Abilities

CHAPTER 2: ABILITIES

Everyone has certain basic abilities: how strong, fast, smart, and clever they are. These ability scores influence most things your character does. Stronger characters can lift greater weights, more dexterous characters have better balance, tougher characters can soak up more damage, and so forth.

Characters have six abilities: Strength (Str), Dexterity (Dex), Constitution (Con), Intelligence (Int), Wisdom (Wis), and Charisma (Cha). Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution are called physical abilities, whereas Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma are mental abilities. Each above-average ability score provides a bonus on certain die rolls, while below average abilities apply a penalty to some die rolls.

GENERATING ABILITY SCORES

Ability scores start out at 10, average for an adult human being. They can go as low as 1 (truly terrible) and as high as the power level allows.

BUYING ABILITY SCORES

You choose your hero’s ability scores by spending power points on them. One power point increases an ability score by 1, so putting one power point into Strength, for example, raises it from 10 to 11. Remember a score of 10 is average, 13-14 is a fair amount of talent or natural ability, 15-17 is exceptional, 18-19 is extraordinary, and so forth. (See the Ability Benchmarks table on page 30 for guidelines.)

REDUCING ABILITIES

You can also lower one or more of your character’s ability scores from the starting value of 10. Each point you lower a score gives you an additional power point to spend elsewhere. You cannot lower an ability score below 0. If you reduce an ability score to 0 (for –10 points), you lack that ability entirely (see Nonexistent Ability Scores, page 32).

ABILITY MODIFIERS

Each ability score has a modifier associated with it, based on how above or below average it is. An average ability score (10-11) has a modifier of +0. Ability scores below 10 have negative modifiers (penalties) while abilities above 11 have positive modifiers (bonuses). An ability score’s modifier is calculated by subtracting 10 from the score, dividing by 2, and rounding down any fractions. Modifiers are shown on the Ability Modifiers table.

The modifier is added to, or subtracted from, die rolls when your character does something related to that ability. For example, your Strength modifier affects the amount of melee damage you do. Your Intelligence modifier comes into play when you roll skills based on Intelligence, and so forth. Sometimes your modifier is used to calculate another value, such as when you use your Dexterity modifier to help determine how good you are at avoiding harm with your reflexes (your Reflex saving throw).

The maximum modifier you can have with an ability is equal to the campaign’s power level +5. So the maximum score you can have in any ability is therefore equal to twice power level, plus 20. A power level 10 hero, for example, cannot have an ability score greater than 40 (a +15 modifier). Strength is affected by the power level limits on damage (see page 24).

THE ABILITIES

Here are descriptions of the six abilities and how they affect your character.

STRENGTH (STR)

Strength measures sheer muscle power and the ability to apply it. Your Strength modifier applies to:

• Damage dealt by your melee or thrown weapon attacks.

• Climb and Swim checks.

• How far you can jump and throw things.

• The amount of weight you can lift, carry, and throw.

DEXTERITY (DEX)

Dexterity is a measure of coordination, agility, speed, manual dexterity, and balance. It’s particularly useful for heroes relying more on speed and agility than sheer strength and toughness. Your Dexterity modifier applies to:

• Reflex saving throws, for avoiding danger based on coordination and reaction time.

• Initiative checks.

• Acrobatics, Stealth, Sleight of Hand, and other skill checks based on Dexterity.

• Dexterity checks for feats of agility and coordination when a specific skill doesn’t apply.

CONSTITUTION (CON)

Constitution is endurance, health, and overall physical resilience. Constitution is important because it affects a character’s ability to resist most forms of damage. Your Constitution modifier applies to:

• Toughness saving throws for resisting damage.

• Fortitude saving throws, for resisting disease and poison, fatigue, and effects involving the character’s health.

• Constitution checks to recover from damage and injury.

INTELLIGENCE (INT)

Intelligence covers reasoning ability and learning. Intelligence is important for characters with a lot of skills like Craft and Knowledge. Your Intelligence modifier applies to:

• Craft, Knowledge, Search, and other skill checks based on Intelligence.

• Intelligence checks to solve problems using sheer brainpower when a specific skill doesn’t apply.

WISDOM (WIS)

While Intelligence covers reasoning, Wisdom describes awareness, common sense, intuition, and strength of will. A character with a high Intelligence and a low Wisdom may be an “absent-minded professor” type, smart but not always aware of what’s going on. On the other hand, a not so bright (low Intelligence) character may have great common sense (high Wisdom). Your Wisdom modifier applies to:

• Will saving throws, for resisting attempts to influence your mind.

• Notice, Sense Motive, and other skill checks based on Wisdom.

• Wisdom checks to resolve matters of intuition when a specific skill doesn’t apply.

CHARISMA (CHA)

Charisma is force of personality, persuasiveness, leadership ability and (to a lesser degree) physical attractiveness. Charisma is useful for heroes who intend to be leaders as well as those who strike fear into the hearts of criminals with their presence. Your Charisma modifier applies to:

• Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidation, and other skill checks based on Charisma.

• Charisma checks to influence others through force of personality when a specific skill doesn’t apply.

ABILITY BENCHMARKS

The Ability Benchmarks table provides some guidelines on where a particular ability score falls in comparison to the general population.

ENHANCED ABILITIES

Some ability scores may be acquired as Enhanced Abilities, as described in Chapter 5. Enhanced Abilities are powers rather than entirely natural. The key differences between Enhanced Abilities and normal ability scores are Enhanced Abilities can be nullified (normal abilities cannot, see Nullify, page 94) and Enhanced Abilities can have power feats and be used for power stunts with extra effort (normal abilities cannot, see Extra Effort, page 120).

Enhanced Abilities and normal abilities have the same cost (1 power point per ability score point). The player decides if a character’s ability score is normal or enhanced and, if it is enhanced, how much of it is enhanced. Enhanced Abilities are noted with the normal ability score in parentheses after them, such as 50 (16), indicating if the character’s Enhanced Ability is nullified, the character still has a score of 16 in that ability.

ALTERING ABILITY SCORES

Over the course of play, your hero’s ability scores may change for the fol-

lowing reasons:

• Some super-powers temporarily raise or lower ability scores (see

Chapter 5).

• You can improve your ability scores permanently by spending earned

power points on them, but you cannot increase an ability score above the

limits set by the campaign’s power level (see Power Level, page 24).

Whenever an ability score changes, all traits associated with the abil-

ity change as well. So if you increase your character’s Dexterity and

gain a higher bonus, his Dexterity-based skills and Reflex saving throw

bonus also increase. Likewise, if the hero’s Dexterity bonus decreases, his

Dexterity-based skills and Reflex saving throws suffer.

DEBILITATED ABILITY SCORES

If one of your hero’s ability scores drops to 0 for any reason, that score is said

to be debilitated and the character suffers more serious effects. Debilitated

Strength means the hero collapses, helpless and unable to move. Debilitated

Dexterity means the hero is paralyzed and helpless. Debilitated Constitution

means the hero is dying and cannot stabilize (and suffers a –5 modifier

on Constitution checks to avoid death due to the low score). Debilitated

Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma means the hero is unconscious and inca-

pable of waking until the score is restored to at least 1.

UNDER THE HOOD: ABILITY SCORES

Mutants & Masterminds makes some changes to ability scores compared to other d20-based games, described below.

CHANGES TO ABILITIES

• Strength and Dexterity: Strength and Dexterity in Mutants & Masterminds do not directly influence a character’s chances to hit in combat, and

Dexterity doesn’t improve a character’s Defense score. These capabilities are purchased separately with attack and defense bonus. This brings the

value of Strength and Dexterity in line with the other abilities and allows players to fine-tune their characters’ combat abilities (so not all strong

heroes are good melee combatants, for example). If you want a character whose great Strength or Dexterity provides combat ability, simply buy the

character’s attack and defense bonus in proportion to those ability scores. On the other hand, you can also have a strong or dexterous character

who’s not especially good in a fight, if you prefer.

• Intelligence: Unlike other d20-based games, your Mutants & Masterminds character’s Intelligence modifier does not alter the number of skill points

your hero gets. In Mutants & Masterminds, skill ranks are purchased with power points, just like everything else.

MENTAL ABILITIES

Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma can be more difficult to quantify than the physical abilities of Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. They also can

have a more dramatic affect on your character’s personality and behavior.

• Intelligence: A character with a high Intelligence score tends to be knowledgeable, well educated, and prone to using big words. A character with

a high Intelligence but a low Wisdom may be smart but absent-minded or easily distracted. A character with a high Intelligence and low Charisma

may be knowledgeable but something of a know-it-all or lacking in social skills. Characters with high Intelligence and low Wisdom and Charisma

tend to be social misfits. A character with a low Intelligence may be slow, poorly educated, or just not very cerebral.

• Wisdom: High Wisdom characters are aware, clever, and confident in themselves and their abilities. High Wisdom, low Intelligence characters are

simple-minded but capable of surprising insights. High Wisdom, low Charisma characters are quietly confident and tend to work behind the scenes.

Low Wisdom characters are indecisive, absent-minded, unaware, impulsive, or just plain clueless.

• Charisma: Characters with high Charisma are outgoing, likeable, forceful, and often attractive. High Charisma, low Intelligence characters either

manage to seem to know what they’re talking about, or they attract people who find them endearing and want to help them. Characters with high

Charisma and low Wisdom aren’t very good at choosing their friends wisely. Low Charisma characters may be cold, aloof, rude, awkward, or simply

plain and nondescript.

BEYOND HUMAN

Although 25 is defined as “the peak of human achievement” in an ability score on the Ability Benchmarks Table, a character with an ability

score greater than 25 isn’t “non-human,” merely superhuman in comparison to ordinary people. Many “normal human” characters in the comics have

truly superhuman ability scores, particularly Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. A character can have a superhuman ability score without

necessarily being anything other than an amazingly talented, well-trained human being. The limits of what “normal” characters can accomplish is up to

the Gamemaster and depends very much on the style of the setting.

32 ABILITIES

MUTANTS & MASTERMINDSTM ROLEPLAYING GAME CHAPTER TWO: ABILITIES

Debilitated ability scores usually result from a power affecting your

character. An ability score lowered to 0 during character creation is actu-

ally nonexistent; characters only suffer the effects of debilitated abilities if

an ability score is lowered to 0 during play.

Abilities scores cannot be lowered below 0. Traits based on ability mod-

ifiers, such as saving throws and skill bonuses, can be lowered to –5 (the

“modifier” of a 0 ability score), but no lower.

NONEXISTENT ABILITY SCORES

Rather than having a score of 0 in a given ability, some things or creatures

in Mutants & Masterminds actually lack an ability score. The effect of

lacking an ability score is as follows:

• Strength: Any creature capable of physically manipulating other

objects has at least 1 point of Strength. A creature with no Strength

score is incapable of exerting any physical force, either because it has

no physical form (like an incorporeal ghost) or simply can’t move (like

a tree). The creature automatically fails Strength checks.

• Dexterity: Any creature capable of movement has at least 1 point

of Dexterity. A creature with no Dexterity cannot move (like most

plants) and hence cannot make physical attacks. It automatically

fails Dexterity checks and Reflex saves.

• Constitution: Any living creature has at least 1 point of Constitution.

A creature with no Constitution has no physical body (like a ghost)

or is not alive (like a robot or other construct). The creature always

fails Constitution checks. This includes checks to avoid dying and to

recover from injury, so creatures with no Constitution do not recover

from damage naturally. They must be repaired in some fashion. The

same is true of objects. Creatures with no Constitution suffer all dam-

age as lethal (like objects do) and do not suffer nonlethal damage

conditions. Creatures with no Constitution are immune to fatigue

(see Fatigue, page 167) but cannot exert extra effort (see Extra

Effort, page 120). Creatures with no Constitution are often—but not

necessarily—immune to many of the things affecting living beings

(see Immunity, page 89).

• Intelligence: Any creature that can think, learn, or remember has

at least 1 point of Intelligence. A creature with no Intelligence is an

automaton, lacking free will and operating on simple instinct or pro-

grammed instructions. Anything with no Intelligence is immune to

mental effects, interaction skills, and automatically fails Intelligence

checks.

• Wisdom: Any creature aware of its environment has at least 1 point

of Wisdom. Anything with no Wisdom also has no Charisma. It is

an inanimate object, not a creature. Objects are immune to mental

effects, interaction skills, and automatically fail Wisdom checks.

• Charisma: Any creature capable of interacting with other creatures

has at least 1 point of Charisma. Creatures without Charisma are

immune to interaction checks and automatically fail Charisma checks.

Inanimate objects have no scores other than their Toughness (see Damaging

Objects, page 166). Animate, but nonliving, beings such as robots or zombies

have Strength and Dexterity, and may have Wisdom and Charisma (if aware

of their environment and capable of interaction). They may have Intelligence

(if capable of thought), but have no Constitution (since they are not living

things). See Constructs in Chapter 7 for more information.

ATTACK BONUS

Your attack bonus represents overall combat ability. You add your attack

bonus to your attack rolls to determine if you hit a target in combat. (For

more on attack rolls and combat in general, see Chapter 8: Combat).

Your attack bonus starts at +0. You spend power points to increase it, 2

points per +1 bonus. Power level limits your maximum attack bonus (see

Power Level, page 24).

DEFENSE BONUS

Your defense bonus represents your ability to avoid attacks. Your defense

bonus adds to the difficulty to hit you in combat.

Your defense bonus starts at +0. You spend power points to increase it,

2 points per +1 bonus. Power level limits your maximum defense bonus

(see Power Level, page 24).

DODGE BONUS

Half your defense bonus (rounded down) is a dodge bonus, which is lost

under certain circumstances, such as when you are stunned, flat-footed,

surprise-attacked, or otherwise unable to defend yourself normally. Other

circumstances—such as when you are helpless—cause you to lose your

entire defense bonus, and may apply additional penalties to your defense.

Specific circumstances are discussed in Chapter 8: Combat.

SAVING THROWS

Generally, when subject to an attack or hazard, you get a saving throw

to avoid or reduce its effects. The types of saving throws are Toughness,

Fortitude, Reflex, and Will. For more on saving throws in general and how

you make them, see Chapter 8.

• Toughness saves reflect resistance to damage or harm. They incor-

porate toughness, will to live, and overall durability. They are based

on your Constitution modifier.

UNDER THE HOOD: MILES PER HOUR VS. FEET PER ROUND

Normal human-scale movement is given in feet per six-second round, but heroes and vehicles can often move much faster, measured in miles per hour.

If you need to convert between the two, you can use the following guidelines:

• Approximate: An easy approximation is: miles per hour = feet per round/10. So 120 feet per round is about 12 miles per hour, and 60 miles per

hour is about 600 feet per round. This is a rough approximation, but it’s sufficient for a ballpark figure if you just want a general idea how fast

something is moving.

• Precise: A more precise calculation is: (feet per round × 600)/5,280, that’s the number of feet in six seconds, times 600 to get the number of

feet in an hour, divided by the number of feet in a mile for miles per hour. With this formula, 120 feet per round equals (120 × 600) or 72,000,

divided by 5,280, or 13.6 miles per hour. Likewise, 60 MPH equals (60 × 5,280 feet) or 316,800 feet per hour, divided by 600, or 528 feet per

round.

CHAPTER TWO: ABILITIES MUTANTS & MASTERMINDSTM ROLEPLAYING GAME

ABILITIES 33

• Fortitude saves reflect health and resistance to threats like poison

or disease. They incorporate stamina, ruggedness, metabolism, and

immunity. They are based on your Constitution modifier.

• Reflex saves reflect reflexes and reaction time. They test your abil-

ity to dodge massive attacks or hazards, such as an explosion or a

deadfall trap. They incorporate quickness, nimbleness, overall coor-

dination, speed, and reaction time. They are based on your Dexterity

modifier.

• Will saves reflect inner strength. They measure resistance to mental

influence and domination. They incorporate willpower, mental stabil-

ity, level-headedness, determination, self-confidence, self-awareness,

and resistance to temptation. They are based on your Wisdom modi-

fier.

You can increase your Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saving throws above the

modifiers granted by your ability scores by spending power points. One

power point grants you a +1 saving throw bonus. Your maximum bonus

with these saves (including your ability modifiers) is the campaign’s power

level +5.

Fortitude, Reflex, and Will Saving Throw

Cost = 1 power point per +1 save bonus

You can only increase Toughness saving throw bonus above your base

Constitution bonus with feats and powers. Your maximum Toughness bonus

is equal to the campaign’s power level. (See Power Level, page 24.)

CAPABILITIES

While abilities define the majority of a hero’s capabilities, there are a few

others important to game play: movement speed, size, and carrying capac-

ity (how much your character can lift).

MOVEMENT

Heroes in the comics move around a lot. The GM moderates the pace of

a game session, and determines when movement is important enough

to be worth measuring. During casual scenes, you usually won’t have to

worry about movement rates. If a hero arrives somewhere and takes a

stroll around to get a feel for the place, or is flying around town on patrol,

there’s no need to know exactly how fast the character goes, it just hap-

pens.

MOVEMENT PACE

Characters generally move at a normal, accelerated, or all out pace. A

normal person’s base movement speed is 30 feet, meaning a character

can walk 30 feet as a move action. The following movement paces modify

your base speed:

• Normal: A normal pace represents unhurried but purposeful move-

ment at your speed, 30 feet per round for a normal unencumbered

human.

• Accelerated: An accelerated pace is twice your speed, 60 feet per

round for a normal unencumbered human. Taking two move actions

in a round is accelerated movement.

• All Out: Moving four times your speed is an all out pace, the

equivalent of running or sprinting, 120 feet per round for a normal

unencumbered human. All out movement is a full action, and you

lose your dodge bonus, since you can’t easily avoid attacks. However,

if you’re using a movement power (see Chapter 5) you gain a +2

bonus to Defense per rank in that power; so a hero with Flight 5 mov-

ing all out gets a +10 Defense bonus for his speed (it’s harder to hit a

fast-moving target).

You can move all out for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution

score. After that you must succeed at a Constitution check (DC 10) to

continue moving all out. You must check again each round, and the

DC increases by +1 for each check. When you fail a check, you become

fatigued and must drop to an accelerated or normal pace (see Fatigue,

page 167).

Characters with movement powers have a normal speed granted by

their rank. Accelerated movement doubles that speed. All out movement

quadruples it.

SAC

34 ABILITIES

MUTANTS & MASTERMINDSTM ROLEPLAYING GAME CHAPTER TWO: ABILITIES

HAMPERED MOVEMENT

Obstructions, bad surface conditions, and poor visibility hamper move-

ment. The GM determines the category into which a specific condition

falls (see the Hampered Movement Table). When movement is ham-

pered, multiply movement speed by the penalty (a fraction). For example,

a character that normally could cover 60 feet with an accelerated move

can cover only 30 feet while moving through thick undergrowth.

If more than one condition applies, multiply speed by all appropri-

ate movement penalty fractions. For instance, a character that normally

could cover 60 feet with an accelerated move covers only 15 feet moving

through thick undergrowth in heavy fog (one-half times one-half, or one-

quarter his accelerated move speed).

HAMPERED MOVEMENT

CONDITION EXAMPLES MOVEMENT PENALTY

OB S TRUCTION: Moderate Undergrowth x3⁄4

Obstruction: Heavy Thick undergrowth x1⁄2

Surface: Bad Steep slope or mud x1⁄2

Surface: Very bad Deep snow x1⁄4

Poor visibility Darkness or fog x1⁄2

JUMPING

Jumping is a special type of movement, based on your Strength. A jump is

a move action. Distance moved by jumping counts as part of your normal

movement in a round.

You can make a running long jump of (Str modifier + 10) feet, a

standing long jump of half that distance, and a high (vertical) jump of a

quarter that distance. Round all distances down to the nearest foot. So

a Strength 10 (+0 modifier) character can make a running long jump of

10 feet, a standing long jump of 5 feet and a high jump of 2 feet (2.5,

rounded down to 2). Increases to your Strength, including extra effort

(see page 120), increase your jumping distances as well. Super-Strength

(see page 104) does not increase jumping distances. Extra effort dou-

bles your jumping distance for one jump. The Leaping power (see page

90) greatly increases the distance you can jump.

If you make a long jump and fail to clear the distance by your height

or less, you can make a Reflex save (DC 15) to grab the far edge of a gap.

You end your movement grasping the far edge. If this leaves you dangling

over a chasm or gap, getting up requires a move action and a Climb check

(DC 15).

SIZE

While heroes come in all sizes and shapes, most are generally within

the human norms of size, ranging between four and eight feet tall or so

(Medium-sized). Some heroes have the ability to alter their size using the

Growth and Shrinking powers (see Chapter 5). Others are normally a dif-

ferent size, either larger or smaller. These characters have ranks of either

Growth or Shrinking with a Permanent duration.

A character’s size affects certain qualities. Modifications for size are

shown on the Size Table. Permanent size modifiers count toward cam-

paign power level limits.

ATTACK/DEFENSE MODIFIER

Larger characters are easier to notice and hit relative to smaller charac-

ters, while smaller characters are harder to notice and hit. These modifiers

cancel out for characters of the same size, who attack and defend nor-

mally against each other.

GRAPPLE MODIFIER

Larger characters have an advantage in trying to grapple smaller oppo-

nents. In addition to the modifier to grapple checks, a larger character can

grapple more opponents of a smaller size: double the number of opponents

the character can grapple at once per size category the attacker is larger

than the defenders. So a Medium attacker can grapple one Medium oppo-

nent, two Small opponents (one under each arm, for example), four Tiny

opponents, and so forth.

STEALTH MODIFIER

Larger characters have a harder time sneaking around, while smaller char-

acters have an easier time remaining unseen and unheard. Apply this

modifier to Stealth checks made at this size.

INTIMIDATION MODIFIER

Larger characters are more imposing, while smaller characters are less.

Apply this modifier to Intimidation checks made at this size. Like Attack and

Defense modifiers, they cancel out against opponents of the same size.

SIZE

SIZE ATK/DEF

MODIFIER

GRAPPLE

MODIFIER

STEALTH

MODIFIER

INTIMIDATION

MODIFIER

HEIGHT WEIGHT SPACE REACH CARRYING

CAPACITY

POINT

COST

Awesome –12 +20 –20 +10 128 ft. or more 2 mil lbs. + 40 ft. 20 ft. +25 Str 60

Colossal –8 +16 –16 +8 64-128 ft. 250K- 2 mil. lbs 30 ft. 15 ft. +20 Str 48

Gargantuan –4 +12 –12 +6 32-64 ft. 32K –250K lbs. 20 ft. 15 ft. +15 Str 36

Huge –2 +8 –8 +4 16-32 ft. 4K –32K lbs. 15 ft. 10 ft. +10 Str 24

Large –1 +4 –4 +2 8-16 ft. 500-4,000 lbs. 10 ft. 10 ft. +5 Str 12

Medium +0 +0 +0 +0 4-8 ft. 60-500 lbs. 5 ft. 5 ft. x1 0

Small +1 –4 +4 –2 2 ft.-4 ft. 8-60 lbs. 5 ft. 5 ft. x3⁄4 4

Tiny +2 –8 +8 –4 1-2 ft. 1-8 lbs. 2.5 ft. 0 ft. x1⁄2 8

Diminutive +4 –12 +12 –6 6 in.-1 ft. 0.25-1 lb. 1 ft. 0 ft. x1⁄4 12

Fine +8 –16 +16 –8 3 in.-6 in. 0.9-0.1 lb. 6 in. 0 ft. x1/8 16

Miniscule +12 –20 +20 –10 3 in. or less 1 oz. or less 3 in. 0 ft. x1/16 20

CHAPTER TWO: ABILITIES MUTANTS & MASTERMINDSTM ROLEPLAYING GAME

ABILITIES 35

REACH

A normal (Medium-sized) character has a 5 ft. reach, which means the

character can make a melee attack at any target up to 5 ft. away. Larger

and smaller characters have a longer or shorter reach, as shown on the

Size Table.

SPACE

A normal (Medium-sized) character is assumed to occupy a roughly 5-ft.-

by-5-ft. space. Larger and smaller characters occupy more or less space, as

shown on the Size Table.

CARRYING CAPACITY

Larger characters can lift and carry more, while smaller characters can lift

and carry less. Larger characters gain an increase in effective Strength for

carrying capacity: +5 points (a doubling in capacity) per size category.

Smaller characters’ carrying capacities are multiplied by the value in this

column. So a Tiny character with Str 10 has a heavy load of (100 × 1⁄2) or

50 lbs.

ATTACK AREA

If you are three size categories or more larger than your opponent, you

have a chance to hit an opponent even if you miss your attack roll! If

your attack roll misses due to your size modifier, your attack is consid-

ered an area attack filling the fighting space of an opponent three size

categories smaller than you. So a Gargantuan attacker has a 5-ft area

attack against Medium or smaller opponents. A Medium attacker has

a 1-ft. “area” attack against Diminutive or smaller opponents, and so

forth.

If you roll a successful attack, it has the normal effect. If you miss, but

would have hit if not for your size modifier, then the attack still hits, but

the target gets to make a Reflex save for half effect (or none, if the target

has Evasion). Other targets in the area of your attack are also hit by a

normal area effect. See page 159 for details on area attacks.

Example: A Gargantuan robot tries to stomp on the Bowman,

who’s a normal (Medium-sized) target. The robot has a –4 to

hit because of its size. If it succeeds, it hits Bowman square on.

If it misses, but by 4 or less (the amount of its size modifier),

then the stomp of its massive foot still has a chance of hitting

Bowman. He gets a Reflex save to halve the damage and, since

he has the Evasion feat, if he makes his save, he suffers no

damage, leaping and rolling out of the way at the last sec-

ond. If the robot’s attack roll misses by more than 4, it misses

Bowman completely.

CARRYING CAPACITY

Carrying capacity determines how much weight characters can lift

and how much additional weight slows them down. See the Carrying

Capacity table for how much a character can lift based on Strength

score. Characters with Super-Strength add +5 per rank to their Strength

score when figuring carrying capacity (see Chapter 5).

• Characters can lift and carry up to a light load without any penalties

or difficulties.

• Characters carrying a medium load have a maximum dodge bonus

of +3 and a –3 penalty on all actions. They move at 2/3 normal

speed.

GJ

TH

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MUTANTS & MASTERMINDSTM ROLEPLAYING GAME CHAPTER TWO: ABILITIES

• Characters can lift up to a heavy load overhead. While doing so they

have a maximum dodge bonus of +1 and a –6 penalty on all actions.

They move at 2/3 normal speed.

• Characters can lift up to the maximum load off the ground, but can

only stagger around with it. While overloaded in this way, characters

lose any dodge bonus to Defense and can move only 5 feet per round

as a full action.

• Characters can push or drag up to five times their heavy load weight,

moving at 1⁄2 normal speed. Favorable conditions (smooth ground,

dragging a slick object) double these numbers, and bad circum-

stances (broken ground, pushing an object that snags) can reduce

them to one-half or less.

• Characters can use extra effort to double their carrying capacity in all

categories for one round (see Extra Effort, page 120).

LARGER AND SMALLER CREATURES

The figures on the Carrying Capacity table are for Medium-size crea-

tures. Larger and smaller creatures can carry more or less depending on

size category as shown on the Size table.

Larger and smaller creatures, as well as characters with powers such as

Density (see page 81), may also weigh more or less than usual. A charac-

ter’s weight is not a factor in carrying capacity, only effective Strength.

Carrying capacity is the lifting and carrying ability beyond that necessary

to comfortably support and carry one’s own weight.

THROWING

Characters can throw any object they can lift, up to a heavy load. (You

cannot throw your maximum load, only drop it adjacent to you.) Picking

up an object is a move action, while throwing it is a standard action, so

it’s possible to pick up and throw an object in one round.

The distance you can throw an object is based on its weight and

your Strength. You can throw your heavy load 5 feet. For every 5 points

of Strength you have over the minimum required to lift an object as a

heavy load, move the distance you can throw it one step up the Time

and Value Progression Table (see page 70). So, a Strength 40 charac-

ter has 30 points more Strength than needed to lift 100 lbs. as a heavy

load. That means (30 divided by 5) 6 steps up the Time and Value

Progression Table. So a Strength 40 character can throw a 100-lb.

object up to 500 feet!

When dealing with objects weighing less than 10 lbs., move throwing

distance one step up the Time and Value Progression Table every time

you halve weight. So a character can throw a 5-lb. object twice as far as

a 10-lb. one, a 2-lb. object five times as far, and a 1-lb. object ten times

further. Weights below 1-lb. can be treated as 1-lb. for simplicity. So the

aforementioned Str 40 hero can throw a baseball (weighing less than a

pound) over 25,000 feet (nearly 5 miles)!

For throwing objects as weapons in combat, see Chapter 8.

CARRYING LOADS

LOAD MAX

DODGE

CHECK

PENALTY

SPEED ALL OUT

MOVE

Light None 0 Normal Normal

Medium +3 –3 2/3 Normal

Heavy +1 –6 2/3 1⁄2

Maximum +0 — 5 ft.

step

—

Push/drag +0 — 1⁄2 —

CARRYING CAPACITY

EFFECTIVE

STRENGTH

LIGHT

LOAD

MEDIUM

LOAD

HEAVY

LOAD

MAXIMUM

LOAD

PUSH/

DRAG

1 3 lb. 6 lb. 10 lb. 20 lb. 50 lb.

2 6 lb. 13 lb. 20 lb. 40 lb. 100 lb.

3 10 lb. 20 lb. 30 lb. 60 lb. 150 lb.

4 13 lb. 26 lb. 40 lb. 80 lb. 200 lb.

5 16 lb. 33 lb. 50 lb. 100 lb. 250 lb.

6 20 lb. 40 lb. 60 lb. 120 lb. 300 lb.

7 23 lb. 46 lb. 70 lb. 140 lb. 350 lb.

8 26 lb. 53 lb. 80 lb. 160 lb. 400 lb.

9 30 lb. 60 lb. 90 lb. 180 lb. 450 lb.

10 33 lb. 66 lb. 100 lb. 200 lb. 500 lb.

11 38 lb. 76 lb. 115 lb. 230 lb. 575 lb.

12 43 lb. 86 lb. 130 lb. 260 lb. 650 lb.

13 50 lb. 100 lb. 150 lb. 300 lb. 750 lb.

14 58 lb. 116 lb. 175 lb. 350 lb. 875 lb.

15 66 lb. 133 lb. 200 lb. 400 lb. 1,000 lb.

16 76 lb. 153 lb. 230 lb. 460 lb. 1,150 lb.

17 86 lb. 173 lb. 260 lb. 520 lb. 1,300 lb.

18 100 lb. 200 lb. 300 lb. 600 lb. 1,500 lb.

19 116 lb. 233 lb. 350 lb. 700 lb. 1,750 lb.

20 133 lb. 266 lb. 400 lb. 800 lb. 2,000 lb.

21 153 lb. 306 lb. 460 lb. 920 lb. 2,300 lb.

22 173 lb. 346 lb. 520 lb. 1,040 lb. 2,600 lb.

23 200 lb. 400 lb. 600 lb. 1,200 lb. 3,000 lb.

24 233 lb. 466 lb. 700 lb. 1,400 lb. 3,500 lb.

25 266 lb. 533 lb. 800 lb. 1,600 lb. 4,000 lb.

26 306 lb. 613 lb. 920 lb. 1,840 lb. 4,600 lb.

27 346 lb. 693 lb. 1,040 lb. 2,080 lb. 5,200 lb.

28 400 lb. 800 lb. 1,200 lb. 2,400 lb. 6,000 lb.

29 466 lb. 933 lb. 1,400 lb. 2,800 lb. 7,000 lb.

30 532 lb. 1,064 lb. 1,600 lb. 3,200 lb. 8,000 lb.

+10 x4 x4 x4 x4 x4

FUN STRENGTH FACTS

The effective Strength required to move a mountain is around 225.

Moving the Moon requires Str 360. Moving the Earth requires Str 390.

Both of the latter two are considered “pushing” or “dragging” and

require some means of propulsion (Flight or Space Travel, for example)

and possibly Immunity (life support) to survive in outer space. Heroes

with perception range Telekinesis have an even easier time!

CHAPTER TWO: ABILITIES MUTANTS & MASTERMINDSTM ROLEPLAYING GAME

ABILITIES 37

EXTENDED CARRYING CAPACITY

EFFECTIVE STRENGTH LIGHT LOAD MEDIUM LOAD HEAVY LOAD MAXIMUM LOAD PUSH/DRAG HEAVY LOAD EXAMPLES

35 1,064 lb. 1 ton. 1.5 tons. 3 tons 7.5 tons luxury car, van

40 1 ton. 2 tons 3 tons 6 tons 15 tons truck

45 2 tons 4 tons 6 tons 12 tons 30 tons Lear jet, subway car

50 4 tons 8 tons 12 tons 24 tons 60 tons fighter jet, semi, streetcar

55 8 tons 16 tons 24 tons 48 tons 125 tons APC, humpback whale

60 16 tons 32 tons 50 tons 100 tons 250 tons tank, locomotive

65 32 tons 64 tons 100 tons 200 tons 500 tons 767, cargo jet

70 64 tons 125 tons 200 tons 400 tons 1,000 tons 747, fishing trawler

75 125 tons 250 tons 400 tons 800 tons 2,000 tons drilling rig

80 250 tons 500 tons 800 tons 1,600 tons 4,000 tons small bridge

85 500 tons 1,000 tons 1,600 tons 3,200 tons 8,000 tons destroyer

90 1,000 tons 2,000 tons 3,200 tons 6,400 tons 16K tons freight train, nuclear sub

95 2,000 tons 4,000 tons 6,400 tons 12.5K tons 32K tons cargo freighter (empty)

100 4,000 tons 8,000 tons 12.5K tons 25K tons 64K tons cruiser, loaded freighter

105 8,000 tons 16K tons 25K tons 50K tons 125K tons ocean liner, large bridge

110 16K tons 32K tons 50Ktons 100K tons 250K tons battleship, Gateway Arch

115 32Ktons 64K tons 100Ktons 200K tons 500K tons aircraft carrier

120 64K tons 128K tons 200K tons 400K tons 1M tons

125 128K tons 256K tons 400K tons 800K tons 2M tons Empire State Building

130 256K tons 512K tons 800K tons 1.6M tons 4M tons Golden Gate Bridge

135 512K tons 1.24M tons 1.6M tons 3.2M tons 8M tons

140 1.24M tons 2.5M tons 3.2M tons 6.4M tons 16M tons

145 2.5M tons 5M tons 6.4M tons 12.8M tons 32M tons Great Pyramid of Giza

150 5M tons 10M tons 12.8M tons 25M tons 64M tons small asteroid

K = thousand, M = million