Animal Mimicry

Effect: Variable

Action: Free (active)

Range: Personal

Duration: Continuous

Saving Throw: None

Cost: 9 points per rank

You can gain the traits of any animal. See Animals, M&M, page 229–232, and the Animal Trait Packages section, following, for some guidelines. You get the Animal’s physical ability score and skill bonuses (if they are higher than yours), feats, and powers, up to a total of (rank x 5) power points in traits. You can change animal subjects once per round as a free action, so one round you can mimic the speed and agility of a cheetah, then the strength of an elephant, the claws of a tiger, and the soaring flight of an eagle on subsequent rounds. You can only mimic the traits of one animal at a time.

SAMPLE ANIMAL TRAITS

Use the following sample sets of animal traits for quick reference and as a guideline for assembling other Animal Mimicry configurations. Note that larger than

medium-sized animals generally grant a rank of Super-Strength for each additional size category (to reflect the animal’s greater carrying capacity) while gross physical traits like Growth and Shrinking (to adjust for size) or Additional Limbs are not included in these traits, since the animal mimic’s physical form doesn’t alter significantly.

• Ant: Enhanced Strength 16, Enhanced Constitution 8, Super-Movement 2 (wall-crawling 2), Super-Senses 2 (lowlight vision, scent), Super-Strength 5; 40 points, 8 ranks.

• Ape: Enhanced Strength 10, Enhanced Dexterity 4, Enhanced Constitution 4, Protection 3, Super-Senses 2 (low-light vision, scent), Super-Strength 1; Climb +12, Notice +4; 29 points, 6 ranks.

• Bat: Enhanced Dexterity 4, Flight 1, Super-Senses 4 (sonar, auditory blindsight); Notice +4, Stealth +4; 12 points, 3 ranks.

• Bear: Enhanced Strength 16, Enhanced Constitution 8, Protection 2, Super-Senses 2 (low-light vision, scent), Super-Strength 1; Climb +8, Notice +4; 33 points, 7 ranks.

• Cat: Enhanced Dexterity 4, Strike 1 (Mighty), Super Movement 1 (slow fall), Super-Senses 1 (low-light vision); Acrobatics +8, Climb +8, Stealth +8; 15 points, 3 ranks.

• Chameleon: Concealment 4 (visual, Blending), Enhanced Dexterity 2, Super-Movement 1 (wall-crawling); Stealth +8; 10 points, 2 ranks.

• Cheetah: Enhanced Dexterity 4, Leaping 2, Speed 3 (50 MPH), Super-Senses 2 (low-light vision, scent); Acrobatics +4, Stealth +4; 13 points, 3 ranks.

• Crocodile: Enhanced Strength 16, Enhanced Constitution 8, Protection 3, Super-Senses 1 (low-light vision), SuperStrength 1, Swimming 1; Environmental Adaptation (aquatic); 32 points, 7 ranks.

• Dog: Enhanced Strength 4, Enhanced Dexterity 4, Enhanced Constitution 4, Speed 1 (10 MPH), SuperSenses 3 (scent, track, ultra-hearing); 16 points, 4 ranks.

• Dolphin: Enhanced Dexterity 6, Strike 1 (Mighty), SuperSenses 5 (sonar, auditory blindsight, low-light vision), Swimming 3; Notice +8; Environmental Adaptation (aquatic); 19 points, 4 ranks.

• Earthworm: Burrowing 2, Enhanced Constitution 4, Regeneration 12 (+4 recovery bonus, injured and disabled/1 minute, Regrowth), Super-Senses 3 (tremorsense); 22 points, 5 ranks.

• Electric Eel: Immunity 1 (drowning), Stun 6 (Aura, electricity), Super-Senses 1 (low-light vision), Swimming 2, Environmental Adaptation (aquatic); 23 points, 5 ranks.

• Elephant: Enhanced Strength 20, Enhanced Constitution 10 , Protection 4, Strike 1 (Mighty), Super-Strength 2; Endurance; 41 points, 9 ranks.

• Fly: Enhanced Dexterity 4, Flight 2 (25 MPH), SuperSenses 2 (danger sense, radius sight), Improved Initiative, Seize Initiative; 12 points, 3 ranks.

• Gecko: Enhanced Dexterity 2, Regeneration 5 (injured/5 minutes, disabled/20 minutes, Regrowth), Super-Movement 1 (wall-crawling), Super-Senses 3 (infravision, low-light vision, scent); 13 points, 3 ranks.

• Hawk: Enhanced Dexterity 6, Flight 2, Super-Senses 2 (extended vision, low-light vision); Notice +4; 13 points, 3 ranks.

• Monkey: Enhanced Dexterity 4, Super-Movement 1 (swinging), Super-Senses 1 (low-light vision); Acrobatics +8, Climb +12, Stealth +8; 14 points, 3 ranks.

• Octopus/Squid: Enhanced Strength 15, Immunity 2 (drowning, pressure), Obscure (sight) 4 (Limited to underwater), Protection 10, Super-Senses 1 (low-light vision), Super-Strength 2, Swimming 3, Notice +8, Diehard, Endurance, Improved Grapple, Improved Pin; 45 points, 9 ranks.

• Owl: Enhanced Dexterity 6, Flight 1, Super-Senses 1 (low-light vision); Notice +8, Stealth +8; 13 points, 3 ranks.

• Shark: Enhanced Strength 2, Enhanced Dexterity 4, Enhanced Constitution 2, Immunity 1 (drowning), Protection 3, Strike 1 (Mighty), Super-Senses 2 (lowlight

vision, scent), Swimming 2; Notice +6, Swim+6; Environmental Adaptation (aquatic), Rage; 23 points, 5 ranks.

• Snake: Enhanced Strength 6, Enhanced Dexterity 6, Enhanced Constitution 2, Protection 2, Super-Movement 1 (slithering), Super-Senses 2 (infravision, scent), Climb +8, Notice +8, Stealth +8, Swim +8, Improved Grab, Improved Pin; 30 points, 6 ranks.

• Spider: Enhanced Strength 8, Enhanced Constitution 4, Snare 8, Super-Movement 3 (swinging, wall-crawling 2), Super-Senses 5 (darkvision, tremorsense), Super-Strength 2; 43 points, 9 ranks.

• Whale: Enhanced Strength 25, Enhanced Constitution 15 , Super-Strength 3, Super-Senses 5 (auditory blindsight, low-light vision), Swimming 1, Endurance, Notice +8; 55 points, 11 ranks.

EXTRAS

• Extra Subject (+1): You can mimic the traits of two animals at once, mixing-and-matching them; multiple traits of the same type do not stack, use only the highest bonus. Each additional application of this extra moves the maximum number of animals you can mimic at once one step up the Progression Table (5

subjects, then 10, 25, etc.).

• Stacking (+1): Your mimicked traits stack to a limited degree. You gain the highest mimicked trait and increase it by +1 each time you mimic the same trait. So, if you mimic three animals, all with great Strength, you take the highest Strength rank and add +2 for the other two subjects.

FLAWS

• Subject Required (–1): You require an animal subject to mimic, so you cannot mimic any animal, just those within (Animal Mimicry rank) miles of you. Your power is very effective in a jungle or zoo, less so in a downtown urban environment.

UNDER THE HOOD: WHAT IS AN ANIMAL?

The exact definition of “animal” for the purposes of this power is left somewhat in the hands of the Gamemaster. It’s assumed to be any existing terrestrial creature that’s not a plant, fungus, or microorganism, but the GM is free to narrow, or even broaden, the definition as desired. For example, can an animal mimic duplicate the traits of dinosaurs or other extinct animals? What about alien creatures (if any exist in the setting)? The power description assumes these are off-limits, but you can allow them if you wish (perhaps requiring a power feat or extra). Does Animal Mimicry normally extend to insects and arachnids? The default assumption is that it does—granting proportionate traits—but the GM may choose to restrict access by requiring a special power feat or extra. Note most of the sample animal trait packages are, at most, 9 ranks; animal mimics aren’t likely to need more than 10 or so ranks in the power unless they can mimic especially powerful animals like whales or mix-and-match multiple animal traits at once. Keep this in mind when designing animal mimics.