Vigilance

SuperHero

by Charles Rice

Copyright 2002© Charles Rice

Version: 1.31

Dedication: this work would not be possible without the input and constant support of my sister, Paula Rice. Special Thanks: to Roy Thomas and Chris Claremont, for firing young imaginations, and for the being the very best at what you do, and to Dominic Covey and Chris Davis for your help and many suggestions.

OGL: All material in this book derived from the SRD is OGC. All non game mechanictext is Product Identity. Vigilance is always Product Identity. This book requires the 3rd

Edition Player’s Handbook.

D20: The D20 System and the D20 logo are Trademarks owned by Wizards of theCoast and are used according to the terms of the d20 System license version 1.0 a. A

copy of this license may be found at www.wizards.com

Any comments about Vigilance are needed for its continued growth. Interested parties are encouraged to send comments and suggestions to:

Vigilance2112@aol.com

The fonts in Vigilance are from LarabieFonts http://www.larabiefonts.com

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Chapter 1: The Basics

Vigilance

IntroductionHeroism. Flying through the air. Leapingtall buildings in a single bound. These arethe stuff of SuperHeroic adventures.Vigilance is a d20 game designed to allowplayers to live this fantasy, rescuing thehelpless, encouraging the meek, andstanding up against the villainous.Vigilance characters are beyond mortalkin, allowing even veteran d20 players thechance to do things with their charactersthat they never dreamed possible. This isthe world of heroes who strive to protecthumanity, and the villains who seek tocontrol the weak: A world that requiresconstant Vigilance from those who wouldprotect it.

What’s Different Some things work differently in Vigilancethan in other d20 games. Here are theessentials:Defense: this Stat replaces AC. Itrepresents the character’s ability either toavoid damage, or to shrug it off. Acharacter’s Def. is 10 + his Fort and RefSaves. Dex only adds to Def. once, so toavoid confusion compute your total RefSave (including Dex Modifier) and add itto your Def.

Armor: Armor has no effect on yourchance to be hit, instead providingDamage Resistance. Most types ofArmor only provide DR to one type ofattack. So, a Flak vest would protectagainst physical attacks, but not energy or

psychic attacks.

Damage: Vigilance uses the VitalityPoint/Wound Point variant for determiningdamage. A character has Vitality pointsequal to his hit dice plus his con bonus asnormal. A character’s Wound Points areequal to his Con, and unless thecharacter is a Brick, or takes a feat, thesedo not increase. Wound points are takenonly after all Vitality Points are gone.Critical hits deal damage to Vitality Pointsas normal. Vitality Points heal one perlevel per hour. Wound Points heal oneper level per day.

Resources: Instead of starting moneybased on class, Vigilance rates resourcesas an ability. This is determined by Cha,Skills, Feats, and Disadvantages.

Contacts: SuperHero characters oftenrely on their friends to provide themimportant information. Heroes start thegame with contacts equal to their ChaBonus.

Reputation and Infamy: A Hero can liveor die at times on his good name alone,and Villains can turn their infamy into avillain team banded together by fear andthe strength of his dark will. Reputationnot only determines how well liked thecharacter is, it also allows him to gainmore contacts as he rises in level.

Power Points and Skill Points: Powershave numerous skills associated withthem, which represents a characterlearning to use his existing Powers in new

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ways as he gains experience. AllVigilance characters gain six points perlevel, divided between their Skills andtheir Powers. This division is determinedby Character Class. Power Points aremodified by Con, not Int., but otherwisework exactly like Skill Points. Like skills,certain character classes have certainPowers associated with them, so PowerPoints spent on Energy Blast grant moreyield to an Energy Projector than they doto a Brick. Skill Points are limited by levelas in the PHB, but Power Points may bespent in any way the character desires.

Heroism (and Villainy) Points: Gaining Heroism Points: A characterstarts the game with 1-4 Hero Points.Thereafter, he gains one per level, to amaximum of four. If a Hero risks his life inthe performance of a Heroic deed, notonly can he immediately earn a Heroismpoint, but his maximum Hero points riseby one as well.

Using Heroism Points: These allow acharacter to rise above the common man,performing the impossible. Using aHeroism point allows a character to roll1d6/5 levels and add it to the roll.Heroism dice are open-ended, so any sixon a heroism die allows the character toroll again and add the result. Furtheruses of Heroism points may be found inthe Heroism and Villainy chapter.

A Note on Balance: the information inthis book has been designed to simulatethe abilities of larger-than-life comic bookheroes. The abilities presented here arenot balanced with those in the PHB, andare not intended to be loosed in anyregular d20 game. The Martial arts feat,

for instance, is much better than ImprovedUnarmed Combat, and includes a skill(Throw), which effectively takes the placeof a Feat (Improved Trip) and has noprerequisites. The Power of someexisting feats likewise has been changed.Since your Ref and Fort saves determineyour defense, Great Fortitude andLightning Reflexes are more powerful, asthey now also give a +2 Def. Again,these changes are meant only to bebalanced with each other.

New AbilitiesWhile Vigilance uses the standard abilitieswe all have grown to love, it alsointroduces some new ones to help betterrepresent the SuperHeroic world.

ContactsAll Heroes need friends. Contacts canhelp a hero find things out he doesn’tknow, get places he couldn’t get, andsolve crimes he couldn’t solve on his own.A Hero begins the game with a number ofContacts equal to his Cha modifier (ifany). At the start of the game, acharacter’s Contacts should be peoplefrom his private (non-superheroic) life.This gives the player and GM a chance tofill out the character. Where does thecharacter work? Whom does he love?Later in the game, as the character’sReputation grows, he will have theopportunity to develop much granderContacts. In the beginning, stick to thecharacter’s private life.

ReputationFame is fleeting and fickle. It’s also hardwork! However, it comes in handy.Positive Reputation can help a characterin many ways, especially when dealingwith Law Enforcement and theGovernment. Oh and by the way, Villains

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have Reputations too. A well-known Heroor Villain can expect healthy respect fromhis opponents, who often know about hisabilities and disadvantages before thefight begins.

Starting Reputation: A character’s initialReputation score is equal to his Level +his Cha modifier. So, a 1st level characterwith an 18 Charisma has a reputation offive.

Using Reputation to win friends andinfluence people: a character with apositive Reputation may add hisReputation Modifier to the following skillswhen dealing with characters of Goodalignment: Bluff, Diplomacy, GatherInformation, Innuendo. A VillainousReputation(a negative one) works asabove on characters of evil alignment.Against everyone else, it grants itsmodifier as a bonus to Intimidate.

Making New Contacts: One handy usefor Reputation is to gain new Contacts. Infact, it’s the only way to gain newContacts. As the Hero meets people inhis adventures, he may wish to befriendthem so he can dial them up later and askfor information. You never know whenhaving the phone number of that sexymysterious Russian Agent of U.S.H.E.R.your character met in Eastern Europe willcome in handy.

Roll a d20, modified by the Character’sReputation modifier (treat the character’stotal reputation like an ability, so a 12 Repwould give +1 to this roll). If the roll isequal to the DC set by the GM to acquirethis contact, you have a new friend andcan add the person to your Contact list. Ifthe roll fails . . . well maybe you’ll be back

in Eastern Europe someday. When yourReputation improves, you may try again.

Contact DC Table:DC 10: The Contact is about as powerful,rich, and influential as the PC (in otherwords, there’s as much of an upside forthe Contact as for the PC).DC 20: The Contact is more powerful,more rich, or more influential than thePC(so a rich blue-blooded newspaperowner might still like the idea of having afriend who can knock down walls).DC 25: The Contact is more powerful,more rich and more influential than thePC.

Sometimes the roll is not necessary.Some adventures are designed by theGM to introduce you to a certain person,and having that person as a Contact willbe part of the reward for the adventure.One final note on Contacts: Contactswork both ways. If you make a Contact ofthat sexy U.S.H.E.R. Agent, one dayshe’ll be in America and want your help.

ResourcesHow much a character can afford oftendefines, in many small ways, what kind ofHero he is. Does the character live in aroom at the mansion of the bigsupergroup? Or did he buy the mansion?Does the character fight crime from theback of a van? A Loft? A huge caveu n d e r g r o u n d l o a d e d w i t hsupercomputers? All types of Heroes canbe successful. It just depends on whetheryou need to watch your budget or not.

How resources work: Rather than dealwith accounting and lots of scrap paper,Vigilance handles the issue of money witha Resource Rating. A character’s initial

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Resource Rating is his Cha modifier,modified by things like Feats andDisadvantages. A character also receives+1 to his Resource Rating for every twopoints spent on Professional skills.Instead of a set price, objects areassigned a DC based on how expensivethey are. Roll a d20, add your Resourcerating . . . and either you can afford it oryou can’t. From an adventuringstandpoint, Resources are handy foreveryone, but truly important forGadgeteers. Need a new BattleSuit?Well they don’t come cheap.

Improving resources: Characters maymake one resource roll each gamesession, attempting to acquire somethingthey need for their adventures. However,a character may also choose to make hisresources roll in an attempt to improve hisResource Rating. The character must roll10 higher than the Resource Rating he isattempting to achieve, which can be nomore than one higher than his currentResource Rating. So, a character withResources +4, could attempt to raisethem to +5, by rolling a 15 on ad20(adding his +4 Resource Rating). If anatural one is rolled on this attempt, thecharacter’s Resource Rating is insteadreduced by one.Resources Retries: as stated above youmay only attempt one Resources roll pergame session. However, if you fail andwish to try for the same again during thenext session, you roll at +2 for eachprevious attempt.

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Chapter 2: Origins Origins

Vigilance does not use race per se. Acharacter in comics might be of a differentrace, but his origin is a much moreimportant factor in determining hisabilities. Thus a WWII supersoldier and afriendly neighborhood hero would both be“human,” but are very different sorts ofheroes because of their Origins. AllCharacters, regardless of Origin, receiveone Power and one Feat at first level.

Advanced Training

This character has received training notavailable to most characters. She couldbelong to a world-spanning spyorganization like U.S.H.E.R., have beentrained in the martial arts in an exoticTibetan monastery, or have been the onlyproduct of a super-soldier program. Thecharacter is otherwise “human,” and assuch has fewer Powers than mostcharacters.

Advanced Training AbilitiesStat Bonus/Penalty: +2 to one Stat of thecharacter’s choice; -2 to one Stat of thecharacter’s choiceBonus Feat: One bonus Feat at 1st LevelBonus Skill Points: 4 Bonus skill Points at1st level, one bonus skill point each levelafter 1st. Powers:The Character alternatesbetween a Feat and a Power every 2nd

level. So, the character gains a feat at 2nd

level, a Power at 4th level, a Feat at 6th

level, and so on. While the character willhave fewer Powers than other characters,his Powers may be Inborn or Gadgets,

and are often a mixture of the two.Favored Classes: Acrobat, Detective,Gadgeteer

Alien

Alien characters are usually the lastsurvivors of a doomed race. The playermay decide that his character is the lastscion of a homeworld that was destroyedin his infancy, or the last representative ofa doomed race that lost a genocidal war.A common feature of this Origin is thereturn of members of the character’s raceas Enemies. Yes, even if you are the“last” scion, there’s always another ofyour kind kicking around out there whodoesn’t like you.

Alien AbilitiesStat Bonus/Penalty:+2 to one or two statsof the character’s choice; -2 to one or twoStats of the character’s choice. Theseare assumed to be racial abilities, and anyother members of the character’s raceencountered in the campaign will havethese same racial bonuses and penalties.Alien Physiology: The character gains abonus power at 1st level. This isconsidered a racial trait, and will bepossessed by any other members of thecharacter’s raceEnemy: all Alien characters have thisdisadvantage. The Enemy is always amember of the character’s race. TheDisadvantage Rating of the Hunted mustbe at least two(see the Disadvantagessection for more information on DSR’s).Powers:Alien characters gain one powerevery two levels. Alien Powers may beeither Inborn or Gadget based.

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Favored Classes: Psychic, EnergyProjector, Brick

Artificial Life

A character with this Origin was literallymade, not born. The character could bea genetic creation, her DNA splicedtogether from thousands of donors tocreate a “perfect” human. Or thecharacter could be a living machine, anartificially intelligent android.

Stat Bonuses/Penalty: +2 to one stat ofthe character’s choice; -2 to one stat ofthe character’s choiceSave Bonuses: due to differences inbodily makeup, Artificial Life charactersreceive a +2 Bonus to one Save of theirchoice. Thus a robot might have beenconstructed with Speed in mind, or acharacter’s mind might be so bizarre thatshe gains a +2 Will Save.Forbidding Demeanor: Artificial charactersfeel their separation from the “normal”people they live with. They have nomother, no father, and feel isolated,wanting others to stay at bay as well. AllArtificial characters must take thisDisadvantage at 1st level at a DSR of two.They receive no experience for thisdisadvantage.Powers: Artificial Life characters receiveone Power every two levels. All of thesePowers must be inborn, except forGadgeteer characters.Favored Classes: Brick, Energy Projector

MuTant

Mutants characters are born different.For whatever reason, certain members ofthe population are of a new species, thenext step in human evolution. Thesepowers surface during puberty, and are

often wild and uncontrolled while themutant is young. This has causedmutants to be the subject of fear andmisunderstanding. The very idea thatone’s own child could develop wilduncontrolled abilities seems to unnervemany people.

Mutant AbilitiesStat Bonus/Penalty: +2 to one stat of thecharacter’s choice, -2 to one stat of thecharacter’s choice.Prejudice: All mutants must take thePrejudice disadvantage. TheDisadvantage Rating must be at leasttwo(see the Disadvantages section formore information on DSR’s).Bonus Power Points: Mutants receive 4additional Power Points at 1st level, andone bonus Power point for each levelafter 1st. Powers: Mutants receive one Powerevery two levels. All Mutant Powers mustbe Inborn. The only exception to this is ifthe character is of the Gadgeteer class,and Mutant Gadgeteers are extremelyrare.Favored Classes: Acrobat, EnergyProjector, Brick

Mystic Encounter

This character has had an encounter withthe supernatural. Perhaps the characterhas learned things man was not meant toknow. Perhaps the character is theembodiment of some hero of myth. Orthe character could have been enchantedby a sorcerer to do his bidding.

Mystic Encounter AbilitiesStat Bonus/Penalty: +2 to one stat of thecharacter’s choice; -2 to one Stat of thecharacter’s choice

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Stat Bonus: +2 Wisdom; the character’sencounter has left her at least moderatelymore adept at dealing with thesupernatural.Powers: One power is gained every twolevels. These powers may be “Gadgets”(in the form of mystic artifacts), or inborn.Favored Classes: Brick, EnergyProjector, Psychic

Scientific Experiment

While conducting (or the subject of) ahigh-tech experiment, somethingunexpected happens. The character’spowers are the result of this experiment.Since the results were unintended, theeffects cannot be replicated, leaving thecharacter as the only example. Thecharacter could be the lone survivor of atest with radiation, or even a bystander ata public experiment involving irradiatedvermin of some kind.

Scientific Experiment AbilitiesStat Bonus/Penalty: +2 to one Stat of thecharacter’s choice; -2 to one Stat of thecharacter’s choiceStat Bonus: +2 Intelligence; the Characterusually has a scientific background ofsome sort, if only as a lab assistant or thescientist’s pilot.Powers: One Power is gained every twolevels. The character’s Powers may beGadgets or Inborn, and many charactersof this Origin have a mixture of the two.Favored Classes: Acrobat, Brick,Gadgeteer, Energy Projector

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Chapter 3:ClassesAcrobat

The Acrobat is a Hero who relies on hiswits and mobility to survive. He might bea resurrected hero from WWII, a friendly,neighborly hero or the fastest man alive.Whatever his powers, the Acrobat is quitecapable in combat, relying on his ability tonot get hit. Although he will have lessVitality points than a Brick, the Acrobatwill get hit a lot less often.

Class Abilities:Hit Die: d6Alignment: anySkill Points per Level: 4+Int. Modifier(x4 at 1st Level). Class Skills: Balance, Climb, EscapeArtist, Hide, Jump, Martial Arts, Move

Silently, TumblingPower Points per Level: 2+Con Modifier(x4 at 1st level).Power Skills: Danger Sense, Deflection,Desolidification, Ensnaring Attack, Flight,Invisibility, Plasticity, Shrinking, SuperRunning, Superhuman Dexterity,Teleport, Unique ItemEvasion: this ability works exactly asdescribed in the Player’s HandbookUncanny Dodge: this ability worksexactly as described in the Player’sHandbookCombat Evasion: this ability works asEvasion, except it also works againstPowers which require the character tosave vs. Fort for ½ damage as well,resulting in no damage on a successfulsave.

M e l e eEvasion: highlevel Acrobatsare a lmos tnever squarelyhit. Constantlyi n mo t i o n ,twisting turningand rol l ing,even solid hitst u r n i n t oglancing blows.This abi l i tya l l o ws t h echaracter tomake a Reflexs a v e ( D Cequal to thedamage dealt)to reduce thedamage by ½.The character

AcrobatLevel Base Attack Fort Ref Will Special1st +0 +1 +1 +0 Evasion2nd +1 +2 +2 +03rd +2 +2 +2 +1 Unc. Dodge(no flat footed)4th +3 +3 +3 +1 Combat Evasion5th +3 +3 +3 +1 Unc. Dodge(can’t be flanked)6th +4 +4 +4 +27th +5 +4 +4 +28th +6/+1 +5 +5 +2 Improved Evasion9th +6/+1 +5 +5 +310th +7/+2 +6 +6 +3 Improved Combat Evasion11th +8/+3 +6 +6 +312th +9/+4 +7 +7 +4 Melee Evasion13th +9/+4 +7 +7 +414th +10/+5 +8 +8 +415th +11/+6/+1 +8 +8 +516th +12/+7/+2 +9 +9 +517th +12/+7/+2 +9 +9 +518th +13/+8/+3 +10 +10 +619th +14/+9/+4 +10 +10 +620th +15/+10/+5 +11 +11 +6 Improved Melee Evasion

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may do this against any physical attack.This ability may be used a number oftimes each game session equal to thecharacter’s Dex Modifier.Improved Melee Evasion: this abilityallows the character to make a ReflexSave(DC equal to the damage dealt) toreduce damage done by a melee attack tozero. This ability may only be used onceper game.

Brick

The Brick is the backbone of anyVigilance team. He is the character whowades into battle while others hold back.He is the first one in while others holdback. He takes the hits that othercharacters can’t take. It takes bravery tobe a Brick, it takes guts, it takes nerves ofsteel.

Hit Die: d10

Alignment: anySkill Points perLevel: 2+Int. Modifier(x4 at 1st Level).C l a s s S k i l l s :Brawl ing, Cl imb,Intimidate, Jump,Profession Power Points perL e v e l : 4 + C o nModifier(x4 at 1st

Level).Power Skills: Armor,C laws, DamageT o uch , De n s i t yIncrease, Growth,L i f e S u p p o r t ,R e g e n e r a t i o n ,S u p e r h u m a nD u r a b i l i t y ,S u p e r h u m a n

Presence, Superhuman Strength, UniqueItemBonus Power: at First Level the Brickreceives a Bonus Power from the fo l lowing l i s t : Armor, Growth,Regeneration, Superhuman Durability,Superhuman Strength, Unique Item

Detective

A Shadow among shadows. Watchingunseen. The dark shadow of the city. TheDetective sees everything while sayinglittle. He is a mysterious figure, usingknowledge as his greatest weapon.

Hit Die: d8Alignment: anySkill Points per Level: 4+Int. Modifier(x4 at 1st Level).Class Skills: Bluff, Brawling, Climb,Criminology, Diplomacy, Disable Device,Disguise, Forgery, Gather Information,

BrickLevel Base Attack Fort Ref Will Special1st +1 +2 +0 +0 Bonus Power2nd +2 +3 +0 +0 +1 Wound Point3rd +3 +3 +1 +14th +4 +4 +1 +1 +1 Wound Point5th +5 +4 +1 +16th +6/+1 +5 +2 +2 +1 Would Point7th +7/+2 +5 +2 +28th +8/+3 +6 +2 +2 +1 Wound Point9th +9/+4 +6 +3 +310th +10/+5 +7 +3 +3 +1 Wound Point11th +11/+6/+1 +7 +3 +312th +12/+7/+2 +8 +4 +4 +1 Wound Point13th +13/+8/+3 +8 +4 +414th +14/+9/+4 +9 +4 +4 +1 Wound Point15th +15/+10/+5 +9 +5 +516th +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +5 +5 +1 Wound Point17th +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +518th +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +6 +1 Wound Point19th +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +620th +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +6 +1 Wound Point

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Hide, Innuendo, Intimidate, Listen, MartialArts, Move Silently, Open Lock, PickPocket, Search, Sense Motive, Spot, UseRopePower Points: 2+Con Modifier (x4 at 1st

Level).Powers Skills: Danger Sense, EnhancedS e n s e s , E n s n a r i n g A t t a c k ,Metamorphosis, Radar Sense, Sonar,Spectral Sight, Superhuman Intelligence,Superhuman Presence, Unique Item,Unique Vehicle, X-Ray VisionArea Knowledge: Detectives have ahome city that they know like the back oftheir hand. All class skills gain a bonus intheir home city, as listed on the classtable.Research: As astute as his powers ofdirect observation are, a Detective with acomputer is an even more dangerous

opponent, ableto sift throughcover identitiesand track downhidden agendas.A Detective witha computer anda n I n t e r n e tconnection cana d d h i sDetective Levelt o h i sCriminology orG a t h e rI n f o r m a t i o nskills.C o n t a c t s :Detectives arealso skilled infinding humanavenues towardtheir prey. As aDetective risesin level, he

receives free contacts. These are inaddition to any he can make throughReputation rolls.Sleuthing: at higher levels a Detectivecan actually see how the crime happenedin his head. At this level the Detectivecan roll his criminology twice and take thebest of the two rolls.

Energy Projector

The Energy Projector is the sniper of theworld of Vigilance. He is the undisputedmaster of long range combat. EnergyProjectors make excellent Heroes, usingtheir speed and mobility to keep enemiesat bay.

Hit Die: d6Alignment: any

DetectiveLevel Base Attack Fort Ref Will Special1st +0 +0 +2 +2 Area Knowledge +12nd +1 +0 +3 +3 Research3rd +2 +1 +3 +3 Contacts +14th +3 +1 +4 +45th +3 +1 +4 +4 Area Knowledge +26th +4 +2 +5 +5 Contacts +27th +5 +2 +5 +58th +6/+1 +2 +6 +6 Sleuthing9th +6/+1 +3 +6 +6 Contacts +310th +7/+2 +3 +7 +7 Area Knowledge +311th +8/+3 +3 +7 +712th +9/+4 +4 +8 +8 Contacts +413th +9/+4 +4 +8 +814th +10/+5 +4 +9 +915th +11/+6/+1 +5 +9 +9 Area Knowledge +5;Contacts +516th +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +1017th +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +1018th +13/+8/+3 +6 +11 +11 Contacts +619th +14/+9/+4 +6 +11 +1120th +15/+10/+5 +6 +12 +12 Area Knowledge +6

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Class Skills: Intimidate, Profession(any),SpotSkill Points per Level: 2 +Int. Modifier(x4 at 1st Level).Power Points per Level: 4+Con Modifier(x4 at 1st level).Power Skills: Armor, Aura, Blast,Damage Touch, Desolidification,Ensnaring Attack, Flight, Invisibility, LightControl, Superhuman Dexterity, WeatherControlBlast Power: the signature power of theEnergy Projector class, all EnergyProjectors gain this power at 1st level.Bonus Feats: every four levels anEnergy Projector gains a bonus feat. Thefeats that may be selected are: ArcBlast,ArcStorm, Bolt, Combat Flying,Combination Blast, Concentrated Blast,Cone Attack, Devastation, ExplosiveBlast, PowerBlast, PureBlast, Strafe,Superior Concentration, UltraBlast

Gadgeteer

He sits alone in a hidden laboratory, alonewith his science. Dark goggles shield hiseyes from the glare of his welding torchas he labors over minute details ofmicrocircuits and wiring and hydraulics. Ascientist? Surely. But not only that, for hiswork, when completed, will strike fear intothe hearts of those who would usescience to do evil in the world. This is theGadgeteer.

Item Creation feats: Gadgeteers workdifferently than other characters. Ratherthan take powers and learn to use them,as the Brick does, for instance, theGadgeteer uses Item Creation feats andesoteric skills to achieve the same effect.With his skills and feats, the Gadgeteercan make a BattleSuit to protect him inbattle, Vehicles to carry his team into

b a t t l e , a n d aHeadQuarters forthem to relax inbetween adventures.Gadgeteers receivePowers in the sameway that AdvancedTraining charactersdo: a Feat at levels 2,6, 10, etc. and aPower at levels 4, 8,12, etc. Furthermore,all of their Powersmust be Gadgetbased, and cannot beI n b o r n ( s e eD i s a d v a n t a g e s ,Equipment).

How Gadgets Work:like Item Creationfeats from the PHB,

Energy ProjectorLevel Base Attack Fort Ref Will Special1st +1 +0 +2 +0 Blast Power2nd +2 +0 +3 +03rd +3 +1 +3 +14th +4 +1 +4 +1 Bonus Feat5th +5 +1 +4 +16th +6/+1 +2 +5 +27th +7/+2 +2 +5 +28th +8/+3 +2 +6 +2 Bonus Feat9th +9/+4 +3 +6 +310th +10/+5 +3 +7 +311th +11/+6/+1 +3 +7 +312th +12/+7/+2 +4 +8 +4 Bonus Feat13th +13/+8/+3 +4 +8 +414th +14/+9/+4 +4 +9 +415th +15/+10/+5 +5 +9 +516th +16/+11/+6/+1 +5 +10 +5 Bonus Feat17th +17/+12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +518th +18/+13/+8/+3 +6 +11 +619th +19/+14/+9/+4 +6 +11 +620th +20/+15/+10/+5 +6 +12 +6 Bonus Feat

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building a Gadget costs the Gadgeteertime, money, and experience. However,since Vigilance gadgets work differentlythan d20 Magic Items, these rules needrevisiting. The maximum ability of anyGadget made by the Gadgeteer is ½ hisskill. So, a 1st Level Gadgeteer with a 16Int.(+3 Modifier) could have a maximumHydraulics skill of +7. He decides to addan exoskeleton granting a +3enhancement bonus to Str.(½ skillrounded down) onto the BattleSuit hereceives for free(Gadgeteer class ability).How long Gadgets take to Build:Building a Gadget takes a number of daysequal to its enhancement bonus, modifiedas follows: • 1 Day per enhancement plus of

Gadget• -1 Day per Int. Modifier of

Gadgeteer• x2 for adding a Gadget onto an

existing Gadget

Continuing our example from above, ourintrepid 1st Level gadgeteer is adding aStr. enhancing exoskeleton onto hisBattleSuit. The total bonus of the Gadgetis +3, so the Device will take him threedays to build. 6 Days for adding a +3Gadget onto an existing Gadget, minushis Int. Modifier of three.How much money Gadgets Cost:Vigilance uses an abstract ResourceRating system to determine whether acharacter can afford something or not.The cost of a Gadget is its enhancementbonus +10. So, continuing our examplefrom above, the exoskeleton wouldrequire a Resource roll of 13 or higher.How much XP gadgets cost: Gadgetscost XP as well. Multiply the totalenhancement bonus of the Gadget by 20for an Exclusive gadget. So, ourexoskeleton would cost 60 XP to create.

Hit Die: d6Alignment: anySkill Points perLevel: 4+Int.Modifier (x4 at 1st

Level).Class Skills:C r a f t ( I n t . ) ,D i s a b l eD e v i c e ( I n t . ) ,Knowledge(Int.),Open Lock(Dex),Profession(Wis)Power Pointsp e r L e v e l :2+Con Modifier(x4 at 1st Level).Power Skills:Armor, Flight,Li fe Support,Light Control,Radar Sense,

GadgeteerLevel Base Attack Fort Ref Will Special1st +0 +0 +2 +0 Item Creation Feat; Invention2nd +1 +0 +3 +0 Item Creation Feat3rd +2 +1 +3 +1 Invention +14th +3 +1 +4 +1 New Power5th +3 +1 +4 +1 Invention +26th +4 +2 +5 +2 Item Creation Feat7th +5 +2 +5 +2 Invention +38th +6/+1 +2 +6 +2 Power9th +6/+1 +3 +6 +3 Invention +4; HeadQuarters10th +7/+2 +3 +7 +3 Item Creation Feat11th +8/+3 +3 +7 +3 Invention +512th +9/+4 +4 +8 +4 Power13th +9/+4 +4 +8 +4 Invention +614th +10/+5 +4 +9 +4 Item Creation Feat15th +11/+6/+1 +5 +9 +5 Invention +716th +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +5 Power17th +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +5 Invention +818th +13/+8/+3 +6 +11 +6 Item Creation Feat19th +14/+9/+4 +6 +11 +6 Invention +920th +15/+10/+5 +6 +12 +6 Power

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Sonar, Spectral Sight, SuperhumanIntelligence, Time Manipulation, UniqueItem, Unique VehicleInvention: the Gadgeteers scientificadvances have great commercialapplications. Although no Gadgeteer ofGood Alignment would sell militaryhardware, he still creates ancillarytechnology of great value, such as newforms of microchips, miniature gears andso forth. The Gadgeteer adds his Int.Modifier to his starting Resources.Free Creation: the gadgeteer starts thegame with one example of the best typeof device he could make. Either aStrength enhancing Exoskeleton, aBattleSuit, a Blaster, or a Vehicle.Item Creation Feat: as the Gadgeteeradvances in level, he begins to mastermore advanced technological skills. Ateach level indicated on the chart below,he gains free Item Creation Feats.

Psychic

The Master of the Mind. Psychics are astaple in comic book adventures, whethera master of the mystic arts, or one able toread minds and project his thoughts overvast distances. Often these characters,despite their weaker physical stature arethe glue that holds a team together,linking their teammates, allowing for silentcommunication and coordination ofattacks.

Hit Die: d6Alignment: anySkill Points per level: 2+Int. Modifier (x4at 1st level)Class Skills: Animal Empathy, Bluff,Diplomacy, Profession, Sense MotivePower Points per Level: 4+Con Modifier(x4 at 1st Level).Class Powers: Blast, Danger Sense,

Flight, Invisibility, MindControl, SuperhumanPresence, SuperhumanW i l l , Te l ek i nes is,Telepathy, Teleport,Time ManipulationMental Power: Psychiccharacters receive afree Power at first level.This free Power maybe: Mind Control,Superhuman W i l l ,Superhuman Presence,Telekinesis, TelepathyMental Shields: at thislevel, the Psychic gainsa supernatural warningfrom his subconsciousabout incoming attacks.This ability allows thePsychic to use his Willsave modifier in place of

PsychicLevel Base Attack Fort Ref Will Special1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Mental Power2nd +1 +0 +0 +33rd +1 +1 +1 +34th +2 +1 +1 +4 Mental Shields 1/day5th +2 +1 +1 +46th +3 +2 +2 +5 Mental Force 1/day7th +3 +2 +2 +68th +4 +3 +3 +6 Mental Armor9th +4 +3 +3 +7 Mental Shields 2/day10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Will Force11th +5 +3 +3 +7 Mental Force 2/day12th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 Mental Evasion13th +6/+1 +4 +4 +814th +7/+2 +4 +4 +9 Mental Shields 3/day15th +7/+2 +5 +5 +9 Your Mind is your own16th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 Mental Force 3/day17th +8/+3 +5 +5 +1018th +9/+4 +6 +6 +1119th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 Mental Shields 4/day20th +10/+5 +6 +6 +12

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his Ref or Fort saves any time he mustmake a saving throw. This ability may beused a limited number of times per day.Mental Force: by tapping intosubconscious reserves, a Psychic mayadd his Will save modifier to the damagefrom his attacks a certain number of timesper day.Mental Armor: at this level, the Psychichas learned to close his mind to unwantedintrusion. The Psychic gains PsiArmor(asthe Superhuman Will Power skill) equal tohis Will Save. If he already has PsiArmorfrom another source, then his Will Saveadds to this.Will Force: the Psychic’s force ofPersonality makes him a formidablepresence, and higher level Psychics havelearned to channel their sense of self intotheir attacks. At this level the Psychicmay add his Cha modifier to his chance tohit or the DC of the save to any mentalPower.Mental Evasion: at this level, on asuccessful Will save to any attack thatgrants ½ damage, the Psychic takes nodamage. This ability may be used onceper day per level, and may be combinedwith Mental Shields.Your Mind is your own: at this level, thePsychic’s mind is so well Shielded that hecannot be controlled or scanned underany circumstances. It functions as thespell Mind Blank PHB pg. 228.

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Chapter4: New SkillsCriminology(Int.; trained only)This skill includes every aspect of policework, from crime scene analysis, patterndetection, to forensics. For every 5 ranksof skill in Criminology a character takes,he receives a Contact either in the policeor in the underworld.

Example DCs:Determine an obvious cause ofdeath(DC10)Find clues to suspect’s identity such asfingerprints: (DC15)Find minute clues to identity such as hairand fiber:(DC20)Detect cause of death in an uninjuredcorpse, noticing poison or disease:(DC20)Detect a pattern in a series of seeminglyunrelated murders or crimes:(DC 20)

Driving(Dex)This is the ability to drive wheeledvehicles, and boats. It allows thecharacter to push the vehicle beyond itsnormal limits. The character may urgethe vehicle to greater speed, using racingtechniques such as drafting, adding atemporary bonus of speed. The DC is 15,and each +2 above this the character rollsadds 10'/round to the vehicle’s speed.The character may also attempt to forceanother character off the road, usingopposed checks.

New Knowledge Skills(Int.; trainedonly)

Armorsmith: this skill determines thearmor rating of devices constructed by aGadgeteer.

Demolitions: This skill demonstrates acharacter’s knowledge of the constructionof explosive devices, including timers anddetonators. It does not allow a characterto defuse a bomb he did not build, that ishandled under Disable Device.Special: A character with five or moreranks in Knowledge (Demolitions) gains a+2 synergy bonus to Disable Devicechecks involving bombs and explosives.

Hydraulics: this skill determines theStrength of an exoskeleton made by aGadgeteer character. It determines thecarrying capacity of a vehicle made by aGadgeteer.

Physics: this skill demonstrates aknowledge of the physical laws of theUniverse. For a Gadgeteer with the HighEnergy Physics feat it determines thedamage of any weapons he constructs.

Psychology: This skill allows a characterto diagnose mental illness in a willingsubject on a skill roll(DC 15). Once anillness has been diagnosed, the charactermay begin treating them throughPsychoanalysis. This skill hasapplications in Combat as well, as acharacter can spot the Phobias andmental Character Disadvantages of hisopponents. The DC of this skill check is10+ the level of the character thePsychologist is attempting to examine “onthe fly.” Special: A character with five or moreranks in ESP or Empathy gains a +2synergy bonus to Knowledge(Psychology).

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T h e r m o d y n a m i c s : t h i s s k i l ldemonstrates knowledge of the laws ofmotion. For a Gadgeteer with either theBattleSuit or the Vehicular Constructionfeats it determines the maximum speed ofeither the BattleSuit or Vehicle.

Weaponsmith: This skill representsknowledge of weapons. The characterknows how to build weapons, how tomaintain them, and their history. On askill check(DC 20) he can identify aweapon from the injury inflicted by it.

Piloting(Dex; trained only)This skill allows the character to fly alltypes of aircraft, both rotor and fixed wing.The character can fly the craft in combat,and can even bring a fixed wing craft to atemporary halt(known as a stall) for oneround. The character must make apiloting check(DC 20) or the stall turnsinto a nosedive at double the vehicle’sspeed before the stall, if the characterthen fails a second piloting check, hiscraft crashes.

Psychiatry(Wis; trained only) This skill is the treatment of mental illnessthrough both therapy and medicine.Check: on a successful skill check(DC 10+DSR of the Disadvantage), a charactermay help a character buy off one or moremental disadvantages, provided thecharacter has the XP necessary to do so.The skills takes weeks to use, and mustbe done in a quiet, therapeuticenvironment. Special: A character with five or moreranks in ESP or Empathy gains a +2synergy bonus to Psychiatry. Acharacter with five ranks in Knowledge(Chemistry) gains a +2 synergy bonusalso.

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Chapter 5:New FeatsAdaptive Attack (MetaEnergy)Prerequisite: PowerHouse Level 1+The character’s blast changes subtly atthe molecular level to match the defensesused by his opponent. As long as thecharacter attacks the same opponentwithout interruption, he gains +1 to hiteach round. So if a character attacked atarget two rounds in a row, on the thirdround he would gain +2 to hit on all hisBlast attacks. If on the fourth round thecharacter blasted some debris to preventit from injuring some innocent bystanders,his Adaptive Attack bonus would thenreturn to zero. If the character stopsattacking the same opponent for anyreason, his bonus returns to zero.

Amphibious (General)A character with this feat can breathewater, and swim at a speed of 5' per pointof swimming skill. Swimming is added tothe character’s list of class skills. If acharacter with this Feat takes theSuperRunning Power, he may apply thatmovement increase to his swimmingspeed instead.

Amnesia (MetaPsionic)Prerequisite: +10 ESPThis feat allows the Mind Master topermanently delete information from histarget’s Mind. The character may deleteas much of the target’s mind as hewishes, but for each minute of informationdeleted him must spend 100 XP.

ArcBlast (MetaEnergy)Prerequisite: +3 BABIf the character’s target fails her Savingthrow vs. his Blast attack, he may make

another attack at his highest attackBonus. The character may only makeone such extra attack each round.

ArcStorm (MetaEnergy)Prerequisite: ArcBlast, +8 BABThis feat works like ArcBlast, except thecharacter may continue making extraattacks as long as his targets fail theirSaving throws. Although there is no limitto the number of times this Feat may beused in a single round, it may only beused to attack a single target once.

Arsenal (Item Creation)Prerequisite: Gadgeteer Level 1+This feat allows the character to createcustom firearms. Effect: the maximum damage a weaponcreated with this feat can inflict is equal tothe character’s Knowledge(Weaponsmith)skill, rounded to the nearest “die.” So acharacter with a 10 or 11 skill may createa firearm capable of inflicting 1d10 pointsof damage. A character with 15 skill ormore in Knowledge(Weaponsmith) maymake a weapon capable of burst orspread fire, and a character with 20 ormore skill in Knowledge(Weaponsmith)may make a fully automatic weapon.Cost: the cost of a weapon built with thisfeat is 1/4 the total number of skill pointsused to build it, added to 10. So aweapon built by a character with 24 skill inKnowledge(Weaponsmith) would requirea resources roll of 16. The XP Cost is 10per skill point, so a weapon built with 24skill points would cost 240 XP.

Banter (General)The character is constantly making

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annoying, witty remarks to his opponentsin combat. The character adds his Chabonus to his Def. If the character issurprised or caught flat-footed, he losesthis bonus, but does not lose it in anyother situation which would deprive him ofhis Dex bonus. In other words, you canbanter while being flanked, whileensnared etc. The character must beable to communicate to receive thisbonus, however.

BattleSuit (Item Creation)Prerequisite: Gadgeteer level 1+This feat allows the Gadgeteer to createa BattleSuit, a rare and powerful suit ofarmor that allows him to enter the fray onequal footing with Bricks and EnergyProjectors. BattleSuits incorporate twovery handy abilities: Armor and Flight.How powerful these abilities are isdetermined by the characters skills. Themaximum Armor rating of the BattleSuit isthe character’s Armorsmith skill. Themaximum Flight rating of the suit is thecharacter’s Thermodynamics skill. TheCost, in time, money, and XP of Itemsmade with Item Creation Feats isexplained under the Gadgeteer class. ABattleSuit made with this Feat isexclusive. This means that the item is socomplicated that only the Gadgeteerhimself would have a hope ofunderstanding it. Even anotherGadgeteer would take weeks, perhapsmonths to decipher its workings.

Bolt (MetaEnergy)Prerequisite: PowerBlastThe character has learned to focus hisbeam into a tight, powerful bolt. The DCof the Save vs. the character’s Blastattacks is five higher. The character maynot use this feat in conjunction with any

feat that allows him to widen his Blast(such as a Cone Blast).

Brainstorm (MetaPsionic)Prerequisite: +10 ESPThis Feat allows a Telepath to reach intohis target’s mind, pulling forth a barrage ofmemories which all come crashing downon the target’s conscious mind at once. Ifthe target fails a Will Save(DC 10+ ½Telepathy), he is Confused as the spell inthe PHB.

Brawling (General)A wilder, less formalized style than MartialArts, but effective nevertheless. Note thatBrawling is listed as a Class Skill forBricks. This is because skill points areused to improve its sub-abilities, notPower Points.Attack: The character makes unarmedattacks as if armed. The character’s skillpoints determine his “die” for HTHattacks. Round odd skill ranks to thenearest “die.” So, at skill six and seven,the character does a d6 with a successfulHTH attack.Block(trained only): by sacrificing anattack, the character may attempt tointercept an incoming melee attack madeby an unarmed attacker. The characterand his attacker both make opposedattack rolls. If the blocking characterscores higher, then the attack is blocked.Grab: This skill shows training in variouswrestling holds, perhaps a boxing clench.This skill grants a character +1 to hit and+1 to opposed grappling checks. Acharacter with this skill does not take theusual -4 penalty to opposed grapplingchecks for dealing normal damage(seegrappling, PHB pg. 137).

Cascade Effect (MetaEnergy)

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Prerequisite: Chain React ion,PowerHouse Level 1+When the character uses her ChainReaction Blast, the energy seeps into hertarget’s nervous system, forcing the targetto make a Fort Save (DC 10+ levels ofPowerHouse) or be stunned for one roundfor each 10 rolled on the character’sdamage.

Chain Reaction (MetaEnergy)Prerequisite: PowerHouse Level 1+This Feat increases the base damage ofthe character’s Blast attacks from 1d6 to1d10. This Feat may be used once perday for every five PowerHouse levelspossessed by the character. Once thecharacter unleashes this attack, theenergy feeds itself. When determiningdamage, roll all 10's again and add.

Combat Driving (General)Prerequisite: Driving 5+ ranksThis feat improves the Handling of avehicle being driven by the character byone step. It may be taken more thanonce. Handling may not be increasedabove Good.

Combat Flying (General)Prerequisite: Dexterity 13+Improves the character’s maneuverabilityclass by one step while flying. It may betaken more than once.

Combat Piloting (General)Prerequisite: Pilot 5+ ranksThis feat improves the Handling of anairborne vehicle piloted by the characterby one step. It may be taken more thanonce. Handling may not be increasedabove Good, and a vehicle may not hoverunless it was designed to do so (in otherwords if its Handling wasn’t Good to begin

with).

Combination Blast (MetaEnergy)Prerequisite: +6 BAB, PowerBlastThis feat allows a character to combinetwo different attacks into one. Thus, aplayer who sees his character as an iceprojector, could wrap his opponents insolid ice, combining a blast with anensnaring attack. A fire projector couldcombine a blast with a blinding attack.When the feat is chosen, the charactermust decide which two attacks he is“packaging” with this feat. Thereafterwhen this feat is used it must always bethose same two attacks. If this feat istaken more than once, it applies to twodifferent powers. This feat may be usedonce per day for every five characterlevels. If the character has taken this featmore than once, he may still only performthis attack once per five levels (so, a 10th

character with a Blast/Blinding combo anda Blast/Ensnarement combo could useeach once, or either one twice, but notboth twice).

Concentrated Blast (MetaEnergy)Prerequisite: +1 BABThis feat allows the character toconcentrate his energy attacks so theydiffuse less at range. The RangeIncrement for the character’s rangeattacks becomes 90 ft.

Cone Attack (MetaEnergy)Prerequisite: +1 BABThe character’s Blast may be widenedinto a Cone 5' wide at its widest point forevery 8 Power Points the character hasinvested in her Blast Power.

Confidante (MetaPsionic Feat)Prerequisite: +10 Mindlink

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This Feat allows the Mind Master to forgea permanent Psychic link with a lovedone. It acts as the Mindlink skill, only it ispermanent. The character can only haveone Confidante at a time. Forging thislink requires the character to spend 100XP per level.

Cooperative Attack (Teamwork)Prerequisite: Teamwork, CoordinatedAttackThis feat allows two or more characterssuch timing on their attacks that byattacking the same spot on a target at thesame moment, the target only gets tosubtract his damage resistance from theattacks once.

Coordinated Attack (Teamwork)Prerequisite: TeamworkThis feat allows two characters tosuddenly ignore their current opponent,attacking an unsuspecting opponentdesignated by codeword or handsignal.This opponent is considered flanked,even though neither attacker need be anywhere near the target.

Crawler (General)A minor Power, this ability allows thecharacter to Spider Climb as the PHBspell at will.

Cross Training (General)The character has spent extensive timestudying with a member of anotherprofession. He may add one class skill tohis skill list. The character’s current skilldoes not change as a result of this feat(inother words it isn’t retroactive).

Crowd Control (MetaPsionic Feat)Prerequisite: +10 DominationAs Mass Charm, except that the Feat

affects 2 HD for each point of MindControl skill. Use of this Feat counts asone use of the character’s Dominationskill, which may be used once per day perlevel.

Devastation (MetaEnergy)Prerequisite: +15 BAB, Bolt, PowerBlast,UltraBlast, PureBlastThis is the most fearsome energy attackknown, because the attacker literally putshis heart and soul into the effort. Use ofthis power to protect others automaticallygrants the character at least one HeroismPoint and a +1 Reputation. Use of thispower in an attempt to kill someoneautomatically grants an evil character oneVillainy Point and +1 Infamy, while a goodcharacter who uses it for this purposeimmediately shifts one step closer to evil.The character is +10 to hit, and the DC ofany Save to resist this attack is raised by10. The damage of the attack is as muchas the attacker wants, with a maximumvalue of the attacker’s VP and WP addedtogether. If this number is enough toreduce the attacker’s WP below zero, heimmediately dies, no saving thrownecessary. If this number is not enoughto reduce the attacker’s WP below zero,he suffers that amount of damage, andmust make a Fort Save of the same DCas this attack, or die.

Diesel (General)Prerequisite: ToughnessThe character gains an extra Hit Die eachtime he takes this Feat.

Drive and Dish (Teamwork)Prerequisite: Teamwork, Target PracticeOne character charges the target, only todive at the last minute, executing thecharge to the lower half of the target’s

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body, while his teammate, who is behindhim, blasts the target over his partner’shead. The target is considered flanked,and gains no save against the Blastattack.

Empathic Healing (MetaPsionic Feat)Prerequisite: +10 ESPThis Feat allows the instantaneousHealing of Mental afflictions. The cost is500 XP per DSR of the Disadvantagebeing removed. An unwilling charactermay make a Will Save(DC 10+ ½ thecharacter’s level) to resist. Removing atragedy from the mind of an otherwisegood Villain might induce a profoundchange in his personality, often withunexpected results.

Enhanced Ability (General)Due to intense training, the characteradds 1d4 to the ability of his choice. If thecharacter takes this ability more thanonce, its effects do not stack. Instead, thefeat affects a different ability score.

Exoskeleton (Item Creation)Prerequisite: Gadgeteer Level 1+This Feat allows the Gadgeteer to createa Strength enhancing exoskeleton. Theamount of extra Strength the suit grants isequal to ½ the Gadgeteer’s Hydraulicsskill. A character with a BattleSuit mayincorporate an Exoskeleton into hisBattleSuit.

Explosive Blast (MetaEnergy)Prerequisite: +3 BABThe character’s Blast radiates out fromthe target in an Explosion with a radius of10 feet for every 10 Power Points thecharacter has invested in his Blast.

Frenzy (General)

The character has a dark side, whichoccasionally kicks in while he is incombat. The character may Rage as aBarbarian once per day per five levels.

Gadget Use (General)This feat allows a character to use aGadget created with the PersonalInvention feat.

Gadgeteering (Item Creation)Prerequisites: Gadgeteer Level 12+, any4 Item Creation FeatsThis feat allows a Gadgeteer to makeinventions on the fly. The character canmake anything he could normally make,but the time is measured in rounds ratherthan days. However, the invention willwork once.

Give and Go (Teamwork)Prerequisite: TeamworkOne character throws a large object to herteammate, who then, either through aphysical or energy attack, knocks theobject into her opponent. The target isflatfooted against this attack, and, if hit,takes 5d6 points of damage, and mustmake a Ref save (DC 15) or be knockedprone.

Gliding (General)This skill, either through innate power orequipment, allows a character to descendsafely from any height. It functions asFeather Fall, PHB pg. 203

High Energy Physics (Item Creation)Prerequisite: Gadgeteer Level 1+This feat allows the Gadgeteer to createBlasters to.. well... Blast things. A Blastermust a Hand-Held device(see the GadgetPower disadvantage) unless the characterhas a BattleSuit, in which case he may

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incorporate it into the BattleSuit,effectively making it a Worn Item(againsee the Gadget Power disadvantage).The Damage of such a weapon is 1d6 forevery 4 Points of the Gadgeteer’s Physicsskill. Such a weapon is exclusive. Seethe BattleSuit Feat for the game definitionof this term.

Lair (General)A character with this feat has a small HQ.Not nearly as grand as that which can beconstructed by a Gadgeteer, this HQ isnevertheless a useful place for thecharacter to rest and recover betweenadventures. A Lair also counts as lab,granting the character +4 to one skill, or+2 to two skills used while there. ThisFeat can be taken more than once,allowing the character to expand his Lair,granting +4 to two skills, or +2 to four.

Loner (General)The character receives +2 to all attackand skill checks when he is alone.

Marksman (General)Prerequisite: Spot 5+ or higherThe character may use ½ his Spot skill(rounded down) as a bonus to offsetpenalties to hit due to range.

Martial Arts (General)Note that Martial Arts is listed as a Classskill for some classes. This is becauseSkill points are used to improve its sub-abilities, as opposed to Power Points.Attack: The character is consideredarmed for the purpose of making HTHattacks. The character’s skill pointsdetermine his “die” for HTH attacks.Round odd skill ranks to the nearest “die.”So, at skill six and seven, the characterdoes a d6 with a successful HTH attack.

Block(trained only): by sacrificing anattack, the character may attempt tointercept an incoming melee attack madeby an unarmed attacker. The characterand his attacker both make opposedattack rolls. If the blocking characterscores higher, then the attack is blocked.Throw(trained only): this skill works likethe Improved Trip feat in the PHB pg. 83.The character receives a +1 bonus to hiton this attempt per two skill points.Disarm(trained only): this skill worksexactly like the Improved Disarm feat inthe PHB pg. 83. The character receivesa +1on his opposed attack roll(see theDisarm rules pg. 137) for determining if hesuccessfully disarms his opponent.

MeltDown (MetaEnergy Feat)Prerequisite: PowerHouse Level 1+,DevastationThe character builds up an enormouscharge inside of him, the energyincreasing round after round until hefinally lets it go in a horrific explosion.The explosion affects everyone within a10' radius around the character. Thecharacter suffers damage from the attackas well, and his defenses against energyprotect him normally. However, being atthe epicenter of the explosion, thecharacter is not allowed a Saving Throwto reduce the damage. The attackincreases the base damage of thecharacter’s Blast from 1d6 to 1d10. Forevery round the character lets the energybuild up inside him, he adds +1 to eachdie of damage. Everyone in the radius(except the character) may make a Reflexsave (DC 10 + ½ the character’sPowerHouse Level + 1 for each round helet the Blast build) for half damage. ThisFeat may only be used once per day, andthe character is exhausted for eight hours,and fatigued for 24 hours after using it.

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Note that if a fatigued character uses anyMetaEnergy Feat he becomes exhausteduntil he rests for one hour.

MultiBillionaire (General)Prerequisites: Rich, WealthyThe character receives +4 StartingResources. This is cumulative with anyother feat that raises resources. This featmay only be taken when a character iscreated.

Optics (Item Creation Feat)Prerequisite: Gadgeteer Level 1+Effect: The character has studiedadvanced imaging techniques for themaking of scopes and other targetingdevices. The character may build ascope onto a weapon, or into the helmetof a BattleSuit, granting a +1Enhancement bonus to hit with Rangedattacks for every four points of thecharacter’s Optics skill. A character withan Optics skill of 15 or higher may alsobuild a scope with Low Light Vision. Cost: the Resources cost of a Scope is 10+ the Enhancement bonus. The XP costis 50 x the enhancement bonus.Use of Optics to enhance a character’sattack roll is a move equivalent action thatprovokes attacks of opportunity fromthreatening attackers.

Ordinance (Item Creation Feat)Prerequisite: Gadgeteer Level 1+This feat allows the character to makeexplosives.Effect: The character has a workingknowledge of making explosives for usein combat. For every three points of skillin Knowledge (Demolitions) the charactercan make an explosive dealing 1d6 ofdamage. For each seven points of skill inKnowledge(Weaponsmith) the explosive

can have an area of 10 feet (see theExplosives section of the ExpandedWeapons Rules). Finally for each 10points of skill in Knowledge(Chemistry),the character can give the explosive oneSide Effect or Special, as described in theExpanded Weapons Rules.Cost: the Resources cost of an Explosivedevice 10 +1 for every 10 points of skillapplied to explosive(so, an explosivedealing 5d6 damage to a 10' area wouldrequire 15 points of ski l l inKnowledge(Demolitions) and seven pointsof skill in Knowledge(Weaponsmith), atotal of 22 skill points, would require aResource roll of 12 to create). The XPcost of such an item is five per point ofskill (so our explosive above would cost110 XP to create).

Personal Invention (Item Creation)Prerequisites: Gadgeteer level 3+, oneother Item Creation FeatThis allows the character to makeinventions that can be used by others,albeit with extensive training in theextremely technical nature of the item(theGadget Use Feat). The cost to theGadgeteer in XP is doubled to make suchan item, and he must personally teachthem to use it, taking weeks to train them.

PostHypnotic Suggestion (MetaPsionicFeat)Prerequisite: +10 DominationThis feat allows the character to makeeither a long-lasting suggestion, or aSuggestion triggered by a certain event.Thus a Mind Master, after catching athug, could plant a PostHypnoticsuggestion, that the next time he commitsa crime, the police station is hissafehouse, and the police his friends, towhom he should brag about his exploits.

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In either case, the duration of the power isone day/100 XP spent by the MindMaster. He must decide which type ofsuggestion to plant when the Power isactivated, and if a conditional suggestionis what he desires, he must state theconditions then.

PowerBlast (MetaEnergy)Prerequisite: +3 BABThis Feat allows a character to channelextra energy into his Blast attacks. Thebase damage of the character’s Blastattacks go from 1d6 to 1d8. This Featmay be used once per day for every threelevels the character possesses.

Precognition (MetaPsionic Feat)Prerequisite: +10 Danger SenseThis Feat allows the Mind Master topierce the veil of the future. It acts as thePHB spell Divination, except the chanceof success is 70% +1% per point of thecharacter’s Danger Sense skill. This Featmay be used once per week.

Public Relations (General)Prerequisite: Cha 13+The character has a reputation for beinggood, honest, trustworthy, friendly, brave,yada yada. This feat adds +4 to thecharacter’s starting Reputation.PureBlast (MetaEnergy)Prerequisite: +10BAB, PowerBlast,UltraBlast, BoltThe character must use a full attackaction to perform this attack. Thecharacter gains +10 to hit on his Blast, aswell as adding +10 to the DC of its SavingThrow. The damage of his blast sixpoints per level. After performing thisattack, the character is exhausted until herests for one hour, after which he isfatigued until he rests for eight hours. If a

fatigued character uses any MetaEnergyfeat he is considered exhausted againuntil he rests for an hour.

Quick Change (General)This feat allows a character to changefrom his secret identity to his heroicidentity as a free action. This normally isa full round action.

Residual Energy (MetaEnergy)Prerequisite: PowerHouse Level 1+,Adaptive AttackThe character’s Blast actually insinuatesitself into her target’s system, continuingto affect her. The character mustannounce that a Blast will be “residual”after she has hit her target, but beforerolling damage. For each one rolled onthe character’s Blast damage, theduration of the Residual Energy is oneround. For each round of the Feat’sduration, the character’s target suffersone point per die of the original attack.This residual damage completely ignoresdamage resistance. So, if a characterrolled three dice for damage, scoring aone, a two, and a three, on the next roundher target would suffer 3 Vitality damage.This feat may be used once per day foreach Five PowerHouse levels thecharacter possesses.

Rich (General)The character gains +2 Initial Resources.This feat may only be taken when thecharacter is created.

Signature Attack (General)Prerequisite: 9th LevelThis feat allows the character to createhis own Power skill in consultation withthe GM.

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Sniper (General)Prerequisite: Marksman, BAB 5+If the character attacks an unaware targetwith a ranged attack, the character getsno save vs. that attack.

Strafe (General)Prerequisite: Combat FlyingThis feat allows the character to move,make a ranged attack, then move again.The character does not provoke attacks ofopportunity from his target due to hismovement.

Superior Concentration (MetaEnergy)Prerequisite: +5 BAB, ConcentratedBlastThe character has refined his energyattacks even further, increasing his rangeincrement to 120 ft.

Tactician (General)The character is a skilled leader, with astrong grasp of tactics and an ability tomake those around him better in combat.The character adds his Int. modifier toeither the attack rolls or initiative rolls ofthose he is leading. A character may leada number of characters equal to his Chamodifier. If the leader of a team using theTeamwork feat, a Tactician adds a one-time bonus to the Heroism fund ofHeroism points equal to his Int. or ChaModifier, whichever is higher.

Target Practice (Teamwork)Prerequisite: TeamworkThis maneuver allows two teammates,usually an Energy Projector and a Brick,to combine their efforts. Both charactersmust have this feat to execute themaneuver. One character grapples thetarget, then throws him up in the air. Awaiting Energy Projector then Blasts the

target while he is helpless in the air. Thetarget is considered flat footed, and getsno save against the Blast attack if it hits.

Teamwork (Teamwork)This feat allows a team of Heroes orVillains to pool their Heroism/Villainypoints for joint use. Each member of theteam contributes Heroism points, whichare then spent as needed by any memberof the team.

Trust Fund Baby (General)Prerequisite: Cha 13+The character receives a smallinheritance. +2 to Resources. This featmay be taken after the character iscreated.

UltraBlast (MetaEnergy)Prerequisites: +8 BAB, PowerBlastThis feat allows a character tosupercharge his Blast, increasing thebase damage from 1d6 to 1d10. Thecharacter may only use this feat once perday, and is winded for the rest of theencounter after using it(-2 on attacks andsaves).

Universal Invention (Item Creation)Prerequisites: Gadgeteer Level 9+, fourother Item Creation feats.This Feat allows the character to makeinventions that can be used with little orno training. The cost to the character inXP is 100 times the normal cost.

Vengeance (General)The character has it in for one villain or agroup of villains. This feat works like theRanger’s Favored Enemy class ability.See PHB pg. 45 for more details. Thisstarts at +1, and goes up an additional +1every five levels. If a SuperVillain is

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chosen, it applies to one villain, or to asmall team of villains. However, thecharacter can choose Criminals, in whichcase it applies to all non-superpoweredcriminals. Some Heroes are known todevote a lot of time cleaning their city upof common crime.

Vehicle (General)The character possesses one unmodifiedground vehicle. Sample Vehicles may befound in the Vehicles and Equipmentchapter.

Vehicular Construction (Item Creationfeat)Prerequisite: Gadgeteer Level 1+Like BattleSuit, this is another core featfor the Gadgeteer. In fact, manyGadgeteer characters in comics do notown a BattleSuit, instead focusing on aVehicle(it’s the car right, chicks love thecar). Rules for building and modifyingvehicles may be found in the Vehicles andEquipment Chapter.

Viral Blast (MetaEnergy Feat)Prerequisite: PowerHouse Level 1+,Adaptive AttackThe character’s Blast actually damageshis target’s Armor, corroding it anddecreasing its effectiveness. Thecharacter must declare his attack “Viral”after hitting his target, but before rollingdamage. For each one rolled on the dice,the target’s armor suffers one damage,treated as ability damage to the EnergyDR of his armor.

Wealthy (General)Prerequisite: RichThe character receives +4 Startingresources(cumulative with that gained

from being Rich). This feat may only betaken when the character is created.

Weapon Master (General)Some Heroes fight with a weapon,whether it’s a sword, a bow, or a gun ofsome sort.Attack: the character receives +1 to hitand damage for every four skill points.Block(trained only): A character with amelee weapon can sacrifice an attack tointercept a melee attack. The charactermakes an opposed attack roll, and of hisroll is higher than the attacker’s, theattack misses.Called Shot(trained only): a character witha missile weapon can make called shot ifhis attack roll is 25 or higher(modified by½ his called shot skill). This allows thecharacter to perform special actions, suchas shooting the tires from a car(forcing adriving check equal to the damageinflicted or the driver loses control of thecar), or disarming an opponent at range.

Wit (General)Prerequisite: Banter

The character is constantly barraging hisopponent with insults and “witty” remarks.When she uses this ability, the character’sopponent must make a Will Save (DC 10+ the character’s Cha bonus + ½ hislevel) or become enraged, taking a minusto hit equal and Def. equal to thecharacter’s Cha Bonus. This ability beused a number of times per day equal tothe character’s Cha Bonus.

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Chapter5:PowersPowers are gained in much the same wayas feats. A character gains powers atlevels determined by his origin. ManyPowers have skills associated with them.This represents the importance of practiceand training in making an effective hero(orvillain). Not all Power skills are assumedto be class skills for the character. ABrick for instance could have an energyblast Power, but developing his skill inthat Power would be more expensive thanit would be for an Energy Projector. Exclusive Powers Some Powers areexclusive. Exclusive Powers only allowthe character to take one skill based onthe Power. If he wishes to take anotherskill based on the Power, he mustPurchase the Power again. So, acharacter taking the Blast Power maychoose between Energy, Physical, andPsychic Blasts. However, once heselects one of these skills, that is the onlyskill under the Power he can develop,unless he purchases the Power a secondtime.

Improving Powers and skills: characters inmost d20 games are limited to spendingfour points on a skill, plus one per level.While this holds true for skills, thecharacter may spend her Power Pointshowever she likes.

Special Effects This is a game termdescribing the “look” of a character’spower. A character with a PhysicalBlast(resisted by Fortitude) could decidethat his Blast was a Poison attack, aTelekinetic Fist, or a bolt of ruby red pureforce. As long as the game effect of thepower remains unchanged, the character

may define the powers look and effectshowever he wishes.

ArmorArmor is a common accouterment forcomic book heroes, and the look of sucharmor varies widely. This power mayeven represent toughened flesh. As withall powers, the look is up to the character.Armor(Con): this skill acts as DR vs.Physical attacks. DR is ½ skill.Energy Resistance(Con): this skill acts asDR vs. Energy attacks. DR is ½ skill.

Aura(Energy or Physical); exclusiveThis Power sheathes the character withdamage force, inflicting 1d6 points per 8Power Points invested on anyonesuccessfully attacking the character inHTH. The character may also inflict thisdamage on a successful grapple.Physical(Con): these represent spikes orpoison from the character’s skin or somesuch. A Fortitude Save reduces damageby half.Energy(Con): this represents a sheath offire, cold, electricity etc. around thecharacter. A Reflex Save reducesdamage by half.

Blast(Energy, Physical, or Psychic);exclusive All Blast attacks(regardless of type) do1d6 damage per 4 Power Points spent onthe Blast Power. Each type of Blast isresisted by a different saving throw, asdetermined by its type. The DC of thissave is 10 + ½ the attacker’s Blast skill.All Blasts have a Range Increment of 60ft.A Blast is a standard action. As a full

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round action a character may makemultiple Blast attacks, and incur noattacks of opportunity from threateningcharacters when he makes a Blast attack.Energy Blast(Dex): Energy Blasts areresisted by Reflexes. Electricity is anexample of this type of Blast. Thecharacter’s Dex modifier is used as abonus to the attack roll.Physical Blast(Dex): Physical Blasts areresisted by Fortitude. Telekinesis is anexample of this type of Blast. Thecharacter’s Dex modifier is used as abonus to the attack roll.Psychic Blast(Wis): Psychic Blasts areresisted by Will. Pure Telepathic energyor a mystic attack are examples of thistype of Blast. The character’s Wismodifier is used as a bonus to the attackroll.

ClawsThe Base damage of Claws is 1d8. TheyCritical on 19-20, and inflict x2 damage ona critical.Claws(Str.): this skill adds +1 to hit anddamage for every four points of skill to thecharacter’s Claw attacks.ClawJoust(Str.): the character holds bothclawed hands out in front of him whileexecuting a Charge. In addition to thenormal modifiers for performing a charge,the character adds ½ his ClawJoust skillto the damage inflicted.Rend(Str.): the character attacks theArmor of his opponent, rather than theopponent himself. Rending is a full-roundaction. If the character hits, he rolls hisClaw damage, modified by his Rendingskill. The target takes that amount asability damage to his Armor Power.

Danger SenseThe character is extremely hard to

surprise. Perhaps he simply has thereflexes of a cat on speed, or perhaps hetruly has a sixth sense of some sort. Thecharacter is allowed a Will Save(DC 20)to avoid being surprised.Danger Sense(Wis): The Character adds+1 per 2 points in this skill to his Will Saveto avoid being surprised.Sixth Sense(Wis; trained only): Thecharacter has refined his senses to tuneout the “normal” dangers associated withcombat, being able to feel where andwhen his opponent will strike a splitsecond before he does. The skill adds +1per 2 points to the character’s Defense.If the character is surprised or caught flat-footed or otherwise denied his Dex bonushe loses this bonus.

Damage Touch(Energy, Physical, orPsychic; exclusive)The character may deliver a touch attackat will. A Physical attack might be poison,while an energy attack could be heat orcold generation, and a Psychic attackcould be a psychic blade projected fromthe character’s ego. Whatever its form,this attack does not gain a strength bonusto its damage (which is why it’s cheaperthan Claws).The damage from this attack is 1d6 forevery 3 Power Points invested.Energy Touch(Con): This attack isresisted by a Ref Save (DC 10 + ½ PowerPoints). Physical Touch(Con): This attack isresisted by a Fort Save (DC 10 + ½Power Points). Psychic Touch(Wis): This attach isresisted by a Will Save (DC 10 + ½ PowerPoints).

DeflectionThe character has the ability to sacrifice

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an action to deflect ranged attacks. Thisis done with opposed attack rolls. If thecharacter’s roll is higher than hisopponents, the attack is deflected,inflicting no damage. The character musthave something to deflect the attack with,usually a Unique Item(a Shield perhaps).Although a character in a bind can useanything he can grab to deflect attackswith this Power, the item he grabs willsurely be destroyed, and most heroes aretrying to save cities not destroy them.Deflect Physical attacks(Dex): this couldbe anything from a bullet to a telekineticpunch. The character adds ½ skill to hisopposed attack roll.Deflect Energy attacks(Dex; trained only):the character adds ½ skill to his opposedattack roll.

Density IncreaseDensity Increase(Con): this power adds ½skill to Str., and ½ skill to Armor. If thecharacter already has armor from someother source, the Armor this power grantsstacks. The Power subtracts 5' per pointof skill from the character’s movement,and at 0 or less movement the characteris motionless. The character’s weightincreases 10 lbs. per point of skill, whichmay also eventually put him through thefloor of whatever he’s standing on.

DesolidificationDesolidification(Con): this power allowsthe character to become immaterial,granting the ability to walk through walls,and immunity to most attacks(thecharacter is still perfectly vulnerable to theattacks of other desolid characters and topsychic attacks). The duration of thisPower is very limited however. Thecharacter can remain desolid a number ofrounds equal to ½ skill.Inside Out(Wis; trained only): The

character reaches inside his target whileDesolidified, then slightly rematerializes.This attack deals 1d4 damage for every 6Power Points. Also, the target must makea Fort Save (DC 10 + ½ Power Points) orbe stunned for 1-4 rounds.

Enhanced SensesWhen this power is chosen, one of theskills below may be used untrained. Allthe rest, as marked are usable only ifPower Points are spent on the skill. Forgame purposes, Sight has a RangeIncrement of 40' for Spot checks, Hearinga Range Increment of 20' for Listenchecks, and Smell has a RangeIncrement of 5' for identifying Scents.Enhanced Hearing(Wis; trained only): thisPower adds to the character’s Listen skill.Enhanced Smell(Wis; trained only): thisallows the character to track by scent.This functions as if he had the trackingfeat, using this Power skill as hisWilderness Lore. The character can alsoidentify others by scent with this Power ona skill check(DC 20). The Range ofidentification is also increased by 5' per 4skill points(so at 8 points in this skill, theRange Increment for identifying a scentwould be 15 ft).Enhanced Vision(Wis; trained only): thisPower adds to the characters Spot skill.This skill also grants the characterLowLight Vision of 5' per skill point.Telescopic Hearing/Vision(Wis; trainedonly): this is actually two separate skills,one each for Hearing and Vision. Eachadds 10' per point of skill to the RangeIncrement of the sense in question.

Ensnaring attackEnsnarement(Dex): a character hit by thisattack is entangled: -2 to attack, -4 toeffective Dexterity, and can’t move. The

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character can escape either by making aStr. check or an Escape Artist check(DC10+skill)

FlightFlight(Dex): this skill determines thecharacter’s movement rate in the air. Thecharacter’s movement rate is 10 feet perround per skill point. Maneuverability ofthis flight is Poor(see ManeuverabilityDMG Pg. 69)Swoop(Dex; trained only): this is a dive-equivalent of a charge attack. Thecharacter must move 20 feet in a straightline to perform this attack, gaining +1damage for each point of skill.

GrowthGrowth(Con): this adds ½ skill to Str., and½ skill to Con and subtracts ½ skill fromDefense and Hide. The character’s Conincrease adds to both HP and FortitudeSaves temporarily. The increasedFortitude(which is added into Def.) helpssomewhat offset the character’s Def.penalty. Though he is easier to hit, he isbigger and thus more able to shrug off theshock of physical damage. The HPgained are considered real HP, and thusthe damage transfers when the characterreturns to normal Size. Note thatalthough the character’s legs areproportionally longer, his Move stays thesame. He has a lot of extra weight topack around. The character’s Height isincreased by 1 ft per point of skill, so at 6pts an average height would be 12 feet.

InvisibilityInvisibility(Wis): the character becomescompletely unseen, barring Psychicdetection or Spectral Sight. Duration ofthis Power is 10 minutes per point of skill.Invisibility by touch(Wis; trained only): this

allows the character to render othersInvisible by touch. This power will onlywork on those the character touches, andthe duration is 1 minute per point of skill.This skill may not be higher than thecharacter’s Invisibility skill.Improved Invisibility(Wis. ;trained only):this skill allows the character to fight whileInvisible, as the spell of the same name.Duration is 1 round per skill point. Thisskill may not be higher than thecharacter’s Invisibility skill.

Life SupportAir Supply(Con): the character maysurvive without oxygen 10 minutes perpoint of skill.Vacuum(Con; trained only): the charactermay survive in vacuum 10 minutes perpoint of skill.

Light ControlBlinding Attack (Con; trained only): Thecharacter is Blinded for 1 round per pointof skill unless a Fort Save (DC 10 + ½Power) is successful.Darkness (Con; trained only): All within aradius of 1 foot per Power are envelopedin Darkness as the spell. The character isnot immune to his own power, and is asblind as everyone else if he has no way tonavigate.

MetamorphosisDisguise is added to the character’s classskill list when he selects this Power.Mimic(Cha.): the character can assumethe likeness of anyone he has seen.Anyone who knows the person thecharacter is impersonating may make aSpot roll opposed by the character’sMimic skill to notice something “odd”about the character. Anyone who knowsthe person the character is impersonating

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intimately may make a Sense Motive rollopposed by the character’s Mimic skill tonotice that the character is “a little off.”The character may even foolsophisticated security systems based onVoice Prints, Palm Scans, Retinal Scansand the like if he succeeds a checkversus the DC of the security system(thesame DC that would be required of acharacter using Disable Device to bypassthe system).

Mind ControlDomination(Wis; trained only): this skillallows a character direct control overanother’s actions. A Will Save(DC 10+ ½Skill) negates this power. This powerotherwise functions as Dominate Person(PHB pg. 197). This Power may be usedonce per day per level.Mental Paralysis(Wis; trained only): asHold Person(PHB pg. 214), except thatthe Will Save DC is 10 + ½ skill. ThisPower may be used a number of timesper day equal to 2+ the character’s level.

PlasticityElongation(Con): this gives the charactera reach of 5' per point of skillBouncing(Con): this allows the characterto ignore 10' of falling damage per point ofskillDaddy Long Legs(Con): elongation of thelegs grants the character the ability toelevate 10' per point of skillMalleability(Con; trained only): thecharacter adds ½ Power skill to allEscape Artist and Grappling checks.

Radar SenseRadar Vision(Wis; trained only): thisPower grants the ability to see throughanything other than solid objects 360degrees at a range increment of 1'. So,

Darkness and fog would have no effect onthe character within this limited range.Skill in this power helps to offset thesevere range penalty, with ½ skill addingto the character’s roll to sense someone. Skill is also used to determine if acharacter can detect someoneapproaching under cover of invisibility. Ifa character’s ranks in Radar Sense aregreater than a character’s ranks inInvisibility, then he may “see” himnormally.

RegenerationFast Healing(Con): the character healsnaturally at a greatly accelerated rate.For every 5 points of skill one point ofdamage is healed every round.Regrowth(Con; trained only): this skillallows the character to regrow severedlimbs. It also allows the character torecover ability damage at an acceleratedrate. The time to regrow a severed limb is14 days of rest minus ½ skill. Abilitydamage is regained at ½ skill per dayinstead of the normal 1 per day.Retarded Aging(Con; trained only): thecharacter adds 10 years to each agecategory per point of skill

ShrinkingShrinking(Con): this power adds ½ skill toDef. and to Hide skill. It subtracts ½ skillfrom Str. and Move. Every point of skillreduces the character’s size by 1 ft, untilheight becomes 1 ft, then each point ofskill reduces height by half. So, 7 pointsof skill would render the character 3inches tall. (Assuming an average heightof 6 feet, down to one foot for the first 5points of skill, then halved twice to 6 andfinally 3 inches).Up and Under(Dex; trained only): ashrunken character can, get close tosomeone in combat and then suddenly

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return to normal size, using their growthas momentum adding to their attack. Thisskill adds ½ skill to hit and damage, andthe character uses his unmodified Str. forthe attack as well. This attack isdisorienting to the attacker due to therapid size change, and is a full roundaction. Since this attack relies onsurprise, it may only be used once percombat.

SonarEcholocation(Wis): this skill allows thecharacter to emit a distinctive high-pitched“ping,” and “hear” the surrounding area asthe sound returns. Emitting a ping is amove-equivalent action. Anyone maymake a listen check to determine wherethis “ping” originated from, and characterswith enhanced hearing may do soautomatically. On the character’s nextaction, he “sees” everything around himlike a snapshot as it existed then, out to arange of 30'. He gets another “snapshot”the next time he spends an action to letout a “ping.” Underwater this skill is muchmore useful, allowing the character to“see” out to range of 120'. Also, whileswimming, emitting a “ping” is a freeaction.Passive Sonar(Wis; trained only): this skillallows a character to just listen andreceive an impression of what’s aroundhim. The character can negate 10% ofthe miss chance due to concealment forevery 4 points of skill. In a noisy urbanenvironment, this skill is not really usableas a substitute for sight. This skill is moreuseful underwater, where it can be usedfor true navigation, allowing the characterto “see” at a range increment of 60'.

Spectral SightSpectral Sight(Wis): this Power allows the

character to see across the energyspectrums. If his ranks in this Power Skillexceed those of an Invisible character,then the character with Spectral Sight candetect him. The character must get closefor this power to work. Maximum sightingdistance is 5' per point of skill.DarkVision(Wis): this Power grants thecharacter DarkVision of 5' per point ofskill.

Super RunningRunning(Dex): adds 10' per point of skillto Movement.HyperRunning(Dex; trained only): this skillallows a character to run across water orup the sides of buildings. It cannot behigher than the character’s Running skill.If it is lower than the Running skill thecharacter uses this skill to determine hismovement rate across anything otherthan a flat surface.

Superhuman DexterityWhen a character takes this Power, herolls 1d6 and adds it to his Dex. Unlikemost powers, this Power may be takenmore than once. Each time a charactertakes the Power he adds an additional d6to his Dex.Swinging(Dex; trained only): the charactercan swing from a rope or cable almost asif flying. In any sort of Urban or Jungleenvironment this power allows thecharacter to move in any direction at will.Movement rate is 5'/rd for each point ofskill.

Superhuman DurabilityWhen a character takes this Power, herolls 1d6 and adds it to his Con. Unlikemost powers, this Power may be takenmore than once. Each time a charactertakes the Power he adds an additional d6

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to his Con.Resistance(Con; trained only): thecharacter picks a specific form ofattack(poison, heat, cold not somethingbroad like physical attacks or energyattacks). He adds ½ skill to any Savesinvolving those attacks.Resilience(Con; trained only): thecharacter is extremely difficult to kill. Add½ skill to Wound Points, and to naturalhealing.

Superhuman IntelligenceWhen a character takes this Power, herolls 1d6 and adds it to his Int. Unlikemost powers, this Power may be takenmore than once. Each time the charactertakes the Power he adds an additional d6to his Int.Genius(Int.; trained only): the characteradds ½ skill to all Int-based skills.

Superhuman PresenceWhen a character takes this Power, herolls 1d6 and adds it to his Cha. Unlikemost powers, this Power may be takenmore than once. Each time the charactertakes the Power, he adds an additional1d6 to his Cha.Superstitious Aura(Cha; trained only): thecharacter understands the psyche of hisopponents, and uses this to his benefit.Any character less than half thecharacter’s level must make a WillSave(DC 10+ ½ skill) or be shaken, takinga minus to attack and save rolls equal tothe character’s Cha bonus. Anyone lessthan one-fourth the character’s level mustmake this save or flee.Magnetism (Cha; trained only): people aredrawn to you. You know how to project,how to say what they want to hear, how toget them to really like you. You add ½

skill to your Reputation check to establisha new Contact, and to all reaction rolls.Fascinate (Cha; trained only): eitherthrough pheromones, or pure physicalattraction, you are able to sway membersof the opposite sex. This ability is usableonce per day for every 5 points of skill,and acts as the PHB spell Charm Person.The Save is 10 + ½ Skill.

Superhuman StrengthWhen a character takes this Power, herolls 1d6 and adds it to his Str. Unlikemost powers, this Power may be takenmore than once. Each time the charactertakes the Power, he adds an additional d6to his Strength.Shockwave(Str.; trained only): thecharacter strikes the ground with suchforce, everyone within a radius of anumber of feet equal to his skill mustmake a Balance check(DC 10+ ½ skill) orbe knocked prone. This ability may beused once per combat.Superleap(Str.; trained only): this skillfunctions as the Jump skill, except thatthere are no maximum limits based onheight for the distance a character canjump.

Superhuman WillWhen a character takes this Power, herolls 1d6 and adds it to his Wis. Unlikemost powers, this Power may be takenmore than once. Each time the charactertakes the Power, he adds an additional d6to his WisdomPsiScreens(Wis; trained only): thecharacter has learned to shield his mindagainst intrusion. Any attempt to useTelepathy on a character with this abilityautomatically fails if the character’sPsiScreen skill is greater than the skill ofthe Telepath trying to read his mind. Thecharacter is aware of the attempt, and on

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a Spot check(DC 10 +1/2 Telepath’s skill)determines its source.PsiArmor(Wis; trained only): this powergrants the character damage resistanceagainst Psychic Attacks. DR is ½ Skill.

TelekinesisThis power allows the character to movethings by thought alone. TK Fist(Wis): This skill is the applicationof brute force at range. The “Strength” ofthis fist, rated exactly as a character’sStrength, is the skill points in the power.The character may exert force with thispower, but no fine control. So, he couldmove an object, damage it, throw it intothe air, but could not hold it motionless

and still in the air. If this Power is used toattack, its “die” is equal to the character’sskill. So, 6 points of skill means that thecharacter does 1d6 damage + WillModifier. Used as an attack this Powerhas a Range increment of 20 ft, Criticalson a 20, and does x2 damage on acritical.TK Hand(Wis; trained only): This skillallows the character fine manipulation,performing delicate tasks at range with hismind. The Str. of this Hand is still equalto the character’s TK Fist skill. However,that fist is now an open hand, with Dexequal to the character’s TK Hand skill.This hand could do anything a normalhand can, including picking locks atrange(modified by the Dex of the hand),wielding a weapon at range hold an objectmotionless in the air, etc. If the characterwishes to exercise a skill with thehand(such as Pick Pocket) he mustpossess that skill. This Power simplyallows him to use it at range.TK Shield(Wis; trained only): Thecharacter erects a field of mentally energyin front of himself, shielding his body fromattacks. The character receives a +1bonus to his Def. for every two pointsinvested in this skill, and +1 to all Savingthrows for every four points invested inthis skill. It otherwise acts as cover.

TelepathyEsp (Wis): this skill works like the PHBspell Detect Thoughts(pg. 194). The Willsave for actual mindreading is 10+ ½Skill. This skill also grants the charactera synergy bonus of ½ skill to any SenseMotive skill checks on someone within hispresence.Mindlink(Wis; trained only): this skillallows silent, mental communication of ½

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skill characters over a distance of thecharacter’s skill in miles. This link mustbe established with all parties in line ofsight, and may be maintained until theTelepath either has to sleep, or isknocked unconscious.Empathy(Wis; trained only): this skillallows the character to stir emotionswithin his target’s mind. It acts as theEmotion spell from the PHB(pg. 199),except that this ability only affects onetarget at a time. Good characters willnever use this skill to inspire Hate,however. This Power may only be useda number of times per day equal to thecharacter’s Level.

TeleportThe most basic use of this power is toinstantaneously transport oneself fromone place to another, without crossing thedistance in between. If the character cansee the place he is teleporting to, thenthere is no problem. If he is teleportingblind, however, then he must make a roll,modified by his Teleport skill to see if hearrives safely. The DC is 15 if thecharacter has seen the location recentlyor knows it well. The DC is 20 if thecharacter has only seen the locationonce, and 25 if the character has neverseen the location. Failing this roll meansthat the character briefly arrives insidesomething before a defense mechanismkicks in and shunts the character to thenearest open area. The character suffers1d6 damage for each point by which hefailed the roll. On a roll of 1, the characterlands too far “inside” an object for hissubconscious to carry him through. Notonly is he trapped in the object, but hesuffers 1d10 damage per point he missedthe roll by. Movement(Wis): The character canteleport 10 feet per point of skill.

Blinking(Dex; trained only): This skillallows the character to briefly blink in andout during combat, making him harder tohit. For every two points of skill, thecharacter gains a 10% chance to bemissed in combat. This otherwise workslike concealment.‘PortStorm(Dex; trained only): This skillallows the character to blink all aroundone target, seeming to shower him withblows from multiple directions. The victimof this attack is flat-footed. In addition,the attacker receives +1 to hit for everytwo points in this skill. This power onlyallows the character to make multipleattacks if he normally has the ability to doso.

Time ManipulationThis Power allows a character tomanipulate Time in very smallamounts(within one round).Rewind(Wis): this allows the character toreroll an attack, skill check, or savingthrow. The character must use thesecond roll even if it is worse than theinitial attempt. This power may be usedonce per day for every 10 Power Points.Fast Forward(Wis): the character slowsdown time for everyone else, allowing himto react faster in combat situations. Thecharacter receives +1 Def. and Ref Savesfor every 4 Power Points.Pause(Wis): the character slows downtime to a crawl, then walks behind hisopponent and “restarts” time. To anyonewatching this looks like the character hasTeleported behind his opponent. Thetarget of this attack must make a Spotcheck(DC 10 + ½ the attacker’s Pauseskill) or be flatfooted.

Unique ItemThe character possesses an item beyondthe range of normal technology.

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Unbreakable: the item’s hardness andHP are no longer an issue. The itemsimply cannot be destroyed under anynormal game conditions.Enhancement(trained only): for every 4points spent on this skill, the item has anenhancement bonus of +1 to hit anddamage.

Unique VehicleThe character possesses an extremelysophisticated vehicle. Perhaps an aircraftwith advanced stealth technology, ormaybe just an extremely tough, coolarmored van. Alien characters may eventake a spacecraft.Enhancement(Int.): although price is noobject for a vehicle taken with this power,the character may further modify it withPower Points. The rules for doing so maybe found in the Vehicles and EquipmentChapter.

Weather ControlThis power allows the character(withenough practice and skill) control over allforms of weather. One of the skills underthis power is gained for free upon takingthe Power. The rest of the Power skillsare trained only, as noted in theirdescriptions.Fog Control(Wis; trained only): this powergenerates a cloud of fog 10' across perpoint of skill. The fog is thick enough togrant everyone inside concealment,granting a miss percentage of 10% per 2points of skill.Wind Control(Wis; trained only): allowsthe character to increase or decreasewind speed by 10 mph/2 points of skill.See the Wind Effects table on Pg. 87 ofthe DMG for details. Note that windsabove 75 miles per hour are effectivelyout of the character’s control. He can

generate them, but in doing so has causea hurricane or tornado that could costhundreds of lives. A good characterwould never do so in a crowded urbanenvironment.Precipitation Control(Wis; trained only):the character can generate rain, or snowif the conditions are cold enough. Raininvokes a penalty of -1 to Spot andSearch checks for every 2 points of skill,and a -1 to Missile attacks for every 4points of skill.Cold Generation(Wis; trained only): a coldsnap can drain the vigor out of even thehardiest foe. On a successful rangedtouch attack, the victim of this attack mustmake a Fort Save(DC 10 + ½ skill) or loseStr. The amount of Str. lost is determinedby skill, with the number of skill pointsrounded down to the nearest “die.” So, 4or 5 points of skill results in 1d4 Str. loss.The range increment is 10 ft.Heat Generation(Wis; trained only): thisallows a character to actually damage hisopponents. On a successful rangedtouch attack, the character does damage,with skill points rounded down to thenearest die. The victim may make a FortSave(DC 10 + ½ skill) for ½ damage.The range increment is 10 ft.

X-ray VisionX-ray Vision(Wis; trained only): this skillallows a character to see through 1' perskill point of most solid objects, with lead,gold, and anything else the GM decidesbeing exceptions. Activating this power isa move equivalent action, which provokesattacks of opportunity from threateningcharacters.

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Chapter 6:DisadvantagesDisadvantages are a part of SuperHeroicadventures. Some Heroes have suchstrong moral stands that they areprevented from killing, even when theVillain in question deserves it. SomeHeroes have loved ones that must beprotected, forcing them to live doublelives, lest their enemies take out theirvengeance on those close to the Hero.Perhaps the Hero has a Power he can’tcontrol. Sometimes the Power fails tofunction, or the Power might evendamage the Hero in some way. All ofthese things are disadvantages. Theymake the game more interesting, and thecharacter’s life a lot more complicated.

Disadvantage Rat ings(DSRs):Disadvantages have a Rating,abbreviated DSRs, determining how oftenthey appear, and how dangerous they areto the character when they do. DSRswork like challenge ratings. After thecharacter has been finished, total hisDSRs, and refer to the experience table inthe DMG pg. 166. The character startsthe game with that much XP. So, acharacter with 3 DSR 1 Disadvantagesand 1 DSR 2 would start the game with1,500 XP, and would thus be 2nd level.

Character Disadvantages vs. PowerDisadvantages: some Disadvantagesaffect the character, while some effect hisPowers. Those that affect the character,like the Claustrophobia in the previousexample, give the character additionalXP. If a Disadvantage affects aPower(such as a Power that requires aconcentration skill check in order to work),then the DSR provides no XP, but instead

is added to the Power’s skill checks. If acharacter has more than one skill for thePower in question, the DSR adds to all ofthem. However, if the skill is not usableuntrained, the character must have onepoint in the skill to get this bonus.

Disadvantages during play: once playstarts, the GM will throw in the character’sdisadvantages to make the adventuremore interesting. Every time adisadvantage comes into an adventure,the character receives bonus XP equal tothe DSR. So, mild Claustrophobia (DSR1), is the equivalent of an additional CR 1encounter.

C h a n g i n g a n d R e m o v i n gdisadvantages: change is part of life. Asthe character advances in level, he maydecide its time to stop taking care of hissickly aunt and get married. With theGM’s permission, and with suitableroleplaying(maybe his aunt will get curedand won’t be sickly anymore, perhapsshe’ll die and the character can tearfullygo to her funeral). The character doesn’thave to worry about his aunt anymore, butnow his wife is getting threatened by hisNemesis. The character has traded onedisadvantage for another. Or perhaps thecharacter no longer desires a Dependantat all. Perhaps the campaign has taken aCosmic direction and the player justdoesn’t feel like returning to New York allthe time. Anytime a character is entitledto a new Power, he may instead subtracthis level from the DSR of any oneDisadvantage. If this reduces theDisadvantage to 0 or less, the characterno longer has the Disadvantage. Again

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this may only be done with the GM’spermission, and must be roleplayedduring the campaign on the Player’s part.Maximum Disadvantages: GMs shouldtake care that the disadvantages rulesprovided here are not abused. Amaximum of 10 DSR in disadvantages isabout the most a character should have.Any more than that and all his adventureswould revolve around his disadvantages,and the campaign story would suffer. Achilles Heel(DSR 3 CharacterDisadvantage)The character has a vulnerable spot. Thecharacter picks a number from 1 to 19.This area becomes a critical threat areafor him. So if the character picked 6, anyroll of 6 in combat would automatically hit,and would also be a critical threat. ThisDisadvantage may be taken more thanonce by the very brave, and may eitheradd another critical threat number, orincrease the Critical Multiplier to aprevious threatened number by 1.

Activation Time(DSR variable PowerDisadvantage)The power takes longer to activate thannormal. If a power activated as a freeaction(like aura) must take be activatedwith a move-equivalent action, then theDSR is +2. If a power activated with amove-equivalent of normal attackaction(like a blast) requires a full roundaction, then the DSR is +2. A poweractivated as a free action, may be movedto a full round activation at a DSR of +4.Lastly, if a character designates that aPower provokes attacks of opportunity,then the DSR is +2.

Alter Ego(DSR variable CharacterDisadvantage)

The character has someone else inside ofhim, just waiting to get out. Thischaracter could be the Hero’s adventuringpersona. If the character and his alterego are of the same alignment, and thecharacter can transform into his Altar Egowhenever he wishes, then this isn’t aDisadvantage at all, rather the QuickChange feat. This Disadvantagetransforms the character whether hewants to or not, and his alter ego is oftenof a different alignment and personality.(DSR 0):If the transformation is triggeredby Common Circumstances and thecharacter and his Altar Ego are of thesame AL.(DSR variable): each 2-place AL shiftbetween the character and his alterego(+1 DSR per AL shift). So, LGbecoming CE would be worth +2 DSR.LG becoming LE or CN would be worth+1. (DSR 1): if the transformation requiresuncommon circumstances(say thecharacter taking 50% HP damage, or theFull Moon), or a Concentration check of15 is required to transform.(DSR 2): the transformation requires veryrare Circumstances( less than 10% HP ora solar eclipse), or a Concentration checkof 20 is required to transform.

Code(DSR variable CharacterDisadvantage)Heroes are people of strong moralconviction. Sometimes so strong, theymake the character’s life harder. Somecommon Codes are detailed below, butthe Hero and GM will surely come up withothers. As people feel better about beingprotected by someone honorable, most ofthese Codes grant Reputation bonusesequal to their DSR.Code of the Hero(DSR 1): always protectthose weaker than yourself, always help

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those in need. Code of the Crusader(DSR 3): never killunless no other option presents itself,always do what you say, always protectthe weak and the innocent.

Deadly(DSR variable CharacterDisadvantage)Use of this power can actually endangerthe character’s life. For every 4 DSR, thepower inflicts 1-2 wound damage to thecharacter, which must be Healednormally.

Dependant(DSR variable CharacterDisadvantage)The character has a loved one, either awife, child, sickly aunt, someone he mustfrequently protect and care for. Thechance of this person getting involved inthe adventure is rolled in a d20 plus theDSR, with the DC of the check being 15.

Diff icult(DSR variab le PowerDisadvantage)One of the character’s Powers is difficultto use. He must concentrate to use thepower, and sometimes it simply doesn’tfunction. The character must make aConcentration skill check(DC 10 +DSR) toactivate the Power. Furthermore, if theDSR is 5 or higher, the Power provokesattacks of opportunity. On the plus side,Concentration becomes a class skill forthe character.

Enemy(DSR variable CharacterDisadvantage)Someone is after the Hero. This Villainmay appear at any time, out of the blueand take a shot at the character. What’sworse, sometimes the Villain will learn ofwhat’s going on and join forces with themain Villain of the adventure. The Villain

appears on a d20 roll +the DSR(DC 15).The Villain is DSR levels higher than thecharacter. However, the Villain only gainsa level when the character does on a rollof 15 or higher on d20(modified by DSR).Thus, the Enemy usually becomes lessthreatening over time. Occasionally, if the Enemy gets so muchweaker than the character that hepresents no threat, the GM will “trade up”to a new enemy of DSR levels higher thanthe character. The GM will work thistrade into his adventures, perhaps havingone villain kill the other.

Equipment(DSR variable PowerDisadvantage)Some characters rely on technology,possessing few if any true “powers.”These heroes are not to beunderestimated, but still their Powers canbe taken away from them. Certaincharacters, like Gadgeteers are requiredto take this disadvantage.Handheld Equipment(DSR 4): this type of Gadget, be it a bow or acustom gun or a scanner of some sortmay be taken from the character with adisarm maneuver in combat. Thecharacter can pick it up again, obviously,but this means the character will bedeprived of the Power momentarily a lotof the time. If the device gets stolen, thecharacter will be denied the use of thatPower for a significant length of time.Usually several encounters, certainly notmore than one adventure. Enough timeto either go back to their HQ to getanother device, or make another one.Worn Equipment(DSR 1): this type ofGadget is typified by the Gadgeteer’sBattleSuit. The character will sometimesbe denied this Power, but not often, sincetaking it away would require the characterand all his allies to be unconscious.

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However sometimes circumstances willdeprive the character of getting into hisequipment in the first place(My BattleSuitis in my briefcase! How do I get to itwithout revealing my secret identity?!?)GMs are encouraged to be devious andmake sure this disadvantage hinders thecharacter from time to time.

Exclusive(DSR variable PowerDisadvantage)This Disadvantage turns a Power withmany Power skills into an exclusivepower. The DSR is 2 for each skill thepower possesses over one. So, if acharacter took Weather Control(5 skills)and only wanted to be able to generatewind, the DSR would be 8.

Exert ion(DSR variable PowerDisadvantage)The character possesses a Power that isextremely exhausting to use. For every 2DSR of this disadvantage the Power does1d6 Vitality damage to the character eachtime it is used. This damage heals at thenormal rate for subdual damage(1 HP perhour per level). Furthermore, as long asthe character has taken any damage fromthis power he is -2 Str. and Dex due toexhaustion.

Forbidding Demeanor(DSR variablecharacter Disadvantage)For whatever reason, the character ishard to get close to. For each DSR of theDisadvantage he takes a -1 on all Chabased skills, as well as a -1 on hisLeadership score should he possess thatFeat. Furthermore, the characterreceives a penalty to starting reputationequal to the DSR of this Disadvantage,and applies the DSR as a penalty to anyReputation check to gain a new Contact.

Grudge Magnet(DSR variable characterDisadvantage)Some Heroes just strike a chord in theiropponents. One time encounters withVillains seem to turn into lifelong pursuitsfor Vengeance. These characters have ahost of villains out to get them, whofrequently gang up, combining their effortsto get the Hero. Another explanation forthis disadvantage is the Hero who has theunfortunate habit of being the cause ofthe Villain’s origin, always being there orsomehow involved, leading the Villain toblame him for their “transformation.” ThisDisad. crops up on a 20, with +1 beingadded to the roll for every 2 points of theDSR.

Jinxed(DSR 1 Character Disadvantage)The character just can’t catch a break.The water main in his house breaks,flooding everything he owns and forcinghim to sleep on his mom’s couch for 2weeks. The character’s girlfriend getsmono right before that big date he hasplanned. One and on it goes. Thecharacter’s Heroic life is not affected, buthis personal life is always in a shambles.Hopefully he’s at least a friendlyneighborhood type guy to make up for it.

Misfire(DSR 2 Power Disadvantage)If the character rolls a 1 while attackingwith or otherwise using a Power, itm i s f i r e s , r e q u i r i n g a s k i l lcheck(character’s choice) of 20 to getoperational again. This takes severalminutes, and can only be done outside ofcombat.

Nemesis(DSR variable CharacterDisadvantage)The character has a bitter enemy who will

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not rest until he has defeated him. ThisPower operates as Enemy above, withthe following changes: the Villain alwaysgains a level when the character does,and the Villain gains +1 to hit and damageper DSR vs. the Hero due to his intimateknowledge of the Hero’s tactics and hisintense hatred for the Hero. The Heroreceives experience of DSR+2 for thisdisad.

Phobia(DSR variable CharacterDisadvantage)The character has a deep fear ofsomething. How strong his phobia isdetermines the DSR of the Disadvantage.The Phobia must be something thecharacter will encounter occasionallyduring an adventure.Mild Phobia(DSR 1): the character’s fearis fairly manageable, requiring a WillSave(DC 15) to resist. If the characterfails this save, he is shaken.Serious Phobia(DSR 3): the character hasa deep seated fear, usually rooted insome past trauma, requiring a WillSave(DC 17) to resist. If the characterfails this save he is frightened.Severe Phobia(DSR 5): the character hasa fear that is totally out of control,requiring a Will save(DC 20) to resist. Ifthe character fails this save he ispanicked.

Prejudice(DSR variable CharacterDisadvantage)For some reason, people have a badopinion of the character. It’s very hard forthe character to find a job, be believed bythe authorities, or get a thank you fromthe people he just saved. All mutantshave this Disadvantage at DSR 2 at least,as the current public hysteria has madethem all suspect in the eyes of the

authorities. Other characters might havethis Disadvantage as well. Perhaps thelocal newspaper editor has taken a disliketo the character, and constantly remindsthe public what a “menace” he is.The character receives a -1 to Resourcesfor each DSR. Also, if the character isrecognized, on a DC of 15 (d20 + theDSR), he will receive a minus to all Cha-based skills equal to his DSR and cannotapply his Reputation.

Secret ID(DSR 1 CharacterDisadvantage)Superheroes frequently feel they need tokeep their private lives separate, andadopt a persona under which theyadventure. This is especially true ofcharacters with dependants, who mustkeep their enemies from finding out abouttheir vulnerable loved ones. However,even a character without dependants hasco-workers, acquaintances, lovers that avillain will take advantage of unless heprotects his identity. Thus, although thecharacter will often be hampered by thisDisadvantage, it has benefits for him andthe low DSR reflects this.

Selfless Savior(DSR 4 CharacterDisadvantage)The character’s Origin was public. Ithappened during a SuperVillain attack,and the character got in the way,attempting to save someone. TheVillain’s attack, however, rather thankilling him, instead triggered his Powers.The character cannot have a Secret ID, isalways receiving requests from people forhelp, and is constantly under mediascrutiny. Worse, the Villain the character“embarrassed” is after him too, looking forrevenge. Game Information: thecharacter has a Nemesis of at least DSR

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2, for which he receives no furtherexperience. The character is forbidden tohave a Secret ID. On a roll of 5 or less,the character receives a request for aid,adding a side encounter to his currentadventure, perhaps delaying him. If thecharacter ignores this request for aid, themedia hears of it, and the character loses-2 Reputation. However, it isn’t all bad.The character starts the game with anextra Heroism point, and a max of 5. Thecharacter also doubles his Cha bonus forstarting Reputation.

T r a g e d y ( D S R 5 C h a r a c t e rDisadvantage)Something terrible happened to thecharacter. This is the reason he decidedto become a Hero, and constantly tries toovercome. It is with him always. Shouldsomeone or something remind thecharacter of this event(which happens ona 5 or less), the character must make aWill Save(DC 20), or be effectivelyparalyzed. Tragedy can turn even thetoughest most fearsome heroes into acrying heap at times. However, shouldanyone attack the character while in thisstate, he will go Berserk, forgoing allDef.(Def. becomes 10). Instead, thecharacter adds his Def-10 to his attackrolls.

Vulnerability(DSR variable CharacterDisadvantage)The character is vulnerable to asubstance or a form of energy(lead orsound for example). For every DSR ofthis Disadvantage, the character takes anadditional 2d6 when attacked withsubstance. Furthermore, merely beingaround the substance for any length oftime is hurtful to the character, inflicting1d6 damage per minute he is within 10

feet. A very rare substance(like ameteorite) is worth ½.

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Chapter 7: Vehicles&Equipment

VehiclesVehicles in Vigilance are rated in 5categories: Handling, Speed, Armor, CarryingCapacity, and Cost. Each of these terms aredefined below for game purposes.Handling: a vehicle’s Handling is essentiallyits maneuverability rating. These categoriesare the same as those used for flyingcharacters on DMG pg 69. Handling affectsa Vehicle’s cost as follows: Clumsy -2Resource DC; Poor -1 Resource DC; Good +1Resource DC; Perfect +4 Resource DC. AVehicle may not have Perfect Handling unlessit is created that way, or modified by aGadgeteer with the Vehicular Creation Feat.Handling may only be improved to Good bythe Combat Driving/Piloting Feat. Handling for Air Vehicles: Air Vehicles mayonly Hover if they were designed with Goodor better Handling, unless modified by aGadgeteer with the Vehicular Creation Feat.Combat Piloting will not allow an air vehicleto Hover even if it raises the maneuverabilityto Good.Handling for Vehicles with multiple movementtypes: if a Vehicle has two modes oftravel(such as an amphibious jeep), it isconsidered to Handle best in one mode,usually its fastest movement mode. In allother modes it’s Handling is reduced by one.Thus an amphibious jeep with Good Handlingwould be average when it takes to the water.

Speed: this is the Vehicle’s combat speed,rated in feet per round. The Base Speed for avehicle in Vigilance is 80 ft./round of groundspeed, 0 ft/round of air speed, and 0 ft/roundof water speed. Each +20 ft/round raises theCost by 1, each -20 ft/round lowers the Costby 1. An air vehicle with a handling ofAverage or less must taxi to lift off, achievinga ground speed 1/10th its flight speed.Armor: A Vehicle’s Armor is rated in 3different respects: the Vehicle’s DamageResistance, the Vehicle’s Hit Points, and theCover a Vehicle gives to its occupants. TheBase DR for a Vehicle is 4, Base Hit Pointsare 20, and Base Cover is ½, 1/4 for thedriver. Each +1 increase in DR is +2 to theResource DC. Each +5 HP is +1, and eachincrease in Cover is +1. Each -1 DR is -1Cost, each -5 HP is -1 Cost, and each -1 Coveris -1 Cost. The driver’s Cover is always onestep worse than that granted to Passengers. Ifan attack at the occupants of a Vehicle missesdue to cover, then the Vehicle itself is hit.Capacity: this is rated in persons. If youwant a Vehicle that carries cargo rather thanpeople, simply multiply its CC by 200 lbs.The base CC is 4. Each x2 Capacity raises theResource DC by 1, and each - ½ Capacitylowers the DC by 1.Cost: The base Cost of a Vehicle is 10,modified as above.

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Sample Vehicles

NameBusLear JetMotorcyclePanel VanRoadsterHelicopter, Transport

HandlingClumsyAverageGoodClumsyGoodGood

Speed60/0/040/400/016060140200

Armor4/50/90%4/20/90%2/20/0%4/30/90%2/25/50%4/30/90%

Capacity32818232

Cost223315141424

Modifying VehiclesA Gadgeteer with the Vehicular Creation feat,or a character with the Unique Vehicle Powermay modify a Vehicle, rather than settling foran “off the shelf” variety. Each characteraccomplishes in slightly different ways.Vehicle Modification by Gadgeteer: aGadgeteer with the Vehicle Creation feat maymodify a vehicle using his unique skills andabilities.Handling: For every 10 pts of skill inThermodynamics, a Gadgeteer may increasethe Handling of a Vehicle by one category, toa maximum of Good. Each increase inHandling requires a Resource roll of 10 +4 perincrease(so 14 to increase from Poor toAverage, 18 to increase from Poor to Good.XP cost is 250 per category.Speed: For every 2 pts in Thermodynamics,a Gadgeteer may increase the Speed of aVehicle by 10'. The cost of increasing aVehicle’s Speed is 10 +1/10' for land andwater vehicles, double that for air vehicles.The XP cost of increasing a vehicle’s speed is25 for every 10' increase.Armor: For every 4 points of Armorsmithskill, a Gadgeteer may increase the DR of avehicle by one. This has a cost of 10+1/DRResources and 50 XP per DR.Hit Points: Hit points may be increased by1/pt of Armorsmith skill. The Cost is 10+1/10 HP Resources and 5 XP per HP.Cover: for every 10 points of Armorsmith

skill the character may increase the Cover byone category. Maximum Cover is 90%, andthe cover afforded to the driver is always onecategory worse(so maximum Cover for thedriver is 75%.) The Cost of improving thecover afforded by a vehicle is 10+4/Categoryincrease, and 250 XP per category.Capacity: Capacity may be doubled for every4 points of the Gadgeteer’s Hydraulics skill.Cost is 10+2/doubling, and 100 XP perdoubling.Vehicle Modification by Power: the cost fora character to modify a Unique Vehicle withPower Points is the same as the skill requiredfor a Gadgeteer. Thus increasing theHandling by one category costs 10 PowerPoints. Improving a Vehicle with PowerPoints costs no Resources or XP, and thecharacter does not require the skills to do thework himself. He pays the Power Points, andthe vehicle is altered. EquipmentAll the equipment in the PHB may bepurchased for use in a Vigilance campaign.Simply divide the GP cost of the item by .3,drop all fractions, and add that number to 10.This is the item’s Resource DC. So aLongsword has a Resource DC of 14. Acharacter is much better off taking any suchweapon as a Unique Item than buying it withmoney, as he will be able to spend his PowerPoints to give the item enhancement bonuses.At the very least a character relying on a

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weapon as his attack should have invested heavily in Weapon Mastery.

Weapons

Improvised WeaponsName DoorFlag PoleLight PoleTelephone PoleCompact CarSedanSports Car

Min Str20222225283328

Damage1d101d121d122d82d103d102d8

Reach10'15'2020'10'15'10'

Critical2019-202019-20/x32019-2020

Notes

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Cost

NotesThe Range Increment of all these “weapons” is dependant on the character’s Str. If thecharacter’s Str is less than 5 points above the Str Min, he may not throw the object. Foreach 5 points of Str above the Str Minimum the character has a Range Increment of 10'when throwing the items.1: On a successful Critical(not a threat), the Vehicle’s fuel reservoir explodes, inflictingenergy damage equal to the listed physical damage.

FirearmsNameSm RevolverRevolverLg RevolverAutoPistolMod AutoPistolHunting RifleDoubleShotgunSwdOff ShotgunPumpShotgunCombatShotgunSMGAssault RifleGrenadeLauncher

Min Str48148688101214101210

Damage1d81d102d61d101d101d124d64d64d64d61d101d12*

Range60'100'110'150'150'170'100'40'100'60'60'200'100'

Ammo46610155225153030/501

Critical20/x220/x319-20/x320/x320/x319-20/x22018-20202020/x319-20/x3*

Notes

Burst

SpreadSpread SpreadSpread, BurstBurstBurst, Auto

Cost12141514161514141518141818

NotesAuto: the weapon may fire continuously, granting the ability to deal a great deal ofdamage at the expense of needing to reload frequently. Each attack made with aweapon on full auto is a full round action, and uses 10 rounds of ammunition. Theattacker may elect to either fire a wide burst, granting a +4 to hit, or a tight burst, whichallows him to roll up to two extra attacks. If the first attack hits, the attacker may roll

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again, and if the second attack hits, he may roll a third time.Burst: the weapon fires in controlled, short bursts, usually 3 per attack. The attackermay elect to fire either a wide burst, granting +2 to hit, or a tight burst, which allows himto roll a second attack if his first attack hits.Spread: a Shotgun’s damage works differently than regular damage. Each of its 4 diceof damage is considered an independent attack(which means 6 DR protects completelyagainst the attack). Start with the target closest to the attacker and roll to hit for the firstdie. If that hits, roll for the second and so on. Once that target is missed, move on tosecond closest target, until you run out of dice. The Combat Shotgun’s Burst fire worksdifferently as well. Add an extra die for each shot, so a Burst from a combat Shotgunhas 7 dice to apply in the same manner as normal Spread damage.* A Grenade Launcher’s damage and critical are based on the grenade fired.

Grenades

Grenades work differently in some respects from other weapons. Like any rangedattack, a grenade adds the character’s Dex modifier to his attack roll. However, therange increment is 10', plus 10'x the characters Str Modifier. So, a character with a 12Str throws a grenade 20' before range penalties are applied, while a character with an18 Str throws a grenade 50' with no range penalty. As a ranged weapon however, missing with a grenade is fairly difficult. Each 10' Areagrants the attacker a +1 to hit. Misses should be handled under the grenadelike missilerules DMG pg 68. On a critical, the Grenade has actually hit the target at the exactmoment of detonation. This disallows the save normally granted for ½ damage, andoften carries other nasty penalties to the character determined by the type of grenade.

NameDynamiteSmokeFragmentationPhosphorousConcussionTear GasPoison Gas

Area10'30'30'30'30'30'30'

Damage3d6None5d65d6NoneNauseaPoison

Side Effects

30% ConcealmentNoneEnergy DamageStun 1-4 rds.30% Concealment30% Concealment

Critical20NoneSpecial 1Special 2Special 1Special 3Special 4

Cost1081214141220

NotesNausea: this damage works exactly as the spell Stinking Cloud, PHB pg 256Poison: deals 2d10 Con damage, Fort Save(DC 15) for ½ effect. A character reducedto 0 Con by this attack is killed instantly.Special 1: a character who suffers a Critical is Blinded for 1 hour, minus 10 minutes perpoint of Con Bonus(yes, Characters with a 22 Con are immune to this effect).Special 2: the character catches fire, suffering full damage for 1 round per 10 points ofdamage from the original attack.

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Special 3: the character is rendered unconscious for 1 hour, minus 10 minutes per Conbonus.Special 4: the character must make a Fort Save(DC 15) or die.

Modifying WeaponsBoth Gadgeteers and Vigilantes can modify existing weapons. Also, a character couldtake a Firearm as a Unique Item and modify it with Power Points. Weapons aremodified by Gadgeteers and Vigilantes in the same manner as they are constructed,except that the character only pays Resources and experience for what has been addedto the weapon.

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Chapter 8:Prestige Classes

Behemoth

The Behemoth is a character totally givenover to the physical. These characterscan be monsters or saviors, but theirphysical prowess is what sets them apart.The things these characters can do istruly beyond the mortal realm.

RequirementsBAB: +5Abilities:: the character’s Strength andCon scores must total 40 or morePowers: Superhuman Durability,Superhuman StrengthSkills: Intimidate +8Feats: Great Fortitude

Class Features:Hit Die:d12Class Skills: Brawling, Climb, Intimidate,Jump, ProfessionSkill Points per Level: 2+Int ModifierPower Skills: Armor, Claws, DamageTouch, Density Increase, Growth, LifeSupport, Regeneration, Superhuman

Durability, Superhuman Presence,Superhuman StrengthPower Points per Level: 8+Con ModifierImprovised Weapons: the Behemoth isso large and powerful that he can handleungainly objects with ease. Heautomatically gains proficiency in theImprovised Weapons group.Glare: just a look from a Behemoth canstop a hardened criminal(or hero) in theirtracks. Anyone of less than ½ theBehemoth’s level must make a WillSave(DC 10 + ½ Intimidate skill) or beShaken.Ham Handed: the Behemoth hits hard.The target of this attack must make a FortSave(DC 10 + the Behemoth’s Strmodifier) or be stunned for one round.This ability may only be used once perround.Bull Charge: a Behemoth uses his sizeto devastating advantage in a fight. At 5th

level, if a Behemoth charges, he inflictsdouble normal damage, and the targetmust make a Fort save (DC 10+ theBehemoth levels) or be knocked prone.Roar: this ability functions exactly as

Glare, exceptthat if the targetfails his save heis Panicked.Rib Breaker:anyone grappledby a Behemoth isi n s e r i o u strouble. At 8th

level, anyone theB e h e m o t hs u c c e s s f u l l y

BehemothLevel Base Attack Fort Ref Will Special1st +1 +2 +0 +0 Improvised Weapons2nd +2 +3 +0 +0 Glare3rd +3 +3 +1 +1 Ham Handed4th +4 +4 +1 +15th +5 +4 +1 +1 Bull Charge6th +6 +5 +2 +27th +7 +5 +2 +2 Roar8th +8 +6 +2 +2 Rib Breaker9th +9 +6 +3 +310th +10 +7 +3 +3 Size Increase

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grapples(rolling to hit and winning theopposed Str check) must make a Fortsave(DC 10 + Behemoth levels) or take 1point of Con damage. This damagecontinues each round until the targetsuccessfully breaks the grapple, or isreduced to 0 Con, at which point he dies.Size Increase: the Behemoth is now aLarge size humanoid. He gains +8 Str, -2 Dex, +4 Con

Mentor

Mentors are a powerful force for good.Mentors bring young would-be heroestogether to train them, teaching them tomaster their abilities, to either bettercombat evil, or perhaps just to live livesas better people. Usually Mentors areNPCs, but a determined experienced PCmay take this role onto himself, seeking tonourish the flame of young heroism in theworld of Vigilance.Many Lawful Good Mentors stylethemselves in the role of a true teacher,whereas a Lawful Neutral Mentor mighthave take the role of a drill instructor,forging his pupils into a military style unit.

Requirements:Abilities: Int13+, Wis 15+,Cha 13+A l i g n m e n t :Lawful Good orLawful NeutralS k i l l s :Profession(Teacher) +8F e a t s :L e a d e r s h i p ,Tactician

Class FeaturesHit Die: d6Skill Points per Level: 4+Int ModifierClass Skills: Diplomacy, GatherInformation, Knowledge(Tactics),Profession(Teacher), Sense Motive, SpotPower Points per Level: 2+Con ModifierClass Powers: Danger Sense,Deflection, Enhanced Senses, RadarSense, Sonar, Spectral Sight,Superhuman Intelligence, SuperhumanPresence, Superhuman Will, UniqueVehicleAdvise: any time a group of charactersare cooperating, if they can communicatewith their Mentor, he may add his Willbonus to the Leader’s skill check(seePHB pg 62 for details). Note that thisbonus is in addition to the normalbonuses a character gets for cooperatingon a skill check.Unique Vehicle: at 2nd level the Mentorgains this Power for free.Counsel: if a PC trains with a Mentor, hemay actually expand his list of class skills.This training takes one month, duringwhich the character must see the Mentorat least once per week. At the end of thattime, the character may add one of theMentor’s class skills to his own. As longas he continues to train with the Mentor,

MentorLevel Base Attack Fort Ref Will Special1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Advise 2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 Unique Vehicle3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 Counsel4th +2 +1 +1 +4 HQ5th +2 +1 +1 +4 Bonus Feat6th +3 +2 +2 +5 Combat Training7th +3 +2 +2 +58th +4 +2 +2 +6 Bonus Feat9th +4 +3 +3 +610th +5 +3 +3 +7 Adv. Combat Training

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the character may spend skill points onthat skill as though it were a class skill. Ifthe character wishes to be taught adifferent skill by the Mentor, he mustspend another month learning the basicsof that skill. After which, he beginsspending skill points on this new skill asthough it were a class skill, but theprevious skill is again removed from hisclass list. In other words, any givencharacter may only redesignate one skillas a class skill at a time by studying witha Mentor. A Mentor may have onestudent per Mentor level.HQ: as the Gadgeteer ability, at 4th levelthe Mentor gains the ability to constructan elaborate HQ, containing trainingfacilities, defenses, sensors to preventsurprise attacks, etc.Combat Training: at 5th level, a Mentormay his students prepare for an upcomingfight against a known opponent. After thistraining, the students receive a bonus tohit and damage against that opponentequal to the Mentor’s Will bonus. He mustknow who his students are preparing tofight, so he has a chance to study theVillain’s tendencies and weaknesses,which makes this ability especially goodfor the comic book convention of the“rubber match.” That is where a characteror group has encountered a villain once,and gotten thestuffing beatenout of them.Then, they goconsult withtheir Mentor,and practice,d e v e l o p i n gnew strategiesaimed at theirenemy. Thenthey confrontthe Villain and

put him behind bars.Bonus Feats: at 5th, and again at 8th

level, the Mentor gains bonus feats fromthe Teamwork line of Feats.Advanced Combat Training: as CombatTraining, except the Mentor can now givehis students bonuses to their savingthrows as well.

Mind Master

The Mind Master is the ultimate Psi. Acharacter who has, through discipline andsheer force of personality, turned his mindinto the deadliest imaginable weapon. Toface a Mind Master in battle is to riskmore than your life, but your very sanity.The Mind Master has a new and potentrange of abilities at his disposal,MetaPsionic feats, allowing him to alterthe minds of his opponents, sometimespermanently.

RequirementsPowers: a total of 30 Power Points spenton mental powers; Superhuman WillSkills: Knowledge(Psychology) +8Feats: Iron Will

Mind MasterLevel Base Attack Fort Ref Will Special1st +0 +0 +0 +2 MetaPsionic Feat2nd +1 +0 +0 +33rd +1 +1 +1 +3 MetaPsionic Feat4th +2 +1 +1 +4 Pinnacle of Will5th +2 +1 +1 +4 MetaPsionic Feat6th +3 +2 +2 +57th +3 +2 +2 +5 MetaPsionic Feat8th +4 +2 +2 +69th +4 +3 +3 +6 MetaPsionic Feat10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Body Feeds the Mind

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Class FeaturesHit Die: d6Class Skills: Animal Empathy, Bluff,Concentrate, Diplomacy, Intimidate,Knowledge(Psychology), Sense MotiveSkill Points per Level: 4+Int ModifierClass Powers: Blast(Psychic), DangerSense, Desolidification, Invisibility, MindControl, Superhuman Presence,Superhuman Will, Telekinesis, Telepathy,TeleportPower Points per Level: 6+Con ModifierMetaPsionic Feats: the signature abilityof the Mind Master class. Although theseFeats may be selected by anyone whomeets the Prerequisites, the Mind Mastergains one of these Feats for free everyother level.Pinnacle of Will: at 4th Level, the MindMaster rolls 1d10 and adds it to hisWisdomBody Feeds the Mind: this ability allowsthe Psychic to literally pour his soul into amental endeavor. The Psychic mayincrease the damage of a mental attack orthe DC of the save required to resist amental attack by 1 for every 1 point ofWound damage the character takes.

PowerHouse

While an energy projectormight be the sniper ofVigilance, the Powerhouseis the artillery cannon.These characters canchannel enough energythrough their body topower an entire city. Goodmembers of this class arealways mindful of theawesome responsibilitythat comes with their ability

to knock a hole through a mountain. EvilPowerhouses revel in it.

Requirements

BAB: +8Feats: Concentrated Blast, Power Blast,UltraBlastSkills: Concentration 8+Powers: 16 or more points spent on Blastpower skills

Class FeaturesHit Die: d6Class Skills: Concentration, Intimidate,Profession, SpotSkill Points per Level: 2+Int. ModifierClass Powers: Armor, Aura, Blast,Damage Touch, Desolidification,Ensnaring Attack, Flight, Light Control,Superhuman Presence, Telekinesis,Weather ControlPower Points per Level: 8+Con.ModifierBonus Feats: every 5 levels thePowerHouse gains a bonus feat. Thefeats that may be selected with theseBonus Feats are: Adaptive Attack, Bolt,Cascade Effect, Chain Reaction,Devastation, MeltDown, PureBlast,Residual Energy, Strafe, Superior

PowerHouseLevel Base Attack Fort Ref Will Special1st +1 +0 +2 +0 Bonus Feat2nd +2 +0 +3 +03rd +3 +1 +3 +1 Overcharge4th +4 +1 +4 +15th +5 +1 +4 +1 Bonus Feat6th +6 +2 +5 +27th +7 +2 +5 +28th +8 +2 +6 +2 Human Capacitor9th +9 +3 +6 +310th +10 +3 +7 +3 Bonus Feat

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Concentration, Viral BlastOverCharge: the energy running throughthe character’s body is difficult tomaintain. By releasing the “circuitbreakers” on her internal energy, thecharacter can channel tremendous power,at the risk of feeling its effects herself.After a character successfully hits hertarget, but before rolling damage, shemay OverCharge her attack. Thecharacter sets the minimum that may berolled on each die. So, if a characterOverCharges by two, all ones and twosrolled on her Blast damage for that attackare counted as threes. After rolling herdamage, the character must make aConcentration skill check, with a DC of 10+ 5 for each point she OverCharged, ortake 1d6 Vitality per OverCharge. So acharacter who Overcharged by two, wouldhave to make a Concentration check of20 or take 2d6 damage.Human Capacitor: the character is soattuned to his Body’s energies that shemay absorb any source of energy to fuelher attacks. For each 1d6 the characterabsorbs in this way, she adds +1d6damage to her next Blast attack. Thecharacter may absorb a maximum of twodice for each PowerHouse level per day.The character suffers no damage fromabsorbed energy.

Secret Agent

Secret Agents tread the gray twilight ofVigilance. They do the work governmentseither can’t or won’t. Frequently theseintrepid souls must operate alone, inhostile territory, with only their guile tokeep them alive. Secret Agents serve avariety of masters, from real worldorganizations such as the FBI and CIA, tofanciful four color groups like

U.S.H.E.R.(United States HeadQuartersfor Emergency Response).

Requirements

Skills: Hide+6, Move Silently +6,Criminology +6Alignment: any non-goodMembership: When the character takeshis first level of Secret Agent, he mustmake a choice: either he has receivedtraining from an agency and is anoperative in good standing with them, orhe received his training and then went“rogue.” If the character is an agent ingood standing, he takes the DSR 2Disadvantage “Patron,” which is a specialkind of Contact that asks for more than itgives (the Patron requires the character toperform some task for it on a roll of 13 orhigher each game session: 15 plus theDSR). If the character is a rogue agent,he must take Enemy(agency) with a DSRof 2. Either of these Disadvantagesprovide the character with no XP.

Class FeaturesHit Die: d8Class Skills: Bluff, Criminology, DecipherScript, Disable Device, Disguise, Driving,Escape Artist, Forgery, GatherInformation, Hide, Innuendo, Intimidate,Listen, Martial Arts, Move Silently, OpenLock, Pick Pocket, Piloting, Read Lips,Search, Sense Motive, Spot, Tumble, UseRopeSkill Points per Level: 8+Int ModifierClass Powers: Danger Sense,Deflection, Desolidification, EnhancedSenses, Invisibility, Metamorphosis,Spectral Sight, Superhuman Presence,Superhuman Will, Unique Item, UniqueVehiclePower Points per Level: 2+Con Modifier

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Agency: if the character is a member ofan agency, he may add the agency to hisContact list The agency will providesupport for the character includingtransportation, fake passports etc. If thecharacter is a Rogue Agent, he receivesa free underworld contact in the country ofhis choice.Dirty Tricks: in combat, Secret Agentsare there to win, by any meansnecessary. This ability allows a characterto pull an unexpected maneuver out of hisbag of tricks, rendering his opponent flatfooted for the round.Cheap Shot: once per combat, the Agentmay execute a sudden unexpected attackat a vulnerable area of his opponent, suchas the eyes or genitals, inflicting extradamage.Contacts: Agents excel at getting othersto trust them, and gain bonus Contacts asthey rise in level. These Contacts may bevirtually anyone, from the lowestshopkeeper to a high ranking Militarycommander in a 3rd world country. Younever know who you’re going to needhelp from.Agency Rank: if the character is anagent in good standing, then he now hasthe clout to call on his agency for a greatdeal of support. Equipment, support

agents as if the character hadLeadership(with his Agent Level added tohis Leadership score), Vehicles, virtuallyanything within the agency’s resources isavailable to the character(GM’s call).However, the agency also expects morefrom the character, and the DSR of hisPatron Disadvantage goes up to 4. If thecharacter is a Rogue Agent, he receivesa free underworld contact, and his EnemyDSR rises to 4(he’s on their “10 mostwanted” list).

Speed Demon

The Speed Demon is most at home whenhe is moving. In battle he is alwaysmoving, never in one place long enoughfor his enemies to hit. Although anAcrobat is a hard character to get yourhands on, the Speed Demon relies strictlyon raw speed for his protection.

Requirements:BAB: +3Evasion: the Speed Demon mustpossess the Evasion class ability.Feats: Lightning Reflexes, ImprovedInitiative, Combat Flight or CombatReflexesP o w e r s : o n e M o v e m e n t

Power(Amph i b i o u s ,F l i g h t ,Super Leap,S u p e rR u n n i n g ,Swing i n g)granting amove of 100ft/round orbetter.

C l a s s

Secret AgentLevel Base Attack Fort Ref Will Special1st +0 +0 +2 +0 Agency; Dirty Tricks 1/fight2nd +1 +0 +3 +0 Cheap Shot +1d63rd +2 +1 +3 +1 Contacts +14th +3 +1 +4 +1 Cheap Shot +2d65th +3 +1 +4 +1 Dirty tricks 2/fight6th +4 +2 +5 +2 Cheap Shot +3d67th +5 +2 +5 +2 Contacts +28th +6 +2 +6 +2 Cheap Shot +4d69th +6 +3 +6 +3 Agency Rank10th +7 +3 +7 +3 Dirty Tricks 3/fight; Cheap

Shot +5d6

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FeaturesHit Die: d6Class Skills: Balance, Climb, EscapeArtist, Profession, Spot, Swim, TumbleSkill Points per Level: 4+ Int. ModifierClass Powers: Deflection, EnsnaringAttack, Flight, Life Support, Radar Sense,Sonar, Super Running, Superhuman Dex,Superhuman Presence, TeleportPower Points per Level: 6+Con.ModifierFlurry: the character may make an extraat his highest base attack, but that and allother attacks made in that round receivea -2 penalty to hit.Poetry in Motion: the character is asfluid as a gazelle. When he is in motion,he gains +1 Initiative for every 10 ft.moved in the round.Need for Speed: the character is as fastas a cheetah, by the time his opponenthas him in his sights, he is already out ofrange. The character gains a +1 Defensefor every 20 ft. moved in the round.Underfoot: the Speed Demon moves sofast that he often “accidentally” runs rightover his opponents in combat. Underfootis a special Charge attack, requiring theSpeed Demon to move at least 60 ft.before it can be performed. Thecharacter simply barrels over his target at

high speed, dealing normal meleedamage, +1 for each 20 ft. moved in theround. Also, the target of this attack mustimmediately make a Reflex save(DC 10+1 per 20 ft. the Speed Demon moved inthe round) or be knocked prone.Whirlwind Attack: at 8th level the SpeedDemon receives this feat for free,regardless of whether or not he has theprerequisites.Human Tornado: the character whirlsamong his opponents with dizzyingspeed. He may attempt to Trip(asImproved Trip) or Disarm(as ImprovedDisarm) multiple opponents in a mannersimilar to Great Cleave: as long as his lastTrip or Disarm was successful, he maymove and try again, to a maximum of 1opponent per Speed Demon level.However, when the Speed Demon fails toDisarm or Trip an opponent, his Move isimmediately halted in front of thatopponent, and he may take no furtheractions in the round. Also, the last targetof this maneuver may immediately makea Trip attempt against the Speed Demon.The character may move as much as hewishes between each attempt, thoughagain as soon as he is unsuccessful hismovement stops.

Speed DemonLevel Base Attack Fort Ref Will Special1st +0 +0 +2 +0 Flurry2nd +1 +0 +3 +0 Poetry in Motion3rd +2 +1 +3 +14th +3 +1 +4 +1 Need for Speed5th +3 +1 +4 +16th +4 +2 +5 +2 Underfoot7th +5 +2 +5 +28th +6 +2 +6 +2 Whirlwind Attack9th +6 +3 +6 +310th +7 +3 +7 +3 Human Tornado

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Chapter 9: heroism&villainyForget the flashy powers, forget flyingthrough the air, forget being bulletproof.These are tools, handy tools perhaps, butmerely tools in the fight against evil.What really separates a Hero from thecommon man is something else,something inside. Police officers have it,so do FireFighters. It takes more thanPowers to be a Hero. Likewise, there areplenty of Villains in the world who don’thave Powers. They stalk the night,looking through a different lense than thecommon man. Where you see friends,neighbors, co-workers, they see victims,like a Lion watching the herd, picking outthe weak, the most likely to submit, theprey.

Heroism

One of the ways Vigilance represents theheart of a Hero in game terms is throughHeroism Points. A game about Heroesand Villains should allow a character torise above, to make his player feel like heis running something that isn’t just acollection of numbers. Players arefantastic at crunching numbers. Theyknow what their average damage is, howmany attacks they can take, and howoften they hit. Three rounds into acombat, a good player can tell you theBAB of his opponent. This might be“metagaming”, but it’s a strategic part ofany game. Heroism and Villainy pointsalter that mix. A Villain willing to spendVillainy points freely will tilt the odds of anencounter greatly. GMs shouldencourage their characters to be Heroic,to challenge them, and to give themchances to show off. Let them flex the

considerable muscles they have at theirdisposal. This is as much role-playing asanything.

The Rewards of Valor

What follows is a list of some of the usesof Heroism Points. This list is by nomeans exhaustive, and GMs areencouraged to alter it to their liking. WhatHeroism points can and cannot do willaffect the tone of the campaign. The usesfor Heroism points listed below assume a“default” realism level of four-color (that ofthe major comic companies). If a GMwishes to run a more gritty campaign, forexample, he might not allow Heroismpoints to be used to reduce damage orimprove Saving throws. This will makecharacters much more vulnerable anddeath a more common occurrence.

Altering die rolls: This is the most basicuse of a Heroism Point. The charactersimply announces he is spending thepoint, then adds 1d6/5 levels to whateverroll he is making. Heroism Points can beused to alter Attack rolls, Saving Throws,Skill Checks, and Initiative rolls. Only oneHeroism Point may be spent on any givendie roll in this fashion.

Protection and Healing: Heroism pointscan also be used to defend a character.He can use a Heroism point to increase isDefense by 5 for one round, or to reducethe damage from an attack by 5. Unlikealtering die rolls, a character may spendas many Heroism Points for Protectionand Healing as he wishes in a round.This is one of the reasons why teamwork

58

is such a handy feat for a team. If acharacter gets hit with a critical and isgoing to take 50 points of damage, hecould reduce that damage substantially,turning an attack that would alter thecourse of a battle into just another hit.

Avoid Death: Another important use ofHeroism is to save the character’s life. Ifan attack would have killed a character,he can spend 5 Heroism Points to merelybe unconscious. If he doesn’t have fiveHeroism Points, the GM may allow eitherhim to go negative on Heroism Points,paying off the “debt” as he rises in level,or he may rule that the character dies.This is an important “atmosphere builder”for a campaign, and the GM shouldalways let the players know what he isand isn’t using Heroism for before thecampaign begins. If the GM allowsplayers to go negative on Heroism Pointsto avoid death, it will be almostnonexistent. A third option, is to allow aPlayer to go negative, but not allow him tospend Heroism points to avoid deathwhile he is negative.

VILLAINY

The Wages of Sin

Just as the uses of Heroism Points affectthe campaign, the uses of Villainy Pointsin some ways affect it even more. Forinstance, if the GM allows Heroes to doeverything with Heroism Points Villainscan do with Villainy Points, is there anyreal difference between them? This saysa lot about the campaign. The GM mightwant the difference between Heroes andVillains to be ambiguous. As with HeroPoints, the rules below have a “default”realism level that makes the difference

between Heroes and Villains very blackand white.

Altering Die Rolls: Like Heroes, Villainscan spend Villainy points to alter die rollsat the rate of 1d6/5 levels. However,Villainy points can be used to alterdifferent types of die rolls. Villainy Pointsmodify attack rolls, damage rolls, andinitiative rolls.

Deadly Attacks: A Villain can pour hishatred and venom into his attacks,making them particularly potent. A Villainspend a Villainy point to raise the DC of aSaving Throw vs. one if his attacks byfive, or to automatically make asuccessful attack a Critical Threat.

Mysterious Death: A Villain can spend 2Villainy Points to “die” in a way that allowshim to come back later in the campaign.He could fall off a cliff, his body neverrecovered, only to reappear later. At least4 game sessions must pass before theVillain can return if he uses this ability.

Escape Route: For 5 Villainy Points theVillain can instantly escape by someprearranged route when a battle goesagainst him.

Walking the Line

It is also possible for the GM to addcomplexity by using the above cut anddried system for Heroism and Villainypoints, but allow the players to spend apoint either way. However, there areconsequences. If a character spends aHeroism point as a Villainy Point heimmediately earns a Villainy Point, andmust make a Will Save (DC 15) or Shiftone step toward evil.

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Appendix 1: Tables and Charts

Included below, for your convenience, is a list of all the Powers, and what classes theyare Class Powers for. Special thanks to Peter Antonacopoulos for the idea to put thesetables in.

O= Class Power X= Cross-Class Power

Powers Acr Br Det EP GadPsyArmor X O X O O XAura X X X O X XBlast X X X O X OClaws X O X X X XDanger Sense O X O X X ODamage Touch X O X O X XDeflection O X X X X XDensity Increase X O X X X XDesolidification O X X O X XEnhanced Senses X X O X X XEnsnaring Attack O X O O X XFlight O X X O O OGrowth X O X X X XInvisibility O X X O X OLife Support X O X X O XLight Control X X X O O XMetamorphosis X X O X X XMind Control X X X X X OPlasticity O X X X X XRadar Sense X X O X O XRegeneration X O X X X XShrinking O X X X X XSonar X X O X O XSpectral Sight X X O X O XSuper Running O X X X X XSuperhuman Dex O X X O X XSuperhuman Durability X O X X X XSuperhuman Intelligence X X O X O XSuperhuman Presence X O O X X OSuperhuman Strength X O X X X XSuperhuman Will X X X X X OTelekinesis X X X X X OTelepathy X X X X X OTeleport O X X X X OTime Manipulation X X X X O OUnique Item O O O X O XUnique Vehicle X X O X O XWeather Control X X X O X XX-ray Vision X X O X X X

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And here’s the same table, with the same format, for the Prestige Classes.

Powers Beh Men MM Pow Sec SpdArmor O X X O X XAura X X X O X XBlast X X O O X XClaws O X X X X XDanger Sense X O O X O XDamage Touch O X X O X XDeflection X O X X O ODensity Increase O X X X X XDesolidification X X O O O XEnhanced Senses X O X X O XEnsnaring Attack X X X O X OFlight X X X O X OGrowth O X X X X XInvisibility X X O X O XLife Support O X X X X OLight Control X X X O X XMetamorphosis X X X X O XMind Control X X O X X XPlasticity X X X X X XRadar Sense X O X X X ORegeneration O X X X X XShrinking X X X X X XSonar X O X X X OSpectral Sight X O X X O XSuper Running X X X X X OSuperhuman Dex X X X X X OSuperhuman Durability O X X X X XSuperhuman Intelligence X O X X X XSuperhuman Presence O O O O O OSuperhuman Strength O X X X X XSuperhuman Will X O O X O XTelekinesis X X O O X XTelepathy X X O X X XTeleport X X O X X OTime Manipulation X X X X X XUnique Item X X X X O XUnique Vehicle X O X X O XWeather Control X X X O X XX-ray Vision X X X X X X

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15 COPYRIGHT NOTICEOpen Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.Vigilance Copyright 2002 by Charles Rice