Gravity Control

Effect: Array (Move Object, Area)

Action: Standard (active)

Range: Ranged

Duration: Sustained

Saving Throw: See description

Cost: 2 points per rank

You can control the intensity of gravity in a radius of (power rank x 5) feet within your range. This works like a Move Object effect at your power rank, except you can only move objects in two directions: toward the Earth (increased gravity) or away from it (decreased gravity). Targets of increased gravity add your power’s heavy load to their encumbrance. If this exceeds the target’s maximum carrying capacity, he falls prone and cannot move without making a Strength check (DC 10 + Gravity Control rank). A successful check allows the target to take a standard or move action (but not both). Normal movement is restricted to crawling 5 feet per move action.

Targets of reduced gravity have their weight reduced by up to your power’s heavy load. If this results in a negative weight, the target “falls” upward, away from

the Earth, as if thrown by someone with (Gravity Control rank x 5) Strength to a maximum distance of your affected area.

Example: Black Hole (with Gravity Control 14) increases the pull of gravity on Mr. Atomic. The young hero is currently 30 feet tall via his Growth power, with Strength 32 and an effective Strength of 42 for carrying capacity (+10 for two increases in size category). Black Hole power has an effective Strength of (14 x 5) or 70. This imposes a heavy load of 200 tons to Mr. Atomic’s encumbrance. His current maximum load is about 10 tons, considerably less, so Atomic falls prone and can only move by making a DC 24 Strength check (10 + Black Hole's power rank of 14). With his Str bonus of +11, he needs to roll a 13 or better to take a standard or move action (not both) and he can only move by crawling 5 feet per round. Next, the Master of Gravity uses his power against Jackman, reducing the effect of gravity on him. Jack weighs about 200 lbs., so he shoots into the air as if thrown by someone with Strength 70. He goes to the limit of Black Hole's Gravity Control area (70 feet, or 14 x 5 feet) and hangs there. Black Hole stops maintaining the effect, and Jackman drops, suffering +7 falling damage (+1 per 10 feet) unless one of the Atom Family manages to catch him.

COUNTERING

Gravity Control can counter other gravity effects and may also be able to counter other Move Object effects, depending on the descriptors, increasing an object’s effective weight as someone else tries to move it. This is a normal use of countering, don’t get into re-figuring the weights of things, just resolve the contest with an opposed power check.

ALTERNATE POWERS

The following are some appropriate Alternate Powers of a Gravity Control Array:

• Blast: You generate a blast of gravitic force that inflicts bludgeoning damage, a Ranged Damage effect at your Gravity Control rank.

• Deflect: You deflect physical projectiles by increasing their weight and causing them to miss you, a Deflect (slow and fast projectiles) effect at your power rank.

• Environmental Control: You can create either the high or low gravity environments of this effect, to do both, take two Alternate Powers (see the Environments Control effect for details).

• Telekinesis: You can move objects using focused gravity, a Move Object effect at your power rank.

POWER FEATS

• Environmental Adaptation: Environmental Adaptation to high and low gravity are potential power feats of Gravity Control. Take each as a separate rank of Environmental Adaptation.

FLAWS

• Limited to Increase or Decrease (–1): You can only increase or decrease gravity in an area, not both.

ASSOCIATED EFFECTS

• Flight: Your control over gravity may allow you to fly through the air. Affects Others and Area or Ranged are common extras for Flight based on Gravity Control, allowing you to bestow the power of flight on others as well.

• Force Field: You can surround yourself with a Force Field of focused gravity to protect you from damage.

• Leaping: By reducing gravity’s tyrannical grip on you, you can leap greater than normal distances, just like people in lower-gravity environments. Like Flight, gravity controllers often have this power with the Affects Others and Area or Range extras.