lift a la rge ho u se. Th e GM p robab ly has no idea
exact ly how m uch a ho use we ig hs, bu t coul d guess th at it wo ul d
we igh more than a batt le tank ( 11 APs) and less tha n a b lue
whale ( l 2 APs) mea ning that the house probabl y weighs abo ut
12 APs. S in ce Supe rm an had a S tre ng th o f 25 A Ps, he co u ld
have eas ily lifted the ho use.
It is important that GMs a nd P laye rs learn how to conve rt
rea l world q ua ntiti es int o APs. and APs bac k in to rea l worl d
measureme nt s. Here are so me more exam p les
• How long is a footba ll fi e ld (100 ya rds)? (5 APs)
• How long is 3 day s? ( 17 APs, but rem emb er that 17 APs
represents the entire range of va lues from 2 to 4 days)
• How much does a car w e ig h? ( 6 APs)
• If a Cha racte r has a Strength of 8, how much weight can he
lift? (about 6. 25 tans)
• If Wonder Wo ma n 's lasso has a le ng th of 4 APs, how long is
it? (about 150 feet)
O ne last important caution abo ut APs: APs are not added
togethe r in th e sa me way as real worl d m eas ure me nt s. T hi s
mea ns that 3 A Ps plu s 3 APs is not 6 A Ps! Look at th e real
world measure me nts, 3 APs o f weight is 400 lbs, and 6 APs of
weight is 3000 pounds; 400 lbs p lus 400 lbs is not 3000 lbs. 3
APs plu s 3 APs i s actu ally 4 A? s \\\\l\l lbs). \<1 order to add
togethe r two q uant iti es meas ured in APs, take the larger o f the
two AP values and add o ne to get the proper resu lt: 7 APs p lus 3
A Ps is 8 A Ps; 9 A Ps plus 9 A Ps is 10 APs; I A P plus 14 A Ps is
15 APs; and so o n.
Idea Two: Attributes
Eve ry C haracter in the DC H EROES RPG h as nine natu ra l
abilit ies called Attributes. These are: Dex terity ( DEX), Stre ng th
(STR), Body (Bo or), In te lli gence ( INT), W ill (WILL), M ind ( M1No).
Influe nce (INFL), A ura (AURA), and Spirit (SPIRIT). The A ttri b utes
for ma ny DC C h arac te rs a re lis ted in Append ix A. Th e DC
Un iverse.
Each Attribute meas ures a different aspect of a C haracte r·
Dexterit y is a m eas u re of a C h aracter 's qui ck ness a n d
ag il ity. Batman is very good here.
Streng th re fl ec ts a C h ara cte r's p hys ica l powe r a nd is a
meas ure o f th e a mo unt of we ig ht th at h e ca n li ft o r m ove.
Strength was one of S uperman 's best Attributes.
Body is a m eas ure of a C h arac t e r 's tou g hn ess a nd
represe nts his resistance to physical inj ury . Thi s is an A ttribute
whe re Captain Marve l excels.
Intelligence s hows how smart a C haracte r is. H awk man is
an exam p le o f a very intelligent hero.
Will g ives an indi cat io n o f the stre ng th o f a C h aracter 's
w ill power and hi s ability to draw conc lus io ns from fac ts. Hal
Jorda n o f t he Gree n La nte rn Corps h as o ne o f the stron gest
fo rces of w illpower in the whole uni ve rse!
M ind d ete rmines how me nta ll y to ug h a C haracter is and
how likely he is to res ist menta l d amage. Aq ua man has a very
powerfu l Mind
Influence measures the st re ngth of a C harac te r's personality.
A C haracter w ith a hi gh Influence is G uy Gardner of the Green
Lante rn Corps.
Aura indi cates h ow easi l y a C h arac te r ca n affec t th e
emotio ns o f o thers, and how e ffecti vely he co uld take co mm and
of a group. W o nde r W o man has an exceptio na ll y hi gh A ura.
Spirit is the strength of a C harac ter's spirit and a measure of
how like ly he is able to res is t fear and m ys tica l o r mag ica l
da m age. Th e Spec tre has o ne of th e hi g hest Sp irit ra t in gs
around .
A ttri b ut es a re m eas ur e d in A P s. T hi s m ea n s th a t a
C h a rac ter w ith a n I NT o f 5 is abo ut t w ice as s m a rt as a
C haracter w ith an INT o f 4, and so on (reme mber, eac h A P of
meas ure ment do ub les th e q ua ntity be in g meas ured). Norm a l
hum ans, lik e innocen t bystand e rs a nd mi nor C h arac ters th at
freq ue ntl y cro p up durin g the cou rse o f a n adve nture, h ave
ra tin gs o f 2 A Ps in eve ry Att ribute. By lookin g a t Batman 's
A ttributes. it beco mes ob v io us th at Batman is m uc h stronger
tha n a no rm al man (he has a STR of 5 APs), m uch faste r th an a
norma l man (hi s DEX is 9), a nd mu ch sma rter tha n a normal
ma n (Bat man 's INT is 12). In fac t, Ba tma n is a lo t be tte r at
every thin g tha n a no rm a l man ( In fac t, very few he roes have
ra tin gs o f 2 APs o r lower in a ny of the ir A ttributes. T hi s is
beca use heroes in D C Com ics are a lm os t uni ve rsa ll y fas te r,
smarter. to u g her ; a nd in ge n e ra l, be tte r th an a no rm a l m an
could ever ho pe to be.
II
 Each C haracte r's ALtributes are arrayed in a spec ial three Mental Acti on, and I NFL is used as Acting or Opposing Va lu es if
by three pattern: a C haracter is trying to carry out or halt a Myst ica l Ac tion. The
Ac tin g Va lue indi cates how like ly a C haracte r is to succeed a t a
give n action , and the Oppos in g Val ue indi cates how like ly hi s
J®ij opponent is to fa il in th e atte mpt to op pose th e act io n. If
Du: 9 Sn: s BODY: 6 Manhunter was trying to pun ch so meone, fo r exa mp le, hi s DEX
INT: 12 WILL: 12 MIND: 10 wou ld be hi s Acting Value a nd would te ll th e Pl ayer how likely
M anhunte r is to strike hi s target. Hi s oppone nt 's DEX wo uld be
!NFL: 10 AURA: 8 SPIRIT: 10 the Opposin g Va lue and would te ll the Playe r how like ly the
I NITIATIVE: 35 HERO POINTS 150 adversary is to avo id M anhunte r's blow.

BATMAN
Th e top row of the Attribute box (DEX, STR, and BODY ) is
made up of a Charac te r's Physical Attributes. Phy sica l Attributes D ex : Sn: Booy·
are used w he n a C ha rac te r is facing (or makin g) a Phys ica l INT: 12 WILL: 12 MIND: 10
Attac k suc h as a punc h in the mouth or a bolt of lightning, or
w he neve r a C harac ter is pe rforming ph ys ica l activities like lNFL: 10 AURA: 8 SPIRIT: 10
jumping over a fe nce or sw ing ing on a flagpole. INITIATIVE: 35 H ERO POINTS 150

BATMAN ' The midd le co lumn of th e Attribut e box ( STR, WrLL, and
DEX: STR: BODY: AURA) is made up of a Character's Effect Attri butes. STR, Wt LL,
and AUR A are ca ll ed Effec t Attri butes because they are most
INT: 12 WILL: 12 10
MIND :
fre qu e ntl y used as a C harac te r' s Effec t Va lue on the Res ult
! NFL: 10 AURA: 8 SPIRIT: 10 Tab le. STR is used fo r Phy s ica l Ac tions. W IL L for Mental
I NITIATIVE: 35 H ERO POINTS 150 Actions, and A URA for Mystica l Acti ons. The Effect Va lue is a
measure of how we ll a C haracte r w ill pe rform an action that is
successfu l. In the prev iou s exa mple, Manhunte r's STR woul d be
The middl e row of the Attribute box (INT, WI LL, and M1No) hi s Effect Va lue a nd would determine how hard he woul d hit his
is made up of a C haracter 's Mental Attributes. Mental Attributes target if the punch conn ec ts
are used whe n a C ha rac te r is facin g Menta l Allac ks suc h as a
p s io ni c b la st o r mind co ntro l, or w hen ever a Character is
performing me nta l acti vities like solving a riddle or tryin g to
remember a fac t. DEX: STR: BODY: 6
I NT: 12 WILL: 12 10
MIND:

BATMAN ,,f INFL: 10 AURA 8 SPIRIT: 10

I NITI ATI VE: 35 HERO POINTS 150
Dex: STR:
I NT: 12 WILL: 12 MIND: Fin a lly, the third co lumn of the Attrib ute box ( BODY, M1No,
INF L: 10 AURA: 8 SPIRIT: and SPIRIT) is made up of a Charac te r 's Resistance A ttributes.
INITIATIVE : 35 HERO POINTS 150 Res ista nce Attributes are most frequen tl y used as a Charac ter's
Resistance Value on the Result Tabl e w he n he is opposing a n
action. Resistance Values a re co mpared w ith Effect Values in
The bottom row of the Attribute box (INFL, AURA, and SPIRIT) order to determine how great a n effec t a ny ac tion has . Also,
cons ists of a C ha racter's Mystical Attributes. Mysti ca l Attributes Res istance Attributes represent how much damage a C haracter
a re used w he n a C haracter is facing My s ti ca l (o r magica l) ca n s u sta in before los in g co n sc io u s ness. BODY represents
Attac ks such as Magic B lasts or enchantments, and whe never a Phys ica l damage from punc hes a nd energy bo lts: MI ND stand s
C haracte r is pe rforming act iviti es that de pend upon the force for Me nta l damage fro m psionic blas ts and me nt al strain: and
a nd qua lily o f hi s pe rsonality, like dealin g with other people. SP IRIT s how s Mysti ca l d a ma ge from m agica l bolt s or
e nc ha ntm e nts. In the example, Manhunt e r's opponent's BODY
Ea c h of th e Attr ibut es is a lso gro upe d a sec ond way, wou ld give the Playe r an indi cation of wheth er the vill a in wi ll
in c olumn s·
be kayoed, me re ly stunned , or not affec ted at a ll by the punch

Putting the Two Groups Together

A c hart that shows how the two c lass ification s of A ttributes
DEX: 9 Sm: 5 B ODY : a re re lated is as follow s·
INT: 12 W ILL: 12 M IND: 10
INFL : 10 A URA: 8 SPIRIT: 10 First Group Second Gmup
I N ITIATI VE: 35 HERO POINTS 150
Acting/ Opposing Effect , ReslJtance
The left column o f th e Anribute box (DEX, INT, and INFL) is
made up of a Charac te r's Acting and Opposing Attributes. DEX , Physical Dexterity Strength
INT, a nd INFL are ca ll ed Acting/Opposin g A ttributes because Mental Inte lligence Will
they a re most frequently used as Characters' Acting or Opposing M ystical Influence Aura
Va lues on the Act ion Tab le. DEX is used as the Acting Value if a
Charac ter is try in g to carry out a Phy sical Action. like strikin g One fin a l note: a ll o f the prev ious paragraphs said th at a
a n adve rsary ; while D EX is a lso used as the Opposing Value if a Charac ter's Act in g/Opposi ng Att ributes a re usually used as hi s
C h a rac ter is t ry in g to op pose a Ph ys ica l Ac ti o n , li ke th e Actin g/O ppos in g Value s, a nd th a t a C haracte r ' s Effec t
adve rsa ry striking back. Similarl y, INT is used as the Acting or Attribute s are usually used as hi s Effec t Va lue . and so on. Th is
Oppos ing Va lu es if a C haracte r is trying to carry out o r thwart a is because ce rta in spec ial cases mi ght require a Playe r to use a

II
 Action Table
Opposing Value Columns
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 16 19 U 25 28 31 36 41 46 51 56
fo to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 +

1-2 6 11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32 36 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 +
3-4 5 9 11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32 36 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75
5-6 4 7 9 11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32 36 40 45 50 55 60 65 70
7-8 4 5 7 9 11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32 36 40 45 50 55 60 65
9 -10 3 4 5 7 9 11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32 36 40 45 50 55 60
; 11-12 3 3 4 5 9 11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32 36 40 45 50 55
&
.. 13-15
16-18
3
3
3
3
3
3
7
5
11
9
13
11
15
13
18 21
15 18
24
21
28
24
32
28
36
32
40
36
45
40
50
45
!Cl
19 -2 1
22-24
3
3
3
3
3 4 5 7
5
9 11
9
13 15
11 13
18
15
21
18
24
21
28
24
32
28
36
32
40
36
~< 25-27
28-30
3
3
3
3 3 3
4
3
9 11
7 9
13
11
15
13
18
15
21
18
24
21
28
24
32
28
31 -35 3 3 3 3 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 18 21 24
36-40 3 3 3 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 18 21
41 -45 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 7 9 11 13 15 18
46-50 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 7 9 11 13 15
51-55 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 s 7 9 11 13
56-60 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 s 7 9 11
+5 C
+S: One Column Shift for each +S. C: Cancel - One +5 Row cancels one +5 Column.

Character' s Acting/Oppos ing Attribute as his Character's Acting
and Effect Values, for exa mp le; or he mi ght be asked to use the
Character' s Resistance Attribute as hi s Opposing and Resistance
Values, and so on. All of these special cases are detailed later in
this rulebook.
Idea Three: Rolling the Dice
There are two types of actions that Characters can perform
in the DC H EROES RPG: Automatic Actions and Dice Actions.
Automatic Actions are actions that are automatica lly successful.
Batman can a lways wa lk across a room, for examp le, or ca ll
Commissioner Gordon on the Batphone. Di ce Ac ti o ns are
actions that have some chance of failure, no matter how small
Punch in g an adversary, inte rroga tin g a thu g, a nd try in g to
convince Commiss ioner Gordon to loan Robin a police car are
all Dice Action s. In order to decide whether a Dice Action
succeeds or not, a Pl ayer consults the Action and Result Tables
and rolls dice. If a specific Action is not spe lled out here in the
rules, the GM mu st decide whether it is an Automatic Action or
a Dice Acti on.
Each of the dice has ten sides and is referred to as a D I 0 .
When the rules instruct a Player to ro ll 2010, he rolls both dice
and add s the numbers together. The side wi th the O on it is
conside red a te n, no t a zero , when it co mes up o n a roll.
Therefore, a ro ll of double Os wou ld be read as a twenty, a O and
a 4 would be fourteen, and so fo rth .
If doubles are rolled on the dice, the Pl ayer has the option
of rolling th e dice agai n, and addin g the resu lt to the original
roll. He ca n keep rerolling and addin g as lon g as he keeps
rolling doubles.
The onl y exception to thi s doubles rule is a roll of double
ones. Wheneve r double ones are rolled, whatever action the
Character was attempting automatically fails . T he pl ayer may
not follow the do ubl es rul e and roll again . Even if a roll of
double ones follows one or more earlier doubl es roll s, the acti on
still fail s. If a Player roll s double sixes, then double fours, then
double ones, fo r example, that action fa il s.
Whenever someone rolls the dice and consults the Action
and Result Tables, it is called an Action Check.
Idea Four: The Action Table
The Action Table is used to determine whether or not a Dice
Action will succeed. The Action Table is almost always used in
conjunction with the Result Tabl e (Idea Five) . BOlh the Act ion
and Resu lt Tabl es can be found on pages 85 and 87 as we ll as on
the reference sheet in the back of the book
Every time a Character attempts a Dice Act ion, the Player
mu st ma ke what is ca ll ed an "Acti o n Chec k." Every Action
Check in vo lves four factors: the Acting Value (AV) , the Effect
Value (EV) , the Opposing Value (OV) , and the Resistance Value
(RV) . T he rul es desc ribe what is used as the Acting, Effect,
Opposing, and Resistance Values fo r most of the Action Checks
that will come up during play. If a Character is trying to perform
a Dice Action that is not covered by the rules, the Game master
mu st dec ide w hat to use as the AV, EV, OV, and RV of the
Action Check. Remember th a t th e le ftm ost co lumn o f a
Character' s Attribute box contain s the Attributes that are most
frequentl y used as Acting or Opposing Va lu es , the midd le
column contains the Attributes that are most freq uent ly used as
Effect Values, and the right hand co lumn contai ns the Attributes
that are most frequently used as Resistance Values.
Th e Action Table is made up of numbe rs orga ni zed in
Columns (up and down), and Rows (side to side ). The Acting
Values are located in the leftmost Column, and the Opposing
Values are located in the top Row . The other numbers represent
"success numbers" for Dice Actions.
In order to ex plain the Action Table, let' s use an example
Suppose that Frank is playing Batman and wants to punch the
Joker. Thi s is a Phys ica l Action that uses Batman 's DEX as the
Acting Value and the Joker' s DEX as the Opposin g Value. In
order to see if Batm an 's Ac tion succeed s, Frank fo llows the
step-by-step procedure below:
 Step 1
Locate the correct Acting Va lue Row. usin g the guid e
numbers on the left side of the Table. Attempting to strike
someone in simple hand-to-hand combat is a Physical Action, so
Batman's Action Attribute is hi s DEX of 9. Frank locates the 9 -
10 Row on the Table.
Step 2
Locate the correct Opposing Value Column. The Joker will
try to physicall y dodge Batman's blow, so the Joker's Opposing
Attribute is hi s DEX also, which is 5. Frank find s the 5 to 6
Column on the T able.
Step 3
Locate the Success Number by finding where the 9- 10 Row
intersects the 5 to 6 Column. The number they intersect at, 7, is
Batman's Success Number. Frank mu st ro ll 7 or above on 2DJO
(both dice added together) for Batman to strike the Joker.
Step 4
Roll the dice. Let us suppose th at Frank roll s double 2's.
He can roll again. Now he roll s a 3 and a 7. Add the numbers
from both rolls together: 2+2+3+7=14. Si nce the total of 14 is
grea ter than th e 7 need ed to hit, th e Actio n is co nsidered
successful.
Check for a Column Ss\~j,.~n ytime a Character rolls
greater than his Success Number and the ro ll is 11 or over, he is
eligible fo r a Column Shift. Frank rolled over 11 and above hi s
Success Number, so he may be eli g ible for an Effect bonus,
call ed a Column Shift. In the example above, Frank roll ed a 14
when the Success Number was 7.
Step6
Determine the nlfmber of Col umn Shifts. Since the dice roll
was at least I I and hi gher than the roll needed for success,
Frank can begin to count hi s Column Shifts. He puts hi s fin ger
on the spot where the Acti ng Value Row intersects the Opposi ng
Value Column at the number 7.
If he moves his finger one Column to the right, the new
number Frank is pointing to (9) is still lower than the number he
rolled. He can continue moving to the right until he reaches 11 ,
th e point where Column Shifts begin . Frank ha s made one
Column Shift. 11 is highlighted on the table to remi nd the GM
and the Players where Column Shift bonuses start.
Frank can now move one more Column further to the right,
since the dice roll of 14 is greater than the number (13) in that
Column, too. He has now made two Column Shifts. The number
in the next Column to the right is 15. Since 15 is greater than the
dice roll, he does not earn a third Column Shift.
The Column Shifts earn ed wi ll increase Batman' s results in
the next step, The Result Table.
Important Rules on Column Shifts
1. Column Shifts Start at 11
Start countin g Column Shifts at I I. For exampl e: if th e
Success Number is 3 and a 12 is roll ed, the Player onl y receives
1 Column Shift, even though he moves over many Column s.
2 . Turning the Corner or
Going Off the Edge of the Action Table
Sometimes, the di ce roll for an Action Check is so high tha t
when counting Column Shifts, a Player goes all the way to the
right edge of the Action Table.
Look at the Action Table and find the 46-50 Row of the
Acting Val ues. If a Player has a Character with a Streng,h of 50
APs and he rolls above 15, he will go off the chart.
In this case, he "turn s th e co rn er" and counts upwards
along the ri ght hand edge as if it we re the continu ation of the
Row. He keeps going until the dice ro ll number is small er than
the nex t entry.
For exampl e: the Character with 50 APs of Strength first
rolls double 6's, then roll s double S's, then rolls 7 for a total of
12+10+7 or 29. Suppose hi s Success Number is a nine. For the
correct Column Shi fts, he counts one to eleven, two to 13, three
to 15, then he "turn s the corner" and cou nts four to 18, rive to
2 1, six to 24, seven to 28 and stops. He mu st stop because the
next number is 32 whi ch is larger than the d ice roll of 29.
Idea Five: The Result Table
The Result Table is almost always used in conjun ction with
th e Ac tion Table. Once th e Ac ti on Tab le ha s determin ed
whether or not a Dice Acti on succeeded, the Player then lcoks to
the Result Table in order to fi gure out how well the Action was
performed. If the Act ion Tab le indicated that the Action failed .
there is no need to look at the Result Tab le at all. In the example
from Idea Four, Batman successfully hit the Joke r; but what
happens now? Did Batman knock the Clow n Prince of Crime
out cold, or just sc uff him up a bit? This is where the Res ult
Table comes into play.
The Result Table works like the Action Table, except that
the Player co mpares Effect and Resistance Values instead of
Acti ng and Opposin g Values. If Batman were attempting to
punch the Joker, hi s Effec t Value wo uld be his STR and the
Re sistance Va lue wou ld be th e Jo ker's BODY. Let's continu e
with the example.
Step 1
Loca te th e Effect Va lu e ra tin gs on the left side of the
Result T able. Since punchin g the Joke r is a Ph ys ical Act io n,
Batman's STR is the Effect Val ue in thi s case. Batman 's STR is
5, so Frank shou ld look to the 5-6 Row of the table.
Step 2
Locate th e Resis tan ce Va lu e rat in gs a lo ng the t~p of
th e tab le. In thi s case, the RV is th e Jok er's BODY. Th e
Joker's Boov is 3, so Frank s ho uld look to the 3 to 4
Col umn of th e tabl e.
Step 3
Now the Player mu st take into account any Column Shifts
that were earned on the Action Table. Do this by adj ustin g the
Column that is being used for the Resistance Value a number of
Columns to the left equal to the number of Column Shifts earned
on the Action Table. Since Batman earn ed two Colum n Shifts
against the Joker, Frank would count two Columns over to the
left from the 3 to 4 Column (Joker 's original RV), leaving him
on the OColumn.
Noti ce th at the leftmost Colu m n is labeled ''x," and that
each entry in the "x" Column reads "+ I." If the Column Shifts
 Result Table
Resistance Value Columns

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 16 19 22 2528 31 36 41 46 51 56
to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to
X 0 2 4 6 a 10 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 3540 45 50 55 60 +

1-2 +l A I N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N
.
+

.
3-4 +I A l N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N
S-6 +l A N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N *
7-8 +I A 2 N N N N N N N N N N N N N N

...
9-10 +I A 8 3 2 N N N N N N N N N N N N N *
;
~
11-12 +l A 10 6 4 3 N N N N N N N N N N N N *
IC 13-15 +I A 12 II 9 8 5 N N N N N N N N N N N
16-18 +I A 14 13 11 10 8 4 N N N N N N N N N N
1
::
..
19-21 +l A 18 17 16 14 12 10 6 N N N N N N N N N *
22-24 +l A 21 20 19 17 15 13 11 9 5 N N N N N N N N

I 25-27
28-30
31-35
+I
+l
+I
A
A
A
24
27
30
23
26
29
22
25
28
20 18
23 21
26 24
16
19
22
14 12
17 15
20 18
JO 8
13 11
16 14
6
9 7
N

12 JO
N
N
8
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
*
36-40 +I A 35 34 33 31 29 27 25 23 21 19 17 14 l2 9 N N N N *
41-45 +l A 40 38 36 34 32 30 28 26 24 22 20 18 16 13 10 N N N *

.
46-50 +I A 45 43 41 40 38 36 34 31 28 26 24 22 20 17 14 11 N N *

.
51-55 +I A 50 48 46 44 42 40 38 36 34 32 30 27 24 21 18 15 12 N *
56-60 +1 A 55 53 51 49 47 45 43 41 39 36 33 30 27 24 21 18 15 13
+5 A * C
•For every S APs of Effect Value over 60, Increase the RAPs by 5.
*Shift the Effect Value up one row for each +5 column and use the 60 Resistance Value.
A All. The Result APs are equal to the Effect Value.
C Cancel. One +5 Row cancels one +S Column.
N No Effect. The action has no effect on the target.

are carried furth er to the left than the "x" Column , pretend that
there are an infinjte number of Columns to the left of the "x,"
and that all of the entries in the fi rst imagi nary Co lumn read
''+2," all of the entri es in the second imaginary Column read
"+3," and so on. Therefore, if the RV of an Action Check was I
and the Action received six Co lumn Shifts, the Result would be
in the imaginary Column that reads "+5."

Step 4
Find the number of Result APs (or RAPs) by cross- indexing
the Effect Value with the final Resistance Co lumn . Unlike the
Action Table, the Player does not ro ll any more dice to use the
Result Table. If th e Result is "A," (whi ch stands for "A ll") the
number of RAPs earned is equa l to the fu ll Effect Value of the
Action Check. If the result is a + I (or +2, +3, etc. in one of the
"imaginary" Column s), the number of RAPs earned is equal to
the full Effect Va lue of the Action Check plus one (or two or
three, etc.). If the result is an "N," the Resistance Va lue of the
Action was just too high, and the Action fails. In the example.
Batman would have earned 5 RAPs against the Joker (remember
that the Joker's RV was shifted down two Co lumn s which yields Sometimes, the RAPs earned in an Action Check wi ll be
an "A" result; since Batman 's EV is 5, he earns 5 RAPs). unimportant; the rules or the GM will si mply state that one or
Result APs, or RAPs, are a measure of how well an Action more RAPs indicates success. For example, suppose Blue Beetle
was performed. RAPs are used for all sorts of things, depending is trying to jump over a talJ fence. This is a Di ce Action because
upon the type of Action Check being performed. In combat (like it is possible that he will fail. It does not reall y matter if Beetle
Batman punching th e Joker) , for examp le, the RAP s that clears the fence by one foot or ten feet. He will either make it, or
he will not. This is an ex.ample of an Action in which the GM
Batman earns indicates the amount of '"damage" he does to the will tell a Player that he mu st ea rn on e or more RAP s for
Joker. The Joker can on ly take a certain amount of damage success. If Beetle recei ves one RAP, twe nt y R APs, or any
before he becomes uncon scious and unabl e to fight back. The RAPs, he successfu ll y jumps over the fence; otherwise he fai ls.
rules in later chapters detail what the RAPs mean for most of the
Actions that are likely to be performed. If the Action is not +5/Column/ Row
covered in the rules, it is up to the Gamemaster to decide what At the very end of both the Action and Result Tables is a
the RAPs mean, if anything. +5 Column. This number is used when a Character is completely
off lhe charl e ith er in numbe r of Co lumn Shifts, compa ri son of
Attributes. or just plain di ce ro llin g
On the Act ion Tabl e. the Opposing Va lues, Acting Values.
and the Success Number inc rease in fi ve point in cre ments. The
same is true for the Resu lt Tab le's Effect and Res istance Values.
For exa mpl e: Characters w ith a DEX of 61-65 as an
Opposing Va lu e a re o ff the chart. Ju st add +5 to the Success
Num ber for every 5 APs. The refore. a Characte r w ith an Acting
Value of 1-2 wou ld have to ro ll an 85 to hit a Characte r w ith an
Opposi ng Value of 6 1-65, a 90 to hit 66-70, and so o n.
C stand s for Cance l. Anytime two C harac ters are o ff the
tab le. they ca nce l eac h ot her's adva ntage. A 70 Effect Value
against a 70 Res istan ce Va lue is re so lved as a 60 agai nst 60. A
75 Actin g Va lue agai nst a 70 Opposing Va lue is reso lved as a
65 aga in st 60. and so o n.
Since it is so important to lea rn how to use the Acti on and
Result T ables quick ly and eas ily. here are some more exam ples
How many RAPs wo uld be ea rn ed in eac h of the fo ll ow ing
situati o ns?
• T he Acting Va lu e (AV) is 5. t he Oppos in g Va lu e (OV) is
9. th e E ffec t Va lu e (EV) is 8. th e Re s istance Va lu e (RV)
is 6 a nd th e dice roll is 24 (somebody mu st have ro ll ed
so m e do ubl es). There are three Column Shifts, so the
Action earns 8 RAPs
• The AV is 22. the OV is 9. the EV is 11. the RV is 20, the dice
roll is 11 . There is one Column Shift (remember that Column
Shi~s do not start until the 11 Column), but the Result Table
reads " N" so no RAPs are earned and the Action fails.
• T he AV is 6. the OV is 6. the EV is 3. the RV is I, and the dice
roll is 18. There are three Column Shifts, so the Action earns 5
RAPs (a ll of the APs of the Effect Value, plus two from the
" imaginary Columns" off the left hand of the Result Table).
• The AV is 6. the OV is 6. the EV is 3. the RV is I, and the di ce
ro ll is 9. The Action fails because the Success Number was an
11 and the die roll was only a 9
• Th e AV is 6, the OV is 6, the EV is 7, the R V is 5, and the
d ice ro ll is 11 . There are no Column Shifts, so the Action
earns 3 RAPs
Idea Six: Powers, Skills,
Advantages, and Drawbacks
Take a look at some of the C haracters in Appendix A. In
addition to the ir Attributes. there are li stings of Powers, Sk ill s,
Advantages , and Drawbacks. C haracters ha ve these e le me nts
beca use man y of th e heroes in DC Comics ca n do thin gs that
th ei r Attributes a lon e ca nn o t exp lain. Superman's STR of 25
a ll owed him to be nd stee l w ith hi s bare hands and change the
co urse of mi g hty ri ve rs, but w hat was it th at gave him th e
abi lity to fl y or to use X-Ray Vision? The answer. of course,
was hi s Powe rs
Powers are Abi li ties that are never possessed by ordinary
people. Examples of Powers include Superma n's Flig ht and X-
Ray V ision . G ree n Lantern's Force Manipulation , and Blac k
Ca nary's Son ic Beam: an ordinary j oe o n the stree t will never
have these abi li ties. No matter how hard he tried, Jimm y O lse n
could never learn to use X-Ray Vision like Superman. Powers
are meas ured in APs ju st lik e Attribut es. So me heroes, lik e
Batman. don·t ha ve an y Powe rs at al l.
Skills. on the other hand. are spec ia l hero ic Abi li ties that can
be learned by o rdinary. everyday people. It is conce ivab le th at
J immy Olsen could learn to be as good a detec ti ve as Batman if
he were to put in th e yea rs a nd years of ri goro us stud y a nd
trainin g. Examples of Ski ll s inc lu de: Dr. Fate's Occultist S kill.
Black Canary's Mart ia l Artist ab iliti es. and B lu e Beetle's
C harisma. Skills a re also measured in APs
Advantages are specia l capabi lities that are not me asured in
APs. So me Advantages may be fo und in o rdinary peopl e. while
othe rs a re not. Exa mpl es of A d va nta ges in c lude S t arfire·s
Attractive Appeara nce. Batman's Co nnection with the Got ham
Ci ty Pol ice Depart me nt. and eve n Capta in Marve l' s ab ilit y to
in stant ly c hange into hi s heroic ide ntit y .
Drawbacks are spec ial si tua t ion s that are unique to an
indi vid ua l Character . Unlike Powers. Ski ll s. and Ad vantages.
however. Drawbacks (as th e ir name implies) arc harmful to th e
Character. Examp les of Dra wbacks in cl ud e Superman' s
Vul nerab ility to Krypto nite, Aq uaman 's inabi lity to re main o ut
of the water longer than o ne hour. and Batman' s sing le- min ded
pursuit of justi ce.
Ru les gove rning a ll of the indi vidual Pow e rs. Skil ls.
Adva nt ages, a nd Dra wbac ks c an be found in Chapt e r Two:
Character De sign. Usua ll y, Powers and Ski ll s w ill fu nction as a
C haracter's AV. EV , OV. or RV while ma kin g ce rtain Ac ti on
Checks. Advantages tend to mod ify Actio n Checks. or permi t a
Character to make certa in Act io n C hecks he could not make
o th erwise. So me eve n all ow a C haracter to perfo rm ce rtain
A utomati c Ac tion s he cou ld not make without them . Specific
details regarding lhe e ffects of Powers, Sk ill s. Advantages and
Drawbac ks are covered in Chapter Two. Take some time now to
look up a co uple examp les of Powers. Skills. Advan tages. and
Drawbacks in th at chapter and read the ir descriptions befo re
going on to Idea Seven.
Idea Seven: Hero Points
So far. we have shown that whet her or no t a DiL"e Action
succeeds is depe nde nt upon a co mbination o f the Characters·
Abi lit ies and the Playe rs · luck . But in the co mi cs. the heroe s
a lways see m to have lu ck o n th e ir side whe neve r they need it
mos t. S uperma n had no prob le m stretchin g his Abili ti es past
the ir limits in a dire situati o n. and Batman neve r see ms to mi ss
an imp ortant c lu e. Th e DC H EROES RPG acco unt s for thi s
phe nomenon by g iving Playe rs so me control over the ir Action
C hec ks throu g h the use of Hero Points.
Hero Points fun ction like mon ey: o nce a Player or the GM
decides to use the m . they are gone. although there are ways of
ge ttin g more Hero Point s durin g p lay. Hero Poi nt s al low a
Player to temporaril y in crease hi s Character's Acting and Effec t
Value s whenever he is atte mpt in g a D ice Ac ti o n. thu s giving
him a g rea ter c h ance of s uccess . Hero Po int s ma y a lso
temporari ly in c rease a Character·s Oppos in g a nd Res ista nce
Value s whe never he is res istin g a Di ce Ac ti o n. ca usin g hi s
opponent to ha ve a lesser chance for success
In the example o f Batman punching the Joker. Frank wou ld
ha ve the opt io n of spe nding Hero Points o n his Acting Va lue to
increase th e likelihood that he w il l hit the Joker, or spe ndin g
Hero Po int s on hi s Effect Va lu e to inc rease t he a mount of
damage he will do if he does hit the Joker. or he co uld opt to
spend Hero Points o n both the Act ing and Effec t Va lu es. At the
sa me time , the Jo ker cou ld spend Hero Point s on his Opposing
Va lue to decrease the chance that Batma n will hit him (vi ll ai ns
have Hero Point s too). or he could spend Hero Po int s o n hi s
Res istance Value to dec rease the d amage th at Batman will do if
he hit s. The Joker could also opl to spe nd Hero Po int s o n both
th e Oppos in g and Res istance Va lu es.
Each Hero Point that is spent inc reases th e Acting . Effect.
Opposing. o r Re sistance Va lue by o ne AP for that Action C heck
only. The Playe rs decide whe n to have the ir heroes spend Hero
Po int s , and th e GM decides w he n th e vil lains and minor
Characters w ill s pe nd Hero Point s; a lth o ug h man y min o1
C haracters will not ha ve a ny Hero Point s to spe nd . T he number
of Hero Poi nt s that eac h C hara c te r begins wi th is li sted in
Appe ndix A
The fo ll owi ng rul es perta in to the expend iture of
Hero Po in ts:
Rule 1
Fi rst of a ll , the Players and/or the GM mu st decide whether
or no t they are go in g to spe nd Hero Poin ts be/on' ro llin g th e
dice for the Action. Ne ithe r the Playe rs nor the GM are al lowed
to wa it ,111d see how we ll they do w ithout spending Hero Po int s
and th en decide to spend afterwards. O nce the d ice have been
rolled. il is too late to spe nd Hero Points
 Simi lar ly, once someo ne ha s decided that he is spendin g
Hero Points. he mu st s pend th e points. Even if the dice roll
would ha ve achieved the des ired res ult without the Hero Points.
they are still gone and may not be taken back.

Rule 2
Whenever Hero Poi nt s are used, the Player mu st c learly
announce to all of the other participants exac tl y how man y Hero
Poinls he is going to spend , and whi ch Va lues (AV, EV, OV , or
RV) are going to be increased wi th them: " I am spendin g 2 Hero
Points on the Ac tin g Value .i nd 3 o n th e Effect Va lu e," for
example. ~
Spend in g Hero Points, th e refore. is lik e biddi ng a t a n
auction. Once a Player or the GM announces that he is spending
Hero Points on the Act ing and/or Effect Val ues, hi s opponent
can dec id e to spe nd Hero Po ints o n th e Opposi ng a nd/or
Resis tance Va lu es. Once a Player hears that hi s o ppo ne nt is
spending Hero Points. he ca n then decide to spend mo re Hero
Points to ove rcome the opponent 's expe nditure, and so on. The
"bidd in r!"· goes back and fo rth like this until both s ides decide
that theY d0 not wa nt 10 spend any more Hero Points. Once both
sides arc co ntent w ith th e numb e r o f Hero Po ints they are
spending. the dice arc ro ll ed and the Actio n is resolved.

Rule 3
There is a lim it to the number of Hero Points that may be
spent on any one Acti o n. A Playe r may neve r increase any of hi s
Character's Values (AV, EV, OV, or RV) to more than double
its begi nning va lue throu gh the use of Hero Po ints. For examp le,
Ba1man can never spend mo re than 9 Hero Points on hi s Act ing
Value in combal with hi s beginning DEX of 9 ; nor ca n he spe nd
more than 6 Hero Poi nts o n hi s Re s ist ance Value due to hi s
beginning BODY of 6.
A more detailed examp le will demonstrate eve rything we
have ex plained abo ut Hero Poillls so far. Ba tm an is go in g to
punch the Joker aga in . Batman's beg inn in g AV and EV are 9
and 5 respect i vely (hi s DEX and STR) and the Joker's OV and
RV are 5 and 3 (hi s DEX and Boov). Since Frank wants to make
sure that he w ill take th e Joker out right he re and no w, he
decides to spend 3 Hero Points o n hi s Ac ti ng Value and 2 o n hi s
Effect Va lue. The GM now has a chan ce lO spend hi s own Hero
Poi nts, and s in ce the Jok er lik es being co nsc io us. th e GM
decides to spend 1 Hero Point on hi s Oppos in g Va lue and 2 on
hi s Res istance Value. Now Frank has a chance to revise hi s own
expenditures. Since he rea ll y want s to fini sh off the Joker, he
decides to go for th e gusto and up hi s commitment to 9 Hero
Points on hi s Ac tin g Va lue and 5 o n hi s Effect Value. Since hi s
original AV and EV were 9 and 5, Batman has reached hi s limit
for th is Ac ti o n, and ca n s pe nd no mo re Hero Po ints. S in ce
Bat man is goi ng for the ma x imum Hero Point expendit u re
poss ible. the GM decides to do the same for the Joker, spe nding
5 on hi s Opposing Va lue and 3 on hi s Res istance Va lu e. Thi s
brings the Joker up to his ow n lim it. Since neither side can
spend any more Hero Points, the Action is now resolved with a
final AV/EV of 18/10 and a final OV/RV of 10/6.
Rule 2
A n y Ac ti o n that in vo lves C h a ra c te r s · A ttribut es is
automatica ll y a Di ce Acti on. If the GM decides th at NightWi ng
ca n use hi s I NT to try to so lve one of the Riddlc r·s ridd les. fo r
exa mpl e. it is a Di ce Ac ti o n. In this case . usin g N ig ht wi ng"s
I NT/ WI LL as the AV/EV because it is a Men tal Ac ti o n. against
whateve r OV/RV the GM decides is appropriate, w it h 0~1e 01
more RAPs necessary for success.
There is one important exce pti on to this rul e. Using th e STR
Allributc to lift nn objec t is always an Auto mati c Ac ti on. If a
C haracter has a STR or 7 APs. he can automat icall y lift an y
objec t that we ighs 7 APs or less.
Rule 3
If ne ither o f the first two guide lin es arc applicable. the GM
should always fa ll b;,1c k on the old rule that any Act ion in wh ich
there is a chance th at yo u w ill fail , no matter how sma ll. is
automa ti ca ll y a Dice Ac ti o n. Spea k ing. for examp le . is a 11
Automatic Act ion because th e re is no c hance of failure:
Characters ca n a lmo s t al ways talk . Trying to t:onv in cc
Co mmi ss ioner Gordon to len d someone a police car. however. is
a Di ce Ac ti on because there is a chance that the commissionc1
wi ll not grant the req ues t.
It is always up to th e GM to determin e whether or not any
Action is u Dice Ac ti on o r an Auto mati c Ac ti on.

Idea Eight: Automatic Actions Pushing Automatic Actions

There are two types of act ions in the DC HEROES RPG . Ideas
Four, Five. and Seven gave details o n ho w to reso lve Di ce
Act ions. The other kind of ac ti o n is called Automatic Actions
Automatic Ac ti o ns are auto mati ca ll y s uccess ful. If th e
Flash wan ts to run at the speed of sound or Hawkman wants to
ny. they auwmatica ll y succeed . The Action and Result Tabl es
are not used for Automatic Acti ons. The only possib le prob lem
is determ in ing ex act ly which actions are Automatic Ac tion s and
which are Di ce Act ions. Here are some s impl e gu idel ines:
Rule 1
If a C harac ter is usin g a Power. Ad va ntage. or Skil l to
perform an Act ion. the appropriate descript ion in Chapter Two
wi ll indicate if the Acti on is a Dice Acti on or an Automatic Act ion.
So metimes, a he ro needs to fly faster. jump farthe r. or lift
more weight th an he is no rnwll y able 10 do. In these situati ons,
the hero must ·'Pus h'' hi s Ab ilities. strai nin g hi s capabili1ies to
the ir limit. A Pla ye r may o nl y Push when he is attempting to
perfo rm an A ulOmati c Ac tion th at is based o n a Powe r or
Allributc. To ' 'strain Abi lities" whi le attemptin g a Dice Ac ti o n.
a Player spend s Hero Points to increase the AV, EV. OV. or RV.
as di scussed in Idea Seven
In order to Push. the Player must make an Acti on Chec k
us in g th e APs of the Ab ilit y that he wa nt s to Push as th e
AV/EV. An Action C heck is made because Pushin g itse lf is a
Di ec Action s inc e there is a c h a nce or fai lure. Since the
Character is esse nti al ly fighting aga inst his ow n limits. the APs
of the ability the Playe r is Pushing also se rve as the OV/RV. Th e
RAPs fro m th e Pu sh ing Ac ti o n a rc te mporarily added to the
ability being Pushed. Hero Po in ts may be spen t to increase the
 Ae ling o r Effec1 Va lues o f 1he Pushing Ac1io n C heck. RAPs 1ha1 ac ro~s th e o il at a s peed o f 5 A Ps ( th e R A Ps te mp o ra ril y
a re added to a n Abili1 y o nl y last for O APs o f tim e (about 4 substllute for hi s APs of S uperspeed ). If S upe mia n rec ieved 10
seconds, o r o ne phase o f co mbat). At the e nd o f that time, the RAPs on hi s roll. he could lift a 10 AP object
A bilit y re turn s 10 its o ri g inal leve l: alth o ug h th e Pl ayer may A s soo n as a n A ut o m a ti c Acti o n is turn ed int o a Di ce
immedia1e ly try lO Pu sh the Ability again , if des ired . Ac ti o n, th e Abilit y u po n w hi c h th e Ac ti o n is based m ay no
In add iti o n to any Hero Points spent o n the Pu shin g Ac tion lo 1~ ge r be Pu she d . In stead . the P layer ma y now s pe nd Hero
C heck, the Pushin g Player mu st pay a speci~II "Push Fee·· eq ual Pomt s on hi s AV and EV if he want s to inc rease the c hance for
to three He ro Po int s fo r eve ry AP 1e mpo ra ril y adde d to the
Ab ilit y. Th e Pl aye r ca n c hoose to a dd fewe r A Ps t o hi s
C harac te r's Ability tha n he is entitled to, in o rde r to save Hero The Universal Modifier Table
Po ints o n the fee. The re a re o ft e n spec i:.11 c irc umsta nces that will influe nce
If the Playe r fail s in an atte mpt to Pus h a n Abilit y. the Di ce Ac ti o ns in a s imil ar fas hi o n. Wh eneve r Gree n Arrow
A bilit y in sta ntl y '·burns o ut'' and is redu ced to ze ro A Ps (th e shoots hi s bow. it is a no rmal Dice Acti o n: but what if Green
C harac te r is ex hau s1ed fro m the e ffor1 ). Burned out Abiliti es A rrow w ant s to s hoo t the bow whil e he is d a ng lin g from a
mu s t be regain e d throu g h th e us e of Rec o ve ry, whi c h is 1rapeze? In cases lik e thi s, look to the Universal Modifier Table's
ex pla ined later Standard A c ti on co lumn in o rd e r to find a Co lumn Shift
Here is an ex ampl e o f Pushing an abilit y: Marv is pl ay ing m o difi e r that is a ppli ed to th e Ac ti o n 's O p pos in g Va lu e.
Aqu a lad whe n an Army ta nk is dropped o n top o f him in the S hooting an arrow whil e da ng lin g fro m a trapeze mi ght be an
middl e of a fi g ht. A cco rdin g to th e Benchmark APs Table , ··Ex tre me·· Ac ti o n w ith a Co lumn S hift mo difi e r o f +4 . Thi s
Aqualad would need a STR o f 9 lo be abl e to lift the tank o ff o f me an s th a l the Oppos in g Valu e o f th e sho t is a ut o ma ti ca ll y
himse lf. Aqua lad 's STR is o nl y 7. but if he were to stra in hi s inc reased by fo ur Co lumn s.
The Universal Modifier Table is o nl y invoked when the GM
A bili1i es to 1he utmost, he just mi g ht be abl e to lift th e la nk
anyway. Since lifting the tank would no rmall y be a n Au1omati c fee ls_it is appropriate. a ~1d it is al ways up to the GM 10 rul e upon
th e d 1flicult y o f the Ac ti o n in ques lion.
Acti o n. Marv can Pu sh Aqu a lad 's STR to try and get it o ff hi s
bac k. Marv must make an Actio n C hec k w ith an AV/E V o f 7/7 Universal Modifier Table
(Aqualad 's STR) and an OV/RV of 7/7 (again . A qua lad 's STR).
Ju st to add a littl e in suran ce. he d ec ides to spe nd 2 Hero Po int s Description Standard Action Automatic Action
o n hi s Ac ting Value , raising it to a 9 . If Ma rv roll s un 11 . he Modifier OV Iii RV
w ill rece ive o ne Co lumn Shift and 2 RA Ps. He may the n add
th ese t wo RAP s 10 A qu a la d ' s ST R for O A Ps o f tim e (4 Easy -I IA
seco nd s). te mpo raril y rai sin g hi s STR 10 9. Ma rv mu st pay a Average 0 IA
.. Push Fee·· o f 6 He ro Po int s (3 Hero Po ints x 2 RAPs = Pu sh Cha llenging
Difficult
+I
+2
"4
Fee o f 6). If Marv roll s a 7. howe ver. he w ill fail hi s Pu sh
at1e mpt a nd Aqua lad 's STR will be in stant ly reduced to O APs Strenuous +3 6
until it can be Recove red . Extreme +4 8
Pus hing the Limit +5 10
Herc ul ea n +6 12
Automatic Actions Beyond the Limit +7 15
Versus Dice Actions
The differences between Auto mati c and Dice Acti o ns have OV &- RV: Oppos ing Va lue a nd Resistance Va lue
a lread y bee n ex pl a in e d at g rea t le ng th . Howeve r, th e re a re N/ A: Not Applicabl e
severa l s i1uati o ns w he re th e di s tin c ti o n be t we en th e t wo
beco m es un c lear. Guid e lin es fo r di s tin g ui s hin g be t wee n Going for Broke
Auto mati c and Di ce Ac ti o ns are as foll ows· Th e re w ill be times w he n P layers wa nt to be espec ia ll y
Most Automa ti c Ac1io ns assume that a C haracte r is 1ryin g prec is~ o r carefu l w ith th~ir Act.io ns . Suppo~e. for ex amp le. that
to pe rform th e ac ti o n und e r optima l c onditions. Some tim es, C apt;.u_n Atom want s IO hit a mam support pill ar w ith hi s Ene rgy
however. Pl ayers will be forced to atte mpt Auto malic Ac ti o ns Bl ast 111 o rde r 10 kn oc k the who le building down. In situatio ns
unde r unu sual c irc um s 1a nces. The Fl as h c an a lways use hi s like thi s. C haracters are Going Far Broke.
S uperspeed Power to run at inc redi ble speeds. for exa mpl e. but A ny lim e a C harac te r m a kes a Di ce Ac ti o n o ut sid e o f .
what if he is trying to run across a slippe ry o il sli c k o r throug h a co n~bat. he has the opti o n of Go ing For Broke . Whe n a Playe r
pmch o f rubbe ry g lue? S imilarl y. S uperma n could always lift an dec ides lo Go Fo r Bro ke. he in c re ases th e diffi c ult y o f th e
object that we ighed 25 APs. but whal if he had been poi soned by Ac1io n in o rde r to reap gre:.11e r rewards for success. First. he
a spec ial drug that caused hi s Po we r to kee p fadin g in and out ? d eclares. the number of Co lumn Shifts he is willin g 10 inc rease
the Ac uon ·s Oppos in g Va.lu e. A Player may o nl y dec la re an
In situali o ns lik e these. the Auto mati c Ac1io n becomes a
Di ce Act ion instead . Re me mbe r that an y Ac ti o n in whi c h there even number of Col umn Shifts (2. 4. 6, or 8). If he then roll s the
is a ny cha nce tha t a C haracte r will fail is a Di ce Ac ti o n. and in new S uccess Numbe r. he gets lO lower the Res istance Value of
th e prev io us ex ampl es. th e re is cert ai nl y a c han ce th a t bo th the Acti o n by a num ber o f Co lumn S hift s as summari zed o n the
S u perma n and Fl as h w ill fail. In thi s c.asc. use the APs o f the fo ll ow ing ta ble:
Abili1y in qu esti o n ( Flash' s Supers peed o r S uperma n's STR) as
both the AV and the EV o f the A ction C heck. The OV/ RV o f Going For Broke
the Actio n Check is de rived fro m the Universal Modifier Table. In
o rder to use the Universal Modifier Table, 1he GM musl dec ide Opposing Value Resistance Value
ho w diffi c ult the Ac 1i o n is that the C hara c ter is try ing 10 Columns Declared Bonus Column Modtflen
pe rform , us in g th e te rm s li s te d a s a g uid e lin e . Th e te rm s
de scribe the Acti o n fro m th e per spec ti ve o f a no rm a l m a n . +2 -3
Runnin g ac ro ~s a n o il s li c k , for exa mpl e , mi g ht b e a +4 -6
" Strenuous" acti on with an OV/RV of 6/6. If the drug pl aguing +6 -9
Supe rman was quite pote nt, the GM mi g ht rul e that lifting a +8 - 12
heavy o bj ect is " Herc ul ean ," and thus has an OV/ RV o f 12/1 2.
For all Au.tom ati c Acti o ns thai are turned into Di ce Ac tio ns by Hero Po ints may a lways be spent in conjunc1io n with an
s pec ia l s itu a ti o n s . th e R A P s o f th e Ac ti o n C h ec k 1h e n atle mpt to Go Fo r Bro ke. Go in g Fo r Bro ke is never used in
te mporaril y fun cti o n as th e APs of th e appropriate Automati c Co mbai (the re a re spec ial types o f attac ks thal cove r thi s same
Ab ilit y. If Fl as h ge ts 5 RAPs on hi s Ac ti o n Ch eck , he run s ground) .

.,
6 ~ -~ _/'
Chapte_r-~/.. ~-
-our:->
Just about everything in the world of th e DC HEROES Role-
Playing Came is meas ured in Attribute Po ints. or APs for short
In order to become proficient in th e DC HEROES RPG , the GM
I and the Pl:.iyers should become proficient wit h th e AP syste m .
Some guide lines for using APs a re as fo ll ows:
General Rules
Rule 1
When working with APs. it is impo rtant to remember two
things. Fir sl. each ;.1dditional one AP actual ly d o uble s the
amount of the quamity measured by the previou s AP value. For
examp le. Zero APs of disia nce is t!qual to 10 feet, I AP of
distan ce is 20 fee l. 2 APs of di stance is 40 feet , and so o n.
Likew ise. a Characler w ith an INT of 4 is twice as smart as a
Character w ith a n INT or 3. w ho in turn is tw ice as smart as a
Character w ith an I NT o f 2. Re m e mber that in addi ti o n to
weight. distance. vo lume. time . a nd mo ney: Attributes, Powers .
and Skill s ;ire all me;1surcd in A Ps.
Rule 2
It is impossible 10 add or subtrac t AP measure me nl s as if
they we re re;d world meas urements. If Capta in Marve l wanls to
lift two ekplrnnts. eac h w ith a weight of 7 APs . the ir co mbined
weigh1 is not 14 APs. Seve n APs or we ig ht is approximately 3
tons. so both e lephants together would we igh 6 to ns, which is
eq ual to 8 APs o f weig ht . W henever ;1 Playe r wa nts to add two
quantities together that are measured in APs. he takes the larger
of the two qua ntities and adds I A P to get the final resu lt for
examp le. 8 APs+2 APs=9 APs. 11 APs+ l 2 APs= l 3 APs. 90
APs+99 APs= I00 APs. and so o n.
Simila rl y. s ub1r~1c tion works diffe rentl y w ith APs a lso
Wheneve r quant iti es c.ire subtractell that a re measu red in APs,
lake the larger o f the two quantities invo lved a nd subtract o ne,
unless the two quantiti es are equ.il. in whi ch case the resu lt is
zero (1101 0 APs . just zero. z ip. nothing). Th e refo re. 6 APs-4
APs=5 APs. 91 APs-2 A Ps=90 APs. 44 APs-44 APs=ze ro. and
Rule 3
When co nverting real world meas uremen ts into APs using
th e Be11ch111ark AP.'i T<1ble, remember that eac h AP actuall y
stand s for an e ntire rn11ge of va lu es rather th an an abso lute
figure. One AP of di stan ce, therefore. represent s a ny real world
distance between 11 a nd 20 feel, 2 APs repre sent a ny di stance
betwee n 2 1 and 40 feet. 3 APs represe nt an y dista nce bet ween
41 and 80 feet. a nd so o n. The li stings o n the AP Range Upper
Limits Table are a lways the upper limit of th e AP va lu e in
question. Thi s mean s that 4 hours. 26 minutes is the g reatest
quantity that ca n be co nsidered 12 APs of tim e, 6.5 ton s is the
- "''
Movement
The re are many occasio ns whe re the GM and the Pla yers
w ill nee ll to kn ow ho w qui ck ly so me one ca n run a ce rt a in
lli stan ce. or how far someo ne c an trave l in a g ive n amount o f
time. APs m.tk c c alculations lik e this a breeze.
Rule 4
Speed is a lso measured in A Ps. The s peed at w hi ch a
Charac te r ca n run is equal to hi s DEX score o r the APs of any
mo ve m e nt Powe rs (Flight. Runnin g. Swimming. etc.). The
ground speed of al l Cha rac te rs w ithout a mo ve me nt Powe r is
limit ed to 4 APs. rega rdle ss of th e Character·s D EX (eve n
Batman, with hi s DEX of 9. c..in still on ly run at a speed o f 4
APs). If a C ha racter is sw imming in stead of running. hi s Speed
is limited 10 3 A Ps reg;1 rdl ess of DEX. unl ess the C haracte r has
a n appropriate mo ve m e nt Po we r . With o ut th e ail.I of the
Jumpin g Powe r, a C harac ter ca n hori zo ntall y jump O APs from
a standing positi o n. Any Characte r (w i1h o r w ithout the Jumping
Powe r) can add I A P to the <li stan ce jumpe d wi th a running
st.art . A C haracter can move <I distance eq ual to hi s speed eve ry
0 APs of time (4 second s. o r o ne phase o f co mbat ). Mov ing is
a n Automatic Ac tion. but unl ess a Charac1e r has a mo ve men l
Powe r, he may never Pu sh move me nt.
Rule 5
Since speed is measure d in A Ps. it a ll ows the GM o r the
Players to calcu late thin gs like how far o r how quickly the ir
C harac te rs ca n move. by usin g si mple formu las. T o llc te rminc
how far a Characte r can mo ve in a give n amount of time. for
in stance . simpl y al.Id th e Speed in AP; co the Time in APs to ge t
the Di stan ce tra ve led in A Ps. (Speed+Time=Dist..1 1ic.:e) This
means that if Bat man were co run at a speed of 4 APs fur 3 A Ps
o f lime (32 seconds). he wo uld cover 7 APs o f di stunce . or
about fi ve hundred yiirds ( Batman is fast).
Thi s formu la al so a ll ows yo u 10 qui c kl y conve rt APs of
speed into miles per hour ( mph). S impl y add IO APs (an hour o f
time) to the APs of speed to ge t the di stance trave led e ach hou r
For example. Haw kman can use hi s Anti -Grnv Belt and w ings
10 n y at a speed o f 8 APs. Thi s means that he ca n fly 18 A Ps o f
di stan ce ( I 0+8=18) every ho ur. or approximately 250 mph .
Now, let's s uppose that Manhunter find s a bomb that is
about to ex plode. The bla st ralliu s of the bomb is fift y yards (4
APs o f di stance). a nd 1he bo mb is set to explode in 6 seconds ( I
A P o f time ). Ca n Manhunte r ru n away fro m the bo mb before ii
ex pl odes? Manhunter's speed is 4 APs and he has I AP of time
in whic h to run . This means he 1:an cove r a di stance o f 5 APs
( 100 ya rd s). sin ce Speed ( in A Ps) + Time ( in A Ps) =Di stance (i n
APs). Five APs is out of the bomb· s blast radiu s o f 4 APs. so
Manhunter is lo ng go ne by the tim e th e bomb ex plodes.
Rule 6
APs ca n a lso be used to determine how qui c kl y a Character
or object ca n mo ve a certain d istance. Thi s is ca lculate d by
tak in g the Di stance ( in A Ps) and subtractin g the Speed in APs
w hich resu lt s in the Time (in APs). (Di stance-Speed =Time). For
exa mple , to fi g ure out ho w fa st Batma n ca n run a mile ( I O
APs), subtrac t Ba tm an's Speed (4 APs), whi c h leave 6 APs of
time, or about 4 minutes! Batman cou ld eas il y co mpe te for a
go ld meda l at the Olympic Games.
Here is ano ther exa mpl e: the Milky W ay Galaxy is 69 APs
lo ng. and Gree n Lantern has 40 APs of Flight. How long wou ld
it take him to n y from one end of the Galaxy to the other and Money Benchmarks
back? In orde r to n y the w hole di stance he mu st make two trips
of 69 APs. fo r a total of 70 APs. Seventy APs of di stance minus APs Amount of Money
Green La ntern 's Flight speed of 40 APs is 30 APs of Time, or -6 25 cents
abou t 128 years. Hopefull y, he knows a short cut. 0 $25
I $50
2 $100
Rule 7 3 $200
Finall y, APs can be used to determine an obj ect's Speed i f 4 $400
the di stance it w ill travel in a ce rt ain tim e is known. The 5 $800
equ ation for thi s transformat i on i s Di stance ( in APs) minu s 6 $1.500
Time (in APs) is Equal to the Speed (in APs). (Di stan ce- 7 $3,000
Time=Speed) For example, suppose that Lex Luthor has fired a 8 $6,000
nuclear rocket toward M etropoli s. It wi ll take the rocket fifteen 9 $ 12,500
seconds (2 APs of time) to cover four hundred and ninety mi les 10 $25,000
( 19 APs of di stance) between Luthor' s sec ret lab and the city. II $50,000
12 $ 100,000

_______
How fast is the rocket travelling? Well, 19-2= 17 APs of Speed.
16 $ 1 mi!Lion
Gree n L antern co uld eas il y catch thi s rocket, but Starfire or
19 $10 million
Roc ket Red probabl y could not catc h it w ithout Pushin g their 22 $100 million
Flight Powers.
_.
26 $1 billion
A ll three of th ese equation s are ve ry useful during play.
Time Benchmarks
For conve ni ence they have been reprinted on the reference sheet
at the back of the book: APs Length of Time
-2 I second
Distance=Speed+Time 0 4 seconds
Time=Distance-Speed I 8 seconds
Speed=Distance-Time 2 15 seconds
3 30 seconds
4 I minute
Throwing Things 5 2 minutes
6 4 minutes
DC comic book Characters, especia ll y big, strong ones like 7 8 minutes
Superman , th row heavy objects around all the time. Liftin g is an 8 15 minutes
A utomati c Acti on usin g the STR Attrib ute, but ca lculating how 9 30 minutes
fa r something ca n be thrown once it ha s been lifted may not 10 I hour
seem so simple. H oweve r, APs again make thi s easy to fi gure
13 8 hours
15 I day
out. I week
18
Rule 8 20 I month
T o find out how far a C haracter can toss an object, simply 23 I year
subtract its we ight in APs from the Character's STR. The result 27 10 years
is th e d i stance i n APs that he ca n th row th e obj ec t. ( STR - 30 100 years
W e i g ht;:T hrow in g Di stance) Thro wing an o bj ec t i s an 33 I milennium (1000 years)
50 Dinosaurs roamed the Eanh
Automati c Acti on, bu t tryin g to hit something w ith a throw n
this number of years ago.
object is a D ice Action.
56 Estimated age of the Earth.
For exa mpl e, Superman w ith hi s STR of 25, could th row a 58 Estimated a e of the U niverse.
50 lb. sack of grain (0 APs of weight) 25 APs of di stance, or

Negative APs
What happens when a calculation using the AP system reaches a negative AP value? For instance, suppose Jimmy Olsen i
rying to push a car that will not start. Jimmy's STR is 2, and the car has a weight of 6 APs. According to the equation:
istance=STR-Weight. Jimmy can move the car a distance of -4 APs per phase; but how far is -4 APs? He ctrtainly is not push.ing i
ackwards at forty feet per second!
Negative APs do not stand for negative amounts: they represent fractional values. Each -1 AP reduce the base value of th
measu reme nt system by half, just as each + I AP dou bles the base value. Negative AP Benchmarks
herefore. - I AP of distance is equal to S feet (half of IO feet) , -2 APs of distance APs Distance Weight Money
·s equal to 2 1/2 feet (half of five feet). and so on. -4 APs of di stance, then, is O 10 feet 50 pounds $25
qua! to about six inches, meaning Jimmy could push the car about six inches per -I 5 feet 25 pounds $12
phase. -2 2 111 feet 12 pounds S6
-3 I foot 6 pounds $3
Negative AP va lues, like the positive AP va lues, often call upon the Players -4 6 inches 3 pounds $1.50
to exercise common sense. Can Bannan really throw a quarter pound hamburger -5 3 inches I 1/2 pounds 75 cents
with a weight of -7 APs, a distance of 4 miles? Of cou rse not. The GM should -6 I 1/2 inches 3/4 pounds 25 cents
-7 3/4 inch 6 ounces 10 cents
feel free to overrule any actions that common sense tells him are impossible.
~8 I cm 3 ou nces 5 cents
A value of~ 100 APs represents absolute zero. If a Character can ever reduce
-9 5 mm I ou nce 2cents
an object's C urrent Boov Condition down to- 100 APs or lower, it ceases to exist: - 10 2 1/2 mm 1/2 ounce a penny
nothing, not even particles or atoms, remains.
about 32.000 miles. Superman could throw a battle tank (weigh t Weight Benchmarks
of9 APs) 16 APs of distance. or roug hl y 60 mi les.
APs Weight Example
-9 I ounce
Rule 9 -5 I lb.
A Character ma y move at fu ll speed as long as he is -2 JO lbs.
carryi ng a weight that does not exceed his STR Attribute. If a 0 501bs. sack of grain
Character is Pushi ng his STR in order to lift a very heavy objec t, I 100 lbs. human child
it would obvious ly reduce his speed. In order to find out how 2 1801bs. human adult
much, si mpl y subt ract the STR from the weight he is carrying 3 400 lbs. lion
and reduce hi s speed by the res ult. (We ight-STR =Speed 4 7001bs. 10' high tree
Reduction) In the example where Aq ualad Pushed his STR to lift 5 112 ton grizzly bear
the tank. his Running speed wou ld drop from 4 APs down to 2 6 1.5 tons car
7 3 rons elephant
APs while ca rry ing 1he tank (9-7=2), and his Swimming speed
8 6.5 tons semi truck
would drop from 7 APs down to 5 APs. 9 12.5 tons light tank
10 25 tons DC-9 niqilane
Rule 10 II 40tons battle tank
The fo llowing fo rmula is used to figure out the speed th at 12 60 tons blue whale
an object trave ls when thrown: take the throwing Character's 13 110 tons Boeing 747
Sr• and subtract the Weight in APs of the object being throw n. 14 240 tons C-5A Galaxy
The result is the object's speed (STR-Weig ht=Throwing Speed). 15 450tons freighter
Superman cou ld throw a car (weight of 6 APs) at a speed of 19 16 900 tons destroyer
17 1800tons small building
APs (about 480.000 MPH ). The Earth' s escape velocity (the
18 3800 tons loaded train
speed necessa ry to break free of a planet's gravi ty) is 15 APs, 12,500 tons battleship
19
meaning that any ti me a Character can throw an objec t wit h a 20 25,000 tons nuclear submarine
speed of 15 APs or greater. he can throw th e object out of 21 50,000 tons aircraft carrier
Eanh's atmosphere and into outer space~ 28 Empire State Building
Note: Other planets may have different escape ve locities, 43 Mount Everest
depending on th eir de nsity. comp os ition, and atmospheric 76 the Moon
content. It is the GM's call on determining the escape ve locity 79 the Earth
of alien worl ds. 99 the Sun

Effect Units
Note: The complicated ideas found here are the mathematical Measure Amount
ndation upon which the AP system rests, but are not necessary to Weight 50pound,
rstandthegame. Distance IO feet
An Effect Unit, which is O APs. is the base value for mea.,urement on Volume i cubic foot
Effect Chart. The following measures are the upper limits of one Effect Time 4 seconds
nit (0 AP•) and their real world equivalents. lbey are given here to help Money $25.00
use the Effect Chart.
The Effect Chart
The Effect Chart that follows is used to translate APs to Effect Units of real world measurement. Often. this is not necessary,
ince the Action and Result Tables are set up to use APs, which in tum produces a result in APs (the RAP ). Sometimes, however.
you may need to "translate" real world measurements into APs (How many APs does the Daily Planet Building weigh'). or turn
Ps into real world units (How far is 6 APs?). The Effect Chan can be used to do this.
Units
The number of Effect Units and their equivalent UNITS
·n APs is called the Effect Unit M11/tip/ier. The number APs
f APs is equal to the Effect Unit Multiplier found O 1 2 3 4
low it on the chart. For example, 0 APs is equal to I Effect Unit Multlplier
ffect Unit. 5 APs is equal to 30 Effect Units, and so 1 2 4 8 15 30 60 125 250 500
n. If the measure in question were weight, then 5 APs
,s 1500 pounds (50 pounds times 30 Effect Unit Multipliers equals 1500 pounds); if it were time, 5 APs is 120 seconds or two
inutes (4 seconds times 30 Effect Unit Multipliers equals 120 seconds); and so on. The Effect Unit Multiplier is the upper limit of
range of Effect Units. The range of an Effect Unit Multiplier is from
Irr~~tmJn~t t~~,!~;lreett~~;::;:~~~.Ut~~ ~:i:~l~~rt ~u~~fp~i~rh~~
MULTIPLES
APs Effect Unit Multiplier
overs the range of Effect Units from 16 to 30.
10 1,000
Multlples
The first column of the Effect Chart only goes from O through 9
~go 1.000.000
1,000.000,000
4 1,000,000,000,000
)>.Ps. So how are you supposed to figure out what 14 APs weigh? Take 50 I.000.000,000,000.000
he units (far right) digit of the AP value that you wish to find the 60 I.000,000,000,000.000,000
,•alue for and look up the corresponding Effect Unit Multiplier, which 70 1.000.000.000.ooo.ooo.ooo.ooo
n this case is 15. You then multiply this number by the Effect Unit 80 I,000,000,000,000,000.000,000,000
uhiplier that is across from the APs remaining (in this case 10); the 90 I ,000,000.000,000,000,000,000,000,000
ffect Unit Multiplier of 10 APs is 1000. 15 times IOOO is 15,000, so 100 1,000,000,000.000,000,000,000,000,000,000
14 APs is 15000 Effect Units, whic h is 750,000 pounds, or 375 tons.
 Breaking Things Volume Benchmarks

In additi on to throwing tru cks and buildings around , DC

APs Volume Example
0 J cubic ft.
Com ic book characters also smash down brick walls and bend I 2cubicft.
steel in their bare hands. 2 4cubic ft.
3 8 cubic ft. 35 gal. fishtank
Rule 11 4 15 cubic ft. doghouse
Lik e Charac ters, eve ry inanimate obj ec t has certai n 5 30 cubic ft closet
Att ri butes meas ured in APs . A ll in anim ate obj ec ts such as
6 60 cubic ft. pantry
7 125 cubic ft. 5fiman tent
houses, trees, c ha ins, lampposts, ma ilboxes, or what have you 8 250cubic ft. bathroom
have a BODY that fun cti ons just like a Character 's BODY . An 9 500cubic ft. bedtoom
object's BODY is an indicati on of how much damage the objec1 10 I000 cubic ft. livingroom
ca n tak e before it break s. A li st of BOD Y Benchmark s for II 2000 cubic ft. storefront
inanim ate objects can be found in Chapter Seven: Gadgetry. 12 4000 cubic ft. studio apartment
Brea king an inanimate object is a Dice Act ion, using a 13 8000 cubic ft. I ~bedroom apt.
Character's STRISTR or APs of a n appropriate Powe r as the 14 15,000cubic ft. cottage
15 32,000 cubic ft. 3-bedroom apt.
AV /EV. (This is one of the special situation s that we mentioned
16 65,000 cubic ft. 2-tlat building
in Chapter Three, in which an Effec t Attribute is also used as an 17 130,000cubicft. 4-flat building
Ac tin g Va lue.) The object's Boov/Boov is used as the OV/RV 18 260,000 cubic ft. small warehouse
If at least one RAP is earned on thi s Action Check, the object is 19 500,000 cubic ft. large warehouse
damaged or bent: and if the object is big enough, like a fe nce or 20 I million cubic ft. 8-story building
a house, one or more RAPs puts a hole in it that is large enough 77 volume of the Earth
to wa lk or climb through. If a number of RAPs are received on
thi s Act ion Chec k that are greater than or equal to tw ice the
Distance Benchmarks
object's BODY, the object is comp letely destroyed. The RAPs APs Distance
from these Action Checks are cumulati ve. Suppose Starman is -8 1 centimeter
trying to destroy an object wit h a 10 BODY, but he only rece ives -3 I foot
3 RAPs on hi s Acti on Check. This means Stannan wi ll have to 0 lOfeet
keep poundin g away at the objec t unt il the tota l RAPs from all I 20 feet
of hi s Action Checks are greater than or equal to 20, at whi ch 2 40feet
point the objec t will be total ly destroyed. 3 80feet
4 l50feet
Let's take a look at another example. Suppose Superman
5 JOO yards
tri ed to smash through a stee l wall ( BODY of 12). He would then 6 200yards
make an Action Check using 25/25 (his STR/STR) as the AV /EV 7 I/Smile
agai nst an OV/ RV of 12/ 12 (the wa ll' s Boov/Boov). If he 8 l/4mile
receives one or more RAPs, he smashes a hole in the wall large 9 In mile
enough to wa lk through. If he receives 24 RAPs, he brings the 10 I mile
who le wall down . 16 JOO miles
For one more exa mple, let's say that Captain Marve l is 20 IOOOmiles
28 Earth to 1he Moon
try in g to bend a lead pipe (BODY of 7). He would then make an
37 Earth 10 rhe Sun
Act ion Check using 20/20 as the AV/EV (hi s STRISTR) aga inst 42 Sun to Pluto
an OV/RV of 7/7. If he rece ives one or more RAPs, he bends 51 I light year
the pipe. If he receives 14 or more RAPs, he can co mpletely 58 Earth to Tamaran
des troy the pipe. 69 length of our galaxy

APs and Effect Units

Find the number of APs on the APs row. The Effect Unit Multiplier is the number of Effect Units for those APs. If there are H
APs or more, find the Effect Unit Multiplier of the unils (far right) digit and then multiply the result by the Effect Unit Multiplier o
lhe number of APs by which you exceeded the units digit (see Multiples, above).

Effect Units to APs

If you know that a tank weighs 50 tons and a Character is trying lo lift that tank, how do you know how many APs it weighs?
First, conven lhe real world weight to Effect Units of weight by dividing the total weigb1 by the equivalent of oue Effect Unit (ir
ihis case, 50 pounds). There are approximately 40 weight Effect Units in a ton, so a tank weighs 2000 Effect Units.
Second, size the number of units to fit the Effect Chart. The largest Effect Unit Multiplier is 500, so there is a problem it
alculating the tank's weight. When you are faced with this problem, strike olT three dig.its from the number of Effect Units,/ron
·ight to left. Continue striking off groups of digits until the remaining number of Effect Units is smaller than the Effec1 Uni
Multiplier. For eve,y group of digits struck, add IO APs to the APs determined below.
The tank weighs 2000 units. Striking three digits at a time from the right to left leaves you with a 2. Two is smaller than some
Effect Unit Multiplier, so you stop this step, remembering to add 10 APs to the APs found in 1he 1hird step below.
Third, find the Effect Unit Multiplier which is equal to or greater than the (modified) number of Effect Units. Above this Effec
Unit Multiplier are the APs of the Effect Units.
The 2 from step two is an Effect Unit Multiplier of I AP, so the tank weighs I AP plus the 10 APs from step two, for a
total of 11 APs.
Confused?
Do nor worry about being precise. Precision is for math exams, not for role-playing games. The Effect Chart is used to give a
ballpark figure with which you can play the game. It is more important to come up with a number quickly than to come up with the
absolutely correct number. After a while, you will be able to eyeball the Effect Chart and come up with numbers which are close
enough for your purposes.

Sometimes C h aract e r s w ill be ra ce d w ith no o th e r
altern at ive than to join in battl e. Ve ry few vill a in s w ill give
up witho u1 a fi ght. and vic iou s assassins who co me gu nnin g
for heroes are an a ll -too-freq ue nt occu rre nce . Us ing the rul es
in thi s cha pter, just about an y co mba t situati on can be pla yed
out in detai l
Most of the time , whi le play ing the DC HEROES Role-Playing
Game , time, movemen t. a nd spec ifi c ac tions are not really a
problem. Us ually. everybody simply keeps telling the GM what
they want to do, and the GM te ll s them what happens as a res uil.
using 1he rul es as a gui de line. Once comba t begin s. however,
everythi ng mu st slow down so the GM can determine the exac l
sequence of events. Suppose, for example, that Batman wa nts to
throw a Batarang at the Riddler, wh ile the GM dec ides that the
Riddler want s to shoot a gun at Batman. Who gets to go first?
Instead of arb it rari ly makin g a dec ision , th e GM in vo kes the
combat rule s.
Combat is playe d out in a seri es of turn s ca ll ed
Each phase of combat lasts O APs o f time. or about 4
The ru les in this c hapter w ill ex pl ai n exac tl y
Character ca n do once it is hi s turn in co mbaL. During
the GM w ill a lso kee p trac k o f th e pos iti o ns o f eve ryo ne
involved in the battle. constantl y updatin g the positi ons as the
Characters move and st umble
Th e GM ha s th e optio n o f in vok in g th e co mbat rul es
whenever he fee ls it is appropriate. The re are Limes whe n the
GM might wa nt to invoke the m even whe n Lhe re is not rea ll y
any combat happenin g. in order to establi sh eve ryo ne's exact
posit ion and pla y out a sequen ce of eve nt s in which timin g
might be criti ca l. Suppose, for example. that a littl e g irl fall s o ff
the roof of an apartm en t building. Ca n Firestorm save her? In
this case. the GM should probabl y in voke the co mbat rul es in
order to establi sh the exact pos itions of Fires torm a nd the girl.
and to figure ou1 whethe r or not Firestorm w ill be ab le to act
before the girl hits the gro und .
Before we outlin e the ge ne ral combat rule s. it is import ant'
to emphas ize a few points.
I.Time
Combat is always played out in sequent ia l " phases." One
phase of co rnbal lasts approximate ly 4 seco nd s. or O A Ps of
ti me. During eac h phase of co mbat. eac h C haracter wi ll get a
turn to do someth ing . The fo llow ing rul es wi ll exp lai n how to
decide who ge ts the first turn. who gets the seco nd turn. etc.
Whe n it is a Character's turn in combat , he can perform up
to three Actions; but onl y one of these Ac ti ons can be a Dice
Ac ti on. A C haracter co uld , fo r ex ampl e . mo ve (Au toma ti c
Acti on), pi ck up an objec t (Auto mati c Act ion). a nd the n throw
th e object at some thin g (Dice Action ): o r move (A ut o matic
Action) , punc h the vill a in (Dice Act ion ), and su mmon the poli ce
v ia rad io (A utomatic Ac Li o n). Th e three Actions ma y be
performed in an y order. the Dice Ac ti on does not have to come
first or last , and a Character does not ha ve to perform all three
Ac ti ons if the Playe r so des ires.
Th e on e- line quip s th at so ofle n pun c tu ate com ic book
co mbat are free and do not take up any of a Charac te r's three
a ll owed actions, but stoppin g to plan strategy or to ca rry on a
lengthy conversation with a fr iend doe s co unt as an Automat ic
Action. In fac t, during an y phase in whic h a C haracter di sc usses
strategy or carries on a lengthy conversation , he ca nnot pe rform
a Di ce Ac ti o n. If it is much longer th an '·Let's ge t him !" it
should be rul ed a le ngthy conversation
There is on ly one ot he r rul e co ncerning Actions d urin g
co mb at: a C h aracter may neve r pe rform more than one
mo veme nt Ac ti on in a s ingl e phase. Cyborg, fo r exa mpl e ,
ca nn ot run hi s full speed of 5 APs and th e n Jump 7 APs all in
one phase. Simi larly, Superman could not run a long th e ground
usin g hi s Supe rspeed and th e n fl y away usin g fl ig ht in the
same phase.
Ill. Keeping
Track of Position
It is a lways up to the GM to keep track of the positi on o f
th e va ri o us co mbatant s during a ballle. Th e easiest way to do
thi s is to draw out a qui ck map of the terrain and penc il in th e
firs t initial of eac h Charac ter invol ved in th e a ppropriat e
locations at the in stan t the battle begin s (the GM decides where
everyon e beg in s, based on the situation ). Once the battl e ge ts
started th e GM can erase eac h Cha racte r's initial and re pos ition
it as necessary. Whe n drawi ng up a map or thi s son . make sure
to include a sca le so that each Player can see how far eve ryone
may move. etc
A nothe r option for kee pin g trac k of posi tion s is to set up
s mall d ioramas and use mini at ure fi g ures for eac h of th e
combata nt s. Settin g up diorama s and usin g miniatures cos ts
mon ey a nd tak es up tim e. bu t it ad d s a bre a thtaking new
dimens ion to play.
A key rul e to re me mb er w he n plotting C hara c ters ·
pos itions is to keep thin gs movin g. Do not spe nd a lot of time
draw in g out e laborate maps and diag ram s once p lay beg in s.
Ro ugh sketches dra wn in a minute or less will suffice . In fac t.
o nce eve ryo ne in the gro up has a lot of expe rie nce wit h th e
ga me. it is often unn ecessa ry to kee p written track of th e
combatants· posi ti ons at all.

IV. Combat Se uence
Each combat phase consists of five separate steps. Each of
these steps is outlined below:
1. Activate Automatic Powers
2. Roll for Initiative
3. Declare Actions
4. Perform Actions
5. Make Recovery c_he_ck_, _ _ _ _ _ _ __.
Step 1:
Activate Automatic Powers
Every Character has an o pportunit y to immediatel y activate
an y of hi s protecti ve Autom ati c Powers at the beginning of each
phase of combat (i.e., turn the Power o n). A ny Power acti vated
in thi s fa shion goes int o e ffect before a nyo ne can pe rfo rm an
Act ion durin g th at phase, oth er th an act ivatin g th eir ow n
Automatic Powers. Thus, even if Gree n Lante rn manages to win
the first turn in a combat phase, Sinestro cou ld always put up a
Force Field before the Emerald Warrior ca n strike.
Ac ti vat in g an A ul omat ic Pow e r a lways co unt s a s an
Au to matic Acti on in combat. If a Character act ivates one of hi s
Auto matic Powers before Initiati ve is rolled (as exp lained in the
nex t step), it still costs o ne of the three allotted Acti o ns o nce it is
hi s turn to act
Deac ti va tin g a Powe r neve r co unt s as an Ac ti o n ; but a
Characte r may not acti vate and d eactivate the same Power in
o ne phase. Brainiac 5 could not turn off hi s Force Field, punch
Starfinger. and the n turn his Force Fi e ld back on , fo r instance.
Th e o nl y Pow e rs that may be act iva te d in thi s wa y are
prot ec ti ve Powe rs like Force Fi e ld , Icing, In visibilit y, Two-
Dim e nsional , Di spe rsa l, Force Shie ld . Me ntal S hi e ld , Jo in ed ,
and Mag ic Shie ld . The e ffec ts o f eac h o f these Powe rs are
exp la in ed in detail in Chapter 2: Character Design. All other
Aut omat ic Powe rs, like Fli ght or Te lescopic Vis ion, may not be
used until it is that Character's turn in the phase. Each use o f an
Automatic Power co unt s as an Auto mati c Action every time it is
used, and Di ce Powers co unt as Dice Act ions whe never th ey are
used. Once a protec ti on Power has bee n activated, it does not
co unt as another Ac ti o n lO use it. For in stance, it does not cost
Booster Gold a separate Acti on eve ry time so meone tri es lo
pun ch him and he uses hi s Force Fie ld to defend him self, as long
as he has a lready spe nt one Act io n 10 ac tivate it. The same is
true even if the Force Fi e ld was ac ti vated durin g a prev io us
phase. A protection Power w ill a lways stay acti vated until the
use r voluntaril y deacti vates it or is rendered unconsc ious
The lnsta-Change Adva ntage may a lso be acl ivated durin g
the protection Power ste p, al so at a cost of one Ac li o n.
Note: Some Pow e rs lik e Ski n A rmor , Iron Will , 0 1
Awa re ness a re always co ns id ered "o n" and never need 10 be
activa ted to take effec t. See the Power description s in Chapter
Two fo r de mi ls.
Step 2: Roll For Initiative
Thi s is th e step where the order in whic h everyo ne wi ll act
during th e c urre nt phase is dec ided.
Each he ro has a [i sled Initiative rating in hi s Att ribute box.
A Charac te r' s Initiati ve rat in g is eq ual to the sum of hi s Acti on
Attribules ( DEX. INT, and INFL), thou g h the re are Powe rs, Skills,
and Advantages tha t ca n temporari ly o r pe rman e ntl y affec t a
Characte r's l nil iative rating. These are desc ribed lat er.
At th e begi nning of eve ry ph ase of combat , eac h of the
parti c ipa nt s roll s a D 10. adds the result to hi s lniti a1 ive rating ,
and records the fin al total on a pi ece of sc rap paper. The GM
ro ll s fo r the villain s and minor Characte rs. wh il e th e Players
ro ll for the ir he roe s. The C harnc ler wi th 1he hi ghest rec orded
total win s the first turn and gets to act first during the phase,
w hil e the Character w ith the second highest to tal ge ls to ac t
seco nd , etc
If two Characters' Initi ative total s are lied, a hero a lways
takes precedence over a vill a in or minor Character. If two heroes
(or villains or min or Charac ters) are ti ed, 1he Characte r with the
hi g he r INT is considered to have won the Initiati ve strugg le. If
the Charac te rs are still ti ed, have them re roll the ir Initi ative
total s until the tie is broke n.
Hero Points
Before rolling Ini tiative for a phase of co mbat. each Player
may choose to spend Hero Point s to inc rease hi s Charac ler's
Init iative tot al. He may spend as many Hero Point s as desired on
a single Initiati ve roll (there is no limit), and each Hero Po int
spent will increase the Initi ative total by one for that phase o nl y.
Hero Poi nl s to be spe nt o n Initi ative mu st be declared aloud
before a ny dice are rolled , a ll ow in g th e GM and th e othe r
Play e rs prese nt a cha nce to spend their own He ro Point s to
co unter s uch a move. All of th e participatin g Pl ayers th e n
continue to bid, as described in C hapter One, unti l eve ryone is
happy with the number of Hero Points they are spending. Once a
Player has dec lared th at he is spe nding He ro Po int s o n the
lni1i at ive roll , he mu st spend these Hero Points regardl ess of
how many Hero Po ints the other Players decide to spe nd. o r how
th e fina l total s would have come out without any expenditures.
The GM m ay opt to ha ve an y of th e Charac ters he is
contro ll ing spend Hero Points to in crease their Initiati ve scores
as well . T hese should be declared out loud at lhe same time the
Players are bidding, and before any Initi at ive roll s are made .
No o ne may ever " Push" o ne of the ir Acting Attributes in
order to temporari ly in crease their Initiati ve rating
Powers, Skills, and Advantages
Se vera l of the Powers, Skills, and Advantages desc ribed in
Chapter Two can modify a Character's Initi at ive rating. For the
sa ke of co n ve ni e nce, a ll of 1hem are recapped he re. Pre-
ge nerated C haracters w ith any of the se Ab i liti es have a n
Initiati ve li s1ed which a lready takes the bonuses into account :
Lightning Reflexes: Characters with thi s Advantage add 2 10
the ir Initiati ve ratings in all situati ons
Martial Artist: C haract e rs wit h th e Martia l A rti st Skill
alway s auto mat ica ll y add two to the ir Initiati ve ratings. eve n
when they are not performing a Martia l A rt s attack. Robin' s
Base Initi ati ve would be 2 1 (the sum of hi s DEX. INT, and INFL).
but is li sted as 23 because he always adds 2 to hi s Initi ative d ue
10 hi s Martial Arti st Skill.
5uperspeed: Charac ters with thi s Power add their APs of the
Power to the total of their Act in g Attribu1es when calc ul ating
the ir Initiati ve ratings. For example, th e Flash has a 7 DEX, a 5
INT, a 5 INFL, Lightning Renexes. and 14 APs of Superspeed:
the refore , hi s Initiati ve rating is 33 . A S uperspeed Cha rac ter
rece ives thi s in c reased Initiati ve rating eve n whe n he is not
usin g Superspeed during the pha se ( unl ess hi s S upe rspee d
Power has Burned Out , see Recovery).
Water Freedom: C haracters with thi s Power may substitute
their APs of Pow e r for th e ir D EX whil e ca lc ul ati ng th e ir
Ini tiati ve rating in situati o ns whe re 1hey are subme rged in wat er
A Character's subm e rged Initi ative rat in g is always li sted in
brackets after hi s true Initiati ve rating. For exa mpl e, Aquaman 's
Initiati ve would be li sted as 26 [28].
Example:
Batman , Robin , and N ig ht w in g a re e ngaged in co m ba t
aga in st the Pengu in , the Riddler, and a pa ir of thugs . Present in
th e battl e are Batman ( Base Initiati ve o f 35), N igh1wing
(Initiative of 28), Robin (Initiati ve of 23), the Pe ngui n (Initiat ive
of 20) , the Riddler (Initiative of 25), Rocco (Initiati ve of 9), and
Lefty (Initiative of9).
First, the GM anno un ces that the Penguin and the Riddler
a re each spendin g te n Hero Point s to in crease th e ir Initi ative
total s for thi s pha se. Th e heroe s · Pla ye rs now h ave a n
opportunit y to spe nd Hero Points of their ow n. and Night wing Optlona Tu
and Rob in 's Players eac h dec ide to spe nd te n He ro Po int s to In order to speed up play, the sysle
match the two vill ai ns. Si nce the GM fee ls that the Riddl er and eclarit1g ActionH before they 3fe perfor
the Pe nguin reall y want to go first, however. he declares that the can be dispensed with. instead simply resol
vill ai ns are uppin g the ir commitment to 20 Hero Points ap iece. each Character·~ Actions in Jnitiative o
All of the heroes now have an opportunity to rai se their ow n from highest to lowest. Because this
Hero Point ex pe nditures (a nd th e n the vill ain s wo uld receive eli,ninate much of the advantage. of
a noth er c hance to spend more Hero Points, and so o n until high Initiative, the following rules mu
everyo ne is sati sfi ed). but the Players al l decline to spend more used if Actions are not declared:
Hero Point s at thi s time A Character may always de ·
Next. eve ryo ne ro ll s a DIO and add s th e res ult to hi s bis Action until a
Initi at ive Ratin g, plus a ny Hero Point s he s pent to in c re ase does nor need to
Initiati ve fo r thi s phase. Batman· s Pla ye r roll s a 7, so hi s ill trigger his Actions. and may decide t
Initi ative tota l is 42 (35+7=42); Night win g's Player ro ll s a 6. so is Actions al any time in the phase after
hi s Initi ati ve total is 44 for hi s ph ase (2 8+ IO Hero Points+6=44): entitled to act. This allows Characrers
a nd Rob in 's Play e r rol ls 4 for a total of 37 (23+ 10 He ro ,higher lnidatives to attempt to stop those
Points+4=37). The GM ro ll s a 4 for the Riddl e r. giving him a lower lnitittrlve!; just a;, they are atcem
total Initi a ti ve o f 49 (25 +20 Hero Points+4=49); a I fo r th e ctions. However, when a Character deci
Pe ng uin. res ultin g in an Ini1 iati ve total of 41 (2 0+20 Hero use his Actions for the phase. he must use
Poin ts+ \=4 1); a 7 for Rocco, leav ing him with a n Initi ati ve total his Actions at one time. For examp
of 16 (9+7= 16); and an 8 fo r Lefty for a tota l Initi at ive of 17 Charncter cannot move. then wait for a vil
(9+8= 17) n stop the villain with an Energ
During thi s phase. therefore. the combatants will act in th e of a Character's Actions (with t
follo win g order: the Riddler (49), Night win g (44), Batman (42), ly noted e.~ception or acrivatin
the Penguin (4 1), Robi n (37), Left y ( 17), and Rocco ( 16). Powt}rs) must be performed in t
Note: Afte r thi s phase of combat is co mpl ete, the process of the phase.
start s all over again. and eve ryone must roll new In itiati ve tot a ls Character js attacked after he h·
and sp end more ~ ero Points. if desi red . Spend ing. Hero Points ·ted in a phase, he rnay still u,e
onl y 11.1creases Ini_ll_ati ve for one phase; if the GM _wi shes to keep Acrion to activate a defensive
th e R1dd le r' s lrntrnti ve of 45 (25+20 Hero Pomls). he mu st · rombar
spe nd 20 more Hero Po i111 s on the nex t ph ase. wever, doing s
··s next phase; he may
Step 3: Declare Actions in the next phase after defe
such a way. For example, Ro
The next step is for a ll of the combatants to declare what g in on a. Batlinc and knocked
their Characters are goin g to do during the c u1Te nt phase. a roundhouse k.ick. Next to act i
Beg innin g w ith th e C ha racter th at ha s th e lowest total e thug'~ partner, who decides.
In itiati ve sco re after rolling, the GM a nd each of the P laye rs inegun at Robin. Robin's Player
in vo lved announces out loud the ir Act ions for the phase in the o have Robin execute a Dod
order o f Initi ative score s. lowest to hi ghest. Th e GM announ ces to help him avoid the bullets, but
th e Ac li ons o f an y villain s or minor C haracte r s th at he is may do nothing Iexcept continue
con tro lling. ring the next phase, aUowing t
Noti ce th at it is th e indi v idual with th e lowes t tota l o continue to fire.
Initiati ve score that mu st dec lare hi s Ac ti ons first. Thi s is in Both of the above optional rules may be
order to give those Characte rs with a hi ghe r Initi ative (who will sed e\ en if the normal cycle of declaring
be perform in g first in th e phase) a cha nce to find o ut what :.\ctions is used. but they will tend to
eve ryo ne e lse is go ing to do befo re they mu st dec ide what to do complicate play. Advanced Players and GMs
themse lves. nay find, however. that the added flexibility i
When a Player declare s hi s Acti ons, he must indi cate what Worth the extra complexity.
hi s C haracter· s three Ac ti o ns w ill be, and the ord er in w hi c h
they will be perform ed. Conditions may be placed upon Ac ti ons
For exa mple , Starman could dec lare that he is goin g to fl y into a
buildin g (A utomatic Act ion). loo k around (A utom ati c Act ion). Step 4: Resolve Actions
and use hi s Fla me Projec t if he spots someone that looks hostile
(Di ce Acti on with a cond iti on); or he could declare that he is Eac h or th e co mbatant s Ac ti ons in
go ing to fl y hi gh into the ai r (A utomati c Actio n), and if anyone o rde r of Initi a ti ve sc ores . fr o m Note that
shoots at him. he w i ll blast th e m bac k (Dic e Act io n w i1h a thi s is th e o ppos it e of th e o rd e r
co nditi on) . Conditions do not have to be placed on any Dice in Step Three
Ac ti on if the Player does not wi sh it. For instance, A nima l Man Reso lving Aut omat ic Ac ti on s should be easy e nough; just
could decl are th at he is goin g to bash th e thu g who just shot th e use the appropri ate rules. Rules govern ing a ll of th e Powers a nd
puppy. no matter what e lse happe ns durin g t ha t pha se (a n Ski ll s ca n be fou nd in Chapter Two . So me o f th e co mmo n
unconditional Dice Ac ti on). Automa ti c Actions that C haracters will pe rfo rm in combat. such
A Note on Fair Play: Good GM s and Playe rs will always as move me nt. liftin g and th rowin g objects. were desc ribed in the
se parat e what th ey know from w hat the C haracte rs the y are pr ev io u s c h apte r. A C hara c te r w ho is t rying lo Pu s h an
play ing know . If the Pl aye rs· heroes are tryin g to sneak up on a Automati c Acti on woul d reso lve the Pu sh att e mpt at thi s time.
vill ain from out of a man ho le cover. for exa mpl e. a good GM Resolvin g Di ce Actio ns is a littl e tri c kier sin ce it invo lves
would ne ver have th e vil lain declare that he is goin g to rip off consultin g th e Act ion and Res ult Tabl es. Re me mbe r that a ny
th e sewe r ca p and blast away before the he roes attac k. beca use He ro Point s th at are go in g to be spen t o n Ac tin g. Effect.
there is no way that the vill ain co uld poss ibl y know what the Opposin g. or Res istance Va lues mu st be announ ced before the
heroes are plannin g. eve n thou gh the GM does. di ce arc ro ll ed (see Chapter Three ). A lways apply the res ults
of a Di ce Act io n (s uc h as d a mage to pe rso ns or prope rt y)
immediately afte r the Act ion has bee n reso lved. If a Character is
kn oc ked unconsc ious befo re it is hi s turn duri ng the phase, he
loses the c hance to act.
Step 5: Make Recovery Rolls
Afte r e ve ryo ne has resolved th e ir Act ions, eac h of th e
combatants has the opti on of makin g a Desperation Recovery
Check. The order in which the Characte rs make the ir Recove ry
ro ll s is uni mportant.
Desperation Recovery Chec ks a llow a Character to "heal ''
damage. They are full y ex plai ned later on in th is chapter.
V. The Nuts
and Bolts of Combat
Bashing so meone, whethe r the Character is using a fi st, a
foot , or a fancy Power, is alway s a Di ce Act ion. Thi s means thal
every attempt to dam age someone in combat has an AV , EV,
OV, and RV.
The AV/EV of a combat Acti on depends upon the sort of
atl ack being made. If a hero is simpl y attac king hi s opponent in
hand -to-hand combat (pu nc hing, kick ing, etc.), the AV/EV o f
the anack is equa l to the hero's DEx/STR (DEX is the Physical
Ac ting Allr ibut e, a nd STR is th e Ph ys ica l Effect Attr ibute).
Characters with the Marti a l Art ist Ski ll can ofte n use APs of the
Sk ill to e nhance the ir Acting and/or Effect Va lues in hand-to-
hand combat. Since thi s Sk ill is so comm on, all Players should
be fami li ar with the Martial Arti st entry (see page xxx).
If a Character is attac king hi s opponent with a Power, its
description in Chapter Two wi ll describe what to use as the
AV and EV of the attack. Us ually the APs of the Power serve as
the AV and the EV of such an effort
Figuring out the OV/RV of a combat blow is a little more
diffi c ult , sin ce the OV/RV a lways depend s upon the type of
attack be ing made. Basicall y, the re are th ree types of co mbat
altack s in the DC HEROES RPG : Ph ys ica l Attac ks, Mental
Attac ks, a nd My stica l Attack s, which corres pond lO the three
types of Attributes.
Physical Attacks atte mpt lO da mage the target' s ph ys ica l
self. Phys ica l Attacks incl ude all hand-lO-hand blows, gun shots,
bomb blas ts, and Powers such as Ene rgy Blast, Li ghtnin g, or
Soni c Beam. Ph ys ica l A ltacks are far more co mmon th an
Me nt a l o r Mys ti ca l Attac ks beca use a ny body ca n mak e a
Ph ys ica l A tt ack j us t by throwin g a pun c h o r a ki c k . A
Character's OV/RV again st Phys ica l Attacks is usuall y equal to
his Phys ica l Opposing and Res istance Attributes (DEx/BooY).
Mental Attacks aue mpt to do da mage to the target's me ntal
we ll -be ing. A Character may onl y make a Menta l Attack if he
has an appropri ate Power, such as Mind Blast or Mind Control.
A Characte r 's OV/RV aga in st Me nt a l Att ack s te nds to be
e q ual 10 hi s Me nt a l Opposi ng a nd Res ista nce Attr ibut es
(INT/MtND). C harac te rs lik e Brain wave from Infini ty , Inc.
makeMe mal Attacks.
Mystical (o r m ag ica l) Attacks a ttempt to d amage th e
ta rget's li fe forc e. Again , a Character may onl y make a Mysti ca l
All ack if he has an appropri ate Power, li ke Mag ic Blast or Sp irit
Dr a in . A C ha ra c1er's OV / RV aga in s t M ys ti ca l A tt acks is
no rm a ll y e qual to hi s Mys ti ca l Oppos in g a nd Res ista nce
Attr ibut es (I NFL/S PtRIT). C hara c te rs lik e Doc tor Fa te make
Mysti ca l Attacks a ll the time.
Whe n usin g a Power to attac k, its descri pt ion in Chapter
Two wi ll desc ribe whether the attack is Ph ysica l, Me nta l, or
Mys tical. Note thal a Power that is c lass ified as a Me nta l or
Mystical Power does not necessaril y cause a Me ntal or Mys tical
Attack. Man y Me ntal Powers. fo r exa mp le, ca use Ph ysica l
Attacks. A Powe r on ly causes a Menta l or Mysti ca l Attac k if its
desc ription spec ifi ca lly says so.
If a Character is att acking wi1hou1 using a Power to attack,
he is automaticall y makin g a Physica l Auack.
Certai n Powers and Ski ll s migh t aher a Character's OV or
RV agai nst any of the prev iously desc ri bed attack for ms. These
include but are not limited to Skin Armor, Force Fie ld, Menta l
Sh ield , Iron Will, Force Shie ld, Acrobatics, Magic Shie ld, and
Marti al Artist.
Co mbat blows are resolv ed as norma l Di ce Actions. In
mos t instances, th e RAPs earned by an attac k equal the amo unt
of damage sustained by th e target. When using certain Powers
o r atta c k ma ne uv ers, however, 1h e R APs mi g ht have a
differe nt use. If so, the Powe r de scripti on will de scri be these
effects in detail.
VI. Damage
The max im um amount of damage that any Character ca n
sustai n befo re fa llin g unconsc ious is equal to hi s Resis ta nce
Attribute (Note: Resistance Auribute, NOT Resistance Va lue)
aga inst a given type of attac k. Batman, fo r in stance, could take 6
RAPs of damage from Ph ys ica l Attac ks (hi s BODY is 6), I 0
RAPs of damage fro m Me ntal Attac ks (he has a 10 MI ND) . or JO
RAPs of damage from Mysti ca l Attacks (he has a 10 SPIRIT)
before he would fa ll unconsciou s.
A ll dam age is c umul a ti ve . Thi s me an s that if Ba tman
rece ives 2 RA Ps of Mysti ca l dam age thi s phase, and th e n 2
more RAPs th e nex l, he wi ll have taken a total of 4 RAPs of
Mys ti ca l d a ma ge. In ot he r wo rds, once a C ha rac te r iak es
damage he keeps it until it can be Recovered (described late r in
thi s chapter).
Players should keep a running total of the amount of each
type of damage the ir Characters have sustain ed on a sheet of
scrap paper. The GM keeps trac k of the damage sustained by the
villains and min or Charac te rs. Mark down the Character's
Res ista nce Attribu te aga inst eac h attack fo rm, and tick off
damage as il occurs. If Fred were playi ng Batman, for instance,
he would reco rd a 6 fo r Ba tm an 's beg innin g Ph ys ica l state
(Batman has a 6 BODY ). If Batman th e n take s 2 RAP s of
Physical damage, Fred woul d scratch out the 6 and record a 4, to
show thal the Caped Crusader ca n ta ke 4 mo re RAPs before
Bat ma n fa ll s uncon sc ious. The latest numbers that have been
recorded in each category (Physica l, Mental , and Mysti cal) are
ca ll ed the Currem Conditiom. Every Character should have a
Curre nt BODY Co nditi on, a C urre nt MI ND Co ndi tion , an d a
Curre nt SPIR IT Conditi on. If Fred was playin g a Character with a
MI ND of 7 and a BODY of 4, for instance, and the Character took
fi ve RAPs of Mental damage and one RAP of Phy sica l damage,
Fred wou ld record a new Current MIND Condition of 2 (7-5=2)
and a Current B ODY Condition of 3 (4- 1=3).
T he in sta nt that any on e of the three Current Cond iti ons
reac hes zero, t he Character in stant ly drop s unc o nsc iou s.
Obv iously, once unconscious, a Character may take no Act ions
Characte rs re main un consc ious until thei r Curre nt Conditi ons
are a ll re sto red to leve ls above ze ro. Rega i ni ng C urren t
Co nd ition s is d escr ib e d un de r Recovery . Uncon sc io us
Characters automati ca ll y have an OV of O aga in st any furth er
attac ks of any type tha1 are made aga inst them.
The damage that is sustained is 11ever subtracted from any
of a Character's Attributes in any way. If Batman took 2 RAPs
of Ph ys ical damage, he would still have a BoDY of 6, and would
still use 6 as his RV again st Physical Att ac ks.
Bashing Combat and Killing Combat
A ll co mbat in th e DC H ERO ES RPG is cl ass ified as e it her
Bashing Combat or Killing Combat. Characters that are engag ing
in Bashing Combat are not tryi ng 10 ki ll one another. just drive
eac h o th er o ut of th e fi ght. C harac te rs e ng aged in Killin g
Com bat are deliberate ly trying to end the ir opponent' s li fe.
There are no separat e Killin g or Bashing Attac ks. Every
Auac k can be either a Ki lli ng or a Bashing Attack al the whim
of the attacke r. Thi s includes gun s, kni ves, rockets, fi sts, Energy
Blasts, Men tal Blasts, and every othe r form of anack. Unless the
attacker specifically states that he is enterin g Killing Co mbat ph ase, he is hit again for 8 RAPs of damage, and George decides
before an attack is reso lved, the attack is automatically ass umed to use Last Ditch Defense agai n; but Green Arrow is onl y able
to be Bashin g Co mbat to spend 5 Hero Poin ts on Physical damage, since his BODY is
Bashing Co mb at ca n never red uce any of a Character's on ly 5, so Green Arrow keeps 3 RAPs of damage despite the
Current Co nd iti ons below zero. If 1he Joker 's Curren t BODY Last Ditch Defense. Hi s Current BODY Conditi on is now 2 (5-
Co nd iti on ha s bee n reduced to 2, for exa mpl e, and Batman 3=2) . In the next phase, the Arrow is stru ck for 12 RAPs of
punc hed him for 3 RAPs of damage, the Joker's Current BODY damage. Since George cannot spend enough Hero Points on Last
Co nditi o n would onl y drop to zero and the C low n Prin ce of Ditch Defense lO avoid being driven unconscious, he decides 10
Crime would fa ll unconscious. forget about Last Ditch Defense all ogether. Green Arrow's
Ki lling Co mb at, on t he ot her hand , ca n redu ce a C urren t BODY Co ndition is now zero and he is uncon scious.
Character's C urren t Conditio n to nega ti ve va lu es. Once a Since his attacker did not announce that he was enterin g Killing
Current Cond ition reac hes a negative val ue that is greater than Combat, the last attack could not drive Green Arrow's Current
hi s origi nal Resista nce Allri bute for that category, he is dead. Condition below zero. Since he is a ruthl ess fiend, the attacker
When Superman's Current BODY Condition was red uced down decides to attack Green Arrow agai n, even though the archer is
to - 19, fo r example, it was the end of the Man of Steel. uncon sc ious, and th is time he anno un ces that he is e nte ring
Any tim e one of a C haracter's Curre nt Condit ions have Killing Co mbat, striking for 7 RAPs of damage. George uses
bee n reduced below zero, he is bad ly wo und ed and s low ly Last Ditch Defense to remove 5 of these RAPs, leaving Green
dy ing. The Current Condition in qu estion wi ll lose an addit ional Arrow's C urrent BODY Condi tion at -2. He is now slow ly dying
I AP fo r every 8 APs of time ( 15 minutes) that elapses in game and hi s Current BODY Co ndition will fa ll another I AP every 15
time until the Condition has been raised back up to O or better by minutes (8 APs of time) unti l it reaches -6 (one more than hi s
Despe ration Recovery , or through use of the Medicine Skill.
BODY Attribute), at which point the Arrow wi ll be pushin g up
Nin ety-nine percent of all combat in the DC HEROES RPG
the dai sies. Hopefull y, someone wi ll come to hi s aid in time.
is Bashing Comba t. Most heroes simply do not ki ll , and very
Note thal Green Arro w cannot avoid taking furth er da mage
few vi llain s a re wi llin g to esca la te a battle in to a ki llin g
from hi s wound by using Last Ditch Defense after co mbat is
si tuation. Chapter Nine wi ll ex pl ain how Hero Points are given
over. The "slow death" damage from Killing Combat wounds is
lo eac h partic ipat in g hero at the e nd of any advent ure as a
automa ti c. No ti ce, too, that Green Arrow did not have to be
reward. Heroe s that wi ll ingly engage in Killing Combat du ring
co nsc ious for George to use Last Ditch Defense aga inst further
the adventure auto mat icall y forfe it thi s reward and receive no
attacks.
Hero Points at all, which can be a pretty steep penalty. A hero
that respond s wi th Killin g Combat only after be ing attacked in
Killing Combat, howe ver, loses one-half of the Hero Poinls he
wou ld have earned for participating in the adventu re (round
frac ti ons down)
Th ere is one ot her imp o rt ant rule co ncern in g Killi.ng
Combat. Many forms of damage caused by th e environment are
automatica ll y co nsidered Killing Co mb at. These include:
Kno ck back Damage ( being knock ed int o wa ll s and such),
damage from fa lling grea t heights, damage from natural fires
(no t a C h aracte r 's fire-ba sed Powers) a nd damage from
remaining under wate r for too Jong. The rul es for eac h
individual s itua ti o n w ill alway s s pecify w he n an attack
automati call y does Killing damage.

Last Ditch Defense

Whenever a Charac ter takes damage, wheth er Kil ling
damage or Bashin g damage, the Player may immediately spend
Hero Points to reduce the amoun t of damage sustained. Each
Hero Point spent takes away one RAP of damage; but a Pl ayer
may never spend more Hero Points on Last Ditch Defense than
the basic value of the Res istance Attri bu te agai nst the type of
damage just sustained. For exam ple, Batma n ca n spend up to 6
Hero Poi nts fo r Last Ditch Defense against Ph ysica l damage, up
10 10 Hero Points fo r Las t Di1 c h Defe nse aga in st Menta l
damage , and up to 10 Hero Po ints for Last Ditch Defe nse
against Mysti cal damage.
The decis ion of whether or not to use Last Ditch Defense
must be made at th e instant the damage is taken, and o nl y
damage that was j ust sustained ca n be spent away. If Wonder
Woma n take s 5 RAPs of Physica l damage, for exampl e, she
could immediately spend 5 Hero Poi nts to negate the damage,
but she can not spend more than 5 Hero Points in order to spend
away damage that she might have taken earl ier. This also means
that unl ess she chooses to spend the 5 Hero Points al the instant
she takes the da mage, she cannot go back and remove it later
with Last Ditch Defense; it must be Recovered.
Here is a detai led exam ple of da mage and how it wo rks
Green Arrow has a BODY of 5, so George beg ins a battl e by
recordi ng a Curre nt BODY Condition of 5. First, Green Arrow is
hit for 3 RAPs of Ph ys ica l damage, but George spends 3 Hero
Points on Last Ditch Defense, so the Emerald Archer takes no
damage and hi s Curre nl BODY Co ndi tion does not change. Next
VII. Recovery
Heali ng damage from attacks is called Recovery. There are
two types of Recovery: Res ting Recove ry and Despera ti o n
Recovery.
Resting Recovery
A Character automati ca ll y receives a Resting Recovery
Check after a certain amount of time passes since the last time
he was damaged. If th e C harac ter's Curre nt Condi ti o n was
reduced by a Bas hin g Co mb at attack, he wou ld rece ive a
Resting Recovery Check one hour (JO APs of time) after the last
time he took damage. If the Character's C urrent Condition was
redu ced by a Killing Com bat attack (eve n if the Curre nt
Condition was not reduced below zero), he receives a Resting
Recovery C hec k twenty-four hours ( 15 APs of time) after the
last time he took damage.
Characters Recover each one of their Current Conditions
separately. Suppose, fo r exampl e, that the Atom 's Curren t BODY
Cond iti on is I, hi s Current MIND Conditi on is 0, and hi s C urrent
SPIRIT Conditi on is - 1. Hi s Current BODY and MI ND Conditi ons
we re attacked in Bashin g Combat. w hil e hi s Current SPIRIT
Cond i1ion was reduced by Killing Combat (that musl ha ve bee n
a rough ba1tle). One hour afler he lasl IOok Physical and Mental
Bashing damage, he gels 10 make Restin g Recovery Checks to
boost up hi s Current BODY and Mt ND Condi1 ions . T we nty-four
hours afler he last took Mys1ical Killin g damage , he may make a
Res tin g Rec overy Ch ec k to imp rove hi s Curren! SPIRIT
Cond i1i on.
Resting Recove ry is always performed after the appropriate
a mount of lim e has passed s in ce th e las1 time d a mage wa s
susta ined. If Night win g takes 3 RAPs of Phys ical damage and
the n rece ives another RAP of damage 10 hi s BODY 55 minu1es
laier, he mu st now wa it a nother full hour before he may make a
Res tin g R ecove ry Chec k 10 in c rease hi s Current BODY
Co nditi on.
If. after making a Recovery C heck. a Character is not fully
" healed,'' he must wait the appropriale amount of time (o ne hour
or twenty -fo ur ho urs, de pendin g upon th e t ype of dam age
suslained) a ll ove r aga in before he may make anothe r Resting
Recovery Check.
In c id e ntally , a Charac1er ma y on ly Recover if he ha s
actua ll y ta ke n some sort o f damage. A C haracte r ca n never
increase hi s C urrent Conditions above the ir startin g value.
Desperation Recovery
In the co mi cs, it seems that heroes are always able to regai n
consc iousness in the ni c k of time when !he ir li ve s are on th e
line. How many times has an unconsc ious Batman bee n thrown
ou t of an airplane, onl y to wa ke up just in lime to save him se lf
with a device from hi s utility be lt?
Thi s is ca ll ed Desperation Recove ry. Al the e nd of any
ph ase of combat , each of the heroes has the option of making a
Desperation Recovery Check. Vi ll a in s never use Desperat io n
Recove ry, althou gh heroes may spe nd He ro Points 10 allow
vill ains to Recove r, as desc ribed later.
In order to make a Desperation Recovery Check. the he ro
mu st pay a fee of 15 He ro Points. These Hero Po ints may be
paid fo r by the Character who wants to Recover, or they may be
paid by another Character as lo ng as the Character who is
pa yin g is touch in g the C haracter w ho wa nts to Recover. the
Charac1e r who is paying knows that the Character who wants to
Recover is in trouble, and the Player whose Character is paying
want s IO spe nd the Hero Points. Gell ing a hero IO pay for the
Desperation Recovery Check in thi s manne r is the onl y way a
vill a in could ever use Desperation Recovery
If a C harac 1e r' s C urre nt Co nditi o n is less than zero, a
Des pe rati on Recovery Chec k on ly costs him (o r whoever is
pay in g) 1 Hero Po int ; but Des pe rali on Recove ry Roll s unde r
these c irc um stan ces may onl y inc rease 1hc Current Conditi on to
0, and th e C harac te r may not mak e any furth e r Desperati o n
Rec overy C hec ks un1i\ he has made a t leas t o ne Res tin g
Recovery Ch ec k: th a t is. unlit o ne hou r has passed . On ce a
Charac lc r's Curre nt Co nditi on is rai sed to a number at or above
zero. he no longe r co ntinues to lose Curre nt Co ndi1i on APs due
toa Killin g attac k.
If a C han.1c 1e r is e ntitl ed to Des pe ration Recovery, lh e
Pla ye r ma y mak e a Recove ry C heck as describ ed in th e
fo llow in g sec ti o n. A ny RAPs from thi s roll are imm ediat e ly
added to th e C haracler' s Curre n! Condi1ion. Each Desperation
Recovery Check mu st be paid for separatel y: if Bob wants to
Recover both hi s Characle r's Curre nt BODY Conditio n and MI ND
Conditi on. for ex ample. ii would cost Bob 30 Hero Points.
Medical Treatment
Anothe r way th at damage ca n be Recovered is through the
a ppli ca li o n of medi cal tre atm e nt. Thi s is cove red under the
Medi c ine Ski ll e ntry in Chapter Two. Usin g the Med ic ine Skill
is ofte n the onl y way to save the li fe of someone who is dying
bec au se one of hi s Curre n! Co ndi1i ons ha ve bee n redu ced to
be low 0. Usin g the Medi c in e Skill ca n reslore BODY, MI ND. and
SPIR IT dam age.
How To Roll Recovery Checks
Recovery is a Dice Act ion. To make a Recovery Chec k. a
Player ma kes an Action Check using the appropria te Res istance
Auribute (BODY fo r Phys ical damage, MI ND for Me nt al damage,
a nd SPIRIT for My sli ca\ damage) as both the AV and EV. If lhe
Current Condition is zero o r above. th e OV and RV o f th e
Action Check is ze ro. If lh e Curre nt Conditi on is be low zero. the
OV and RV of the Acti on Chec k is eq ual to th e amo unt that the
Current Condition is be low zero. If the Questi on· s Cu rrent BODY
Co ndi1i on was at -2. for exa mple. the OV/RV of hi s Recovery
Check wo uld be 2/2.
A s a n ex amp le . le t us say that Batman· s C urre nt BODY
Condition is 0. One hour afl er he last too k Phys ica l damage. he
gets IO make a Resting Recove ry Roll. The AV/EV of thi s ro ll
is 6/6 (Batman' s BODY): th e OV/RV is 0/0. Th e Playe r ro ll s an
11 , and Batman receives 7 RAPs. thu s restor in g hi s Curre nt
BODY Condition to 6. He ca nn ot res lore a ll 7 RA Ps. sin ce he
can never heal any of hi s C urrent Conditi ons up beyo nd their
start ing point s.
Damage to Powers and Attributes
If a Playe r atte mpt s to Pu sh a Powe r or Allri bute and fa il s.
the Power or Attribute " burns oul' " and is instantl y redu ced to 0
APs. Powe rs and Attri bu tes that have been reduced in thi s way
are Recovered just li ke C urre nt Conditi ons. On e hour aft er the
Powe r or Attribut e burn s out. the Pl aye r may make a Restin g
Recove ry C hec k, us in g th e APs of 1he Powe r as the AV/EV
against an OV/RV of0/0. Any pos iti ve RAPs are restored to the
AP leve l of 1he Power or A1tribute bein g Recovered.
S imil a rl y, certa in rul es and Powers ca ll for "damage" to
Powers a nd/or A ttribut es. If the Marti an Manhunt e r·s F li ght
Power takes 5 RAPs of damage, for examp le. it is temporaril y
re du ced b y 5 AP s (to a minimum o f zero). Powe rs and
Attributes that ha ve been damaged like thi s a re Recove red as
though they were Current Cond itio ns. Note. however, that in the
case of Powe rs and Attribut es. any damage that is susta ined is
actually subtrac ted from the APs of the Powe r or th e ap prop ri ate
Auribu te until Recovered. In ot he r words. if S1arrire·s Ene rgy
Blast Power of 12 APs takes 3 RAPs of damage. she w ill onl y
ha ve a 9 AP Ene rgy Blast until she Recove rs the damage.
Us in g Des pera ti o n Recove ry o n Powers o r Attr ibu tes
cos ts 25 Hero P oi nt s in s tead of th e u s u al 15. Under no
c irc um stances ca n A Ps of a Powe r or Attri but e eve r be redu ced
to less than zero
VIII. Knockback
Powerful blows thrown by the partic ipants in comic book
combat tend to se nd their targets ree ling backwa rd away from
the atlacke r. Thi s phe nome non is cu ll ed Knockback.
Eve ry attack th at does Ph ysica l da mage has the po1ent ial IO
knoc k its target bac kwards. The di stance (in A Ps) that the target
is Kn ocked Back by an atl ac k is eq ual to the num be r o f Colu mn
Shifts that t he all acke r ro ll ed on th e Action Ta bl e w hi le
reso lving th e a tt ac k, minu s th e targct· s we ig ht in A Ps (most
human Charac te rs weigh 2 A Ps). If Amanda Walle r needed a 9
to strike Captain Boome ran g. for ex ampl e. a nd shi: roll ed a 15.
she would rece ive 3 column Shifts. so ··soo mcrbutt'' would be
Knoc ked Bac k I AP of di sta nce (about 20 feet ). Mrs. Wal ler is
not one to be trill ed with.
The max imum di sta nce that a target may be Knocked Bac k
by an att ack is equ a l to th e Effect Va lue of the attack minu s the
target's we ight in A Ps. Most hum an Characters we igh 2 APs
Thi s mea ns . for exa mpl e . th at Amanda Wa ll e r co uld neve r
Knock Boomerang Bac k more th an I AP of d istance in hand -10-
hand combat (t he Wall' s STR of 3 - Boomerarn?° s we ight of 2::; J
A P o f di stan ce) . whil e Supe rma n co uld neve r Kn oC k a thu g
Bac k more than 23 APs o f di stance (S upc rman· s STR of25 - the
thu g's we ight of 2::;23 APs o f distance). Also. if the attacker is
using hi s Martial Arti st Sk ill in place of his STR as the EV . the
maximu m kn ock back is still based on his STR. (Ba tman ca nnot
Kn ock Bac k a th ug 1/8 of a mil e. rega rd less of th i: Co lumn
Shifts! ) Anyone w ho roll s a number of Co lumn Sh ifts that
wo u ld g i ve h im g rea ter th a n t he m ax imum a m o un t of
Kn ock bac k fo r !hat targe t, g ives the maximu m amount in stead .
If W a ll e r ro ll ed up 5 Column Shifts aga in st Boo mera ng. she
would still on ly Knock the c reep Bac k I AP
Knockback Damage
When a target is Kn ocked Back. it travels the appropriate
di stance in a strai ght li ne away from the attacker. If the target's
path se nds it reeling into an obstacle or another C haracter, both
the target and the obstac le (o r Character) immediate ly receive a
Ph ys ica l Attack wi th an AV/EV equal to the di stance that the
target was Knoc ked Back. Any c haracte r or obstacle attacked in
thi s fa shi o n. in c ludin g th e o ri g in a l targe t, d e fe nd s w ith an
O V/RV eq ual to its Boov/Boov. Hero Points may be spent to
increase the OV/ RV if a C haracter is in vo lved, but the AV/EV
of th e Knockback ca nn o t be increased with Hero Points, no r
may Hero Po int s be used 10 add to the OV/ RV of an inanimate
object. C harac te rs tak e no rmal Ph ys ica l damage from s uc h
at tac ks . w hil e o bstacles ma y break , as d esc ribed in the last
cha pte r. If th e targe t does not strike an o bstacle. he takes no
add it io nal dama ge from being Kno cke d Bac k, un less th e
Knock back pu shes the C haracter off a c liff or into a volcano or
somethin g
Knockback damage is automat ica ll y co ns ide red Killin g
Combat. How h eroes c .in '' pul l th e ir pun c h " to avoid
acc ide nta ll y ki lling the ir oppone nts wi th Knockbac k is described
later in thi s chapter
Example: Suppose Ca ptian Marve l hits a villain wi th a
BODY o f 6, and Knocks the bru te Back 7 A Ps (abo ut 400 ya rds)
imo a bri ck wa ll with a BODY of 7. Both the villain and the wal l
in stant ly undergo Ph ys ical Attacks with a n AV/EV of 7/7 (the
di stance th e target was Knocked Bac k). Th e vil lai n de fe nds
again st th e Knoc kback damage w ith an OV / RV of 6/6 (his
Boov/Boov). Any RAPs from thi s Ac tion Check are Ph ys ical
Ki lli ng damage. Th e wall defends with a n OV/R V of 7/7 ( its
Bod y/ Body). If th e attack rece ives o ne or more RAPs o n th e
wa ll. the wa ll susta in s th at muc h dam age, and the vill ain fli es
throug h the wall and co ntinues along hi s path . If the attack o n
the wa ll rece i ves 7 or more R A Ps, th e vi llain co mpl ete ly
destroys the wal l as he comes throug h. If th e attack o n the wall
rece ives no pos iti ve RAPs. the target sim ply slam s into the wall
and comes to a stop
IX. Combat Maneuvers
So far , al l of th e co mb a t ru les ha ve as s um ed that th e
attack e r was m a kin g a s impl e, strai g htforward a u ack. In th e
comi cs. however. heroes and villain s tend to e mploy a numbe r
of unusua l or ex traordin ary co111bar 111c111euvers.
Every tim e a Character makes any kind of attack, he has the
o pti o n o f em pl oy in g any o ne o f th e fo ll ow in g co mbat
man e uvers. Some ma ne uve rs are li mite d to ce rta in ty pes of
attacks, as exp la in ed in th e ir descri pti o ns. Th e Pla yer mu st
declare wh ich co mbat mane uve rs hi s C haracter is using , if any,
at the time he decla res action s for the phase.
A. Critical Blow
A Critica l Blow is an attempt to ·direc t a n attack at a
wea k po int in the targe t's d e fe nses. Crit ica l B lows are harder
to co nn ec t w ith: b ul w he n th ey d o co nne c t, th ey do a lo t
mo re dama ge.
In hand -to-hand combat, a Critica l Blow ca n a lso be used
to represent kicks. e lbows. haymake rs, or any other attack that
has a s ig nifi ca ntl y small e r c hanc e for s uccess but a hi g her
damage pote ntial.
Whe neve r a Player decl ares that hi s C harac ter is atte mptin g
a Critica l Blow , hi s adversary receive s +2 Col umn Shifts to the
Opposi ng Va lue. For exa mpl e. a Characte r w ith a 7 DEX de fend s
again st Critica l Blows in th e 11 to 12 Colu mn . If the attack
succeeds, however, the defende r rece ives -3 Col umn S hifts to
hi s Resistance Value. Fo r insta nce, a C haracter w ith a BODY of 8
d e fend s against Cr iti ca l Blows in th e 1 to 2 Co lumn . These
Co lu mn Sh ifts to th e d e fe nd e r' s RV a re in addi ti on to a ny
recei ved on the Action Table , but are not counted when fi gurin g
the Knoc kback ca used by the attack.
Critical B lows ca n be used in co njun c tion w ith any
so rt of attack.
B. Devastating Attack
A Devastating Attack is an all -out attempt to overwhelm th e
target's defenses. Essentia ll y, the Devastat ing Attack is a mo re
powerful version of the C riti cal B low.
D ev a s tatin g Attacks in c rease 1h e ta rge t 's OV by +4
Co lumn Shifts, bu1 dec rease his RV by -6 Column Shifts. in
addition to any earned on the Action Tab le. The Co lumn Shifts
to the opponent 's RV do not affect th e amount of Knoc kback
caused by the attack
Dev astating Attac ks can be used in conjunction w ith any
sort of attac k.
Note : Crit ica l Bl ows a nd Devasta tin g Attack s are
esse nti a ll y the sa me thi ng as " Going For Broke," whi c h was
desc ribed in Chapter Three. Th e norm a l Goi ng For Brok e
ru les can not be employed in combat; an attac ker must choose to
make a Critica l B low or Devastating Attack instead. Thi s mea ns
that the more powerfu l +6/-9 and +8/- 12 versio ns fo r Going For
Broke may never be used in co mbat
C. Flailing Attacks
A Flailing Attack is the oppos ite o f a C riti ca l B low.
slow , deliberate attack that places a hi gher pre mium on
the targel than upon infl icti ng d amage.
The defe nder's OV again st a Flailin g Attack is dec reased
by two Col umn Shifts, w hil e hi s RV is in c re a se d by three
Co lumn Shifts. In hand-to-hand combat, a Fla iling Attack mi ght
represent a fe int or a flurry of quick, less powe rful blows.
The Fla iling Attack may be used w ith any sort of attack.
and can be e mpl oyed in co njunc ti on with Grapp ling Attack s,
Multi -A ttacks, and Team Attac ks.
D. Grappling Attack
A Grappling Attack is an atte mpt to grab ano1her Charac ter
and restrict hi s moveme nts. Slow, strong C harac ters often prefer
Grapplin g Attac ks because they can be used to keep a qu icker
but weaker oppone nt in one place, where he ca n be pounded into
je ll y. Grapp ling Attacks can on ly be made in c lose hand-to-ha nd
co mbat. It is impo ss ibl e to grab so meo ne w ith a g un or a n
Energy Blast, but if the attacke r has an appropriate Power, like
Stre tchi ng for in stance , he may make lon g di stance Grapp lin g
Attacks.
An atte mpt to Grapp le a nothe r C haracter is reso lved as a
norma l Phy sical Attack (DExiSTR as A V/EV, D ex/Boo v as
OV/ RV). If thi s attack earn s one or more RAPs, the targe t and
the attacker become Grappled, and the defender takes damage as
usual. The e ffec ts of a success ful Grapple are as follows ·
1. U ntil th e Grappl e is broke n, both th e attack e r a nd
defender can Ph ys ica ll y A ttac k on ly eac h o ther. Me nta l a nd
My st ica l Att acks may sti ll be made upon any target in range ,
including the C ha racter wi th whom the attac ker is Grapp led.
If a target th at beco mes Grappled ha s no t yet acted durin g
a pha se a nd has ea rli er d eclared that he woul d be pe rformin g
an action whi c h is now ill egal , he doe s not ge t to ac t in th e
phase at a ll.
2. Ne ither the attacke r no r the defender ca n use a ny Powe r
that does Phys ica l damage to attack hi s opponent. unl ess th e
Power has a ran ge of Touch
3. Grapp led Characters use the ir STR as the ir AV and OV ,
as well as for the ir EV , wh il e engag ing in hand -to- hand combat.
 4. Un less a Grappled Character has APs of move ment that
~~1 ;;~~t.e~ct~~~ n~em~::. ~~ :1~:; ; sa~~\~~~v:~~:nta~~:;r:<~eit
he can move a distance eq ual to his movement APs mmus the
STR o f hi s o ppone nt. A C harac te r with 8 APs of Flight that is
Grappled by an op po ne nt with a STR of 7. for in sta nce. could
on ly fl y I AP of distance per phase.
Anyone who moves whil e Grappled takes hi s opponerll
with him . and the two Characters remain Grappled
5 . A Cha rac ter who at ta cks a target wit h w ho m he is
Grapp led neve r causes any Knockbac k. des pit e any Co lumn
S hift s received
All of th ese effects are suffered by bot h the Grappled
Characte r and 1he C harac ter who made the Grappl in g A11ack
until the Grapple is broken.
Breaking a Grapple
Attempting to break a Grapple is a Di ce Action: and the
intention to do so mu st be declared by e ither of the Grapp led
comhaiant s during Step 3 of the combat phase. An attempt to
break a Grapple uses the breaker's STR/STR as the A_ V/EV and
hi s opponent's ST RISTR as the OV/RV. If the Ac t10n C heck
earns o ne or mo re RAPs. th e Grapp le is broken and both
Characters may begin to mo ve and fight norm all y. An attempt to
break a G rapple ne ver causes any damage to the oppone nt
A Grapple is also broken at the e nd o f any phase when a ll
of the involved parties agree to stop Grappling. or if e ither o f the
Grapple rs fa ll s unconsc ious.
E. Multi-Attack
A Multi-Attack is a n attempt to attack more than one target
in the same phase. Multi-Attacks are o bviously more difficult to
perform than attacks upo n a si ng le target
A Mult i·A tt ac:k is resolved with o ne Dice Action. The OV
of the attack is the hi ghest OV among the defenders. whil e the
RV o f th e allack is th e hi g hest RV amo ng the d e fe nd e rs. In
add iti o n. the OV and RV are eac h increased by a numbe r of
Co lumns. as summari zed on the fo ll ow ing tabl e:
# of Characters Opposing Value Resist.nee Value
Attacked Column Shifts Column Shifts
2 +I +I
3-4 +2 +2
5-8 +3 +3
9- 15 +4 +4
16-30 +5 +5
31-60 +6 +6
61-125 +7 +7
Any RAPs earned by a Multi -Allack are suffered by all of
the targets.
In hand-to-hand co mbat. a C haracte r may o nl y Multi ·
Attac k a number of oppone nt s eq ual to hi s APs of moveme nt.
and o nl y if the attac ker has e no ug h moveme nt to move into
st riking di sta nce of each o f the targets. The o nl y restricti o n upon
using Multi -Attac ks wit h Powers is that all of the targets mu st
be within the use r· s Range.
Multi-Attacks ca n be used with any type of attac k. Multi-
Att acks can a lso be co mbin ed w ith o th e r forms of spec ial
attacks such as Grapp ling Attacks. Devastating At1acks. Team
A tt acks o r Critical Bl ows, in wh ic h case all Column Shift
bonu ses and penalt ie s are cumulative.
Example: Me nto wa nt s to use hi s Control Power on a
group of 8 thugs, each with an INT/M tND of 2/3. The OV of the
a11empt is 2 (the highest OV amon g the thugs). and the RV is 3
(the highest RV among the thu gs). The OV and RV are then
eac h increased three Columns beca use Mento is attacking 8
targets. If just one si ng le thug w ith a higher INT or M IND was
present. the OV and RV wo uld both use thi s single thu g's
higher values.
F. Sweep Attacks
Sweep Attacks ar c bas ica ll y a fo rm of M ulti ·A ttack
emp loying physica l objects. The object is sw ung or roll ed in an
attempt to strike as man y Characters as poss ible. Usin g an object
negates some of the penalties o f a regular Multi·Allack
While Sweep Attacks suffer all of the penalti es of a regu lar
Mult i-Attack. it moves th e defenders· Op posing Va lu e one
Co lumn Shift to the left. If the attac ke r is wie ldi ng so mething
like a boulder which is larner than th e area the defe nders are
standing in. the defenders· Resistance Va lue recei ves a Colu mn
Sh ift to the left as well.
An objec: t used in a Swee p Attack must be at least 1 AP
long. Defenders mu st be within the length of the objec t to be
struck. If the RAPs o f damage arc greater than the BODY of the
object used in the allac:k. the objec t is destroyed.
C hara cters ca n throw o r rol l objcc:ts in a st raig ht lin e
through the defender' s area. Eac h area must be smaller than the
le ngt h APs of the objec t for a Sweep Attack to be made
Example: Th e Ato m atte mpts a Sweep Attack again st a
group of 5 thu gs in Metropolis Stad ium. The thugs are running
across the football fi e ld. so Atom rips up a I AP lo ng goa l post
and thro ws it at them. le ngthw ise. Unfonun ate ly. only -l- of the
thugs are in a straight line so on ly -l- thu gs can be attacked.
The goa l post weighs 4 APs . With hi s Stre ngt h of 8. lhe
Atom can o nl y throw it 4 APs o f distance. The GM determines
that on ly 3 of the four thugs are within thi s ra nge. so on ly 3 ca n
be attac ked.
Th e Ato m ·s Pla ye r roll s the attack as a normal Multi -
Attack. Because it is a Multi-Allac:k against 3 oppone nt s. Atom
suffe rs a +2 Column Sh ift to the OV. but because of the Sweep
Att ack. he may reduce thi s to only a+ 1 Co lumn Shift.
G. Te;\m Attack
A Team Attack is an a tt e m p t to ga ng up o n a s in g le
defender in orde r to o verw he lm his defenses. Team Altacks are
es pecia ll y use ful for a tea m of wea ker heroes th at is going up
against a tougher opponent.
Si nce the defender has more than one adve rsary ga ngi ng up
on him. his Opposing Va lu e rece ives Colu mn Sh ifts to the left
o n the Ac ti on Tabl e. as follows·
Number of Team Members 0pposmg Value C...... ShWb
2 -I
3-4 -2
4-8 -3
9+ -4
Each tea m me mbe r in a Team A11ack rolls hi s ow n Action
C heck. a nd app li es th e Co lumn Shifts se para tely. If des ired.
eac h Playe r may spend hi s ow n Hero Point s se paratel y
A sing le oppo ne nt ma y be Team Grapp led (see pre viou s
paragraph o n Grappling Attacks).
The team member who has the lowest tota l In itiati ve Score
declares the Team Attack during Step 3 of the ph,1se. and the
attack begin s o n hi s turn. as if all the team members· Ini tiative
Scores had been reduced to th is leve l.
Example: Guy Gardner. Fire, and the Flash arc attempting
a Te am A tta ck agai nst Docto r Polari s. Fi rst. check th eir
Initiative ratings. wh ich are 18. 20. 33. and 20. respectively. If
no Character is usi ng Hero Points to increase hi s Ini tiat ive. and
the rolls are (i n the same o rder) 4, 3, 9, a nd 7. the Ini1ia1i ve
totals for the four Characters wou ld come ou t 22. 23. 42. and 27.
Guy Gardner, whose Ini tiative tota l is lowes t (22) would
declare hi s action first. and he declares the Team Attack. Doctor
Pol ari s' Initi ati ve tota l (27) is lower than th e Flash ' s (42).
However. whe n attacks are made during this pha se . Doctor
Po la ri s wou ld go fir st. as the Flas h must wa it until Guy
Gardner' s turn to participate in the Team Attack. When the
heroe s au ack, Doctor Polari s will suffer a -2 Co lumn S hift
penalty to hi s OV aga inst aH three of the heroes' attacks
H. Pulling A Punch
Pulling A Punch is used by a Character who does not want
to acc identall y slam hi s opponent into a wall or off a cliff or into
another hero due to Knockback (see Knockback, page 100).
The Playe r must declare that he is Pullin g hi s Puach durin g
the act ion declaration s of Step 3 of the co mbat phase.
The defe nder's RV is in creased + I Column Shift to the
right when a Characte r Pull s A Punch. The Action Check is then
resolved normall y.
If th e Action C hec k rece ives an y Co lumn Shifts on the
attack when a Character is Pulling A Punch, the attacker may
dec i~e how many APs the defender. is Knoc ked Back, up to the
max imum number of Knockbac k di stance APs poss ible in that
attack . The attacker may eve n opt not to have the defender be
Knocked Back at all. Th e Co lumn Shifts tran sferred from the
Act ion Tabl e to the Result Table fo r the purpose of determining
RAPs are not changed.
''Pu lling A Punch" may be used with any sort of attack;
even those in which no actual " punch" is thrown , such as an
Energy Blast or a machine gun .
I. Planned Knockback Attack
In stead of a iming a blow or attac k at an opponenl wi th
the intent to do harm , a Character can focu s the blow upon
Kno c kin g Ba c k th e tar ge t. Thi s is ca ll e d a Planned
Knockback Attack.
Planned Knockbac k Attacks are reso lved like normal
Di ce Actions, exce pt that the RAPs earned equal the amount
of di stance that th e targe t is Knocked Back in stead of th e
amou nt o f dama ge th e targe t s ustain s. Th e target takes no
damag e from a Planned Kno c kba c k A u ack unl ess he is
Kn oc ked Bac k in to a wall or obstac le as de sc ribed prev iously
under Knockback. The total di stance that an attack may Knock
Back a target is still limited to th e Effect Value of th e attack
minu s the targe t' s weigh t.
A Planned Knoc kback Attack may be made in conjunction
with any sort of Phys ical Attack.
J. Charging Attack
A Charging Attack is an atte mpl to run , fl y, or leap into an
opponent in order to use the ve loci ty of th e mo ve to ca use
additional damage.
In order to make a Charging Attack, the attacki ng Charac ter
must move at least I AP and end hi s movement wi th a hand-to-
hand a tt ack up o n th e oppone nt , thu s expendi ng both a n
Automatic Ac tion , and a Dice Act ion. The AV of a Chargin g
Attack is equa l to the attacker 's DEX; th e EV is equal to the
attacker's APs of movement or movement Power. The OV/RV
is the defender's DEX/BODY, as usual.
The problem with Charging Attac k s is that they can be just
as dangerous to the auacker as they are to the defender, since the
attac ker is using hi s own body as a weapon. An attacker making
a Charging Attack has a chance of taking damage along with the
defender. After reso lving the Charging Attack upon the
defender, look directly to the Result Table, using the EV of the
Charge as an EV, and the attacker's Boov as an RV to find the
amount of damage sustained by the attacker. The attacker may
spend Hero Points to increase hi s RV again st the Charging
damage or to remove damage through Last Ditch Defense. The
attacker's RV aga inst a Charging Attack never suffers any
Column Shifts due to Critical Blows, Devastating Attacks, or
good dice rolling . The attacker on ly takes damage from a
C hargi ng Attack if the attack actua ll y hit its targe t (i.e. the
att acker rolled hi s Success Numbe r on th e Action Tabl e),
although the attack need not have actuall y damaged the target to
damage the attacker.
Example: Suppose that whil e fl yin g through New York,
Starfire spot s an esca ping vi ll a in and decides to mak e a
Charging Attack. During her turn in the phase, Starfire di ves ou t
of th e air and fli es strai g ht into the fleein g vi llain. First, th e
Player would reso lve the Charging Attack against the vill ain
Starfi re's AV is her DEX and her EV is her APs of Flight. The
villain 's OV is hi s DEX and the RV is hi s BODY. Suppose that
Starfire rolled hi gh enough 10 rece ive two additional Co lumn
S hift s to the vill ain 's RV , and the attack inflicted enough
dam age to knock the vill ain uncon sc ious. The Player wou ld now
check to see if Starfire herse lf took damage, by looki ng directl y
to the Result Table. The EV is equal to the EV of the Chargin g
Attack (Starfi re's APs of Flight), and the RV is Starfire's BODY.
Starfire's RV does not suffer th e additional +2 Co lumn Shifts
for her good di ce roll. Th e RAPs found o n the Res ult Table
equ a l th e amount of damag e Starfire take s fr o m he r own
Chargi ng Attack.
Charging Attacks ca n al so be used to damage inanimate
objects. Charging Attacks may neve r be made in co njun ction
wi th a Multi -A ttack.
K. Take Away
A Take Away is an attempt to grab an object or item away
from anoth e r Characte r in co mbat. Take Aways are m os t
frequently used to depr ive an oppo ne nt of hi s weapons or
Gadgets
A Take Away is a normal Dice Action using th e attacker's
DExiS TR as the AV/EV , and th e defe nder's DE xiSTR as th e
OV/RV, thoug h the defender automaticall y rece ives a spec ial
+2 Col umn Shift bonu s to hi s OV , a nd a + I Column Sh ift
bonus to hi s RV . If the Take Away attempt ea rn s one or more
RAPs, the attacker automatically gain s possess ion of any one
item formerly in the possess ion of the defend er. Th e attacke r
mu st spec ify whi ch item he is try ing to Take Away before
rolling the dice, if there is more th an one possibility. Wheth er
an item can or cannot be Taken Away depends on whether or
not it is listed in upper and lower case letters, or in all capital s
(see Chapter Seven: Gadgetry). Manga Khan could not Take
Away BOOSTER GOLD 'S BATILESUIT in the middl e of combat,
for example, but he might be ab le to Take Away Blue Bee tl e's
BB Gun.
In orde r to attempt a Take Away , a Character mu st
obviousl y be in close hand- to-hand combat positi on, unl ess he
has an appropriate Power, like Stretching. Take Aw ays neve r
inflict any damage upon the defender.
L. Trick Shot
A Trick Shot is an attempt IO hit a spec ific part of a target
for a particular res ult. Batman using hi s Batarang to capture the
Riddl e r is a Tri c k Shot, as ar e mo s t of Gre e n A r row's
stupendous arrow shots.
This type of attack gives the defender +2 Col umn Shifts to
the right for hi s Opposing Value. RAPs are app lied as damage to
a defender o nl y if th e Trick Shot is an offe n s ive action.
Otherwise this action is co nsidered succe ssful if the RAPs are 1
AP or greater.
If Batman did not want to hurt the Riddler with hi s Trick
Shot, for example, he could ju st entangle the v ill ain in hi s
Batarang line by earni ng one or more RAPs on hi s Tri ck Shot.
The +2 Column Shift rule may be modified by the GM to
reflect the particular circumstances and difficulty of a shot, by
using the Universal Modifier Table (see page 90) .

X. Defensive
Combat Maneuvers
Defensive Combat Maneuvers are empl oyed like regular
o ffen sive mane uve rs: a Playe r mu s! dec lare whic h maneuver he
is u sing durin g Step 3 o f th e comb at phas e. Defen s i ve
Man e uvi.: rs. howeve r. go into e ffe c t immediate ly aft e r they a re
declared. Eve n if a C harac te r has a lo we r total Iniliati ve Score
than hi :-. attacke r. th '-.· C haracter e mp loying a Defen s i ve
Mane uve r still gets to use the maneu ve r to fe nd off th e atlack.
De fe nsive Mane uve rs on ly affec t Ph ys ica l Attacks.
A. Block
A Block is an attempt by th e d e fe nd e r tu int erpose so me
o bject bct wce n an irn..: oming blow an<l hi s person. If th e Block
man e uvc r succeeds. thc u bj ec l takes th e damage in stead or the
defc nck1
A Bloc k is a Di ec Action. and in ord er to pe rform a Bloc k.
th e C hara c te r mu s t ha ve so me obj ec t in hi s hand s or on hi s
pe rson that ca n be use d to Block. Th e AV and EV o r a Bloc k
attempt a rc ho1h equal l o the dcfe nd e r·s DEX. The OV a nd RV
arc both equal to the Ac tin g Value of the incnmin g attack . If the
B lock Act ion Check e arn s one or more RAP s. th e B lock
succeed :-. a nd th e at tack is then reso lved normall y. us in g th e
defe nde r' s DEX as the O V a nd th e BODY of the objec t used to
B lock as th e RV .
Any R A Ps c 1u sL·d by th e att;u.: k arc in fl icte d upon th e
o bj ec t' s Curren t B01>Y Condition in s1e ad of the dcfe ndcr·s. If an
objcc l is damage d durin g a Block att e mpt ( it tak es at le a s! I
RAP o f dalllal.!e). it c an no lo nl.!er he used to Bloc k. However.
GM s ma y wisl1 to suspend thi s~rul c if the ubjc<..:t bein g used to
B loc k ha s hcc n spec ificall y de s igned for block in g. such as a
broad sword ur a shield . If an object is destroyed during a B loc k
a11 ernp t (it Jak es R A Ps of damage greater than o r eq ual to it s
BODY). the o bj ec t rnn no lo nge r be used to Block and th e attack
c arri es through and damages the d efe nde r a nyway. In th is case.
loo k to the Resu lt Tabl e. usin g the EV of the attack as the EV
and th e del~nder"s BoDY as 1h~ R V. appl yin g all of the Co lumn
Sh ift s ea rn ed by th e a ttack in orde r to d e termin e th e RAPs of
damage susta ined to the C harac te r's Cu rre nt Bony Condition
If th e ori!:!inal Bl ock Ac tion C hec k fai ls . th e attack is
reso lved nurm ; ll y and 1he de fe nde r automaticill y suffe rs a -2
Co lumn S hift pen,dty to hi s OV again st it.
A de fe nde r m,1 y B loc k more than o ne altack per phase. but
th e OV/ RV 1lf e ac h subseq uent Block a tte mpt is in c reased by+ 1
Co lu mn S hif1. Thi s is o ne of the few excepti ons to the ··one Dice
Ac tion per pha se·· rule . Onl y Ph ys ical A11ac ks may be Blocked
Th e OV and RV of a B lock att e mpt arc al so mod ified
accordin g to the size or th e o bject used tu B lock. as summari ze<.J
in the fo llowi ng 1ahle:
Approximate Size of Object OV and RV Column Shifts
Human Hand +I
Small S hi e ld. large Dic tionary 0
Garbage can lid -1
Desk. smal l tabl e -2
Door -3
Automob il e -4
Semi Truc k -5
Ho use -6
Example: A thu g is shoo1i ng at \.Vondc r Woma n. and she
decides to ust.' he r brace let s to Block the inco ming bul lets. The
AV/EV or the Blot: k att e mpt is e qual to Dian:1 ·s DE x/ D EX
( 1:V U ). and the OV and RV arc both equal to 1he thug·s Act ing
Va lue (in this case. hi s Weaponry Ski ll: 4/4). S ince the bracel e ts
arc roug hl y the size o r a human hand . the Bloc k att e mpt receives
a + I Column Shirt pe nalt y. Th e S uccess Numbe r for the Bloc k
attempt is 4. Diana roll s a n 8 and rece ives 11 RA Ps: she has
B lo c ke d s uc cess full y. Th e thug· s a 11 ack is now reso lve d
no rmall y. us ing the thu g's W eapon ry Sk ill as the AV. the gu 1i" s
Effect Va lue as 1he EV. Diana· s DEX as the OV. but the BODY of
the brace lets (3 0) is used as the RV in stead o f Diana· s BODY.
B.Dodge
A P laye r who declare s a Dodge ha s hi s C harac te r· s OV
again st all Phy sica l Attacks in creased by + 1 Col umn Shift for
that pha se. C hara c te rs wit h the Acrobat ics/ Dod g in g S ub skill
ma y add th e ir APs o f Ski ll 10 !he ir OV in s te ad of the o ne
Column Shift bonu s.
Dodg in g is an A utomati c Act ion. but a Charac ter ma y
never perform a Di ec Ac ti o n or an y sort during a pha se in whi ch
he Dodges.
XI. Initiative Maneuvers
Finall y. there arc two spec ia l lnirimi n' Ma11e11\'c' rs avai lable
to the o ne C harac ter that has the highes t final lni1ia1i vc Score
during each phase or comba t. Th e In itiati ve w inne r ma y choose
to use on e or these two man e uve rs. or neithe r of th em. but ne ve r
both. Both of the man e uve rs a re Auto mati c Actions and can be
used in conj un ction w ith al l o f 1he previously descr ibed co mbat
maneu ve rs
A. Pressing The Attack
If th e Initi a ti ve w inn e r c hooses to Press The Attack. an y
ta rgets th at he a tta cks durin g the phase ha ve th e ir Opposin g
Va lu es decreased by - 1 Column Shi ft. but the Initi at ive winne r
al so ha s hi s OV dec re a sed by - I Colum n S hi f1 a gain s1 any
attack s that a re direc ted at him
Press in g The Attack ca n be used in co njun ctio n w ith an y
sort of A ttac k (Phys ical. Menta l. or My st ic~il ). o r an y spec ial
attack man euver.
B. Laying Back
Laying Back is the oppo sit e of Press ing Th e Attack. The
Initiati ve winner ha s hi s OV incre a se d by + I C o lumn Shifl
again st a ll atlacks made again st him during the phase. but any
targets that he att~1c ks have the ir OV s inc reased by + I Co lumn
Shift as we ll
Laying Back ca n a lso be used in co njunction w ith a ny son
o f attac k or defe nsive co mbat man e uver
XII. Special Combat Situations
A. Weapons
Weapons are not usua ll y used by he roi c Characters. Onl y a
few heroes w ho do not have o ffe nsi ve Powers, lik e Batman.
N ig htwin g. a nd Ha wkma n. use weapon s with any frequ e ncy.
Eve n then. the ir we apon s arc used to Slllll. cnta ngk . or for some
Tri c k Shot e ffect. ra the r than to injure o r kill an o ppo nent.
Non-P layer C harac1e rs. on 1he o lhe r hand. use weapons al l
the tim e. Yo u w ill find a li stin g or normal weapo ns and the ir
e ffec ts in Chapter Seven: Gadgetry.
In ge nera l. weapons whi ch m e thrown hy a Cha racte r have
no STR or DEX APs. B<.llman· s Batarang or Ni!.d11win~· s C omh,11
Disc arc two example s. Instead. they t;se th e STR an(I DEX A Ps
or th e ir thrower as th e Acti ng and Effect Va lue.
Gun s a nd mi ss iles are d iffe rent. Th ey can ha ve EV A Ps
which mu st be subslituted for 1hc STR o f the firer. Some !.Wns eve n
have AV APs whi ch may be substitu ted fo r a C haracter·s-DEX.

B. Surprise
Surprise ca n occur when a C haracte r is not awa re or hi s
~~:~~c~~~-:;1,~~::·1;.r~~~g::~lrx~,'~ :~~)l~~tc1 ~~;1~~~~lb~e~~l';;;.i;:;rrnctcrs
Before a Surprise is sprung. the GM mu st g ive his Players a
specia l Pe rcept ion C heck (sec page 107 ) tha t nllows th e m to
detect the Surprbe. be it a hidd e n bomb. a n ambu sh in a
wa re house. or a sudde n attack on the ir headquarte rs. The GM
does no t need to te ll hi s P layers why they arc mak ing the roll. or
eve n w hat the Oppos in g ya lues ;.ire: the Playe rs ca n try to figure
o ut the Success Num be r tor the mse lves.
For thi s spec ial Perception Chec k. th e I NT/WILL of the
defe nd~r is the AV/EV. and the I TIWILL of the a ttacke r who se t
the ambush or trap is the OV/RV. Any posit ive RAPs mea ns
that the ambu sh. trap. or Surprise has been de tec ted o ne phase
befo re it occ urs.
The Dan ge r Recog nition S ubs kill or the Mili ta ry Sc ience
Ski ll may be subst itu ted fo r the AV/EV. A lso. the poten tia ll y
Surprised Characters mi g ht ha ve Powers that make 1hc S urpr ise
eas ier or mo re difficult to detect. In e ithe r case. 1hc APs o f these
Powe rs may be used instead o r INT/WtLL as the AV/EV.
~::~~·~t ~~,~~t1~
11 1 1
C ha r;~::rse :~~·~i t1~0~~~1;~i~· ~1~~;eo\ : ·: !!c,f~:; ~1:i1~~~
the lirs t pha se o r co mba t ( th ey ha ve no Ini tiati ve). a n<l 2)
Surpri sed Characters have th e ir Opposi ng Va lu e moved -2
Co lumn Shifts to 1he lcfl o n the Ac tion Tabl e.
C. Blindside
Blindsides ,,re a type of Su rpri se that can happe n duri ng
comba t whe n ..i C hara c 1e r is s tru c k from be hi nd or from ;.1
vantage poin1 w hi ch he cannot see. The defende r mu st no t be
awa re of the precise loc lli o n of the a 11ack or a tt ;.1cke r for a
Bl indside to be ca ll ed . 11 is up to the GM 10 rul e w het her or no l
an attac k is a B lind side .
~-f;~~r~i~~~~~oa;
1 01
g lancSee ~;~ t :e ,~u!:1 eV1~f~~';·t~~~fe~~·:1~~ ~,!~~cek ~l
C harac1c r ..iware of an attacker's position. but if the :mac k comes
fro m o ut or sight o r beyond the ran ge o r th e Senso ry Powe r.
!hen the Charnc ter is B linds id ed
Whe n a C ha ra cte r is B lin ds ided. his Opposin g V,1lu c is
shifted - I Co lumn S hift to th e le ft on the Action Tab le fo r all
attacks from tha t allacke r until he ca n locate the source of the
attacks (see Perceptio n Checks. page I07).
D. Darkness
Whe n a Ph ysica l A 11ac k occu rs in natural darkn ess. the
attacke r m ust be ab le to see the defender in o rder to hit him . In
the c.l..1 rk .. norma l sight can recog ni ze shapes ~1p to 100 ya rds away
(5 APs c.hstancc). A full moon wi ll do uble thi s range to 6 APs.
Even if seen . the defe nd e r rece ives +2 Opposi ng V.:ilu c
Co lu mn S hift s to th e right in natural da rkness
r~~~fi~~ ~~:~ ~~~~u:;~~lyo?~~~r8~:~k~~~~n;~~~e;.~~
darkt~~:i~~ tr~:!~
discussed in Chapter Two.
An attacker can compe nsa te for th e na tural darkn ess
pe na lti es by using an appropriate Po wer. s uch as U lt ra V is io n.
Therma l V ision. or Flash.
E. Underwater
When C ha racters are taking pa rt in a n underwate r
adven ture. the fo ll ow in g rul es shou ld be app lie d. Howe ve r. the
~;.11c r Free.dam Po we r negates a ll u nderwate r pena lti es excep t
tor throw n ite m s.
• Add +I Column S hift to the right on a ny Di ce A1.: tion·s
~~~i:~~1,: ~~. Va lu e in vo lv in g movement. Thi s al so applies to
1 speed and direc ti o n un t il a cted u po n by so me ou ts ide force.
10
: i ~t\~~~'.gTn : /:: :: ;;t
1
~::~tv~l
11 1 1
~ :~ :~sl~~·~1~ ~~.:~:l~~~;.~~gEac h
AP of depth ove r 5 causes the descendin g Characte r to su ffer a
Physica l Altack w i1h the APs of dep1h as the AV/EV und the
C ~a~ac ter"s STR/ BODY as the OV/RV. This is automaticall y a
Killin g Co m bat attac k. A new a 11ack is mad e eve ry tim c the
C haracter descends an addit ional one AP of depth
• Subtract 5 from the In itiative score of e ach Ch,11-ai: te r tha t
is underwat e r.
• A C harac ter may ho ld hi s brealh for 5 APs of lime ( two
mi nutes). If he stays und e rwater beyond thi s time. the Characte r
must mak e <Ill Ac ti o n Check us ing his STRISTR as the AV/EV
a nd hi s BOD Y/ BODY as the OV/ RV . Hero Po in ts ma y be spe nt on
bot h the AV and th e EV. A ny posit ive RAPs. up to a maximum
of 5. a re th e A Ps of tim e th a t th e C hara c te r ma y remain
und e rwa ter before having to re turn to th e s urfa ce. If the
C haracter docs not receive a ny RA Ps {or if he can no t reach a ir
in the time he ~a incd). he wi ll t~ke I poin t of Physical Killing
Damage pe r m in ut e (4 APs) u ntil he reac hes O BODY a nc.l fall s
unconscious. After thi s poi nt. th e drow nin g C ha rac te r wi ll tak e l
po in t of da mage every phase until he dies.
• Wate r is not always clea r. Norma l vision underw:.ue r is 5
A Ps (300 feet). For every 2 A Ps of dept h. I A P is subt rac ted
from the normal range o f vision clue to darkne ss. At the GM·s
di sc re t ion . v i s ion ma y a l so be imp ai red by mud or dirt
suspe nded in th e wate r
• h e m s wh ic h a re no t continuall y prope lled. suc.: h as th rown
roc ks o r a rrows. ha ve a r,mgc that is 2 APs sho rter than normal
w hen fired through water. Thus. a C haracter wit h a STR of 11
w ho coul d normall y hurl a stone we ig hin g 4 A Ps a distance of 7
A Ps ( 1 1-4=7) may o nl y th row the same stone 5 APs or
disw nc.:e
unde rwa ter ( 11 -4-2=5).
• A ll att acks made us ing Po wers o r Ski ll s unde rwate r suffc 1
a +2 Co lu mn S hift pe ,w lt y to the OV. The GM may rule that
some Powers a rc inoper;.1t ive underwater. or he may use th e
Universal Modif~er Table to dete rmi ne an y furth er penalti es w he n
pe rformi ng Act ions u nderwa te r.
• If a C haracter has Running or S u pcrspecd o f 12 APs or
g reater. he may run across the surface of water as if it were so lid.
F. Space
If Charac1e rs e ncl up in o uter sp:.ice wit hou t the be ne fit of a
spaces hip ,. they w ill be r,1ced w ith a number o r prob le m s. App ly
the fo ll ow 111g rul es to C haracters in s pace:
• A ll Dice Act ions a11e mpted by C h;.iracters in s1x 1ce have
the ir OVs increased by +3 Column Shifts. Thi s is red uced to +2
Co lumn S hifts if a Character has some means of controllin!.! hi s
pos iti o n (i.e. Fli ght. T e le kin es is. a jet pac k. e tc.). a nd is rec.l~1ced
to + I Co lumn S hift if a C harac te r has the S pace Craft S ubsk ill
of Veh ic les. Reg<.mll ess o f experie nce. all C ha racte rs suffe r a
minimum+ I Co lumn Shift mo difie r to OVs.
• The GM nrn y ru le th at so me Po we rs arc inoper.:1ti ve in
space. o r he may use the Universal Modifier Table 10 determine
any fu rthe r pe na lt ies when pe rforming Ac tions in space.
• Un less a C hara c ter in spa ce has th e Sca le d Sys te m s
Powe r. he w ill beg in tu s uffocate in the ;.1irless vacu um . Use the
ru les for drow nin g in the previous sec ti o n . except tha t th e
OV/RVs of th e Action C hec k a re increased by +2 Co lumn S hift s
unless the C haracter has the Space Craft Subski ll of Vehic les.
• Only C harac ters w ith the F light Powe r may move free ly:
o tl~c r C ha r~1ctc rs ca n try to push off larger o bj ec ts. t hrow a n
obJec t. or fire a weapon w ith reco il to ga in momen tum. but thi s
wi ll be difficult. Any suc.:h a tte mpt to move requires a Pc rc.:epti o n
Chc_ck (see page 107) to determine the proper laun ch ungle
aga inst OV/RVs o f 8/8 (6/6 if C harncter ha s Space Cra ft
Subski ll of Vehicles). Fa ilure indic:atcs that the Character drift s
off ta rget. In an y case. th e C harac te r w ill free- fall at a speed
equ~1 I to hi s STR 1:', ttribute. w ith a max im um speed. eq ua l to the
~e ig ht o f the obJe~t pu shed off o l.' .<o r the EV ot the wea pon
~\ 1;.~~/i~,?.':/:~11tc. 11 is equa ll y dil fi cu lt IO s low or ctwnge
1 1
• Objects mo ving in space continue to move in a co nstant
C harac te rs moving as dc snibcd above w ill continue in the same
d irec1ion unti l they hit anothe r object or a re grabbed or pus hed
by another Character. Any impac t is treated as a Charging
Attack (sec page 103) with AV/EVs eq ual to the Charac te r's
speed and OV/RVs eq ua l to the Character's Boov/BODY.
• Thro w n object s and project il es have an unlimit ed
poten ti a l range, but the Character using th em mu st be ab le to see
his target in order to a im his shots. Add 1he APs of distance that
exceed th e ma xim um range of 1he weapon to the OV of th e
attempt. Te le scopic Vision wi ll exte nd th e maximum range of
such attacks to the A Ps of Power.
G. Falling
Whenever a Charac1c r fa ll s a distance greater than 10 feet
(0 APs). he runs the risk of injury. Make an Action Check using
the A Ps of di stance that the Character fa ll s multipli ed by 2 as
the AV/EV. and the Charac ter's BODY/Boov as th e OV/RV.
If the di stan ce that 1he Charac ter is fa lling is greate r than 7
A Ps. treat it as 7 A Ps: 14/1 4 is the hi ghest possib le AV/EV of a
fall. Fallin g damage is automat ica ll y consi de red Killi ng Combat.
H. Explosives
Explosives are area effec t attacks: they do fu ll damage to
eve ryon e in the targe t area (a c ircular area with a diameter of 10
feet. or O APs) and less damage in the area around the target
area. Depend ing on the Ge nre Rul es be ing used (see Appendix
C). exp los ions may be cons idered Killing Co mbat
Each target C haracte r is a ttacked equall y and separate ly
Each Charac te r can rece ive RAPs from a s uccess ful attack.
although the RAPs are sti ll dete rmi ned by usin g the Acti ng and
Res ul t Tab les.
Th e effect of an ex plosion d iminishes rap idl y as di stance
from the blast increases. Eac h AP of di sta nce from the target
area reduces the blast's AV/EV by 2 APs . Thu s, if a C haracte r is
sta ndi ng 3 APs from th e target area of a 10 AP how itzer blast,
the AV/EV is red uced by 6 APs to 4/4. A Characte r who is
stan din g 4 A Ps away from th e sa me b last woul d be attacked
wi1h an AV/EV of 2/2. If double ones are roll ed for the auack.
1he ex plosive was a dud.
Explos ive attacks are no t co nsidered M ult i-A u acks. an d
!here are no Col umn Shi fl pena lti es if the exp losion affecls more
than one targe t. Eac h individua l in the radiu s o f an exp losion is
auacked separate ly
quak e. A typi ca l quak e w i:t last from 0- 12 A Ps of lime. The
effects of a n earthqu ake are lessened as though the quake were
an exp losion: eve ry AP o f distance away from the center of the
q uake reduces the qu ake· s e ffec ts by 2 APs
Eart hquakes can be preve nted or halted by an ex treme ly
strong Characler pus hin g the eanh bac k into place at the fa ul t.
The OV/RV of such an aue mpt is eq ual to th e quake' s APs of
Earth Control
Tomados have the A ir Con trol Powe r rated at between 7
and 15 APs. They ge nera ll y move at a gro und speed of 7 APs
per ph ase, randoml y shiftin g d irection s seve ral times per phase.
Eve ryo ne th at a tornado passes ove r is au to mat ica ll y
atlacked Phy sically. The RAP s from th e a tt ack indi cate th e
di stan ce th a t the target was Knocked Bac k from the tornado.
as we ll as the RAPs of Ph ys ical damage take n. A ll of the
he roes and import a nt C ha rac te rs wi thin 10 APs of a tornado
ha ve a l in 10 c han ce of being allacked by a 7 A P Lightn in g
boll eac h phase. T he GM shou ld not bo ther ro ll ing to see if
inn oce nt bystande rs are struck. si nce heroes usuall y take the
blasl for th e m.
H11rrico11es have the A ir Control Power rated at between 7
a nd l 8 A Ps. Hurrican es fun c ti on th e sa me way as torn ados.
except that a hurri cane affects everythi ng wi thin a radi us equ al
to it s A Ps o f A ir Co nt ro l. It w ill usua ll y take about twe nty
minutes to an hour for a hurricane to pass over an area
Poisonous or Radioacti1•e Gas Leaks have the Fog Power
rated be twee n 7 and 25 APs . The c lo ud 's A Ps of Fog Power also
funct io n as the AV/EV of a n allack th at is made aga inst a ll
li vin g targets that are ex posed to 1he c loud. Sk in Arm or offe rs
no protect ion against poisonous or radioactive gas.
Collisions: A movi ng vehicle or objec1 1ha1
is actu a ll y co nducting a Charg ing Attack upon
page 103). Reme mber that th e ve hicl e will oft en
from a co lli sion as wel l as the ta rget.

I. Fires, Collisions,
and Natural Disasters
Heroes save peop le from fire and natural di sas te rs all the
time. Here are the rul es for hand ling these situ ation s in the DC
H EROES RPG .

Fire is a Ph ys ica l A tt ack that is always co ns idere d

Killin g Combat. The AV/EV of a fire ca n range from 3/3 fo r a
sma ll fire. to 8/8 fo r a ragi ng infe rn o. When the GM decides
to inc lu de fire in the ga min g env ironment, he should draw out
a map indicating th e ex act locati o n and AV/EV of the fl a mes.
A s in g le fire can b e made up of severa l areas o f va ry in g
AV/EV. G e ne r a ll y, t he AV/EV o f an a rea of flam e w ill
in crease by I /I eac h phase un1il it reaches 8. The area covered
by th e flames will spread at a rate of O APs of d istance in a ll
di rec tions every phase.
Flames ca n be " atlacked" using water. Th e AV /EV of such
an atlack is equ al to the vo lume of water thrown on the flames.
The OV/RV is equa l to the flames ' AV/EV. The RAPs from
such an attack are subtracted from the AV/EV of the flames.
Once the fl a mes' AV/EV is reduced to 0/0, the fir e is
exti ngui shed.

Earthquakes ha ve the Ea rth Contro l Power rated at

between 6 a nd 25 APs, depending upon the seve rity of the
 K. Throwing Things
trong Characters like to pick up heavy objects and heave
them at their opponents in combat. In such a case. 1hc AV of the
auack is equal to the thrower' s DEX. and the EV of the allack is
eq ua l to the 1hrower·s STR. See the previous chapter for the rul es
regarding whether or not a Character can pick up an object. and
how far he can throw tha1 object.
XIII. Perception Checks
One of th e 1hin gs that separa tes heroe s from n o rm al
human s i s !h ei r un ca nn y ab ilil y 10 perce i ve so meth in g
happeni ng in th e worl d arou nd them and deduce how to use th at
inform:.u io n to their ad va ntage. Frequentl y, heroes w ill d etect
clues that would othe rwise go unnoticed, spot hidde n assassin s
trying to escape in a crowd. or make acc urate deductions based
on their gut insti ncts.
In g.ime terms. thi phe no menon i s simu lated with the use
of Perception Checks.
A Perception Check is a Dice Action that is rolled by the
Game mas1er IO see if a Character is aware o f something in the
world around him.
Th e C ha rac te r" s Aeling Valu e is hi s INT and the Effec t
Value is his WtLL. If what 1he hero may perceive is an item or a
Phys ica l Action that is hidden by a person. 1he Opposing Va lue
a nd Res is tan ce Va lues arc t he ta rge t's I NT/MI ND. If th e
perceived is a mood o r e mo ti o nal s ta te . th e OV/RV is the
targct" s INFLiAUKA. If it is an event, c lue or some th ing which
does not nt inw 1he above categories, the OV and RV are taken
by the GM fro m the Universal Modifier Table.
This is an Act io n C heck that shou ld be made by the GM in
sec ret. and the informatio n shou ld o nl y be g iven to the Playe r if
the ro ll yie lds posi ti ve RAPs.
A Pl ayer may initiate a Perceptio n Check by say in g that he
is on the a lert . but this o nl y lrnppens during a situati o n where the
C ha rac te r wou ld norma ll y be a lert, s uch a s in a s tak eo ut
sequence.
Hero Po int s may be add ed to in crease th e Cha rac te r's
INT/WI LL up lO twice the regul ar value. If there is nothing to be
perceived in that phase. the He ro Po ints are lost.
Depending o n the RAPs received on the Action Check. 1he
Character may perceive more o r less informatio n. according to
1he fo llowi ng chan. If the Action Check receives o nl y one RAP.
th e Charnc tcr only lea rn s a bri e f t idbit a bout th e object
pe rceived . If the RAPs earned a re equal to one- ha i r of th e
Acti on Check· s RV . 1he Character gains mo re information , and
RAPs Information Perceived
N Nothing percei ved
I RAP A quick glance; a shadow movin g
1/2 RV A recogn izable shape or movement, w ith
direction and at a cenain di stance from the
perceiving Character
FuURV A definite objecl or event
Over RV Details about the object or event
These are guidelines 10 help the GM . If the perceived event
is not a motion or shape, but a sound or something fe lt , tasted, o r
something se nsed wi th Mental Powe rs. the information given
out is left to the GM"s discretion.
XIV. Exam le of Combat
Dave is pl aying Superman , who ha s been invo lved in a
pitched battle with Doomsday. He has jusl spotted the destruction
o uts ide of a Le x.- Man. and swoops into the sto re to investigme.
At 1his poi nt. the GM decides to invo ke the combat rules.
Phase One
Th e GM dec ides to s pend 10 He ro Po int s to in c rea se
Doomsday 's Initiat ive . wh ile Dave decl ines to spend any points.
Dave roll s a 2 and adds ii to Supenna n' s Initiat ive of 49 for a
tota l of 5 1, while the GM roll s a 10 and adds it 10 Doomsday's
Init iati ve of 32 plu s th e 10 fo r Hero Po int s for a 1o ta l of 52.
During 1his phase, Dave mu st declare Su perman 's Actio ns first,
but Doomsday will take the fi rst turn .
Da ve decla res that Supe rman w ill fi y towa rd s Doo msday
( Au lo matic Ac ti o n) and atte mpt to punc h him ( Di ce Ac tion).
Since Supernrnn is o nl y perfo rmin g two Acti o ns. he could try
so mething else if he wanted, but Dave dec li nes.
The GM declares that Doomsday will ru n towards the Man
o f Steel ( Automat ic Action) and use a C hargi ng Attack (Dice
Ac ti o n). The GM a lso de termines 1hat Doomsday w ill opt 10
Pre ss the Attack (he is only a llowed to se lect thi s ma ne uver
because he is the Init iative winne r) while Charging at Superman.
Since Doomsday won the In itiati ve. he resolves hi s Action
first. The GM nmes 1hat he has run up to Superman and resolves
the attack. Doomsday's Ac ting Value is his DEX o f 16 and hi s
Effect Value is his A Ps of move ment. Since he is running and
has no Runnin g Power. 1he EV is 4. Supe rman 's Oppos in g
Val ue is his DEX o f 15 and hi s Res istance Value is hi s Boov o f
18. In addi1io n. Superman suffers a -I Co lu mn Shift pena lty 10
his OV because Doomsday Pressed lhe All ack. Looking at the
Act ion Table. the GM finds that Doomsday's Success Number
is 7. The GM ro ll s a 2 for Doomsday ' s Actio n, so he fa il s. T he
G M rul e s that beca use he ro ll ed do ubl e o ne s . Doo m sday
stumbl es direc tl y in10 so me rac ks full of stereo equipment. Also,
the roll of 2 tri gge rs Doomsday ·s Ca tastrophic Rage Draw bac k,
and the Vi ll ain immediate ly e nters Killin g Combat.
Dave 1he n reso lves Su perman 's Acti o n. Superma n's Acting
Value is his Dex o f 15 and hi s Effect Va lue is hi s Sm of 25.
Do omsday's Oppo s in g V a lu e is hi s D EX of 16. a nd hi s
Resista nce Value is hi s BODY o f 20 plus hi s Skin Annor of 3 and
his Densit y Increase of 2, for a total o f 25. Looki ng at the Action
Tab le, the GM find s th at upcrman 's ucccss Number is 11 .
Dave roll s a 7 fo r Superman's Action, so he fai ls.
Phase Two
The GM d ec ide s to spe nd 5 Hero Poi nt s to inc rease
Doomsday's Initi ati ve, and Dave follows suit , spending 5 of his
ow n Hero Points on Superm a n 's Init iati ve. Bo th of the
participants ro ll a 7, so Doomsday's In itiati ve tota l is 44 a nd
S uperman·s Initiative To ta l is 6 1.
Th e G M anno un ces th a t Doo m sda y wi ll c hase aft e r
S u perman w ith hi s Ju mpin g Po we r if he 1ri cs to fl y awa y
(A uto mmi c Acli o n w ith a conditi o n) and wi ll try to pu nch the
Man of Steel in a ny case (Di ce Action).
Dave dec ides 10 use hi s Flig ht Powe r lO make a C hargin g
Att ack (A uto ma ti c and Dice Ac tio ns). hopefu ll y pushin g the
brute o ut o r the sto re and away fro m the innocent bystande rs.
Dave a lso de ci d es 1h a1 S u pe rm a n w ill P ress th e Au ac k
(Au to matic Acti o n).
Since he won the Initi ative, Superman takes the first turn .
He uses 8 A Ps of Flight {more would cause a damaging sonic
boom ) to barre l int o Doo m sday. Th e AV of the Attack is
Superman 's DEX of 15 an d the EV is his Flight s peed of 8.
Doomsday 's OV is hi s DEX of 16 and his RV is the same as the
last phase al 25. Doo msday's OV receives a -I Co lumn Shift
penalty because Superman is Pressi ng the Attack. The Su ccess
Nu mber for Superman 's attack is 11. Dave ro ll several doubles
,malling 35, which score 7 Col umn Shifts against Doomsday.
The Kn ockback from thi s auack is equal 10 the Co lu mn
Shifts scored , minus Doo msd ay ·s weight of 4 AP . The GM
rul es that Superma n continues 10 tl y along w ith Doomsd ay as he
is Kn ocked Bac k 3 APs (80 fe et). The GM also dc1e rmines that
the re is a brick wa ll in 1he way. w hi ch Doomsd ay s mashes inlo.
He is immediate ly attacked w ilh an AV/ EV eq ual to the di s tance
that h e was Knoc ke d Ba c k (J A Ps) . Agai ns t D oom sd ,1y·s
OV/ RV of 25/25 . the GM ro lls a 13 which does no damage. The
wa ll is al so anacked with AV/ EVs o f 3/3. The wa ll defends wit h
OV / RV s equal to it s BODY of 8. The GM roll s a to tal of 22.
wh ic h scores 2 Co lum n Shi ft s. C hecking the Res ult T able. the
GM de te rmines that the wa ll takes I RA P of d amage. w hi ch is
sufli c ie nt to break a ho le in it large e no ugh for the combnta nt s to
ll y straight through .
Th e G M deter min es that th e Kno ckbac k e nd s wi th
S upe rman a nd Doomsda y crashi ng into a Lex- M art pane l tru c k.
Doomsday s till has hi s attack to resolve. T he AV/EV is eq ual to
Doo msduy's D Ex/STR o r 16/27. while th e OV/RV is equal to
S uperman' s DEx/BODY o f 15/18. Howe ver. Superman s uffe rs a -
l C olumn S hift mo difi e r to hi s OV because he Prcssc <l th e
A tta c k. Th e GM ro ll s a 14 aga in s t a Succ ess Numbe r of 7.
:-.coring two Co lumn Sh irt s ( re me mber that Column S hift s don ' t
s tart until 11 ). T he attac k sco res 16 RAPs aga in s1 Supe rm ,1n.
and Dave dec ides to s to p the d am age w ith Last Ditc h Defense
by s pc mJing 16 Hero Po ints
Phase Three
The GM dec ides that Doomsc.b y re a ll y want s to go lirst. so
he spe nd s 15 Hero Poi nts o n lnitia1i ve. Dave is running low on
Hero Po int s. so he dec lines to spend. The GM roll s a 5 for ,111
Initiati ve tot:.11 of 52: Da ve roll s a 1 for an Initi ati ve tota l o f 50.
Before Da ve declares S upc nnan' s Ac ti o ns. th e GM rol ls a
Pe rce pti o n Check for him. The re are Dail y Pl anet he li co pt e rs
approac hin g and the GM w ants lo see if Superman no ti ces them.
Th e AV/EV of the Pe rception C heck is equal to Superman 's
INT/W1u~ of 11 /20. The OV/RV is de te rmined by th e GM us in g
th e Un i ve rsal Modifi e r Tabl e. H e d e te rmin es th at it is a
St re nuou s tas k to s po t the ·copte rs (OV/RV of 6/6). The OV of
the C hec k is redu ced by - 1 Co lumn Shift because S upe rman has
th e Sharp Eye Ad vantage. making the S uccess Number 4. Da ve
roll s 16. sco rin g e no ug h RA Ps to notice every detai l about the
he licopters. inc lud ing the fa c t that the lead one is ac tua ll y the
Pla ne 1·s Fl y in g Newsroom. and that Loi s Lane and Jimm y O lse n
a rc ahoa rd!
With thi s in mind . Dave dec ides to go o n the defens ive. He
dec lares that he is Dod g ing (A ut o mati c Actio n) a nd that he w ill
m o ve to p ro tec t an y inno ce nt s th at mig ht b e in danger
(A utomatic Ac ti ons wi th a condition )
The G M d etermin es that Doom sday se nses a mo me nt of
weakn ess in hi s target. and declares that Doo msday will alle mpt
a Critical B low aga in st the Man o f Steel ( Dice Actio n ) and w ill
Pre ss the Attac k (Auto mati c Ac ti o n).
Since Doomsday wo n the Initiati ve. th e GM reso lves hi s
,n tac k firs t. The AV/EV or 1his attack is Doo msday's D Ex/STR
of 16/27 and th e OV/RV is Supe rman' s DEX/ BODY of 15/1 8.
Howeve r. thi s attac k has a numbe r o f modifi e rs: Th e C riti cal
Blow rai ses the OV by +2 Co lumn s: Pre ss in g the Allac k lowe rs
the OV by - I Co lumn; Su pe rman 's Dodge rai ses the OV by + 1
Co lumn . Th e GM d e te rmin es that th e S uccess N um be r for
Doom sday·s a ttac k is 13. Th e GM roll s 18, hitting w ith three
Co lumn S h ifts. Al so. he used ,1 C riti ca l Bl ow. w hi c h moves the
RV 3 more Co lu m ns to the le ft. C hec king the Res ult Tabl e, the
GM d etermi ne s lhat Doo msda y scores 23 R APs. S uper man 's
BODY is o nl y 18. so he c,111 spe nd a max imum of 18 He ro Po int s
in Last Di tch Defense. w hi c h he does. S uperma n suffers 5 RAPs
o f damage to hi s C urre nt Brnw Conditio n, and is Knoc ked Back
l A P (2() feet) throug h a pla1c g lass w indow.
Si nce Supe rma n secs no o ne in imminent danger. he takes
no action, e nding the phase.
Phase Four
A t thi s poi nt. Da ve dec ides that Superman is d etermined lo
tuk e out Doo msday. so he spend s 10 Hero Po ints on increas in g
hi s Initiati ve. The GM d oesn 't both er in c re as in g Doo msday ' s
Initi ative a nd roll s a 6 , for an Init iat ive tot:l l of J8. Da ve roll s a 5
fo r an Initiati ve to tal of 64.
The GM declare s that Doomsday no ti ces ,1 s ig n that says
"60 m iles to M etropo li s:· and dec ides 10 head for the c ity us ing
hi s Jum p ing Power ( Automati c Ac ti o n ).
Dave declares that S upe rm an is goin g to atte mpt to Grapple
w ith Doomsday ( Di ce Action) .
Superma n ' s Action is resolved first. Da ve decla res that he
wi ll be spending 4 Hero Points o n his Acti ng Va lue and 3 o n h is
Effec t Value. making the to tal AV/EV o f the a ttac k 19/28. The
GM a nn ou nces that Doom sd ay wi ll al so s pend He ro Point s.
rai s in g hi s OV/RV to 19/28 as we ll. The G M dete rmines that
S upe rman' s Success N umber is 11. Dave roll s a 19 and hit s
C hec king the Result Table. the GM de termi nes th at S upe rman
sco red 13 RAPs ag ain st Doomsday. w ho blol'ks th e d amage
w ith Last Dit ch De fense
S ince Doo msday is now Grappled wi 1h S uperma n. he can
no lo nger use hi s Jumping move me nt. s ince it s A Ps or 13 are
lower than Supe rman· STR of 25 APs. S ince the GM declared an
Actio n that is now illega l. Doo msday loses hi s Action and the
phase ends
Phase Five
Both Dave a nd the GM decline to s pe nd Hero Po ints o n
Init iati ve. Da ve roll s a IO fo r an Initi ati ve to tal o f 59. The GM
roll s a 7 fo r an Initi ative tota l of 39.
Th e GM dec lares th at Doomsday w ill a tt e mpt to brea k
Supe rman 's Grapp le ( Di ce Ac ti o n)
Dave dec lare s tha t Superman w ill th row Doo msday in the
oppos it e direc tion from Me tropo li s. Th e GM rule s that the
throw w ill b e a Di ce Ac ti o n. beca use D oo msda y is act ive ly
res is tin g , and that the Ac ti o n will be reso lve d a s a Plann ed
Knockback Attack.
Si nce Dav e won t he Initiati ve . S up e rman' s Act ion is
reso lved firs t. S ince the Characters are Grapp led, S uperman uses
hi s STR as the AV/ EV w hil e Doom sday uses hi s STR/BooY as
the OV/ RV . Dave d ec id es to spend 5 He ro Po im s o n bo th the
AV and EV. a nd the GM fo llows suit. Da ve fee ls 1ha1 S upe rman
rea ll y wa nt s to s ucceed thi s time. so he s pends anot he r 5 points
o n th e AV and EV . Th e GM declin es to in c re a se hi s
ex pe nditure. making the to tal AV/EV for the att ac k 35/35 and
the OV/RV 32/30. The Success Number for the attack is 11.
and Dave ro ll s a 17. The GM dete rm ines that the allack scored
14 RAP s, so Superman flin gs Doomsday 14 APs o f di s tance (16
mil es) away fro m M etropoli s . The th reat or
Doo msd.ay is ended
te mporarily. but the batt le rages on as Supe rma n give s chase ..
XV. Putting It All Together
The co mbat rules are long. and see m rath er complic~ued at
first. but once the Players get used to the m. comba t is rea lly not
that co mpl ex. Before go in g any furth e r. ge t some Players
together and play out a co upl e of sa mpl e co mbats. W he n
everyone fe e ls familiar e no ugh w ith th e co111b;.1t rules. continue
o n to Character Interaction.
 In add iti o n to bashing heads, heroes spe nd a lot of time
r !~!~;~~11:~tl,
111111' ta lk ing. T hey threa te n vill a in s, th ey pump w itn esses for
th ey ta lk to other he roe s, so me eve n ta lk to
In th e DC H EROES Role-Playing Game. ta lking is sim ple. If a
Player want s h.is C haracte r to say something he should just go
ahead and say 11. T he GM talk s for a ll of the vill ai ns and minor
Charac ters. If Stan wants to tell Commi ss ioner Gordon that he
think s. G_ordo n ha s a n ice h aircut , Sta n ju s t s a ys, " H ey
Comm 1ss1oner Gordon, you have a ni ce haircut! "
1
how J'~~1\ ~:~~~ rb:~1~1~;e~ ~~r:c~~~ ~i~l~~cits /ir:~~/ ~hf~g~~=y~~~
say . In th e pr ev io u s exa mpl e, it 's pr e tt y obv ious that
Commi ssioner Gordo n wou ld probab ly a nswer someth ing lik e,
.. Oh. thank you'': but what happe ns if Batman is interrogating
one of th e Pen guin' s thugs: ·'Whe re is th e Penguin' s hideou t?
Te ll me ,ww, you diseased sc um!" T he thug obviously does not
want lo ta lk , but Batman has methods of convi ncin g th ese types
to coope rate. so who win s?
It is pretty obvious that rul es are needed to he lp the GM
figure out what happe ns in situ ati ons like these, so here they are.
Welcome to Character /11teractio11.
I. Types of
Character Interaction
Charac ter Int eraction is usually a Di ce Act ion. There a re
three different type s. of C haracte r Interact ion: Int e rrogat ion,
Persuas ion, and Int im idation.
hlf~rrogatio11 is used whe ne ve r so meone wa nt s to gain
in fo rmati on from so mebody e lse. A successful ln terrooation is a
combination of aski ng the rig ht question s, correct ly i~erpreting
th e answer_s. and app lying whatever press ure is necessary to get
result s. It 1s onl y necessary to resort to the Interrogati on rul es
whe n the subj ect is unwi lling or unabl e to revea l information. A
poli ce offi cer in vestigating th e scene of a c ri me , for instance,
wo uld have to use Int e rrogati on to gai n information from a
hys teri ca l victim because the vic tim is unab le to think clear ly
and answe r th e o ffi ce r' s qu es tions. Si mil arly , Batman would
have to use Interrogatio n on the Penguin 's thu g in th e pri or
examp le beca use the thu g does not wa nt to revea l the location of
Penguin' s hideout.
~er.rnasion is used :,vhenever one C haracter is tryin g, to
co n~111ce ~no lh er lo belie ve somet hin g or to perform so me
service. It 1s onl y necessary to resort to the Persuasion rul es if
the se rvice or be lief is not in the subject ' s own best inte rests.
Batman us ua ll y d oes no t ha ve to Pers uad e Commiss ioner
Gordon to arrest a criminal. for in stance, since Gordon wants to
ca pture c rimina ls him se lf. Howeve r, Batman might have to
Persuade Gordon to le nd him men or equipment th at could be
e mpl oyed e lsew here. Likew ise, after Commiss ioner Gordon 's
men ~ave surrou nded .a s~reet criminal and trained the ir weapo ns
o n hnn . th e Co mm1 ss 1o ne r us uall y doe s no t need to u se
Persuas ion to_ talk the street criminal into dropping hi s weapon
and surrendermg.
l,!ri111idatio11 is used whe n one C~aracter is trying 10 scare
or pam c another. Batman is great at Intimidation.
Intimidation is the onl y one of the three types of Character
Interac ti on that is used with any frequency in combat
II. Resolving
Character Interaction
The AV/EV of an atte mpt to use Character Inte raction is
eq ual to th e INFL.JA URA of the C haracter that is usin g Interac ti on,
whi le the OV/RV is equal to th e target's INFL.JSPI RIT. The RAPs
ea rned by a Character In teractio n Act ion C hec k fun ct io n
differe ntl y depending upo n the type of C harac te r Int e rac ti on
bein g used.
Interrogation
Be fore beginn ing play, the GM shoul d make a li st of a ll the
important informati on known by eac h of the villains and minor
Characte rs that the heroes are li ke ly to Interroga te. Suc h a li st
fo'. the Penguin 's _thu g in the previous examp les. fo r in stance,
mi ght look so methm g li ke thi s·
I. T he Penguin hired me away from a loca l sy ndi cate boss
2. The Pen guin usua ll y doesn' t hire guys like me. I wo nder
why he didn ' t find some bod y more " profess ional."
3. rm not sure what the Penguin is plan nin g. but whateve1
it is. it 's happenin g tomorrow ni gh1
4. Th e Pc ng ui n· s hid eo ut is a j ewe lry s ho p in Eas t
Manchester, but I' m sure he' s gone by now.
Compare the RAPs earned in an Inte rrogation effort to the
target's SPIRIT. If the Interrogat ion effort onl y rece ives one RAP.
th e targ e t w ill reve al hi s fir st poi nt of kno w led ge to th e
Inte rrogator. If th e Inte rrogation effort rece ives RAPs equal to at
le~st one half the. target's SPIRI! (round fracti ons up). th e targe t
wi ll revea l th e first ha lf of hi s inform a tio n (round fraction s
down if the target has an odd number of in fo rmati on pieces). If
the Interrogatio n e ffort rece ives RAPs that equal or exceed th e
target 's SrtRIT, the target wi ll revea l all of hi s in fo rmation. If th e
thu g in th e exa mp le has a SPIR IT o f 3. for in stan ce . Batman
wou ld learn the first point of in forma ti on (the bit about how the
thug was hired) if the Caped Crusade r earned at least one RAP
during the Interrogation , the first two points of informati on if he
earned at least ~wo RAPs (ha lf .the ~hug ·s SPIRIT rou nded up).
a nd all four pornts of informati on 1f Batman ea rn ed three or
more RAPs.
Oft~ ntim es. it is fa r too mu c h tro ub le to mak e up an
in fo rmation li st for every sing le No n-Player Charac ter in an
adven ture. In these cases. the GM ca n oft e n make snap dec isions
during actual play. If the GM had not made up an informat ion
li_st for the _1hu~ in the pre viou s examp le. for instance. he mig ht
s11npl y decide JU SI before the Batman Player ro ll s the dice thal
the th ug wi ll revea l the locati on of the Pengu in 's secret hideout
if Batm an 's Interrogation effort rece ives 3 or more RAPs. In an y
case, a C h aracte r o b viou s ly ca nnot revea l an y thin g to a n
In1erroga1or that the GM dec ides he does not know.
Persuasion
All of the Non-Pl ayer Charac ters in an adventu re start off
:-Vit h a ba s ic a1_1i~1ule ., ~wa rd t he P layers ' h e ro es w hi c h
mflue nces how dtffi cull 11 1s for th e heroes to Persuade th e NPC
in questio n. ll is up to the GM to fi gure out the attitude of eac h
of the NPCs before the adven ture begins. Each of the atti tudes is
di sc ussed below:
Attitude Adjustment Table
Attitude OV &: RV Column Shifts
Awestruck/Enamored -2
Friendly -1
Neutr al 0 separate attitude towa rd eac h o ne o f 1he Pl aye rs· heroes. The
Suspicious +l
Hostile +3
Opposed +S
Perso nal Vendetta +7
Awestruck/Ena111ored C haracters are wilin g to he lp th e
Player ' s he ro in any way th ey poss ibly ca n. Th ey wi ll take
considerab le ri sks fo r the hero. Best fr iends and lovers will fit in
the Awestruck/Ena mo red category.
Friendly Characters are willing to help the heroes by giv ing
th e m any assis ta nce o r inform a tion th ey ca n, as lo n g as
revea ling the in format ion is not suicida l, and will be will in g to
run errands or get help fo r the Persuading C haracter. They wi ll
not voluntaril y risk their li ves for the heroes.
Neutral Charac ters are willing to g ive so me in formati on to
1he hero, such as d irectio ns or the name of hi s employer, as long
as th e infor matio n is not v it al to th eir own safety . A Neu tral
Charac ter will not go into deta il, and if he is pressed, he will
become Suspi cious. A Neutral C haracte r will not in terfere with
the ac tio ns of Pl ayer C harac ters, as lo ng as th e actio ns do not
endanger him , but they will not help a Player Characte r.
Suspicious Charac ters will give a Player's hero the time o f
d ay, but not mu c h e lse. Th ey wi ll no t le t th e Pe rsu ad in g
C haracter try anythin g whi ch looks as tho ugh it co uld ca use
troub le. Su s piciou s C h arac ters are pron e to ca lli n g th e
authoriti es or some oth er help.
Hostile C haracters, includin g those Characters Opposed to
th e moti va ti on o f a Pl aye r C h a racter , wi ll n o t n o rmall y
cooperate in any way wi th the Persuading Character.
This does not mea n that they will be mulish anc.1 sil ent ...
they may be talkati ve and dece itful. They will try to furth er their
ow n int e rests a t the expe nse o f the Pers uad in g C ha rac te r.
Vill ains, as well as their alli es and thugs, always beg in at least
Hos tile to Pl ayer Characters.
Personal Vendetta ind icates that the Character in question
has a pe rso na l reaso n fo r w ish ing th e Persuad ing C ha racte r
dead, injured, or otherwise mutil ated. He will go ou l of hi s way
to lead the Pl aye r' s hero into death traps, ambushes, and other
decept ions.
Th ese att itude desc ript ions also serve as a guid e lin e fo r
fi gurin g out when a Persuasio n attempt is or is not necessa ry.
Accord in g 10 1h e d esc ripti o n a b ove , fo r ex a m p le, it is
unnecessary to use Persuasion to convin ce Fri endl y C haracters
to give a hero in forma ti on, since they will do so auto matica ll y.
Aw es tru c k C ha rac te rs rare ly need 10 be Pe r s uad ed to do
anythin g fo r the hero.
Whenever a hero tries to Persuade a C haracter, the OV and
RV of the a1te mpt bo th rece ive Co lu m n S hi ft mod ifi e rs as
indi ca ted on th e Attitude Adjustme111 Ta ble. A Pe rsua s io n
attempt against a Suspi cious C haracter, for ex ample, has its OV
and RV bo1h increased by + I Co lumn . If the RAPs earned in a
Persuasion attempt eq ual the target's SPIRIT, the target wi ll agree
to the hero's request, or will be lieve what the hero is say in g. If
RA Ps ea rn ed in the Pe rs ua s ion all em pl exceed the targe t' s
SPIRIT, the iarget' s att itude is perm anentl y changed one step in
the Persuade r' s favor (fro m Susp ic ious to Ne utral , o r from
Neut ra l to Fri end ly, etc.). Characters that begi n with an att itude
that is Hos tile or worse can never have the ir at1i1 udes increased
hi gher th an Neutral in th is fashi on, and all such Charac ters will
automat icall y return to their ori g inal attitudes after an amount o f
tim e equ al to the RAPs ea rned by the o ri gin al Persuas ion ro ll
has elapsed.
Aga in , the GM may find it too tro ub leso me , or eve n
imposs ibl e, to ass ig n attitu des to eac h and eve ry o ne of h is
NPCs before pl ay begins. In these cases, it should be no problem
to make snap deci sions durin g actual play fo r most of the minor
Characters that the heroes encounter. If Su perman stopped and
as ked an in noce nt bysta nder o n the streets of Metropo li s for
directions to the nearest bookstore, fo r example. the GM cou ld
assume that 1he bystander was probab ly Friendl y. since most of
Metropoli s' residents revered Su perman.
Al so, the GM shoul d feel free 10 rul e that a Character has a
Pe ngui n, for ins tance, is probab ly Opposed to everyo ne in
Justi ce Leag ue In ternatio nal, except for Batman. aga inst who m
he has a Personal Vendetta.
Finall y, th e GM shou ld kee p str ict co nt ro l over ex act ly
what th e heroes are and are not all owed to acco mp lish th rough
th e use of Pers uas ion , tak in g th e co mi cs as a mode l. Under
normal circum stances, Superman coul d not Persuade Lex Luthor
to build a g iant machin e that will destroy all o f the Kryptonite
on Earth, just as Batman can not Persuade the Joker to sudden ly
beco me a good guy. However, Superman mi ght have been able
to Persuade Luthor to he lp him trac k dow n one o f LexCorp 's
in ve nt io ns 1ha 1 had go ne aw ry befo re it ki ll ed off ha lf o f
Metropoli s, and a captured Batm an mi ght be able to Persuade
the Joker to delay hi s execution fo r a whi le. g ivi ng the Caped
Crusader time to devi se a daring esca pe.
Intimidation
A tar ge t is Intimi dat e d if 1h e R A Ps ea rn ed b y th e
Intimid at io n Ac ti on Chec k equ a l or exceed hi s S PIRIT. An
Intimidated target remains Int im idated fo r an amount of time
equal to the RAPs earned by th e In1imidati o n Actio n Check,
minu s his SPIRIT.
During a combat phase, any Intimidated Characters always
take their turns after all non-Intimidated Characters, regardless
of Initi ati ve total s. The Intimi dated Charac1er with the hi ghest
In itiative total moves first amo ng the Inti midated C haracters.
and so on. Also, an Intimidated Character may be automaticall y
preve nt ed from takin g hos til e ac ti o n s o r m ovi ng b y hi s
fntirnid ator, although the Int imidator ca nnot perform any Dice
Acti o ns in a phase th at he exerts co ntro l over an Int imida ted
target. The lntim idator's co nt ro l ove r the ta rget is limit ed to
preve nting him fr o m iaki ng hosti le ac 1i o ns o r mov in g: th e
lntimida1or can never compel the targe t to act in any other way
or d ictate actions to the target.
For ex am p le: Batm an co mes acros s a th ug robbi ng a
jewelry store. The Caped Crusader spreads his cape ou t to fo rm
a silhouette aga inst the moon light and leaps dow n upon the th ug
with a vicious howl (a classic Intimid ati on attempt). The AV/EV
of the atte mpt is equa l to Batman's INF\JAURA , and the OV/RV
is equal to the thug's INFLiSPIRI T. First, Ba1111an mu st earn RAPs
th at equa l or exceed th e thu g's SP IRIT for th e Intimid ati on to
have any effect. The thu g has a 3 SPIRIT, and Batman rece ives 5
RAPs. The thug wou ld then remain Intimid ated for 2 APs of
time (5-3=2) or abou t 16 seconds (4 co mbat phases ). During any
combat phase during whi ch the thu g is sti ll Inti mi dated, Batman
autom ati ca ll y moves first, sin ce no n-Intimi da ted Characte rs
always move before Intimidated Characters. In addition. Batman
can prevent th e Intim idated thu g from a11ack in g o r mov in g
during an y combat ph ase ("Do n't you dare move, you sq uirmi ng
maggot!"), as long as the Caped Crusader is willin g to fo rgo hi s
Di ce Action during that phase.
Ill. Time
It takes one com bat phase (4 seconds or O APs of time) to
mak e an Intimid atio n a11empt. ln1 e rrogatio n and Pers uas ion
attempts, however, normall y take about fift ee n minutes (8 APs
o f time). Attempting to Interrogate or Persuade someo ne in less
tim e increases 1he O V and RV o f th e e ffort. Th e re are no
bonuses for taking more tim e than is necessa ry. Add o ne to both
the OV and RV of an Interrogation or Pe rsuasion effort fo r each
I AP of time Jess tha n 8 spem mak ing the a11emp1 (anempting 10
ln1errogme or Pe rsuade so meone in a single co mbat ph ase, or 0
APs of time. therefore. adds 8 to the OY and RV of the attempt).
IV. The Charisma Skill
Chan1c1e rs with the Chari sma Ski ll have ce rta in advantages
in Character lme rac1ion. The Ski ll is so common that all Players
should be fa mili ar wilh lh c Charisma Sk ill e mry in Chapter
Two. Bas icall y. lhe APs o f Charisma may substitute for the AV
and EV while makin g a Charac te r Interaction Action Check.
The Cha ri sma Skill has three Subski lls. one fo r eac h of the
three types of Character Interacti on. Th is means th at a Charac te1
who is limite d 10 th e C ha ri sma/ln1erroga1ion S ub s kill , for
in stance. ma y o nl y use his Charis ma Skill fo r Int e rrogation
e ffort s. For Pe rs ua s io n a nd ln1imida1ion . he wo uld use hi s
INFLI AURA as usual.
V. Interaction Maneuvers
As in com b :.l l . th e re arc ce rt a in s pec ia l Charac te r
/11terac1io11 Man eu,,ers that can be e mpl oyed while in vo lved in
Cha rac te r Interact io n. Unless ot he rw ise stated. eac h o f these
mane uvers ca n be e mployed in Pe rsun sion . Inte rrogati on. and
Intimid ation atte mpt s.
All of these mane uvers arc optional. A Pl aye r may a lways
choose to make a stra ight Interact ion roll w ithout usi ng any of
the maneuve rs. if he so des ires.
Note: In orde r for Charac1e r Jn1erac ti on Mane uve rs to be
tru ly effecti ve during play. the GM should keep the Attributes of
all the villains and mino r Characte rs hidden from the Pl aye rs
until so meo ne ac tu a ll y tri es 10 use o ne o f th ese s pec ia l
maneuvers on a target.
A. Bluff
A Bluff is an anempt to foo l or trick someone. If Lo is Lane
is ho lding a pisto l that she knows is unloaded on a mugger. she
mi ght try to Bluff her assa il a m into be li ev ing that the pistol is
loaded (a n Intim idation atte mpt ).
A Bluff attem pt mu st be annou nced before 1he Di ce arc
ro ll ed. A B luff ma y be p e rform e d in co njun c ti o n w ith
Interrogat ion. Persuasio n. or In tim idation
Whe n a Characte r atte mpt s a Bluff, compare hi s INT score
to 1he INT of the target If the Bluffer' s INT is highe r. the target
rece ives - I Co lumn S hi ft to hi s OV a nd RV a gai ns t th e
Pe rs uasio n. Int erroga ti o n. or Intimidation attempt. If th e
Bluffer' s INT is lower. however. the target rece ives +2 Column
Sh ifts to his OV and RV against the attempt. If bot h the Bluffe r
and the target have equa l INTs. the re are no Colum n Shifts to the
OV or R V. and 1he Int e ra c ti o n Ac ti o n Check is reso lve d
normall y.
B. Wear Down
A \Vear Dmm is an atte mpt 10 ou tlast the ta rget and break
his will through repeated requests or intense questioning.
Wear Dow ns wo rk exac tl y like Bluffs except the WILLS of
the in vo lve d C haracters are co mpared in stead o f the ir INTs.
Wea r D ow n s ma y o nl y be u se d in co njun c tion w ith
lnterrog:ui on or Pe rsuasion.
The base time consumed by an Inte rroga tion or Pe rsuasio n
e ffort in whic h a Wea r Dow n is be in g e mployed is inc reased to
10 APs (one hour) .
C. Force
A Force is an attempt to ph ys ica ll y Force the target to do
what th e Cha rac ter wams or to :.mswe r hi s questi o ns. Forces
wo rk lik e Bluffs and Wea r Downs. excc pl th e STRS of th e
Charac te rs are compared.
A Charac te r automatica lly has hi s attitude lowered one step
towards anyone who tri es to Force him. Forces may be used in
conjunction with a ll three types of Charac te r Interact ion.
D. Charm
Charm is an atte mpt to dazz le th e targe t with th e he ro ' s
perso na lit y. C harm s work lik e th e o th e r three maneuver s
a lre ad y d esc rib e d. exce pt that th e AUR AS o r th e in vo lve d
C harac lc rs arc co mpared.
Cha rm may onl y be used in conj unction w ith Interrogation
or Persuasion attempts.
E. Multi-Attack
II is poss ibl e 10 Intimidate or Persuade more than one target
at a tim e. Treat thi s as a Multi -A tt ack as describ ed in the
Co mba t rul es. It is not poss ibl e to Inte rrogate more than one
Character at a time.
VI. Character Interaction
Against the Players' Heroes
In addition to the heroes, man y vill a ins ha ve the Chari sma
Ski ll. What h~1 ppe ns if a vi llain or minor Character tries to use
C haracte r Inte raction again st one of the Players· heroe s?
Reso lve such attem pts as usual and de termin e the result s.
A Pl ayer. ho weve r. need no t be bo und by 1he res ult o f a
Character lmeraction ro ll. He a lways has the option of spe nding
a nu mber of Hero Po int s equa l to th e RAPs ea rn ed by th e
C haracte r l n1e raction Acti o n C heck in o rde r to co mpl e te ly
ignore its effects.
Suppose. for example, Ihm the Penguin receives 15 RAPs
in an a11e mp1 10 co nvinc e Robi n to revea l Batma n' s sec re t
ide ntity (an Interrogation e ffort ). Normally, Rob in woul d revea l
Batman's secret because 15 RAPs exceeds the Boy Wonder' s
SPIR IT, mean in g that Robin mu st revea l a ll he knows (see
Interrogation ). If Robin is a Playe r C ha racter. however. the
Player may spend 15 He ro Points in ord er to avoid revea lin g
an ythin g.
The re is no limit to the num ber or Hero Point s that can be
spe nt by Pla ye rs in order 10 a vo id th e e ffect s of Ch arac te r
Interacti on. Spe nding Hero Po int s a ll ows a hero to ignore the
e ffec ts of all three types of Characte r Interac ti on (Interrogati on.
Pe rsuasion. and Intimidation)
VII. Role-Playing
Whe n using 1he Charac ter Interaction rul es. ii is not rea ll y
necessary for Pla yers to spea k fo r th e ir C haracte rs wo rd for
word . Man y Playe rs w ill simpl y say something like. ··rm go ing
to Interroga te t he thug a nd use a Bluff." Thi s is ce rtain ly
acceptabl e: but thi s will not he lp a Playe r earn additional Hero
Poi nt awards for good ro le-p laying at the e nd o f the .:1dventure
(see Standard />,wards . page 131).
Pl aye rs shou ld be e ncouraged to avoid se ntences like the
on e above. and rep lace the m w ith some thing like. "You'd bene r
sta rt talking. cree p. We al ready kn ow w ho all o f yo ur
accompl ices are. and so me of the m are turning state's evide nce.
Unl ess you coo perate and do likew ise. you· re in for a long trip
up the ri ver .. .. Playe rs who ro le play we ll be fore ro llin g the di ce
are bound to be rewarded by th e GM lat er.
S imil arl y. Pl ayers that kee p to the spi rit of the ir C haracte rs
a nd reac t to situations as their Characters wo uld rcuct will al so
probab ly receive additi ona l rewa rd s as wel l. For in s w ncc.
Supe rma n a lways re s pec ted the law. Ba1m a n re lentless ly
pursues c rime. Wonde r Wo ma n wants to spread he r message of
peace IO :.is much o r the world as poss ible. and so on

Weapons and gadgets, both fantastic and mund ane, have
lo ng bee n a s tap le of co mi c books. What wo uld Batman be
without the Batmobile, the Batarang, or the Batcomputer? What
co uld Green Lante rn do witho ut hi s Power Ring , or Green
Arrow without hi s Bow?
This chapter exp lains how to incorporate gadgets, weapons,
and vehicles into the world of the DC H EROES ROLE-PLAYING G AM E.
I. Basic Concepts
A. Abilities
Like Characters, Gadgets ca n have Attributes, Powe rs, and
Skill s. A car. for exampl e, has the Running Power because it ca n
move fast, and a STR because it ca n carry weight. All Gadgets
have a Boov, whi ch define s how much Physical damage they can
take before they cease to fun cti on.
When usin g a Gadget, a C haracter can usuall y use all of its
Powers and Skills as though they were hi s own. If C han ge lin g is
driving a car, fo r exa mpl e, he could trave l at the speed indicated
by the car's Running Power. A Gadget's Attributes, on the other
hand. are usuall y on ly applicab le in certain special situations. If
the car has a STR of 5, fo r instance, C hange lin g could use it to
hau l 5 APs of weight stored in the back seat and trunk of the car,
but he obvio usly could not use the car's STR to throw a punch, or
to bench press I 000 lbs
Whenever a Gadget has an Attribute in its description that
is italicized. the user has the opti on of substitutin g th at Attribute
score for his own matc hin g Att ribute score, in all situati ons. If a
Gad2et has an Attribute th at is not itali cized, the Attribute can
on lY be ap pli ed under ce n a in s pec ia l c ir c um s tan ces. A
bulletproof vest mi ght have a Boor of 4, fo r exam ple, meaning
th al the user of the vest can substitute its BoDY of 4 for hi s ow n
Boov when defending aga inst Phys ical Auacks, or in just about
any other situa1ion in whic h the Boov Att ribute is re levant. A
gun , however, mi ght have a Boov of 4 (not in ita li cs), meanin g
th a t the BODY of th e g un on ly ap pli es to effo rt s a imed at
damaging the gun itself, not its use r. Similarl y, Rocke! Red' s
Battl esuit ha s an italic ized SrR, beca use Red ca n substitule the
Sm of the battles uit for hi s own STR in all situati ons, whether it is
liftin g thin gs, thro win g thin gs, or as hi s EV in hand -to- hand
co mbat. On the other hand, a cra ne would ha ve a no n-itali cized
STR , because a Character cou ld on ly use the crane's STR under
cert ain circ um sta nces, like lifting large objects at a constru cti on
site. Exactly whe n Powers, Sk ill s, and Attributes that are not
itali cized may be applied is up 10 the GM, using th e fun cti on for
whi ch th e Gadget was designed as a gu ide.
Note that the prev ious paragrap h speak s of a Gadget's
Attributes substitutin g for its user's Allr ibutes. A Gadget' s
Abilities always substitule for those of its user; they never add to
those ab ilities. A C haracte r with a BOD Y of 3 who puts on an
armo red suit with a Bo DY of 4, now has a Boov of 4, not 7.
Similarl y, a C haracter with the Flame Project Power rated at 5
APs who picks up a napalm gun with the Flame Project Power
rated at 8 APs, now has 8 APs of Flame Project, not 13.
B. Reliability Numbers
Most of the Gadgets described in these pages have an "R #"
listed in their descripti ons. "R #" stand s fo r Reliability Number
A Gadget's Re li ab ility Num be r is a measure of how frequently
the Gadge1 jams, breaks down, or just plain foul s up. The lower
the Gadget's Reliab ility number is, the more re liable the Gadget
is. Some Gadgets a re so reliab le th at th ey do 11 01 have a
Reli abi lity Nu mber at all: these Gadgets never break down. An
exa mpl e of a Gadget th at never breaks dow n wou ld be Green
Lantern' s Powe r Rin g. G reen Arrow's o ld nu clear wa rh ead
arrow was a Gadget that broke dow n frequently.
Reliability and Dice Actions
Anyt ime a Gadget is used to perform a Dice Act ion and the
Pl aye r ro ll s less than o r e qu al to 1he Gadget' s Reliabili1y
Number on the first dice roll made to resolve thal Act ion (th at is,
before rerolling due to doubles) , th e Gadget's Abi lity breaks
dow n and the Action is immed ia1e ly cancell ed.
If Jo e's s tun g un had a Reliability numb e r of 4 , for
exa mpl e, and he ro ll e d d o ubl e 2's on hi s fir st roll whil e
resolv ing a Dice Action, the gun would immediatel y break down
since Joe rolled less than or eq ual to 4. Joe does not get 10 reroll
the doubles sin ce hi s Act ion is immed iately ca ncell ed. If Joe had
rolled doubl e 3's o n hi s fi rst roll and 4 on th e seco nd ro ll.
however, the Gadget woul d not break down since the roll of 4 or
less did not come o n th e first ro ll made to resolve lhe Action
Reliability and Automatic Actions
The first tim e th at a Character uses eac h one of a Gadge!' s
Abilities to perform an Automati c Action on each day ( 15 APs
of time), the Player mu st ro ll two dice just prior to reso lving thai
Acti on, alth ough the Acti on itself is still Automati c. If thi s dice
ro ll is less than or eq ual to th e Gadget' s Re li ab ility Number, the
Gad ge t's Ab ility brea ks down and th e Auto matic Ac ti on is
ca nce ll ed. Each of a Gadget's Abiliti es th at are used to perform
Autom atic Actions need onl y be checked for Re li abi lit y once
per day. Th ereaft er, lh e C haracte r may conti nu e to use that
Ab ilit y to make A ut o mati c Ac ti ons for th e res t of th e day
wit hout checki ng aga in st Re li ab ilit y. Mak in g a n Auto matic
Act ion wit h a d ifferent Ability that has not ye t bee n checked for
Reliability that day , however. necess itates a new ro ll.
When Bl ac k Ca na ry start s her ca r in th e morning , for
example, and begins to dri ve (an Au tomatic Action). she must
check against the car's Reliability Number. Thereafler, she can
drive the car for the rest of the da y without checkin g agai nst
Reliability again. The first time Dinah turn s on the radio (w hich
is anoth er Auto mati c Act ion usin g a different abi lity) she mu st
make a noth er c heck aga in st Reliabi lity to see if th e radio
fun cti ons properl y. From that point on, she can co ntinue to use
th e rad io for th e rest of the day witho ut making any further
Reliability checks.
 Reliability Failure
and Gadget Breakdown
If a Gadget break s down due to Reli ab il i1y fa ilure, the APs
of any Abili ty or Ab ili ti es it was using to resolve the Ac li on that
cau se d its breakd own are in slantl y reduced 10 0 APs. In thi s
c ase. !he G ad ge t m us t be Re paire d be for e the broken down
A bility may be used aga in .
A ca r that fai ls it s Re liabilit y ro ll wh e n s tarted up . for
exampl e. would have its Running Power reduced to O APs. A
submachine gun which fai ls its Reliability roll while resolving
an attack wo uld ha ve it s AV a nd EV bo1h red uced to O APs,
s ince both A bi lit ies we re in vo lved in the Ac ti on wh ich cau sed
the gun to break dow n.
C. Gadgets vs. GADGETS
Some q actge ts huve their names. print~d in upper and lower
case letters m the ir Gad~e t desc ripti o n. Il k~ the Batar~ng a nd
the Su~ m ac hinegun. wh il e 01hers have lhe ir name s printed in
all cap1tals: BATMOBILE and POWER RING , for instance.
Thi s co n ve nti o n h as bee n ad o pt e d to qui c k ly id e nti fy
Gaclge1s that can a nd cann ot be stripped away from the ir user
by e m p lo yin g a Tri c k Sh o t o r th e Tak e A wa y ma ne uver in
~ombat (see page 103). Gad ge ts that ha ve the ir nam es prin ted
111 upper and lo we r case lelte rs c;:111 be Take n Away in combat.
w h il e those prit11 e d in a ll c api ta ls c ann o t. Wh e th e r o r not a
q adget ca n be "!"a ke ~1 A w a y durin g comba t is defin ed at th e
tune the Gadge t 1s built.
D. Gadgets and Damage
Gadgets take damage just li ke peo pl e . Players sho uld keep
track o.f the ir G adgets' Current BODY Condition as they would
for th~1r Charac ters. Un like Characte rs. ho weve r. a Gadget can
have II S Curre nt BODY C o ndi ti o n red uced to less th a n zero in
no rmal Bash in g C o mbat.
When in an imate obj ect s such as wa lls. trees, mailboxes. or
whatever are targeted by an attack. th e OV/ RV o f the effort is
equal to the o bject' s Boov/ Boov and the AV / EV is equa l to th e
anac ker" s STR/ STR o r A Ps o f Power. Gadgets. howeve r, have a
variab le OV (0 or the D EX or Sk ill leve l of their user) and an RV
equa l to th e Gadge t' s Boov. meanin g that a Gadget is us uall y
more vulne rabl e th an an in animate obj ec t w ith the sam e BODY
score . Thi s is bec ause Gadge ts are assumed to ha ve a ll sorts of
vul ne rable mov ing and work in g parts. Lo is Lan e can di sabl e a
c~ r mad e .o f so lid s tee l by pul l in g o ut t_h c ig nit ion w ires .
d1 sconnec 11 ng the batte ry. e tc .. but s he ce rta ml y co uld not harm
a so lid stee l ma il box.
A n inanimate object is defined as a ny ite m that has o nl y a
11 0 1.l·Sttb s titu t.ab.le BODY . .A ny thin g e lse is a Gad g~ t. T.rees ,
mail boxes. buil d mgs. and Jung le-gy ms. therefore. are 111 an1m ate
o bjects and have an O V/ R V e qual to th e ir BoDv / BoDY . C a rs,
robo ts . g un s. and Bataran gs . o n th e o the r hand . are Gad ge ts.
s ince they all have A b iliti es o the r than the ir BODY.
Whethe r an o bject is class ifi ed as an inanimate obj ec t or a
Gad ge t. I R A P of damage is e no ug h to knoc k a ho le in th e
~~~~~~; 1~~j ~:t::~:r~1;0;:f:u~~ :aa~~oor~ ~~ic~ba t~~f~1.g1~. Sa~;;~~~~~~~
pun ched a norm al ta nk and d id l RA P o f damage, for ex amp le,
he would put a J~ o le in the tank large e no ugl~ to n y throug h. so
he co u ld mo ve 11110 the ve hi c le an d att ack 11 s c rew. The tank
woul d co ntinue to fun c tion in thi s ca se until it s C urre nt BODY
Conditi o n w as redu ced to zero o r lowe r
When a Player is bu ildi ng a Gadget. he may add +2 10 the
Facto r Cos t o f it s BODY in orde r to exe mpt the Gad get fro m thi s
ru le. Thi s is re ferred to a s Hardened Defenses. If Supe rman
pun ched a tank co nstructed w ith Harde ned De fenses, he would
ha ve to reduce it s Curre nt BODY Co nditi o n dow n to ze ro and
di sab le the tank be fore he co ul d ge t at the c re w.
A Gadge t th at has its Curre nt BODY C o nd iti o n redu ced to
zero o r be low w ill no lo nge r fun ction and mu st be Re paired in
~rde r to res ume fu ncti o n in g. Gadgets neve r Recove r dama ge
like C haracte rs. T hey mu st be Re paired . A G adget that has its
C urrent Boov C o ndit.i o n re duced dow.n to a numbe r o f po in ts
below zero eq ual '? !Is starting Boov 1s permane ntl y des troyed
and ca nnot be Repaired.
O nl y Gadgets that ha ve a MIND or SPIRIT are vuln erab le to
Mental or Mysti ca l da mage. respec ti ve ly. A ll Gadge ts ha ve a
BODY and are vulnerable to Phys ical damage.
e a
·-·--·-·-1
am age
As Gadgets take damage. they become more
more subject to breakdownl!.. To represent rhi~.
eliability Number of Gadgets is increased by
for every RAP of damage they take. Foe
pie. a car that has a BODY of 6 APs and an R#
f 2 is thrown across a football field by Despero.
hen the car_lands, it suffers 3 RAPs of damage.
he car' s R# 1s increased to 5 (2+3=5) a; a result
Gadgets that have a Reliability Number oc I
ero (or have no R# listed) are not subject to
reakdown, so are not affected by this rule.
1
E. Hero Points and Gad ets
The user of a Gadget may spend Hero Points to increa..;e the Acting,
Effect, Opposing. and Resist<mce V;,llues of any Dice Action invol viI;u
Lhe Gadget, as though all if its Abili ties were his own. ~
In add iti o n, a Gadget' s Au tomatic Powe rs and Allributes
can be Pu s hed as desc ribed on page 89. A fa il ed atte mpt to Pu sh
a Gad get' s Ability instant ly redu ces the Abi li ty be in g pu s hed to
0 APs. Su c h a Gad get mu s t th e n be Re paired be for e it w ill
fun ctio n aga in.
II. Building Gadgets
Charact e rs wi th Ga? ge try .Skill c an ac lL~all y c reate ne w
Gadgets in their laboratori es durin g p lay. C reatm g a Gad get is a
fi ve step proce ss:
1. Des ig n the Gadget and dec ide wheth er o r no t the
Gadget can be T ake n Away
2 . A ll ow the GM to approve the Gad get
3 . Calc ul ate and pay the Gadge t's Hero Po int C ost
4. Buy parts
S. Add Powers and Allributes to th e Gadge t
Step 1
Design the Gadget
Whe n a P layer de~1gns a Gadget. he dec ides exac tl y w hat
Powers, Ski ll s ~md A lln bu~e s the Gad g~ t w ill ha ve and ass ig ns
each Powe r. S kill , and Attribute a value m APs
Here are a coupl e o f ex amp les. S uppose C huc k wa nt s hi s
Character to bui ld a car. The ca r mu s t have a BODY. and it s ho uld
probabl y have th e Runnin g Po we r. so it can move fa st. and a
STR, so it c a n c arry Chu c k 's Chara c te r a nd hi s fr ie nd s. I n
addition. C huc k dec ides to s upe the car up a bit. g ive it radar
(the Rad :~r Se nse Po.we r). and in sta ll. a pair o f lase r weapon s
mo unted 111 th e headli g ht s (the Heat V is io n Powe r). Now C huc k
has 10 ass ig n AP va lues to all o f the car's Powe rs and Attributes .
S in ~e the c.a r cannot be T ~ken Away in co1~1bat. )t s nam e is in a ll
capual s. Hi s fina l des ig n to r the car loo ks like th is
CAR [STR: 4, Boov: 5, Running : 7, Rada r Sense: 5,
Heat Vi sio n : 7]
~ s anothe r ex~mp le. le t us s uppose. that ~ ight w ing want s
to build gas mas ks tor all the me mbers o l the T11an s becau se he
suspects that th ey w ill be fa c ing gas w ie ld in g foes late r o n in the
 current ad venture. A gas mas k must have a BODY and should
have the Sealed Systems Power. Nightwi ng mu st then decide
how many APs of each to ass ign to the mas k. Since the masks
come on and off pretty eas il y, they can probably be Taken Away
in combat. Finall y, he co mes up with:
Gas Mask [Boov: 2, Se aled Systems: 9]
A ll of the m undane weapo ns (g uns, kni ves, and so forth)
li s ted in the Gadget desc ripti o ns have bee n ass ig ned EVs,
Ranges, and sometim es A Vs, rather than specific Powers and
Skills. If th ey des ire, Playe rs may ass ig n the ir ow n Gadgets
A Vs, EVs and Ranges. A des ign fo r a revolver might look like
thi s:
Revolver [Boov: 4, EV: 4, Range: 4].
In additi o n to Powers, Skill s, and Att ributes, Draw backs
may also be assigned to Gadgets. Ultimately, any Dra wbacks
that are ass igned to a Gadget wi ll make it cheaper to produce. If
a villain were prod uc ing the revolver in the ex ample above, for
in stance, he wo ul d proba bl y wa nt to ass ig n it th e A mm o
Res tri c ti o n D rawback. If C hu c k were d es ig nin g th e ca r
desc ribed before, the Miscell aneo us Draw back: " Must stop to
refue l every 18 APs of di stance travelled" mi ght be in order.
Since the GM mu st approve the Gadget's design, make sure that
all Drawbacks selected are log ical and appropriate. For example,
the revolver descri bed previously shoul d never have a Drawbac k
like " It may onl y be fi red by persons born on a Tuesday."
A Gadget 's Powers and Attributes may also be assigned in
co nju nc ti o n wi th any appropri ate Bo nu ses an d Limitati o ns.
Bo nu ses will make the Gadge t more expensive to produce,
whil e Limitations will make the Gadget cheaper. Ass igning an
itali cized Attribute to a Gadget is auto mati call y a +2 Factor Cost
Bonus to the Attribute in questi on.
Du rin g thi s step, the gadgeteer also decides whether or not
th e Gadge t ca n be Take n Away in co mb at. Co mm o n se nse
shoul d prov ide all of th e c lues needed to make thi s decisio n.
Obviously, a car or a battlesuit cannot be Taken Away and it
would be aw full y hard fo r someone to slip a Power Ring off of
Guy Gardner's fin ger in the middle of a fi ght; but guns, kni ves,
swords, and control boxes are anoth er story. Gadgets that can be
Taken Away are generall y cheaper to produce.
Step 2
Allow the GM to Approve the Gadget
The next step is up to the Gamemaster. He must take a good
look at the Gadget and judge whether or not its design is feas ible.
The G M should fee l free to overrule any Gadget that he is
not co mfo rtable with, inc luding those th at seem too powerful or
unl imi ted in scope. T he GM should also overrul e any Gadget
that is just plain sill y or im poss ible, like a car with an italicized
Sm and W1LL . Pay pa rti cular attentio n to any Drawbac ks that have
been ass igned to the Gadget, makin g sure that they actuall y lim it
the perform ance of the device in some way.
Gadge t s th a t a re rej ec t ed mi g ht be redes ig ne d , o r
simpl y o utl awed.
It is up to the G M to determine wheth er or not a Character
must have the Ge niu s Adva ntage to build the Gadget. The rule
for fi g urin g o ut w he th e r o r no t t he Ge niu s A d vantage is
necessary to bu ild a Gadget is simple: if the dev ice cannot be
built right now, in the late 20th century, in th e rea l world, the
C haracter mu st have the Geniu s Advantage to build it in the
ga me ; o th e rw ise Ge niu s is unn ecess ary. Thi s mea ns that
C huck's Character does not need the Geniu s Advantage to build
a car, or even a car with a radar, because we can buil d radars
ri ght now. However, he would need th e Geniu s Advantage to
buil d fo rce fie ld be lts, te le po rt ati o n mac hin es, in visibilit y
he lme ts, lase r pistols, and so o n . Th e GM has fi nal say o n
wheth er or no t a G adget fits c urre nt tec hn o logy, a lth o ug h
1111
Players may try to convince him that a Gadget is feas ible, by
produ c in g scient ifi c j o urn a ls, newspaper arti c les. or ot he r
sources of informati on that may support their design.
Step 3
Calculate Hero Point Cost
Ga dgetee rs mu st spe nd Hero Po int s in orde r to build
Gadgets. Calcul ate the Hero Po int Cost of a Gadget as if it were
a C haracter, using the ru les fo und in Chapter Two. Add up the
costs of all of the Ab ilities th at are be ing purchased for the
Gadget by looki ng to the AP Purchase Chart and cross-indexing
the Factor Cost of each Ability wi th the number of APs of that
Ability that is bein g purchased. Remember to take into account
the Factor Cost modifi ers of any Bo nuses or Limi tat ions being
built in conjunction with th e Gadget' s Abilities, and add in the
Base Cost of any of the Gadget's Powers and Skill s. Attributes
ha ve a Base Cost of 0. A few ot her conside rati ons whi ch can
mod ify the fin al cost are as fo llows:
Reliability Number
Before building th e Gadget, the gadgeteer must choose its
Reli abili ty Number from the fo llow ing table. All of the Abilities
pu rc hased for th at Gadget have their Factor Costs modifi ed as
indicated
Rellabllity Table
Reliability Number Factor Cost Modifier
0 +3
+2
+l
0
-1
-2
II
Italicized Attributes
Assigni ng an itali cized Attribute (see Abilities, page 11 2) to
a Gadget adds +2 to the Factor Cost of that Attribute.
Hardened Defenses
A Gadget w ith Hardened Defenses (see Gadgets and
Damage , page 11 3) h as th e Factor Cos t of it s Boov
in creased by +2.
AV, EV, and Range
AV, EV , and Range may be purchased indi vidu all y fo r
Gadgets. Each has a Base Cost of 5 and a Factor Cost of I.
Drawbacks
After add ing up the Hero Po int Costs of all of the Gadget's
Abilities, subtract appropriate Hero Points fro m the Gadget's
cost fo r each of its Drawbacks. A Gadget may never have its
cost reduced by Draw backs to lower th an one-half (fractions
ro unded up) of its cost without those Drawbacks. A 33 Hero
Po int Gadget with two JO-point Draw backs, therefo re, would
have a fina l cost of 17 Hero Poi nt s, no t 13 Hero Points; as
wou ld a 33 Hero Po int Gadget with five JO-point Draw backs, or
ten or twenty or a th ousand Drawbacks.
Ammunition Restriction (listed in Gadget descriptio ns as
Amm o) is a special Drawback normall y rese rved for Gadgets. A
Gadget with thi s Drawback can onl y be used a number of times
equal to its Ammo rating before it must be re loaded; reloadin g is
an Auto matic Action, but a Character may not perform a Dice
Acti o n du rin g a ph ase in whi ch he re loads. T he Hero Poi nt
bonu s for thi s Drawback depends on the Gadget's Ammo rating,
as listed on the fo llow ing table.
 Ammo Table
Ammo Rating Hero Point Bonus
I 20
4 10
5 8
6 6
8 5
10 4 If 1he Wea lth Check does not ga in any pos iti ve RAPs, the
12 3 Charac ter obv iously can not beg in to construct the Gadge t. In
15 2 thi s case, the Pl ayer mu st wait unti l his Character is e ntitled to
20 I anothe r Wea lt h Chec k as de sc ribed in Chapter Eight. The
Gadget Bonus
Because Gadgets by thei r ve ry nature have ce rtain inherent
shonco min gs. Pl aye rs may di vide the Hero Point Cos t o r any
items they build by a Gadget Bonus. Di vide the Hero Poin t Cost
of a Gadge t that can be Take n Away in combat by a factor o l
fou r (roundin g frac ti ons up ). Di vide the Hero Point Cost of a
Gadget that cannot be Taken Away in combat by a Factor of 2
(rounding frac tions up).
The division is a lways the last step a Pl ayer performs when
calc ulatin g a Gadget's Hero Poi nt Cost
Example One: A lex needs to culc ul ate the Hero Point Cost
of the following Gadget
Machinegun [Boov: 6, AV: 5, EV: 5, Range: 5,
Ammo: 10, R #: 2].
AV has a Factor Cost of I. but +2 mu st be added to the
Facto r Cos t beca use of th e gun·s Reliabilit y Num be r o f 2,
leavi ng Alex w ith a final Factor Cost of 3. Fi ve APs at a Factor
Cost Or 3 cost 12 Hero Poi nt s. EV has a Factor Cost of I, but
aga in +2 mu st be added to the Factor Cost because of the gun 's
Reliabi lity Nu mber. resultin g in a final Factor Cost of 3. Five
APs at a Factor Cost of 3 cost 12 Hero Point s. A lex's tota l so far
is 24. Range a lso has a Fac tor Cos t of I. which is increased to 3
by 1he R#. so it costs 12 Hero Points. Boov has a Factor Cost of
6. wh ic h must be ra ised to 8 because of the Gadget 's Reliability.
Six APs at a Factor Cost of 8 cost 48 Hero Points, bringing the
tota l up to 84. The Base Costs of AV. EV, and Range mu st also
be added in (5 each). bringi ng 1he total Hero Point Cost of the
Gadge t up to 99 Hero Points. Boov has no Base Cos t. A lex next
su btra c ts 4 Hero Po int s from his tota l becau se of th e
Am muniti on Res1riction. dropping the tota l to 95. Fina ll y, Alex
divid es thi s total by 4. sin ce the Mac hin egu n ca n be Take n
Away in combat. leavi ng him wi th a Final Hero Point Cost of24
(95 di vided by 4 equals 24).
Example Two: The Hero Point cost of Bat m:.m's Batarang
is ca lculated as fo ll ows:
Batarang [Boov: 7, Glid in g: 2] .
Boov has a Factor Cost of 6. but 3 mu st be added to th e
Factor Cost of all of th e Batarang's Abi lities, beca use of it s
Re li ab ilit y Numbe r o f O (note that no R# is li sted). ra ising the
Factor Cost of the Boov to 9. Seven APs at a Factor Cost of 9
costs 72 Hc::ro Points. Gliding has a Factor Cost of I. raised to 4
due to Re li abili ty. T wo APs at a Factor Cost of 4 costs 4 Hero
Points. bring ing the total He ro Poi nt Cost so far up to 76 Hero
Point s. Nex t. add in the Base Cost of Gliding, 10 Hero Points,
bringi ng the total cos t up to 86 Hero Poi nt s. Finall y, di vide thi s
tota l by 4 since the Batarang can be Taken Away in co mbat.
leav ing a fina l Hero Point Cost of 22 (86 di vided by 4 eq ual s 22).
A Player building a Gadget must pay the fin al Hero Point
Cost before he ca n proceed with any furth er construction.
Step4
Buy Parts
The nex t ste p is 10 buy ,ill o f th e pa rt s a nd eq uipment
needed to build the Gadge t. Th is is a norma l Wea lth Chec k, as
described on page 124. The dollar cost of the parts necessary to
build the Gadget , and th e OV / RV of th e Wealth Check
necessary to purc hase the parts. is equa l to the highest AP rati ng
of any of the Gadget' s Abi liti es plu s one fo r each add iti o nal
Abi li ty assig ned to th e Gadget. Th e dollar cost of t he
Machinegun in the former example. therefore. is 9 APs (Boov of
6 plu s I for AV plus I for EV plus I for Range equals 9), wh ile
the dollar cost of the Batanrng in the latte r exam pl e is 8 A Ps
(BODY of7 plus l for the Gliding Ab ility eq ual s 8)
Pl aye r may s pe nd Hero Points or take ad diti o na l time to
improve hi s Wealth AV and EV as exp la ined on page xxx.
As soon as the Pl ayer success fully makes the necessa ry
Wea lth Check, he may beg in act ual construction
Step 5
Constructing the Gadget
A ll that remain s is to act ua ll y construct the Gadget. Each
one of the Gadget ' s Abili ties must be insta ll ed separate ly. T he
BODY or the Gadge t mu s! be installed first, and the n the rest of
it s Ab iliti es may be in stalled in any orde r the building Player
c hooses. In s ta llin g a n Ab ilit y is a Dice Act io n us in g th e
gadgeteer' s APs of Gadgetry Skill as th e AV/EV and the A Ps of
the Ability bein g in stall ed as the OV/RV. One or more RAPs are
necessary fo r success
If a Gadge try C heck fai ls. the Ab ilit y in qu es tion is not
successfu lly installed. and the gadgetee r mu st attempt to insta ll
th at Abilit y all over again. In order to make anot her atte mpt to
in sta ll an Ab ilit y after ha vin g fai led a n ea rli e r attempt. th e
gadgereer must pay a spec ial fai/urefee of 10 Hero Po ints
Time
The base ti me that it takes 10 make a Gadgetry Sk ill Check
is one week ( 18 APs of time). Each one AP of time the Pl ayer
adds to thi s base time before he rolls the dice allows him to add
+ I to the AV and EV of the Gadgetry Check. Each AP of time
the Pl ayer dec ides to subtract from this base time before he ro ll s
the dice subtracts - I from the AV omd EV of the Gadgetry Check.
To comp ut e the actual tim e it w ill take to in sta ll the
Ability, subtract the RAPs earned by the Gadgetry Check from
the base time. The resuh is the a mount of time in APs that it
takes the Character to in sta ll the Abi lity. If the Gadgetry Check
does not receive any RAPs (i.e .. the Ab ility is not successfu ll y
in stall ed). the e ntire base ti me, plus any time that the Gadget
builder deliberate ly added to t he Gadgetr y C hec k . is
automat icall y consumed.
Suppose for exam p le, tha t Batma n ea rned 4 RAPs while
in sta ll in g a 7 A P s mok esc ree n (the Fog P owe r) in to th e
Batmobil e. In thi s case. it wou ld take him 14 APs of time to
in stall the sc ree n ( 18-4= 14), or about sixteen hours. Batman
cann ot begin to in stal l any other Ab iliti es in the Batmobile until
thi s time has passed. If Batman had fa iled the Gadgetry Chec k
needed to in sta ll the smoke scree n. he would have had to wai t 18
APs of 1ime and pay the 10 Hero Point failure fee before he
coul d try agai n.
During the time a C harac te r spends working on a Gadget.
he cannot perform any ot her activi ti es, except eat ing. slee ping,
and ot her nat ural fun c tions. Once he ha s spe nt th e necessary
time 10 in sta ll the Gadget' s first Abi li ty. he may then move on to
the seco nd Abi li ty. and the n th e third . and so 0 11. O nce all or its
Abiliti es ha ve been ins ta ll ed . th e Gadge t is ready for use. A
Gadget may not be used until a ll o r the Abi lities in it s orig in al
design have been successfull y in sta lled.
Laboratories
Labora tories make Gad get product io n mo re efficient. A
Labora1ory"s AP rati ng (or " Lab rating") is the maximum APs
of a Gadget Abi lity th at may be built the re. If a Character builds
a Gadget in a 5 AP Laboratory. the max im um Attri bute. Power.
 or Skill for that Gadget is 5 APs. The Reliability Number of a
Gadget is not affected by the AP value of the Laboratory where
it was built.
Unless a Character making a Gadgetry Check to install an
A bility has access to a Laboratory which has a lab rating that
equals or exceeds the APs of the Abi lity he is trying to install,
the OV and RV of the effort each recei ve a bonus of +2 Column
Shifts to the right.
When a Character is planning to build a Laboratory, its AP
va lu e mu st be dec ided before it is bu il t. The time required to
bui Id a Laboratory is determined by the Gamemaster, based on
its AP rating. The minimum building time for any Laboratory is
19 APs (two weeks), but the cost of building mu st be completely
paid before Gadgets may be built there.
To find the Hero Point cost for building a Laboratory, use
th e Fac to r Cost 3 co lumn of th e AP Purchase Chart. All
Laboratories hav e a Reliabi lity Number of 0, but must be
maintained. To maintain a laboratory, the Character(s) who own
the lab must make a Wealth Check once per game year. The
OV/RV of this Check is equal to the APs of the lab. Positive
RAPs indicate success. If the maintenance cost is not paid, the
laboratory fa ll s into di srepair and cannot be used to construct
Gadgets until !t is re p aire d and restocked. The Character
repairing the laboratory mu st pay a Hero Point fee equal to one
half the original cost of the lab (rounding fractions up).
Multiple Gadgeteers
If multiple Characters with the Gadgetry Skill are all
wo rkin g o n a Gadget at the sa me tim e, they have several
options. Either one gadgeteer ca n work on installing one Ability
while the other gadgeteers work on the other Abi lities; or two or
more gadgeteers can team up to insta ll the same Abi lity.
If the gadgeteers are working on separate Abilities, resolve
each installation attempt separately as normal. However, the two
or more Characters may make their attempts in the same time
span, allowing the Gadget to be completed in less time.
If two or more Characters with the Gadgetry Skill are
combining their abilities to work on installing the same Ability,
the hi ghest Skill leve l present is used as the AV and EV of the
attempt; but the OV of th e effort receives negati ve Column
Shifts as though the Characters were performing a Team Attack
in co mbat. That is, 2 Characters get - I Column Shift to the OV,
3-4 Characters get -2 Column Shifts, and so on.
Multiple gadgeteers working on the same item may split its
fin al Hero Point Cost between th emse lves as they see fit; and all
gadgeteers may attempt to purchase the parts necessary to bui ld
the device.
Example of Building a Gadget
Lex Luther decides to build a giant robot to destroy The
Man of Steel (w hen wi ll he ever learn ?). He enli sts the aid of
Lexco rp sc ie nti st Brian Lall y to assist him in this nefarious
endeavor. Luthor has a Gadgetry Skill rating of 15 APs, while
Lall y's is 8. • hours to complete.
Fi rst, Luther must design the robot. He decides that it will
look something like this:
Giant Robot
[Dex: 10, STR: 20, Boov: 15, INT: 5, WILL: 5, MINO: 5,
Bomb: 20, Skin Armor: 5, R#: 5]
Limitation: the robot is susceptible to the explosion of its
own Bomb Power.
Misce ll aneous Drawback: the robot mu st be rec harged
every 24 hours.
Next, Luther mu st pay the robot's Hero Point cost. Luther
wi ll not have to add to the Factor Costs of the robot's Abi li ties,
since the Re li ability Number is 5. 10 APs of DEX costs 1I 2 Hero
Poinls, 20 APs of STR costs 390 Hero Points, 15 APs of BODY
costs 240 Hero Points, 5 APs of INT costs 28 Hero Points, 5 APs
111
of WILL costs 24 Hero Points, 5 APs of MIND costs 24 Hero
Points, and 5 APs of Skin Armor costs 70 Hero Points (Base
Cost of 50 plus 5 APs at Factor Cost 5). Th e robot ' s Bo mb
Power has a Limitatio n (th e robot itse lf is susceptible to the
blast), which the GM decides is worth a -2 bonus to its Factor
Cost. This mean s that the Bomb Power will cost 85 Hero Points
(Base Cost of 20 plus 20 APs at Fac tor Cost 1). Altogether, the
robot's Abilities will cost 973 Hero Points ( 11 2 + 390 + 240 +
28 + 24 + 24 + 70 + 85 = 973). The GM also decides that the
robot's Mi sce ll aneo us Drawback is wo rth a 25 Hero Po int
bonus, leavin g the robot's cost at 948 (973 - 25 = 948). Finall y.
Lex is allowed to di vi de the cost of the Gadget by 2 due to the
"Gadget Bonus" for a Gadget which cannot be Taken Away in
combat. This brings th e cos t down to 474 Hero Points (948
di vided by 2 equal s 474). Ha ving saved up some Hero Points for
a while, Luther pays the Hero Point cost.
Buying parts is Lex's next step. The cost of all the parts is
27 APs (maximum Ability AP of 20 plus 7 ot her Abilit ies), so
the OV/RV of Luthor's Wealth C heck is 27/27. Lex uses his
Wealth of 25 as the AV/EV and rolls a 13. He successfull y buys
the parts.
Now Lex and hi s buddy can get down to bu ilding th e robol.
They mu st install th e robot's BODY first. The AV/EV is eq ual to
15/15 (Luthor's Gadgetry S kill ), an d the OV/RV is equal to
15/ 15 (the robot's BODY). Luthor rece ives a - I Co lumn Shift
bonus to the OV sin ce he and La ll y are 'Tea m Attack ing'· the
Gadget. Lex rolls an 18 and receives 8 RAPs. It takes Luthor
and Lally one hour to install the BODY (Base Time of 18 APs-8
RAPs= IO APs building time=o ne hour).
Since it wi ll probably be the most diffi cult, Luthor decides
to insta ll the STR next. The OV/RV is eq ual to 20/20, but Luthor
still receives the - 1 Co lumn Shifl bo nu s for th e Team Att ack. In
addition, he decides to spend 4 Hero Points apiece on hi s AV
and EV, rai sin g them to 19/19 Le x rolls a 12 and receives 4
RAPs. It takes him 14 APs, or sixteen hours to install the STR.
DEX is installed next. The OV/RV is 10/ 10, but Luther does
not receive the Team Attack bonus because Bri an Lally wi ll be
installing the robot's INT simultaneously. Luther rolls an eleven,
yielding 8 RAPs. It takes him an hour to install the DEX.
Meanwhile, Brian Lall y works on installing the robot's INT
The AV/EV is Lally's Gadgetry Ski ll (8/8), wh ile the OV/RV is
the robot's intended INT (5/5). Lally rolls a 15 and gets 8 RAPs. He
finishes the robot's I NT at the same time Luther finishes the DEX.
Luther next insta ll s the robot's W ILL and MIND whil e Lally
works on the Skin Armor Power. Neither of them experi ences
any problems. T hey fini sh these in roughl y forty~five minules.
Last but not least, they o nce aga in Team Attack th e robot
in order to ins tall the se lf-destruct mechanism (20 APs of
Bomb Power). The OV/RV is o nce aga in 20/20, an d Luthor
again receives the - 1 Column Shift bonus. He opts to spe nd 7
Hero Points each o n hi s AV and EV, raising them to 22. He
roll s a 9, and ge ts 7 RAPs. It takes the pair abo ut 2 hours to
install the Power
The robot is now ready to be unl eashed again s~ the Man of
Steel. The who le process of building it took about twenty-one
Ill. Modifying
Existing Gadgets
Heroes with the Gadgetry Skill may atte mpt to add another
Ability to an already ex istin g and fun cti oning Gadget at a later
time. Reso lve such an attempt as though it were a new Gadget:
calculate and pay the Hero Points, buy th e parts. and roll the
dice. An attempt to modify an ex isting Gadget automatically has
its OV and RV shifted +2 Col umn s 10 th e ri g h1 , because the
Character is adding an Ability to the Gadget fo r which it was not
initiall y des igned.
Suppose, for exampl e, that Tom wa nted to add 8 APs of
Running to Booster Gold's batllesu it. Running has a Factor Cost
of 2. Since the Re liabi lity Num ber of Booste r' s suit is 2, however,
there is a +2 Facwr Cost modifi er. rais ing the total to 4. Eight APs
at a FaclOr Cost o f 4 cost 40 Hero Points. Tom then div ides the
IOtal in ha lf. s ince Booster's suit cannot be Taken Away, leaving a
fina l Hero Poin t Cost of 20. Tom mu st then spend 20 Hero Points
and make a Wea lth Check to buy the necessa ry pa rts to ins tall
Runnin g. Th e OV / RV o f th e Wea lth roll is 8/8, s ince he is
in stall ing 8 APs of Running. Tom dec ides that Booster w ill use
the labora tory o f the JU Embassy, wh ic h is rated at 15 APs,
which means he w ill not have to pay any addit io nal Hero Points to
install the Ability. s ince 8 A Ps o f Running is Jess than the lab's 15
APs. The OV/ RV of the Gadgetry altempt is 8/8. each shi fted +2
Colu mns to the ri ght because Booster is modify ing an already
fun cti o nin g Gadget. fo r a final OV/ RV o f 11 / 11. If To m gets
pos it ive RA Ps on his Gadgetry C hec k, the Running Abi li ty will
be success full y in stalled.
IV. Repairing Gadgets
Damage d G ad ge ts mu s t be Re pa ired . B y Re p airin g a
Gadget. a C haracter can restore any A Ps that it has lost fro m its
C urrent Bo1JY Cond ition (or C urre nt MI ND o r SPIRIT Conditi o ns,
if the Gad ge t has a M IND or SPIRIT) or a ny APs of a Power,
Attribut e. or Ski ll lo s t to Re liab ili ty break down. Each of a
Gadget' s Ab iliti es mu st be re paired separa1ely.
Repai rin g a Gadge t is a Di ce Ac tion. The AV and EV of
the attempt are both eq ual to the Gadgetry Ski ll of the Character
conducting repai rs. w hile the OV and RV are both equ al to the
starting AP va lue of the A bility under re pair. If Lex Lutho r were
try in g to Rep.iir an armored suit with a B OD>' of 6 that had taken
damage to its C urrent BODY Conditi o n. for exa mple. the OV/ RV
o f the atte mpt wou ld be 6/6
If the Ab il ity unde r Repai r has been reduced to a negati ve
value. the Cha racter conductin g repa irs mu st buy part s to Re pair
that Abilit y. The OV/ RV o f the Wea lth Check necessary to buy
the pa rt s is equ al to the Abi lit y's startin g AP va lue. Repairs
cannot begi n until any necessary parts have been purchased .
Repair Kits
C harac ters may pu rc hase a repair kit , w h ich acts as a
Laborato ry w hen Repa iri ng dam aged eq ui pment in the fi e ld. If
the Gadget has been tota ll y destroyed, new equipment may not
be c reated throug h the use o f a repa ir kit. Gadgets may not be
repai red beyond the APs of the repair k it. Par1ial repa irs are not
poss ib le: for instance. a C haracter may not Repa ir a Gadget wi th
a BODY of 15 A Ps us ing a repa ir kit o f 7 APs
Repa ir kits cost I0 % as mu ch as a Laboratory of the same
APs. w it h a minimum cost o f I Hero Point for eac h re pair kit.
Re pa ir kits have a Re liabil ity Number of 5. w hi ch is checked
whe n a Repair attempt is made us ing the kit. If the re pair kit
bre aks dow n. the Repair atte mpt automatica ll y fa il s. It is not
possibl e to Repa ir a repa ir kit if it breaks dow n. A new repai r kit
mu st be pu rchased.
Unless th e C haracte r conduct ing Re pairs has access to a
L1boratory (see Laboratories) o r repair kit that has a rating in A Ps
that eq uals or exceeds the starting A P value o f the Ability under
Repair. both the OV and RV of the attempt rece ive +2 Column
Shi fts to the right. If the Rcpn ir ro ll is less than or eq ual to the
Reliability Number of the repa ir kit, the Check automat icall y fai ls,
and the repa ir kit breaks down and must be repl aced. Thi s does
not do furth er damage to the Abi li ty being repai red .
It takes just ns long 10 Repa ir an Ab ility as it does to in stall
an Abi lit y in a new Gadget (see Time). The AV and EV of the
Repa ir atte mpt ca n be increased or decreased if the Charac ter
conductin g Re pairs is w illing to spend more or less time o n the
effort. The RA Ps earned in a Repair atte mpt eq ual the number of
A Ps restored to the A bility unde r Repa ir.
Re pairin g a n Abi li ty do cs not cos t an y Hero Po int s;
a lt houg h the gadgetee r may spend Hero Po int s to increase hi s
AV or EV fo r the attempt as usual.
V. Replacing
Destroyed Gadgets
Gadgets that have had the ir Curre nt BODY Condition s (or
C urrent MI ND or SPIRIT Conditi o ns, if the Gadget has a Mind
o r SP IRIT) redu ced to a nega ti ve va lu e which exceed s th e ir
o ri g in a l v a lue s a re permanentl y d es t roye d a nd c a nn o t be
Repa ired . Since pl a ns and notes for c rea tin g the se d ev ices
a lread y ex is t, however, they can be rebuilt or dupli cated w it h
much le ss effort tha n it wou ld take to com plete ly rec reate the
Gadget from scratc h
To recreate an a lready ex isting dev ice. s impl y pay its He ro
Poin t Cost and buy the parts. No Gadgetry Roll s are necessa ry.
and the entire device can be re built in two days time ( 16 A Ps)
On ly a Characte r with at least as many APs of th e Gad getry
Skill as the Gadget' s o ri g inal creator ca n rebuild Gadgets in thi s
way. The C h aracter th at ac tu a ll y bu ild s the device need no t
necessa ril y be the Character that pays the Hero Poi nts for the
de vice or buys the parts. If the Gadget is a majo r element in o ne
or more Characters ' Subplots, the GM mu st rule whet he r the
device may be replaced in this manner, or whether it mu st be
compl ete ly redes igned and rebui lt .
VI. Omni-Gadgets
Omni-Gadgets s imul ate a comic boo k characte r's abi li ty to
have exactly the ri ght device to get o ut o f any situ ation w hen he
has o nl y a fi nite number of Gadgets w ith him.
Om ni - Gadget s are device s w h ose exact Powers a nd
Attributes are unknown. They are o nly defi ned when the Gadget
is take n o ut and used. The sa me Omni -Gadget mig ht be a gas
g renade, suct io n cups for the hands and feet, o r a name-arrow
that wi ll me lt Ki lle r Frost's ice-wall , depe nding o n the partic ul ar
needs of its ow ner.
The main lim itation of Omni-Gadgets is th e ran ge of
devices they can turn into. The Ranges are:
A Physical Attributes
B Mental Attributes
C Physical and Mental Powers
D Italicized Attributes*
•: A n Omni-Gadget allowing Italicized Attributes (··D")
must also ha ve the ability to mimic Attributes
("A"and/or"B"').
No matter what an Omni -Gadget is used fo r, it always has a
BODY equal to its A P rating. An Omni -Gadget may be used fo r
one battl e, or for a durati o n o f tim e equa l to it s AP rat in g.
whichever is shorter. Omni -Gadgets may ne ve r possess Sk ill s o r
Advantages.
Omni -Gadgets must be built j ust like regu lar Gadgets. The
major differe nce is that all Omni -Gadgets have but on e s in g le
Ability: the ir AP rating. The Base Cost of thi s Ab ility is I 0 . The
Factor Cos t of th is Ability beg ins at 5. th ough eac h Range o f
Abilities that the Omni-Gadget can mimi c add s to th e Factor
Cost as s ummarized o n the follow ing table:
Ablllty Range Factor Cost Modifier
A +I
B +I
C +2
D +I
An Omni - Gadget h a s a Gad ge t Bo nu s d iv iso r o f 5.
Whether o r not an Omni-Gadget may be Taken Away in com bat
is a lways up 10 the GM , depe nding upo n w hat it turn s out to be.
Omni -Gadge ts ca n be replaced after th P.y have bee n used o r
destroyed just like any other Gadget, although it is no t necessary
to "buy parts" to replace an Omni -Gadget.
 Example: Ba tman has two 10 A P A BC D Omni -Gadgets.
They cost him 34 Hero Points each to build ( 10 APs at Factor
Cos t 10 = 160 + Base Cos t o f 10 = 170, di vided by Gad ge t
di visor o f 5 = 34 ). In a battle with the Jo ker a nd a dozen thugs,
the C low n Prin ce of Crime unleashes a c loud of deadl y gas upon
the Caped Cru sader to cover hi s escape. T hinking fast, Batman
reac hes into hi s utility be lt and pull s o ut a mini ature compressed
air fa n (ac tuall y an Omni -Gadget). The fan would look like thi s:
MINIATURE FAN [BODY: 10, Air Control: 10]
Batman the n uses the fa n to bl ow the gas out o f a window,
sa vin g the thugs' Ji ves, as we ll as hi s ow n. C has in g aft e r the
Joker, Batm an sees the vill ain ge ttin g aw ay in a helicopter
A lth o ug h th e Jok e r is alread y o ut o f re ac h o f the Batline,
Batm an is fortun ate e no ug h to have broug ht hi s mi cro boot-j ets
alo ng (anothe r Omni -Gadget). Us in g these tin y dev ices. Batman
eas il y overt akes the c ho ppe r and captures the Joker. The boot-
je ts would look like thi s·
MICRO BOOT-JETS [Boov: 10, Flight: 10]
Note th a t bo th o f th e Gadge ts Ba tm a n used wo ul d o nl y
las t until he ca ug ht the Joke r (e ndin g th e .. battle .. ). In o rde r to
use the m aga in , Batma n w ill have to re place th e m a s thoug h
th ey had bee n des tro yed , alth o ug h he does n ' t have to bu y
part s fo r the m .
VII. Mystical Gadgets
Mag ica l o r M ystica l Gadgets are referred to as Art1fac 1s
They fun cti o n as norm al Gadgets. usin g a ll o f the pri o r rul es.
Wh e n co nstru c tin g o r Re pa irin g a n A rti fac t, ho weve r , th e
builde r uses hi s Occulti st S kill in pl ace o f th e Gadgetry Skill.
A lso. Artifacts are no t constructed in Laborato ri es. Rathe r, they
a re built in W o rk s ho p s, whi c h are tr ea ted e xa c tl y a s
Labo rato ries with respect to costs, ma inte nance. a nd effects.
The G e niu s Ad va nt age is neve r need e d to co nstruc t an
Arti fac t, and it is poss ible to c reate a n "O mni -Artifact;" The
base cost o f an Omni -Arti fac t is 20 Hero Po ints. A " B" Artifact
can mimi c bo th Me nta l and M ysti c al Attributes, w hil e a "C"
Artifact can mimi c a ll Powers.
For more informati o n o n Artifacts (and Magic in genera l),
see the M agic sourcebook
VIII. Gad ets in Combat
When using a G adget in combat, the AV of any attack it
makes is dete rmined by the GM using the fo ll owi ng g uidelines:
Ill
1. If a Gadget has a DEX, ii can be used as the AV fo r any
Attacks that would no rmall y use DEX as the AV. suc h as C laws.
Po ison T o uc h, etc. No te th at th e C harac te r usin g th e Gad get
may be abl e to substitute hi s own DEX o r Weapo nry Skill fo r the
AV, if appropri ate.
2. If a Gadget has an AV . it can onl y be used fo r its EV. no t
fo r o ther Abilities it may have. Aga in. the C haracte r using the
G ad ge t m ay s ub s titute hi s W ea po nry Sk ill fo r th e AV i f
appropri ate .
3. In a ll othe r cases, the AV is determined as appropri ate to
the Power be ing used ( usuall y the A Ps o f Powe r)
Gad gets can be targeted in co mbat just like C haracters. A
Gadget's Res ista nce Va lue aga in st Phys ical Auac ks is eq ua l lo
its BODY. A Gadget' s O ppos in g Valu e again st Physica l At1 ac ks
de pe nd s upo n the ty pe o f G adget:
1. Gad gets w ith a DEX a lways use the ir own DEX as the ir
OV (unless th ey a re be in g ca rri ed or worn: see 2. be low).
2 . Gadgets that are be in g carried o r worn by a C haracter
use the ir ow ner's DEX as the ir O V. A iming at a Gadget th at is
be in g carri ed o r worn is a lways a Tri c k Sho t.
3. Vehi cles have a n OV equal to the ir dri ve r' s Ve hicl es
S kill rating; moti o nl ess ve hicl es have a n OV of ze ro.
4. Gadgets that do no t fit any of the o ther categori es have
anOV o f ze ro .
R e me mbe r that G ad ge ts w ith o ut a MI ND o r S PIR IT a re
immune to Me nial o r Mystica l Attacks
Armor and Armored Suits
C haracters wearing armor (i. e .. a Gadget w ith an itali cized
Boor), may substitute th e Boor o f th e armor for th eir own BoDY
whe n co mputing th e ir RV aga in st Ph ys ical All ac ks. Th ey may
a lso s pe nd Hero Po int s eq ua l to th e BODY o f th e a rm o r to
increase the ir RV in Ph ys ical Combat. S uc h C haracte rs have a
sta rtin g C urre nt BODY Co nditi o n e qu a l to th e ir ow n BODY .
however, no t th e Boor o f the a rmo r, a nd can o nl y spe nd He ro
Points to negate damage equ al 10 the ir ow n BODY th roug h the use
o f Last Ditch De fense.
Attacking an armo red C haracte r w ith the int ent to damage
the armo r rather than the C haracter is a Tri ck S ho t.
IX. Real World Gadgets
If a nyo ne builds a Gad get mod e led a ft e r a rea l pi ece o f
equipme nt , th ere are so me g ui de lines that sho ul d be fo ll owed.
First, find the Power or S kill whic h bes·t mim ics the abilities o f
the Gadget. A ca r's land movement works in the sa me way as
the Runnin g Power; a camera 's abilit y is simil ar to Reca ll , with
the Drawbac k th at the informatio n is onl y stored in visual fo rm :
and so o n. Thi s process has it s li m it s: Gad ge try is mea nt to
simul ate the wonde rful sorts o f widgets a he ro usua ll y c reates.
not the technol ogica l works of a mo dern indu stri a l soc iety.
If there is no Attribu te. Power. or Skill whi ch seems logica l
for the dev ice, li st the ab iliti es of the d ev ice in te rm s of effect
a nd if poss ible, assig n a roug h AP Va lue to the e ffect.
Standard Equipment
Standard Equipment fall s int o o ne o f fi ve catego ri es:
buildings, e lectro ni c equipm ent , compute rs and robots. vehicl es,
and weapo ns. S tandard Equipme nt is equipme m ava il able fro m
an y large department o r specia lty sto re. Sta ndard equipme nt is
purc hased with the mo ney ge nerated by a C haracter 's Wea lth
Action C hec k according to eac h C haracter's Wea lth AP rating
(see Chapter Eight: Wealth ). The cost o f Stand ard Equipme nt is
outlin e d be low. An y st a ndard it e m no t o n th e li s t ca n be
obtained, using real prices as a guide .
Buildings
Most hero groups are go ing to e ventu ally wa nt so me kind
of headqu a rt ers building. Thi s sec ti o n o utlin es th e purc hase
 Bulldlng Boon, Weights, Costs and Heights

Building Type BODY Weight Purcha~e Rent Height Height

(in APs) Price Per Monll1 (in Feet) (in APs)
High-Rise Apanment (250) 20 17 19 300 5
Brown~tone Six Flat (6) 14 14 14 40
Abandoned Factory 16 20 16 50
Garage (2) 9 10 12
Small Indoor Mall (25) 17 16 18 20
Large Indoor Mall (60) 18 17 20 50
Skyscraper Offices ( I 000) 25 23 23 1,200
High Rise Oflice Building (200) 19 16 14 300
Small Office Building ( 12) 15 15 17 40
Single Office Building 13 12 13 15
Small House 10 10 12 15
Large House 11 11 14 25
Mansion 15 15 20 16 50
Warehou se 14 14 16 60

costs o f a basic bu ildi ng. These costs do not include any spec ial o utfittin g a window with bull etproof g lass in creases bot h the
dev ices the Players may w ish to install in the b uilding. Thi s is cos t a nd the we ig ht of th e wi ndow by 1 A P eac h over a
st ric1ly fo r the cost of the bui lding, includi ng the cost of the land. window with regular g lass
Some bui ldings h,!ve more than one li ving area, office, or
di vided area w ith in the stru cture tha t are known as u nits. For Entrances and Openings Table
exam ple. a hi gh-ri se apartment bu ilding has 250 un its, or 250
apartm ents in it. Th e number in pare ntheses on th e Building Entrance/ Opening BODY Weight Cost
Costs and Heights Table is the number of unit s in th at type of (in APs)
building. The Pu rc hase Price shown is fo r the whole bui lding; Interior Door 3 I
the Rem Per Mo111h li sting is for one unit in the building Exterior Door 4 1
Large Double Door 5 2
Steel Reinforced Door 7 3
Walls Bank Vau lt Dcor 14 14
On the fol low ing chart. wa ll s are assumed to be ten feet by Small Window 4 0
ten fee t (0 APs x O APs). If they are larger th an thi s, find th e Medium Window 4 I
tota l BODY o r Weight APs of th e wa ll by add in g th e APs of Large Window 4 I
height and length to the B ODY or Weight APs in the tab le be low. Bulletproof Glass 7 +I +I
For example. a so li d stee l wall whi ch is 2 APs long by 3 APs
wide would have a Boov of 17 and a Weight of 18. However, it Furnishings
is usua ll y easie r to ass ume that an y Character who is breakin g Furniture has been known to suffer in bou1s between heroes
down a wall is sim ply try in g 10 brea k down one ten foot by ten and villains. A short list of the Boov and Weight APs of the sorts
foot section ofi t. of furniture and applia nces that are most frequ enll y used in
The Cost Modifier li sted on the tabl e is the number of APs co mbat fo llows:
by which a Player must increase the constructio n or purchasin g
cost of a bui lding if all of its wa ll s are built of the materi al. Furnishings and Appliances Table

Wall Boovs, Weights and Cost Table Furnishing/ Appliance Boov Weight Cost
(lnAPs)
Wall Material Boov Weight Cost Bathtub 3
(In APs) Modifier Single Bed I
King Sized Bed 2
Brick 8 7 +I Couch 3
Concrete 10 8 +I Small Desk 0
Fiberglass 7 4 +I Large Desk I
Reinforced Concrete II 10 +2 Television 0
Prometh ium 20 12 +10 Slereo System I
Dresser I
Steel 12 13 +3 Kitchen Sink I
Stone 9 9 +2 Piano (Baby Grand) 3
Wood 6 5 0 Refrigerator 3
Large Dining Table 0
Dining Room Chair
Entrances and Openings Washing Machine
Sometimes in battle, com batant s c harge th ro ug h, fl y
throu gh, o r are thro wn throug h wi ndows, doors, and ot her Landscaping
ope nin gs in a bu il d in g. The next table li sts th e BODY and Wh e never Charac ters begin uprooting the fl ora or ge t
Weight of such openin gs. as we ll as the cos t of replacing them Knocked Back into a redwood, the fo ll ow ing tab le should help
shoul d they happen to be smashed or otherwi se damaged in a dec ide just who or what breaks. Also inclu ded are so me objects
fi g ht. Note: Bu lle tproof g lass is ex p e n s ive a nd heavy· co mm only thrown and/or destroyed during out door battl es.
 landscaping Table has enough li ght for a ni ghtsight to work. A ni ght sight has an
ove rload sw itc h whic h shuts it down whe n the li ght in the area
Object BODY Weight Height has reached a point of high brightness. It is treated as though it
(inAPs) (inAPs) has Te lescopic Vision and Ultra Vi sion rated at 5 APs apiece.
T he listed radio represe nt s a port ab le receiver- tran sm itte r
Bu,h 2 0 -I w ith a ra nge of 5 mil es. It is t reated as thoug h it has Radio
Small Tree 4 4 0 Communication at 7 APs.
Medium Tree 7 6 I A television camera is a min i-ca m whi ch is mobil e. like
Large Tree 10 9 2 those used for local newscasts.
Larger Tree 12 12 3 A television monitoring system is a sec urity system w ith
Huge Tree 14 15 4 cameras at a ll e ntry points to a build ing and many ca meras at
Telephone Pole 9 7 2 ot her spots in a bui lding. In one cent ra l locat ion there is a bank
Phone Booth 5 5 0 of monitors w here th e te lev is io n signa ls are se nt. Secu rit y
Light Pole (rural) 8 5 0 ca mera s ca n be detec ted on a successful Pe rce pti o n C hec k
Light Pole (urban) 10 9 2 agai nst an OV/RV of 3/3.
Mailboxtrural) 2 0 -1 A tracer is a small transmitter whic h se nds a steady signa l
Mailbox rurban) 3 2 -1 to a radi o rece iver. The range of a tracer is 5 mites ( 12 APs). A
Flagpole 6 3 2 tracer may be detected by a Cha rac ter wi th the C lue Ana lys is
Billboard 8 9 2 Subskill of Detecti ve or the Securit y Systems Subski ll of Thi ef.
Fire Hydralll 11 5 -2 Characte rs who do not have suc h Skill s must make an Unskilled
Park Bench 4 2 -1 Pe rcept ion Check aga in st an OV/RV of 5/5 to detect the device.

Electronic Equipment Computers and Robots

T he followi ng 1able li sts a nu mber of e lectronic gizmos that
Characte rs may wish to bu y to a id them in their c rime fightin g Computers and Robots
e ndeavors. A deta iled description of eac h ilem a lso fo ll ows
Item Cost (in APs)
Electronic Equipment Table
Computer SYJtems
Type of Item Cost (in APs) Budget Home Computer 5
Advanced Home Computer 8
Bug 6 Mini Computer 9
Electric Eye 5 Business Mainframe 12
Infrared Sensor 6 Research Mai nfrrune 14
Surveillance Microphone 6 Advanced Research 17
Nightsight 7 A.I. Mainframe 20
Radio 5 S.T.A.R. KilotrJx 21
Television Camera 9 A.I. Kilotrax 24
Monitoring Sy~tem 13 Ultra-C Booster 19
Tracer 5
Robots
A bug is a min ia turi zed microphone which ca n secret ly Clvde 10
pick up co nve rsa tion s and tran sm it them to a wa iti ng rad io Ui°ility 13
receiver whic h is a mil e ( 10 APs) or Jess away. A Character wit h Securit 17
ei th er the C lue Ana lys is Subski ll of Detecti ve or the Securit y
S ys tem s S ub s kill of Thi ef may attempt to d etec t a bug . Computers are essenti a ll y Me nta l Gadget s possessi ng APs
C haracte rs w ithout these Sk ills mu s t make an U ns kil led of INT, WILL. and MI ND. Art ifici a ll y intelligent computers may
Pe rcept ion Chec k to detect the device. possess APs of INFL. AURA, and SPIR IT as well .
A bug has an OV/RV of 5/5 against be in g detected. If the Auto ma ted sys tems may ha ve a limit ed ab ili ty IO use
Percept ion C heck yie lds positi ve RAPs. the bug is di scovered va ri ous Ski ll s a nd Ad va nt ages. suc h as Detect ive or Scholar
An electric eye is a sensor consisting of a bea m of li ght and Unless a computer is in control of some ph ys ical syste m (such
a photose nsi1ive rece pto r. Any object interruptin g the beam of as a robot), it will be un able to perform Ski ll s whic h req uire any
light will tri gger the a larm that is connected to the e lectric eye. phys ica l manipu lat ions o f an obj ect. For exa mple. a co mputer
C harac ters mu sl make a Perception C hec k a nd gain pos itive co u ld no t bui ld a Gad ge t by it se lf s imp ly by hav in g th e
RAPs aga in s t an OV/RV of 5/5 to d etec t th e beam or th e Gadgetry Sk ill .
receptor before tripping it. A computer may use a Ski ll at its ow n APs of the Skill. or
An infrared sensor picks up heat from an obj ect. An alarm it may be used to e nh ance the Ski ll use of a Characte r who a lso
is usua ll y attached wh ic h is act ivated whe n the te mperatu re of has the Ski ll. In thi s case. reduce the Opposin g and Resistance
an object in ra nge is eq ua l or g rea ter th an a speci fi ed Va lues o f the Act ion by the computer's num ber of APs of the
te mpe ra tu re, usua ll y hum an body te mperatu re. An in fr a red Sk ill. to a minimum of zero APs.
se nsor ca n de tec t a ny pe rso n wi thi n 100 yards (5 APs). To Exa m p le : Alfred is in the Bat cave. He uses th e
detec t a n infrared se nsor. C haracters must make a Percepti on Batcom puter (an ad vanced research co mputer wit h INT of 6
Chec k against an OV/RV of6/6 and ga in posit ive RAPs. A Ps and the Detective Sk ill of 6 APs) 10 a na lyze a clue he fo und
A directional microphone is used to pic k up conversat ions earlier. The clue has Opposing and Resistan ce Va lues of 10/ 10
w hi ch a re o ut of ra nge of nor mal hea rin g. It works as the A lfred does nol have the Detecti ve Ski ll. so the compute r works
Ex te nd e d H ea rin g Power rated a t 6 APs. Detecting a at 6 APs. Alfred learn s nothing from the computer
survei ll ance microphone requ ires a Percepti on Check again st a n Late r, Bat man , wi th 12 APs of the Detect ive Skil l. uses the
OV/RV eq ual to the d istance in APs that the mi crophone is from co mput e r to a na l yze th e same c lu e. T he OV/RV aga in s t
the subj ect. Ba tm an's Detec ti ve Act io n is 10/ 10 . Howeve r. using th e
A nightsight is a low- powe red te lescopi c sight whic h a lso co mputer reduces th e Oppos in g a nd Res ista nce Va lu es by its
amp lifi es the ava il able li ght at ni ght. Starli ght on a cloudy ni ght APs of Sk ill. T herefore. the OV/RV of th e C lue fa ll s from 10/ 10
to 4/4 . Batm an rol ls a 6 . He s ucceed s. bu t he woul d have fa il ed
if he had no t used the Batco m puter. Bat man has an Effect Va lue
of 12 ve rs us a Res istance Va lue of 4. Batma n rece ives 9 RA Ps
of know led ge
Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) g ives a co m puter se lf-awarene ss .
Thi s co mp uter the n becomes an N PC pl ayed by the GM. The
G M s ho ul d be a w a re o f th e pro g ra mmin g in c lu de d in th e
computer: i f the co m p ute r is prog ram med to obey its ope rato r
(w hic h mos t are). on ly an ex tre me pro vocat io n co ul d in d uce th e
co m p ute r to o ppose the ope rat or. A co m pute r wit h Art ifi c ia l
Intell ige nce may not e nh ance its o w n Sk ill use .
Budget Home Computer
[I NT: 1, Bo ov: 1, Recall : 9, R#: 4]
T hi s hom e co mputer is for the he ro o n a ti g ht b udge t. It
com es o nl y wi th a key bo a rd , d is k dri ve, and mo no c h ro m e
mo n ito r. and is subject to freque nt breakdow ns.
Advanced Home Computer
[INT: 1, Bo ov: 1, Reca ll: 11 , R#: 3]
T h is home computer is th e most advanced ho me co m pute r
sys te m avai lab le. It co mes w ith a ll o f th e periphe ra ls. suc h as
d is k dri ve s. term inal. mode m. and laser printer
MINI-COMPUTER
[I NT: 2, Boov: 2, Recall : 12, Split: 1, R#: 3]
A mini-computer. des pite it s name. is la rge r tha n a hom e
co mp ut e r. It co mes w ith te rmi nal. d is k d ri ves . pri nt e r. a nd
plo tte rs. A min i-com pute r has an ab il ity w hi c h works li ke the
Sp lit Po we r rated at I A P. maki ng dup licates o r it s ''mind. '' Each
··mi nd" may run se para te prog ra ms
BUSINESS MAINFRAME
[INT: 3, Bo ov: 2, Recall: 15, Split: 2, R#: 3]
A business mainframe comes w ith severa l termina ls. printers.
and di s k d ri ves . A Bus ine ss ma infra me ha s a n ab il ity w hi c h
works like the Sp lit Power rated at 2 A Ps. making d up li cates o f it s
" mi nd .'' Each "mi nd" may run se parate prog rams
RESEARCH MAINFRAME
[INT: 4, Boov: 2, Re call : 16, Split: 3, R#: 3]
A research mainframe c o m es w ith te rmin a ls , ex te nd e d
me mo ry. printer. and p lotte r. It has an abi lity w hic h work s like
the Sp lit Po wer rat ed at 3 A Ps. mak ing du pli ca1es of its ·· mi nd." "
Eac h "111 i11ct·· may run separate prog rams.
ADVANCED RESEARCH MAINFRAME
[I NT: 6, WILL: 2, Bo ov: 2, Recall : 18, Split: 5, R#: 2]
ARTIFICIALLY INTELLIGENT
RESEARCH MAINFRAME
[INT: 6, WILL: 2, MIND: 1, INFL: 1, BODY: 2, Recall : 18,
Split: 5, R#: 2]
A n a dva nce d resea rch mainframe co mes w ith the stand ard
m ix o f te rm ina ls. ex te nd ed me mory . printe r, a nd p lo tt e r. A
rese arc h mainfram e has a n abi li ty w hi c h work s li ke the Sp lit
Powe r rate d at 5 APs. mak ing d u p li c ates of its ··mi nd ." Eac h
'" mi nd" may run separate prog ra ms.
S.T .A. R. KILOTRAX
[I NT: 8 , WILL: 6, MI ND : 6 , Boov: 3, Re call : 20, Split: 7, R#: 2]
ARTIFICIALLY INTELLIGENT KILOTRAX
[INT: 8, W1LL: 6 , M1 No : 6 , INFL: 5, AURA: 5, Bo Dv: 3,
Reca ll: 20, Split: 7, R#: 2]
T he 5. T.A.R. Kilotrax is an ex pe ri me nta l des ig n th at w ill
on ly be so ld to C haracte rs w ho ha ve a Hi g h- le ve l Co nnect ion
wi th S.T.A. R. Labs. It comes equipped w ith a ll o f the Fa mil ia ,
pe riph e ra ls: ex t e rn al i n fo rm at io n h y p e r- s t o ra ge u ni t ( a
techn o log ic al d o ubl e- le ap u p fro m a di s k dr ive) . te rm in a ls.
printers. and plo tters. A K ilo trax has an ab il ity w hic h works like
th e Spli t Powe r rated at 7 A Ps. mak in g du p li c ates of its ·mi nd."'
eac h o f whic h may ru n separate prog ra ms
Ultra -C Processor
[INT: lB, Boov: 1, R#: 4]
M isce ll a neo us Drawback: burn s out afte r 2 minutes time .
reduc in g it s INT to 0 .
T he K ilo trax has the Ultra-( Processor Boos ter. w hi ch is a
Gadget w hi c h s ubsti tutes INT fo r the INT of the Kilo trax w hil e it
la s ts. Th e Gad ge t ha s a n INT o f 18 A P s. so th e INT o f t he
Kil otrax may be inc reased to 18 for 2 minu tes (5 A Ps) be fo re
the dev ice burn s o ut. S.T.A. R. L.abs is sti ll wo rk in g to pe rfec t
the Booste r.
Th e fo ll owin g robots a re t h e c o mm e r c ia l mod e l s
a v a il ab le fro m S .T . A . R . L abs. Th e y in c lu d e a n in te rn a l
c o m p u te r w hi c h c a n b e progra m m e d b y t he o wn e r o f th e
robo t. A robot ma y be con s ide red a n aut o mati c system w h ic h
ca n be run by anoth e r co mpu te r
CLYDE
[Dex: 1, STR: 1, Boov: 2, INT: 1, WILL: 1, Th e rmal Vi s io n : 2,
Re call: 11 , R#: 3]
Mi sce ll a neo us D rawbac k: m ust be rec harged every 24 hours.
A Clyde is a li g ht-d ut y wo rk robot o pe rated by the bu il t-in
equ iva le nt o f a hom e comp ute r. It ma y ope ra te o ne limi1 e d
a uto mati c sys te m at a tim e: it com es e qui pped w ith e no ug h
lim ited aut o mat ic syste ms to make it a med ioc re ho usekeepe r. It
lws an in frare d se nso r w ith a limi te d ra ng e (40 fee t , 2 A Ps )
wh ich a ll ows it to de tect intrude rs. C lyd e co me s w ith a voice
s y nt hes ize r wi th a vo c ab ul a ry of a twe lve-ye ar-o ld a nd th e
s peak ing abil ity of a s ix-ye ar-ol d .
UTILITY ROBOT
[DEX : 2, STR: 4, Bo ov: 6, INT: 2, WILL: 1, Recall : 12, R#: 2]
Mi sc e ll an eo us Draw b ac k: mu s t b e rec harge d eve ry 24
ho urs
S .T .A. R .'s utility rob o t is a s tur dy , g e n e ra l p ur pose
in du s tria l ro bot th at is us ua ll y prog ra mm ed to ma in tain and
mo ni to r non-mo bile robo t wo rkers . It co mes eq ui p ped w ith a
bu ilt -in mini co m pute r. So me mode ls ha ve vo ice sy nt hes ize rs.
but mo st do not co mmuni ca te or unde rstand human s peec h
SECURITY ROBOT
[D,x: 4 , STR: 6, Boov: 5, INT: 3, WILL: 1, AV : 7, EV: B,
Range : 4, Military Science: 5, Re call : 15,
Sonar: 5, The rmal Vi sion: 5, Wea ponry: 7, R#: 2]
A security robot has the eq ui va le nt of a bus iness mai n fra me
co m pute r co m pacted int o its armored interi o r. A security robot
ca rri es th ree o r more we a po n sys tem s and ha s th e W eapo n ry
Sk ill a s a n aut omated sys te m a t 7 A Ps. A sec u ri ty robo t has
M ili tary Sc ie nce as an au to mated syste m at 5 APs and a v,iri ety
o f e lec tro n ic se nso rs a t 5 A Ps. w h ic h c an be used to d e tec t
Cha racte rs w ho are w ithin I 00 yards.
Vehicles
A ny G ad ge t w hi c h c an tra ns port o ne o r more
from o n e l o c a ti o n t o ano th e r un d e r i t s o wn po we ,
co ns ic.l e rec.l a Vehicle.
Air Vehicles
Air vehicles a re ve hi cles that al lo w o ne o r more C harac ters
to fl y o r g li d e th ro u g h th e a ir . Th is in c lu d es a l l g li d e rs .
ai rp lanes . a irshi ps, and most 20th C e ntury spacec raft.
JET PACK
[STR: 2, Bo ov: 2, Flig ht: 6, R#: 2]
GLIDER
[STR: 4, Boov: 6, Gliding : 7]
 SINGLE PROPELLER AIRPLANE M-1 ABRAMS TANK
[STR: 5, Boov: 8, Flight: 7, Radar Sense: 16, R#: 2] [STR: 9, Boov: 15, AV: 6, EV: 10, Range: 10, Running: S,
Ha rdened Defenses, R#: 2]
FLYING BOAT
[STR: 7, Boov: 10, Flight: 7, Radar Sense: 17, JEEP
Swimming: 2, R#: 2] [STR: s, BO DY: 6, Running: 6, R#: 2]
Power Reslriction: Swimmin g only works on surface of
water: may not dive. SNOWMOBILE
[STR: 3, Boov: 5, Running : 6, R#: 2]
JUMBO JET Power Restri ction : Runni ng is limited to 4 APs if not
[STR: 11 , Boov: 12, Flight: 8, Radar Sense: 18, R#: 2] on snow.

SUPER-SONIC JET LINER

[STR: 10, Boov: 12, Flight: 9, Radar Sense: 18, R#: 2]
F-15 EAGLE
[STR: 8, Boov: 10, AV: 6, EV: 8, Ra nge: 9, Flight: 11 ,
Radar Sense: 20, Hardened Defenses, R#: 3]
Carries four air-to-air mi ss iles (see Weapons below )
SPACE SHUTTLE
[STR: 12, Boov: 11 , Flight: 15, Flame Immunity: 5,
Radar Sense: 20, Sealed Systems: 20, Hardened
Defenses, R#: 3]
Water Vehicles
To tra vel o n or und erneath a bod y of wate r. Characters
mu st make use of a water vehicle. These can be as simple as a
canoe or a rowboat, or as comp lex as an aircraft carrier or a
nu c lear submarin e. An aste ri s k (*) after a boat ' s Swimm ing
Power indicates thal it is limited to use on the surface of the
water o nl y.
JET SKI
[STR: 2, BODY: 4, Swimming: 5*, R#: 3]
MOTORBOAT
[STR: 4, BODY: 4, Swimming: 4*, R#: 2]

ZEPPELIN SPEEDBOAT
[STR: 11, Boov: 9, Flight: 6, R#: 5] [STR: 3, BODY : 4, Swimming: 5*, R#: 3]

HELICOPTER HOUSE BOAT

[STR: 7, Boov: 7, Fligh t : 6, R#: 2] [STR: 6, Boov: 7, Swimming : 3•, R#: 2]

ATTACK HELICOPTER YACHT

[STR: 7, Boov: 9, AV: 5, EV: 8, Range: 9, Flight: 7,
Radar Sense: 19, Hardened Defenses, R#: 2]
Carries two air-to-air missi les (see Weapons be low).
Land Vehicles
Land vehicles range from a si mple two-whe eled pedal-
driven bicycle to the most compl ex tanks and armored tran sport
trucks used by the army . For the most part, they are complete ly
unabl e to tly , swim. or burrow.
MOTORCYCLE
[STR: 3, Boov: 5, Running: 6, R#: 2]
RACING CYCLE
[STR: 3, Boov: 5, Running : 7, R#: 2]
COMPACT CAR
[STR: 4, Boov: 6, Running: 6, R#: 2]
[STR: 11 , Boov: 13, Swimming: 4', R#: 2]
OCEAN LINER
[STR: 20, Boov: 18, Swimming: 4•, R#: 2]
DESTROYER
[STR: 15, Boov: 18, AV: 7, EV: 12, Range: 13,
Swimming: 5*, Radar Sense: 17, Sonar: 12,
Hardened Defenses, R#: 3]
BATTLESHIP
[STR: 18, Boov: 24, AV: 7, EV: 15, Range: 14,
Swimming: 4*, Radar Sense: 17, Sonar: 12,
Hardened Defenses, R#: 3]
NUCLEAR SUBMARINE
[STR: 19, BooY: 24, Swimming: 4, Water Freed o m : 6,
Sonar: 12, R#: SJ
Carries 32 torpedoes (see Weapons be low).

MIDSIZE CAR Weapons

[STR: 5, Boov: 6, Running: 6. R#: 2]
Thi s sectio n cove rs al l types of weapons , from s imple
SPORTS CAR sword s and kni ves, up through gun s and bombs, all the way to
[STR: 4, Boov: 6, Running: 7, R#: 2] advanced lasers and nuclear muni1ions.

LIMOUSINE Knife
[STR: 5, Boov: 7, Running : 6, R#: 2] [Boov: 5, EV: 3]

VAN Sword
[STR: 6, Boov: 8, Running : 6, R#: 2] [Boov: 6, EV: 4]

SMALL TRUCK Club

(STR: 9, Boov: 11 , Running : 6, R#: 2] [Boov: 3, EV: 3, R#: 5]

EIGHTEEN WHEELER Nunchakas

[STR: 10, Boov: 13, Running: 6, R#: 2] [Boov: 2, EV: 4]

ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIER Bow and Arrow

[STR: 9, Boov: 14, AV: S, EV: 7, Range: 8, Running: 5, [STR: 6, Boov: 3, EV: 3, R#: 5]
Hardened Defenses, R#: 2] STR of Bow is its Range.

II
 .38 Pistol INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE
(BODY: 4, EV: 3, Range: 4, Ammo : 6, R#: 3] (Dex: 3, Booy: 10, Bomb: 32, Flash: 15, Flight: 13,
Magnetic Co ntrol: 20, Rada r Sense: 20, R#: 3]
.45 Automatic Limitation: Magnetic Contro l onl y generates EMP
(BODY: 4, EV: 4, Range: 5, Ammo: 7, R#: 3] (see below).
The most powerful of nu clea r weapons, thi s mi ss ile can
.44Magnum reach any targe t o n the g lo be in m inute s. It car ri es a I 00-
(BODY: 4, EV: 5, Range: 5, Ammo: 6, R#: 3] megaton warhead, capable of demo lishing a large city.
Note: It is importan t to note that th e effects o r nucl ear
Pump-Action Shotgun
weapons ex tend far beyond the simpl e Bomb Power. The Bomb
effect itse lf is reso lved as though the weapon is exec utin g a
(BODY: 4, AV: 5, EV: 5, Range: 3, Ammo: 7, R#: 3]
Devastating Attack (see page 10 1). The Magneti c Control Power
Limitation: EV is Diminishing.
represe nts th e E lectro magnetic Pulse (E MP) ge nerated by a
thermonuclea r blast This acts as the AV/EV in an attack against
Sawed -Off Shotgun all e lectron ic equ ipment in Normal Range, with OV/RVs based
[BODY: 4, AV: 5, EV: 6, Range: 2, Ammo: 2, R#: 4] on the amount of shi eld in g the equipment has (determin ed by
Limitation: EV is Dimini shing. th e GM u s in g the Universa l M odifi er Ta b le: mos t home
equipm ent wo uld have OV /RV s o f 2/2, whil e hi g h-sec urit y
Submachinegun Governm ent fi les mi ght have OY/RVs as hi gh as 12/ 12). RAPs
[BooY: 4, AV: 5, EV: 5, Range: 5, Ammo: 4, R#: 3] from an EMP attack are subtracted from the eq uipment 's Mental
Attribute s and Reca ll Po wer (if any). Th e Flas h Power of
Rifl e nucl ear weapons has a specia l Area Effect that simu ltaneously
(BooY: 4, EV: 6, Range: 7, Ammo: 6, R#: 2] attacks all targets in No rmal Ran ge that have a clear lin e-of-
sight to the b last. The effec ts of radi oac ti ve fa llout are entirely at
Automatic Rifle the GM's di screti on.
(Booy: 4, AV: 4, EV: 6, Range: 7, Ammo : 8, R#: 2] Because or th e severe e nvironme nta l imp ac t of such a
deton at ion , an ad ve nture (or ca mpa ign) mi ght center around
Machinegun stopping these weapons fro m being used in the first pl ace.
(BooY: 4, AV: 5, EV: 8, Range: 8, Ammo: 6, R#: 3]
Sights
Flame Thrower Th e Te lescop ic Vi s ion of a sig ht ac ts the sa me as th e
[BODY: 4, Flame Project: 6, R#: 5] Automatic Power Telescopi c Visio n and effect ively extends the
range of firearm s. For example: a rifle with a 4 AP sig ht wou ld
La ser Pistol treat a target 9 APs away as if it we re onl y 5 APs away.
(BooY: 4, AV: 3, EV: 4, Range: 6, Ammo: 10, R#: 2]
Tube Sight
Laser Rifle [Boov: 1, Telesco pic Vision: 1]
(BODY: 4, AV: 4, EV: 4, Range: 7, Ammo: 10, R#: 2]
Telescopic Sight
Hand Gre nade
[Boov: 2, Telescopic Vision: 4]
(Booy: 1, Bomb: 7, R#: 3]
Nightsight
The grenade must be thrown to its target,
[Boov: 2, Telescopic Vi sion: 3, Ultra Vision: 12, R#: 2]
and ca n be used onl y once.
Thermal Sight
LAW Rocket [Boov: 2, Te lesco pic Vision: 3, Thermal Vision: 12, R#: 2]
[BooY: 2, EV: 8, Range: B, Ammo: 1, R#: 2]
Laser Sight
105mm HOWITZER [BODY: 2, AV: 6, R#: 3]
(BooY: 6, AV: 5, EV: 9, Range: 15, R#: 2]

AIR TO AIR MISSILE

(DEX: 12, BODY: 2, AV: 6, EV: 13, Flight: 12,
Radar Sense: 19]

CRUISE MISSILE
(Dex: 10, BooY: 6, AV: 7, EV: 15, Flight: 10,
Radar Sense: 19]

TORPEDO
(Dex: 6, BODY: 3, AV: 5, EV: 14, Sonar: 10,
Swimming: 6, Wate r Freed o m: 7, R#: 3]

ATOMIC BOMB
[Boov: 6, Bomb: 20, Flash: 12, Magnetic Control: 1S,
R#: SJ
Limitati on: Mag neti c Co ntrol on ly ge nerates EMP
(see below).
This bomb is a small nuclear weapon like the kind that was
used in World War II . It can also be used to represent those that
mi ght be used by small, poor countries.

O ne o r th e Batm an's most e ffec ti ve weapo ns in the wa r
against crime is Bruce Wayne's vast perso nal fortun e. Wayne's
million s have all owed him 10 des ig n and build hi s incred ib le
c rim e. fi g htin g Gadget s. to se t up cha rities. and to fin a nce
phil anthropic foundation s aimed at reformin g crimin als all over
Gotham City.
Each and every C harac ter in the DC HEROES Role. Playing
Game has a Wealth rating that indicates how much mo ney the
C haracter has at hi s di sposa l. Lik e Att rib u tes, Powe rs. and
Sk ill s. Wealth is meas ured in APs. Zero APs of Wea lth is equal
to $25. A C haracter' s listed Wealth ratin g measures hi s weekl y
sa lary. A C haracte r with a Wea lth rati ng of zero. for exam pl e.
makes $25 a wee k or less. while a C haracter with a Wea lth
rating o f 8 makes be tween $3 .200 and $6,400 a week.
Wea lth is the onl y AP va lue that cannot be in creased by
s p e ndin g He ro Point s g ained during adve ntur es (see
Exper ience and Character Growth. page 3 1). Rul es in vo lvi ng
the in crease o r loss o f Wea lth are found under Upkeep at the
e nd of thi s sec ti o n.
Buying Items
Wea lth is used to purchase goods and services. Purchas in g
a good or se rvice is a Dice Action using the purchase r's A Ps of
Wea lth as the AV/EV and the dollar cost of the good o r serv ice
(measured in APs) as the OV/ RV . Hero Po ints mny be spent as
us ual to increase th e AV/EV of a Wealth Action Check. If a
Player earns o ne or more RAPs o n the Wea lth Act io n C heck. the
C harac ter succeeds and the item is bought. If the Ac ti o n C hec k
fai ls. the Charac ter s impl y could not scrape up the cas h fo r the
purchase.
Norma ll y, a Characte r is on ly allowed one Wea lth ro ll per
ga me week. whethe r successful or not. If the Player wishes. hi s
Character may purchase more than o ne ite m al a tim e with thi s
roll. The OV/RV of an att empt to purchase multipl e it e ms is
equal to the total cost (in APs) of all the items being purchased
with the ro ll.
If a Charac ter has already used hi s o ne We..i lth roll and it
beco mes necessa ry to make a nother Wealth rol l late r in the
wee k. th e Player ma y purc hase the ri g ht to make additi o nal
Wea lth Checks by spe ndin g Hero Points. The second Wealth
ro ll in a one wee k period costs a number of Hero Po ints eq ual to
twice the C haracter's Wealth rati ng used in the C hec k, which
may be less th an the full APs th e C h aracter has. Th e th ird
Wealth ro ll costs a number o f Hero Points equal to three ti mes
the Wealt h rating used. and so on. The onl y limit to the num be r
of additi onal roll s Players are all owed to make in thi s fashi o n is
th e number of Hero Points they are willing IO spe nd.
Th e only goods and se rv ices that C harac ters nee d to
purchase th rough the use o f Wea lth are those that will have a
di rect bea ring upo n adve ntures. Green Arrow would need to use
hi s Wealth to purchase a new bow or th e scuba gear that he wil l
need for an undersea in vestigation, but he does not need to make
a Wea lth ro ll eve ry time he buys a hot dog or a newspaper.
A C ha rac ter who does no t mak e any W ea lth roll s during
a o ne week period can do nate part of hi s week ly earnings to
c harity. Making a char itable co ntributi on in thi s fashion nets
the C harac ter 5 Hero Points whi ch ca n be saved and spent as
he sees fit
Savings and Loan
Each week during \ vhich a Chamcter does
1
not make a Wealth Chct·k or a charitable
conlribtllion, he can "out bank'" a Wealth
Check as savings. Players should record the
number of Wealth Check, they have ban~ed on
their Character Sheet.
Whenever a Wealth Check is made. the
Player may expend hanked Checks tt1 increase
the chances of success. Expending one banked
Check allow, the Player to temporarily aJJ I to
his Wealth score for a single Wealth Check.
xpending 3 banked Checks temporarily aJJs 2
o the Character's Wealth, 7 banked Check
to the Wealth. 15 banked Checks
o the Wealth. and 31 banked Checks adds 5
the Wealth.
Players may also take out loans. He m
use the amount of money he is hon-owing
make a ~ingle free WeaJth Check. meaning
he does not need to spend Hero Poinr:,, 10 ma
this roll if he has already made a Wealth Che
lhat week. From that point on, h(lwever. t
Player must then make a Wealth Checl. ea
month for the duration of the Joan, to make
loan payment. To figure out the Juliar cost
each payment. and the OV/RV of the payme
Wealth Check. the Player must decide ho
money he wants to borrow. and over
he wants to spread out the payments. Th
da for computing the dollar cost of eac
ayment is as follows:
Monthly Payment (in APs) = Amoun
orrowed (in APsJ +20 - Total Time of Loa
inAPs).
Example: Suppose Phil decides that hi
haracter is going to borrow $10.000 (9 APs o
oney) and spread hi:,, paymenh out over 16
onlhs (24 APs of time). Tn this case. the
V/RV of his monthly payment is 5 (9 plus 20
ninus 24 equals 5).
If a Character ever fails 10 make a loan
yment. he must keep trying to make the
yment until the end of the month. If the end
f the month rolls around and he h,cs still failed
o make the loan payment, all of the items that
e purchased with the original w~alth roll t
ou earned through the Joan are re
his includes any Gadge1s that were
arts that were purchased on the roll.
 Purchasing Parts
for Gadgetry Attempts
As see n in Chapter Seve n . a gadge1eer musl purchase parts
using hi s Wealth score be fore attempting to desig n and construct
a Gadget. The do ll ar cost of the parts necessary to install each of
the Gadget's Abi lities is equal to the Abi lit y's rat ing in A Ps.
The gadgctee r has the opt io n of buyi ng all of the parts necessary
to bu il d t he d ev ice a t o nce. us in g a s in g le W ea llh roll as
di sc ussed above . o r bu ying the parts of each of the Abili1ies wi th
separate Weailh roll s. Natura ll y, an Abi lit y cannot be in sta ll ed
until t he part s necessa ry to in st all th at Ab ilit y have been
purchased.

Upkeep
Once per game mont h, eac h Characte r must spe nd a Wea lth
Check to pay for hi s upkeep ( rent, food , and o th er sund ry
expen ses). The OY/ RV of thi s ro ll is equ a l to the C haracter's
Wealth rating. so an " I\'' is needed fo r success. If thi s Chec k
gains positi ve RAPs and rece ives more than 2 Co lu mn Sh ifts,
the Chara c te r ma y add I AP 10 h is Wea llh ra t ing for e ach
Colu mn S hift ea rned in excess of the first two (he got a rai se,
inherited money. o r had a good bu siness mo nth ). If the Wealth
Check fa ils. howeve r. a nd the die roll was mo re than 3 lowe r
than the Success umber (7 or less), the C haracter must lowe r
hi s Wealth by I AP. If the roll was 6 or mo re points less than the
Success Num ber (a 5 o r Jess), th e C haracter mu st lower his
Wea lt h by 2 APs (fi nanc ia l hard li mes). A fa iled Wea lth Chec k
also mea ns that the C harac ter mu st atte mpt the Upkee p Wea lth
C hec k aga in the fo llow in g wee k, spe nd the Hero Po ints to
make anoth e r ro ll th e c urre nt and keep tryin g until he
fina ll y succeeds.
He ro Po i111 s may neve r be spe nt to inc rease a C haracter's
AV/EV wh il e makin g an Upkeep ro ll.
Exa mpl e: Wally W es t, th e Flas h, starts with a Wealth
rat in g of 4. Whil e mak ing o ne o f hi s monthl y Up kee p ro ll s,
Wa ll y roll s a 50 and rece ives 11 Co lumn S hifts . His Wea lth is
now 13 (4+ I J-2; 13): Wa ll y just won the lottery.

Bankruptcy .
If a C haracter's Wealt h score is reduced to 0, or a mo nthly
Upkeep Chec k fai ls wi th a ro ll o f 2. the C haracter immed iate ly
goes broke , no matter wha t his Wealth sco re was. and mu st e nte r
into a Wea lt h Sub plo t du ring the next adventure . W het he r o r no t
the C haracter loses an y Wea lth and how muc h is Jost depe nds
upon what happens in the S ubplot and the GM 's good g races.
Booster Go ld. th e Flas h, a nd Bl ue Bee t le ha ve a ll los t th e ir
fortunes in thi s manne r.

Role- Playing is storytell ing . The ru les of good storytelling
app ly to ro le-p layin g, but ro le-playing al so has its own spec ial
rul es as we ll. This chapter gives you those basic rul es that make
a good Gamemaster and a good story. Experienced role-p layers
probably know these basics already, but it is best if th ey skim
over these pages, especially the section s on creatin g adventures
and Sta ndard Award guide lin es. Chapter Ten : Subplots will
also prov ide a good rev iew for experienced Players who are new
to the DC HEROES Role-Playing Game.
I. Principles of Being a GM
The Gamemaster, or GM, has the most important job in a
ro le-playin g ga me. He is like the director of a play , and the
Players' Characters are li ke the characters in th at play. Both the
GM and the Players are also the audience and, as the participants
and the audience, they ca n play agains t eac h other's acti ons and
enj oy the unfoldi ng story they create at the same tim e.
Unlike the direc tor of a play. the GM works from onl y a
slim framework . He ca nn ot pred ict how the story wi ll end, fo r
the real story is the interaction betwee n the GM and the Players.
And unlike characters in a play, th e Playe rs have much more
freed o m to influe nce th e story; the y may eve n bypass who le
secti ons or add new events that the GM did not expect.
The Gamemaster oversees the story, makin g sure it is on
the ri ght trac k and th at th e Playe rs are havin g fun. He alone
knows the sequ ence of events and thei r possib le outcome. He
a lso kn ows th e atm osp here that he wa nt s to co n vey to the
Players. What he does not know is exactly how the Players will
react to eac h situati on that he creates. but if he sets the scene
successfu ll y, the Pl ayers will respond in the spirit of the game
that th e GM has created.
The GM must do all of the bookkeeping fo r th e Non-Pla yer
Characters , or NPCs, kee pin g tra c k o f the ir Hero Po ints ,
locations, damage, and Gadgets. He mu st also keep track of the
time spent by the Player Characters and make all the necessary
dic e ro ll s fo r hi s NPCs. This ca n be a ve ry demand ing ta sk,
es pec iall y for a new GM , but the job will soon become eas ier as
everyone in vo lved lea rn s th e ga me mec hani cs.
A Gamemaster is a storyte ll er, a director, a playwri ght, an
actor, a bookkeeper, and in th e e nd , a c hem ist. He mi xes
d ifferent sto ry li nes, plot elements. and characte rs with th e
Players to see where th eir co mbined im agin ati on will lead them.
Work Together
m The DC HEROES RPG is an interactive game in wh ich the
GM and the Players work together. As the GM , you should not
attempt to have co mpl ete co ntrol of the ga me's flow. If th e
the Players think on their ow n. Let th em solve a
problem way, instead o f try ing to pressu re th e m int o 1111
solving it your way. The Players wi ll often approach a situation
in completely differe nt ways from any that you mi ght imagine.
The GM has the fina l word on all th e actions o f the ga me. . .
Once yo u ha ve mad e a de c is io n, yo ur P lay e rs mu st y ie ld .
However, be fair a nd hones t a nd use yo ur auth o ri ty very
sparingl y . GM s who exercise too mu c h pow e r o ft e n find
themse lves without any Players.
Role Play and
Encourage Others to Role Play
The Pla ye rs sh o uld be e nco urage d to rol e pl ay th e ir
Characters' Motivations. A Player whose C haracter is Batman
shou ld impress upon the other Players that Batman is hardnosed .
fa ir, and more than a li ttle neurotic about seeking justi ce
The GM is responsib le fo r creating events that all ow the
Players to act out their Characters' personaliti es. If a Characters '
Moti vat ion is Up ho ld in g the Good, g iv e th at C haracter the
oppo rtunit y to do good deed s . You co uld a lso put him in
situ ations that test his mettle, like choosing between two ev ils
Most Players' Characters' Moti vations are based on respec t
for th e law. Heroes do not brea k th e Jaw cas uall y. If yo ur
Players' Characters start to indi scrimin ately wreak havoc, the
long arm of the law will bring them to justi ce. If the Players start
to act like villains, they should receive no Hero Points fo r that
adven ture. Period
Do Not Kill the Characters
A good playw right does not kill off major characters in the
mi dd le of the fi rst scene. Likewise, a good GM rea li zes that the
curre nt adventure is on ly one of a larger ca mp aig n. Maj or
C haracters sho uld se ldom be kill ed. If a Player is ex treme ly
foo lish or careless, hi s Character may die, but that will happen
wi thout any real effort on the GM 's part.
The sole obj ect of the villain's plot should rarel y be to kill
the heroes. In stead, the villain will usuall y want the heroes out
of the way so that he can comm it hi s crimes unh indered. He may
want to play wi th the heroes or annoy them, like Mr. Mx yzptlk
did to Superman.
If a vill ai n dec ides to ki ll a Player Character, he us ua ll y
wa nts hi s vic tim conscio us, so th at he ca n g loat over th e
" ine sca pab le " trap that he has d ev ise d. A villain u s ua ll y
le aves th e hero in th e " inescapable" trap a nd goes off to
co mpl ete hi s dastardl y deed. Reso urceful heroes ca n usuall y
escape fro m " in escapable" traps. Player Characte rs should be
al lowed the opportu nity to escape and co ntinu e th e ca mpaig n
to its conclus ion .
Plan Ahead
The GM should spend at least an hour and a half before the
ga me sta rts, preferab ly before th e Pl aye rs arri ve, reviewing
notes for the upcoming adventure. Make sure any handouts and
visual aids are prepared, including maps and diagrams, and that
yo u h ave wo rk ed o ut the Attributes, Powers, Skill s, a nd
information fo r all of the major vi ll ai ns and minor C harac ters.
The more you plan, th e more smoothl y the ga me will proceed.
 Plan for the Future
If you look at eac h week's ga me as a s in g le iss ue o f a
comi c book , you ca n see th at if you stay o nl y one week ahead of
the ga me, the result will be a choppy ca mpai gn. The Players wi ll
beco me more in vo lved in the game if they have a lo ng- te rm
o bjecti ve. Wh en Ju sti ce Leag ue Int ernatio nal went into ou te1
space to re scue Mister Miracl e, the quest co ntinued for man y
iss ues before th e tea m finally confront e d Man ga Khan and
Darkse id on Apokoli ps. Occas ionall y, you can take a brea k to
play one of th e C haracte r's Subplots, or a side adventure that
takes place in the course of the overa ll sce nario (like the JLl 's
fi g ht with Lobo durin g the Mr. Miracle chase).
Challenge the Players' Minds
The DC Uni ve rse is ve ry ri ch in poss ibil ities for ad venture
The game should not be just a series of slugfests. Challenge the
mind s and imag in atio ns of the Players wit h c lues and veiled
in for mation. Do not make the adven ture too easy. Part of the fu n
of role-p laying is the te nsion in the ga me. Will ev il triumph?
Can a Cha rac te r escape from a parti c ularl y nasty trap? It is
importa nt for the GM to inj ect thi s exci te ment into the ga me.
Create a Stable Environment
The world of your heroes will expa nd as the game goes o n,
but th e basic outlines should not c hange. If the bank buildin g
was on the corn er of Fourth and Elm yes te rd ay. it sho uld still be
there toda y. A stabl e e nvironm e nt he lps c reate a n imag inary
wor ld with wh ic h the Pla ye rs' C harac te rs ca n dea l. It a lso
creates a place th at can handle man y ty pes of adventures
Game mastering is the mosl dema nding ro le in the game. It
can also be the most fun. If you r Players are having fun too , you
have what it takes to run a great campa ign.
II. Running the Adventure
Before yo u learn how ad ve ntures are in the DC
H EROES RPG , yo u s hou ld know what it to be th e
Gamemaster fo r one. Man y of the princi ples described
are ex plained in g reater detai l here , as well as to try
on you r Pl aye rs
Play in a Comfortable Setting
Be sure to have e no ug h c hairs and tab les for eve ryo ne.
Make sure the lightin g is good and the room is not stuffy or
noi sy. Have this rulebook and other props nearby and ready to
use. The be tter th e setting, the less distract io ns yo u will have
from the ga me.
You Are the Players' Senses
The Playe rs w ill de pe nd on yo u to g ive co mp le te and
accurate descriptio ns of what the ir Ch a ra cters see and hea r
He lp in g these descriptions to come a live is o ne of the GM 's
most e njoyable jobs. When describin g the scene, re me mber to
desc ribe th e co lors, sound s, eve n the sme ll s and tex tures of the
Charac ters' surroundings.
Even more important , try to ex plain to th e Players what the
place feels li ke. The ir gut reaction s to a scene are as im portant as
what they see and hem
Fo r in sta nce, say the Question wa lk s in to a room whe re
people have just stopped arguing: no words are spoken by the
Characters , but the GM mi gh t desc ri be the sce ne like thi s:
"You see two men, seated across from each other at an
ancient oak table. The parlor is filled to capacity with dark, heavy
furniture, and the drapes are closed against a winter gale. In the
dark room, your eyes are immediately drawn to the people's faces.
"One man, dressed in a dark business suit, is glaring at the
other and fiercely gripping the edge of the table with his long-
fingered hands. His knuckles are white from the effort. The other
man, dressed in a smoking jacket, sits sideways in his chair, facing
oway from the man in the business suit. The seco nd man is
fiddling nervously with a pipe.
"A handsome woman in a pole blue evening gown stands
nearby. Her face is ashen; her eyes are wide with horror. You get
the impression that she is suppressing a scream.
"They do not speak, but the feeling of tension in the room is
almost as strong as the smell of dust all around you. "
Detail s like thi s ma ke the scene co me to life, and give
the Playe rs lo ts o f in for mati o n w it hout be ing borin g. On th e
0 1he r ha nd , too much de sc ription w il l s low pla y. A lways
stri ve fo r ba la nce.
Role Play the NPCs
Be creative and get into the rol e- playing spirit w ith all of
the NPCs, even the most in sig nifi ca nt. Sometimes you will be
require d to pla y many role s at o nce o r play one ri g ht afte r
anot he r. Thi s is when a GM needs to be an ac tor. Have fun w ith
th is, act outrageous, use funn y voices, or prete nd to be blind or
deaf, whatever suit s the occas ion.
When yo u are speaking to the Players, do not say, "The gas
station attendant tells you the villain passed by a second ago."
Say in stead, "Yea h, a big ugly guy in a weird costume with
numbers printed all over it, he ran down that alley just a minute
ago, kicked some lady's dog too ...say... aren 't you guys P.1.5. T.!'
All NPCs are important because they convey a lot of the
in format ion th at Player C haracters need in the ga me. T hey are
the way th e GM affects the unfolding events. A helpful NPC can
speed up the ga me, or an untrustworthy NPC can set the group
up for betrayal and ambu sh
Playin g you r NPCs is o ne of the best ways to e ncourage
your Players to role play . Keep the Players interacting w ith you
o n thi s leve l, but do not let them spend a lot of time talking to an
NPC who has li tt le or nothing to do with the adventure. If th is
happen s, cut the di sc ussion short.
Try Using Props
Props can be a bi g help whe n you are desc ribing a scene.
Ro le- Playing NPCs and describing the scene gives the Players
something to li sten to. Try giving them somethin g to look at as
we ll. A prop ca n be anything visual: a map , a note in secret
code, a jigsaw puzz le they mu st put together, or somethin g else
that the GM can in vent.
The GM could simp ly desc ribe the scene. and the n hand the
Players a prop that will lead the m to a c lue, or may even be a
clue in it se lf. Props representing the C haracters themselves, such
as lead mini atures or ca rdboard fi g ures, can be used to keep
t rack o f th e he roes and vill a in s in comb at. Suc h prop s wi ll
quickl y show the Players where their Characte rs are in re lat ion
to the vill a in s and innocelll bystanders.
Keep the Group Together
Run ning two o r more d iffe re nl gro ups is hard to do and
borin g for the Players who are out of the ac ti o n. Furtherm ore , if
the main vill ain catches one of the groups of Characters, there
may not be enough of them to defend themse lves.
Keep Them on Track
At any g iven time, Players usually have man y option s from
whic h to choose. They may be te mpted to wande r away from the
main ad ve nture. Your devious cl ue mi ght be so dev ious that it
becomes obsc ure and leads the Playe rs in a d ifferent direction
than you in tended. It can be ve ry fru strating for you and the
Players to spe nd a lo t of time running around in c ircl es
Once in a whil e. it mig ht be a good idea lo " nudge" the
Players in th e right direction. NPCs are good for thi s. In the DC
Universe, the Phantom Stranger s pe nd s m ost of hi s ti me
" nud g in g" ot he r he roes . N PC s can spo t th e box of matc hes
co nta ining th e vital c lu e, o r ide nt ify th e blood stai n o n the
carpet, or whatever it takes for the story to continue. You may
 a lso wa nt to try news flashes, kidn appin g a C haracte r, eve n
ta unts by the villains (espec iall y those wi th Irratio nal Attractions
or Psychological Instabi li ties).
Your he lp does not ha ve to be free. The Players mi ght lose
Hero Points for mi ss ing clues or straying from the story. See the
Standard Award Guide lin es late r in thi s chapte r for more
information.
Now They See It, Now They Don't
Keep the ga me fun by keepin g th e Players g uess in g. A
clever GM o nce created a vi ll ain call ed the Deceiver who foo led
th e heroes into thinkin g he was the Jo ker. The Dece iver eve n
carried out hi s crimes dressed as the C low n Prince of C ri me.
Whe n th e heroes moved in to capture him , th ey were tota ll y
unprepared for hi s Illusion Powers.
Look at yo ur old advent ures. If yo u noti ce a pattern in
them , it may be tim e to shake yo ur Pl ayers up . Throw in a
he lpful NPC o r a see min gly he lpfu l NPC w ho c reates more
problems fo r the heroes than he solves. Lead th e Characters on a
wi ld-goose-c hase whil e th e vill ains tra sh th e ir headquarters.
Have a villain assume the ident ity of o ne of the heroes or even
the city poli ce commi ss io ner.
Playe rs qui ckly recog ni ze patterns in your adventures. If
you always give long descripti ons fo r on ly dangerous scenes,
th ey w ill soo n recog ni ze the da ngerous situat io ns before the
villains can spring their attack. If the adventure a lways begins
wi th a phone ca ll or a body fl yin g throu g h the head qu arters
wi ndow, the Players will soon grow ti red of th ese cl iches. Eve n
dice rol lin g ca n be s potted an d noted . Not hin g is qu ite as
enti cin g as a few false dice ro lls, espec iall y if you smil e at the
"res ults" and say noth ing.
Surprising Developments
T he GM is no t a lways in co ntro l. So me time s, th e
C harac ters ove rcome yo ur best- la id pla ns and capture th e
villains in the first encounter. Your who le story is in shreds and
you sti ll have an ent ire afternoon to fi ll. Now what do you do?
Don ' t be annoyed by the new deve lopments, eve n if they
make more work for yo u. Ca ll a brea k in th e action and give
yo urself so me time to think. Does th e villai n have fri e nds o r
he nc hm e n w ho wi ll att e m pt to free him from th e heroes '
clutches? Perhaps you mi ght decide to suspe nd th e Recovery
Rul es j ust thi s o nce and a llow him a Desperati on Recove ry
Check. Wi ll hi s plans go o n witho ut him ? Perh aps th e villain
was really workin g fo r so me other, more powerfu l villain who
now has to step in and take over perso nall y. In any case, be sure
to award th e P layers lh e ir Sta nd a rd Award for th e fi rs t
adve ntur e, eve n thou g h it did not wo rk out th e way yo u
envisioned it
II. Don't Panic
After you have been a Ga memaster fo r awhil e, you wi ll run
into situations whi ch are not covered in the rul es . Thi s may
throw you into a temporary panic. Try to stay cairn, sin ce pan ic
is no fun. T hi s sect ion will give yo u some ge nera l guidelines to
fo llow whe n weird situati ons occur
The Fundamental Rule
Have faith in yourself. Make a decision and get o n with the
ga me. Do not s pe nd t im e arg uin g w ith Pla yers abo ut th e
decis io n; get the adventure mov ing again. You ca n spend time
after the adventure d iscuss ing your dec isio n with the Playe rs.
Thin k of ii thi s way: Batman is imbedded in a hu ge block
of ice that was c rea ted by a n ev il villain . Does the thou ght
ba lloon read "Gee, my chances of escaping should be better than
this!" with a pouting Batman pictured beneath ? It certainl y does
not. It probabl y reads: "I have got to get out of this... right.. .nowf'
with Batm an stru gg li ng 10 break free. The latte r is more in
ke e ping w ith th e DC trad iti on of hero es. Try to kee p the
• adventure mov ing the sa me way.
Skills vs. Powers
There wi ll be times when a Skill will co me into co nfli ct
with the effect of a Power. Ski lls can negate the RAPs of certain
Powers. On ly Powers that mimi c natural Opposi ng factors can
be affected
When Will a Skill
Negate the RAPs of a Power?
1. When a hero uses the Escape Art ist Subski ll of Thief to
free him self from a block of ice created by another Character"s
Power. The APs of Ice Production mim ics the Oppos in g Val ue
for normal restraints.
2. Wh en a hero uses Persuasio n to try to neutra li ze the
effect of Phobia or Control placed on another Character. Again,
1he APs of the Power substitute fo r the natural Oppos ing Va lue
of be in g Persuaded
3. Wh e n a hero uses hi s Track in g Subski ll to find a n
Invis ible vi ll ain hidin g in a room. T he APs of In vis ibi lity are
used as the Opposing Value of the co ndit ion of the trail.
Skill ve rsus Powe r effec t is reso lved on the Act ion and
Res ult Tables. T he APs of the Ski ll are the Ac ting and Effect
Valu e , and th e RAP s of th e Powe r are th e Opposi ng and
Res istan ce Va lues. Any successful Action Check negates all the
e ffects of the Power on the Character using the Skill.
For exa mp le: C hange li ng of th e New Titans has been
s uccessfu ll y attacked by Phobia of th e New Broth er hood of
Ev il , usin g ( logica ll y e no ug h) th e P hob ia Po wer. He now
be li eves that th e Titans a re hi s mo st fearso me e ne mi es in
the uni ve rse.
Nig htwing tries to Persuade him by using hi s C hari sma. If
Night win g gets a successful res ult (that is, he gai ns positi ve
RAPs) usin g his APs of C hari s ma as th e Acting an d Effec t
Va lues and the RAPs of the Phobia Po wer as the Opposing and
Resistance Values, then Changeling wi ll no longer believe that
Nightwing is a horrible mo nster. Change ling will still , however,
believe that the other Titans are enemi es to be feared.
When Won 't a Skill
Negate the RAPs of a Power?
1. A hero ca nnot use C harisma to o ppose a Ph o bia or
Empathy Power attack on him se lf. Th e Phobia Power is used as
th e Acting Value and therefore cannot be affec ted.
2. A hero cannot use the Detective Skill lo analyze and find
a weak point in an oppone nt's Skin Arm or Power. Detective
does not g ive th e C harac te r th e ab il ity to ana lyze fo r wea k
po ints, just fo r cl ues.
Powers vs. Powers
When two similar Powers co me into confli ct, co mpare the
RAPs of each Power to determine th e ou tco me.
For example: Mudrnan is using hi s Power of Earth Co ntro l
to pa tch a break in a dam . He gets a tota l of 11 RAPs. The
vi ll ain, Destructo, tries to use hi s Teleki nesis Power on the eart h
that Mudm an is Co mro lli ng, and move it away from the dam.
Subtract Destructo's RAPs from Mudman's RAPs. The res ult is
the number of RAPs that are usable by th e Charac ter with the
greater RAPs. If Destructo· s RAPs came to 5 APs. Mudman
wou ld subtract 5 from hi s ori gi na l 11 , which would leave him
wi th 6 RAPs of Earth Control.
Skills vs. Skills
Like Powers vs. Powers, when two Ski lls are being used
again st each other, subtract the small er num ber of RAPs from
the larger number of RAPs; the remai nin g RAPs are the RAPs
of th e action .

Combining Actions
When Characters want to co mbine Ac ti ons. yo u shou ld
reme mbe r th at the APs of Att ribme s. Ski ll s. or Powers are not
add iti ve. A Strengt h of 7 and a Strength of 7 is not the sa me as a
St rength or 14. See Chapter Fo ur for more informali on o n how
A Ps are combined .
If Pla yers wa nt ( O combi ne the effort s of th eir C haracters
for a Di ce Ac tion. use th e Team Attack Chart to red uce the
Opposing and Resis tance Va lu e for the ac ti o n (see Combat
Ma n e uve rs in Ch ap te r Five)
If the action is Autommic. like li fting a weig ht, the action
becomes a Di ce Act ion. w ith T ea m A uack bonuses. The hi ghest
Effect Va lue of the group is used fo r both the Acting and Effect
Va lues. The Oppos ing and Res istance Va lues are the A Ps of the
action. Any positi ve RA Ps means they are success fu l.
For exa mpl e: Three Charac ters. all w ith 6 A Ps of STR. are
trying to lift a rock 1hat we ighs 8 A Ps. The OV/RV is 8/8 (the
rock's weig ht ). The Team A ttac k bonus g ives them + I Column
Sh ift. Even wi th 1he bon us. the C haracters need to ro ll a 13 or
better to lift the roc k
A C harac ter must have the appropriate A tt ribute. Power. or
Ski ll w ith A Ps wi thin three Co lumn s of the A Ps of the most
powe rful C harac ter in the combinatio n. o r e lse hi s effort s make
no contribut ion. For ex amp le. a C haracter wi th a STR of 6 A Ps
co u ld not co ntribute to a co mbin ed liftin g action w i t h a
Character w ith a STR of 14. beca use 6 and 14 are four Co lumns
apart on the Action Table. The amount of co ntributi o n w hich a
STR 6 C haracte r wou ld make w hen combinin g a lift ing action
w ith a ST R 14 Cha racter is negligible.
Using the
Universal Modifiers Table
The Universal Modifiers Table is exp la in e d in Chapter
Three. It wil l probab ly be the most freque ntly used table in the
book for the GM. s inc e us in g it can s imul ate a wide array o f
s ituations and co nd ition s. Here are some exa mpl es of how it
works during ac tua l play·
Situations of
Increased Opposing Value
In some s ituation s. if a Characte r is atte mpting to lift o r
hold an objec t. the Opposing Va lue may be inc reased because
the object is s lippe ry and therefore harder to grab .
Modifier Example Table One
Slipperiness OV Modifier
Melting Ice Cube 4(Difficult)
Greased Pig +1 (Difficult)
NASA Teflon (.004 friction coefficient) 8 Extreme)
Notice that the description of the mod ifi er for the ice cube
and the greased p ig is the sa me. bu! the mod ifiers are different.
Thi s is done beca use p ic kin g up an ice cube is an A utomat ic
Ac ti on. wh il e the pig ca n Oppose the atte mpt to pick it up .
Situations of
Increased Resistance Value
Sometimes an object may be parti cularl y res istant to ce rtain
for m s o f attack. The GM has the op ti o n of in c reas in g the
Res istance Va lue or the o bj ect. Re me mber th e object has the
same BODY even th o u i:! h th e Res is tan ce Va lu e ha s been
increased. A laser bea~ is less effec ti ve w h e n fired at a
re fl ect ive s urfa ce. Th e s urfa ce is no h a rd er to hit. so th e
Oppos ing Va lue is not increased
Modifier Example Table Two
Situation RV Modifier
Laser fired at
highly-polished steel +2 (Difficult)
Laser fired at a mirror +4 (Extreme)
Lase r fired at a new STAR Labs
polished laser res istant metal +7 (Beyond the Limit)
IV. Creatin an Adventure
Yo u are readin g a DC com ic book w he n sudde nl y an idea
hit s you: What if our ro le-play ing group had to face Darkse id ?
You ca n a lmost see parts of the story fa ll ing into place. but the
pi cture is not comp lete. More th an just a good idea is needed to
te ll a story. But w hat?
Thi s sec ti o n is co nce rned w it h creating good adve ntures
that ha ve a pl o t. C harac ters. and a se nse of fun. W h il e the
P layers and GM work together to create thi s adventu re, the GM
prov id es th e framework that ho ld s it toge ther. A framework
operates on two leve ls : th e fra mework for an ad ve nture (see
Running an Ad ve nture ), an d c re a tin g a fr amework for t he
cam pai g n in which the C haracters w ill live.
An adventure is a series of connected Encounte rs invo lving
o ne plot by a vill a in or v ill ain s. Your group of P layers may be
ab le to fini sh an ad venture in a few hours. o r it may take severa l
get-togethe rs to comp lete. A campaign, on the o ther hand, is a
se ri es o f loosely conn ecte d adventures that lead to a s pec ifi c
goal, li ke resc uin g Mi ster Miracle. Once yo u have gone throug h
a number of ca m pai g ns a nd adven tures, you and your group w ill
have created an e ntire world in w hic h to p lay your C haracters
A. The Elements of an Adventure
A n adventure consists of e ig ht e lements: Background. Non-
Player C haracters, Encounters, the Time lin e. linkin g. ba lanc ing,
Troubl es hoo tin g, and S ubpl o ts . Subp lo ts a re di sc ussed at
leng th in Chapter Te n : Subplots
1. Background
Th e background is th e main s to r y lin e: i n fact. th e
background is the ad ve nture. It cou ld be the vill ain' s sc he me. a
natural di saster. o r a c ri me. A ll the events that lead up to the
beginning o f the adve nture sho ul d be detai led he re, as sho ul d the
ult imate aims of the v ill ain s. Bas ica ll y, bac kground is the story
before it is put into ga me te rms.
Th e ha rdest par t of c rea tin g t he background fo r yo ur
advent ure is think ing of what to d o. The eas iest way to find
ideas for good adve ntures is to s impl y look aro un d yo u. DC
Co mics and your local newspapers are good source s for ideas, as
are science fiction and fantasy boo ks. Once you've deve loped
the idea for yo ur story, co nce nt rate on th ree pa rt s: the villa ins
in vo lved , the goa ls of the major vill a ins. and th e eve nt s leadi ng
up to the adventure.
Events Before the Adventure
It is impo rta nt to know the hi s tory of the p lan. Has the
major vil lain worked a lo ng time o n sett ing it up? Has it been
revealed to anyone besides the bad g uys? By bui ld ing a history.
yo u ca n be more fl exib le wi thin th e adve nture it se lf. If th e
P layers defeat the vill ain too soon. it gives you somethin g to fa ll
back on when yo u need to qui ck ly create a log ica l ex te nsion of
the adventure.
Fo r exa mpl e: In today 's adventure, the Terminator and
Cheshire have been hired by Brother Blood to steal the data banks
from the Titans ' Kilotrax computer. Brother Blood's involvement in
the assassination of a United Nations diplomat is documented in
these data banks. This evidence could jeopardize the acceptance
of Brother Blood's country, Zandia, into the U.N. The Terminator
plans to send the Titans on a wild-goose-chase to catch a gang of
bank robbers while he steals the files from Titans ' Tower.
The bank robbers controlled by Brother Blood are ordinary
humans, but each of them is armed with an extremely powerful
pulsed-laser weapon.
2 . Non-Player
Characters The Major Villain(s)
The most important Non-Player Character in any adventure is
the major villain. A major villain is the leader and controller of the
rest of the hostile NPCs thal the heroes encounter in the adventure.
It is hi ~ plan that the other criminals are following. Sometimes,
th~re wi ll be a group of major villains working together eq uall y. In
thi s case, the group is considered the major villain.
If th e villain yo u are usin g is from th e DC Comi cs, hi s
stati stics may be listed in Appendix A. Th e DC Universe or one
of numerous sou.rce books, so ld separately. An espec ially good
source for stati sti cs is the four-volume Who 's Who Role-Playing
Supplement. If you a re makin g him up fro m scra tc h, firs t
imag ine what he is like. what Powers, Skills, and Abi lities he
has, and what Drawbacks or Limitations he might have. Try to
think of hi s costume and the way he carri es him self: does he
swagger with self- infl ated ego, or is he slim y and kind of
creepy? The Motivations for vi ll ain s are found on page 29.
Aft_er yo~ ha~e a rough idea of wh~t the villain is like, you
~a n des ~gn him like_yo_u wo uld a. heroic Character: Complete
mstru cuo ns for des ig ning a villain ca n be found in Chapter
Two . Remember to balance yo ur villains with your Pla ye rs'
Characters (see Balancing the Adventure)
On.ce the villain i~ establi s~ed, try to mesh your original
story wtth hi s personality. Certain villains will go after certain
goa ls due to their Moti vatio ns or certain Drawbacks. The Joker,
for instance, has an Irrational Attraction to practical jokes, and
the Riddler always leaves riddl es as clues. Major villains could
want money, rare objects, power, or revenge. The final goal of
their plan could be obsc ured by man y false leads and di ve rsions.
One part of the plan cou ld hinge on successfull y co mpl eting a
see mingly unrelated situation.
Minor NPCs
You do not need to go into as much detai l for every NPC in
the adventure. Start with the NPCs closest to the major villains.
If th ey ha ve spec ial Abiliti es, give them Attribute, Ski ll, and
Power stati stic s where appropriate. If they are normal humans,
ass ume that they have all Al.tributes rated at 2 APs. Exceptional
human s such as so ldiers, sc ienti sts, or doctors, may be given 3s
or 4s at the GM 's di scretion.
Since you have already tho ught about yo ur major villain,
yo u s hould now be thinkin g about what type of flunki es he
would want working for him . The Joker is more likely to have
stn~et thugs w ith warped se nses of humor workin g for him ,
whil e Brother Blood surrounds himself with religiou s zealots. ls
your villain afraid of independent thinkers, or mi ght he be afraid
of betrayal? Does he hire smart, streetwi se punks or lum bering
strongmen? You ~a n use thoughts like th ese when des ignin g the
basic characteristi cs of other NPCs.
Once the NPCs are created, each of them should be rated
for hi s leve l of hostility or agreeabi lity towards th e heroes (see
Chapter Six: Character Interaction), as we ll as how mu ch
informati on he knows. Characters makin g Character Interaction
or Control attempts may try to find out thi s information.
Remember to des ig n any spec ial equipm ent or weapons
th at the maj or villain and hi s NPCs mi ght have
Recurring NPCs
Bes ides the villains and their henchmen, there can be other
NPCs in volved in the story. For example, Troi a' s husband Terry
Lo ng, Superman 's swee th ea rt Loi s Lane, or Batman 's a ll y
Commissioner Gordon mi ght be NPC s in an adventure. NPCs can
include the heroes' friends, major outside Characters that are allied
to neither the heroes nor the villains, and the villains themselves. If
a Subplot is being run within the adventure, all of its NPCs should
be worked out. A ll Attributes, Powers, Skills. Advantages, and
Drawbac ks should be worked out for recurring NPCs.
For exampl e, two NPC sc ienti sts mi ght be created for the
scenario desc ribed prev iously: One of the scientists, Mike Martin,
is under the control of Brother Blood and will help the Terminator
and Cheshire to bypass the Titans ' security systems and break into
the computer. The other scientist, Chuck Po/ta, suspects the first,
but has no hard evidence against him.
O~her NPCs in thi s scenari o might include th e guards at the
bank , rnno ce nt bys tanders, th e bank robbe rs, a nd Brother
Blood 's Purifiers.
3. Encounters
Encounters are th e log ical brea kdown of th e ad ve nture.
They include the fi ghts between the heroes and the villains. time
s pent searching for clu es, a nd play in g o ut Subplots. Eac h
E~co unter ~as an interi or structure whi ch helps th e GM kee p
thing s strai g ht. Encou nt ers ca n be brok e n dow n into fo ur
co mpon e nt s: th e Se t Up , Pl aye rs · In for ma ti o n, GM's
Information, and Maps and other charts.
The Set Up
T he Set Up for each Encounter should co nsist of notes on
the situation that the Characters will face. The GM should ask
himself how t~ e scene could change be~a_use of what t~e. group
has don~ prev10usly. You mu st also ant1 c1pate the poss1b1lity of
there berng seve rnl different approac hes 10 an Encounter; each
differe nt a pp roac h w ill c ha nge how th e P la ye rs see a nd
experi ence the Encounter.
For example: When the Titans approach the bank that
Brother Blood 's henchmen are robbing, they will encounter a
different situation if they come in through the back door than if
they come in through the roof. They will also change the Encounter
if they approach the building silently and enter using a key they
discovered in a previous Encounter. The villains might then be
surprised, and the elaborate trap they 've planned will be useless.
Players' Information
The Players ' Information sectio n is rese rved for desc ri ptions
of what the Players· Characters ca n see. hea r. and smell when
they first come upon th e Encounter. Th is is a crucial section and
~ ill ca ll upo n a l_l of your rol e- pla yin g ab ilit y to make th e
situation see m believabl e and real. For the sample adventure, the
GM mi ght write:
As you enter the bank lobby, you hear the quiet hum of
machinery. There is a smell you can 't quite identify, something like
sulfur. You notice a small flickering light in the otherwise dark room.
Begin by te llin g the Players what th eir C haracte rs wi ll
normall y notice first about their surroundings. Focus on detai ls.
Once the descriptio n has been read. it is th e Pl aye rs· turn to
reac t _to th e situati o n. T hey mi g ht mo ve imm ed iate ly, as k
qu es tion s, or co nfer a mon g th e mselves. Reme mber thai th e
villains will not wa!t f?r a plan to be fon_nu lat ed. If the group
hes itates, have the villams start thin gs mov mg.
GM's Information
What yo u know as the GM is put into the GM 's Information
secti_on ..These notes are importan t: b~ca use it is easy to forget
detail s like the placement of th e v1Jlarns and th eir strategy. An
example o_f G~' s !J~fo rm ation for the sampl e Encounter mi ght
go something like thi s:
If the villains ' lookout warns them of the Titans ' approach,
the villains will kill the lights, but will keep the generators for their
laser operating. They are using the laser to cut through the bank
vault 's door, so the room smells like sulfur. Brother Blood 's
henchmen are in positions behind the generators, armed with
poison gas guns .
 Gas Guns
[Boov: 3, Fog : 5, Poison Touch: 5, R#: 5]
Limitati on: Fog and Poi son T ouch work in conjuncti on
with one another as po ison gas
Any sta1i sti cs th at are unique to the spec ific Encou nter ,
whether for innoce nt bystanders. parti cular N PCs. or equ ipment
(like the Gas G uns) sho uld be li sted with the G M 's In format io n
for ease o f refere nce.
Maps and Charts
It is essenti al that the GM map ou t the locati o ns whe re the
Encounter will take place . You mi ght wa nt to sketch the fl oo r
plans of a bui lding or the fea tures of an ope n land scape. Maps
are in val uab le to conducting an Encounter. They can show you
whe re the heroes are in relation to the vill ains, and whe re each
ca n go next.
You do not have to number and identify each build i ng on a
map. but if you draw up plan s o f the pl aces where action might
occ ur. you will find it eas ier to plan what the villain s and NPCs
will do nex t. You mi g ht also want to include lloor plan ske tc hes
of any bui ldings in the area that the he roes mi ght visit during the
ad ve nture. These s ke tc hes c an be saved and re used in la te r
adventures.
The maps mi g ht eve n he lp you visuali ze new N PCs that
li ve o r work in thi s area.
4, The Timeline
A timeline is a li sting of the eve nt s as they would happe n if
the Playe r C haracte rs d id not inte rfe re. In o th er wo rds. it is a
qui ck look into a poss ible future. Thi s in fo rm atio n w ill make it
eas ier fo r you to change thin gs o nce the ga me gets going.
The DC HEROES RPG is a ve ry time-dependent game. Th e
vill ain s will not wa it at the scene of a cri me if the heroes are
caug ht in rush-ho ur traffi c. A vill ain will probably ha ve more
than one part to hi s pl an. and the time he req uires to exec ute the
plan may take days. hours. or o nl y minutes. Time press ure w ill
add to the exc ite ment o f the ga me. If a nuc lear bomb is go ing to
vaporize Manhatt an twe nt y years fro m now , the heroes mi g ht as
we ll shampoo the dog befo re they start to loo k for it. Co ntinuing
the prev ious ex ample:
Brother Blood's Timeline: May 21
11 :00AM Bank robbers take up positions
11 :15AM Bank robbers attack bank
11:25AM Bank robbers intentionally bungle attempt,
take hostages, and alert authorities
11:35AM Titans summoned to the scene
11 :40AM The Terminator and Cheshire sneak onto
Titans ' Island
11 :50 AM Bank robbers start shooting hostages
11 :55 AM Bank robbers wire building for demolition
12:00 Noon The Terminator and Cheshire successfully
sneak into Titans ' computer room
12:20 PM Data banks are transferred to Brother
Blood's personal mainframe computer via
phone lines
12:25 PM Bank robbers blow up bank building to cover
their escape
12:30 PM The Terminator and Cheshire plant explosive
charges, then leave Titans ' Tower
12:35 PM Titan s' Tower explodes and falls into the
East River
fn the adventure, the Titans go after the bank robbers but
are alerted that the Terminator and Cheshire will attack their
computer. On the timeline, the GM has set the invasion of Titan s'
Tower for 12:00 noon. At that precise moment, the Titans are
mopping up the bank robbers. They are alerted. Can they make it
back in time?
On the time lin e, the GM has a ll owed the Te rminalOr I 0
minutes to bre ak in and stea l the data banks. It looks good that
the Tit ans will be abl e lo make it bac k in tim e to stop him .
W itho ut a tim e lin e . th e GM wou ld have to g uess when th e
Terminator and C hes hire wou ld make the ir anack.
5, Linking Encounters
The re mu st be a log ica l reason fo r the heroes to move from
o ne Encount er to anoth~· ; the En counters sho uld no t be random
even ts, but sho uld fl ow naturall y o ne to another. Thi s ca n be
accomp li shed in seve ra l ways. but clu es and NPC In fo rmation
are fa irl y easy lin ks for an adve ntu re.
Clues
Clues are usua ll y des igned by the GM before the Encounte r
begi ns. Thi s process is ca ll ed a clue structure. A full ex pl a nati o n
o f a clue stru c ture is in Chapter Two und er the entry for the
Detecti ve Sk ill.
Howeve r. all c lu es d o not have to be des igned thi s way.
Players may unc over the c lu e the mselves, with o ut the he lp of
th e ir C harac te rs' Powe rs or Sk ill s . For exa mpl e, yo u m ight
re qu ire th e Pl aye rs 10 so l ve o ne of th e Riddl e r' s ri d dl es
themse lves. rathe r than just givin g the m the answer du e to a d ice
ro ll. Be carefu l when you include Riddl er-ty pe clues. C lues that
are too hard for your Pl ayers to solve will fru strate both you and
the Playe rs.
NPC Information
NPC Information is what a captured vill ain or an innocen t
bystander mi g ht know. Thi s informatio n can be un cove red by
usin g the Characte r illlcractio n rul es fo und in Chapter Four, or
by usin g th e C har isma Skil l. In a pin ch, an NPC mi gh t even
vo lun tee r informati o n. but in most cases, the Pl ayers· C harac ters
will have to as k NPCs for informatio n. They will rare ly o ffer it
o n the ir own.
The in fo rm at ion needed by th e C haracte rs to continue th e
ad ve nture sho uld be re lati ve ly easy to find , o th erwise the game
will grind to a halt. Don't g ive de tecti ve-type clu es to Characters
who don ' t ha ve the Detecti ve Sk ill , unl ess it is obv io us that the
Players w ill be able to fi gure it o ut the mselves . Be considerate
If findin g a c lue requires a spec ial S kill or Power, make sure the
C haracters are appropriate ly equipped.
6, Balancing the Adventure
A ba lan ced ad ve nture matc hes 1he he roes· Ab iliti es wit h
th e ta s k th ey arc fa c in g. Th e adv e nture s houl d po se so me
un certaint y or ri sk. otherwise it will not be exc iting. The heroes
sho uld have a good chance at succeeding. Jr the task is nearl y
imposs ibl e , th e adve nture w ill o nl y be fru stra tin g for yo ur
Players. Thi s section wi ll g ive you so me tips o n how to balance
your adventures
The "15" Rule
A n unm od ifi ed rol l o f 15 s ho uld be suffi c ie nt for a ny
c ruc ial tas k in the adventure. A Player mu st be ab le to ro ll 15 o r
better without spe nd ing Hero Poi nt s to in crease 1he AV o r EV of
his C harac te r. A 15 or be tte r occ urs about one o ut of fi ve times.
or 20% o f the time.
In th ese s ituati o ns . a C ha ra c te r wi th He ro Poin ts w ill
usual ly spe nd the m. whil e a Charac te r who has no ne sti ll has a
slim chan ce o f succeed ing. If the necessa ry roll is g reate r than
15, you are countin g o n the Playe r to recogni ze that the roll is
c ruc ia l, and hi s C harac te r wi ll ha ve a nd spe nd the numbe r o f
Hero Po ints needed to succeed. Thi s is not always wise
Of course. th e re w i ll be tim es w he n yo u d es ign an
ad ve nture whi ch suspend s the " 15" Rule. Th at·s fin e. as long as
yo u have deve lo ped a way in yo ur Troub leshoot in g sec ti o n of
keep ing th e ad venture go in g if the he roes fail in the task.
 The One-Shot Warning Rule
Playe rs de se rve to know if a critical tas k may only be
attempted once. If Players do not know that such a task is a one-
s ho t d e,11. man y wi ll save th e ir C h arac ters' Hero Point s.
assum ing that someone else can try the task, or that they may try
it aga in
If yo u decide to put the wa rnin g in the form of clues or
riddl es. you sho ulLI be pre pared fo r the C harac ters· failing the
critica l ta sk. The more straightforward the warning. the greater
the c hance that the heroes wi ll succeed at the task.
Balancing Combat
Co mbat can be difficult to balance because of th e three
d iffere nt basic types of fi ghting: Phy sical, Mental, and Mystical.
The Playe rs may have a group of heroes who are Physically and
Mystically very tough. but w hose Mental defenses are weak. What
if they mee t a group of vill ai ns w ho have strong Mental Powers?
To answer thi s qu es tion. yo u have to run through the
combat. When running through a mock combat betwee n your
group o f Characters a nd the major vill ai ns, do the fo ll owing:
1. Try to have each Characte r attacked through his weakest
area. w hether Phys ica l. Mental. or Mystica l
2. If the numbe rs of Characters on a s ide d iffer, mak e
logical c hoices for Mu lti -Attacks and Team Attacks.
3. Make the attack s in stri c t order of Initi a ti ve ratin gs.
w ithou t rolling the dice.
4. Assume that a ll combatants spend no Hero Points.
5. Assume that a ll Characters roll a ll 15s.
Once you have run two phases of combat. put the heroes
and villains into the three fo ll owi ng categori es: unhurt, injured,
and un co nsc iou s. If a Characte r ha s take n no damage , he is
unhurt. If he has be e n damaged but is s till consc ious. he is
injured. and if he is unconscious. he is unconscious.
If you want a n equa l batt le and it does not last two phases.
then you wi ll have to adjust the Abi lities of the vill ai ns. Raise
them if the vill ains los t horribly. and lowe r them if the bad guys
won e asil y. The n try the test co mbat again .
For exampl e. fi ve he roes from the People' s Inte rga lactic
SW AT Tea m take on four nefario us vi ll ai ns from the Hit Squad.
After t wo pha ses of te s t co mbat . th e "scorecard" read s
some th ing like this·
P.I.S.T.:
0 unhurt. 4 injured. I unco nscious
Hit Squad :
I unhurt , 1 injured. 2 unconscio us
You use th e scorecard lO adju st the adventure by adjust in g
the He ro Point tota l of th e vi llains as fo llows:
Unhurt Heroes: For eve ry unhurt hero. pick a vi ll ai n or
villains to be hi s opponent. Give these vill ains the sa me number
of Hero Po int s as 1he unhurt hero, plus bon us Hero Points. Find
ou t how many Hero Points lhe vill ai n would have to expend to
damage the he ro. assum in g a ro ll o f 15, and add a bonus of fi ve
times thi s numbe r to the vi ll a in 's total Hero Points.
Injured Heroes: Th e re is no Hero Po int adjustme nt for
injured heroes.
Unconscious Heroes: T he re is no Hero Poi nt adj ustment for
uncon sc ious heroes.
Unhurt Villains: Fo r every unhurt vi ll a in , pick a he ro or
he roes w ho w ill most like ly equa l him. Find out how many Hero
Point s the hero wo uld ha ve to ex pend to damage the villain.
as suming a ro ll of 15, and subtract five times thi s number from
th e vill ain' s He ro Point total. Thi s is the number of Hero Points
for th e hero. If the number w ind s up be ing negative. g ive the
he ro no He ro Points.
Injured Villains: G ive eac h injured vi ll a in a number of He ro
Point s equa l to th e a ve rage numb e r of Hero Poi nt s fo r th e
he roes. un less th e v ill ain has been ass ig ned Hero Points as
exp lained prev iously unde r Unhurt Heroes.
Unconscious Villains: If the re me more uncon sc ious vill ains
than heroe s. gi ve the villains the a verage number of the heroes·
Hero Points plus 10% . If th ere a re more unconsc ious heroes 1han
villains. give the villain th e average number minu s 20% .
A Warning
Thi s system should not be app lied blindl y-. The DC HEROES
RPG is too varied a syste m to ha ve a simple. c lea r-cul ba lancing
rule . Com mon se nse w ill have to be used. but 1he ba la ncing
syste m should he lp even ou t comba ts
7 . Troubleshooting
Troublesh ooting an advent ure mean s look in g for things th at
mi g ht go wro ng in th e adven tu re befo re th ey happen and
anti c ipat in g ways to so lve these potent ial prob lems. Look over
the adve nt ur e and tr y to find an y loop ho les. Cou ld the
C ha racte rs accide nt al ly mi ss a vital E ncou nt e r? Might th ey
reac h a point w here they need infonna1ion that they mi ssed? Is
there a c ha nce that they wi ll jump from the first Enco unter to the
last Encounter in ten minutes? Are they goi ng to be mi sled by a
c lue and move comp lete ly away frorn the point ? Whe never you
can an swer ·'yes" to a que s tion lik e th ese. yo u mu st make
adjustme nts to the E nco umers 10 e limina te potent ia l problems.
V. Standard Awards
Adve ntu re modu les publi shed by Mayfai r Games give you
the Sta nd ard Awa rd for each adve nture . However. when you are
runn in g your own ad ve ntu res. yo u wi ll need to use the fo llow ing
Standard Award Guidelines to ca lculate the Sta nda rd Award for
eac h advent ure.
A. Guidelines
In de te rmining a Stand ard Award. the re are fou r aspects of
the adv e ntur e th at nee d t o be co n s id ered: th e Le ve l of
Oppos iti o n. Critical Po int s fo r completi ng the sce nari o. the Area
of Co nsequ e nce o f th e vill ain' s plot. a nd lh e Severi ty of t he
sc heme. Th e fo ll owing sectio ns describe how to assess eac h of
these areas. ...
The Level of Opposition
T he first step in arr iv in g at lhe S tandard Award fo r the
adven ture is to d e ter min e the Level of Oppo sition that the
C harac te rs w ill fa ce in overcom itH! the villain in combat. To
calcu late thi s, you shou ld look at yc;ur adve nture and set up the
last batt le be tween th e vill a in s and th e heroes . You shou ld the n
estim ate how man y phases it wo uld take for e ither o ne side or
the oth er to w in . Once thi s is done. app ly yo ur conc lu s io n as
fo ll ows:
No Match (Superman versus the Penguin)
Th e heroes ,ire ex pec ted to wi n in I lo 2 phases. Th e
vi llains have no c hance to esc ape. He ro Points: 0
Inferior (The Flash versus Captain Boomerang)
Th e heroes arc expected to w in in 3 to 5 phases. The
vill ains ha ve so me c hance to esca pe. He ro Points: 15
Equal (Starfire versus Blackfire)
The re is an equa l c hance for e ithe r the heroes or the vi ll ai ns to
win. Both sides have equal c hances of escaping. Hero Points: 20
Superior ( Green Arrow versus Major Force)
T he vill ai ns are ex pec te d to win in 3 to 5 phases. T he
heroes ha ve some c hance of escaping. He ro Points: 25
Overwhelming (Manhunter versus Darkseid)
The v ill a in s are ex pe c ted to w in in I to 2 phases. Th e
heroes don't ha ve a c hance of esc aping. Hero Points: 40
Critical Points
Th e nex t step is awarding points for Critical Points that th e
Characters mu st acco mpli sh in order to get fro m o ne Encounle r
to the nex t. or a task for whi c h failure could cause the adven ture Permanent Nonfatal: The effects of th e vill ain·s plan will
to end. Criti ca l Points should 1101 include defeating the villains remain unl ess extraord inary action is taken to undo ii. such as
in combat (becau se after a ll. isn' t that the whole point?). These establ ishin g a tota litarian gove rnme nt , wrec king a brid ge th at
tasks could be clue s that mu st be found and inte rpreted at the mu st be reb uilt from scratc h, or framin g a he ro for a crime he
scene or 1he c rime. thugs that have to be interrogated, o r even a did no t commit. Hero Points: 10
c hasm tha1 mu st be c ro ssed to ge t to th e vi ll a in 's mounta in
hideout. ~ Temporary Nonfatal: Th e v ill ain's plot w i ll eve ntuall y
T he major c ri1e ria in decidi ng if a task is critica l is whether di sappear ove r a pe riod of time , or th e effec ts will be reve rsed.
o r not there is an altern..ui ve for the Playe r Characters that wi ll suc h a s a bank robbe ry (s in ce the mon ey w ill eve ntu ally be
put the m back on trac k if th ey fail in the task. returned by insurance companies). making the he roes loo k like
Fo r ex amp le. in th e Titan s adventure already de scribed, idiots on te levision, or knocking a hole in a pri son wa ll that can
di sco ve ring the Te rmin ator's sche me to in vad e Titan s' Tower be repa ired without rebui lding the e ntire jail. Hero Points: 5
would be; Cri ti ca l Po in t. I f the Titan s fai l to do so. the GM
wou ld have the opti o n of blowin g up the Towe r and having the Example of a Standard Award
Player Charac te rs investigate the ex plosio n. Find in g o ut about On ce all four of the areas of th e advent ure ha ve bee n
Brothe r Blood 's in vo lve m e nt in th e plot m ig ht be another eva lu a te d , add a ll of the Hero Point s award ed in eac h area
C riti cal Po int for thi s adventure. to ge ther. Thi s s um i s th e total Sta ndard Awa rd for th e
An adventure mi ght ha ve no Critica l Point s. one C riti ca l advent ure.
Point. or several Critic;! Po int s. As a GM. you shou ld be ca reful T o demonstrate how thi s sys tem work s in an ad ve nture . we
not to weig h down yo ur ad ve nture s with too man y Cr iti ca l wi ll calculate the total Standard Award fo r the Titan s adve nture
Points. as it may become imposs ibl e for the Players to fini sh the that has already bee n desc ribed
ad ve nture. Be fl ex ib le in your adventure de s ig n. reserving 1. level of Opposition: Th e fina l battl e s hou ld be th e
Critical Point s for trul y important eve nts. Titans ve rsus th e T e rminator a nd Ch es hire at Titan s' T owe1
Th e difficulty or Critica l Point s s hould be e valuated De s pit e th e ir prow ess, th e T e rmin ator and Cheshire wi ll
according to the followin g chart. As sume that the Character who probabl y be ove rw he lmed by th e Titan s· g re at e r numbe rs .
is most like ly to succeed in the task (t hat is. the he ro wit h the The re fore, the Leve l of Opposition is In ferior ( 15 Hero Point s).
most APs of the Att ribut e. Ski ll. or Powe r needed to perform the 2. Critical Points: Th e Titan s hav e two C riti c al Point s·
task) will make th e attempt without spe ndin g any Hero Po ints finding o ut that the Te rminator and Cheshire arc brea kin g into
Find th e S uccess Nu mbe r o f th e Dice Action a nd compare it to Titan s' Towe r. and di scoverin g Brothe r Blood· s in vo lveme nt
the C ha rt below. as signing th e approp ri ate He ro Point s. If a with the pair. Since it doe s not require a Di ce Acti o n to di scover
Cri ti ca l Po int does not require a Di ce Ac ti on. it is co nside red the break in at the Tower (the Players mu st deduce the fa ct from
··Mi sce llan eo us.·· clues), the first C riti ca l Point is Mi scellan eo us (5 He ro Points)
Acce ss in g the computer to find o ut wha t fil es the T e rminato1
Difficulty Success Number Hero Points was stealin g wi ll lead the Titans strai gh t to Brothe r Blood. so
the second Critical Point is Easy ( I Hero Point). The tota l fo1
Easy 3~4 I C rit ical Points adds up to 6 Hero Point s
Seldom Fails 5-7-9 2 3. Area of Consequence: Since th e po int of Broth e 1
Even Odds 11-13 3 Blood' s scheme is to smooth Zandia's e ntran ce into the U.N ..
Seldom Succeeds 15-18 8 the Area of Consequence fo r thi s advent ure is Inte rnati o nal (7
Long Shot 2 1+ 20 Hero Point s).
Miscellaneous NIA 5 4. Severity: Since T itans' Tower wou ld be destroyed and
Zand ia would e nter the U.N. if Brother Blood's pl ot succeeds,
both of which would be ex trem e ly d ifficult to undo. the Severity
Area of Consequence is Permanent Nonfata l ( 10 Hero Point s).
Hero Point s are a lso awarded based on how large an Area of Th e final Standard Award for th is ad ve nture woul d look
Consequence will be affected if the villain succeeds in his plan. someth ing like thi s·
Awa rds based o n area are as fo llows·
Level of Opposition:
Area of Consequence Hero Points Inferior 15

PersonaJ Critical Points:

City/Local Discovering Titans' Tower Break-ln
State/Large Portion of a Country Miscellaneous
Nationwide 5 Uncovering Brother Blood
lntemational 7 Easy
Worldwide 15
Multiple Worlds (2 to 25) 20 Area of Consequence:
Galactic 25 l.nternational
Universa l* 50
Severity:
*When we .!.ay Universal, we mean Universal; nothing less Permanent Nonfata l 10
than the Crisis On Infinite Earths.
Total Standard Award 38
Severity
Th e final e val ua ti on for awarding Hero Point s is how B. Distributing
Severe the conseque nces will be if the vil l; in ·s plan succeeds.
Standard Awards
Fatal: The villain" s sc: heme c:ould res ult in the delibe rat e
death s of innoc e nt s. s uc h as a to w n bein g d es tro ye d by a In th e DC HEROES RPG. experience is me a sure d in He ro
mystical storm that kil ls the inhabitants. the assass inati o n of a Point s. Hero Point s arc ga ined throu gh C haracters· ac ti o ns and
publi c fi gure . o r blow ing up th e world. Hero Points: 15 by events whi c h occur during the adve nture . Once a Playe r has
 beg un pla y in g hi s C haracter's crim efi ghtin g caree r, he ca n
rece ive Hero Points for fi ve kinds of achievements: participating
in adventures, ro le-p layin g the Character well , sav ing the li ves
of innocent bystanders, th warti ng the plans of the vi ll ains, and
rol e-playin g Subp lots (see Chapter Ten ). A sixt h award, the
mi sce ll aneo us award, ma y be g ra nted by th e GM o n rare
occas ion s, lik e no t e nterin g Killin g Combat in a d es pe rate
s ituation . Eac h of these acco mpli shm ent s is wo rth a sin g le
Standard Award per adve nture.
As described prev io usly in thi s chapter, an adventure is
defin ed as a single plot by a vi ll ai n or group of vi llains. Once
the plot has e ither succeeded or bee n foiled , that adventure is
over; then the Players are awarded Hero Po ints. An adve nture
may req uir e seve ral ga min g sess ion s to reso lve, and th e
Sta nd ard Awards s hould not be g iven o ut until the e ntire
adventure is ove r.
T he fo llowin g situations can occur in any adventure. Each
situatio n is worth a sin gle Standard Award . The Standard Award
is simply a be nchm ark and is subj ect to change from adventure
to adve nture. Participatin g in a battle aga in st Th e To y man
s hould no t co unt as much a s go in g up aga in s t Dark sei d.
Th erefor e, a slidi ng sca le for Standard Award s is created to
judge each ad ve nture on its ow n merits (see Standard Award
Guidelines). A Standard Award can ran ge from 5 to 500 Hero
Point s, depe nding on th e vill ains yo u se nd up agai nst your
Players' heroes.
Eac h Playe r rece iv es Hero Points equal to one Standard
Award for each of the fo ll owing categori es th at hi s Character
fulfill s.
Important Note
About Killing Combat
Note: Unl ess your group is playin g in a more reali sti c genre
(see Appendix C: Genres), a Playe r whose C haracter initi ates
Killing Combat forfeits all Hero Points that he wo uld have
received for th e adventure. If a Player's Character enters Killing
Co mbat onl y a~er he has been attacked in Killin g Combat, he
on ly forfeits one- half of the Hero Points th at he wou ld have
received for the adventure.
Standard
Award Categories
Participation
Any Player whose Character takes part in th e adventure
rece ives th e Sta nd ard Aw ard fo r thi s category. If a Pl aye r
Character is run as an NPC by the GM due to th e absence of the
Player, the GM may opt not to g ive thi s award.
Note: Players who consistentl y forfeit the Participation award
may be asked by the GM to not participate in future adventures.
Role-Playing
A Character in th e DC Universe w ill ha ve fri e nd s,
co ll eag ues, and a persistent foe wilh whom to interact. If the
Pla ye r ' s role - playin g is co n s is te nt with th e Character's
personality, Drawbacks, and Motivations, the Player receives
the Standard Award for thi s category.
If the Player's actions violate hi s Character's Moti vation s,
or if th e C ha rac ter see m s to und e rgo s udd e n pe r so na lit y
changes, th e Player sho uld not rece ive thi s Sta ndard Award.
Players who are always on the lookout for ways to add new
fa cets to their Characters, or who ro le play consistentl y even
thoug h th eir actio ns could place their Characters in jeopardy,
may be eligible for Standard Award bo nuses. Any exceptional
creati vity in ro le-pl ay ing shou ld be rew arded by the GM , who
may choose to award any amount from I Hero Point to one full
Standard Award as he sees fit.
Ill
!o~~ir::?~~t'!~~~~~e8le~~~~~~rsthe
If th e v ill a in s
e nd ange rs th e Ji ves of inno ce nt bys tanders , heroes should
alway s attempt to save th e bys ta nd ers. Jf Pla ye r Characters
succeed and save innocent bystanders, thi s award is given.
Onl y those NPCs who bl under into th e action by mi stake
are considered innocent bystanders. If the Joker plans to blow up
Gotham City, for instance, and Batman thwarts him, the citizens
of the city are not considered innocent bystanders.
Thwarting the Villain
This award is giye n to all Players whose Characters fo il the
plan of the vill ain or villains. T he award is given at the end of
the adventure in which th e plot is fin all y cru shed. Th e villain or
vill ains do not necessaril y need to be captured for the Players to
receive thi s award: some villains in the DC Uni verse habituall y
escape capture, even though their pl ans have been wrecked
Subplots
Role-p lay ing a Subplot is worth one Standard Award , or
fifteen Hero Points, whi chever is greater
All Players whose Characters were in vo lved in a Subplot
receive the award fo r role-playing a Subplot (see Chapter Ten ).
Miscellaneous
The GM may give any Player an extra award from I Hero
Point up to one Standard Award for any heroi c actions that are
not covered in the other categories. For exampl e, capturin g an
arch-criminal who has evaded justice fo r an extended period of
time, or in venting an ingenious soluti on to th e perfect death trap
are h ero ic ac ti v iti es de se r v in g o f prai se. Thi s awa rd is
completely at the di scretio n of the GM and does not have to be
given out at all.
An ex ample of a Mi scell aneous Award is a Surprise Tactic
Bonus. Combat in the co mi cs is generall y a hi gh-strung, fanc iful
affair. It is rare for two comic book combatant s to simpl y come
out punchin g and ki ckin g. Generall y, comi c book charac ters li ke
to try things like shootin g the supports out 10 cave the roof in on
their opponent, or bouncing a shot off three wa ll s so it can come
around and strike the opponent from the rear.
In the DC HEROES RPG , all o f these maneuve rs are Tri ck
Shots, and since it is harder to succeed with a Trick Shot than a
normal attack, there is no real incentive to employ these surpri se
tacti cs. GMs ca n correc t thi s flaw by grantin g a spec ial Hero
Point bonus equal to one-quarter of a Standard Award to any
Pla ye r whose hero reg ularl y e mplo yed s uc h man e u ve r s
throughout an adventure. "Reg ularl y employed such maneuvers"
means that the hero used at least one tri ck tacti c in every one of
the adventure's major battles.
For more inform ation on Standard Award s and their use in
Character grow th and ex perience, see Experience and Character
Growth on page 3 1.

A Subplot te ll s a story w hi c h is seco ndary to th e main
ad ve nture but impo rtant to th e Playe rs' Characte rs. Subp lo ts
g ive Playe rs a c ha nce to dea l wi th the othe r as pec ts o f th e ir
C ha rac te rs . apa rt from bas h in g villain s : Ra ve n co nv in c in g
Cy borg lO ha ve a ta lk with hi s fath e r. Batman just try ing to get
som e slee p in a Goth am infested with thugs, a nd Donn a Troy
gett in g married a re just a few exa mples. Subp lots ca n be li ght -
hearted or serious. short stori es or cont inuin g sagas. Subplots a re
the group· s c han ce to have the ir Charac te rs in vo lved in the same
sort s of stori es whi c h make DC Co mi cs so int eresting. Subplots
allow the sto ry lin es in a c ampa ign to be deve loped betwee n the
GM and the Playe rs in a way whi c h is unusua l in ro le-playing
games. Thi s c ha pte r di scusses the c reati on of S ubplot s and g ives
GM s a nd Pl aye rs hinl s o n how to run th e m in a n ongoin g
ca mpai gn
Subplo ts ge t Pl aye rs to spec ulate about th e ir C haracte rs'
persona lit ies a nd to initiat e new story situati ons. rat her than just
reac t to s itu ati ons th e GM po ses for th e m. Once th e Pla yers
begi n to use S ubpl o ts. th ey w ill have mo re fun ha vin g th e ir
Characters interact with NPCs. The re is a n additional ince nti ve
for the use of Subp lots. a lso: if the Players ro le play the Subplots
we ll. th ey w ill be award e d ex tra He ro Poi nts (see Standard
Award Guidelines in Chapter Nin e).
Subp lots in vite the Playe rs to do a lot of role- playin g. If the
GM a nd the Players have spe nt tim e pre parin g a Subp lot, Lhe
Charac te rs will beco me heroic pe rsonalities rather than me re ly
fi ghtin g mac hines grinding throu gh villa in afte r vi ll ain.
Us in g S ubpl ots fo rms a uni que c rea ti ve positi on : the GM
becom es ha lf wri te r of excit in g ad ve ntures a nd ha lf biographe r
of Cha ra c ters who have some li fe of th e ir ow n. Get th e ideas
int o p lay and e njoy wa tch in g th e story be ing ac ted o ut and
grow ing w ith each new sess ion.
I. Gamemastering
Subplots
Thi s section w ill give GM s instru ctio ns on how to plan a nd
exec ute Subp lots before and during th e course of play. Hint s fm
Pl aye rs o n th e ir e nd o f Subplots a re co ntain ed in II . Playing
Subplots. la te r in thi s c hapte r
A. Initiating Subplots
Re me mbe r that th e Pl aye rs · C harac te rs are the force s of
good. They tack le those Lasks that ordina ry indi vidu a ls a nd th e
governme nt ca nn ot. He roic Characte rs are inde pe nde nt ';troub le
shoote rs' ' who fo ll ow the action . If th e suggested Sub plot would
severe ly restri ct a C haracte r's a bility to be a hero, or if it wou ld
take him out of play entire ly, the Subplot ca nnot be used witho ut
modifi cation. A subplot' s purpose is to enhance the Charac ter's
role as a he ro in the game, not to re move hi m fro m the ga me.
B. Questions For The Player
If the Pl ayer has only a vague idea for a Subpl ot, or if he
has deve loped one portion of a Subp lot. you can he lp to develop
th e idea furth e r by as king the fo ll owing qu esti ons:
1. What is the focus of the Subplot?
Thi s is the ce ntral eve nt or issue in the S ubp lot. th e one the
story re volves around. Batman trying to get some s leep, D ic k
Grayso n try in g to find Donna Tro y ·s pare nt s , Do nna Tro y
geu in g marri ed-eac h of these is the focu s of it s Subplol. th e
e le me nt which co nnec ts a ll of the events in the Subplot.
2. What brings the focal issue into play?
The eve nt may be a contin uation of a prev iou s S ubplot, or
iL may be a tota ll y new episode in the life o f the Character. If it
is new, how does the event get started?
Fo r e xa mpl e, Ba tman· s S ubpl ot start e d be cause he was
ex hau sted from so man y ni ght s as Batman a nd too many day s as
Bruce Way ne -hi s pre vious ad ve ntures had fo rced h im to be
awake almost a ll o f the time
3 . Who else is involved in the event?
Th is does not have to in c lude an ex istin g NPC or Player
Character. The answer may be more general. e .g . the pharmac ist.
the dau ghter of a reputed mob ste r, the aging halfback of th e
Gotham Go liaths, or a c ute pro fesso r at the uni versity.
In the wedd in g of Donna Troy, dozens o f C harac ters were
invo lve d . A ll of th e New Ti ta ns except Rave n we re a t the
wedding. Man y of the o ld Tee n Titan s a ttend ed , and seve ra l
other DC heroes we re present. The wedding was the fo ca l eve m
of the Subplot, a nd it was th e ce ntral e leme nt for the Subplots of
several other Characte rs as we ll. Most Subplots, of cou rse, will
be less e laborate tha n Donna Troy's weddin g.
4. What are the Character' s feelings?
Does the hero know how
other Characters might feel?
The Subp lot's focu s could be an exc itin g new deve lopm e nt
the hero wa nts the world to kn ow about , suc h as Donna Troy's
weddi ng, or some thin g more pri vate, such as Batman try ing to
ge t some slee p. Pe rhaps the he ro fee ls he is a lone or in conflic t
wit h th e res t of the world over thi s event. Pe rhaps the hero is
complete ly ou t of touc h w ith how the res t of the world views
thi s eve nt.
Cy borg's fear of the reaction of other weddin g guests to hi s
appearance ge nerated hi s own Subplot for Donna Troy·s wedd ing.
5. How can the Subplot be resolved?
Encourage the Player presentin g the Subplot to consider all
of the pos iti ve ways the Subp lot could end. The more alte rn ati ves
he co mes up wit h, the more inte resting the Subplot ca n be.
Th e P layer should al so think about a few o f th e hurdles
which hi s Character may have to overcome. Who or what mi ght
s tand in th e C hara c te r 's way? Obs tac les w ill c hall e nge th e
Character to come up w ith alte rn ati ve so luti ons in the Subplot.
 Not all Subpl ots need to be opposed by another Character
or by force. Sometimes the Subplot will be fun to play just
because it is a good story idea. The wedd ing of Donna Troy was
a good foc us for a S ub plo t because it ti ed together so many
sto ries and was also lhe hi gh po int of the rom ance Subplot with
Wonder Girl and Terry Long.
6. What e lse might happen to t he
Character as a result of the Subplot ?
A hero cou ld beco me rich , be ruined financially , be
e mbarrassed soc ially, be hunted by the law , be cast o ut of the
hero group he assoc iates with. travel to Paris. win a sc ho larship
to a uni ve rsit y ... just abo ut any thing is poss ible. Use yo ur
imagination!
C. The Gamemaster's Response
When a Player suggests a S ubpl ot, give you rself time to
decide what will make the Subplot work and how it will fit into
the campaign. Then ask yourself the que stio ns given below. As
you do this, be aware of any changes or additions whi ch mi ght
make the suggested Subplot more playab le or more interesting.
It is the GM's prerogati ve to tailor the suggested Su bplots to fit
the ca mpaign.
GM Questions:
1. Does the Subplot fit into thi s campaign, wi th these Characters?
2. Does the Subplot sound like it wi ll be fun ?
3. Is the Su bplot related to the main adventure in any way?
4. How can you beg in the S ubplot? How will it proceed?
5 . What NPCs will the Subplot involve?
6. What location s need to be prepared?
7. Which of the ot her Player C haracters could be in volved in
the Subplot?
These questions wi ll be covered in depth in the fol lowing example.
D. Subplot Example:
A group of Players creates a group of heroes in Ce ntra l
City, known as The Ju s ti ce Crusaders. The heroes include
Crunch , Echano, Foxxbatt. the Grenadier, and War Rock. The
Grenadier' s Dark Secret is lhat he is a n artific ia l life for m
Character created by S.T.A.R. Labs. He has a Catastrophic Fear
that people (other than the o nes at S.T.A.R. who created him)
wi ll di scover that he is not human. This mea ns that when faced
with the poss ibilit y of his tru e nature becoming know n, the
Gre nadier wi ll make protect in g hi s Dark Sec ret hi s top priority.
He will eve n forgo stopping th e villain if stoppin g the villain
would endanger hi s secret.
T he Playe r of the Gre nadie r mi ght suggest the fo ll ow ing
Subplot: O ne of the S.T.A.R. Labs' sc ientists who worked o n
th e team that crea ted th e G re nadi e r ha s run int o financial
difficulty. Somehow, the Grenadier di scovers that the scienti st is
going to sell the story of hi s ow n creation to a cheap tabloid for
a lot of money.
In this exa mpl e , the Player has a nswe red most of th e
questi ons listed for a Player suggesting a Subplot.
1. What is the focus of the Subplot?
The Subplot revo lves aro und revea lin g the Gre nad ier's
secret.
2. What brings the focal issue into play?
T his reve lat ion was prompted by the financial diffi culties
of one of S.T.A.R. Labs' scienti sts.
3. Who else is involved in the event?
The sc ienti st, the newspaper reporter, and the newspaper
sta ff w ill be in vo lved in th e Subplot (a t least until th e
Grenadier's sec ret is made public).
4 . What are the Character 's feelings?
The nature of his Drawback indicates th at th e Grenadier
would be extremely frightened of having his sec ret revealed. He
probably feels betrayed by S.T.A.R. Labs. and he is dete rmined
to preserve hi s secret.
5. How can the Subplot be resolved?
If th e article is not published , th e Gre na dier wil l ha ve
ac hi eved hi s major goa l.
T hi s Player did not answe r the sixth qu estion (What else
might happen to the Character as a result of the Subplot?). but
the GM can generate several poss ibilities.
For ex.ample: the Grenadier and S.T.A.R . Labs mi eht 2.et
into a si mmeri ng, if not roi ling. argument over the expo;ure...of
hi s secret. The public may react wi th disgust to the knowledge
th at Ce ntra l C it y is bei ng protected by a machine-hero, or
perhaps Ce ntral City is sy mpathetic to the Gre nadier, and the
hero o nl y fea rs that th e c it y's reac ti on w ill be bad. The
Grenadier might allempt to es tabli sh a new identit y 10 o nce
aga in hi de th e fact that he is an android. Maybe the sleazy
tablo id would be willing to make a dea l wit h the Grenadier: it
could ~ill the st?ry if the news maki ng hero ag rees to s upply
them wtth excl usives.
Answering The GM Questions
The nex t s te p in th e process is 10 di sc uss th e GM·s
questions and answer them fo r th e Subpl ot.
1. Does th e Subplot fit in this campaign with t hese
Characters?
Suppose that. instead of protectin g the Grenadier's secret.
the Player decides rt wou ld be a reall y neat Subplot to have the
Gre nadier run fo r the Pres ide ncy of the Un ited States. Well.
maybe no t. .. has the Gre nad ie r estab lis hed him se lf as a
politician before the Player thou ght of thi s Subplot? Does the
Grenad ier have the financial backing, the staff. 1he friend s in the
right places, and enough po litical 1.0.U.s to make a leg itimate
run fo r the presidency?
What about the Grenadier' s role as a hero? Th e President of
th e Uni ted States has jobs and dut ies which wou ld severe ly
restrict the Grenadier's abi lity to be a hero. So. if the Grenadie r
were e lec ted, he wo uld have to give up being a hero and
co ncen t rate o n r unni ng th e count ry. If th is Subplot were
approved and were successful. th e Pla ye r of th e G re nadier
wo uld have, in effec t, removed hi s Character from the game.
Subpl ots are not supposed to work thi s way.
The GM review s the Subplot as outli ned by the Player. The
Subplot of protecting the Grenadier's sec ret seems perfectly in
line wi th thi s campaign and fit s the Grenadier character.
2. Does the Subplot sound fun to the Gamemaster?
Subplots w ill be some additional work for you. On the
ot her hand, the fact that the Player has taken some initiati ve is a
prelly good guarantee that he will be interested in rhe Subplot. If
you think you will have fun runni ng it, the n keep going down
the list of questions. If not, stop here and di sallow the Subplot.
The GM thinks that the Gre nadi er Subplot is a subplot with
a serious tone. The situation wi ll have dra matic. perhaps eve n
some tragic, element s. The Player suggested the Subplot. and
the GM believes he can ha nd le it. If hand led ri ght. it coul d be an
e nt ertaining "soap opera ," w ith lo t s of opportu nity for
overacti ng in the roles of the NPCs. The GM dec ides he wou ld
like to do the Subplot.
3. Is the Subplot related to the main adventure?
Interweav in g subplots with the mai n adve nture is neat. but it
~s;~itd~l~a~!e~a:~~ ~~:;1~;:~r~l~t~~n: : : ~~;i~1
<~td:I~;,~~~~ might
In the main adventure of the ex.ample. let's say that Brother
Blood was founding a church in Central City. The story line does
not have anything to do with S.T.A.R. Labs. Rather than alter the
main adventure, the GM decides to keep the Subplot unrelated.
4 . How can you begin the Subplot? How does it proceed?
A Su bplot whi ch is re lated to the main advent ure ca n begi n
when the adventure begins. and wi ll naturall y fl ow along wi1h
th e main adve nture. If the Subplot is unrelated to th e main
adventu re, then the GM will have to create a starting point and
connect the eve nts of the Sub plot together.
In the example of the Gre nad ier's sec ret, the GM decides
that the hero first learns of the Subplot through an encounter on
the stree t. The next time the Grenadier goes out in pub li c, a
Mirror-Inquire r headline will happe n to catch hi s eye, or else he
will ove rh ear a disc ussion o f the headline between two peop le
on the street. Th e headline will read "S.T.A.R. LABS CREATING
SUPERPOWERED FREAKS! " The paper is scant on detail s but
prom ises 10 re vea l the fu ll story in the Sunday editi on. If the
Grenadie r read s the story he wi ll find a reference which, whi le
attribut ed only to a reliab le so urc e ins id e o f S.T.A .R. Labs,
gives a phys ica l descript ion whic h matches the de sc ription of
Dr. Arth ur Mol in. the Grenadier' s creator
The GM ske tches out a story line which is centered arou nd
the Grenadier and Dr. Molin . He begins to thin k about the other
NPCs he wi ll need to carry out the sto ry.
5. What NPCs will the Subplot involve?
Do the NPCs already exist in the campaign? If they don ' t,
you will have to spe nd time creating them. Flesh them out and
make them interest in g, concentratin g on their motives and the
aspec ts of the ir personaliti es whi ch are most important for the
Subplot. You can decide later whe ther or no t the NPC loves
pistac hio ice crea m or why he hates the Mets.
If the Subpl ot is a completely new story, severa l Characters
ma y have to be s ketch ed o ut by the GM. Th e GM sho uld
concentrate on the one or two NPCs he cons iders to be the most
important. If th e Subplo ts a Pla yer s ug ges ts to yo u (o r a
combination of Subplots submitted by all Players) wo uld req uire
yo u to deta il more than three new Charac te rs for th e next
sessio n. you may wa nt to think about delayin g or disallowing
some of the Subplots
Deciding what NPC s yo u wi ll use wi ll help you deve lop
the story elemen ts of the Subplot. Why are these Charac ters
invol ved in the Subplot? How do the Characte rs in terac t? Do
you need any more NPCs to help the story flow log icall y?
Cont inuin g the exa mpl e, the GM has already created Dr.
Arthur Molin. head of the S.T.A.R. Labs team wh ich built the
Grenadier. He has dec ided that Dr. Mo lin wi ll be the Character
who is having the financ ial difficu lti es. The GM decides that the
Subplot will also need Er ic Sandeen, a loan shark who has
financed the run of gambli ng losses which put Dr. Molin in this
bind, as well as Drew DeSi lver, the Mirror-Inqu irer reporter
who is getting th e exc lu s ive on S.T.A.R . Labs researc h
progra ms. Th e GM a lso sketch es out th e NPCs who are th e
hired mu scle for Eric Sandeen, as we ll as Brian Ludescher, the
we-pri nt-any thing-that-se lls Ed itor of the Mirror-Inquirer. While
he is at it. the GM creates the Sunday Mirror- In quirer headl ine.
"S.T.A.R . LAB S BUILDS BIONIC BEASTS .. . THEY 'RE AMONG
US!!!,'. just in case it' s needed.
6. What locations need to be created for the Subplot?
In crea tin g a Subplot, there are two different terms used for
a group of locations. The area in whi ch the Charac ters regu larly
adventure is ca lled the larger environment. The specific locations
in whi ch the Characters regularly in teract is ca ll ed the general
environment. As GM , you will dea l most often wi th th e larger
env ironment. but the Players will interact more often wi thin the
general enviro nm ent. Location s in th e genera l environ me nt
should be planned in g rea ter de tai l than tho se in th e larger
enviro nm ent. T he Play ers may surpri se yo u by decidi ng to
interact with a piece of the larger enviro nment you ha ve not
detailed. If this happe ns. win g it and make the best of it.
For examp le. if the Subplot occ urs in a ce metery (part of
the larger environment). the ce metery wou ld need to be detai led .
But what sort of detail ? The amount of detail needed depend s on
what wi ll occ ur in the setting. If the cemetery setting is strictly
fo r enhanc ing a mood. the detai ls may be sketchy: " The rows of
tombstones which stretch over the hilf, the neatly trimmed lawns
and precisely pruned trees are the work o f the living. But, bleached
with moonlight, cloaked in the cold night air, the cemetery feels
like a place for, and of, the dead." If the ce metery is the scene of
a cr im e where the P layers' Cha racte rs need to sea rc h fo r
information, the detail s wi ll be d ifferent and more concrete:
" The elm tree three feet to your right has a heavily scarred trunk.
A trail has been gouged out of the ground from the spot where
you are standing to a gravesite O APs away, as if a piece of heavy,
angular eq uipment has been dragged from here."
The GM in th e Grenadier example decides the act ion (at the
leve l of the ge neral environment) wi ll most likely take place at
S.T.A.R. Labs, whi ch is the location he has already detailed. He
thi nk s that he wi ll need to ou tlin e three more locations: the
home/headq uart ers o f Er ic Sandeen, th e edi to ri al room of th e
Mirror-Inq uirer, and the ill ega l casino that Dr. Molin frequents
The GM guesses that lhe Grenadier would most probably searc h
fo r information at Eri c Sandee n's, and if com bat takes place in
the Subplot, it will most likely happen there. He sketches out a
floor p lan with th e necessa ry information (s uch as c lu es to
Sandeen's illega l operation ) as notes. The GM an ti cipates that
the confrontati on at the editoria l room wi ll be verba l, so he
emp hasizes th e deta il s whi ch w ill give atmo s ph e re lO the
harried, cheap nature of the offices.
The Casino has information: any of the customers
the Grenadier (as long as he is not in hero costume) th at
Sa ndeen wi ll ba il anyone out of his ga mbl ing debts for a steep
price. The GM also notes the clue points if the Character uses
hi s Gadgetry or Scien ti st Ski ll (some of the games are ri gged).
The toughs who are operat in g the ga mbling tab les are some of
Eri c Sa ndeen's h ired musc le. Sa ndeen is greedy: he sets up
rigged ga mes and then loans the losers money at an exorbitant
interes t ra te, sting in g them tw ice. T he cas ino wi ll need
description s of a fl oor plan, the toughs, the rigged ga mes, losin g
patrons, and an overa ll feeling of des peration.
If creating the necessa ry locations loo ks possib le, go on to
the nex t question.
7. Which of the other Player Characters could be involved in
the Subplot?
Try to in vo lve oth er C haracters in the Subpl ot, if at all
possible. For the other Players, a One-Pl ayer Subplot is usuall y
as exciti ng as watc hin g so meone else read a comic book. To
help so lve thi s problem, One-Playe r Sub plots may be resolved
over the course of many game sess ions. Subplots in the comic
books do thi s; then a one-C haracter Subplot wi ll sudden ly be
fea tured for an iss ue. You should use the DC 's hero -g roup
com ics as a rou gh model fo r your Subpl ots; don' t g ive o ne
Player attention at the ot her Players' ex pense.
Decide whe th er in clu di ng othe r Pl ayers wi ll enh ance or
need lessly co mplicate the Subplot. The Grenadier 's Subplot is a
natural for a one-Charac ter Subplot: after all , th e Gre nadier has
kept this sec ret from everyone but the S.T.A.R. Labs techni cians
who built him. The o ther Charac te rs do not know th at th e
Grenadier is anything other tha n th e red-blooded all -A meri ca n
guy he pretends to be.
Let' s say that .i.fter some considerati on, the GM dec ides to
include two other Characte rs: Foxxbatt and Echano.
Foxx ban is a fri end of the Grenadier's. The GM decides to
have Dr. Mol in ca ll th e group headquarters and ;;warn·· Foxxbatt
that the Grenadier is under tremendou s pressure and that , unless
obse rved c losely and d isc reet ly, the Grenad ier will probabl y
beco me violent. In Dr. Mo lin ' s opi ni on, the Grenad ier woul d
later regret hi s v iole nt act ion, but perhaps Foxxbatt co uld
prevent hi s frie nd from go in g nuts? The GM decides that Dr
Mo lin is afra id of what the G renadie r may do to him when the
Mirror-Inqu ire r story hits the streets and hopes to have Foxxbatt
around if the Grenadier does anythi ng rash.
The second new Character, Echano, wi ll pl ay a minor ro le
un less Echano's Player manages lO make some ded uctions of hi s
own . Echano is also an andro id Character, but hi s robotic nature is
known to the world because of an earli er Subplot. While he was
not built by S.T.A. R., Echano does have a Low- level Conn ect ion
there. Ec hano will be contacted by S.T.A.R. Labs. who wants to
examine his programm ing, espec ia ll y his "self-co ncept soft ware:·
the portion of hi s be liefs whi ch dea l with hi s view of himse lf as
 a machine. If Echano as ks fo r an y detail s, a S.T. A. R. tec hn ician
will ex pl ain th at one of the lab's androids is having a difficult
tim e accepting the fa ct th at he is not human. and that he fea rs
the and roid will harm Dr. Mo lin if a soluti o n cannot be found. If
Echano's Playe r co mpares notes with Foxx batt, the C haracters
sho uld at least be suspicious of the Gre nadi er's true nature.
A Rule of Thumb
Not all Subpl ots need be thi s e laborate, but some may grow
to enco mpass an entire ad ve nture in themselves: the Wedding
Issue of The New Teen Titans #50 is a superb example of a story
whi ch wo ul d co nsist e ntire ly of S u bpl ots be in g reso lved o r
rejuvenated. In oth er DC Comics, Subpl ots will get onl y two or
three panels in an y sin gle issue. Start with Subplots which can
be hand led in short bursts and whi ch are link ed fro m ad venture
to adve nture, rath er th an with a monster Subpl ot whi ch squeezes
as ide the main ad venture. lt w ill pro babl y take Playe rs a few
adventures to deve lop the personalities of their C haracters to the
point where running a S ubpl ot fo r a whole sess ion of gamin g
will go smoothl y.
If you have answered all of the questi ons above, then you
are ready to run the S ubplot. You can tell the Player th at yo u
wi ll run hi s Subpl ot du rin g the nex t sess ion. Be sure you know
what you are getting yourself into, then go ahead and take th e
plunge. Once Playe rs become d irectl y in vo lved in creating the
story, you will be deve loping new ideas whi ch would not have
occurred to you witho ut their input, and the Players will be able
to deve lop C haracters as li ve ly as th ose in DC Comi cs.
What if a Subplot is too much work?
Be in g a G M is mea nt to be fun , eve n if th e re is wo rk
in volved. If filling out a Subpl ot is too much work to inc lude in
th e nex t sess io n, and you thi nk th e Subpl o t is wo rth runnin g,
you can do one of three thin gs:
1. As k th e P laye r to modify th e S ubpl ot to make it less
work fo r you.
2. Ask the Player to do so me of th e work him se lf. T hi s
work s best if some of the locati ons o r NPCs are neutral to the
Subpl ot, i.e., if hav in g the Pl aye r kn ow th e NPC or location does
not give the Player a signifi cant edge in reso lvin g the centra l
event of the Subplot
3. Tell the Player th at the Subplot will not work in the nex t
session, but promise to run it in o ne of th e upcoming sess ions. If
you do thi s, plan to run the Subplot some time no longer than
three sessions away.
If no ne of th e above see ms possible , then do not run th e
Subplot. Tell the Player th at the S ubplot will be too much work
fo r you. If yo u fee l th e idea was a good one, enco urage th e
Pl ayer to come up with a Subpl ot whi ch would be a little less
effo rt fo r you.
E. GM-Suggested Subplots
As GM , you may see oppo rtunities fo r a Subpl ot which a
Player has mi ssed or ignored. You may see ways of rev iving a
Subplot whi ch has lain dorm ant for seve ral sessio ns, you may
have a new twist you want to add , or you may have an entirely
new Subpl ot you want to try out.
When you ge nerate your own Subpl ot you go th rough the
sa me process as you would fo r a Player-suggested Subpl ot
When you co me up with a Subplot for a Player (or Pl ayers)
you have th e advantage of working out all of the details before
you sprin g the Subplot idea on the Playe rs. Th e di sad vantage is
that the Player(s) may not like the idea. If a Player consistentl y
rejects your Subplots by "pulling the plug o n the Subpl ot," you
ca n either give up on th e Subpl ot or the Pl ayer. New Subpl ots
are eas ier to come by than new Players.
Suggesting Subplots
A Playe r has the optio n to pull the plug on a S ubpl ot at any
time. Therefore, it is a good idea to clear a Subplot idea with the
ml
Pl ayers whose Characters will be in vo lved in the Subplot. At the
same time. you do not want to reveal all of your story before the
Players get their Characters into it, or else the sense of di scovery
a nd in vo lve men t w ill be lesse ned . Giv in g th e Pl aye rs th e
infom,ati on they need, without spoiling the story, is done thi s way:
Tell the Playe rs whose C haracters will be in the Subpl ot the
foll owi ng in for mati o n ab o ut th e S ubpl o t: S ubpl o t type, it s
Severity, the Area of Consequence. the tone of th e Subpl ot, and
the degree of the Subpl ot.
Subplot Type:
Th e type of Subplot fa lls under one of the categori es listed
un de r Ill. Subplot Categorie s, late r in thi s C ha pte r. Th e
ca tego ri es a re : Fa mil y, Fri e nds , Jo b, Dea th G uilt , Secre t
Identity, Secret Pas t, Powe r Compli cati on, Public Reputati on,
Romance. and, of course, Mi scell aneous.
Severity:
The Severity of a S ubplo t is simil ar to the severity of an
ad ve nture , as desc r ibed in th e Standard Award sec ti o n of
Chapter Nine. The three leve ls of severit y, fro m least severe to
most severe, are te mporary non-fatal, permanent non-fatal, and
fa tal. If the worst co nsequence of the Subplot will tend to fade
ove r tim e , th e n th e S ubp lo t is te m porary no n-fa ta l. If th e
S ub p lo t co uld ha ve co n seq ue nces w hi c h w ill des troy a
relationship, cause a loss of fri endship or job or oth er permanent
effect, th en the Subpl ot is perm anent non-fatal. If th e S ubplot
could result in the death of a Player Character or an NPC, then
the S ubpl ot is fa1a l. Very few Subplots in DC Comics have fatal
conseque nces. A void fatal Subpl ots in your campaign
Area of Consequence:
T he Area of Consequence is th e same as th e A re a of
Co nsequ ence of an ad ve nture, as desc ribed in th e Standard
Award sec ti on of Chapter Nine. Most Subpl ots have a Personal
Area of Co nseque nce, but so me may ha ve local (or grea ter)
Areas of Consequence. For instance, a C haracter may be urged
to run fo r mayor , o r run a co rp o ra ti o n w ith th o usa nds of
e mpl oyees in several cities.
Tone of the Subplot:
Is th e S u b pl o t se ri o us? Is it funn y o r fri vo lo us? l s it
melodramati c? Is it scary? Joy ful ? The tone of a S ubpl ot is the
primary e mo ti on o r fee ling of the story in the Subplot.
Degree of the Subplot:
How lengthy is the Subplot? Will it take place du ring one
adventure, or will it co ntinue fo r several adventu res? T he degree
of a s ubpl o t is you r g uess as to how ma ny ad ven tu res the
Subplot will take to reso lve.
For exa mpl e, Batman #383 had a Subpl o t in whi ch th e
Batman's goal was simpl y to get a good night's sleep. Opposing
him was hi s own sense of duty as the Batman, and a continuous
stream of events and thugs th at kept him awake. A GM could tell
a Pl ayer. '· Hey, thi s mi scell aneous Subplot is temporary non-fatal.
perso na l, has a hum o rou s to ne with a das h o f ser ious
characteri zati on, and a degree of one adventure." The Pl ayer has
e nough in fo rmati o n about th e scope of th e Subpl ot to decide
whether he would like to play it or not. If he likes it, he will tell
the GM to run the Subplot. If he doesn' t, he will pull the plug on
it ri ght there, before the GM has started ru1111in g it in an adventure.
F. Putting It All Together
Wh e n yo u ha ve dec ided o n a ll of th e e le me nt s for a
S ubpl ot, you have to put them into a framework , as yo u do with
an ad venture. Draw up a rou gh sequence of events, noting when
a part ic ul ar sequence is cru cial. Outline th e central event. Then
build the other event s, inc lu d ing the NPCs the Character will
encounter, hi s goal. and the settin g. This may be a very loose
ou11in e or a detai led desc riplion. depending o n 1he Encounier
and your slyle.
Th ese note s w ill he lp yo u run 1h e Enco unt er. Pul th e
inform a1io n in a fo rm you fee l co mfortabl e w i1h- don·t fee l
forced to follow the fo rm given here.
The GM in the Gre nadie r ex ampl e put hi s Subpl ot together
as fo ll ows:
Subplot:
Gre na dier' s fe ar o f be in g di scove red as a n andro id ; Dr.
Art hur Mo lin "s ga mbling debts leading him to offer the sleazy
Mirror· ln qu ire r the exclusive on the c reation of the Grenadi er
Background:
Dr. Moli n is $37.000 in debt to Eri c Sandee n, a loa n shark.
Dr. Moli1fs compu lsive gamb ling keeps him losi ng an average
of $700 a week ... it 's j ust that hes dropped $20.000 in the last
month on a real string of ·· bad luck:· Eric Sandee n is ask in g for
payment of the e ntire debt by Monday of nex t week. Sandeen·s
moti va ti o n is to fri g ht e n Molin into g i vin g him access to
S. T .A.R. Labs tec hnol ogy. Sc ra mblin g de s pera te ly for th e
mone y. Dr. M o lin has con tacted a co ll ege frie nd . Dre w
DeSil ve r. Dr. Mo lin is wi lling to se ll the story o r how S.T.A.R.
Labs is crea tin g artific ia l life in the form o f human oids with
abil i1 ies far ab~ve human norm . DeSilve r rea li zes thi s story
wou ld se ll papers for wee ks. The deal is se t fo r $25,000 cash to
be paid nex t Sa turday. prior to pub li cation in that S unday· s
Mirror. Inqui rer.
Subplot Timeline:
Encounter 1: Friday mornin g
Encounter 2: Most li ke ly Friday morning
Encounter 3: Most like ly Friday ni gh t
Enco unte r 4 : Friday or Satu rday
Article Publication: I :00 am. Su nday Morning
Encounter 1: The Bait
Th e Mirror. In qui re r head line: ··s .T.A. R. LABS CREATING
SUPER-POWERED FREAKS!!! " w ill ap pear Friday morning. The
headline should alert the Grenad ier to the fa ct that hi s role as a
human hero is in jeopardy. All the Grenadier_has to do is pi ck up
on the in fo rmation in the art icle. He should then lake the init iat ive.
Si multaneously (in ga me time). Foxxbatt w ill be rece iving
hi s ca ll from Dr. Mo lin wa rnin g Foxxbatt of th e Gre nad ie r' s
instabi li ty. and Echano should receive the request from S.T. A. R.
Labs to all ow the m to exam in e his se lf.co ncept software.
Th e se quence of th e Firs t E nco unt e r is: Gre nadi e r ,
Foxxbatt. Ec han o. If the Gre nadier ignores the Mirror· lnqui rer
clue. Dr. Mo lin wi ll blurt out something like '·that newspaper
story could reall y upset the Grenadie r.. to Fox x bait. It is e ntire ly
up to Fox xbatt what he does with thi s information.
Note: If th e Grenadier doe s not pick up on any o f th e
infor ma ti o n. 1hen th e Subp lot stops. As G re nadi er's Player
suggested the Subp lot. he shou ld be a lert fo r clu es abou t it. If he
mi sses it. delay the Subplot until nex t sess ion- and have 1he
art icle and the due date o f the repay me nt be reset to fit the nex t
sess ion. If the Gre nadi er does not pick up on the fi rst Mi rror-
Inquire r story. other media will pick it up as a '' is thi s reall y true.
m stril·tl y an attempt to hype sales?'" story. If the Gre nadier
mi sses these clues. hi s ide ntity as an android is pub lished.
Map s: not needed.
Clues And Information: as give n
Oth e r Characters: as described .
Encounter 2:
To Catch a Falling S.T.A.R.
Th e Grenad ier w ill probab ly go to o ne of two p laces:
S.T.A .R . Labs or the editori a l offi ces of the Mirror· lnquirer. The
Mirror. Inquire r staff will be Hostile towa rd the Grenadier and
wi ll te ll him to go away. Drew DeS il ve r. the reporte r coverin g
the story. is not here.
At S. T .A.R. Labs. Drew DcSi lve r is inlerv iew in g Dr.
Molin . ga th e rin g th e in fo rmati o n for th is S und ay·s pape r.
DeS ilve r is pos in g as a s ubco ntr actor fr o m a firm ca ll ed
Futurboti cs in order to ga in access to Dr. Mo lin. As Dr. Molin is
revealing co mpany secrets. he will be fired if S.T.A. R. finds out
that he is feeding the informati on 10 the Mirro r·lnquire r.
Dr. Molin has nol ye t revea led the Gre nad ier·s sec ret. Dr.
Molin will term inate the in te rview in order to speak with the
Grenadi e r. Molin will be ne rvo us and evasive. He will try to
divert th e Gre nad ie r· s attent ion to the prob le m of hi s debt to
Eric Sandee n: if the debt is ta ken care of. there will be no need
for DeSi lver's story. Dr. Mol in hopes the Gre nadi e r can help
him w ith Eri c Sandeen. He w ill ad mit to hi s ga mblin g debts but
wi ll de ny talking to the Mirror· lnquire r
If Foxxbatt is prese nt. Dr. Mo lin will be much ca lme r. He
w il l a lways prefe r to meet with the two heroes toget he r than to
mee t with the G renadie r al one.
Maps: S.T.A.R. Labs map. ed it orial o ffi ce sketch.
Clu es and Information: If a C haracter in vest iga tes
DeSilver ' s co nn ec ti o n w ith Futur bo ti cs (ei ther through th e
Justi ce Cru sader's computer or by ca lling Futurboti cs), he will
d iscover that DeS il ver does not work there.
The Mirror· l nquirer w il l admil that DeS il ver is one of their
reporte rs ... one o f the ir best
Other Characters: Foxxball is o ptional. Echano is id le.
unless in vi ted al ong by Foxxbatt or Gre nadie r.
Encounter 3: Rolling the Dice
Dr. Molin wi ll wa nt to go to the cas ino with G renadier. to
show him Eri c Sandeen's operation. Howeve r. he wi ll go alone
on Friday eveni ng if th e Gre na d ier ha s no t yet show n up a t
S.T.A.R. labs.
If the Gre nad ier shows up al S. T.A. R. Labs look ing for Dr.
Molin after he is gone, a lab technician will te ll him whe re he
can be fou nd: Dr. Mo lin 's gamblin g addiction is a poo rl y ke pt
secret. At the cas ino, the G re nadie r w ill not be a llowed in if he
arri ves in his hero costume. If in street clothes. he must arrive
w ith a " ho s t," s uc h as Dr . Molin , o r he w ill be de ni ed
admittance. The hero or heroes will ha ve to ga mbl e or they will
be as ked to leave. If a light ens ues and Sa ndeen·s mu scle me n
lose, Sa ndee n' s boys w ill take it out later o n the " host"· w ho
came wi1 h the heroes. Dr. Molin is aware of Sandeen·s thugs. so
he wi ll ask the heroes to be on the ir bes t beha vior.
Maps:Casino
Clues and Information: The games are ri gged (OV/RV of
6/6 aga inst Perception Chec ks). Gamb lin g is illega l in thi s c it y,
so there is no ev idence lin kin g Eri c Sandee n to th e cas ino. just
innue ndo.
Troubleshooting: Th e goa l he re is to obtain evidence on
Sa ndee n. Possib le so luti on: ga mble. lose bi g. and borrow from
Eric. Record the the transacti on. Be ope n to Player suggesti ons
on othe r so lu tion s.
Other Characters: Foxxbatt co uld be at the Casin o. Ec hano
should ha ve a n appoi ntm e nt at S. T. A. R. Labs fo r the smn e
period in wh ich Dr. Molin is at the Casi no. Reme mber Jab techs
will g ive reasons for the tes tin g if Echano asks. giv ing c lues to
the fac t lhal Grenadi er is an android
Encounter 4: Double or Nothing
At so me po int. th e Gre nadi e r w ill probab ly go to Eric
Sandec n· s. Sandce n·s toughs will admit the heroes if they are in
costume . but wi ll not a llow the heroes in if they are in st reet
clothes (unl ess they are he re to ask for a loan). If the he roes are
in cost ume, Eric will be slim y and in gratiating, professin g how
muc h he adm ires the heroes and their work.
While he is ta lk ing. Sandeen will have one of his tough s in
ano th er roo m ca ll the po li ce . On ce the ph o ne ca ll is mad e.
Sandeen will ask the heroes to leave the house. If they show any
 re lu cta nce to do so, th e tough s will jump the m. Sa ndeen does
not expect them to win. merely to have the po lice arri ve to find
the house in shambles and the heroes inside: he want s the heroes
arrested and o ut o f the way. Eric does not want an y interference
when he is so close to S.T.A.R. Labs, so cl ose to the " big tim e.''
If the heroes are in plai n c loth es, Eri c wi ll be arroga nt ,
se ttin g outrageous term s fo r the loan . If the heroes reven l their
heroic identities at thi s point, Eric wi ll panic and order his thugs
to attac k. After the fi rst phase, or whenever it becomes apparent
th at ttie thu gs are goin g to lose, a remain ing (co nsc io us) thug
will offer to test ify if the heroes will just leave hi m alo ne. If the
heroes ag ree, then Eric will be arrested and Dr. Mo lin 's debt
wi ll be wiped out.
Un less they do thi s before 8 p.m. Saturday eve ning, the
heroes will be too late to stop Dr. Mo lin fro m telling the ful l
story to Drew DeS il ver
Map: Eri c Sandeen· s home and headqu arters.
Clues and Information: If the heroes get a loan and record
the tran saction (o n tape, via hidden microphone. whatever) they
ca n go to the po lice a nd have Eric Sa nd ee n arres ted. T hi s
soluti on requires no fi ghtin g at all.
In a hidden compart ment in Sa ndeen's des k (OV/R V of 3/3
aga inst a Perception Check to spot it), there is a large notebook
whic h reco rds the loa ns and repayme nts. This is evide nce o f
Sandee n' s loan shark in g operatio n.
G. Running Subplots
S ubp lo ts a re se t up for ro le- pl ayi ng. Th e mec ha ni cs
in vo lved will be seco ndary to the story. Have fun : act a little
outrageo us when you' re role- play in g an outrageo us Characte r.
Move the story along wit h your ow n ro le-p lay ing, parce ling out
th e informatio n and the pl ot twists. Let th e Subpl ot deve lop
fro m th e int e ra cti o n of yo ur C har ac te r a nd th e P laye r s '
Characters. You may even want to forget you have th e Acti on
Tabl e for aw hil e.
When runnin g Subp lots, you should remember that they are
Subplots. If you do not wa nt Subp lots to bury your adventu re,
you will have to keep a ti ght rein on the number of Subplots
ac tiv e at any o ne tim e. If yo u wa nt so me he lp with pac ing,
check out you r favorite DC Comic. How much space is spe nt on
Subplots and how much is spent on the main advent ure? Are the
Subplots and the main ad ve nture connected or independent ? The
DC H EROES RPG g i ves yo u th e op portunit y to c rea te a nd
participate in the kind of stories you enjoy read ing. Use those
stori es as your guide.
Following the Story
The story in a Subplot can go just about anyw here after the
first coup le of Encounters. depe nd ing on where the heroes ha ve
been and what they have done. T ry to keep th e acti on ce ntered
to the loca ti o ns you have detai led. T he Players are bound to
co me up with poss ib le co nn ec ti o ns and so luti o ns whi c h are
different fro m yo urs. If th eir so lut ions lead to dead end s. let
th em kno w. I f t he Pla ye rs tr y som e th in g o ri g in a l. tr y to
accommodate th em. Deve lop th e art of ·'winging it.''
When you are win ging it, use the fram ework of your larger
environm ents to help yo u. Keep a pad of paper ha ndy to take
notes on what you tell the Playe rs. This will he lp preve nt the
"Gee, las t time Mr. Os mond 's 1110 111 was dead . Wh y is she ali ve
now?" sy ndro me.
Turning a Subplot On and Off
You ca n turn Subplots on and off. Cu tt ing off a Subp lot
mea ns direc ting the fo cus o r the game elsew here, such as back
to th e main story line. In comi cs, thi s is the pane l which reads
•·mea nwhil e , so mew here e lse in th e Uni verse . ·· Try to give
th e Su bpl ot sce ne a log ica l breakin g-o ff po int , a nd th e n
in for m the Pl aye r that the Subpl ot is be ing turned off for now.
As yo ur Gam emas te r s ki lls improv e, you will have a be li er
' I
story-sense whi ch will help yo u dec ide when it is appropri ate
to turn-off a Subpl ot.
The Art of Fading Out
You are in the midd le of a S ubpl ot, thin gs do n' t go as
expected and a Pl ayer pulls the plug on the Subplot. Now what
do you do? You take the story to a point where you can tum it
o ff, and return to the main adve nture. After th e sess io n. you
have to fi gu re out a way to erase the effects of the Subplot, had
it co ncluded. Th is is ca lled "fading out" the Subplot.
In th e Gre nadie r S ubpl o t exa mp le , ass um e that after
Encounter I, th e Pl aye r changes hi s mind. and pulls the plug.
Muttering under hi s breath , the GM decides to '·fade out'' by
hav in g S.T.A. R. Labs trace the leak to Dr. Molin, and threaten
to fir e him if he brea1h es a no th e r wo rd to DeS il ve r. Th e
adm inistrators of the lab then lean on the Mirror-Inquirer to be
qui e t, mo ney a nd hi g h-tec h gea r c ha nge ha nd s, a nd Eric
Sa ndee n is mollified. Now all the G renadier has to won-y about
is a few thugs wit h the firepower o f a battali on or two.
If a Pla ye r does no t pull th e p lug o ft e n. but does in a
Subplot whi ch is becomin g unco mfortab le. do everything you
ca n to w rap th e Su bpl o t up nea tl y wi th o ut in vo lvi ng hi s
Character. If a Pl ayer pu ll s the plug onl y when a Subplot is not
working out the way he wants it to, stop ru nn ing Subplots fo r
him ... but do fade out the last Subplot he was in.
It is not fa ir for a Player to pu ll the plug on a Subplot in the
fin al E ncounte r. Tell th e Pl ayer th at yo u wi ll tu rn off the
Subp lot, but its consequences cannot be avo ided at this point.
Yo u can wo rk o ut ..Lhe deta ils o f th e co nseq ue nces after th e
session 1s over.
Fad in g o ut is a good way to avoid S ubpl o ts with fata l
consequences. Death is an awfull y tough thin g to undo . If the
consequ ences are non-fata l, there is usuall y some way to recover
from the Subplot.
H. Problems and Solutions
What do I do with Players who just want to use Subplots to
gain a few extra Hero Points at the end of on adventure?
Just because the Pl aye r has a Subplot written down o n his
Character sheet, and then tell s you he is ru nnin g that Subplot
this sess io n of the game, is not enough to give him th e Hero
Poin ts for the Subplot. Even if the Player grudgi ngly performs
an actio n which could be part o f a Subplot, this does not mean
he earns the Hero Po ints fo r a Subplot.
For example, Dave has a Character with a Famil y Subpl ot:
hi s mother is il l w ith a d isease whi c h req u ires ex te ns ive
hospitalization , and she wa nts to have her children see her. Dave
ca nnot si mply declare that he is runnin g hi s Fam ily Subplot, fl y
to the hospita l, say .. Hi , Mom,.. and then n y o ff to batt le and
ex pec t an award for hi s Subpl ot.
A Subp lot ass um es fir st that th e S ubp lot sto ry li ne is
import a nt to th e life of th e Character. Seco nd , a Subpl o t is
inte nded to in crea se the role- p lay in g interac ti o n betwee n the
NPCs and the Player's C harac ter. Ne ither statement is true of
the n y-by ex ample.
A good rule of thum b to use when awa rding Hero Points
for Subplots is thi s: If the Subplot is not im portant enough to the
Player to have him devote the same effort and game-time as he
woul d to a dangerous encounter wit h a vill ain. the n it is not
worth awa rdi ng Hero Po ints for the Subplot.
Since you may be the only one in your group to read thi s
chapter, you may have to coac h the Players on pl ay ing Subplots.
On ce th ey rea ll y start pl ay ing Subplots you won ' t ha ve thi s
problem.
What do I do with th e " I become emperor of the world "
Subplots suggested by a Player?
When Pl ayers come up wit h Subpl ots they will naturall y
put themse lves at the ce nter of attenti o n. Very o ften the Subplots
will have a positive impact o n the li fe of th e C harac ter. The
G renadier ex ample was unu sual: th e Pl aye r of the Grenadier
wa nted to pla y o ut a S ubplo t in vo lvin g o ne o f hi s C harac ter
Flaws. But li sten to S ubplot suggest io ns for the story e le me nt
cont ained in them: eve n the rnos1 se lf-centered suggestio n may
have the ke rne l of a rea ll y interes ting story. You do not h;.1ve to
run a Subplot you do not like.
How many Subplots should I run at once?
Re me mbe r your m,1i n story. Make it a co nsc ious c ho ice
when you accept a slew o f S ubplots fo r a sess io n o r se ri es of
sessions. If they are run correct ly. S ubplots wi ll take time-ti me
whi ch w ill not be spc nl on the main story line. If you ha ve a
g reat vill a in a nd a terri fic story to set him in. you may wa nt to
reduce the num ber of Su bpl o ts you run in the sess io ns in wh ic h
that adventure takes pla ce. You may wa nt to put a ll of t he
Subplots on ho ld. T hey do in DC Co mi cs.
If you deci de to run more than o ne Su bpl o t. it is strong ly
suggested you run no more th an 3 at o nce. Three S u bplots is
u s u a ll y pu s hin g th e limit s o f Pla ye r bore d o m ,ind GM
co nfu sio n.
What can I do about Subplots which are ruined by one
Player's miserable dice roll?
The DC HEROES RPG is a ga me wit h c leme nts you can not
control. The d ice just do no t beha ve so metimes. Try to adj ust for
possi bly wi ld dice roll s by developi ng S ubpl o ts which arc not
dependent o n the ro ll s of the d ice. You don't have to take ou t
the uncerta im y factor comp lete ly-jus t make a ll owa nces fo r it.
If j ust one rol l of 2 o r 2 1 wi l l ruin t he st o ry. t hink aho ut
mod ifying the sto ry to g ive yo urse lf more of a c ush ion ag..i inst
Pl ayers luck .
What can I do about Players who are flound ering in a
Subplot?
If the Playe rs are mis sing a vit a l c lu e. try to g ive them
hint s. An NPC may know a littl e b it more than you ori g inally
plan ned. If they keep bum pin g imo dead e nds. create a way to
ge t th em back o n the co rrec t pat h. If the Pl ayers keep wanderin g
off o n the fr inges o f a S ubp lo t. turn it off a nd direct th e Pla ye rs
back to th e main adventu re.
Why do Players always pull the plug on my Subplots ?
When yo u a re deve loping yo ur ow n Subp lot s. eva luat e
th em from th e P laye r 's s ta ndpo int. If yo u are develop in g
S u bp lo ts w hi ch conslil ntl y have a negative i m pac t o n t he
Characte rs. you will e ither lose 1he Pl ayers or e nd up w ith a
dep ressed group. nei ther of w h ic h is nwc h f un . Havt: .in
eve nh anded approach
Keep an eye o ut for S ubplots whi ch have slept lo ng e nough
to be interesti ng aga in. Be prepared to retire some wh ich ha ve
worn ou t. and injec t a new S ubp lot every o nce in awhile . By
vary ing the S ubplo ts you inc rease the Pl aye rs · intere st. so they
wi ll be more wi lli ng to play throug h a Subp lot
II. Playing Subplots
Yo ur C haracte r can save the uni ve rse lime and time aga in ,
but can he keep a j ob? What docs hi s famil y or co-workers think
w he n he disa pp ea rs for da ys at a tim e? Wha t about hi s
gi rl fr ie nd ?
"' Comic book stor ies dea l wit h more than the eve r-present
threat of the vi ll a in s. They deal wit h the eve ryday Jives of the
heroes and how they co pe with the world. In many cases. these
stories ca n beco me just ;,1s im po rt ant as whe ther o r nol the vill a in
can be slopped.
In the DC HEROES RPG . this can be a n exc iting p..1rt o f ;.my
ga me sess io n. You. the Pl..1ye r. can c reate your own Subplo ts by
us in g 1h e guidel in es be low. Yo u get to wr it e so me of th e
ongoing sag a of yo u r C ha rac ter in s tead o f ju s t le ttin g t he
Game mas ter have al l th e fun . A Subp lo t is a way fo r you to
direc tl y parti c ipate in the c rea ti o n o f the story in whi ch yo ur
hero is the ce ntral figure.
The goa l of S ubpl o ts is to g ive your C harac ter a li fe or hi s
ow n that is in depe nd e nt o f th e eve ryda y gri nd of bas hin g
villain s. But the re is an add ed in cc mi ve : ro le-p lay in g S ubp lo ts
can ea rn yo ur C har,1c ter. and othe r pa rti c ipating C harac ters,
Hero Point s (see Standard Awards in Chapte r Nin e).
A. Creating A Subplot
Subp lots are c hosen by c a tego ry. Th ese catego ri es a re
li sted later. You may c hoose as many Subp lo ts as the GM will
allow. alt ho ugh in the begin nin g. it" s probab ly best to c hoose
one S ubp lo t per C haracte r.
It is no t necess a ry to choose Subplots when yo u are
des ign in g you r C ha ra cter. Subp lots m a y be a dd e d a ft e r
C haracter Des ig n- if the y do not co nt rad ict existing fac ts about
the C harac ter.
Eac h S ubpl o t is subj ec t to the approval o f the GM. and he
wi ll often add new e le me nts to th e S ubplot to he lp it.
Take th e tim e t o work o ut a S ubpl o t w ith yo ur
Ga me mastc r. Talk w ith yo ur fe ll ow Playe rs as we ll. May be two
or three peo pl e can sha re the sa me bas ic S ubpl ot o r li nk thei r
own Subpl o ts toge the r
It is impo rtant to cooperate wi th th e GM and th e ot her
Pl ayers whe n you are role-p laying Subpl o ts. Ot he rwise. no o ne
wi ll have a ny fu n w hile you are o ff writ ing you r ow n story. The
DC H EROES RPG is a cooperati ve g;.1 111e: the more peop le in vo lved
w it h your S u bp lot the bette r. A lso. the num ber of Hero Po in t
aw..1 rds is g reatest fo r coopera ti ve play. O nct: you·ve c hose n a
S ubplo t. ou tline the b,1sics of the story.
If the re is o ne ba sic rul e for crea tin g S ubpl o ts. it's: Start
slowly. Don't t ry to c ram every th ing in duri ng th e firs t few
s~ss ions. Keep it simple. a nd le t the Subplot be crea ted as you
go from ad ve nture to ad ve nture . In the begin nin g. just pi c k one
of th e basic catego ri es li sted be lo w and ask yourse lf a few basic
questi o ns lik e:
1. Who is involved in my Subplot?
List a ll the peopl e who wi ll be in thi s story. Try to desc ribe
eac h of the m in one o r two se me nces. At first. use o nl y two o r
three peop le in any one Subp lo t.
2. What is currently happening in the Subplot?
What will hap pe n in the Subplot that w ill te st your hero?
How does the Sub plo t hinder or he lp your Char,1c te r's ac ti ons?
3. What are the Character's feelings?
Think abo ut how the Ch..1racte r mi g ht fee l about what's
happeni ng to him. Does the Character realize how NPCs and
o ther C haracte rs fee l? Does the C haracte r have a ny part icu lar
cou rse of actio n pla nned in the S ubplot'!
Th e Gamema s tering Subplots sec ti o n ea rli e r in thi s
c ha pte r has more in fo rmati o n o n S ubplots. If you are stuc k. read
that sec ti o n agai n fo r advice o n com ing up w ith inte resting a nd
playab le Subplots
B. Playing Your Subplot
O nce the S ubpl o t is c reat ed. it is up to the GM to int roduce
it into the play o f th e ga me. If th e G M is busy with the ma in
ad vent ure, he mi g ht no t have time fo r a S ubplot. On the ot he r
hand. a w ho le ga me sess ion cou ld be not hin g mo re than a n
e laborate S ubplot invo lvin g everyo ne in the group. O the r times,
the S ubp lo t co uld be wrap ped up w it h the main adventure. In
any case. he re arc some rules to follow whil e playing S ubpl ots:
S ubpl o ts ca n have more than one so luti on. Li ke the ma in
ad venture. S ubpl o ts sho uld not ha ve o nl y one way o f e nding.
You are neve r locked in to a so lu tion for a Suhpl o t. Li ke real life
si tuations. whi ch rarely ha ve neat and ti dy re solutions. S ubplots
c,111 continue for many ad ve ntures without being resolved. or
they can reso lve the mse lves in unexpec ted o r su rpri sin g ways.
Subp lots can be positive fo r Pl ayers and NPCs. In the ma in
adv e nture. yo ur C ha rac te r is us ua l ly up ,1ga in st a bun ch of
maniacs trying to tak e ove r the world (or at least large c hunk s of
it). It is o ft e n a life and d eat h sit uation w ith o nl y o ne vic tor:
hopefu ll y you. S ubpl o ts are diffe re nt. Everyone can "win" in a
S u bplo t. So me times the re arc no w inners and no lose rs-j ust
 fun. For exa mpl e. in .. A Ni ght in the Life of Batman" in Batman
#383. a whole Subplot was built around Batman tryin g to get
some slee p afte r a lo ng night of fighting crime. No life or death
strugg le there- and role-playing this scenario could be really
fun. You do not have to compete with NPCs in the Subplot as
you do with the villains in the mai n adventure.
Subplot s can be fri vo lous. melodramatic. eve n s illy .
Usuall y. the main adventure is pretty serious. The Subplot can
be anything: sad. happy. we ird. intense, or eve n bland. The more
positi ve a S ubplot is. the more fun you' ll have.
C. Pulling the Plug
Subplots should be fun. not morbid or cruel. If you don't
like the way the GM is running your Subplot or if you are just
bored with it, just "pull the plug" and refu se to accept the GM's
judgment. You cannot use thi s rule to change what has happened
in past ga min g sess ions. but any Subplot eve nt that ha s just
happened ca n be negated .
For in stance: The GM announces that your g irlfri end is
murdered by the vi ll ain. If you feel thi s is too much and no fun
to play, simpl y say th at you refuse to accept thi s event.
On the ot he r hand , if at the start of the adventu re yo u
accepted th e fact that your g irlfriend was kidnapped by the
vill ain. you cannot suddenly change your mind and say she isn't
captured. But if the Gamemaster has the villain tie her to the
nose cone of a nuclear mi ssile-you can pull the plug about her
new situation.
The Gamemaster ea n al so pull the plug if he feel s the
Subpl ot is out of hi s control. This can happen at any time and
fo r any reason.
If the plu g is pulled and the Subplot is killed, you and
anyone e lse in the Subpl ot are not eligibl e for any Hero Points
gai ned by pla y ing that Subplot, but th e re is no penalty for
pulling the plu g,
Sometimes. you might no t want to comp lete ly stop a
Subplot, but j ust "put it on the back burner." Talk it over with
the Gamemaster. he mi ght award some Hero Points for partiall y
completed Subplots.
Ill. Subplot Categories
This section li sts the bas ic categories for Subplots. So me
Subplots may be nat ural to a Character due to hi s Drawbacks. or
th ey may sprin g ri ght from your mind wi th o ut a ffec tin g the
basic structure of th e C haracter's design at all. The fo ll ow ing li st
is not int e nded to be a ll - in c lu s ive or limitin g to your
imagination, but to g ive you a few ideas conce rning some of the
most commonl y used Subplots. If you create a different Subplot
and th e GM approve s. use it.
Criminal Past
The C haracter has been a criminal at some time in hi s past.
This may ca use prob lems with the police. the media. th e pub lic.
or oth er heroes. Even thou gh the Character ha s reformed. ot hers
ma y not be ready to forg ive and forget th at Character's past
mi stakes. It is also poss ibl e that a villain will try to rec ruit the
Cha racter. which is certain to raise eyebrows.
The Character may try to hide hi s past. o r he ma y try to
improve hi s im age by performing good deeds. He may try to
deal with his past in any way he chooses. but he will not be ab le
to ig nore it.
If yo u c hoose thi s Subplot. determin e the ex te nt of the
Character's criminal career. who hi s assoc iates were. and why
he turn ed from a life o f crime.
Death Guilt
At so me tim e during th e Character' s career, he killed
someo ne acc id e ntall y, or ma ybe he feels respo ns ibl e for
Ill
someone's death. This guilt affec ts hi s abi lit y to fight crime,
making him constantl y doubt hi s worth and hi s ab ility to do the
right thing.
Death Guilt is a good exampl e of the Gui lt Drawback. and
it mi ght prevent the Character from using force in situations that
rese mbl e the one he feel s gu ilt y about. Death G uilt may also
cause the Character to become obsessed with the we ll -being of
another C haracter whom he wishes to protect from dying under
circumstances similar to the first death .
Death Guilt may be used as a Subplot as a re sult of one
C haracter accidentally killing another C haracter during the ga me
or being unabl e to pre ve nt th e d ea th o f anot he r Pla ye r 's
Character.
If thi s Subplot is chose n wi th the Guilt Drawback during
C hara cte r Design , decid e who was killed. out lin e the
circu mstances of the death, and determin e how widely th e
circumstances are known.
Enemies
An Enemies Subplot is a continuing se ri es of
confrontatio n s between th e hero and hi s ad ve r sa ry. Th e
adversary is not necessarily a vi llain. but can be someone who is
continually and ca llous ly interferin g in the hero's life: a snoopy
nei ghbor. a bully who torment s the hero's alte r-ego. o r a law
enfo rce ment officia l w ho do es no t like se lf-appoin ted
c hampi ons of justi ce. Thi s Subpl o t may in vo lve a vill ai n or
villainous organi zation that is out to get the hero. Describe the
re lationship between the enemy and your C haracter. and how
long the antagoni sm has been go ing on
Family
There are seve ral poss ibl e Family Subplots. Here are a few
suggest ions.
1. The Character is an orphan. with all of the insecuriti es
that come from losin g one' s parent s.
2. The Character is adopt ed, and he wants to find his
biological parents.
3. The Character has a rel ati ve who is dependent on him for
financial and/or emotional support.
4. The Character is th e .. b lack sheep" o f the famil y. He
resents hi s estrangement and is suspicious o f the intentions of
any group of people th at mi g ht rese mble a famil y. espec iall y
groups of heroes
5 . One o f the C haracte r' s pa re nt s or c lose re lati ves is a
v illain . He is n't ce rtain w he re hi s loya lt y li e~ a nd is to rn
between claims to hi s loyalty.
6. One of the Character' s parents or o lder s iblings is a well -
known heroic Character. He li ves in the shadow o f the other's
reputation, in hi s attempts to become an indi vidual.
If you choose a Family Subpl ot. desc ribe the Character' s
family relationship to the GM.
Friends
A Friend s Subplot re vo lves aro und th e re lationship
between the Character and one or more of hi s frie nd s. Th e
poss ibilities include the fo llowing:
1. The friend is being harassed by a villain or hi s henchmen
and needs help, even though it wi ll di stract the Character from
hi s main goal in the ad ve nture.
2. The friend is re lated to a vill ain who co nstantl y plag ues
the Character. The friend is torn between fami ly loya lty and hi s
friendship with the hero.
3. The friend has a serio us persona l prob lem th at cannot be
ove rco me wit h an y of the hero's Powers and S kill s. If the
C haracter helps hi s friend, he wi ll have less time to devote to 1he
adventure.
If you choose a Friend Subplot. describe the friend and hi s
relationship to the hero. Friend Subplots work we ll eve n with
groups of people.
 Job
Job Subplots can come in man y differe nt variet ies. In most
cases. they shoul d ce nte r around the occ upati o n that you have
c hose n for yo u r C hara cte r. H e re are so m e id eas fo r J ob
Subplots:
1. Hero in g is complicating the C ha racter's personal life .
2. Financial prob lems requ ire the Character\; attention
3. A rival for h is job is ma kin g a bid for the Character' s
posit ion in hi s absence.
4. The time the C haracter spe nds o n hero ic ac ti viti es makes
it d iffic ul t for him to ho ld down a respo ns ible jo b.
If you choose a Job Subplot. tell th e GM how ii re lates to
the Character"s Occupation and Wea lth. Reme mber to men tio n
any important co-workers.
Power Complication
Something has go ne wrong w ith th e C haracter's Powe r,
and the re is a harmfu l s ide effec t to us ing it. Maybe the si de
effect is curab le if the C haracter can fi gure out a way to get the
proble m treated. T he C haracter mus t find a so luti o n before he
loses the Powe r altogether and is eit her fo rced to re tire or is
ki ll ed by the side e fl'e~t.
I f you c hoos e a Pow e r Comp l ica ti o n . o u tlin e w hi c h
Power(s) is/are affec ted. a nd desc ribe the s ide effec t. At first. the
side e ffect sho uld be minor. but. as the cond ition worsens. the
Character need s to pay more attention to the probl e m
Note: the GM could dec ide to give th e C haracter ex tra He ro
Points if the co mpli cat ions beco me permane nt. Thi s is totall y up
totheGM. howeve1
Public Reputation
The Characte r cons iders hi s reputati o n important, so threats
to his good naff1e receive a. h\ g,h \)rior\t'j. What wou ld
Charac ter do if villain s o r sleazy reporte rs try to undermi ne hi s
reputation?
If yo u c h oose this Subplot. br ie f t h e GM o n yo ut
Characte r's reput at io n and how he tri es to li ve up to it. as well
as who is tryi ng to tarn ish the hero· s good na me.
Re me mbe r that if you c hoose 100 awesome a re putat ion ,
your Character w ill be hard put to live up to thi s exalted image
and Jose a lo t of face very quickly.
S ubp lot. How secret is hi s ide nt ity? Does anyone know w ho he
rea ll y is, and if so, how man y share the sec ret? Do an y vi ll a in s
know th e sec re t ? H ow mi g ht hi s " normal li fe" fri e nd s be
e ndan gered if hi s Secret Ide ntity is revealed?
If yo u c hoose a Sec re t Ide ntit y. desc ri be
normal ide nt ity. a nd te ll who, if anyo ne , knows
Secret Ide ntity
Secret Past
Lik e a c rimin a l pas t , a sec ret pa s t a ss um es that t he
C haracter has a secre t that he w is hes to keep unde rcover. The
sec re t coul d be anyt hing fro m a pe rson who is tryi ng to k ill the
C haracter for an imagined o r rea l insult , escap in g fro m a me ntal
in stitute, or co min g bac k fr o m the d ead , to a Characte r w ho
li ve d in a Tibe t an mona sle r y . Th is Subplo t may a lso be
associated wi th a Dark Secre t Drawback.
A C haracter wi ll most li ke ly try to hide hi s sec ret past. but
it coul d come back to haunt him : peopl e fro m h is forme r life
coul d appear, or others mi g ht in s ist that they he lp h im , eve n to
the detriment of hi s new fr iends
If you c hoose thi s S ubplot. wor k o ut th e d e tail s o f th e
form er life and the lives o f those people w ho mi ght have been
part of it. You s ho ul d al so have a reason why the Character left
th e fo rme r li fe.
Wealth
There are bas ica ll y two types of Wea lth Subplo ts: sudde n
fort une a nd sudde n bankruptcy. In a sudden fortu ne Subplot, the
C haracte r co mes into a large sum of money w itho ut warning,
ca us in g h im to have to dea l w ith the s udde n inOu x o f money. If
you choose the s udde n bankruptcy S ubp lot, your C haracter loses
a ll or hi s mo ney due to some uncontrollabl e event , and mu st
'JOUf ~o mehow learn to ~e l ;,\loni without h\ s. \)tev\om, financial
reserves. Be sure to co ns ul t wi th the GM o n thi s Subplot. so that
the Characte r's Wea lth rating ca n be adj usted accord in gly.
Miscellaneous

Romance
A love int e rest ca n affect the C haracter in several w ays.
Perhaps he mu st protec t his loved o ne from vill a in s. Or he mi ght
have to p lan hi s ti m e care full y so that h e ca n spe nd a few
precious hours with hi s loved o ne.
How docs the Character fee l abo ut that he has
abilities far above those or ordinary people . yet is in vo lved
,,,.\\\'\ ·a\\ t>'l\\\wa'l>y ~'l~t>\'11 'nw,~ t.t>m1)\~\~\-y t.'.,n 'fl~ te>n"i',Uc ·m \'fie
one he loves? D o t hey love each o th er eq uall y. o r is it
unreq uited love?
If you c hoose Ro mance. desc ribe the N PCs in vo lved in the
Subp lot and their relat ionship to the Character. inc lud in g the
duration and se riousness of the relationsh ip.

School
Saving th e wor ld o n a co ns iste nt basis can ea t away a t
study time. and facing life- threate nin g situa1io ns ca n make one
forget abo ut upco m ing exams. Fo r some reaso n. teachers and
professors do not see m to understand thi s
A School Subplot in vo lves the Character's e ffort to stay in
sc hoo l long enough to fin ish hi s educat ion. T h is type of Subp lo t
should be di sc ussed w ith the GM

Secret Identity
Wit h a Secre t Ident it y S ubp lot. the C haracter chooses the
Secret Identi ty Drawbac k during C haracte r Des ig n to separate
his hero ic deeds fro m h is more norm a l li festy le. The d iffic ulty
of ma in taining a Secre t Iden ti ty is the main ingred ie nt of thi s
 APPENDIX A.
The DC Universe
Th is appe nd ix pro vides in forma1i on on 1hc people. places.
and eve nt s o f th e DC Uni ve rse. It is part ic ularl y use ful for
G amc mastc rs who a rc running campaig ns in the DC Uni ve rse
usin g DC C haracte rs
I. Histo of the DC Universe
The Beginning ...
or
The first impo rtant res ide nts the DC Uni verse spran g up
o n the plane t Maltu s. loc ated severa l billi on li g ht ye ars away
fro m o ur ow n Milk y W:.1y Ga lax y. more th an te n bi lli on ye ars
;.1gu. The Mahu sia n c ivili zati o n w:.1s no t the first to make its way
o ut o f the c a ves a nd o ff to the stars: but it was th e lin,;t to dodge
t he icy gr ip o f impe ria li s m a nd co nqu es t. w hic h in ev itabl y
plun ged those that succ um bed to its te mpta ti on into ex tinct ion.
Uni mpeded for over fi ve billi o n yea rs, th e Maltu si an s
prospe red : fan1as1ica ll y ad v,111ced medi c in e inc re.ised the ir life
s pa ns seve ra l th o usand - fo ld : gre:.11 in creases in 1he fie ld of
bi oe ng in ee rin g e ndowed th e m w ith gre at psio ni c powers: and
the phil osophic a l w isdom th;.!l c a me in eq ual proporti o ns to th e ir
tec hnical ac hi eve ments brou g ht them peace o r mind . Soon.
n,1 tur c he ld but one fin a l sec re t from th e sc ie nce or th e
Maltu s ia ns. the o ne sea c t into wh ic h M al tu s ian philo so ph y
forb,1dc inquiry - the secre t o r c reation itse lf.
Eve ntuall y . th e re c,1111e a Maltu s ia n. ,1 sc ie nti s l named
Krona. w ho ho pe d to pe ne tra le th e m yste ry o f c rea ti o n . The
str,111ge mi xture o r cu ri os it y and foo li sh pri de that burne<l in hi s
bl ood prompted the impe tu o us Kro na to co nstruc t a dev ice that
wo uld e nab le him to loo k b.ick tn th e ve ry beg innin g of time
it se lf. Deaf to the warnings o r hi s co ll eag ues a nd ig nora nt of th e
consequ e nces. Krona looked into hi s sc,mn c r a nd saw the g reat
sw irl that !!ave birth to the cos mos. At the ce ntt; r of th e sw irl
was th e o ;i'in ipote nt ha nd of cre ati o n. a ba ll o f inte nse w hite
li g ht. the fruit of li fe. resting in il s palm. Ju st as Kron a·s sc anner
was beg inn in g to pe ne trat e the hand and its burden , the mac hine
exp loded. te arin g the ent ire Uni ve rse asunde r !
The calamity that shook the Uni ve rse o n that <la y had gra ve
re pe rc uss io ns. Part o r the very fab ri c o f space it se lf was torn
awa y and c a st in to a form less ne th e r-reg io n s hred din g th e
U ni ve rse into t wo oppos in g hal ves: th e Po s iti ve M a ll e r
Uni ve rse o f o ld . and a new ly for med Anti -Matter counte rpart
f\ t the sa me tim e. 1he birth o f the A nti - Matt er Un ive rse gave
immedi ate rise to a wave o f evi l th at spread ,icross the zo ne of
Positi ve Matter. corru pting mo re than fift y mill io n worlds.
From that da y forw:.ird. th e M a ltu si an s ass um e d
respons ibi lit y for the ev il u nl eashed by o ne o f the ir o w n. Kro na
w,1s tra ns for med into a bein g o f pure e ne rgy and beamed o ut
into s pac e to wan d e r th e c o s m os for eve r. Many of th e
Maltu s ian s then mi g rate<l to the plane t Oa. a small g ree n world
loca ted ,11 th e exac t ce nt e r o f th e kn own un ive rse. th ere to
ponder what cou rse o f ac ti o n would be st co unte r the ev il Krnn.i
u nle.ished.
II was around th is period th at the wo men o r Oa. fru st r;.1tc<l
at t he Oan· s inac t io n. left th e plan e t. In lat e r cent uri es. th ey
woul<l become known as th e fearsome race of warriors c all ed the
Z amaron s. Soo n aft e r. ,1 fa c ti o n o r mal e 0,111 s s plit from th e
mai n gro u p a nd formed th e ir own pe acekee pin g gro up. the
Co nt roll e rs.
Ass umin g th e titl e "G uardian s o f th e U ni ,·erse ... th e
re ma ining Oa ns turned the ir atte ntion toward c reating a race of
wa rriors to patro l the uni ve rse a nd combat ev il first-hand . The ir
first suc h ex perime nt result ed in the c reati o n of the liz~1rd- like
Psio ns. A few milli o n yea rs later. th e Psio ns rebe lled and began
carv ing o ut their ow n e mpire a mon gst the peop les they were
di spat c he d to prot ec t. fo rc in g the Guardian s tu ba ni s h thei r
c hildren to the Vega n S tar Syste m
The Guard ia ns· second ex perim ent was the crea ti o n o f the
android Manhunters. Like the Psio ns. the Manhu111ers ultim ate ly
be tra ye d th e ir creato rs and h ad to be s u bdu e d. tho ug h th e
Manhunte rs eventuall y had grow n so powe rful that no t eve n the
Guard ian s 1hc m se lves co uld succee d in comple te ly re mov in g
the ir threa t from the cosmos.
Di sheartened by the ir past fa il ures. the desperate G uardian s
finall y drafte d a pl an to rec ruit the bra ves t and most worth y
be ings from across all space to a id them in their cause. E~1ch of the
rec rui1 s w.is pledged to a stringent mora l code and give n ~1 ring of
power to .:1id in the ir strugg les aga in st vil lainy. Th is band of eli te
e me rald warriors. kn ow n as th e Gree n Lante rn Corps. fina ll y
re stored the Guardian s· lost ho no r. With the aid and ad vice of
the ir Oan maste rs. lhe G ree n Lantern s would cont inu e to carry out
the ir mi ss ion successfull y for m ill io ns of years to co me.
Life on Earth
One of th e fift y milli on world s corrupted by the wave of
evi l unl eas hed w he n Krona unw it tingl y cal led th e Anti - Maller
Uni ve rse in to being w,1s the planet Earth . locatc<l in lh c Western
S piral Arm o f the Milk y Wa y Gal.1 xy.
On Ea rth. the ev il manifes ted it se lf as a rm:e o f horrib le
<l e mo ns that ball e rcd the ir wa y to domi ni on ove r th e la nd and
.iir. Afte r a tyrannical re ig n o f more than one tho usand yea rs. the
de mo ns were finall y bani shed to the depth s o r He ll by the Lords
o f Order. .i nea rl y o mni pote nt race o f mystic a l being s who a re as
o ld as the uni ve rse it se lf. The Lords o f Orde r we re fo rced to take
direc t ac ti o n against the demons bernu se the E.1 nh it se lf play s an
impo rt ,m t s trate g ic ro le in th e ir m ys te ri o us hattl e aga in st the
de mo n 's masters. the ir sihlin gs. the Lord s o r C haos. A mo ng the
de mons bani shed we re Abn egazar. Rath. and G ha st. a ll of whom
wo uld later re turn to w reak furth er ha voc
With the demons gone. Ea rth was fin a ll y primed and ready
for the co m ing o f 111.1nkind. A mo ng the first o r the primit i\'e
Neande rthals we re the ri va l Bear and Blood Tribes. the leade rs
of w h ic h we re gra nt e d powe r imm o rt a l h y a m ys te ri o u s
s himmerin g me teo r that fe ll from th e s k y. L.11 e r. these two
cave men wo ul<l beco nh.' th e heroic Imm o rt al Man and th e
vill a ino us Vandal S,1vagc.
Sca nt decades lat e r, a Ne andert ha l m a n stru c k dow n a
primiti ve woman in ange r. Eve ntuall y. the soul s o f th is wo man
a nd he r unborn c hild would re turn . re incarnated in the persons
o f Q uee n Hi p polyte an<l Princes:,. Dian.1 o r the A mazon!',.
As the proto- hum a ns progressed. the age of Ne,111dc rth,1ls
e nded in favor o r the e ra o r the C ro- Mag no ns. du ring which the
bo y An th ro a nd th e w.:1 rri or Ko ng th e U ntam ed s ped their
peo pl es o n toward unifi ca1i o n a nd e nlighte nrnen 1. Finall y. th e
age o f the Cro-Mag no ns gave way to the first age o f c ivili zation .
 The first true civil ization o n Eart h arose o n the island of
Atlanti s. where 1he first practiti oners of sc ience quickly fo und
the mse lves loc ked in a stru gg le w ith a cove n of c orrupt
sorcerers. Some of the earl y Atla nteans Oed the squabbling after
they di scove red the underground cavern s that led to Skartari s, a
savage o th er-d imensional world that see ms to li e beneath the
Earth ·s surface. whil e ot hers re main ed behind to fi ght. The wars
we re finall y ended by Ari on, a sorcerer who chose to use hi s
powe rs fo r peace. Many years late r, Ario n would engage a group
of ali en in vaders in a feroc ious battl e that ended wi th the sinking
of the entire island o f At lanti s. The o nl y shreds of the Atlantean
civil izati on to survive thi s ca tastrophe were the twin citi es of
Pose id on is a nd Tril o ni s, w hi c h were protec ted b y vas t
underwater domes.
The n ames o f civili zati on were eve ntuall y rekindled in the
fertil e crad les of Egy pt a nd G reece. In Egypt, learnin g and
sc ience prog ressed side by side wi th the practice o f the myst ical
art s. Durin g thi s era , Pharaoh Kha-ef-re combined sorcery and
sc ience 10 produ ce the Blue Bee1le Scarab. whi ch endowed its
wea rer with unimaginab le power. Four thou sand years later, the
Scarab wo uld be u nea rthed by A merican arc haeo log ist Dan
Ga rre t. Short ly after th e reign o f Kha -ef-re came the nob le
wizard Shazam and hi s corrupt di sci pl e Teth- Adam. The wizard
Nab u. o ne o f the anc ie nt Lord s o f Order, was di spatc hed to
Ea rth 10 fulfill a h o ly mi ss io n so me years after S h aza m
mysteri ously departed from the land of the Nil e. Among the last
of the grea t Egypti an heroes were Prince Khufu and hi s be loved
Shiera, who wo uld be re incarnated mo re than two tho usand
years later as the orig in al Hawk man and Hawkgirl.
In Greece. civili zation nouri shed under the guidance of the
Gods of Olympu s. the sons and daughters of the Titans, a race of
be in gs desce nded fro m 1he primordia l Chaos. Aft er warri ng
aga inst their parents for contro l of the Earth and heavens, the
Gods finall y grew tired of battle and sea led off their ho me of
Olympus from all outs ide contacl.
Elsew here in the universe, the fa ll of the Gods created two
new worlds which would eventually g ive ri se to a race of New
Gods. One of th e worlds. a bea ut ifu l tropica l paradi se named
New Ge nesis. fe ll und er the rul e o f lzaya the Inh erito r. The
other. a fou l. barren cinder chri stened Apo kol ips. beca me the
domain of mi ght y Darkseid, the demon avenger.
Amo ng the g reat es t wa rrio rs to ari se in anc ient Greece
were th e legend ary Amazons. After a bitter stru gg le with the
demigod Herac les and hi s fo ll owers. Hippol yte, the Amazo n
queen. decided that her people woul d be bette r off isolated from
the wo rld o f the pa tria rch. a nd led th e Amazons to remote
Paradise Island, also know n as T hemysc ira, where they wou ld
remain for the next three thousand years.
After more than two thousand years of civ ili zation, G reece
fe ll to the mi ght of Ro me and its heroes. men like the legendary
Go lden Gladiator. Of course. the new empire was not without its
menaces. Blackbriar Thorn, demon pri est of the ancient Druids,
spread terror across the entire known wor ld until the Roman
leg ions descended upo n him and left him trapped in a volcanic
fi ssure. fro m which he wou ld emerge two thousand years later.
Eve ntu al ly. th e ca nd le of Rom e was exti ng ui s hed b y
marauding barbarians. The fa ll of the Roman Empire brought on
the Dark Ages. an era of vio lence and cruelty. A few hundred
years later. howeve r. a great age of en lightenment began with
th e foundatio n of Ca me lo t. th e co urt o f th e lege nd ary Kin g
Arthu r. where brave heroe s such as Sir Lancelot and Sir Ju stin
the Sh inin g Knight battled aga inst the vill ain y of Mordred and
Mo rga n LeFay. Aro und 1hi s same time. th e sorce re r Merlin
ca me to powe r and summo ned forth hi s ow n he ll-born se rva nt,
1he Demo n E1 ri ga n.
Arth ur succeeded in unify in g Britain and establ ishin g its
place in the hi erarch y of natio ns. Later. the heroes of England
wou ld include the outlaw Robin Hood and hi s Merry Men, and
the mysteri ous cru sader known as th e Sil en t Kni ght .
TIie New Ci s
by Jack Kirby
I originally created the New Gods for D
omics as a simple but effective vehicle tha
ould involve its characters in the eternal suuggle
f Good against Evil. It began as that-two giant
lanets, hundreds of light years from our own
m, were continually locked in an eternal
struggle to nullify the intentions of each to erase
the philosophy which governed the other.
Apokolips, the clanking, military machine o
a world, was ruled by a vicious and gra. pin
dictator named Darkseid, a man almost insane!
driven by an urge to conquer everything within hi.
grasp and to continue this uncontrollable desire
with all means at hand until there was nothing in
the entire universe which did not bear his stamp of
ownership.
On the other hand, in the path of this
ammoth evil force, the planet New Genesis
rbited peacefully, bathed in a glow of serene
anquillity and constructive growth. Its leader
·ghfather. was an impressive and heroic figure
who with his adoptive son. Orion, would lead the
!Jpposition to the planet Apokolips.
This was essentially the opening fonoula o
his opus. which contained its own variety o
econdary characters such as Big Barda. the
oung Forever People. and Mister Miracle, who
ere also central characters in their own volumes.
Through the ensuing years, these charact
ave become and integral pan of the OC Univers
and continue to enjoy a huge readership worthy o
their value. There is no doubt that their success
· U continue. because of the innate attraction to
in a universal age group. Thi , of course,
the key to good story telling: it has stature
coupled with a legendary quality which radiates
"melessly in a cosmos inhabited by us all.
Of course, th e res t of the world was hardl y stati c while
England was coming of age. In Nort h America. Arak Red-Hand.
so n of Thunder, c harted the destin y of the Quontauka tri be,
whi le Jon the Viking Prin ce was lead in g th e peop le o f
Scandinav ia to new conquests.
During the next few hundred years, the Vikings c lashed
with the Engl ish while the n edgling nati ons of Europe bega n
acquiring tremendou s resources of their ow n. Before long, the
European monarchies became locked into a protracted squabb le
over the land of the "New World" of America di scovered in the
late 15 th ce ntury. Grea t me n wande red throu g h thi s age as
well- men li ke The B lack Pirate Jon Va lo r and hi s freedom
fi g hte rs. Keith Everett the my ste ri o us Grim Gho st. and the
legendary Captain Fear of the Carib Indi ans.
After th ree hundred yea rs of Europea n do mination and
ex ploitation, the colonies in the New World fo ught to ga in their
independence and the ri g ht to bu il d a nati o n th at ce lebrated
values of their own choosi ng. Th eir struggle was initi aled by
patriots li ke Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin , but was won
by he roes s uc h as th e co lo rful Mi ss Lib e rt y , the s to ic
Tomahawk, and daring Dan Hunter. In the late 18th century. the
United States of America was born .
The United Stated qui ckl y es tabli shed itself as a land of
legends. '"Within the first century of its ex isten ce, it gave ri se to
the Indi ans Firehair and Sca lphunt er, Bat Lash the ga mb ler,
Strongbow the scout, El Diablo the hunter, lawmen Pow Wow
Smith and Joh nn y Thunder, law wome n C inn amon and Madame
.44, and perhaps th e most fam o us of all. the lege nda ry Jonah
Hex. Hex was a bounty hunter, ga mbler, so ldier, and g unfi ghter,
who spe nt the latter part of his gun slingi ng career in th e year
2050 AD , where madma n Reinhold Borsten had scooped him up
from the past to part icipate in a series of bloody g lad iatorial
d uels.
The Age of Heroes
The end of the 19th century swept the world into an era of
war and an era of heroes. The First World War was fo ught by
men like Balloon Buster Steve Savage, and Hans Von Hammer,
the Enemy Ace; whi le th e 1930s brought about an explos ion of
costumed crime fighters.
In New York City, Dr. Richard Occ ult allied himself with
th e my sterious Seven against the paw ns of the mystical e ntity
Koth. As Dr. Occult, he became the fi st "costumed" hero of the
modern age.
In Ke yston e C ity , Midw es te rn Univ e rs ity s tud e nt Jay
Ga rri ck wa s tran sform ed by a la boratory acc ide nt into th e
origi nal Flash, the fastest man on Eart h. O rso n Welles' " War of
the Worlds'' broadcast inspired Lee Travis to assu me the ident ity
of th e Crimson Avenger in New York City , where he quickly
teamed up wi th playboy Wesley Dodds, who had c hri stened
himself the Sandman , in orde r to battle the mysterious Phantom
of the World's Fair.
Mere months later, Carter Hall, the modern reincarnation of
Prince Khufu of ancie nt Egypt, first donned hi s wings to become
the original Hawkman. New York chemist Rex Tyler in vented
th e won der co mpound Miraclo, whi ch all owed him to ass ume
the identity of the orig in al Hourman, the man of the hour.
In the southwest, eng ineer Alan Scott ca me into possessio n
of a mystical Chinese lantern and became Earth' s ori gi nal Green
La ntern. Diminutive co llege st uden t A l Pratt trained him self
wi th the aid of former heavy-weight champ Joe Morgan, and
become the origin al Atom.
T hese heroes were not alone . There were o thers: Dollman,
Stee l the Indestructible Man, Jo hnn y Thunder and hi s mysti cal
Thunderbo lt, the almost omnipotent Spectre and th e intri guing
Dr. Fate. In No vembe r of 1940, Pres ide nt Frankli n De lano
Roo seve ll gath e red to ge th e r a group of he roes to battle th e
hord es of Hitler. T he group became known as the lege ndary
Ju stice Society of A merica , a nd in c lu ded th e Flash, G ree n
Lamern , Hawkman, Dr. Fate, the Atom, and the Sa nd man.
A n e xp lo s io n of heroe s a nd hero in e s fo ll owed the
fo rm ation of th e Justice Society. The Black Cond or, Doctor
Mid-Nite, the Red Bee, the Shinin g Knight, the Human Bomb,
Mr. America, Air Wave, the Tarantul a, Uncle Sam, Manhunter,
th e Vigi la nt e , Mi ss A me ri ca, the G uardi an , Mr. Te rrifi c ,
Judomaster, Sargo n the Sorcerer, Amaz ing Man, Robotman , a
pair of Firebrands, the Phantom Lady, the Star Spangled Kid ,
the Whip, th e Jeste r, TNT and Da n the Dyna-Mite, Wildcat,
Midnight, Iro n Munro, Flying Fox, Tsunami, Fury, the Huntress,
Neptu ne Perkins, and many others we re e ve ntuall y orga ni zed
into a g igant ic fift y me mber leg ion known a s the All -Sta i
Sq uadron, under the leadership of the heroine, Liberty Belle.
As in any age, howe ver, there were plenty of vill ains to
keep th e heroes bu s y. The re we re com mon cri minal s a nd
saboteu rs such as th e notorious Inj ustice Society of the World,
fo un ded by the Wizard in response to the Ju sti ce Society, and
whose members included the Gambler, the Sportsmaster, Shade,
the Ic icle, th e Fiddler, Harl eq uin , the orig inal Brain Wave, Per
Degaton, and Solomon Grundy. Mo re des picable were those
fiends who chose to work directly fo r the Ax is Powers, such as
Baro n B lit zkri eg, th e Dragon King, a nd th e hordes of Ax is
America. Bui perhaps the most dead ly menace of the era was
Ado lf Hitler him self, who managed to uncove r th e mysti ca l
Spear of Destin y, a potent arca ne arti fact whi c h he used to
pre vent th e heroes of A merica from e ndin g the war alm ost
before it began .
Golilen Age Heroes
by Roy Thom as
It was a time both of heroes, and o
ltimate evil.
When World War 11 began in Europe in 1939
nly such cosrumed "mystery-men" as the Crimso
veuger, tbe Sandman. and Zatara the Ma ·
on hand lo combat possible Axis sabotage i
United States.
Yet somehow, as if the War itself were
arre camlytic agent, they were soon joined by
breed which would be called "super heroes"
inning with the minuscule Doll Man, b
iftly followed by the likes of Commander S
many another.
Many of these earliest titans-so
erpowered. others not-joined in spyhust
crime fighting organization~ to safegu
erica's shores.
The first of these, in November ! 940, was
endary Justice Society of America, with
valiant actions the President of the Un
imselfwould have been assassinated duri
The J.S.A.'s initial members we
Green Lantern, Hawkman. the Sandma
, Hourman, the Spectre, and Dr. Fat
e soon joined by the likes of John
r, Dr, Mid-Nite, and Stannan.
second group soon formed: the Sev
rs of Victory, composed of the Shini
, the Crimson Avenger, Wing, the St
ed Kid, Stripesy, the Vigilante and
Billy Gunn (who was soon replaced
ff, the Chinatown l(jd).
In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor in Decem
1941, vjrtually all of America's costumed her
including tbe J.S.A. and the S.S.V., became chart
embers of the wartime All-Star Squadron
pecial request of President Rooseve lt himsel
bey operated the rest of the war from th
erisphere in Queens, New York.
Before long, however. the Jiving embodimen
of American spirit, Uncle Sam. Jed a splinter grou
onsisting of the Black Condor, the Phantom Lad
several others to Washington D.C .. where the
as the Freedom Fighters.
1942, wi t hin the Squadro n, a
ary gro up was formed by such youths as
Munro, Fury, Dan the Dyna-Mite, Flying
eptune Perkins, and the Nisei girl Tsunami.
teens, called the Young All-Stars, soon
ed a heroic caliber to rival their elders.
hough the most powerful of the heroes were
lly kept out of enemy-held territory b)
ccull powers wielded by Hitler and the
us Dragon King, the heroes of the All-St
n protected America from saboteurs an
ents such as Baron Blitzkrieg and
ation of the war.
At th e sam e tim e that th e co lorfull y costum ed me n and
wo me n noted above were protect in g Am eri ca 's sho res from
saboteurs and Nazi spies, the real heroes were abroad batt lin g
the forces of Germ any and Japan firsthand. Fighting alo ngs ide
the allied fo rces were th e mysterious Unknow n Soldier. the man
known as G ravedi gger. the comm andos code- named th e Losers,
Lt. Jeb St uart and hi s Haunted Tank , the Black hawk Ja nos
Prohaska ; and perhaps the greatest sold iers of all, Sgt. Frank
Rock and th e men of Easy Compa ny.
 As World War II came lo a victorious close for the Allies,
th e heroes beg an 10 van ish. First, th e Law 's Leg ionnaires
(so metim es kn ow n as th e Seve n Sold iers of Victory), were
di spersed through time wh il e battling the potent Nebula Man. In
the ea rl y 1950s. the he ro co mmunit y was dealt one of it s
greatest blows when the me mbers o f th e Ju stic e Society ol
Ameri ca were brou2ht before the House Un-A merican Ac ti vities
Commi ll ee under sl1 spicion of aid ing enemy spi es. Rather than
revea l their true identities lo th e world. the JSA ers chose to
retire and return to civ ilian life.
While the grea te st of Earth 's Golden Age heroes we re
retiring. howeve r. one of the greatest of its second generat ion
was just ar ri vin g. In the late 1950s. th e renowned scienti st
Professor Erdel accidentally scooped up the warrior J'onn J'onzz
from th e sands of Mars and teleported him to Earth. where he
secretl y battled injusti ce in the gui se of Martian Manhunter.
Within the nex t three decades, new heroes began to appear
almost as suddenly as the o ld had vani shed, beg innin g wi th
perhaps th e two greatest heroes of all time.
In the town of Srna ll vi ll e, Jonathan and Martha Kent
adopted an infant they di scove red in the wreckage of an ali en
spacecraft wh ich cras hed nea r their home. The infant Kai-El was
th e last so n of th e planet Kr y pton , w hi c h ex ploded in a
geo logical catastrophe. Kai -El was rocketed to Earth just before
the exp los ion by hi s parents. Jor-EI and Lara, who hoped to save
hi s life. Kai-El was given the name Clark Kent and would grow
up to become Superm an , the never-yi elding warrior for truth.
justi ce. and the Ameri can way
Soon after, in Gotham City. the life of young Bruce Wayne
was shattered by two bullets that ended the li ves of hi s parents
Bitter and energetic. the boy spent years sharpening hi s mind
and body to a keen edge, which he used to wage an all-out war
on the lot of cowardly , superst itious street criminals. giv ing birth
to the legend of Batman.
The emergence of Superman and Batman began the Silver
Age of heroes. In Cen tral City. police sc ienti st Barry Allen was
doused with chemicals which gave him amazing speed. Out of
respect to hi s predecessors. he became the new Flash. the fastest
man alive. In a remote li ghthouse, an Atla ntean-human hybrid
was born in the form of Art hur Curry. who lat e r bec am e
Aq uaman , king of the seve n seas. In Ivy Town, physicist Ray
Palmer di scovered the secret of size and weight control. He used
hi s unique abilities to combat evil as the second Atom. In Coast
City, test pilot Hal Jordan was given a Power Ring and battery by
the dying Ab in Sur. becoming th e Gree n Lantern Corps' first
Terran recruit. There were many more: Oliver Queen became the
Gree n Arrow, Dr. Will Magnu s built th e Metal Men. Ralph
Dibny became th e Elongated Man, the element man Metamorpho
was born. and the original Doom Patrol was founded.
Soon, the seco nd ge nera ti on of heroes followed in the
foot steps of their predecessors and formed their own hero team.
The Ju stice League of Ameri ca was born whe n the Martian
Manhumer. Gree n Lantern Hal Jordan. the second Black Canary.
Aquaman. and the Flash joined together to repel an in vasion of
Earth by the bi zarre ali en Appe ll ax ians. Befo re it was finall y
di sbanded. the J.L.A. would boast almost twenty members.
It was not long until the heroes· junior partners form ed a
"junior Ju stice Leagu e·• of th eir own. th e Tee n Titans. The
Titans, fou nded by Robin , Kid Flash, Speedy, Wonder Girl, and
Aqualad. continu ed to evolve and grow over the years. By the
end of the decade. the group dropped the "Teen'' from their titl e.
and boasted seve ral new Titans: Changeling, Raven. Cyborg,
Jericho. Kole, Starfire, and young Dann y Chase.
The fact that a second ··age of heroes" was underway was
s ig na led in spade s by the arriva l of two more imp o rtant
members of the superhuman community.
In Boston. Princess Diana became th e first Amazo n in over
three th ousa nd years to enter into the ··Man 's World." Dubbed
Wonder Woman by the America n press. Diana has since decided
to remain in America to spread her message of peace and hope.
In San Franci sco. youn g Billy Batson was dra wn into an
aba nd o ned subway tunnel. where he was give n powers far
beyond the mortal ken by the ancient wizard Shazam. As Captain
Marvel. Bill y has since beco me the world 's mightiest mortal.
"Tal<eTen"
by Robert Kanlgher
l created, wrote, and was the editor o
ergeant Rock from his first appearance in " Tb
ock and the Wall'' in Our Army At War#83, i1
1959. I never consulted or collaborated witl
c, from illustrator to publisher. If I had
y Ace would have been rejected. (What?
Germcm shooting down Amerirau, French. an
ritish pilots!-Nererl)
I chose Joe Kubert to illustrate that firs
ock. I only write wholly finished scripts. Ou
elationship on Rock lasted thirteen years o
1onthlies, ..;pecials. and covers. Kuber
ndoubtedly is the definitive artist on Rock
nemy Ace. as well as the Viking Prince.
Rock and Easy Company were in continuous
ublication for almost thirty years. five times
n World War II itself. Rock i
erect the quintessential American sergeant.
kked up copies of Rock in England. F
Spain, Holland, and Finland. Reader
me in from Manhattan to Manila.
In more than three hundred scripts I
·k as real and as authentic as l could. He
super powers. Scratch him. and he bled. He
s tired, hungry, thirsty, battered. But he
ncealed his fears and always led his men
ard. He was "the sergeant generals would like
be"-he was "the Rock of Easy." I made i
ite clear, years ago, that because of the
· us combat they were in, neither Rock n
y would survive the war.
Rock has always existed outside the DC
niverse. As l conceived and wrote about him.
ock lived. fought, and died in real time-jus
s his father had before him, buried in a
ilitary cemetery in France. The epic tales o
'The last Days of Easy" and "End of a Rock''
re finn in mind.
I had no control over other editors using
ock to attract attention to their characters. Thei
omics' characters have no more credibility in
eaming up with Rock's gritty realism
ickey Mouse would have with General Patt
How real and pertinent is Rock? F
'Charlie Company," What Vietnam DI
s, by Peter Goldman and Tony Fuller.
orrow and Company Inc .. New York:
arris was worried about his men too. It
they called him Sergeant Rock, not just
e WI\$ good with an 8 l mm mortar. but
e was concerned about getting them home alive.
Editor Mike Gold wrote that Rock was on
of the most enduring comics creations of a
time ... "he represents our most noble effort
under extreme duress."
Ten's OYer · Move Outl
The Age of Crises
As the ye ar s drew on. more and more s up e rhum a n
defenders of truth sprang up all across th e globe. But what is a
hero without a cri sis to test hi s or her mettl e? Durin g the final
decades of th e 20th century. th e heroes of Earth were' provided
wi th plenty of challenges.
First, there was the greatest Crisis of them all. At the time
that th e Anti - Matt e r Universe was c rea ted. two nea rl y
o mnipo tent beings were born : the Moni tor on a moon of Oa, an d
the Ant i-Monitor on Qward, the planet located al the center of
th e A nt i-Matter Un iverse. Throughout the hi story of th e two
U niverses, th ese two bei ngs were fo reve r locked in bitter
stru gg le. Toward the e nd of the 20th century, the Anti -Mo nitor
was awakened after a lo ng period of dormancy , and promptl y
redoubled hi s efforts to des troy the Positi ve Matter Universe and
hi s good- hea rted co unt e rpart . The e ns uin g batt les lasted for
mo nth s and took the li ves of the second Flash, Ko le, Aquagirl,
the first Do ve, Prince Ra- Man, and the Immo1ta l Man, thou gh
the Uni verse survived in tact.
Pe rhaps the worst pa rt of the Cri sis, however, was that it
caused ce rtain e manati o ns o n the myst ical planes whi ch allowed
the villaino us Brujeria, a mad cult of nihilists, lO put into moti o n
a ma ni aca l sche me to des troy th e e ntirety of crea tion. After
trave lin g across the United Sta~ed at the behest of th~ m.ysterious
John Constantin e in o rder to wnness the nature of ev il first hand,
th e Swamp Thing. Eart h 's e le ment a l g uardia n, successfull y
diffused th e ev il of th e Bruje ria. Eve ntu a ll y, howeve r, the
c lim act ic final battle of the so-call ed American Gothic Saga, a
hu ge assa ul t o n th e rea lms of Heaven a nd He ll the mselves,
swept the demon Etrigan. the Spectre, the Ph antom Stranger,
Doctor Fate, and Dead man into the fray, and took th e li ves of
the magicia n Zatara, and Sargon the So rcerer.
The Crisis also prompted th e e lderl y Guardia ns of th.e
Uni ve rse and the ir estranged mates the Zamarons 10 depart 1he1r
ho me o n O a fo r rea lm s unknown. In th e ir abse nce, th e
Gua rdi ans gave the me mbers of the ir Green Lantern Corps leave
to ope rate as th ey themselves saw fit, prompting seven Gree n
Lantern s to settl e o n Eart h.
Less than a year later ca me Dark seid's att empt to rob t~e
Ea rt h of its hero ic .. legend s." During the campaig n, Darkse1d
tried to turn the people of Eart h against their heroes in order to
pave the way for a grand in vas ion; but hi s sc heme fa iled whe n
Earth 's defenders uncove red the true identity of the charlatan G.
Gordo n God frey and se nt hi s wa rri o rs back to A po ko lips.
During these month s of tyranny, the Justice League of America
was shatte red forever when two of its members were killed by
the insidious Professor Ivo. A few wee ks later, however, a new
Jusii ~~ 7~:g:~~;o~~ ~~~~e t~~a::~~!s~ft~hee ~!~·p ie of Earth we re
fi nall y give n some good news. A short time after th eir departure.
o ne of th e Guardians of the Unive rse and hi s Za maron mate
return ed to bring a mess age to Earth. He rupa Hando Hu and
Nad ia Safir c la imed that th ey had determin ed th e Ea rth wa s
eve ntua ll y to beco me th e birthp lace of th e cos mos' next
immortal race. The pa ir se lected ten hu man s, known as the
C hose n. to carry the geneti c seeds of future glo ry. After th e
G uardian's announ cement, however, the and roi d Manhunters,
the malfun ctio nin g robot servants constructed by the Guardians
many millennia past, ca ught wi nd of th e prophecy an d lau nched
an a ll -out campaign to destroy the C hosen in order to th wart the
goa ls of the ir for mer mas te rs. After a long, drawn out battle
in vo lv in g nea rl y eve ry s up e rhuman o n the planet , th e
Ma nhunt ers were fina lly drive n off th e Eart h. Seven of th e
C hose n. now dubbed th e New Guardians, s urvived to purs ue
their unique destin y.
After o nl y a few mo nth s res t, the heroes of Eart h we re
fo rced to defe nd th eir planet agai nst a massive ali en in vas io n led
by th e cru e l Dominato rs. w ho were bent on subj ugatin g th e
planet before the humans we re capable of pl yin g the space lanes
and ca rvin g o ut an interste ll ar e mpire of th eir ow n.
The in vaders were repe ll ed by the change in allegiance of
t he p lane t Daxa m . w hose inh a bit ant s discovered th at th ey
possessed nearl y Krypton ian- leve l powers in Earth 's atmosphere.
The last-minute deto nation of a ·'gene-bomb" in the atmosphere
by a rogue Dominator nearl y wiped o ut all Earth' s. h~.roes, but a
re sc ue tea m led by J' o nn J' o nzz managed to 111filtrate the
Dom inion and bring out a cure fo r Earth 's ai ling heroes.
In th e wake of th e in vas io n, Ju sti ce League Int ernational
for med a permane nt European branch, and se ven victims of th e
Dominators· ex pe rim e nt s uni ted 10 beco me the Blaste rs. The
a lie ns Katar an d Shayera Ho l reestab li s hed the prese nce ~f
Hawk man and Hawkwoman. In outer space. Colu an nati ve Vnl
Dox saw th e need for a new ga lac ti c peacekeep in g force
fo ll ow in g the des tructio n of the Gree n Lan te rn Corps a nd
gathered together a group of ali en heroes who wou ld patrol th e
space ways as the L E.G. 1. 0.N.
Legends
by Mike Gold
Superman. Batman, Wonder \~oman, t~e
Justice Leagu~ of Amerii:a ... there 1s a certain
majesty to the DC Universe. These are not simple
heroes we·re talking about: these are legend~.
There is a reason why these character~ have
survived for five decades and are known the \\'Orld
over. Tales of mere heroism are not sufficient for
the long run. In order to endure. we must
chronicle 1he adv~nlures of gods.
But gods survive only as long as people
emember them. Characters created before the
econd World War must adapt to changing times.
n 1938. Superman was less likely to perceive a
correlation between the natural destruction of his
ome planet Krypton and the ecological oblivion
aced by his adopted planet Earth. Fifty years
ater, the Man of Steel must be deeply concerned
y the similarities.
Superman, as the ultimate hero. had the
ttributes of a god. Wonder Woman is the prodigy
f gods. And Batman is Pluto on Earth-a
racula who lusts after the blood of evil.
We are not simply in the storytelling
usiness-we are in the myth-making business.
Given our need to establish and maintain a strong
continuity, each story is part of a chain reaction.
·ust as each starts its own chain reaction. Our
·agas become myths.
In recent vcars. the DC Univt!rsc has
solidified not solCly because of ib adherenrC' to an
established continuily. bur because its rc,idenb
are. at las~ being perceived as the legends they are.
The Future and Beyond
T he DC Uni verse co ntinu es to thri ve we ll beyond th e
twe nti eth ce ntury. Ju st after the begin ning of th e twe nt y- first,
seven nation s wi ll ri se to th e statu s of superpowe r and g lo bal
tensio ns will escalate into a mass ive nuc lea r o nslau ght. In the
years th at fo ll ow th e turmo il . ric h robber baro ns will di vide up
th e land amo ngst themselves and estab li sh a new order. fo rcing
th e co mm o n peop le to o nce aga in fi ght fo r th ei r freedo m. a
struggle in whic h the fa mo us gunfi ghter, Jo nah Hex. snatc hed
fro m the past by one of the power barons. will co ntinu e to make
hi s reputatio n.
As th e years go o n, heroes wi ll continue to sprin g fort h to
Ea rth 's de fense: C hri s KL- 99, th e Star Ro vers, Star Ha wkin s,
Omac the One Man Arm y Co rps. Tom my To mo rrow and th e
Planetee rs, an d the Space Range r.
In the 30th ce ntury after a mi llennium of peace. a group of
yo un gs te rs from habitable wor lds. a lmo st too numero us to
count, will form perhaps the greatest groupi ng of heroes ever:
the lege ndary Leg io n of S uper-Heroes. Heroes like Brainiac 5.
Li ghtn ing Lass. Se nsor G irl. T imber Wo l.f. Polar Boy. ~os mi c
Boy, Blok, C hameleon Boy. and Te llus will strugg le aga1 ns1 the
li kes of the Khund s, Uni ve rso, Starfin ge r, th e Fata l Fi ve. the
Leag ue of S upe r-Assass in s. a nd th e ever-prese nt Darkseid
Jo ining th e Leg ion in th e ir stru gg le fo r ju stice will be the
astou nding Champi ons of Lallor and the cos mi c Wanderers.
Towards the end of the 301h century. the Dominators will
ha ve mad e up for the ir fa ilure in overtly conquerin g Earth a
th ousa nd years pas t by sub ve rtin g Earthgov and effec ti ve ly
ru ling the planet. Afte r a hard-fou ght res istance led by many of
the prev iously laughab le Leg ion SU BS, th e Dominators will
finall y be forced off of the Ea rth . However. the joy of victory
will not last long. as fi rst the Moon. and then the planet Earth
herse lf. a re destroyed by a co mbination of Dominion
machi nat ions and humanity's ow n lac k of fores ight. On June 4,
2995. fro m th e as hes of th e planet. a New Earth will ri se; an
amal gam of 94 Eart h c ities launched into space using archaic
28t h ce ntury tec hnology. This Earth wi ll have its own heroes.
the youth ful Legionn aires
Eventuall y. however. it see ms that Ea rth 's heroes will
graduall y disappear. By the ti me of the 58th ce ntury. Earth's
leaders. the so-called Sola r Co un c il , w ill beg in summ o ning
fa mous heroes from the past to help them wage their wars. What
wi ll co me of the Guardi ans' prophecy whi ch selected mankind
as the nex t immortal race in the cosmos remains to be seen.
At th e end of time. the Uni verse wi ll have become a vast
was te lan d. The fat e of ma nkind is unknown , but wa itin g
patie ntl y in thi s era is th e Time Trap per, who will mee t hi s
destiny at the hands of th e Infinite Ma n. a confrontati on that will
start the cycle of the uni verse all ove r aga in . T hu s. eve n the end
of DC Universe is o nl y the beg inning.
II. Places of Interest
in the DC Universe
A good ro le- playing ad ve nture, li ke a good story. needs an
inte~esting s~uing. Fortun ately. t~e DC Uni verse co mes already
equ ipped with a number of suitab le locales. An alphabetical
listing of so me of the planets, cities, and places that have woven
their. way in and oul of the DC comic s over the past fifty years is
provided below.
Time fo r a cheap plug! T here is not nearl y enough room to
cover all of these areas in full detail. More detai led entries for
most of the major areas can be fo und in the various DC HEROES
Role- Playing Game Sourcebooks ava ilable separatel y: The Atlas
of the DC Universe pro vides a detailed look at the cities, planets,
dim ensio ns . .and people of th e DC Uni ve rse. The Apokolips
Sourcebook gives you a closer look at the New Gods of both that
di smal planet and the paradi se- like New Genesis. The Swamp
Thing Sourcebook/ Adventure gra nt s mo re in sig ht into that
c ha ra c te r. as we ll as hi s sw amp ho me outs ide Ho um a,
Lo ui siana. For a look into DC's past, you can consult The World
at War Sourcebook. and fo r a glimpse of the fa r future, 2995: The
Legion ~f Super-Heroes Sourcebook is the key. ~agic provides
eve ryt hrn g yo u need to know about th e mysti ca l places and
charac ters of th e DC Unive rse. whil e the fo ur-volume Who's
Who in the DC Universe Role-Playing Supplement is the ultimate
source of DC HEROES ga me informa ti on on literally hundreds of
1he most importan1 characte rs. places. and gadge ts in th e DC
Un ive rse. See your local ga ming store for more details on what
is avai lable.
Apokolips
Apokolips is the di smal ho me of th e New God Darkseid,
the demon ave nger. It was created by the destruction of the O ld
Gods at the same ti me. New Ge nesi~. the domain of Highfather
l zaya. came into be rn g. A po kohp s and New Ge nes is are
virtu a ll y th e o nl y ha bitabl e plan ets in th e ir sec tion of th e
uni ve rse. and can onl y be reac hed throu gh ex treme measures,
such as the Boom Tube.
Apokolips is. an un c lea n wo rld spec kl ed by. hu ge.g ray
ho_u ses and mach111 e ry. Th e ~ast majo.r it y of its mhabit a nt s
blindl y ack no w ledge Dark se1d as th e ll" sove reign. If he so
de sir~s, Dar~seid can blanket all of Apoko lips under a hu ge
cloaking dev ice that hides the planet from the eyes of all but the
most determined travelers, thou gh he rarel y bothers, beca use no
one is foo lish enough to tra ve l to Apoko lips willing ly.
Some of Apokolips' more notable locations incl ude:
Armagetto: Armage tto is a ma ss ive s ha nl y tow n/l abor
ca mp. Here, . Darkse id 's slaves, known as th e Hun ge r Dogs,
e ndlessly toll away to keep up the flo w of fu e l to th e vas t
Energy Pits. Located several hundred mil es away, th e Pits
provide the planet with a nearl y endl ess suppl y of energy. Every
now and then , a group of Hun ger Dogs will rebel and cause a
temporary planet-wide emergency.
G~anny Goodness ' Hap.plnes.s Home: The Happiness
~ome 1s a so rt of orph anag~ 1n which those youn gs ters that
di splay the necessary pote ntial to beco me o ne of Dark se id's
dreaded Dog So ldi e rs are fo rc ibl y e nroll ed . Th e re th ey are
tortured and trai ned in co mbat by Grann y Goodness and her
lackeys. Mister Miracle of Just ice Leag ue Internat ional grew up
here, but managed to esca pe to Ea rth.
The Tower of Rage: Th e towe r is Darkse id' s pe rso nal
~~~tr;~~e~~;t~~;:\!~~~:e~t~r~~a~~~~ll~:~~t:.~~:~
1
:~~ : ~~:ttir
defe nse systems and intruder alarms. It is said that those who
enter th e Tower of Rage never return. Outside th e tower is a
giant stone sculpture of Darkse id himself
In ad diti on to Dark seid and Gra nn y G oodn ess, o th e r
inhabitants of Apoko li ps in c lude the Female Furies. Manti s.
the Deep Six, DeSaad, Kalibak , Virman Vundabar. and Kanto
the assass in.
S uperm an was forcibl y abd ucted to Apoko lips durino
Darkseid' s camp~ign to rob the Earth of its legend s. The plane~
was rec~ntly v1s1ted by th e members of th e Ju st ice Leag ue
Intern at ion a l whe n th ey trave led to Apo kolip s in pursuit of
their enemy Manga Khan who had abdu cted th ei r teammate
Mi ster Miracle.
Atlantis ,
The sunken conti ne nt of At lan ti s is located in the North
Atlantic Ocean, approximately 7,000 fee t beneath th e surface.
Atlantis is the first place on Eart h where civili zation took root
and eventuall y fl ouri shed
Whi le it was sti~I above sea leve l, At lantis was orig in all y a
stron g center of magic. When soc iety was first fou nded upo n its
shores, Atl anti s was governed by a body of mad sorcerers, who
became engaged in a long strugg le with th e followers of sc ience.
Though the two groups were determined to destroy each ot her.
th ey mana ged, at times, to cooperat e for bri ef ve ntures th at
wou ld be nefit a ll. Aro und 50,000 B.C.. for exa mpl e. th e
Atlanteans b.uilt a magi~a ll ~ powered interplan etary exploration
ve hi c le w hi c h ran sc1e nt1f1 c tes ts up o n a ll o f th e Ea rth 's
neighboring planets and se nt th e result s back to Atl antis.
As the war between sc ience and magic co ntinu ed, th ere
eventually ca me a sorcerer known as Ari on. who dec ided to use
the power of magic toward good ends. Ario n fina ll y managed to
put an end to the struggle that rocked hi s people. but not before a
grea t man y of th e Atl antea ns had fl ed th e co ntin ent fo r th e
ex tradime nsiona l world of Skartari s. Twent y-five yea rs later.
Arion stood alone to oppose a colossal alien in vasion of the Earth
He succeeded in dri ving off the aliens, but not before tragedy had
struck. sinking Atlantis beneath the surface of the sea.
Two of the A tl antea n c iti es, T ri to ni s a nd Poseidoni s,
survived th e catastrophe. The people of eac h city had deve loped
a serum that would allow them to li ve and breathe underwater
For th e peop le of Pose idoni s, eve rythin g wo rk e d o ut a s
ex pe~ted. The people of Triton is, howeve r. had an un ex pected
reacuon to the serum and de ve loped into a race of Mer-people.
One legend te lls of a war between the two c ities whi ch invo lved
time-traveling members of th e Legion of Super-Heroes. but thi s
~tor y. is wide ly co.n.s id e red a m yth. O v.e r th e ye ar s . 1.he
rnh ab1tants of both c1t1es deve loped te lepathic powers. enablmg
them to communicate efficien tl y underwater.
 Today. th e twin technolog ically advanced Atlantea n citi es
rema in beneath the sea. suspended under hu ge protect ive domes
Fo r a time. the hero Aq uaman served as Kin g o f Pose idoni s and
marri ed a que e n. Mera. Ex- Tit a n Aqu a lad is al so a former
res ide ni of All ant is. as was Lori Lemari s. Supe rm,111·s lost love.
Recently, Pose idoni s was co nque red by renegade Durlans. but
was subseque ml y fre ed by the hero ic e fforts of Aquaman
Belle Reve Penitentiary
Be lle Reve is a hu ge federa ll y funded maximum sec urity
pri so n des igned to house supe rhum a n in mates. The pri son is
located in Terrebo nn e Par is h. about IO mil es so uth west of
Ho um a. Lo ui s iana. o n the edge of th e vas t swa mp sys te m
freque nted by th e Swamp Th ing.
Be ll e Reve was co nstruct ed a ft e r the U.S. Gove rnme nt
passed th e Kee ne Ac t and In gerso ll Ame ndme nt s in 1he lat e
1960s wh ich gave pri so n offic ia ls mu c h grea ter latitud e in
dea lin g w ith unu suall y powered c riminal s o f all types . Li fe in
Bell e Reve is ce rta inl y no pi cn ic. bu t up until now there has onl y
been one successful escape. w he n G. Go rd o n God fr ey wa s
liberated by Darkse id' s Fe male Furi es
What makes Belle Reve trul y int erestin g is th e fact that it
o nce se rve d as headquart e rs to th e to p secre t gove rnm e nt
co mmandos known as th e Sui cide Sq uad . In fact. most me mbers
of th e Squad were at one time inmates of Be ll e Re ve who were
offered an amnesty pl an if they would agree to perform a certain
numbe r o f top sec ret dan gerous mission s for lhe government
T hi s is how c rimi nal s like Captai n Boomerang. th e Pe nguin .
C h rono s. th e Think. e r. th e Parasi te. T yp hoo n . Mr . I 04.
Blockb uste r. the Enchantress. Deadshot. and Bron ze T iger we re
first rec ruited into the Sq uad .
Belle Re ve is la rge enough to support approximate ly fifty -
fi ve inmates. and features a guard staff of approxi mate ly th irt y.
The pr iso n is co nn ec ted by a pn e umatic tunne l 10 nearby
Yeage r Field. w here th e Sui c ide Sq uad stored it s airshi ps and
heavy equipme nt.
Bialya
Bialya is a sma ll be leag ue red country located in the Midd le
East. It firs! came to promin e nce whe n the Si lver Sorceress .
Wandjina. and Blue Ja y arr ive d on Earth from their ho me
dime n s io n. int e ndin g to de s t roy a ll o f Ea rth' s nu c lea r
weapo ns-pre sumably in order to save mankind from it se lf.
Bi a lya was 1he first count ry targeted by the three a li e ns. who
the n fe ll under 1he c harismati c sway of Bial ya·s terrori st dic tator
Rumaan Harj avt i. w ho began us in g th e ali e n s to s tir up
inte rnati ona l havoc. Harjavt i's sc he me was later squashed by
me mbers of the new ly form ed Justice Leagu e Intern ationa l. who
ran up against Harj av ti again a few mo nth s later w he n th e
madman began a coope rati ve effort with Batman' s ne mes is the
Joke r to assassinate each and every J.L.1. me mber.
Sin ce that time. Harjavt i has been assass inated and repl.:iced
by th e e ni gmatic Quee n Bee. The Queen Bee and he r arm y of
superhuman fo ll owe rs ha ve mys teri ous ly managed to turn the
poverty stri cken Bial ya imo a country of wea lth and prosperity.
The Queen Bee h as s in ce bee n re moved a nd rep la ced by
Harjavti's brot he r.
Central City
Ce ntra l C ity is localed. appropri ate ly e nough. nea r the
cente r o f th e co ntin e nta l Un it ed States . II is famous as the
longtime home of Barry A ll en, the second Flash.
Ce ntral C ity was ori gina ll y a stop on the great cattl e trail
lead in g out west. and most of the great rai l barons of the late
19th ce ntu ry built rai lways through the city. Ce ntral City rapidly
bec am e th e mo st imp orta nt stop west of C hi c ago , s impl y
because so many rai l lines crossed th rough the c it y th at a nyone
or anything trave lling cross-country was bound to pass th rough
Centra l City at one time or anot he r
C urre ntl y. Centra l C it y's popu lation stand s at around
750.000. including its suburbs. T he c it y itse lf boasts some of the
nati on's most famo us landmarks: The Va n Geld Opera House.
th e Hard we ll Tower. the Gedde Mu seum of Nat ural Hi story.
Blackjack Stadium. and the Flash Mu se um
ln1 eres1in g ly e nough. the prese nce of a rea l- li ve hero
never really brought the fam e and no tori e ty to Central C it y that
lh e prese nce of Superman and Batman brought to Metropoli s
and Gotham . St range vill ai ns see med to fl oc k to Ce ntra l C it y
in unbelie va b le num bers ju s t 10 tes 1 th ei r me1t le: Mirror
Maste r. Capta in Boome rang. Capta in Co ld. the Tri c kster. the
Weather W iza rd , e tc. Ever sin ce Barry A ll e n 's trag ic death
during the Cri sis. Ce nt ra l City has become a lot qui e ter. though
a lot less interes ting
Coast City
Coast Ci ty. Ca li forn ia is located o n Hi ghway 10 1 near
Sausa lito. just across the bay from San Francisco. Oak land. and
Pac ifica. It is one of the busiest sea ports on the Pacific coast
and boasts a mild climate. exoti c sce ne ry. and a world famou s
skyline. Coast City is the home of Eart h'~ firs t Green Lantern.
Hal Jordan .
C urre ntl y. th e pop ulati on o f Coas t C it y res ts aro und
675.000 people. Amo ng the c it y's bright spots are: the Joseph
M. Leff Mu se um of Natural Hi s1ory. the ..Two Mil e Mat 1:· the
U.C.C.C. (Un iversity of Ca li forn ia at Coast City). the Cost C ity
Po lice Mu se um . and the free-w hee ling Dropaway Beach . In
addition. Coast C ity has rece ntl y become a major oil prod uce r.
now that the c it y fath ers have a ll owed off-shore drilling in !he
Santa Clara Channe l that passes ri gh1 through the ci ty. though
ma ny arg ue th a t th e dr illin g is har min g th e s urroundin g
env ironme nt
Green Lantern and hi s co ll eague s are ve ry popul ar a mongst
th e people of Coast C it y. eve n thou g h more th a n one of hi s
e ne mi es has w reaked ha voc upon 1he c ity it se lf. In fact. th ey
have show n the ir apprecia ti o n by cons truc tin g a giant marble
stawe of Green Lante rn in the dow ntow n Siar Sq uare
Feithera
Feithera is a hidde n city of intelligent bird-men located in
northern Gree nl and . It was fou nded almost three thou sa nd ye ars
ago. In 1946, the c ity was di scovered by an Ame rican pil ot who
had strayed o ff course. When the pi lot returned to America. few
be li eved hi s story. allhough he was pe rsuasive e nough to im erest
an oppon uni stic gro up o f hunters, who hoped IO bag one of the
bird people and return with it for ex hibiti on. This scheme was
1hwarted by the origina l Hawkman a nd Haw k. girl. who not onl y
stopped th e hunters a nd agreed to keep Fe i1hc ra·s ex iste nce a
sec ret. but foi led an atte mpted coup by the villainous birdman
Trata aswe ll.
Fro m th at day forward. Hawkma n and Hawkg irl beca me
freque111 visitors to Fe ithe ra. Eventua ll y. the Fe itherans a ll owed
their hum an fri e nd s to brin g anthropologi st Dr. Fred Ca ntre ll to
li ve among the bird people a nd stud y their c ustoms. Whi le in
Feithera. Ca ntre ll fe ll in love w ith Osoro. th e daughter o f the
Fei lhera n rul er Worl a. and the two had a half-breed son. Norda.
Eve ntu all y. Norda left Feit hera for a time to join the heroes of
Infinit y In c., bu t has sin ce returned to replace Worla as th e
leader of his people.
Recent ly. Fe ithera was destroyed by a passi ng glacier. but
the bird people have sin ce rebuilt th e c ity in a sa fer locat ion.
Today. Feithera stands as a shimm erin g city of go ld amongst the
Arcti c waste lands
 Gemworld
Gemwo rl d is an o the r-di mens i ona l realm that i s on l y
slightly removed from the plane of Eart h. It was fou nded when
the wiza rd kin gs of th e twe lve great hou ses or anc ient Earth
sought lo create a new kingdom for their people afte r a major
sun .we nt nov a ov_er two th ousa nd ye ars ago, rea li gnin g th e
zodiac and remov rn g most of the magic from the Earth. Ju st
after this catastrophe, the kings of 1he twelve houses poured all
of their remaining mystical might into the person of C itrin a, a
yo un g sorce ress . and bade her to fi nd a sui table unformed
mys ti cal dime nsion in whi ch ma gic was ple ntiful. C itri na
succeeded when she fo unded the Gemworld. and the people of
the twe l ve houses fo llowed her there.
Gemworld co nsists of one ce ntra l land mass surrounded by
a vast sea, with severa l small island clusters lying j ust off shore.
One of lhe interesting things about Gemworld is that it is clea rl y
flat. Its sea is circular in shape and constant ly cascades off the
edge of the world in a steep fal l. What lies below and beyond
Gemworld is unknown. Another peculi arity is that Gemworld's
sun is a li ving entity. Eac h day. the sun leaves its home in the
eas tern sea. and bl azes throu gh th e sky. As it moves, it
dissipates most of the energy it replenis hes at ni ght, until it
becomes a moon at the end of its journey.
Because it does not lie upon the Earth pl ane, the ph ys ical
laws on Gemworld are completely different from those on Earth
In fact, the laws are dictated by the powerful sorcerers th at rule
the plane. There are twe lve import ant houses that ru le over
Gemworld: Amet hyst. Ruby, Emerald, Ga rn et, Diamond,
Moonstone, Topaz. Sapph ire. Sardonyx. Turquo ise. Opal, and
Aquamarine. Princess Amethyst recentl y learned that she is one
of th e mys ti ca l Lord s of Order bo rn in hum an form. Her
nemesis, Da rk Opal, se rves one of the Lords of Chaos.
Somehow in the future. Ge mworld will be trnnsported to
th e Ea rth dimen s ion and beco me known as Zerox, th e
So rcerers World . The exac t circ um stances of thi s
transformat ion remain un know n.
Gorilla City
Gorilla Cit y is a civili zation of highl y evolved gori llas
found in Afri ca betwee n th e Co ngo and Suda n. The inhabitants
of Gorilla City , all of whom are far large r and stron ge r th an
o rdin ary go rill as. were me nta ll y enh anced by a fa ll e n
meteorite. The go rill as founded th ei r ow n civil ization during
the late 19th centu ry.
The gorillas of Gori lla City owe their unique abilities to
the fact that they have learned how to tap a full I00 percent of
their cranial and muscular capaci ti es, as opposed 10 the normal
20 percent used by humans. They are in general a kind. peace-
loving people who have deve loped th eir tec hnology to levels
far in excess of tho se o f mankind. On e produ ct of this
techno logy is th e hu ge in visible barrier whi ch keeps Gorill a
City hidden from the eyes of all but its inhabitants and keeps
out unwa nted intruders.
Currentl y. Gorilla City is ruled by the good Kin g Solovar,
who was a friend of the second Flash. Barry Allen. The Flash
he lped Solovar thwart th e evi l sc hemes of hi s countryman
Gorilla Grodd on man y occasions. For a long time, Allen was
the only human entrusted with the knowledge of Gorilla City's
existence. On one occasion. however, Grodd managed to switch
off the city's force barrier, renderi ng Gorilla City visible to
humans. The reafter. Solovar tra veled to the Un ited Natio ns in
New York Ci ty and won worldwide recogniti on of Gor ill a
City ' s right to ex ist as a separate nation.
[n time, however, th e gorill as dec ided th al exposure to
humanity was harmful to its society and once again cut off all
lies to the outside world. In orde r to guarantee isolation, Solovar
himself constructed a Myotronic Beacon nea r Ea rth 's North
Pole in order to broadcast a rad ioactive signal that would cause
the populat ion of Eart h to forget about Gorilla City forever. The
only human allowed to retain his memory of th e gorillas an d
thei r civ ili zation was th e second Flash, who has since died.
Rece ntl y. the third Flash and Gree n Lantern were called to
Gorilla City by Solovar to th wart an atte mpt by Grodd to gain
massive powers be reexposing himself to the meteoric rays that
first gave him his powers.
Gotham City
Gotham Cit y is a large city which has seen belier days.
The fac t th at 4,800,000 peo ple live within the me tropo litan
area is testimony that man y still believe in Go th am's future.
Located on th e eastern seaboard, Goth am' s access to the majo r
Atlantic shi pping lanes guarantees its importance as a port of
call in th e future.
Gotham City was founded in 1635 by Swedish mercenary
Captai n Jon Logerq uisl. Captai n Loge rqui st and severa l
coloni sts had come to the New World after the defeat of the
Swedish armies at Nordlin ge n, fleei ng the devastatin g re ligious
wa rs in Europe. Logerquis t na med th e se ttl e ment Fort
Ado lphus, after lhe great Swedish general Gustav us Adolphus.
In 1674, all of New Sweden was ceded to the British. The first
official acl of Gove rnor General Adam Howe was to rename
the seul eme nt Got ham City.
Go th am was para lyzed by ri va l fact io ns durin g th e
Re vo lutionary War; th e city had as ma ny Tories as Rebels.
Briti sh troo ps and th eir hired Hess ian allies were based in
Gotham throu ghout most of th e war. As lo ng as Gotham
remained under British contro l, New England cou ld easily be
separated from the rest of the colonies.
In 1779, an officer of the Continental Army agreed to lead
a rebel contingent on a ra id of the Gotham powder magazine and
the adjacent armory fo r desperately needed supplies. Tory spies
alerted the Briti sh, who set an amb ush. A Gotham merchant
named Darius Wayne warned the rebels by rin ging a church's
bell near th e armory. The reb els escaped, and Wa yne was
arres ted and charged with treaso n. Got ham City fel l to the
Co ntinental Army on the day Wayne was to be hanged. The city
gave Way ne some land south of th e ci ty as a reward for hi s
heroism, form ing the beginning of the Way ne estate.
Gotham grew rapidl y during the age of steel and rail. By
1900 it was the lead ing financi al ce nter in North Ame ri ca,
second in all the world onl y to London. But the city which has
thrived on coal and rail roads encou ntered problems when the
age of petroleum and automobiles began. By 1920, Gotham was
second city to New York, and a weak recovery from the Great
Depression left it third behind New York and Met ropolis. The
decl ine was halted (so me say onl y slowed) in the mid- l 970s.
While still a great city, Gotham has a grittier, grimier feel to it
than Metropolis does. Perhaps on ly Gotham could have give n
birth to the Batman.
Goth am City is not broken up into boroughs, but rather is
composed of a number of diverse neighborhoods. Some of the
most prominent of these are as follows:
Chelsea
Chelsea was ori g in all y th e area where the wea lth y of
Gotham had th eir summer homes. As the city grew, the wea lth y
moved elsewhere and Chelsea declined, at least in the eyes of
the wealthy who once li ved here. It neve r became a slum, and
the varied arc hi tecture and small cloisters of buildings attracted
much of Gotham's intellectual and artistic talent. There were
people who could not ye t afford to li ve elsew here, or who
simply preferred to li ve in a supportive commun ity. In the last
decade, Chelsea has become a popular nei ghborhood for
you nger business professionals as we ll as artists.
Gotham Universit y lies on the northeast edge of Chelsea.
 Bryanttown
Bryanttown is co nsidered a sl um area. It was originally a
wo rkin g c lass nei g hb o rh ood which d e te riorat ed due to a
co mbinati on of fate and o ffi cial poli cy. The decli ne seemed to
beg in w hen Gotham State Pri son, ni c kn amed "the Tombs,"
caused property values in the area to plummet. Several hou sin g
projects ex ist in Bryanttown, which were poorly planned and
poor ly exec ut ed . R en t co nt ro l and a bse nt ee land lo rd s
co mpounded the probl em, lowering the quality of the housin g
stock and increasing the amount of arson. Occasional escapes by
vill ains fro m the Tombs have on ly exacerbated the situ ati on.
Recently, reside nts of Bryanttown have taken steps to improve
their nei ghborhood, but these im provements are still small oases
of life in a general setting of decay.
Neville
The o ld docks and th e o lder British nava l barracks have
been razed or renovated as par t o f thi s ne ig hb or ho od's
reha bilitati on proj ec t. Much of th e rehabi litati o n has been
s po nso red by the Way n e Foundat io n, a nd th e Wayne
Foundation Building is located here. Hous in g is va ri ed, from
sin g le-fa mil y d we llin gs to multi -unit apartmen ts. Neville has
some of Gotham 's most exc itin g ni ght spots and many of its
trendi est restaurants.
Uptown
Upt ow n was o nc e the neig hborhood in whi c h to li ve in
Gotham , bu t th at position has been us urped by Bri stol and
Nevi lle. II has not de teri orated as much as it has become soc iall y
mi xed. You can find the profess ional, the factory worker, th e
small shop ow ner, the very rich, and the very weird, all Jiving in
Uptown. Reside nti al hotels th at charge several tho usand dollars
a month in rent are nex t to free legal clinics, and a Ro ll s Royce
Si lve r Spirit w ill often be parked next to a Do d ge Omni
Uptown is a very to lerant neighborhood, and the mix of people
here makes it th e most vibrant of Gotham's areas ... at least in
the opinion of the Uptowners
Vicki Va le , photographer for Picture News, Ji ves in
Uptown, in an apartment overl ooki ng Goth am Park.
Chinatown
Chi natown is more th an a touri st attract ion. It remai ns a
so lid Chinese community, even though many of the residents are
third ge neratio n Americans. More th an any other neighborhood ,
Chin atow n li ves by its own set of standards. They do not impose
these standards on nonresidents, but where Gotham's laws and
procedures con fli c t w ith th e tr ad iti o ns of Chinatown , th e
res id ents he re choose th e ir ow n method of h andlin g thin gs.
Chinatown is o ne of Gotham 's most crime- free neighborhoods.
Gotham Village
Recently renamed, the character of the area is best described
by its former titl e: th e Gotham Indu stri a l Park. After a fail ed
atte mpt to lure new industry to Gotham, the c it y has tri ed to
co nve rt the area into low rent hous in g. Th e area has severa l
respectable ho usin g develop ments, but th e district is one of the
grayer districts of Gotham. Several Gotham Vi llage residents have
moved back to Bryanttown rather than li ve in Gotham Village.
Bristol
Br is to l is Gotham 's most exc lu s ive n e ig hb o rh oo d ,
compri sed of large sin gle-famil y hom es and mansions on multi -
ac re plots, the riche st ha vin g seve ral hundred ac res o f land
surrounding their homes. Bristo l has its ow n pri vate security
force (Got ham Bay Security) , seve ral yac ht yard s , a nd th e
Gotham Tenni s Hall of Fame. Gotham Bay Security is on very
good term s with the res idents of Bristol, and maintains a good
working re lat ionship with the Gotham Ci ty Police Departmen t.
Stately Wayne Manor, home of milli onai re pl ayboy Bruce
Wayne, is located in Bristo l.
The Bowery
Th e Bowery was or ig in a ll y a farm ow n ed by Jon
Logerquist, th e founder of Gotham Ci ty. The British burn ed th e
farm after Logerqui st refu sed to pay taxes to th e Crown.
Logerq uist was kill ed in the fire.
The Bowery has had an un savory reput ation ever since th e
days of Lagerqui st. The majority of th e ghos t stori es to ld in
Gotham have their origins in the Bowery.
Unlike the other districts of Gotham. the Bowery has never
had a n y g lo ry da ys . Th e neighborhood ha s a lways bee n
un savory. Many o f Go tham ' s most no torio us crim ina ls took
advantage of the superstition s surroundin g the Bowery to cover
for their criminal activities.
Crime Alley, where Bruce Wayn e's parent s, T homas and
Martha Wayne, were kill ed, is located in the Bowery.
Manchester
Manchester is a res identi al di strict known fo r its vari ety of
e thni c restaurants a nd the Ma nc hes te r Viaduct. Go tham 's
racetrack. Whi le the state control s the gambling at the track, the
mob has infiltrated th e racetrack. They manipul ate everything
from the odds establi shed by computer to the races themse lves.
Gotham authoritj es clea n up the Viaduct on a regul ar basis, and
the mob moves back in just as regu larl y.
T he ethni c mi x of Manchester includ es Thai , Hi spanic.
Arge ntin e, V ietnam ese, Turki s h, and It a li a n. Th e mi x ha s
divided Manchester into a number of sub ne ightorhoods, each
zealously g uarded by its ow n street gangs. Gang vio lence has
recently esca lated, th e most fa mous incident being the gunning
dow n of tw o Go tham Uni vers it y track sta rs fo r hav in g the
audacity to run in Manchester wi thout pay ing tribute to o ne of
the ga ngs. A ll of th e ga ngs treat th e Manchester Viaduct as
being a neutral zone, a no-man ' s land.
The House of Mystery
& The House of Secrets
The Ho uses o f M ys tery and Secrets are hu ge sprawling
man s io ns th at li e on o ppos ite s id es of a ce me te ry loca ted
somew he re in the Kentucky Hill s. T he Ho use of Mystery is
overseen by the reincarn ation of th e biblica l Ca in . whil e th e
House of Secrets is cared for by Cain 's brother Abel. Both Ca in
and Abe l are master storytell ers with a gift for the macabre. Th e
brothers are subservient to the wi ll of the Sandm an, ruler of the
Dream Dimension , who gave them their charters at some point
in the past.
The exact ph ysica l locati ons of the House of Mystery and
House of Secrets are somew hat vague. Sometimes th e houses
are present, whjJe other times they are not. At ti mes, the houses
apparent ly remove th e mse lves to the o ut skirt s of th e Dream
Dimension. In fact, most visito rs reach th e houses whil e in a
dream state. In any case, it seem s that on ly those who m the
hi gher mysti cal beings deem worthy of a mys tery or secret can
ever hope to reach the houses.
When a being first approaches the Houses of My stery and
Secrets, he is generall y met by Cain and Abel and then asked to
choose whether he would rather be entrusted with a mystery or a
secret: my sterie s are dark and impenetrab le, but sec rets mu st
always be kept to one's self. One of the two brothers then takes the
visitor inside and relates some horrific tale. Usuall y, th is ta le will
highlight a lesson that has some bearing upon the visitor's life.
In side, th e ho uses defy perceptio n. Those who wander in
without a guide in vari abl y end up becom ing hopeless ly lost in
the winding passageways.
Hub City
Hub City is a sprawling urban jung le located somew here in
the midwest. Its chi efl y ethni c inhabitants are genera ll y looked
do wn upon by th e res t of th e Ameri can popu lace, many of
who m like to swap Hub Cit y jokes. Cu rrentl y, Hub Ci ty has a
popul ati on of j ust ove r 500,000.
Hub City is unique in th at it is perhaps the most corrupt
city in 1he emire cou ntry. Ever since its fou ndation in the 19th
ce ntury, th e cit y has been a we ll -kn ow n center of organ ized
crim e act ivity , and th e ci ty fat hers and official s ha ve bee n
connected wi th Hu b City' s mobs and sy ndicates as long.
Rece ntl y, Vic Sage, Hub City's cru sading te le-journali st,
a lso kn ow n a s th e Qu es ti o n, ma naged to cripp le th e
admini strati o n o f croo ked mayor Wes ley Fe rmin , se ndin g
shockwaves through the Hub City underworld. When Fermin's
term ran out, hi s fei sty-but-hon est wife Myra Con nely Fermin
ran a bitter nec k and nec k mayo ra l ca mpaign against th e
sy ndi cate ca ndid ate Roya l Din smo re. During th e campaig n,
Dinsmore resorted to coercion and fi xed ba ll ot bo xes to buy
vo les. t ho ugh bo1h o f th ese sc he mes were fo il ed by th e
Question. Dinsmore was kill ed in an automobil e acc ident o n
election day, and Myra Fermin was declared winner by defau lt.
Before she co uld take office, ho weve r, she was shot by her
me nt all y un stab le hu sba nd. Ac tin g Chief of Police Isadore
O' Toole ass um ed the duti es of th e mayor until such time as
Myra Fermi n ca me out of her coma.
Even loo kin g past the crime and corruptio n, Hub City is
still a terrible place to li ve. Its 34% unemployment rate is the
hi g hes t in the na tion , and nea rb y indu strial ce nt ers dump
enorm ous amounts of pollutants into the air over the ci ty every
day. Still. its res idents cl aim that Hu b City has a charm all its
own, and many would not leave for anythin g in the world
Krypton
Krypton was th e birthplace of S uperman , Earth's greatest
hero. Superm an, or Kai-El, as he was kn ow n on hi s homeworld ,
was rocketed away fro m Krypton by hi s pare nt s, Jor-E I and
Lara, just before it was destroyed in a geolog ical catastrophe
over fifty years ago. While it ex isted , Krypton was roug hl y the
size of Earth and orbited a g iant red sun located about 50 li ght
years away fro m the Earth solar system.
Before Kryp ton ex ploded. its sc ience and techn ology far
exceeded anythin g th at Eart h has yet produced. Clones of all
li ving Kryptonians were kept o n hand so that di seased or injured
body parts could be replaced with those of the appropri ate clone,
vastl y increasing the Kryptonian li fe span. The Kryptoni an s had
time to enjoy these lo ng li ves, sin ce all meni al labor on Krypton
was performed by se mi -sentient work robots.
Although th ey were ge nerall y a peace loving peop le, the
Kryptonians eventually became embroil ed in a hu ge war whi ch
escalated o ut of a debate ove r the ethi cs of clo nin g. Shortl y
th ereafte r, th e vas t internal pressures that created the dead ly
rad ioactive Kry ptonite and wo ul d o ne day destroy th e entire
planet began building.
Markovia
T he tin y European natio n of Markovia is the original hom e
of the hero Geo-Force of the now defun ct Outsiders. Markovia
came to national promin ence when Lu c iu s Fox, a frie nd of
million a ire indu striali st Bruce Wayne, was tra pped in th e
country durin g a co up attempt staged by the psychoti c Baro n
Bedlam. In the gui se of Batman, Way ne trave led to Markov ia
where he met Geo-Force, Halo, Kamna, Bl ack Li ghtnin g, and
Metamorph o th e e le ment man. Th ese heroes in turn freed Fox
and thwarted Bedl a m ' s sc he me. In fac t, th e tea m was so
success ful during th eir brief stint together that they dec ided to
move to the Un ited States and form a hero team, the Outside rs.
un der the tutelage of th e Batman
Whil e th ey were in th e United States, Markov ia provided
the Outsiders with lodgin gs and a scientifi c advisor, Dr. Helga
Jace, Markov ia' s Nobel Pri ze-wi nnin g phys icist. Later, the tea m
return ed to Markovia to fo il yet an oth er in vasion by Baron
Bedlam ; and , after th eir headquarters was destroyed by Major
Di sas te r, bri efl y s tati o ned th e mse lves perman e ntl y with in
Marko via 's bo rd ers. U nfortunat e ly, th e Out side rs parted
co mp a n y afte r th ei r me mb e rs we re rocked by the
Millenniurn/Manhunteraffair.
Oa, the Mosaic World
Oa is the homeworld of th e Guardians of the Universe, the
fou nders of the mi ghty Green Lantern Corps. Mos t of Oa seems

Metropolis
by Roger Stern
From its modest beginnings in the J600's as a Dutch fort. Metropolis-literally the Mother City-has grown t
become the greatest American city of the 20th century.
Occupying three islands. as well as the banks of the Hob's and West Rivers, MetropQlis is divided into six boroughs
Queensland Park. Bakerline, St. Martin's Island, New Troy, Hell's Gate, and Park Ridge. The city today boasts a residen
pQpulation of 6,000,000, making it one of the most populous cities in the nation.
Home to many thousands of businesses, large and small. Metropolis is the headquarters city for a score of banking
insurance. investment, and financial concerns. A majority of Metropolitan businesses, of course. are wholly or partially
owned subsidiaries of LexCorp International, the multinational conglomerate founded. owned, and managed by Lex
Luthor.
Among the many holdings of LexCorp are LexCom (owners of the television station WLEX), Advanced Research
Laboratories. LexOil, SecurCorp Annored Car Service, and the Good Foods Group (owners of Ralli's Family Restaurants
and the Bun' n"Run fast food chain)-as well as two major airlines (lnterContinental Airlines and LexAir), three banks,
(the MetropQlis Mercantile Bank, Commerce Bank of Metropolis, and First Metro Security). and Koul-Brau Breweries.
As Lex.Corp dominates the commerce of the city-and indeed, of Lhe world-so too does its 96-story "L" shaped towe!l
dominate the Metropolis skyline from a position at the eastern point of New Troy. It has been esti mated that Luthor either
directly or indirectly employs nearly two thirds of the city's pQpulation.
A major center of the ans, sciences, and education, Metropolis boasts over a score of colleges and trade school s. as
well as the spraw ling campus of the University of MetropQlis (better known as UMel), located along the southern border
of Centennial Park. Founded in 1817, UMet is ranked alongside such prestigious schools as Yale and Harvard. and is
famed worldwide for its School of Journalism.
As with all big cities, Metropolis is not immune to misery and deprivation. The same streets walked by the city's
mullimillionaires are home to penniless bag people. A single block separates the classic brownstones of Bessolo
Boulevard from the X - Rated theaters and adult bookshops of Hob's Lane, the southern boundary of Metropolis' most
impoveris hed area, the ten square blocks known as Suicide Slum.
A once prosperous neighborhood, still officially referred to in the city register as Hob's Bay, Suicide Slum began its
sHde into cri me and poverty with the Great Depression of the l 930's. Despite numerous attempts at urban renewal.
Suicide Slum has remained a hellhole without equa l. Nevertheless, from amid its squalor have come a Congressman, a
to be a de sert wa s teland su s pended beneath an unu s ua ll y
proximate sun. T he planet's most not iceab le feat ure is the hu ge.
g leam in g Cit ade l built by th e Guardia ns. Siuing in th e Citadel's
central chamber is the Central Power Bauery whi ch powe rs th e
Gree n Lantern s· Power Rin gs and batteries from afar. Th ere is
no li fe nati ve to Oa. so being trapped out in the desert c<.m be
deadl y. Fortunate ly. th e e ntire planet is hon ey combed with
tunne ls leading into the C irnde l. The on ly other trul y noti ceab le
features on Oa are the periodi c projec ting stati o ns dotted across
the land scape whi ch are used to su1Tound th e e ntire planet with a
va st e nergy s hi e ld. kee pin g out intrude rs. Thi s shi e ld is still
programmed 10 all ow au tomat ic entry to members of th e Gree n
Lantern Corps.
Another feature of Oa that remain s in tact is the huge block
of sc ience ll s used by th e Guardians to incarce rat e dange rou s
intergalacti c criminal s. Sinestro and th e mad sec tor 3600 are the
on ly criminal s that ha ve eve r escaped from the sc ie nce lls
Re ce ntl y. the mad Guardian c a ll e d th e "O ld -Tim e r"'
stranded o n the planet Oa co mmuniti es from vari ous wor\ds.
The Guard ian s have pressed Gree n Lantern John Stewa rt into
watchin g ove r th is "Mosaic" worl d and to wo rk o ut th e bases o t
future cosmi c harmon y.
Paradise Island (Themyscira)
Nam e d for Th e m ysc ira , th e wa ll e d cit y tha t w a s th e
o ri ginal home of th e Amazons in an cie nt Greece, Paradise Island
rests in the middle of the Bermuda Trian gle under a perpetual
co ver of clo uds. O ne of the pec uliar enchantments of Paradise
Island is th at all tec hnolog ical dev ices that are broug ht with in a
short d istan ce of the island fa il to fun ction .
The Amazons were first brought to Paradise Island by their
queen. Hippol yte. after she and her sister Ama zo ns were abu sed
and humiliated by th e de mi god Herac les a nd hi s follo wers.
Upon settling on the ir island home. the Amazo ns vo wed to kee p
them selves isolated from the world of man. and de voted the ir
exi s te nce to th e wors hi p of Gaea. th e Ea rth goddess . T he
goddess Athe na guided the Ama zons to se ttle o n Paradi se Island
so th ey could wat c h ove r th e un s pe1.1kable horror that was
impri soned beneath the island unde r th e huge gate known as
Doom 's Doorway.
Amon g the island 's other interesting features arc:
The Royal Palace: th e vast commo ns in whi c h Quee n
Hippo lyte and her ad visors ho ld cour1.
The Coliseum : where the Amazons engage in the thrill of
competition . It was here that Princess Diana wo n the right to
travel to man 's worl d.
The Senate Chamber: w he re th e e ld e rs o f th e
Ama zo ns mee t.
The Temple of the Oracle: where. until recen tl y. the
Amazon Menalippe co uld sometim es co mmun e wi th the gods.
The Island of Healing : where the Amazons would take
their sick and wounded. T hose treat ed with th e herbs th at grow
here arc almost inev itabl y cured. ....
Recent ly, th e Ama zo ns ha ve ope ne d up th e s hores of
T he myscira to the o ut side world. Amo ng the first visitors were
Di;.111a ·s fri ends Vanessa and Julia Kapat eli s.
The Parliament of Trees
In th e DC Uni ve rse. th e Ea rth itself is a se nti ent being.
Sin ce th e first life took roo t in its soil. th e Earth has found it
necessary to create its own champion to protec t the environment
a nd plane tar y e ne rg ies from outside harm . Th e lates t such
champion is Loui siana·s Swa mp Thin g.
Eve ntuall y each of the se champi ons. or plant e lement als as
they are call ed. grows wea ry of hi s stru gg le and trave ls down to
a s mall gro ve in Brazil near th e ri ve r Te fe to tak e perman ent
root and jo in minds with all of the former e leme ntal s that make
up th e so-ca ll ed Parliament of Trees. The current me mbers o t
the Parliament include: th e Great Uri. the guardian of prehi storic
Afri c a; th e Gho st Hidin g in th e Ru shes, protec to r of ancie nt
China: the Erl -King of medi eval Europe: and Jack in the Gree n.
an e lemental that spra ng up in turn of the ce ntury Eng land.
Qurac
Qurac is a small Middl e Eastern nati o n that run s al ong 1he
west bu nd of lhe Persian Gulf. Most nati o ns of the world re fuse
to carry on diplomati c re lation s with Qurac becau se of th e
country' s who les ale endorse ment of ten-ori sm.

ederal Court judge. at least three baseball greats-including Hall of Fainer Hank ..the Hammer'" Halloran-and a young
1an named Perry White. White fought his way out of Suicide Slum making u name for himself as a journalist and war
correspondent. He is currentJy Lhe managing editor oft he Daily Planet.
Unusual in thic; day of electronic media. Metropolis boasts four daily newspapers: the Daily Planet, the Daily News
e Suir, and the Eagle: as well as an alternative weekly called the Whisper. It is. however, the Daily Pla11e1 which is th
city's most prestigious newspaper.
The Daj/v Planer had its origins in the weekly periodical Our Plane1, which was founded by publisher Joshu·
Merriwether in 1775. The original Pltmet offices on New Troy's Soulh End were burned to Lhe ground by a band o
British loyalists in January 1783. The paper resumed pub lication ten years later in new offices m the corner of F'ifLIJl
Street and Concord Lane. Presidenl George Washington wrote the first editoria l for the new Dc,ily Planet. the text o
which later became Lhe basis for his Farewell Address. In 1928. Lhe Plcmet offices were moved to I.he building whic
now bears its name.
The thirty-seven slory Daily Planet Building, with its distinctive rooftop globe. is one of the most recognizable
landmarks on the Metropolis skyline. Originully owned by its bui lder, Jonas K. McAuley, the Planet Building and th
paper itself are now owned by Transnational Enterprises. In addition to the Planet. the building also houses the horn
offices of many of Metropolis' older corporations. Lt was in the Planet Building that Le x Luthor first established hi
corporate offices, when he was only twenty-two. Jn the course of building his empire, Luthor acquired ownership to the
Daily Planet, but abandoned his ho ldings in the paper when he became convinced that television was the onl
communications medium that fit his vision of the future.
There are literally thou sands of things for which Metropolis can claim fame, from the dazzling theater district along
Glenmorgan Square to the bustling waterfront of the South Side. But the city is mentioned most often in connection witl
her famous champion. Superman.
Superman made hi s first public appearance at Metropolis International Airport, where he acted to save the
experimental space plane Constitution. Although Superman had since ranged worldwide, working to avert both natural
and human engineered disasters, he had been a constant presence in Metropolis. The residents of the city knew little abou
the personal life of the Man of Steel, but like so many of the international interests headquartered in the city, he appeared
to have adopted Metropolis as hi s home base.
 Qurac was part of the Ottoman Empire until the e nd of
World War I, during whic h it was seized by Arabic and Engli sh
for ces und e r th e co mmand of T .E. Lawrence (kn ow n as
Lawrence of Arab ia). During World War II, Qurac ha lfhearted ly
a lli ed il se lf w ith th e Ax is pow e rs s ho rtl y after win nin g its
independence. In 1942, Germ an eng in eers built th e fort ress
Jotunhe im in Qurac 's mountainous south . The fortress is still
used today.
Unti l quite recently, Qurac was rul ed by General Marlo, a
ruthl ess military di cLa lor. Unfortun ate ly, one of Marlo' s first
actions as dictator was to accidental ly poison Qurac's liberal oi l
reserves by tes t-firin g a c rud e, improperly shi e ld ed atomic
weapo n . S in ce th at time , Q ura c ha s bee n waging a g loba l
campai gn of terror that has brought the nation into conflict with
the New Titans, Supennan, and even the Soviet U nion . Supennan
hi mse lf once in vaded Qurac and destroyed Quaraci armed forces;
an effo rt th at fa il ed sin ce it finall y won th e Quaracis a sma ll
measure of pub lic sympathy. T he tiny nation garnered even more
sy mpath y w he n it rece ntl y became th e victim of a nucl ear
bombing caused by the Sisterhood of Evil. The bombs devastated
Qurac's capitol. as well as its ruling fami ly.
Qward
Qward is lhe planet that li es at the very center of the Anti -
Matter Un iverse, c reated whe n Krona broke the anc ie nt Oan
taboo th at forba de inquiry into th e orig in s of crea tion . On
Qward, eve rything is perceived in th e exact oppos ite manner
from the way it is perce ived in th e Positi ve Matter Uni verse;
things that are virtu ous are co nsidered fo ul in the Anti -Matter
Uni verse, while thin gs that are despicab le are cheri shed.
Qward is di ffic ult to reac h from th e Positi ve M a tt e r
U ni ve rse, th ough th ere are a numbe r of "cos mi c gateways"
scattered around the Positive Matter Uni verse that lead direct ly
into Qward. One such gateway lies on the fringe of Cali fornia 's
Coast City
For th e m os t part , Qward is a horrib ly g r ay wor ld
domi nated by stone and steel structures. One half of the planet is
covered by a thi c k jung le, wh il e th e other half is swept by a cold
dese11. Qward 's main fealure is its capita l c ity Qwardeen, home
of the dreaded Weaponers and their warriors, the Thunde rers.
For quite some time be fore hi s death, Green Lantern 's arch-
ene my Si nestro was imprisoned in Q ward by the Guard ians of
th e Un i ve rse, w he re h e e nt e red several of th e Qwardian
" Popularity Con tests," an annua l competi tion to see who could
perform the most heinous deed
Rann
Rann is the th ird pla net in the A lpha Centauri -A syslem,
approx imate ly 4. 3 light years away from our own so lar syste m
Ra nn is mu c h old e r than Earth , a nd th e fir st primitive
inhabitants of Rann deve lo ped space trave l more th a n one
billion years ago
Rann 's mod e rn pop ul ation co nstructed it s c hi ef c it y ,
Ra nagar, ap proxim ate ly fi ve thou sa nd yea rs ago, just after a
planet-wide revo lt th at broke the power of a formid ab le military
dictator. The anni versary of th e foundin g of Ranagar is still
ce le brat ed eve ry year as th e Festi va l of Dyalina, o ne of th e
planet ' s most fes ti ve ho lidays.
Approximate ly one thousand years ago, a great war broke
out betwee n Ranagar and one of its neighboring c iti es, Zared.
Eve ntuall y, the conflict heated in to a nuclear exc hange which
devas ta ted th e planet, killing off much of it s indi ge nou s
vegetation, and rendering most of its hum anoid population sterile.
More recentl y, Sardath, Rann 's greatest scientist, began
using a Zeta Bea m to bring Earthma n Adam Strange to Rann so
he could mate with Sardath 's daughter, the Princess A lanna .
S tra nge beca me o ne of R a nn 's greates t heroes , a nd foi le d
numerous coup attempts by the murderous Kanjar Ro.
Stran ge was most recentl y returned to Rann by a Mega-
Zeta Beam, w hose te leportationa l effects would not wear off
Wh e n he arri ved, he was fac ed with chaos: A la nn a had died
while giving birth to their daughter Aleea, and Ranagar had been
lau nc hed into space by a now-mad Sardath after an a ll -out attack
by Zared. Stran ge is onl y just beg inning to e merge from a state
of depress ion to take care of hi s newborn daughter and to he lp
restore order to Ranagar.
Skartaris
S karta ri s is a vas t wo rld th a t li es o n a plan e s li g htl y
removed from th at of the Earth. Skartari s can be entered th rough
portals near Earth's north and south poles, though the physical
laws on Skartari s are quite differe nt from those of Earth . The re
is no ni ghtfall , th e moon fol lows a hi ghl y e rrati c o rbit, a nd
magic is ple ntiful and potent.
Man y thousand s of years ago, Skartari s was call ed Wi zard
World a nd was inh ab ite d by a n odd co ll ectio n of go blin s,
dwarves, and othe r legendary creatures. Over the ages, man y of
the creatures of legend di sappeared and various creatures from
Earth 's surface found the ir way into Ska rtaris. Caveme n and
dinosaurs, both long extinct on the Earth , still ex ist in Skartaris
along w ith nomads, Cyc lopes , Centau rs, Lizard-Men , Bat Men ,
Bog Men , a nd humans.
Skartari s is also the c urren l home of Travis Morgan, the
Warlord, and hi s a lli es Machi ste, Mariah, a nd Shakira.
Thanagar
Thanagar, sometimes known as the Hawkworld, is located
approx imate ly 400 li ght yea rs away from Earth , orbitin g the star
Po lari s. Severa l thou sand yea rs ago , Thanagar deve loped a
human o id popu la ti o n a nd c i vi li za ti o n , a lth oug h th e
Thanagarian s developed leve ls of technology al a muc h hi gher
rate than Earth. So me ce nturi es ago, th e Thanagarian peop le
were ensla ved by the sla vers of Polar, but were freed by th e
T hanagarian hero, Kalmoran , who defeated the Polaran sla vers
a nd fo unded the T hanagarian space em pire.
T he surface of Thanagar is a lmost fou r-fifth s covered with
water . P lag u e d b y an eve r-in c rea s in g popul a tion and a
dwindlin g amount of natura l resources, it seemed at one po int
that the Thanagarians were doom ed to extinc ti on. T hey were
saved, however, by the developme nt of anti-gravity technology
by renown ed Thanaga ri a n scienti st Paran Katar. A nti-g ra vity
allowed the Thanagaria n people to bui ld cities hi gh in the air,
leavi ng lhe surface and the a li e n races they conquered be hind.
C urre ntl y, th e plan e t is di vid ed into two di stin c t zo nes,
call ed Upside and Dow nside. Upside, fl oatin g hi gh above th e
surface, consi sts of ornate, bea utiful cities inh ab ited by the ric h
natives of Thanagar, whil e Downside, the surface of Thanagar,
is a huge s lu m, inh ab ited by refu gees, priso ne rs of war, a nd
c rimin als
The milit ary and po li ce force of T ha nagar is co ll ecti ve ly
known as the Wingmen , an arm y of highly trained soldiers most
easil y recogni zed by their wi ngs and fea rsome hawk mas ks. As
a group , th e Wingmen sy mbo li ze th e mart ia l phil osop hy and
class separation of the plan et 's inh abitants. The Win gmen are
co nside red on e of th e mos t fear some fi ghtin g for ces in th e
ga laxy, as seen by the ir partic ipation in the recent Domin ator-
organized invasion of Earth.
Kalar Ho] and hi s partner, Shayera Thal, the most recent
H awkman and Ha w kwoman , are both natives of Th anagar.
T hey were sent to Earth many years ago to stud y the planet's
d efe n ses, but rebel led aga in s t Th a n agar 's rep r essive
governm e nt a nd opted to stay on Earth and de fe nd it again st
the ir countrymen.

Vegan System
Vega. the fifth brig htest sta r in Eanh's ni ght sky . is located
approximately 26 light years away from the Earth so lar system
in the conste ll ation of Lyra the Swan . Vega is three times the
size of th e Earth 's sun, much hotter, and mu ch bri ghter.
Billions of yea rs ago. two races evolved around V ega: the
peace- lov ing Okaara ns, a nd the vio lent Bran x. The li zard-like
Psio ns, a race of cold-b looded sc ie nti sts, eventuall y stepped in
to interb reed th e two races to create the many di ve rse life forms
that no w inhabit the Vegan system. The Psio ns a lso turned an
Okaaran woman , X'Hal, into a powerful energy bein g who is
now wors hiped as a goddess.
For a long time, the Vegan system was under the compl ete
domination o f th e military empire known as th e C it ade l.
Rece ntl y. the Vegan freedom fi ghters known as the Omega Me n
broke the power of the C itade l, w hi c h unfortun ate ly left the a rea
ope n fo r a n inc urs io n by the nearby Spide r Gui ld.
Ill. Inside the DC Universe
Thi s secti on conta in s a ll the in side in fo rm a ti on you wi ll
need to get yo ur DC H EROES Role-P laying Game campaign off
th e gro und . By co mbinin g th is info rm ation w ith th e se tting
desc ripti o ns you have jus t read and the indi v idu al c haracte r
backgrou nds loca ted in the Roste r sec ti o n. yo u s hould gai n a
pre tty good fee l for w hat the DC Universe is a ll about.
Magic & Mysticism
U nlik e th e rea l wo rld. th e DC Univ e rse is fill ed wi th
powe rful magic- use rs and sorcerers o f a ll descriptions. Before
yo u begin runnin g a DC H EROES RPG ca mpai g n. yo u s hou ld
probabl y unde rstand a few 1hings about mag ic a nd how it works.
Th e DC U ni ve r se is mad e up of multi p le plan es of
existence, co mm o nl y k now n as "di me ns io ns." Ma s i o f th e
adve ntures found in th e pages of DC Comics take place on the
plan e of Earth. w hi c h inc ludes no t on ly Eart h. but a ll o f the
pl a ne ts , sta rs, and moo ns as we ll. Thi s is whe re S uper ma n,
Batman. Wo nde r Wo man . the Justi ce League. a nd nea rl y all o f
th e o ther DC heroes res ide. The ot her planes includ e: Mr.
M xyzp tlk 's Fift h Dim e n s io n. Ra ve n 's hom e o f Aza rath ,
Gemworld, the doma in of the Lord s of Orde r. and the Rea lm of
the Ju st-Dead. freque ntl y visi ted by Dead ma n.
Each of th e planes o f existe nce is permeated w ith certain
magica l e nerg ies that fl ow naturall y across the pl a ne. These arc
the e nerg ies that are ca ll ed upo n by most sorce re rs to produ ce
the ir magica l effects. The sorcere r more or less draws the e nergy
"o ut of thin a ir" and re direc ts it for hi s own purposes. A
s orcere r 's p owe r. th e refo re, depend s up on th e amoun t of
a mbi ent magical e nergy ava ilable that fl ows through hi s plane.
The amount of e ne rgy found o n each plane diffe rs. Thi s is w hy
the Lords of Order and othe r powerful myst ica l be in gs te nd to
avoid the Eart h plan e: they keep to the dimen sion s w he re mag ic
is ri ch a nd powe rful.
On ce upon a time. magic was plentiful a nd potent upon the
Earth pl a ne. At lanti s, a nc ie nt Greece, and a nc ien t Egypt a ll
feature d a number of acti ve sorcerers and magica l man ipul ators.
In fac t, there were so many sorcerers during these ages that the
magical ene rg ies that flo w 1hroug h th e Earth pl a ne became
de ple ted , lesse nin g the potency of magic-users everyw he re, and
forcing the m to com pe te fo r the m ystica l e ne rgies that re ma ined.
Thi s was the eve nt th at prompted a gro up of ea rl y sorcerers to
leave th e Earth pl a ne a ltoget he r over a thousa nd years ago a nd
to fo und a Gemworld upon a plane where 1he mag ica l e ne rg ies
were still plent iful.
In the 20th century. the magical e ne rgies that flo w across
the Earth plane are eve n more depleted, but thi s does not mea n
that th ey no lo nger ex ist. The re are still sorce rers who roam the
Earth , though not nearly as many as there used to be, and they
ca nnot ho pe to become as powerfu l as th ey wou ld ha ve been.
say, 2000 yea rs ago.
IL should also be noted th a1 1he mag ica l e ne rgie s do not
necessaril y fl ow even ly across a ll areas o f a pl a ne. In the Earth
plane, for in stance. there are certain mag ic rich areas (s uch as
A rkha m Asylum a nd th e Brazil ian g rove of the Parliame nt of
Trees) and mag ic poor zo nes. The re al so seems to be so me son
o f stra nge confli ct be tween magic and sc ience tha t dates back
t ho u sa nd s of yea rs. In pla ces w here sc ie nce is s trong (i n
S.T.A.R. Labs' ma in faci lity. for insta nce), magic is s li ghtly
weaker a nd vice ve rsa.
Post Carel
from Nell Galman
Dear Thomas.
Sorry-I wrote you an essay on Magic. whk
went down when my computer crashed and I never:
got back 10 it. This may be too late but in brief:
A) In the world of DC M"gic. you can hav
power and ability and so forth, but it'~ not free.
You always pay for it; few of the people who ste~
into the world of magic come away happy.
B) You have a choice. But if vou enter the
arid of magic:, you can never· return to ,
tific point of view. You·r~ in a world whicl
s like the one you kne\\· but i~ mor
ous and more dangerou\.
J Magic is a Jot of things. Reliable. it':,, not.
pe this is of use and not too late.
Best. Neil Gaiman
Sorce rers
Sorcere rs a re be in gs w ith 1he ability 10 ta p into the Oow of
amb ie nt mag ic a nd redirec t it to acco mpli s h th e ir ow n ends.
Unde r no rm al co nditi ons, most true hum a ns are bio log ica ll y
incapab le of becomin g sorcerers, th ough a rare o ffshoot of the
human race , known as th e homo magi. possesses a genet ic
make up tha t a ll ows the m to wie ld th e forces of mag ic. Zatanna
is a me mber of thi s race, as was he r fa the r Zatara and most of
the sorcere rs of the anc ie nt world . A ll of the ot her true sorcere rs
(Dr. Fate, Sargo n, Wota n, Shazam. e tc .) are e ith er no t tru ly
human , o r ha ve h ad th ei r gene ti c mak e up m ag ica ll y or
scie ntifi call y a lte red.
Thi s does not mean that true hum ans have no control over
mag ic w hat soever. Tho se w ho are not so rce re rs can a lways
control the forces of mag ic indirec tl y through th e use of magic
ritual s. Rituals are long, complex ceremonies that result in some
so rt of mag ica l e ffe c t. Thu s. human c ha rac ters such as John
Co nstantine, Papa Midni g ht , a nd An ton Arcane ca n produce
ma g ica l effects throu g h s1ud y a nd ritual. th oug h th ey are
inca pable of directl y w ie ldin g the forces o f magic like Zatanna
or Dr. Fate.
Powe rful Magical Beings
Severa l se ts of pote nt mag ica l be in gs freque ntl y ha ve a
direc t inn ue nce on the adventures of DC heroes.
First there are the Lords of Order a nd the Lords of Chaos.
These two e ni gmatic forces are a mong the firs! res idents of the
uni verse ,md have bee n locked in a protracted strugg le s ince the
beg inn ing of time. It see ms that the hi swry of c reati o n is div ided
into fou r ages, k nown as y ugas. Th e First Age is an age of
perfection in wh ic h Orde r rules; this age began at the creation of
the uni verse a nd contin ued on until Krona 's experime nt created
the A nti-Matter Uni ve rse and unleas hed th e co loss al wave of
ev il. During the Seco nd Age. C haos begi ns to sp read it s
influe nce; the Second Age began wit h Krona 's ex periment and
las ted until the ce ntury in w hi c h th e Lord s of Order freed the
Eart h from the grip of the demons of Chaos. The Third Age is
marked by a brutal struggle between Chaos and Order; it ended
wi th the Anti -Monitor and th e Crisis. During the fo unh and final
age (or Ka li Yu g a ) w hi c h is c urre ntl y und e rway. Chaos
triumph s over Order. After the Fourth Age end s, th e universe
will apparent ly di e o ut and a ne w uni ve rse w ill be born.
beg inning th e cyc le all ove r aga in.
Th e Lord s o f Order rece ntl y decided to abando n th ei r
struggle again st the Lords of Chaos, hoping to speed the Fourth
Age to its co nclusion and end the uni verse. causing the cyc le to
be g in a ll ove r agai n with th e First Age. Thi s d ec ision was
opp osed by th e ir Earth-bo und co ll eag ue Dr. Fate, who has
vowed to continue th e strugg le aga inst Chaos until the bitter
end. Dr. Fate and th e Phantom Stran ge r are battling again st
Chaos on Earth and in the after- rea lms (th e latter has di spatched
the heroin e Pow er Girl to wa rn Eart h's heroes of th e dan ge 1
posed by the co ming age). wh il e Princess Ameth yst is trying to
sta ve off th e forces of Chaos in th e Ge mwo rld . C ha os ha s
already gained the upper hand in the Night shade dimen sion (the
birthplace of Suicide Squad mem be r N ig ht s had e). and is
current ly launchin g an all -out assault on the Meta-Zo ne, hom e
of Shade the Chang ing Man.
Dwarfed in powe r by th e Lord s o f Ord er are th e eve r-
present go ds o f Ol y mpu s. The ancesto rs of th e god s were
apparen tl y born at the same time as the Lord s of C haos and
Order. In fact, it is poss ibl e that th e gods are desce nded fro m
one or more of th e Lo rd s, but thi s hypotheses ha s ye t to be
proven. Ori ginall y. the gods drew a great dea l of magical powe1
from th eir worshippers on the Eart h plane . Eve ntuall y. as th e
amb ient mag ica l energy dried up o n Earlh and wo rs hippers
beca me sca rce. th e go d s beca me mo re iso lated a nd less
powerful. Rece ntl y, the gods dec ided to abandon Olympu s and
mo ve o n. The onl y gro up remainin g o n th e Eart h that still
worsh ips the Ol ympian gods are the Amazons of Them yscira.
Elsew here in th e universe. th e chaotic destruction of th e
Old gods, ca use d in part by th e immen se ly powerful be in g
known as the Anti -Li fe Ent ity, res ulted in the birth of the New
God s. Th e res id e nt s o f Apoko lips and New Ge nes is ha ve
appare ntl y abando ned magic in favor o f scien ce. The mysti cal
potential of the New God s is fo rmidab le. and they could be a
powerful magica l force if they so chose.
There are also seve ral powerful myst ica l be ings that dwell
in the after-wo rld s. in cludin g the many races of demo ns, the
angels. and the Phantom Stranger. whose true natu re remain s a
mystery. Th e demons and ange ls each have their ow n internal
hi erarchi es. th e lowe r leve ls o f whi ch are not immune lo the
occasional sq uabbl e. A rece nt s kirmi sh between low- leve l
demon s and angels was waged on th e Earth under the banners of
1he Damnaiion Anny and the Res urrection Cru sade. Seated nea r
the top of the ange li c hi erarch y are the Vo ice that commands the
Spectre and Deadrnan· s Rama Ku shn a. both of whom dwa rf
even the Lords of Order in powe r. However. there are still more
mys teri o us for ces nex t 10 whi ch both th e Vo ice a nd Rama
Ku shn a pale by compari son.
Finall y. no catalog ue of lh e powe rful mys ti ca l be in gs
wh ich inh abit th e DC Uni verse wo uld be co mplete without a
menti o n of th e Earth itse lf. Th e Ea rth is a mys tical be in g
capabl e of wie ldin g powerful magica l energ ies . It uses these
energies in times of need to create its ow n elemental guardian s
to oversee the e nvironment. ro les currentl y occ upi ed by th e
Swamp Thin g (earth ). Red Tornado (air). Firestorm (fire). and
Naiad(water).
Magic and the Common Man
Although they have certainly been ex posed 10 the ex pl oits
of Dr. Fate. Zatanna. and ot her so rce rers throu gh th e news
media. mosl of the common men and wo men of the DC Earth
don ' t rea ll y be li eve in mag ic. A ll of th e powerful mys ti cal
beings desc ribed in the precedin g paragraph s are comp lete ly
unknown to th e ge ne ral populac e of th e Earth , wi th th e
excepti on of the Swamp Thing. who convin ced all but the most
skepti cal of hi s ex istence duri ng an adventu re in Gotham C it y
All of the traditi onal occ ult menaces are ali ve and we ll in
the DC Uni ve rse: va mpires ex ist (in fac t. until recen tl y there
was an entire town of va mpires loca ted in Rosewood. Illinois.
ju st o ut s id e C hi cago), as do we rewo lves. witc hes, zo mbi es.
mummi es. patchwo rk men, mad slashers. and all of th e ot her
inhabitants of the typical midni ght movie.
Science and Technology
The 20th century technology found in the DC Uni verse is
lea ps and bounds ah ead of th at avai lab le in th e real wo rl d
Heroes and villains have access to med icine, space tec hnol ogy.
militar y equipm e nt , a nd co mput e r hardwar e fa r more
sophisti cated than an ything with whi ch yo u or I are acquainted.
Cu rrentl y, most of the materials that are on the cuttin g edge
of scie ntifi c achieve ment are bei ng produ ced by S.T.A.R. Labs.
a pri vate tec hno logica l think tank. S.T.A.R.'s main co mpeti tors
are: the hi ghl y di versified LexCorp, owned and operated by Lex
Luthor II : the C hi cago- based Kord In corporated , whi ch was
once ow ned by Ted Kord (Blue Beetl e): and th e imernational
industrial cong lo merate known as the Su nderl and Corporati on.
Wealth
by Dan Jurgens
Wealth has had an important and vital role in
he DC Universe almo:-.t from the start. When
creating the Bmman. Bob Kane realized that fm
c,s omeone to effectively fight crime at night. he
couldn't have 3 day job. In those circumstances, ,
personal fortune come:-. in handy.
Bruce Wayne's per:,.onal fortune makes ii
possible for the Batman to exist. Wayne mighc besl
be described as a comfortable millionaire-
someone who has more than enough money bu!
Docs not try to aggressively build on it The Wayne
Foundation help, the less fortunate and provides
Wayne wilh a steady source of capital.
While money makes it possible for the Batmru
to ex.isl it provides the reason for Booster Gold tc
e::cist. Never a hero for hire, Booster uses hi:,; heroiC'
stature to bring him commercial endorsements.
When a member of the highly regarded JLl
proclaims a certain deodorant the best, who can
argue'? With his knowledge of the future, Boo~ter is
able to invest in companies that will be a sure fire
success. At its peak. his fortune was less tha1
Wayne's, but more than the Terminator's.
Also comparable to \Vayne is Garrison Slate
founder of S.T.A.R. Labs. His posture is certain!;
·erent though, a:,; he i!- a bu~incssman. Ranking
ve him we find Steve Dayton, the ... ixlh richest
in the world and president of Dayton Industries.
in the DC Universe, when you talk rich. the man
> stands head and shoulders above all is Le,
nor. Lulhor's global empire dwarfs any othe,
n's and he all but owns Metropolis. Because
y of his resources are criminal in nature, no h1.le
.1unting has ever been accomplished.
Medicine
Comp lex surge ry in the DC Uni verse is almost co mpl etely
free of compli cations. Tra nsplant and open-heart tec hniques are
now co mm onp lace and ri sk free. In addi ti o n, prosth eti c and
art ifi cial limbs and o rgan s are in wid es pread use . Lex Lulhor
had an artifi c ial hand whi ch was ju st as functi o na l as th e
o ri g in a l, and LexCo rp tec hn o logy ha s restored paral yze d
community ac ti v ist Jose De lagdo's mobilit y. thou g h s uch
tec hnol ogy is st ill ex pens ive.
 Space Technology
A ll of the world 's major gove rnme nt s ha ve space shut.ti e
techno logy. and most have staged moon land ings. Both the
United Slates and the Soviet Uni on have landed men on Mars,
and both are bu sy planning m iss ions to Venu s. The U.S. and
Ru ss ia ha ve al so d eve lo ped c omp lex s atel lit e- based radar
trac kin g syste ms th a t a ll ow th e ir military forces to track a ll
space tra ffi c within 256 .000 mil es of the planet, and orbitin g
multi -purpose space stati ons. Both nati ons are rum ored to have
sec ret manned bases upon the surface o f the moon.
In th e DC Uni ve r se. th e re is a g re at d e a l o f s p ac e
tec hno logy in the hands o f pri vate corporati ons and indi vidua ls.
s:r.A.R. and LexCorp both have their own operati onal shuttles
a nd space stati o ns. as do a numbe r of smalle r firm s specia lizing
in ae rospace tec hn o logy. Ju sti ce League Inte rnati o na l has space-
fa rin g vehicl es of its o wn in th e tradition of it s pred ecessor the
Ju sti ce Le ague o f Ame ri ca. whi ch was form e rl y headquartered
aboard a giant orbitin g sate llite.
Curre ntl y. military weapo ns are still ba nned fro m space by
int e rn a ti o na l ag ree me nt, th o ug h ever s in ce th e g loba l a li e n
invas ion o rgani zed by the Dominators, there have bee n rumors
o f sec re t negotiati ons be twee n the U.S. a nd Russ ia concerning a
mutua l space defe nse treat y.
Military Hardware
Thi s area is a lmost co mp le te ly do minated by S .T.A .R. a nd
LexCorp . Both firm s produce a vari ety o f ex pe nsive ba ttlesuit s
a nd wa r m ac hi n es w hi c h a re ju s t b eg innin g to e nt e r
ex pe rim e nt a l se rvice in th e wo rld 's arm ies, tho ugh the ir cost
s til l p ro h ib its w hol es a le a d o ptio n . The cu rre nt c re am of
S. T. A.R . or Lex Corp wea po nry is capab le o f g ivin g a hero as
powe rfu l as Superman a run for hi s money if p laced in capab le
ha nds. In th e air, ste alth tec hnology is in wide spread use, and
on e o f th e few imp o rtant p ie c es of military h a rdware
deve loped out side the co nfines o f S .T.A .R. or LexCorp is the
So la r J e t bu ilt by th e Fe rr is Airc raft C o rpo rati o n based in
Coast C it y. Ca lifo rnia .
Bec au se co nve nti o na l fo rces ha ve beco me so ad vanc ed.
nu c lea r we ap o n s a re so mew ha t less pro min e nt a mo ng th e
s upe rp owe r s . t ho u g h nuc le ar tec hn o logy is d a n ge ro u s ly
co mmo n amongst Eart h' s poo rer nation s . T he terro rist natio ns of
Qurac and Bial ya are both rumored to ha ve access to nuc lear
tec hno logy. fo r ex ampl e. tho ugh ne ithe r ha ve used the ir nuclear
weapons abroad. proba bl y becau se they fe a r sw ift re prisals from
the world 's he ro co mmunit y.
Computer Hardware
Th e mos t ad va nced co mpute r co nstru c ted wi t h human
tec hn o logy is c urre ntl y S. T .A.R. Labs' Kil otra x. thou g h th e
firm is pro mi sin g to re lease a n updated vers io n. the Meg atrax.
w ithin th e ne xt ten yea rs. T he Kil otrax has a me mory capacity
me asure d in te ns o f g igabytes and a process in g speed that is
mo re th an te n tim es faste r than it s c loses t competitor. S .T .A.R .
h as a lso d eve lo p e d a r ud i me ntary artifi c ia l i nt e lli ge nce
pac kage fo r th e Kil o trax. A rtifi c ial Inte ll ige nce is supposed ly
th e bi g brea kth ro ug h th a t w ill be hi g h lig hted in th e forth -
comin g Megatra x
The Scientific Community
Until recent ly. the g reat es t sc ie nti sts o n the p lan e t were
pro ba bl y Supe rm a n ' s ne mes is Lex Luthor and Ni les C a uld e r
{th e C hi e f) . le ade r o f the Doo m Patro l. Luth or 's de mi se a nd
Caulde r' s di sa ppearance have left a vo id in the upper echelons
o f the sc ie ntifi c co mmunit y. A mo ng those ind ividua ls in th e
fo re fron t o f sc ie nce today. menti on must be made of Ray Pa lmer
(the Atom ). who deve loped dwarf-s tar size and we ig ht contro l
tec hn o logy: Te d Ko rd (the Blue Beetl e). who co nstructed the
am az ing " Bug:" Dr. Megala of the gove rnme nt 's Capta in Atom
projec t: the Batman. whose amazing crime fi ghting dev ices are
co mp lete ly w ithout precede nt : Dr. Bruce G ordon. the worl d 's
fo re mos t e xpert o n so la r tec hn o logy : a nd Dr. Will Mag nu s .
creator of the amazin g Me tal Me n. Other ea rth -bound sc ie nt ifi c
ge niu ses in c lude th e a li e ns Mi s ter Mirac le. Haw km a n . a nd
Hawkwo man , a ll o f who m ha ve access to tec hno logy that far
surpasses that fo un d on Earth
S.T.A.R. Labs
S .T . A . R . Lab s is a n a c ron y m for Sc ie ntifi c a nd
Tec hno logica l Ad va nced Resea rc h Labo ra tories. Acco rdin g to
th e o ffi c ia l S .T .A.R . La bs pub li c ity releases. S.T .A. R. Labs was
form ed by a group o f s ma ll laboratories a ll ove r the country .
combining staffs, ex perime nt a l results, fa ci liti es. and equipm e nt
to for m the most hig h- powe red sc ie ntifi c o rga ni zat io n in the
hi story of th e h u man ra ce. Th e ir go a l is to ex pand man ·s
know ledge by a coord in ated e ffort whi ch probes in hundreds of
direction s at once. They o perate under th e phil osophy that the
use o f acquired know ledge ge ne ra tes additi ona l know ledge.
Oth er peop le watc hin g S.T .A.R. Labs fro m the out side are
no t so s ure. S .T .A .R . Labs locati o ns a ppea red a ll ove r t he
country in a matter o f wee ks. some in ex istin g laboratory sites.
but many in brand new fac iliti es. Thi s sudde n e me rge nce rai sed
many qu es tio ns : if thi s is a c ombi nati o n o f seve ra l s ma ll e r
labo ratories, how did they obtai n th e fundin g to ex pand so
qui c kly? Why is S.T.A.R. La bs still a private ly he ld corporation.
w ith e ven it s finan c ia l rec ord s hid de n from th e pub li c? If
S.T.A.R.'s purpose is to inc rease a ll of huma ni ty ' s know ledge.
why are the results o f the ir researc h unpubli shed?
M os t p eo p le ju s t acce pt S .T . A . R . Labs as a fac t.
judg ing the Lab s o nl y o n w he th e r o r no t th e ir las t wo nder
w id get worked.
Politics and the World
A s on e would ex pec t. th e pro liferati o n of supe rpowe red
humans has had a profound impact upon the po lit ics of the DC
Un iverse. He roes te nd to fun c tio n like natura l reso urces and
exe rt a pron ounced shaping innue nce upon the g loba l balance o f
powe r. For some un know n reason. most of the world's heroes
and vill ai ns te nd to be c lu ste red in th e United States and the
Soviet Unio n.
The United States
The U.S. Govern me nt has recog ni zed the po liti cal pote nti a l
o f he roes for more tha n fort y years. A s fa r bac k as the Second
W o rld War. th e U .S. was a lrea d y e mp loy in g he ro es to
imple me nt po li cy in an offi c ial capac it y.
C u rr e ntl y . t he g o ve rnm e nt h as a t wo- ti e red po li cy
co ncerni ng supe r-hum ans. Officia l govern me nt po licy re fuses to
suppo rt o r c ond e mn th e man y mas ked vig i Iant es that roam
ac ross the country, a nd promi ses a stance of tota l ne utra lit y on
the iss ue of superheroics. a ltho ugh the po licy ac know ledges that
the Pres ide nt a nd milita ry le aders mi ght ca ll upo n the he roes in
times o f nati o na l e merge ncy. as happe ned during lhe invasio n
o rgani zed by the Domin ators.
Covert ly. however. the U. S . Governm e nt prov ides di rec t
support to a number o f organi zati ons a nd ind ivid ua ls. a nd even
crea ted a special top secre t organi zati o n, code named Tas k Force
X. to coo rdinate governm e nt -bac ked supe r-hum a n ac ti viti es.
Ta sk Fo rce X cons isted o f two spec ial proj ec ts: th e S ui c id e
Squad a nd C heckmat e. A lso und e r go vernm e nt co ntrol we re
agenc ies suc h as the Ca ptai n Atom Proj ect. the C. B.I.. the Force
of Ju ly, Project Peacem a ker. a nd othe rs.
T he ent ire U.S . Int e lli ge nce c ommunit y was rec entl y
shake n to its core by the eve111s known co ll ective ly as the Janus
Direc ti ve. The c rimina l maste rmind Kobra atte mpted to tri c k the
vari ous agenci es int o w ip ing eac h oth e r o ut. le a ving the way
clear for hi s insidiou s pl an to re place 1he world 's hi ghest placed
gove rnme nt officia ls w ith android dup li ca tes. T he sc he me was
fo il ed whe n Task Force X director Ama nda Wa lle r unco vered
Kobra' s plan. but the chain of eve nt s cau sed the White House 10
order a compl ete restru cluring o f th e inte lli ge nce co mmunit y
Th e Suic ide Sq uad is a largely ind epe ndent orga ni za ti o n
directl y ove rsee n by Amanda Waller. Th e Squad is mostl y made
up of co nvicted vill ain s who arc sec re tl y offe red an a mn esty
plan in return for a period o f gove rnme nt se rvice. though the
Squad also e mpl oys a few "straight"' heroes and a large support
sta ff. Ge nerall y. the Suicide Squad is se nt o ut to handl e the
to ughest and most se nsiti ve gove rnme nt o peration s th at require
1hespec ial abi liti es o f its membe rs
Checkmate is ove rsee n by Harry Stein am.J Harvey Bullock.
Th e hi erarchy amo ng C hec kmate st.1ffe rs is patterned after the
pieces o n a c hess boa rd : S te in. th e Kin g. s it s o n top. whil e
Bishops (like Bu llock) and rooks he lp plan and execute age ncy
ac ti viti es. The real work horses in Checkmate are the Kni 2h ts.
who se rve as fie ld operati ves. Th e Kni g ht s are drawn fron~ the
be st perso nn e l avai labl e in gove rnm e nt age nc ies and th e
nation 's poli ce forces. Each is trained at a specia l fac ility known
as the Dome. and is equipped with an array of amaz in g hi g h~
tech weapons and dev ices.
The Captai n Atom Projec t is oversee n by the fei sty Genera l
Wade Eilin g. who enj oys a bitter ri valry with Amanda Wa ll er.
Captain Ato m is a hero who rece ived hi s powers as part of a
military ex per im e nt co nduct ed mo re than tw e nt y yea rs ago
When Captai n Atom first came on the scene. the military tri cked
him into becoming a spec ia l o perati ve and in ve nt ed an e laborate
cover story lo expla in hi s presence to th e world at large. The
government used to ca ll upon Captain Ato m to perform special
··high profile" mi ss ions th at would compromi se the sec recy o l
th e S ui cide Squad o r Checkmate. Th e C aptain was eve n
infiltrated into Ju sti ce Leagu e Inte rnati ona l. where he was to
serve as a govern ment "spy ... Rece ntl y. Captai n Atom has qu it
se rving th e gove rnment. tho ug h he has yet to revea l hi s tru e
nature 10 th e wo rld . Th e Cap tain A t o m Project is al so
res pon sib le fo r the creati on o f Major Force. a psyc ho logical ly
unstab le operati ve wi th powe rs and abiliti es simi lar to those ol
the Capta in. In a pin ch. the government will occasionall y send
Maj or Force o ut on a mi ss io n. th o ug h gove rnme nt offic ial s
rea lize that the Maj or' s psycho log ica l shortco mings are a ve ry
dangerous liability.
The (Former) Soviet Union
The Sov iet Uni on found it necessary to empl oy paranorma l
operati ves to protec t it s inte rests. Like that o r the Un ited Stat es.
the Soviet po li cy had two leve ls
The first leve l of Sov iet superhuman invol ve ment co nsisted
of the Roc ke t Red Brigade. a group of art ifi c iall y evo lved.
hi ghl y trained so ldie rs equipped wi1h techno logica ll y advanced
batt le armor. Th e prot o ty pe fo r the o rig in ul Roc ke t Red
battl esuit was des igned and deve loped by the Gree n Lantern.
Kilowog. during a visit to the Soviet Union. The Rock et Reds
we re th e U.S .S .R . ·s ove rt prot ec to rs. The Bri gad e members
we re und e r t he co mm a nd o r th e militar y and were mo s t
frequentl y ca lled upon for na1i onal defe nse. One o f the Rock et
Reds. Dmitri Pu shkin . se rve d as a Sov ie t represe nt at ive in
Ju stice Lea gue Europe. The Rocke t Red Bri gade is curre ntl y
approximate ly fift y strong.
The second leve l of Soviet he roic acti vit y was co mposed o f
a se ries o r covert age nts know n onl y to th e Politburo. lnclutled
in thi s group were the assass in Sta lnoivo lk. and the strike tea ms
known as the Peopl e's Heroes and Blue Trinit y. These cove rt
agen ts fu lfilled the sa me role as th e ir Ameri can count erpart s:
the y performed dan ge rou s a nd se nsiti ve miss ions to prese rve
nati o na l interes ts. A lthou g h th e ir ex iste nce wa s a c lose ly
guarded secret with in the borders of the ir home land. man y o f the
Sovie, operatives we re know n to American heroes with who m
they frequently clashed
The only group of heroes operatin g in the U.S.S. R. wit hou t
governmental control we re the youngsters know n coll ecti ve ly as
Soy uz. whose membe rs included Firebird . Vikh o r. Ru sa lka.
Perun . and Morozko. For most o f the ir brief caree rs. they were
pursued by age nt s of the K.G. B .. but due to th ei r heroi c actions
duri ng the in vas ion. the Soviet gove rnment relaxed it s e ffort s to
trace and control Soyuz's actions
Wi th th e da w nin g of Gla s nost and th e co ll apse o f the
U.S.S.R .. the ··co ld wa r" between Ru ssian and Ameri ca n heroes
has all bu t stopped. The new Republi cs are current ly in a state of
turm o il. and th e statu s of th e ir "supe r- reso urces·· re main s a
myste ry to the wes t.
The Intelligence Commun ty
by Paul Kupperberg
The intelligence community in the D
Unh·erse ha~ long been a tangled web o
individual fi~fdoms, uneasv alliances, an
· onfused hierarchy. The Ja~us Directive,
iversionary tactic staged by Kobra to cover hi
Ian for world domination. set these diverse
agencies against one another. the aftermath
resulting: in a complete re!-.tructuring of lh
agencie~ hy Pre:-.idential order.
A new Cabinet level post of "lntelligenc
Czar" has been created. filled by vetera
intelligence agent Sarge Steel. In this capacity
Steel oversees all paranormal activities unde
government control. Ta,k Force X. inc ·
Checkmate and the Suicide Squad, which p
the Janus Directive was headed up by A
Waller, has been di,banded. Wa
responsihilities now involve only the S
Squad, under the direct supervision of Sarge S
Checkmate has become an autonom
age UC)" . now a known entity among its
intelligence brethreo and headed by Harry Stein,
who also repc.,r1-, to Steel. Under the provisions o
the restructuring. Checkmate also absorbs Project
Peacemaker (including Christopher Smith, AKA
er, and the Project ' s head. Dr. Bridgette
General Wade Eiling remains in charg
e Captain Atom Proje,·t (responsible fo
in Atom and Major Force. among others). as
as heading up all other Pentagon related
ncta~human projects.
The National Bureau of Intelligence (N.B.!.J
as been reduced in stature and personnel and is
ow under the command of King Faraday. Such
organizations as the F.B.J .. the CJ.A., and th
~·ariou:,, branches of military intelligence. retain
eparate and autonomous !-.tatus.
The Rest of the World
Few of the world 's o ther nat ions have empl oyed heroes in
an offi c ial capac ity. probab ly because there sec rn to be so few
supc rhumans ou tside the borde rs of the U.S. and Russ ia in the
first place . Thi s te nds to in crease the separa1ion between the
supe rpowers and 1he rest o f the world . Exactly ho w powerful a
few parano rmal o pe rati ves can be was effectively de mon strated
during World War IL no one wa nt ed to become in volved in an
in c ide nt wit h th e United States o r the Sov iet Uni o n and find
the mse lves going up agai nst the likes of Supe rman o r the Rocket
Red Bri gade.
Looking a fter th e interests o f the rest o f the wor ld are the
me mbe rs o f Ju sti ce League Int ernational. wh ic h has a spec ial
United Na ti o ns sa nc tion and e mba ss ies in alm ost eve ry U.N
me mb e r nati o n . In o rd e r to g i ve th e Leag ue a hi g he r
int e rn at io nal profil e. th e New Yo rk - ba sed JLI decided to
permanentl y re loca te a gro up of heroes to it s Pari s e mba ssy.
This team h,1s bee n ni cknamed Ju stice League Europe.
 The Law
Th e e ffec ti ve ness of th e ave rage costu med vig ilante ha s
forced the law e nforceme nt offic ial s of th e DC Universe to make
some se ri ous dec isions. For the most part. all of the country's
l aw enforce ment age nc ies o ffi cia ll y di sco ura ge v i g il ant e
acti vit y. whil e private ly acceptin g as much he lp as the hero ic
com munil y ha s to o ffer. Th e va s t maj o rit y o f t he o ld e r
establi shed heroes are on very good term s with their loca l pol ice
departme nts. a nd arc freque ntl y ca ll ed into cases by th e pol ice
th em se l ves. Newer or less-ex perienced heroes are usua l l y
wlerated but not tru sted until they pro ve their menle.
It see ms that mos t of the cos tU1n ed heroes arc g ive n a lot
more o ffi c ia l and lega l leeway th a n one wo uld ex pec t. Man y
es tab lis hed he roe s are on s uc h good te rm s w ith lo c a l law
e nforce me nt age nci es th a t th ey are g iven co mpl e te access to
po li ce records a nd fil es upon req uest. The po lice a re a lso usua ll y
w ill in g to ba c k up t hese he roe s and prompt ly ac t upon an y
in for mati on wh ic h the he roes have suppli ed . Less-ex pe ri e nced
me mbe rs o f the hero communit y ca nno t co unt o n thi s kind o f
coope rat ion. but probab ly will not fa ce harass me nt eithe r. Wh e n
thi ngs reac h the j udi c ia l leve l. the courts are usua ll y loath to
ho ld costumed heroes to the same rigorous sta ndards o f sea rch
a nd seiz u re impose d upon th e po li ce. as lo ng as th e c ase
in vo lves pa ranormal oppos iti on.
One of the reasons that the po li ce are usua ll y so to le rant o r
costumed heroes is that the heroes see m to be the o nly fo rce that
ca n e ffec ti ve ly conta in the ma ny costumed villains. Many po lice
d e partm e nt s have se t u p s pec ial d e partm e nt s to dea l w ith
para no r m al me na ces. bu t th e s pec ia l u nit s are us uall y
und e rs taffe d a nd und c rbudg e ted. To da te, th e o n ly s uc h
de partm e nt th at ha s me t w ith any great succe ss is the Specia l
Crimes Un it in Me tropo li s. headed by Capta in Magg ie Saw ye r.
IV. Character Roster
The fo ll ow ing sec ti o n li sts so me of th e mos t promin e nt
heroes a nd villains in the DC Universe. Th ey ca n be used as
Pl aye r Characte rs, or :is use ful NPCs and e ne mi es in a campaign
whe re the Players design the ir ow n Charnctcrs. Eithe r way. their
presence will he lp to reinforce the idea that you are playing in
lh e world of DC Comics.
Space restricti on s prohibit 1he inclusion o f more 1han a few
of the hundreds of DC Co mics C haracte rs that ex ist. If you want
mo re de tail ed desc ripli ons of th e foll ow in g C harac 1e rs . or
add ili ona l DC Characte rs fo r yo ur ga mes. the re a re a number of
resources avai lable , the best of whi c h are the fou r vo lumes of
the Wh o's Wh v in the DC Uni ve rse Role- Playing S11pple111em.
Toge th er. they co nt ain ga me stati stic s. bac kground information.
and rol e- play in g hint s fo r ov e r fo ur hundred o f DC Corni e' s
heroes. vill ains. and support in g cas t me mbe rs (Th e last page of
th is book is Ba tm a n's e ntry from Wh o's Wh o #4). Ma yfair
Games a lso publishes a num be r of source books wh ich co nt ain
ga me stals. as we ll as more thorough background in fo rm ation.
maps . and diagra ms . Loo k for th ese a nd o t he r DC H EROES
prod ucts at the store whe re you purc hased thi s book .

Heroes

DEX: 10 Sm: BoDv:

I NT : 8 WILL: MIND:
I N FL: 6 A URA: SPIRIT:
I NITIAT IVE: 261281 H ERO POINTS: I 00

•Powers: Anima l Contro l: 15. A ni mal Summo ning: 12.

Co nt ro l: 4. E mpath y: 6. Spe ak W ith A ni ma ls : 12 .
Sw imm ing: 7. T e lepat h y: 4. U ltra V is ion: 7. W a te r
Freedo m: 12
•Skills: V ehicl es: 6
•Limitations: Pow e r Res tri c lion s: A nimal Co ntrol.
Anim a l Summoning. and Speak Wit h Anim als work onl y
on ma rine life forms.
•Advantages: Co nn ec ti o ns: A tlanti s ( Hi g h) . J us ti ce
Lea g ue lnt e rna1i o nal ( Hi g h): Lc;,1ders hip : Li g htn ing
ReOexes
•Drawbacks: Autho rit y Fi gure (A tl a nti s. later in caree1
on ly): Ma rried (se purnt ed): Pub li c Id e ntit y: Fata l
Vu lnerabilit y to lack o f contact wit h wate r: Ex il e (forced )
•Alter Ego: Arth ur C urry
•Motivation : Upho ld ing 1he Good
•Occupation: Protec tor of the Seas and Oceans
•Wealth:4
•Background:
Th e so n o f a n Atlant ean princess and a human fath e r. A rthur Curry deve loped hi s aquati c powe rs to a phen o me na l deg ree
a nd became Aquama n. Kin g of the Se ven Seas

, I
 DEX: STR: B ODY:
INT: 12 WILL: 12 MIND: IO
l NFL: 10 AURA: 8 SPIRIT: 10
I NITIATI VE : 35 H ERO POINTS : !50
•Skills: *finked
Acrobati cs: 9 *, Arti st (Actor): 8, Charisma: 12, Detecti ve: 12*,
Gadge try : 12*, Ma rtial Arti st : 9 *, Military Sc ien ce: 12 *,
Scienti st: 12*, Thief: 9*, Vehicles: 9 *, Weaponry: 9*
•Advantages: Area Kno wledge (Gotham City); Buddy (Alfred
Penn ywo rth) ; Connectio ns: Arkh am Asy lum (Hi gh), Gotham
City Po lice Department (Hi gh) , Goth am State Pri son (Hi gh) ,
Goth am State Uni versity (Hi gh), Ju sti ce League Internatio nal
(Hi gh), Stree t (Hi gh); Connoisseur ; Expans ive Headquarters
(Batcave); Inte nsive T ra inin g; Iron Ne rves; Leade rship ;
Lightning Reflexes; Shanp Eye
•Drawbacks : Catas trophi c Irrati onal Attracti on to Seekin g
Ju sti ce ; Mi stru st ( 1st year of career onl y) ; Secret Id entity;
Traumatic Fl ashbacks: Batman reli ves the deaths of hi s parents
while he is within Crime Alley, and reli ves the death of Jason
Todd when he sees Robin take damage in Ki lling Combat.
•Alter Ego: Bruce Wayne
•Motivation: Seekin g Justice
•Occupation: Mi ll ionaire Playboy •Wealth: 20
•Equipment:
Batarang w / Llne [STR: 7, BooY: 8, EV: 3, Gliding: 2]
The line is 4 APs long.
COWL [BODY: 4, Thermal Vision: 8, Arti st (Actor): 16]
Batman 's cow l features a built-in infrared/night vision apparatus and a built-in throat mike/broadcaster unit that scrambles and
augments his voice. The O V/RV of the Perception Check to recognize Batman's voice as that of Bruce Wayne are both equal to the
cowl 's APs of Arti st (Actor).
Smoke Pellets (x6) [BODY: I, Fog: I OJ
10 AP ABCD Omni-Gadgets (x2)
For more of Batman's equipment, see his Who's Who page at the back of thi s book.
•Background:
After watching hi s parents' murder at the hands of a common criminal, young Bruce Wayne trained his mind and bod y to the
peak of hum an perfection . Donning cape and cowl, the billionaire playboy became the Batman, dark avenger of Gotham City.

DEX: 14 STR: 20 BODY: 14

I NT: 4 WILL: 10 MIND:
I NFL: 4 A URA: SPIR IT:
I NITIATI VE: 35 HERO POINTS: 85
•Powers: Flight: 14, Invulnerability: 18, Superspeed: 13, Sys temic
Antidote: 10
•Advantages: Connection: Ju stice League Inte rnational (Low);
Insta-Change; Lightning Reflexes
•Drawbacks: Alter Ego (Controllable); Secret Identity
•Alter Ego: Billy Batson
BILLY BATSON -

D EX : STR: BODY:
I NT: WILL: MIND:
) NFL: A URA: SPIRJT:
I NITI ATI VE : IO H ERO POINTS:
•Skills: Thi ef: 2
•Advantages: Co nnecti o n: KWHZ-TV (Hi gh); Insta-Chan ge; Scholar
(Magic Tri cks)
•Drawbacks: Age (youn g); Secret Identity
•Alter Ego: Captain Marvel
•Motivation: Upho lding The Good
•Occupation: Television Reporter •Wealth: 4
•Background:
When Billy Batson says the name of the ancient wizard Shazam, he is transformed into Captain Marvel, the world's mightiest mortal.
 FLASH Ill ~

D EX'. STR:
I NT'. W ILL'.
LNFL'. A URA'.
I NITIATI VE: 33
•Powers: Air Control : 8, Superspeed: 14
•Skills: C harisma: 5, Scientist: 3
•Advantages: Attractive; Connections: Ju stice League International (High), New Titans
.J~!~~!'~L~\"1:~i:~~f~~~ionalAttraction tofood after usinghi s Powers constantly for 6
APs of time or more.
•Alter Ego: Wallace (Wall y) West •Motivation: Responsibility of Power
•Occupation: Adventurer •Wealth: 5
•E~~~i;.":;~~\BooY : 6, Flame Immunity: 6]
•Background:
The third hero to be known as the Flash, Wall y West originally served as the second
Flash's sidekick, Kid Flas h. After the tragic death of Barry Allen during the Crisis, Wally
decided to carry on the name of his mentor so that the Flash would live on. His speed
powers have a tenden cy to come and go, but hi s heroic determination never wavers.

GREEN ARROW ~

D EX'. STR: B ODY'.

INT: WI LL'. 10 M tND:
[ NFL: AURA: 6 SPIRIT:
I NITI ATI VE: 27 HERO POI NTS: 100
•Skills : Acrobat ics: 6, C harisma: 8, Detect ive : 6, Marti al Arti st : 9 , Thi ef : 8,
Weaponry: 12
•Advantages: Area Knowledge (Star City, Seattle); Connections: Black Canary
( Hi gh), Star C ity ( Hi g h), Green Lantern Hal Jord an (Hi gh), Ju sti ce League
America (Low); Lightnin g Rell exes; Sharp Eye
• Drawbacks: Secret Identity
•Alter Ego: Oliver Queen •Motivation: Seeking Justice
•Occupation: Flori st/Deli veryman •Wealth: 4
•Equipment:
Bow [STR : 8, BODY: 41
Arrows (x20) [BODY: I , EV : 3]
•Background :
To survive when shipwrec ked on a deserted island, millionaire Oliver Queen
developed a unique arsena l of trick arrows, which he used to fi ght crime as Green
Arrow upon returning to civi lizat ion. He has recent ly given up th e use of trick
arrows and relies upon hi s skill as a hunter to battle the crimin al element.
GREEN LANTERN
D EX : STR:
I NT'. W ILL'. 25 MIND:
INFL: A URA: SPIRIT: 12
INITI ATIV E: 24 H ERO POI NTS: 150
•Skllls: Marti al Artist: 5, Scienti st: 4, Vehicles: 10
•Advantages: Connections: John Stewart (High), Ju sti ce Leag ue International
(Hi gh); Iron Nerves; Leadership •Drawbacks: Secret Identity
•Alter Ego: Harold (Hal) Jordan •Motivation: Responsib ility of Power
•Occupation : Pilot •Wealth: 3
• Equipme nt:
POWER RING [BODY: 25 , I NT: 10, Comprehend Languages: 20, Flight: 40,
Force Manip ulat io n: 25. In vu lnerabil ity: 18, Life Sense: 40, Omni -Power: 12,
Reca ll : 20, Regeneration: 4, Sealed Systems: 16, Skin Armor: 4, Spirit Travel: 50]
Bonu s: G reen Lantern ' s BOD Y is 12 while he is weari ng the ring.
Limitations: The Power Ring is complete ly useless against the color yellow; the
Power Ring·s Skin Armor does not have to be activated at its fu ll AP val ue: Green
Lantern loses one AP of Force Manipulation and Omni-Power for each AP of Skin
Armor in use: Ure Se nse is on ly usable to detect other members of the Green
Lantern Corps.
Misce ll aneous Drawbac ks: The Power Ring must be recharged once every 15 APs
(24 hours) with the lantern-shaped Power Battery.
Power Battery [BODY: 25, Energy Absorplion: 18, In visibility: 15, R#: 2]
•Background:
Hal Jordan was inducted into the Green Lantern Corps by Abin Sur, the former Green Lantern of Sec tor 28 14. Jordan has since
won reknown as one of the greatest Green Lanterns in hi story .
 D EX: STR: BODY:!0(5)
INT: WILL: 18 MIND: 6
! NFL: A URA: 3 SPIRIT: 8
I NITIATIVE : 18 H ERO POINTS : 70
•Advantages: Con neclio ns: Genera l Gl o ry ( Hi gh), Ju s1ice Leag ue
America (Hi gh); l.ron Nerves
•Drawbacks: Publi c Identity; Serious Rage
•Motivation: Thril l of Adven1ure
•Occupation: Adventurer
•Wealth:4
•Equipment:
POWER RING [BODY: 18, INT: I 0 , Co mpre hend Lang uages: 20,
F li g ht : 40 , Force M a nipul atio n : 18, In vu ln e ra bi lity: 18, Life
Sense: 40, Omni-Powe r: 9 , Reca ll : 20, Rege nera tion: 4 , Sea led
Sy ste ms: 16, Skin Ar mo r : 4]
Bonus: Guy Gard ner's BODY is IO while he is wearing the Ring.
Limitation: The Power Ring's Skin Armor does not have to be activated
at its fu ll AP value : Guy Gardner loses one AP of Force Manipul ation
and Omni -Power for each AP of Skin Armor in use; Life Sense is onl y
usable to detect members of the Green Lantern Corps.
Miscellaneous Drawbacks: The Power Ring is subject to periodic power
outages, whi ch occur see mi ng ly at random: treat the Ring as hav ing a
Reliab ili ty Number of 3; the Ring can only communicate in the al ie n
language Korugarian , so its Comprehend Languages Power and l NT are
useless to Guy.
•Background:
During the grea t Crisis, Guy Gardner was g iven a Gree n Lantern
Power Rin g and battery by a group of Guardians who believed that evi l
sho ul d be destroyed rather than subdued. Recen tly ej ected from the
Corps, the di sgruntl ed Guy quested for and captured the yellow Power
Ri ng o nce wielded by the vill ain Sinestro. A devotee of mac hi smo , he
now uses the ring to fight crime, attain fame, and pick up girls.

D EX: STR : BODY:

I NT: W ILL: MIND:
(NFL: AURA: SPIRIT:
I NITIATIVE: 24 HERO POINTS: 100

•Skills : C hari s ma: 7, Detec ti ve: 7, Gadgetry: 7, M arti al Arti st: 8,

Medicine: 7, Mi litary Science: 7, Scientist: 7, Vehicles: 5, Weaponry: IO
•Advantages: Area Know ledge (Downside, Thanagar); Connections:
Justi ce League Int ern ati o nal (Low), Than agar (Hi gh), Hawkwoman
(Hi gh); Scholar (Earth law enforcement hi story)
•Alter Ego: Katar Hol
•Motivation: Seeking Ju sti ce
•Occupation: Poli ce offi cer (on Thanagar)
•Wealth:4
•Equipment:
ANTI-GRAV BELT [BODY: 9, Gravity Decrease: 7] Limitation: Gravity
Decrease onl y allows the wearer to hover in place and li ft great weights.
Pistol [BODY: 5, EV: 6, Range: 6, Ammo: 8, R#: 2]
BATTLE ARMOR [Boor: 9]
Helmet [Body: 9, Thermal Vi sion: 13]
Mace [BODY: 9, EV: 5]
Wings [STR: 6, BODY: 10, Flight: 8] Limitation: The Wings will not
function un less used with an Anti-grav Belt.
•Background:
Katar Hol was se nt to Earth in pursuit of Byth, a criminal from
hi s ho me wo rl d of Th anaga r. When Thanaga r became a mi litary
dictatorship, Ho! e lec ted to remain on Earth, where he protects his
ado pted home as Haw kman .
 LOBO 0

DEX: IO STR: 16 BODY:

I NT: 2 WILL: 9 MIND:
[NFL: 9 AURA: 3 SPIR IT:
I NITI ATIVE: 23 HERO POINTS:
•Powers: In vulnerability: 24, Jumping: 5, Life Sense: 40, Regeneration: 3,
Runnin g: 6, Sealed Systems: 20
•Skills: Chari sma (Intimidation): 11 , Mi litary Science (Tracking): 7, Vehicles
(Space Craft): 10, Weaponry: 10
•Limitations: Miscellaneous: Lobo's Life Sense can only be used for tracking
his "target;" Sealed Systems is ineffecti ve against gas attacks.
•Advantages: Iron Nerves; Lightning Reflexes; Scholar (Biology); Sharp Eye
•Drawbacks: Catastrophic Irrational Attraction to fi ghting; Catastrophi c
Irrationa l Attraction to keeping his promises; Catastrophic Rage; Serious
Psyc hological Instability
•Equipment:
Hook and Chain [STR: 8, BODY: 10, Claws: 8, Stretching: I]
SPACE HARLEY (C ustom "SpazFrag 666") [STR: 7, BODY: 7, Flight 39,
Projectile Weapons: 9, Radar Sense: 15, R#: 4] Drawbacks: Unluck
•Motivation: Psychopath
•Occupation: Mercenary •Wealth: 3
•Background:
Lobo, whose name means "one who devours your entrails and thoroughly enjoys it,'' is one of the most feared senti ent beings in
the ga laxy. Through the machinations of Vril Dox ll, Lobo (normally a hi ghl y paid bou nty hunter) is honor bou nd to work wit h the
Li censed Ex tra-Governmental Interstell ar O~ tives Network - L.E.G.l.O.N.

l:':IHiiH:':ii,iii'i ifr 1 0

D EX : 7 STR: 18 BODY: 15
I NT: 9 W ILL: 9 MIND: 8
[NFL : . AURA: SPIRIT: 6
I NITIATIVE: 30 HERO POINTS: 145
•Powers: Chameleon: I 0, Flight: 13, Invisibility: I 0, Invulnerability: 16, Mind Probe:
6, Stretching: 6, Super Breath: I 0, Superspeed: 5, Telepathy: 6, Telescopic Vision: 8,
X-Ray Vision: 8
•Skills: Scientist: 6, Vehicles: 8, Weaponry: 5
•Limitations: Misce ll aneo us: Use of Invisi bility Power strain s Martian Manhunter's
concentration: None of J'Onn's other Powers will function while his Invisibility is in effect.
•Advantages: Connection: Justice League International (Hi gh); Leadership; Lightning
Reflexes; Scholar (Mars) •Drawbacks: Minor Irrational Fear of Fire
•Alter Ego: J'onn J'onzz, John Jones •Motivation: Upho lding the Good
•Occupation: Private In vestigator •Wealth: 4
•Background:
J'Onn J'Onzz was summoned across time and space by the fa mous Dr. Erdel in the
mid-1950's. As the Martian Manhunter, J'Onzz kept his existence a secret from the world
until he joined the original Justice League of America.

DEX: STR: BODY:

I NT: WILL: M IND:
!NFL: AURA: SPIRIT: 7
INITIATIVE: 28 HERO POINTS: 90
•Skills: *linked
Acrobatics: IO, Charisma: 9, Detective: 8*, Gadgetry: 8*, Martial Artist: 8*,
Mili tary Science: 8*, Thief: 8*, Vehicles: 8*, Weaponry: 8*
•Advantages: Area Knowledge (New York City, Gotham City): Connections·
Batman (Hig h), Haley Circus (High), New York Police Department (Hi gh),
New Titans (H igh); Intensive Training; Iron Nerves; Leadership; Lightning
Reflexes; Sharp Eye •Drawbacks: Secret Identity
•Alter Ego: Richard (Dick) Grayso n •Motivation: Seeking Justice
•Occupation: Adventurer •Wealth: 9
•Equipment:
Combat Disk [BODY: 7, G liding: 3]
Stun Bombs (x5) [BODY: I, Bomb: 5]
WRIST ROCKETS (x2) [STR: 5, BODY: 5, EV: 5, Range: 4]
Limitation : Lethal. Attached to the rockets are swing lines 4 APs long.
5 AP ACD Omni-Gadgets (x2)
•Background:
Dick Grayson was the original Robin the Boy Wonder, partner of Batman. As he grew older and his ro le as leader of the Titans
became more important to him, Grayson felt as though the shadow of the Caped Crusader was preventing him from becoming his
own man. He turned the role of Robin over to Jason Todd and became Nightwing, joining the Titans full-time.
 D EX: STR: BODY:
I NT: W ILL: M IND:
I NFL: AURA: 5 SPIRIT:
I NITI ATI VE: 23 H ERO POI NTS: 20
•Skills: *linked
Ac robat ics: 7*. Detective: 7*. Gadgetry: 7*. Martial Artist: 7*. Medicine (First
Aid. Forensics): 4. Thief: 7*. Weaponry (Melee Weapons. Missile Weapons): 7*
•Advantages: Co nn ec 1i o ns: Ba1ma n (Hi gh), Nig hl win g ( Hi g h), New
Tit a ns ( Low); Int e n s i ve T rai nin g: Ri c h Friend ( Bru ce Wa y ne):
Sc holar (comp ul ers): Sharp Eye
•Drawbacks: Age (young); Secre1 Identity
•Alter Ego: Timoth y Drake •Motivation : Responsibi li ty of Power
•Occupation: Student •Wealth: 5
•Equipment:
COSTUME [BooY: 51
Staff [BODY : 8. EV: 31 Bonus: When being wielded in combat, Robin ' s Staff
produces an eerie wa il wh ich di stracts his op ponents. Robin rece ives a - I
Column Shi ft to the OV when using it in combat.
Batarang w / Llne [BODY: 7. EV: 3, Glidi ng: 2] The line is 4 APs long.
Razor " R" (BODY: 7. C laws: 3. Glidin g: 2 1
Sling w / bullets [BODY: 2. EV: 315 AP AB Omni-Gadgets (x2)
•Background:
Usi ng his natural int ui tion and detecti ve abilities. the young Tim Drake discovered the true ident ities of his heroes. Batman and
Robin. After the tragic death of the second Robin. Jason Todd. T im decided that Batman needed a new part ner. Ga ini ng Batman' s
confidence with the he lp of N igh1 wing. Tim convinced Batma n 10 accept him as the new Robin.
TARFIRE '

D EX: Sm: B ODY:

INT: Wt LL: M tND:
I NFL: AURA: SPlRlT: 6
I NlTl AT l VE: 23 H ERO PO lNTS: 65
•Powers: Co mpre hend Languages: 14, Energy Blast 11. Flight 12. Solar Sustenance: 15
•Skills: Chari sma: 7, Martia l Arti st: 8. Weaponry (Me lee Weapons, Mi ssile Weapon s) : 8
•Advantages: Area Knowledge (Tamaran ); Attractive; Co nn ections: Fashi o n In dustry _
(Low). New Titans (High). Tamaran (High); Lightning Reflexes: Popul arity: Sharp Eye
•Drawbacks: Ex ile (vo lunt a ry. from T amara n). Serious Irrationa l A11 raction to
Niohtwino· Minor Ra oe
•Alt':.r Eg:;; Princess Koriand 'r/Kory Anders •Motivation: Upholding the Good
•Occupation: Model •Wealth: 6
•Background :
Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran was given to Gordanian slavers in order 10 spare her
planet fro m the tyra nts of the Citadel. She escaped and fo und her way lo Earth, where
Rave n was organiz in g th e new T ee n Tit ans. Th e n edg lin g gro up managed Lo save
Koriand'r from he r Go rda nian pursuers , and she has re ma ined a s1eadfas1 member of the
T ita ns ever since.

D EX: 13 STR: 16 B ODY: 13

INT: 9 W tLL: 12 M lND' 10
I NFL: 10 AURA: 9 SPlRIT:10
I NlTIAT IVE: 36 H ERO POINTS: 150

•Powers: Direc t io n al Hea r i n g: 4. Fli g ht : 14. Runnin g: 7. Swi mmi ng: 6.

Telesco pic V isio n : 3
•Skills: Acroba ti cs: 11. Anima l Hand ling: 8, Charisma (Pe rsuasion): 12. Martial Artist·
12. Military Science (Tracking): 10. Weaponry: 13
•Advantages: Area Know ledge (Themyscira): Allrac ti ve: Budd y (Julia Kapa te lis):
Con nec tions: Gods o f O ly mpu s ( Low). Ju st ice League In te rn a ti o nal ( H igh).
The myscira (Hi gh). Uni ted Nations (Low). U.S. A rm y (Low); Iron Nerves: Light ni ng
Refle xes: Schola r (a ncie nt Gree k and Themysciran la nguages, G reek mythology)
•Drawbacks: Public Iden tity: Mi sce ll aneous: Diana still does not fu ll y compre hend
the world out side Paradi se Island : Di ana·s RV drops to 4 aga in st Phys ica l Ki ll ing
Co mbat . bu t she may use he r Martial Art ist Skill lo a ugme nt it as normal.
•Alter Ego: Princess Dia na •Motivation : Upholdin g the Good
•Occupation: Ambassador •Wealth: 5
•Background:
Prin cess Dia na ofThe mysc ira was sent LO "Man 's World .. by the gods of O lympu s to teach mankind the A mazon ways o f peace
and love. Dubbed Wonder Woman by the A merican press, Dia na continues to spread her message or wor ldwide harmony
 Villains
BLACKFIRE '\

DEx: Sm:
I NT' WILL:
INrL: AURA:
I NITI ATIVE: 23
•Powers: Co mprehend Languages: 14. Energy Blast: 11. Solar Suste na nce: 15
•Skills: Charisma: 8, Man ia! Art isJ: 7, Mililary Science: 7, Thi ef (SJealih): 5, Weaponry
(Mc lee Weapo ns. Missi le Weapons): 7
•Advantages : Area Kn ow ledge (T a maran); Co nn ec Ji on: Vega n Wor lds ( Hi g h):
Leade rship: Popularit y
•Drawbacks: Aut hority Figure: Serious lrrai iona l Hatred of Starfire: Public Ident it y
•Alter Ego: Komand'r
•Motivation: Responsibility of Power (formerly Power Lust)
•Occupation: Queen ofTa maran •Wealth: 15
•Background:
B lackfire is 1he sister of Starfi re of 1he New T it a ns. After man y altempts 10 ki ll
Starfire and assume the thron e of their hom e planet Tamara n, Blackfire wo n th e
acceptance of the Tamaranian peop le and c urren tl y ru les the planet.

DEX: Sm: BODY:

I NT: WI LL: MIND :
I NFL: AURA: SPIRIT:
I N ITIATIVE: 30 HERO POINTS: 75
•Skills: *linked
Acroba ti cs : 9 . Anima l Handling: 8*. C hari s ma · 8*. Martia l Artist: 8 . Thief: 9 *.
Ve hi c les: 9*. Weaponry: 9*
•Advantages: Area Kn ow ledge (Gotham C it y); Connect ions: Batman (Low), Street
( Hi g h); In tensive Training; Lightning Re fl exes; Pets (numerous ho use cats); Sc holar
(cats)
•Drawbacks: Se ri ous Irrat io na l Anrac1io n 10 cats and cat mot if crimes: Minor Irrationa l
Attraction to the Batman
•Alter Ego: Se lina Kyle •Motivation: Thrill See ke r
•Occupation: Burglar •Wealth: 6
•Equipment:
Cat O'Nlne Tails [BODY: 4, EV: 5]
Swingline and Grapple [STR: 5, Boov: 6] Line is 5 APs Jo ng.
•Background :
Se lina Kyle was one of the first costumed adversaries ever faced by the Batman. Over
the years. she ha s reformed. re turn ed to cr im e. a nd reformed aga in . C urrent ly. she ~
engages in o nl y occasional burglaries as Catwoman , but she wi ll und oubted ly cause !he Caped Crusader more !rouble in lhe future.
DARKSEID "

DEX: 10 Sm: 25
I NT: 18 W ILL: 26
IN FL: 17 AURA: 17
I NITIATI VE: 45
•Powers : Con tinuum Con1rol : 30. D imens io n Tra ve l: 8, Invuln erab ili ty: 20. Rege neral ion: 8.
Warp:65
•Skills: Cha risma: 18. Scie nti sl: 15
•Bonuses: The .. Omega Effect:'' If Darkseid uses Con tinuum Co ntrol to attack a target wi th
E nergy Blast a nd receives a number of RAPs exceedi ng twice the target 's BODY. he ca n
di sin tegrate the target. scattering it s atoms across the cosmos. Later, Darkseid ca n reasse mbl e
and resurrect ta rgets that have been destroyed in thi s fashion by makin g a success ful Act ion
C hec k agai nst OY/RVs both eq ual to twice the target's BODY
•Limitations : Darkse id 's Continuum Contro l, D im ensio n Travel. a nd Warp Powers arc
powe red by .. X-E le ment:' w hi ch he abso rbs int o hi s body. Treat these Powe rs as though they
had Mi nor Power Bu rn out for the purposes of determ ining when hi s suppl y of X-E le me nt mu st
be rep le ni shed.

=~~:!~~~t~~:c:~:~\,~~~: f~!~~:~
•Motivation: Power Lust
1 0 5
!~~f~~1~~~~dJi: c~~eri ng the An ti -L ife Equation
•Occupation: Dictator
•Background:
Darkse id is the ruler of the d is mal pl a ne t Apoko li ps. Hi s goa l is to rule a ll of known cre,1 ti on.
and to that end. he is obsessed w ith the di scove ry of the A nti-Life Equaiion. a formu la that w ill
give him co nt ro l over life and death.

II
 D EX : STR: 4(5 ) BODY: 3(6)
I NT: WtLL: 12 MIND: 5
! NFL: 10 AURA: 7 . SPIRIT:
I N ITIATIVE : 24 H ERO POI NTS: 120
•Skills: Arti st (Ac tor): 5, Chari sma: 10, Gadgetry: 11 , Vehicles: 5,
Weaponry: 7
•Bonuses: Mani aca l Slre ngth: The Joker gains the STR and BODY listed in
parentheses while he is under the effects of hi s Psychological In stability
Drawback.
•Advantages: Connect ions: Arkham Asylum (Low ), Underworld (Hi gh)
•Drawbacks: Ser io u s Irrat io na l Attract ion to pract ica l j okes;
Catastrop hi c Psychological Instabi lity
•Alter Ego: Unknown •Motivation: Psychopathic
•Occupation: Crimi nal •Wealth : 6
•El;:;f:;'.,:,:'J [BODY: 2, Acid: 8, R#: 2] Limitation: Acid has a range ofO APs.
Electric Joy Buzzer [BODY: 4, Li g htni ng: 9 , R#: 2] Limitation :
f~t~~i t~eh~~~o :r~~e.[BODY: 5, Poison Touch: 8, R#: 2] Limitation:
Lethal. Bonus: When the Joker Venom kill s, it leaves the victim' s lips pulled back in a twi sted smile.
•Background :
Eas il y the Batman's most persistent and deadly foe, the Joker has terrori zed Gotham City for years. He is bes t known fo r hi s
lethal "Joker Venom," whi ch leaves its victim s' faces contorted in a macabre parody of the Joker's ow n omn ipresent grin . The
Joker was responsible for the death of the seco nd Robin , Jason Todd

IPl5'11P.f ·fl
DEX: STR: B ODY:
I NT: 14 WtLL: MIND:
] NFL: 8 AURA: SPIRIT :
I N ITI ATIVE: 28 H ERO POINTS: 95
•Skills: Chari sma: 10, Gadgetry: 15, Martial Arti st: 5, Scienti st: 15
•Advantages: Con nections: Business Com munity (Hi gh), U.S . Mi litary (Hi gh);
Conno isse ur: Ge niu s; Leade rship ; Omni-Co nn ec tion ; Popu larity ; Scholar
(business, aerospace engineering, weapon design)
•Drawbacks: Dark Secrets (Ill egal act iviti es, The fact th at he is actua ll y Lex
Luthor): Catastrophi c Irrational Hatred of Superm an; Public Identity
•Motivation: Power Lu st
•Occupation : CEO of Lex Corp International •Wealth: 25
•Equipment:
16 AP ABCD Omni-Gadgets (x2)
Note: Ahhoug h Lex has access to incredible scientific advances (as these Omni-
Gadgets represent), he rare ly carri es any unu sual Gadgets around with him . He
will on ly prepare one of these Gadgets when he is expecti ng troubl e
•Background:
Follow ing the deat h of Lex Lu ther in the crash of the LexW ing X-27, a will ,. \:tll'"'l-.,;=::~,a:
was fou nd namin g a son, Lex Luth or ll , as so le heir. Unbek nownst to the world, the stron g yo un g Australian is act ua ll y a
geneti ca ll y engineered clone of Luthe r himself, containing the brain, eyes, and partial spin al cord of Supe rman' s greatest foe.
Luthor II prese nts a more cord ial public fi gure than hi s "fath er," but sti ll retains a patholog ical need to be in charge of all he
surveys, espec iall y in the city of Metropoli s

D EX: 10 Sm· BODY: 10

I NT: 4 WILL: MIND: 9
! NFL: 6 AURA: SPIRIT:
! NtTtATt VE: 20 H ERO POINT S: 175
•Powers: Air Walking: 15, An imate Image: 25, Animate Objects: 25, Dimension Travel: 12,
Invisibility: I5, Maner Manipulation: 20, Omni-Power: 25, Teleportation: 25
•Limitations: Dimension Travel only aJlows Mxyzpt1k to enter the Earth dimension every 90 days.
•Advantages: Area Knowledge (Fifth Dimension); Connectinn: Lex Luthor (Low)
•Drawbacks: Catastrophic Irrati onal Attraction to garnr..: smanship: Every time Mxyzptlk visits
the Eart h dimension, he mu st es tabli sh so me absurd condition for hi s return to th e 5th
Dimension, and when thi s condit ion is met, he instantly returns himself; Catastrophic Irrational
Attraction to making mi schi ef; Catastrophic Irrational Attraction to humi liating Superman
•Alter Ego: Untranslatable •Motivation: Thrill Seeker
•Background:
Mister Mxyzptlk (pron oun ced mix-yez-pitel-ick) is the nam e used on Eanh by a devi li sh
being from the "Fift h Dime nsio n" who occas iona ll y came to Earth to cause mi schie f for Superman. He usuall y challenged the Man
of Steel to some ridi culous contest, requirin g Superm an to outsmart him and return him to hi s home dimension
 D EX: STR : BODY:
I NT: WILL : MIND:
I NFL: A URA'. SPIRIT:
I NITI AT IVE'. 20 HERO POI NTS: 70
•Skills: Animal Handlin g (A nimal Training): 5, C har isma: 6. Gadgetry: 7.
Martia l A11 is1: 5. Vehic les: 7. Weaponry (Exoti c): 7
•Advantages : Co nn ec ti o n s: Sui cide Squad ( Lo w), Underworld ( Hi g h) ;
Connoisse ur: Genius: Leadership: Pets ( I0-20 birds of prey and others): Scholar
(b irds. Ji1erature. chess)
•Drawbacks: Serious Irrationa l Attracti on to birds a nd bird-motif crimes
•Alter Ego: Oswald Ches terfi eld Cobble po t
•Motivation: Mercenary •Wealth: 9
•Equipment:
10 AP ACD Omni-Umbrellas {x4 )
•Background:
Th e Peng uin has a lo ng li st of bi rd -re lated crimes in Gotham City to hi s
dubious credit. He is mos t o fte n broug ht in by the Batman, but he has faced
other heroes as we lI. and eve n served a brief stint in the Suic ide Sq uad.

D EX: 10 STR: B ODY: 7

I NT: 8 WILL: MI ND'. 10
I NFL : A URA: SPIRIT: 6
I NITI AT IVE: 26 HERO POI NTS: 100
•Powers: Jumping: 3. Regc nera1ion: 5. Systemic Antidote: 6
•Skills: Acrobatics: 9. Cha ri sma 8. De tective: 5. Martial Artist: 9. Mi litary Science: 11.
Thi e f: 9. Vehic les: 8. Weaponry: 12
•Advantages: Connections : Merce nary Organi zations (High ). Third World Nations
( Low). New Titan s: ( Hi g h ): Co nn oisse ur: Iro n Nerves: Lea de rs hip: Li ghtnin g
Re llexes: Mi strust: Omni -Connec ti o n; Sc ho lar (tact ics)
•Drawbacks: Age (o ld): Buddy {W. R. Wintergree n): Gu il t; Catastrophi c Irrat iona l
Attractio n to fulfillin g co nt racts: Married: Minor Phy sical Restriction (blind in ri ght

•lit~~~:~~ ~1:~~iiil son •Motivation : Me rce nary

•Occupation: Me rce nary •Wealth: 13
•Equipment:
ARMOR [Bom': 10. Radio Communicati on: 71
Power Staff IB ODY: 7. EV: 3. Energy Blast: 11 J
Plstol JBODY: 5, EV: 6. Range: 5/8. Ammo: 10, R#: 2] The pistol' s Range can be
inc reased to 8 wit h the add iti on of a remo vab le barre l exte nsio n, w hi ch take s I phase.
Sword JBODY : 6. EV: SJ Knives (2 ) [BODY: 4. EV: 3J
Grenades [BODY: 2. Bomb: 8. Ammo: I. R#: 21 Flash Grenades JBODY: 2. Flash: 8. Ammo: I. R#: 2J
•Background:
Slade Wil son had hi s mind ;md body e nha nced by ex pe riments performed o n him by the U.S. Army . Utili zin g hi s newfound
ab ilities. Wil son bec~une Deathstroke: the Termina to r. the world' s lead in g assass in.

D EX : STR: B ODY :
I NT: Wt LL: M IND:
I NFL: A URA: SPIRIT:
I NITI ATI VE: 22 HERO POI NTS: 75
•Skills: Charisma (Intimidat ion): 8. Detec ti ve (La w. Po lice Proced ure): 7. Martial
Arti st: 6 . Thi e f: 7. Vehicl es {Land ): 7, Weaponry: 7
•Advantages: Arca Kno w ledge (Go th am C ity): Con nection : Underworld (Hi g h):
Leadership
•Drawbacks: Ca tastrophk: Irratio nal Attrm.: ti o n to making a ll dec isions by nipping a
co in : Seriou s Irra tional A ttrac tion to co mmittin g c rime s that revo lve aro und th e
number two: Serious Psychological In stabilit y
•Alter Ego: Harvey De nt •Motivation: Psychopathi c
•Occupation: Form er Distri c t Attorney •Wealth: 8
•E~!~";,~~~: Submachine Gun JBODY: 4. AV: 5. EV: 5. Range: 5. Ammo: 5. R#: 3]
.4S Pistol [Bo ov: 4. EV: 5. Ra nge: 4. Ammo: 8. R#: 21
•Background:
Distri ct Attorney Harvey De nt was di s li gurcd whe n acid throw n by a notoriou s
mob boss scarred half o f hi s race. Adoptin g a two- headed co in wi th o ne side marred as hi s sy mbo l. he beca me Two-Face. a
c riminal obsessed w ith th e dual it y of hi s nature. Hi s persona lity can change from demoni c to ange li c with a flip of hi s lu c ky coin .
 V. The Death of Superman
The mon ster called Doom sday e merged from out of nowh ere and began a rampage of wa nton destruction that led him strai ght
into Metropolis and her most famous and powerfu l defender: Superman. In a long and hard-fought batt le, S uperman fin a ll y stopped
Doo msday. but lost hi s own life in the process.

D EX: 15 STR: 25 BODY: 18

I NT: II W ILL: 20 M IND: 15
[ NFL: 10 AURA: 20 SPIRIT: 10
I NITIATI VE: 49 HERO POI NT S: 200
•Powers: Direc tiona l Hearin g : 8 , Extended Hea ring : 8,
F lig ht : 18, Hea t Vi s ion: 15, In vu lnerabilit y: 22,
Microscopic Vi sion: 15, Reca ll : 20, Sealed Systems: 11 ,
S up er Breat h: 12, Super Hea ring : 8, Superspeed: 11,
Syste mi c Antido te: 18, Telescopic Vision: 13, Th erm a l
Vision: 13. X-Ray Vi sion: 13
•Skills: Arti st (W riter) : 4, Charisma (Pe rsua s io n): 15 ,
Scientist: 10
•Advantages : A rea K now ledge ( M e trop o li s);
Co nn ec t io n s : Batm a n ( H ig h ), Dai ly P lanet ( H ig h ),
Me tropoli s Pol ice Headquart e rs ( H igh), Ju sti ce Leag ue
Inte rnati o nal ( Hig h), the White House (Hi gh); Expansive
H eadq uart e rs ( Fort ress of So l itud e); Fre e Access:
Leaders hip: Li g htning Re fl exes; Popularity; S harp Eye
•Drawbacks : Secret Identit y; Fatal Vu lnerab il it y:
kryptoni te, Range of 2 APs: Loss Vulnerab ility : krypto nite,
Ra nge of 2 APs ; Loss Vulnerabi li ty: mag ic , Ra nge of 0
APs: Loss Vulnerabili ty: lack of ye ll ow sun radiatio n,
Range ofO APs (Note: All of S uperman' s Loss Vu lne rabi li ti es affect all of his Attributes and Powers.)
•Alte r Ego: C lark Kent, Ka i-El (Kryptoni an name) •Motivation: Upholding the Good
•Occupation: Reporter •Wealth : 5
•Background:
Rocketed from the dyin g planet Krypton , infant Kai-El trave led to Ea rth where he was fo und a nd adopted by Jonathan and
Martha Ke nt. As the child g rew olde r, he man ifested more and more powers. After g rad uating from hi g h school. C lark Kent spent
several years using hi s powers secret ly 10 aid mankind. He was fina ll y ex posed whe n he rescued an ex pe rime nta l spacecraft from a
near disaster. Realizing 1ha1 he could no longer keep hi s presence a secret. Ke nt turned to hi s adoptive paren ts, who he lped him
devise the identity of Superman.
Aft er a lo ng and distinguished ca ree r as Earth 's Greatest Hero, Su perman met a tragic end at the hands of the mon strou s villain
Doo msday. In stopp in g Doom sday's rampage through Metropo li s. the Man of Steel lost his life. A memoria l statu e of S uperman
sta nds over his cry pt in Metropo lis' Centennia l Park.

i•l+I HH'i
D EX: 16 STR: 27 BODY: 20
I NT: 4 W ILL: 12 MIND: 15
I NFL: JO AURA: SPIRIT: 12
I N ITIATIVE: 32 HERO POI NTS: 225
•Powers: C laws: 20, Dens ity Inc rease: 2, Invulnerab ility: 23, Jump ing: 13,
Sealed Systems: 20, Sk in Armor: 3
•Limitations: De nsit y In crease is A lways On and is already fi g ured in to
the DEX li sted above
•Advantages: Iron Nerves; Ligh tning Refl exes
•Drawbacks: Ca ta strophi c Irra lional Attract ion to vio le nce and d eath ;
Catastrophic Rage ; Strange Appearance
•Motivation: Nihili st
•Occupation: Living Engi ne of Destruct ion
•Background:
No one knows the o rigins of the monster ca l led Doomsday. He c ut a
swa th of destruction across th e no rtheastern part of th e United States,
deci 1mHing Ju sti ce League America in the process. He was fina ll y stopped
in Metropoli s by Superman. w ho h im se lf died in the battle with
Doom sday
Doomsday's body was exa mined first by S.T.A.R. Labs and the n by the
Cadm us Proj ect. Before Cadmus could complete the ir experimentation, the
Cyborg Superman (see be low) broke into thei r co mpound and absconded
wi th Doom sday. He fastened the monster to an asteroid and hurl ed him
into space. Th e Cyborg altached a se nsor on to Doomsday that will a lert
him if the asteroid is ever tampered with
 The Reign of the Supermen
Recent ly. fou r beings have su rfaced all c laiming to be Superm an. No one knows whic h (i f any) of 1hcm i:- the rea l Supc rnrn n. or
wha t the full ex te nt o f the ir powers are. The descri pti ons th at fo ll ow a re based on recent sig htings o f the new ·· Me n o f Steer · a nd
re flec t the most com pl e te descripti ons o f the ir a bilities availabl e at thi s time.
Note: A lth ough it has not ye t been doc um ented in the co mi cs , the G M can ass ume th at all o f the new Superm en :-hare th e
orig inar s Vulnerabilities (w ith the poss ibl e excep ti on o f the Man of S1cc l). Howeve r. thi s is e nti re ly up to the GM "s di sc reti on and is
not an ··offi cia l" pmt o r the Characlers' slati sti cs.

D EX: 15 STR: 25 BODY : 18

I NT: II WI LL: 20 MI ND: 15
INFL: AURA: 10 SPIRIT: 9
INITIATI VE: 46 H ERO POINTS: 50
•Powe rs: Direc ti onal Hearin g : 8. Ene rgy Blast: 15, Ex te nded Hemin g: 8.
F li g ht: 18. l nvuln c rnbilit y: 22. Reca ll: 20 . Sea\cd Sys te ms: 11 . S uper
Breat h: 12, Super Hearing: 8. S upe rspeed : 11 . Syste mi c A ntidote: 18
•Ad va nt a ges: A rca Kn ow ledge (Me t ropo li s): Expa ns ive Headqu arters
(Fort ress o f So li1udc): Iro n Nerves: Li ghrning Reflexes
•Drawback s: Mi stru s1: Se ri o us Physica l Restri c ti o n: T he Krypto ni a n is
bli nded by eve n the di m mes t o f li ght a nd must wear a visor (sec Equi pme nt
be low) to protec t him fro m it s e ffec ts: A tt ac k Vuln e rabilit y: -4 Co lumn
S hift s to th e OV/ R V a ga in s l Fl as h Powe r : Loss Vuln e ra bilit y: lac k o f
ye llow sun rad iati o n (Ye ll ow sun radiatio n is broadcast to the Krypt onian
by th e Rege ne rati on Matri x in the Fortress of So litude: he can no longe r
absorb it direc tly.)
• Motivation : Seek in g Ju sti ce •Occupation: C rimefi gh1e r
•Equipment:
Visor [BODY: I. Shade: 7 [
•Background:
Th e Kryp to ni un w.is ap pare ntl y fo rm ed fro m Su per ma n 's e nergies
co ll ec lt!d by th e robo t drones inh ab iting the Fo rtress o f Solitude. After
rcgu inin g co nsc iousness. he rea li zed that he was a n immateria l e nergy be ing. and required hi s body 10 survive. Easil y e ntering hi s
tomb. he recovered hi s body and bcc:1111e the protector o f Metropo li s o nce aga in !
Thi s Supe rman is cool an d e ffi c ie nt and docs no t hes itate to an swe r fo rce w ith fo rce. oft e n se ri o usly injurin g those he fi ght s. He
views the ha ppe nin gs in Me tropoli s from hi s new ly redes igned monit or room in th e Fortress o f So lit ude.

D EX: STR: 14 BODY:

I NT: WI LL: 10 MIND: 10
I NFL: 10 AURA: 20 SPIRIT: 10
I NITIATIVE: 25 H ERO POINTS: 50
•Powe rs: In vuln e rability: 10
• Skills: Gadgetry: 8. Scie 111is1: 5
•Advantag es: A rca Kn ow ledge (S ui c ide S lu m): Ge niu s: Iro n Ne rves:
Li ghtn ing Re fl exes
• Alt er Ego: He nry Joh nson. John He nry Irons
• Motivation : Respo ns ibili ty of Power
•Occupat ion: Stee lworke r •Wealth: 4
•Equipment :
MAN OF STEEL ARMOR [Bom•: 13. Flight: 7. Projoc1ile Weapons: 11. R#: 2[
Th e armo r He nry built fo r him se lf is equipped with a do uble-barre led spike
launc he r in the le ft arm (Projecti le Weapons). He typi ca ll y uses thi s weapon
to trap oppon e nt s by pinning th e m lo wall s by the ir cl othin g. Such ;m atlac k
is reso lved ;.is a T ri ck Shot. w ith pos iti ve RA Ps indi cat ing that the target is
pin ned 10 the wa ll. im mobil e an d he lpless. T he targc t·s DEX is considered 0
unt il he can break free. usin g hi s STR as the AV/E V aga in st OV/ RVs o f 3/3.
W hen c umul a ti ve RAPs fro m these Chec ks exceed the BODY o f his clothes
(usua ll y I ). the target is free.
Sledgehammer [ B01>Y: 12. EV: 5 [
•Background :
He nry John son was o nce a wea pons designer. in strume nta l in the c reatio n
o f th e BG-80 "Toastmaster." a rifl e-s ized e ne rgy wea pon o r tre me nd ous des tru cti ve capabilit y. Hi s mos t recen t j ob. however. was
as a stee lworke r. He nry's life was saved by Superman whil e he was on the hi gh stee l. and he vowed th at da y that he woul d rc p;1y
his sav ior.
During Supe rm a n's battl e with Doo msday. He nry w..is buried in the co ll ~1pse of a bui lding. c merging from the rubble thi nking
that he had to stop Doo msday. A ft e r a near- fota l bru sh w ith a Toastmaste r-eq ui pped gang. He nry bui lt a protective sui1 o f armor fo r
hi msel f. a nd became the Ma n of Steel.
 DEX' 15 Sm· 25 BODY: 19
INT: II WILL: 20 M IND: 15
INFL: 10 AURA: 15 SPIRIT: 10
I NITI AT IVE: 49 HERO POI NTS: 50
•Powers: Control · 1 1. Direc ti o nal Hea rin g: 8. Ene rgy B last: 16.
Exte nded Hea rin g: 8. Flig ht: 18 . Heal V is ion: 15. In vulnerabil ity:
22. Mi c rosco pic Vis ion: 15. Mind Sca n: 11. Rec a ll : 25 . Sca led
Systems: l l. Super Breath: 12. Super Hearin g: 8. Supe rspeed: I l.
System ic Antidote: 18. Te lesco pi c Vi sion : 13. Th e rma l V is ion·
13. X-Ray Vis ion: 13
•Skills: Gadge try : 10. Th ie f (Sec urit y Syste ms): 11
•Bonuses: Contro l and M ind Sca n work agai nst com puters.
•Limitations: Contro l. Mind Scan, and Thief (Sec urity Syste ms)
have No Range and o nl y work against co mputers.
•Advantages : Area Know ledg e (Earth) : Co nn ec tion: Whil e
Ho use (Hi gh): Free Access: Gen ius : Li g htnin g Refl exes
•Drawbacks: Strange Appearance
•Motivation: Res pon sibilit y o f Power
•Occupation: Hero
•Background:
Nothin g is kn ow n o f the origins o f th e ha lf-S uperman. half-
mach ine Cyborg. Howeve r. he has bee n tho rough ly exam ined by
Professor Emil Hami lton. who co nfirmed that th e Cyborg's DNA
matches that o f the original Supe rman. The Cyborg's mach ine half
was al so determined to have Krypto nian o rigin s.

DEX: 13 Sm: 22 BODY : 13

INT: WILL: MI ND: 5
INFL: AURA: SPIRIT: 8
INIT IATI VE: 34 HERO POI NTS: 50
•Powers: Directiona l Hearing; 8, Exte nded Hearing : 8, Flight : l 7,
Heat Vision: 13. In vuln e rabilit y : 15. M ic ro sco pic Visio n: 15.
Recall: 16. Sealed Syste ms: 11. S uper Breath: 12. Super Hearing :
8. Supe rspeed : 10. Systemic Anti dote : 13. Telescopi c Vis io n: 13.
The rm al Vis io n: 13. X- Ray Vis io n: 13
•Advantages: Co nnec ti o ns : Newsboy Leg io n ( Hi g h). Ga lax y
Broadcas ting ( Low): Pop ularity
•Drawbacks : Age (yo u ng ): Inn oce nt: Pub l ic Identi t y:
Miscella neous: Superboy has total a mnes ia
•Motivation : Thrill o f Adventu re
•Occupation: He ro
•Wealth: 5
•Equipment:
Headset I BODY : I. Radi o Com muni cati o n: 5. R#: 2 1
•Background:
Supe rboy is a c lo ne of the o ri g inal Superman. ge ne rated by
sc ientists at the Cadmu s Proj ec t. He was re leased from Cadmus by
the Newsboy L eg io n before he had reac he d maturit y. and
eve ntu a ll y linked up with Gala xy Broadcas ting. He now fight s
crim e on ca mera as the ··offic ia l.. S upe rman (d o n·t e1·er call him
Superboy to hi s fa ce).
S u perboy is un ce rtain or th e lim its o r full workings o f hi s
powe rs du e to his amnes ia. but doe sn't le t that stop him from
di vi ng straight int o danger. I-l e is coc ky and reck less. and ha s a
de finit e weakness for attractive fema les.
 "' . ... . . " " '. _ _PENDIX B.
Animals
This appendi x contains a li sl of animals that can be used in
ad ve ntures. Of course. this list is by no means a ll - inclusive. but
the GM may use thi s list to work out the approximate Abi li ties D EX : STR: BODY:
of simi lar animals. I NT: W ILL: M IND:
The Powers. S kil ls, and Ad vant ages li sted do no t rep resent I NFL: A URA: SPIRIT:
e nh anced Ab ili t ies. but rat her the nalural Abi liti es an d Sk ill s I NITIATI VE:
th at th~ animal has which mimi c that Powe r. For in stance. an y
an imals listed wit h the Shrinkin g Po we r are s im p ly sma ll
an im als. and the Power should be conside red Always O n. Also. •Advantages: Li ghtning Reflexe s
a ll a n ima ls a re a ss um ed to h ave ce rta in A biliti es a nd •Skills: Thie f (S tealth ): 4
•Description: Boa Co n s t rictor s w ill a lways a tl e mp t
Drawbacks w itho ut spec ifica ll y stati ng the m . s imp ly because of
Grappl ing Alt acks. Th e ir Li g htnin g Re fl exes o nl y ope rat e
their nalllre . For instance . no a nima l ca n s peak. mos t lac k duri ng the first phase o f combat. They inh abi t the forest and
ha nd s. e tc. Th ese thin gs s ho ul d be fa irly o bv ious. a nd a rc jung les of Cenl ra l and Sout h America. They can reach a size
always su bjec t 10 GM di sc re tion. ofup to JS fe et ( I AP).

D EX: STR: B ODY: DEX'. STR: B ODY'.

I NT: WI LL: MIND: I NT: WI LL: MI ND:
! NFL: AURA: SPIRIT: I NFL: A URA: SPIRIT:
I NITIATIVE: 4161 I NITIATIVE: 9

•Powers: Sw imming : 2. Water Freed o m: 4, C laws: 4 •Powers: C laws: 4. Runnin g: 6

•Description : All ig<.1 tors li ve in fr es h wa te r. espec iall y
swa mps. They are able to stay submerged for seve ral ho urs.
A ll iga tors may reach a size o f JO feet (0 APs) and a we ig ht o f
5 to 6 A Ps. They are now fou nd o nl y in Lo ui s iana. Fl o rid a.
and southern C hin a.
•Skills: Mi li1 ary Scie nce (Track ing): 2. Thie f (S tea lth ): 3
•Limitations: Running is lim ited to two consccu1i ve phases
•Advantages: Li ghtnin g Re fl exes
•Description: C heelahs inhabit Afri ca and southe rn Asia. They
are generall y solitary anima ls. They can be trained to hunt.

DEX : STR: B ODY: DEX : STR: B ODY:

I NT: WILL: M IND: I NT : W ILL : M IND:
INFL: AURA: SPIR IT: I NFL: A URA: SPIRIT:
I NITI AT IVE: 4 I NITI ATI VE : 6

•Powers: Shrink ing: 1

:~::~~:~:i~~ ~~;s~:~-~ii~~~~~~1~~?1~;::~~ ~n ammal s. During the
11
•Skills: Acrobat ics: 6
day they sleep in cuves. scaveng ing fo r food at ni g ht. De spite •Description : C himp a nzees arc na ti ve t o th e j un g les
pop ular be li e f. ba ts a lm os t never a tta c k human s. A o f A fri ca . Th ey a re su rpri s in g ly s t ro ng for th e ir s ize: a
90- pou nd c himp is mu c h stron ger than ii no rm a l man
parti cul arl y large and feroc io us bat in spired Bruce Way ne to
C him ps a re soc ia l crea t ure s.
beco me the Batm1.111.

DEX: STR: B ODY: D EX: STR: B ODY:

I NT: WtLL: MIND:
I T: W ILL : MIND:
SPIR IT: I NFL: AUR A: SPIR IT:
! NFL: A URA:
I NIT IATIVE: 6 I NITIAT IVE: 4

• Powers : C laws: 4 . Running: 4 • Powers: Anal yti ca l S me llrrrack in g. Sce nt: 7. Poison Touch:
• Description: Bea rs can be found al most world-w ide. They 3, S hrinkin g: 4. Ultra Vi sio n: 4
are om ni vores whose we ig ht ranges fro m 2 to 5 A Ps: thc i1 • Description: Cobras ma y be found throug ho ut south Asia.
STH chan ges co rres po ndin g ly (ra ng in g from 3 to 6 APs). Be ing co ld -bl ooded. they are slu gg ish in ex treme temperatures.
 These snakes arc generally aggressive. The strength of snake venom
can vary greatly, so any paiticular species might have the Poison
Touch Power rated from 2 to 7 APs. DEX: STR: BODY:
I NT: WI LL: MIND:
I NFL: AURA: SPIRIT:
D EX: STR: BODY: I NITIATIVE: 2[5]
I NT: W ILL: M IND:
I NFL: AURA: SPIRIT: •Powers: Li ghtnin g: 4, Sh rinkin g: 4 , Sw immin g : 2, Water
INITIATIVE: 4 Freedom: 4
•Limitations: Lightni ng has No Range.
•Description : The e lectr ic eel in habit s th e rivers of South
•Powers: Invulnerabi lity: 2, Fu ll Vi s ion: 3, Shrinkin g: 11 , America. Its e lec tri ca l di sc harg es are powerful enoug h to
Systemic Antidote: 8 paralyze an anim al as large as a horse.
•Description: Cockroaches may be found in any inh abi tabl e
corner of the Earth. Prolific a nd hardy, these in sects have a
high res istance to radiat ion and, it is be li eved, wi ll live for
DEX: STR: BODY:
mi llenni a after man has become ext inct
INT: W ILL: M IND:
! NFL: AURA: SPIRIT:

D EX:
INITIA1'1VE: 4
STR : BODY:
INT: W ILL: M IND:
! NFL: AURA: SPIRIT: •Powers: Runn ing: 4
INITIATIVE: 4 •Description: The Asian e lephan t may be found in the forests
of Cey lon, India, Burma, Southeast Asia, and Ma lays ia. It can
reach a height of 9 feet and a we ight of 5 tons. The African
•Powers : Ana ly ti ca l Sme ll/Track ing Scent: 7, Extended e lephant can reac h a he ight of 13 feet and can weigh upwards
Hearing: 3, Runn ing : 4, Shrinkin g: 2, Super Hearing: 3 of 6 tons. An elephant req ui res on e ha lf ton of food a day.
•Description: Dogs, both domest ic and wild, may be fo und
throughout the worl d. They are soc ia l anima ls that are gentle
whe n domesticated , and they congregate in fea rsome packs in DEX: STR: BODY:
the wi ld. The wi ld dog packs of Africa are even feared by
I NT: W ILL: MtND:
li ons. The ab iliti es of various breeds vary greatly, so the ir
INFL: AURA : SPIRIT:
Att ributes and Powe rs can ra nge from plu s or min us I AP
fro m those listed above. I NITI ATIVE: 4

M•UiP=ii 1 •Description : Gori ll as li ve in Africa in groups of ten to

D EX: STR: BODY : twenty. They ca n reac h a he ight of 6 feet , an d a we ight of
I NT: WILL: M IND: over 600 pounds.
! NFL: AURA: SPIRIT:
INITIATI VE : 7[ 10]
D EX: STR: BODY:
I NT: WILL: MIND:
•Powers : Jumpin g: I, So nar · 7, Swimmi ng: 5, Water ! NFL: AURA: SPIRIT:
Freedom: 6
•Description: Dolph ins inhabit most areas of th e sea, th ough INITIATIVE: 3
they may sometime s be found in major rivers hun dreds of
miles upstream . They are usually foun d in groups. Dolphins •Powers: Runni ng: 5
are very intell igen t and are usua lly friend ly toward man .
•Description: Hor ses a re found th roughout th e wo rl d.
although they are very rarely see n liv ing in herd s in the wild.

DEX: STR: BODY:

I NT" W ILL: M IND: DEX: STR: BODY:
] NFL: AURA: SPIRIT: INT: WILL: MIND:
I NITI AT IVE: I NFL: AURA: SPIR IT:
I NITIATIVE: 8
•Powers: Claws· 2 , Fligh t· 5 , Shrinking: 2, Te lesc opic
Vision: 9
•Powers: A nalyt ica l Sme ll /Tracking Scent· 3, Claws : 4.
•Advantages: Li ght ni ng Reflexes; Sharp Eye Extended Hearing: 3, Running: 4
•Description : Eagles may be fo und throu gho ut mo st of •Skllls: Mi litary Science (Camounage): 3
America, Africa, and Eurasia. They are usua ll y found in •Advantages: Lightn ing Renexcs
mated pairs. They stake out a terri tory that can extend to a •Description : Lio ns roam the ve ldt of Afr ica and wes tern
hundred square mil es. They w ill fiercely defend their terri tory India. They normally travel in prides of one male , three to six
from other large birds of prey. fema les, and severa l cubs. They ca n be tra ined
 D EX: STR: B ODY : D EX: STR: 4 B ODY:
I NT: WI LL: MIND: I NT: WILL: 0 MI ND:
I NFL: AURA: SPIRIT: I NFL: AURA : SPIR IT:
I NITI ATIVE: 3 [5] I NITI ATI VE: 5 [7[

•Powers: Sw im ming: 5. Water Freedo m: 5. C laws: 7

•Powers: Extra Limb (x6): 2. Shrinki ng: 4. Sw im mi ng: I.
Water Freedom : 3
•Skllls: Mi lilary Sc ie nce (Camoun age): 3
•Description: The octopus lives in the 1emperate zones of the
worlds' oceans. A shy crea ture. it se ldom bil es, eve n when
hand led. They move e it he r by wri gg ling their e ight tentacles
or by pro pelling themse lves backward using a jet stream of
wate r. In combat, ocwp i a lways atte mpt to Grapp le.
•Description: Sharks may be fo und in a ll the major oceans of
the worl d. T he re a re thousa nds of spec ies of shark. o nl y a few
of w hi c h are dangerous. The man ea ters in c lude th e Great
While Sha rk , the Ti ge r Shark, a nd the Ma ko Sha rk (which has
been know n to leap aboard boats). Sharks a re usua ll y so litary
c reat u re s, thou g h so me va ri e ti es. lik e t he fe a rso me
Ha mm e rhead Shark. li ve in pac ks.

RHINOCEROS
D EX: STR : BOIJY:
D EX: STR: INT : WI LL: MIND:
I NT: WI LL: INFL: A URA: SPIRIT:
I NFL: A URA: INIT IAT IVE : 4
INITIATIVE: 6
•Powers: Full Vision: 2. Glue: I, Poison Touch: 3. Shii nking: 10
•Description: Of th e thousa nds of varieties o f spide rs known
•Powers: Claws: 4. Running: 4 to ma n. o nl y a few arc da ngero us. These in clude th e Black
•Drawbacks : Serio us Ph ys ica l Res tri c ti o n : th e Rh in o· s Widow a nd the Austra li an Red Back Sp ide r. Ccna in spec ies
o f spider have more pote nt ve nom: their Poison Touch powe r
maxi mum range of sight and hearing is 3 APs d ista nce.
ca n range from I to 7 APs
•Description: Rhinos li ve in Ind ia. A fri ca, and Mal aysia
Th ey are ex tre me ly bad-te mpered . aggrava ted by its poo r
senses o f s ight. hearing, a nd sme ll .
D EX: STR: B ODY:
I NT: W ILL: MIND:
D EX: STR: B ODY: I NFL: Au1u: SPIRIT:
I NT: W ILL: MIND: I NITI ATIVE: 8
I FL: A URA: SPIRIT:
I IT IATIVE: 3 •Powers : A na lyti cal Smel l/T rack in g Scent : 3 . Claws: 4.
Exte nded Heari ng: 3. Runnin g: 4
•Skills: Military Science (Camoun age): 2, Thi e f (S tea lt h): 4
•Powers: Poi so n Touc h: 2. Shrink ing: I 0 •Advanta,es: Li ghtnin g Re fl exes
•Description: Scorpion s, w hi c h li ve in te mp e rat e. •Description: Native to so utheast Asia and A fr ica. tigers are
subtropi ca l, a nd tropi ca l reg io ns. a re more of a pes t than a agg ress ive c reatures that ge ne ra ll y li ve a lone.
d a nge r. but ca n have a fata l s tin g. Th e s tre ng th of th e
scorp ions ' venom depe nds on the spec ies; the ir Poison Touch WHALE
Power can va ry from I to 6 APs.
D EX: STR: 12 B ODY: 12
INT: WI LL: 2 MIND: 2
INFL: AURA : 0 SPIRIT: 2
I NITIAT IVE: 4 [6 [

•Powers: Sw immi ng: 4, Sonar: 7. Wate r Freedo m: 3

•Description: Wha les sw im in a ll ocea ns and mos t seas of
the wo rld. They are some of the largest mammal s on Eai1 h.

D EX : STR: B ODY:
I NT: W ILL: MI ND:
I NFL: A URA: SPIRIT:
I NITIATIVE: 8
•Powers : Ana lyt ica l S me ll / T racing Scent : 7. Claws: 2.
Exte nded Hearing: 3. Run ning: 4. Su pe r Hearing: 3
• Skllls: Thief (Stealth): 4
•Advantages: Li ghtning Reflexes
•Description: Co ntra ry 10 popular be li ef, wolves are not the
enemies of man. Wolves· primary prey are fie ld mi ce. They now
onl y inhabit the northern regions of Earth' s major con1i nents.
 Dinosaurs
Co mi c boo k heroes see m to run across pre h is to ri c
DEX: STR: B ODY :
" 111 onste1\" all th e tim e. Such c reatures ca n pro vide an
I NT: W ILL: MI ND :
interes ting change of pace fro m the traditi ona l vill ain fare.
I NFL: A URA: SPI RIT :
Note tha l Charac ters can not use the Shape Change Power to
turn in to di nosaurs unl ess th ey have a special Bo nu s th at I NITIATIVE: 7
allows them to do so
•Powers: Claws: 9, Running: 5
• Description: The most well -know n and fri ghtenin g or all
dinosaurs, the tyrann osa uru s was a monstrous predator that
DEX: STR: B ODY: stood almost 20 feet ( I AP) ta ll. Its teeth were as lo ng and
I NT: WILL: MIND: sharp as daggers.
I NFL: A URA: SPIRIT:
I NITI ATI VE: 6

•Powers: Claws: 6. Skin Armor: 2

•Description : The ankylosauru s is the most famil iar or the
armored dinosaurs. and looked much like a giant armadill o.
Althou gh total ly herbi vorous. the ank ylosaur could lash ou t
with its club-like tail if corn ered

DEX: STR : 11 B ODY: 10

INT: WILL: MI ND:
I NFL: AURA: SPIRIT:
I NITI AT IVE : 6

•Powers: Stretchin g: 2
•Description : On~ of the largest animal s eve r to walk th e
land. the apatosauraus grew lO ove r 75 feet (3 APs) long. This
enormous animal was a herbivore and woul d probably ret reat
from a fi ght wheneve r possi ble.

DEX: STR : BODY:

I NT: WILL: M1 D:
I NFL: AU RA: SPIRIT:
I NITIATI VE: 3

•Powers : Claws: 3. G li d in g: 5. Shrin kin g: 2. Te lesco pic

Vision: 2
•Description : The size of a large dog. 1he pterodactyl was a
re pti le th at co uld g lid e fo r lo ng di s tan ces using th e
me mb ra nes un de r its a rm s. Th e pt ero dac ty l wa s a lso
incredibly clumsy on the ground. and probab ly stayed in hi gh
places IO avoid predators.

DEX: STR: B ODY :

i 'T: WI LL: MIND:
I NFL: AU RA: SPIRIT:
INIT IATIVE: 6

•Powers: Claws: 6, Running: 4, Skin Arm or: 2

•Limitations: Ski n Armor onl y affects attacks fro m the front.
•Description: One of the most fa mous of all dinosaurs is the
trice ratops. or ··three- horned li zard." Its di stincti ve bony frill
and horn s protected it from predators, as i1 was a herbi vore.
probabl y behavi ng similarl y to the modern rhinoceros.
 APPENDIX C.
Genres
Th_e physics or the DC ~ ni verse_ tend lo o p_erate differentl y
depending upon w hi ch co mic ~o~k 1s under di sc u~s i on.- Some
DC Co mi cs are g ritty and rea h st 1c, so me are strai g ht fo rwa rd
heroi c fare. whil e others are far-fetc hed and fan ciful.
, I. Genre Types
The rules in thi s book are in te nded to depict the mainstrea m
adven ture side of the DC Universe. However, play can switch
over to th e.. more Willy or ridi culous by in vo kin g Genre R~l es
There are hve bas ic ge nres: Humor, Ac ti on, Moc k-Rea l. G ntty.
and Rea l. The GM should choose the one which he fee ls is most
appea lin g to hi s Pl ayers. On ce yo u dec ide upo n th e ge nre fo 1
yo ur ca mpaign, however, it should re main co nstan t, unless a
specia l occasion wa rrant s a temporary cha nge.
Humor
Th ese ad ve ntures are l udi cro us eve n by co mi c boo k
standards. The laws of sc ience are co mpl ete ly suspended in the
humor ge nre: any thin g can happen and usua ll y does. Nothing
ever ca uses K illin g damage in _th e Hum or ge nre, not ev~n
Kn ockback or nuclear bo mbs. This is usuall y the o nl y ge nre m
whi ch th e Dumb Luc k Power may be used. Exa mpl es of the
Humor ge nre includ e: Ambush Bug, 'Mazing Man, a nd Captain
Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew
Action
Most of th e DC Comics are set in thi s ge nre. This is where
basic he ro -ve rs us-v illain p un ch-'e m-ups are fo und . Use th e
regular DC HEROES RPG rules for Ac tio n adven tures. Examples
inc lude: Justice League America, Captain Atom, a nd Superman.
Mock-Real
These adventures are onl y sli ghtl y more realisti c than the
Ac tion genre. G uns and bo mbs can kill peop le, but such deatl.1s
happen very rare ly. The laws of nature app ly more stri ctl y 111
Mock-Real adve ntures than they do in Acti on adventures. The
Mock - Real Genre is highly r ec ommended for u se by
experienced GM s and Players as the standard genre for play.
Moc k- Rea l boo ks in c lud e: Th e New Titans, Wonder Woman ,
Batman, and The l egion of Super-Heroes.
Gritty
G ritt y ad ve ntures present a so m ew hat mo re acc ur a te
ve rsio n of co mbat and Sk ill use, thoug h th e occas io nal use of
'·co mic book" tac ti cs is not un co mm on. Gross vio lati o ns of
sc ien tifi c reali ty ra re ly occ ur in these adventu res. Exampl es
in clude: Green Arrow, Swamp Thing and The Question.
Real
Real tit les prese nt a n eve n more accurate
combat. and psyc holog ica l co mplexity. Scie nce
The Genre Table
Genre Killing Hero Point Costs:
Combat Dice Action Last Ditch Desperation
Humor Never I I 10
Action No I I 15
Mock-Real Yes 3 2 20
Gritty Yes 5 3 25
Real Yes 8 5 30*
adven tures a lm os t exact ly the s am e as it doe s in th e rea l
wo rld. Examp les incl u de: Watchmen , V For Vend et ta ,
Underworld, an d Hellblazer
II. Genre Rules
The rul es gove rnin g p lay in eac h ge nre are summa rized
be low on the Genre Table. Some of th e term s used on the tabl e
require further ex planation ·
Killing c.ombat: In all genres with a :·Yes" in thi s colu mn.
all attacks usin g gun s, kni ves, and ex plos ives are automatically
co ns id e red Killin g Combat. "Neve r" ind ica tes that Killin g
Combat never occ urs in the ge nre .
Dice Action: This is the number of Hero Po ints it costs to
rai se an AV. EV. OV. or RV by a sin gle point.
La st Ditch : Thi s is th e number of Hero Po ints it costs to
remove a sin gle point o f damage throu gh Las l Ditch Defense.
Desperation: This is the Hero Po int Cost of a Des perat ion
Recove ry Check. An as terisk.( *) here ~n ca ns !hat a Des perati on
Recove ry C~ec k costs full points even !f the Character· s C urrent
Bod y Cond lli o n is less 1han zero (t hi s nor mall y costs on ly I
Hero Po int ).
Pushing: This is the maxi!num .nymber o f APs th at may be
gained by Pushin g an Auto mati c Ab ilnr
Recovery: Thi s is th e am ount of tim e that mu.s~ pass before
a C haracter that has had any of hi s Current Co ndu1on s red uced
be low zero is all owed to make a Rest in g Recovery Check.
A: Mu lti -A ttacks ca n affect a maximum of 2 oppone nt s
un less the attacker is usin g a weapo n with its ow n Acting Valu e.
B: Devas tating Attac ks are not all owed.
C: Add 50 to the Base Cost of the Charisma Ski ll for all
C haracters generated fo r use in thi s ge nre: in addition. INFL.
AURA, and SP IRIT all have a mandatory Base Cos t of IO Hero
Po ints that mu st be paid. leav in g Playe rs with 30 fewer Hero
Poi nts for ge nera tin g th eir C harac ters.
D: P layer C h aracters do not s uffe r Sta nd a rd Award
penalti es for initi atin g Killin g Combat.
Ill. Customizin Genres
There may be tim es whe n none of th e ge nres prev ious ly
li sted will be "just ri ght" for the ca mpaign you wi sh to ru n. In
thi s case, a new ge nre ca n be in ve nted . By manipu lat ing the
va lues in the co lumns o n the Genre Rul es tab le. th e GM and
Players can des ign a se parate ge nre of their ow n. For instance. ii
a group wished to pl ay Sgt. Rock and the Combat- Happy Joes of
Easy Com pany, th~ G~ and .the Playe rs mi ght ge nerate a ge nre
that loo ked somelhrn g like thi s:
Genre: Sgt. Rock/World War II
Killing Combat: Yes
Dice Action: 3
Last Ditch: 2
Desperation: 25
Pushing: 4 APs
Recovery: 16 APs
Notes: B, C, D
Pushing Recovery Notes
Unlimited 9APs
Unlimited 15APs
Unlimited 15APs
2APs 16APs A
I AP 17 APs A,B,C
 APPENDIX D.
Character Design Summary
Hero Point Physical Restriction Minor 5
ADVANTAGES Cost Page # Serious 25
Catastrophic 50 38
Area Knowledge Neighborhood 10 Ps.yf:hological 5
City 20 lnstubiltty 25
State/Province 30 50 38
Country 40 Public Identity 5 39
Continent 50 Rase Mmor 5
Plane1 75 25
Solar System 100 50 39
Galaxy 125 10 39
Space Sector 150 30 39
Known Univ~rse 200 32 60 40
Anr«ctivc: 15 33 15 40
Buddy 25 33 25 40
Connec1ion· Low 10
High 15 33 Auack .] Column Shift 15
Connoisseur 5 33 -2 Column Shift 25
free Access 10 33 -3ColumnShirt 45
Gudgel variable 33 4ColumnShift 65 40
Genius 25 34 Pata! Common 150
Gif'tl)fG.tb 20 34 Rare 75
Headquartef">: Confined IO Range5 APs +20
Expansive 15 34 Rangc-4AP:; +10
5 34 Rangc3 APs +0
20 34 Range2 APs -10
Iron Nerves 20 34 Rang.c I AP -30
Leadership 25 34 RangeOAPs -50 41
t~~~tning Reflext:s 20 35 Loss Group of Attributes 35each
15 35 All Attributes 125
Omni-Connection 25 35 All Powers 100
Pe, variable 35 All Powers nnd Skills 150
Popularit) 20 35 Al l Skills 100
RkhFamilv/Friend.s 15 35 All Anribmes and Powers 175
Scholar • 10 35 All Attributes and Skills 175
,S~urity Clearance Low 15 All Attributes. Power~
Medium 20 and Skills 250
High 25 36 Range5 APs +20
,Sharp Eye 15 36 Range-I APs +10
l'vlil:,cell:meou~ Advantages 5/25/50 36 Range3AP!) +O
. Range2APs -10
Hero Point Range I AP -30
DRAWBACKS Bonus Page # -50 41
5/25/50 41
15 36
Comrol lable 25 BONUSES FCMod Page #
Uncontrollable 75 36 Area Effect +I 41
15 37 Rangl!. +I 42
15 37 Us:tbleOnOlher<: +5 42
25 37 Misccllancou~ Bonu<;cs variable 42
Voluntary 10
Forced 15 37 FCMod Page#
iuill 50 37 42
10 37 -2 42
ridlional Minor -I 42
A11rac1ion/Hatred Serious 25 -\ 42
Cma:-1rophic 50 37 -1 42
.tional Fe,U' Minor 5 .\
Serious 25 -2
Catastrophic 50 38 -3 42
25 38 42
50 38 variable 42
 Link Base Factor Fog Srn 5 Normal 45
Attribute Cost Cost Range Page # Forcefield S1R 30 Self 46
BODY 15 Normal 43 Fon:cMa11ipulation WILL 75 10 Normal 55
INT 1000 10 Special 51 Fon:e Shield STR 10 Normal 46
AUR,\ 30 8 Normal 66 Full Vi'i.ion ,~, Normal 55
INT w Normal 51 Gliding DEX Self 46
WILL Self 51 Glue STR 15 Nomtal 46
75 Normal 56
1-rr 10 Normal 51 20 Normal 56
INH 25 Normal 66 35 10 Self 46
WILL 50 Self 52 15 3 Normal 56
INFL 35 Normal 66 llyf)\!r~ensiti veTouch Drx 5 Touch 46
AURA 25 Normal 66 Hypnotism WILL 50 Normal 56
AUltA 35 Normal 67 kcAnimaiion AURA 25 Normal 70
AURA 30 Normal 67 Ice Control INT Normal 56
MINO 15 Normal 52 lci:Productivn Sr1't 20 10 Normal 46
Al'RA 30 Normal 67 STR Self 47
hfL Special 67 WILL 50 10 Normal 56
STR 20 Special 43 ln\'h,ibili1 y DEX 45 Self 47
WILL 20 Normal 52 Invulnerability BODY 5 Self 47
Wru 20 Touch 52 Iron Will W11.1 Self 57
INT 5 Self 52 Joined ALR:\ Self 70
Dtx 25 Touch 43 Jumping SlR Self 47
STR 10 Touch 43 LifcSt:n-.e WtLL 35 Nomml 57
B01n Self 43 Lightning STR 15 Normal 47
Ma~ii.: Bia!-.! ALllA 20 Nomml 70
MINI) Self 52 Magil'Ficld AURA 20 Self 70
WtLL 550 10 Normal 53 MagicSen'ie l NrL 5 Normal 70
W11.1 50 7 Normal 53 Magic Shield Al'R;\ 10 5 Normal 70
15 Touch 53 M:t!!nl'tit:Comrol Wtu 15 10 Normal 57
INT 25 Normal 53 MatrcrManipulation 11''T 100 10 Nonnal 57
STR 5 Normal 43 Mental Bla~l WILL 15 Nonnal 57
W11.1. 10 Self 53 ti.kntalfrL·czc WILL 20 Nonna! 58
INT JO Normal 54 Mentallltm,ion WILL 50 Normal 58
s,. Touch 44 MicrP'iCOpii.:Vision l:-.:1 OAPs 58
Al'R,\ 500 Special 68 .Mimic OD. 50 10 Nom1al 48
INr 5 Normal 54 MinJBJan~ MIND Self 58
STR 100 Touch 44 MintlBlast w,u 20 Normal 58
WtLL 10 Sclr 54 Mind Drain IV!LL 20 Normal 59
Dumb Luck INl-1 200 Self 69 Mind Field WUL 20 Self 59
Banh Animation AURA 25 Normal 69 MindPruhe WILL 20 Normal 59
EanhControl INT 20 Normal 54 Mimi Over Matter MIND 15 Self 59
Emp<tthy WILL 10 Normal 54 Mind Shield W1LL JO Normal 59
Enrhantment AURA 200 10 Normal 69 Molecular Chameleon Wn 1 75 10 Se lf 59
J:nergy Ab\orption BODY 25 5 Self 44 Mutation Sn 200 10 Touch 48
Energy Bla.i.t BODY 15 Norma l 44 MysticFret:'7(' Al RA 25 Normal 70
Exllfci~m Sr1RJT I AP 69 Mystic Link At RA +10 N/A Self 65
Ext,.::nded Hearing INT Normal 55 Nl.'utralizc W1u 25 Normal 59
STR Self 44 Otijet:lA,..,areness WILL 20 Normal 60
ALRA 20 Normal 69 Omni-Arm STR JO Self 48
AURA 25 Norma l 70 Omni-Power Special 500 I0 Varies 73
Sra JO Self 44 Paralysi'i STR 20 Normal 48
INT 10 Normal 55 Personality Tmn'i.fer WILL 30 Normal 60
BODY Self 45 Phobia WILL 15 Normal 60
STR 15 Norma l 45 Pl11n1Control At1RA 20 Normal 70
STR 20 Norma l 45 Plant Growth AURA 20 Normal 71
DEX 10 Self 45 Poi<;on Touch SrR 30 Touch 48
Postcogni1io11 I,r 15 Touch 61 SKILLS Link Base Factor Number of
owerOrain WILL 40 Normal 61 Subskllls Attribute Cost Cost Subskills Page#
owerRe..,crve Wn.t 150 10 Se lf 61 Acrobatic!- D1::x 15 7 74
W1u 75 Self 61 Climbin~ Dodging*
Gyn11uutics"'
rojectile WeJpo11>. STR 15 Norma l 48
ymtechnk, W1u 15 Normal 61 Animal Handling l'<FI. 5 75
a<larSem,e ll\T Nonna! 62 Animo/Trainbig* Ridi11.r:
Radio Communica1ion J/\·1 10 +5 62 Arti!>t !'.'.Tl. 5 8 75
Cl'.aJI MINO Se lf 62 Actor" Dancer*
cnection/OcflL·ction WILL 40 Se lf 62 Mmicitm* Puimer*
Ph010.~rc1plu.>r* Sc11/ptor*
Wn.1 25 Se lf 62 Wn"rer*
emote Sensing 1,"T 35 Norma l 62
Charisma INFL 20 6 76
Running 01;x 0 Se lf 49 /111errogution * J111imidmio11*
ealedSy,1cms B0t)Y Se lf 49 A•ntuniou*
elf-Link None +50 NIA Se lf 73
Dt:teclivc INT 10 7 5 76
ctrManipubtio1t DEX 75 JO Se lf 49 C/11eA1wlrsis Cm111/t!1fei1Recog11i1io11*
ensory BIL)(;k WILL 30 Normal 63 /de11rijicaii<111Sys1ems,. Ltm•
Po/icePmceduref*
hade BODY 5 Se lf 49
lmpeChange W11L 35 10 Se lf 63 Gadgetry J;,.'T 25 8 76
Shrinking STR 15 Se lf 49 B"Ud Go,iget* Identify Cadger
Kin Armor Bom 50 Se lf 49 25 NIA 77
51• 15 Norma l 49
Medicine I NT 5 6 77
olarSustcnum:c BODY 5 Se lf 49 Fi1:\tAid Forensics*
,,-, 10 Normal 63 Meclirn!Tremmem * S11rf!,ery*
Sonic Bcmn STR 15 4 Norma l 50
MiliwryScience l \i1 10 8 78
Qn.·ery AUR1\ 750 10 Varies 71 Cu11wuflage Cartogmphy
Sixak Wi1h Animal\ lr..T I AP 63 Dt111g,·r Re(.·ognititm* Demolition *
pea!...WilhPlams lr-.:1 1 35 Special 71 Fieh/Ccnnmoml* Tracking
Spirit Travel Arn.A 20 Self 72 Occullbt ] NFL 20 9 5 78
pirilual Drain AL'RA 15 Touch 72 Crr•«teArrifa<'l* ldentifyArrifact*
Ocrnl1Kt1ow!ed,:e* Ri111a/Magic*
Split Dtc, 50 IO Self 50 Pn•1mmirio11*
tretching DEX JO Se lf 50
uperBrcath STR 10 Normal 50 Scienti!-.t INT 10 5 80
Analy.vis Drall'i11gP/m1s *
uperHc..iring lr,;1 +3 63
Super Ventriloquism Jrq Nonnal 63 Thief DE>.. 10 8 80
uper..,pccd Di!x fampeArtil1 Forgery*
25 Se lf 50 WcJ..Jmu/Safes Pickpncke1i11g
Susrcnsioll WtLL Self 63 SC'C'lll'it.vSystems" Stealth
wimming SIR Self 50
V~hic:les DEX 5 5 81
r,tcmic ,\ntidote BooY Self 50 Air Vddch•s Lmu/Vehicles
WIIL 15 Normal 64 Space Craft* WurerV£•hicle.\·
elepathy lr..T 20 Normal 64
Weaponry DEX 5 6 81
de~1rta1ion Wn 1 50 +7 64 Er.otic W(•apom·* Firearms
Telescopic Vision tN·1 5 Specia l 64 Ht'<111y Weapa11s Mld<'e Weapon~
1\IJL,·.,ileWt•apons
henna! Vi~ion il'-il 5 Norma l 64
'imc T ra,'d WILL 500 Specia l 64 CannLJI be attempted 1hrough Unskilled Use.
Trun~mut:ui on ALRA 15 Normal 72
ruesight W11L Normal 65
wo-Dimen,ional DEX 75 Self 50
Uh:m Vi,ion !KT 10 Nonna! 65
Al'RA 35 Nomrnl 72
SIR 20 Normal 51
Al"R:\ 20 Norma l 73
WtLL 100 Special 65
AL%\ 25 Normal 73
IJ<T 35 Normal 65
DEX 5 Self 51
!NFL 25 +5 73
lNr 15 Normal 65

Ill
 Benchmark APs

APs Time Distance Weight Volume Money Information

fO 4 seconds 10 ft sack of grain (50 lbs.) 1 cu ft $25 paragraph
I 8 second, 20 ft human child \100 lbs.) 2cu fl $50 typed page
2 16 seconds 40 ft human adult (180 lbs.) 4 cu ft $100 2 typed pages
3 32 seconds 80 ft lion (400 lbs.) 8 cu fl $200 1000words
4 I minute 150 fl IO' high tree (700 lbs.J 15 cu ft $400 chapter from a book
5 2 minutes 100 yds. grizzly bear ( 1/2 con) 30 cu ft $800 term paper
6 4 minutes 200 yds. car ( 1.5 tons) 60 cu ft $1.500 shon story
7 8 minutes l/8 mile elephant (3 tons) 125 cu ft $3.000 64K memory
8 16 minutes 1/4mile sem i truck (6.5 tons) 250 cu fl $6,000 novella
9 32 minutes 1/2 mile light tank ( 12.5 tons) 500 cu ft $ 12,500 paperback novel
10 I hour I mile DC-9 airplane (25 tons) 1,000 cu fl $25.000 elementary textbook
ll 2hours 2 miles battle tank (40 tons) 2,000 cu ft $50,000 I megabyte memory
12 4 hours 4 miles blue whale(60 tons) 4,000 cu ft $ 100,000 Tolstoy's "War and Peace"
13 8 hours, 8 miles Boeing 747(110 tons) 8.000 cu ft $200,000
14 16 hours 16 miles C-5A Galaxy (240 tons) 15,000 cu fl $400,000
15 I day 30 miles freighter (450 tons) 32,000 cu ft $800,000 I year of DC Comics
16 2days 60miles destroyer (900 tons) 65,000 cu ft $1,500.000 set of enc yclopidias
17 5 days 125 miles s mall building ( 1800 tons) 130.000 cu ft $3,000,000 Oxford English Dictionary
18 I week 250 miles loaded train (3800 tons) 260,000 cu fl $6,000,000
19 2 weeks 500 miles battleship (12,500 tons) 500,000 cu ft $ 12.000.000
20 I month 1000 miles submarine (25,000 ton s) 1,000,000 cu fl $25,000,000

AP Range Upper Limits

APs Time Distance Weight Volume Money

0 4 seconds JO ft 50 lbs. I cu ft $25
8 seconds 20 fl 100 lbs. 2 cu n $50
16 seconds 40 ft 200 lbs 4cu ft $100
32 seconds 80ft 400 lb, 8 cu ft $200
I minute 150 ft 750 lbs J6cu ft $400
2 minutes 100 yds. 1500 lbs 32cn rt $800
4 minutes 200 yds. 1.5 tons 64cu ft $ 1600
7 8.33 minutes 416 yds. 2 ft 3.25 !OOS 128 cu ft $3200
8 I 6.66 minutes 833 yds. I ft 6.5 tons 256 cu ft $6400
9 33.33 minutes 1666 yds. 2 ft 13 tons 512cu ft $ )2.800
10 I hr, 6.66 min. I mile, 4720 ft 26 tons 1024cu ft $25,600
II 2 hrs. 13.33 min. 3 miles, 4160 ft 52 tons 2048 cu ft $51,200
12 4 hrs, 26.66 min. 7 mi Jes, 3040 ft 104 tons 4096 cu ft $102,400
13 8 hrs, 53.33 min. I 5 miles, 800 ft 208 tons 8192cu ft $204,800
14 16 hrs, 40 min. 28 miles, 2 I60 ft 375 tons 16.384 cu ft $409,600
15 I day, 9 hrs, 20 min. 56 miles, 4320 ft 750 tons 32.768 cu ft $819,200
16 2 days, 18 hrs. 40 min. I 13 miles, 3360 ft 1500 tons 65,536 c u ft $1.638,400
17 5 days, 18 hrs, 53.33 min. 236 miles, 3920 ft 3 125 tons 131 ,072 cu ft $3,276,800
18 I week, 4 days, I 3 hrs. 473 miles. 2560 ft 6250 tons 262, I 44 cu ft $6,553.600
19 3 weeks, 2 days, 3 hrs. 946miles,5120 ft 12,500 tons 524.288 cu ft $13,107,200
20 6 weeks, 4 days, 7 hrs. 1893 miles. 4960 ft 25.000 tons 1,048.576 cu fl $26,2 14,400

Going for Broke

AP Equations Opposing Value Resistance Value
Columns Declared Column Modifierse
Time = Distrmce - Speed +2 -3
Distance= Speed+ Time +4 -6
Speed= Distance - Time +6 -9
+8 - 12

:,
 Action Table
Opposing Value Column s

1 3" 5 7 9 11 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 36 41 46 51 56
to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 15 18 2 1 24 27 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 +5

1-2 6 11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32 36 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 +5
3-4 5 9 11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32 36 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75
5-6 4 7 9 11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32 36 40 45 50 55 60 65 70
7-8 4 5 9 11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32 36 40 45 50 55 60 65
;
0
9-10
11 -12
3
3
4
3 4
7
5
9
7
11
9
13
11
15
13
18
15
21
18
24
21
28
24
32
28
36
32
40
36
45
40
50
45
55
50
60
55
..
a:
:I
13-15
16-18
4
3
5
4
7
5
9
7
11
9
13
11
15
13
18
15
21
18
24
21
28
24
32
28
36
32
40
36
45
40
50
45
;;
> 19-2 1 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 7 9 11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32 36 40
Cl 22-24 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 7 9 11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32 36
C
11 13 15 18 21 24 28 32
~
25-27 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 9
28-30 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 7 9 11 13 15 18 21 24 28
31-35 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 7 9 11 13 15 18 21 24
36-40 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 18 21
41 -45 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 7 9 11 13 15 18
46-50 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 7 9 11 13 15
51 -55 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 7 9 11 13
56-60 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 7 9 11
+5 C
+5 : One Column Shift fo r each +5 . C: Cance l - One +5 Row cance ls one +5 Column.

Combat Maneuv'e~ Table Information Ta bles

Maneuver OV Column RV Column I. Perception
Shifts Shifts RAPs Informat ion Gained

Critical Blow +2 -3 N Nothing Perceived

Devastating Attack +4 -6 I RAP A quick glance; a shadow moving
Flailing Attack -2 +3 1/2 RV A recognizable shape or movement, with
Grappling Attack 0 0 direction and at a cerain distance from the
Multi-Attack on perceiving Character.
2 +l +l Fu ll RV A definite object or event.
3-4 +2 +2 Over RV Details about the object or event.
5-8 +3 +3
9- 15 +4 +4 II. Dectective
16-30 +5 +5 RAPs Inform ation Gained
31-60 +6 +6
61- 125 +7 +7 N No Information gained
Sweep Attack -I -1 I RAP A single peice of information learned from
Team Attack by: the clue.
2 -I 0 112 RV A good deal of infomrntion about the clue.
3-4 -2 0 Full RV Everythin that can be learned from the clue.
5-8 -3 0
9+ -4 0 Ill. Gadgetry
Pulli ng A Punch 0 +I RAPs Informat ion Gained
Plan ned Knockback 0 0
Charging Attack 0 0 N No Information gained
Take Away +2 +I I RAP The type of Gadget.
Trick Shot +2 (minimum) 0 112 RV The basic work ings of the Gadget.
Block Full RV A working knowledge of all the Gadget's design
Human Hand +I +I and functions, with the knowledge needed to
Small Shield 0 0 modify or repair the Gadget.
Garbage can lid -I -I
Desk, smalltable -2 -2 IV. Character Interaction
Door -3 -3 RAPs Information Gained
Automobile -4 -4
Semi Truck -5 -5 N Noinformation gained
House -6 -6 I RAP The Interrogated Character reveals one piece
Dodge +I 0 ofinfonnation.
Pressing The Attack -I 0 112RV The Character tells half of his/her information.
Lay ing Back +I 0 Fu ll RV The Character tells all s/he knows.
 Result Table
Resistance Value Columns
1 3 s 7 9 11 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 36 41 46 51 56
to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to
X 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 35 40 45 SO 55 60 +S

1-2 +I A N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N

.
3-4 +I A N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N *
5-6 +1 A N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N *
7-8 +l A 4 2 N N N N N N N N N N N N N N
9-10 +I A 6 4 2 N N N N N N N N N N N N N
30 11-12 +I A 10 9 3 N N N N N N N N N N N N
II: 13-15 +I A 12 II 3 N N N N N N N N N N N *
!l 16-18 +I A 14 13 II JO 4 N N N N N N N N N N *
~ 19-21 +I A 18 17 16 14 12 10 6 N N N N N N N N N

.
22-24 +I A 21 20 19 17 15 13 ll 9 N N N N N N N N *
~ 25-27 +I A 24 23 22 20 18 16 14 12 JO 6 N N N N N N N *

.
28-30 +I A 27 26 25 23 21 19 17 15 13 II 9 7 N N N N N N
31-35 +I A 30 29 28 26 24 22 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 N N N N N
36-40 +I A 35 34 33 31 29 27 25 23 21 19 17 14 12 9 N N N N
41-45 +I A 40 38 36 34 32 30 28 26 24 22 20 18 16 13 10 N N N
46-50 +l A 45 43 41 40 38 36 34 31 28 26 24 22 20 17 14 II N N
51-55 +J A 50 48 46 44 42 40 38 36 34 32 30 27 24 21 18 15 12 N *
56-60 +I A 55 53 51 49 47 45 43 41 39 36 33 30 27 24 21 18 15 13
+5 A C
*For every 5 APs of Effe<t Value over 60, Increase the RAPs by 5.
*Shift the Effect Value up one row for each +5 column and use the 60 Resistance Value.
A All. The Result APs are equal to the Effect Value.
C Cancel. One +5 Row cancels one +S Column.
N No Effect. The action has no effect on the target.

Landscaping Table Wall Boon and Weights Table

Object Boov Weight Height Wall Material BODY Weight
(lnAPs) (inAPs) (inAPs)

Bush 2 0 -I Brick 8
Small Tree 4 4 0 Concrete 10
Medium Tree 7 6 I
Fiberglass
Large Tree 10 9 2
Larger Tree 12 12 3 Reinforced Concrete II 10
Huge Tree 14 15 4 Promethium 20 12
Telephone Pole 9 7 2 Steel 12 13
Phone Booth 5 5 0 Stone
Light Pole (rural) 8 5 0 Wood
Light Pole (urban) JO 9 2
Mailbox(rural) 2 0 -I
Mailbox (urban) 3 2 -I Furnishings and Appliances Table
Flagpole 6 3 2 Furnishing/Appliance BODY Weight Cost
Billboard 8 9 2 (in APs)
Fire Hydrant II 5 -2 Bathtub 3
Park Bench 4 2 -I Single Bed I
King Sized Bed
Couch
Entrances and Openings Table
Entrance/Opening Boov Weight Cost Small Desk
(inAPs) Large Desk
Interior Door 3 I Television
Exterior Door 4 I Stereo System
Large Double Door 5 2 Dresser
Steel Reinforced Door 7 3 Kitchen Sink
Bank Vault Door 14 14 Pi11no \Baby Grand)
Small Window 4 0 Refiigerator
Medium Window 4 I Large Dining Table
Large Window 4 I Dining Room Chair
Bulletproof Glass 7 +I +I Washin Machine
 HERO

BATMAN
Miniatu r e C,unc rn a nd Record er IB()]W: 2. Reca ll: 12. R#: 21
Both the came ra and the recorder have tht: same statistics. Use
DEX: 9 STR 5 B ODY' 6
I NT" 12 WILL: 12 MIND 10
INFL: 10 AUR.-\" 8 SPIRIT: 10
I N ITl ,\TIVE" 35 H ERO POI NTS: 150

doors. I f he uses
cntersK i llingC0111ba1
lkbrea thcr I BoDY: I. Sca led Syste ms: 8 . R#: 2J
Wi1h the rebrcathcr. Batman can operate underwate r or in an
,1irlcsse nv ironrnen1 fnrahout 15 minutes
Smo kl' PcllNs (x6 ) 1Brnw: I. Fog: 10]
Bat ma n use s til e s mok e pellet s to confuse h is ene mi es and
shroud his escapes.
BA TMOBIL E ISTR: 7, Brnw: 9. Fl ame
Visio n : 7. Mi l itar y Science
Com munication: 17. Reca ll I:!.

entry in Wlw's\.Vho#2.
10 AP AB CD Omni-G adgels (x2 )
•All e r Ego : Bruce Wayne
•M o ti vati o n: Seeking.Just ice
•Ocrnpa tio n: Millionairt· Playboy Powers and Abilities
•Wea lth: 10
• EquipmL' n t:
B,11.ir:.rng w/L inc [STR: 7. Botw: 8. G liding: 2. EV: J]
The Batman can use the Bat,irang to au ack a target (EV of'.').
e111,mgk a wrgct (the attad1cd line Grappks w ith a STK of 7 -
both lllL' line and tllL' Batarang itself have a

Batman 's Infamous Silhouette

Batman's Earlier Incarnations

caree r. most of his Skills ha ve been Linked to these A11ributes

Personality/Role-playing

laser ca pable o l
 Using Batman in Adventures

Lik e S upe rman . Batman ca n be used 10 kee p o verzeal o us

Pla yer he roes in c hec k. He roe s who ahu se 1he ir po we rs a nd
autho rity can ce rtainl y ex pec t a vis it. lcc wrc. o r threat fro m the
Caped Crusader
Batman can a lso function as a source of informa1ion . The

Subplots

Ba1man is fr e qu e ntl y in vol ved in: Enem il..' S S ubplot s

o rc hes trat ed by hi s arc h- m; mes is. th e J ok e r: Job and We alth
Subplot s surroundin g the acti vities of thi: Way"ne Foundati on: and
Publi c Rc pul<llion Subplots tlmt spring from Bruce Wayne's rol e as
Gotham 's most notcwor1hy c iti 1:cn. Ever s ince j aso n Todd (Ro bin
II ) died baHling the Joke r. Batman has suffe red from a Dl!ath Guilt
Subplot.

Appearances in the DC HEROES

Role-Playing Game

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Som ·,·,•/>,11,tl11\ti,, · l .,·11,;m· So11rr ·,·/,,,,.i. 1Jn1tlfr/··11,1r111. l /,11m1111R10l,·· l'l11\'i11g G11m,

Appearances in DC Comics
 "" indicales a 11'8demarll ol DC ComlCS. All c:har&ciar names,
rendllions, associatedslogans, andlndi(:iaaretra(lemarksof
DC Comics C 1993 All Rights Reserved . Used under license.
Copyrigh! C 1993 Mayfair Games, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Made in U.S.A.
ISBN 1·56905-000 - 7
MAYFAIR GAMES INC.
0693MFG2672000