TEXT: XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
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  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
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  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
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  XD12 Superhero System 
  Superpowered roleplaying! 
  By matt frisbee 
  Cover & selected interior art by Barry smith 
   
  Some artwork copyrighted by Robert Hemminger, used with permission. 
  Contact: avalon@comstar-games.com 
   
  Some artwork copyright Paul Arden Lidberg / Team Frog Studios, used with permission 
   
  Some artwork copyright Art of War Games, used with permission. 
  Contact: deadredspartan@yahoo.com 
   
  Additional Interior Art by: 
  Joe Singleton (joe@joesingleton.us) 
  Skortched Urf Studios (skortched.urf.studios@gmail.com) 
   
  SPECIAL THANKS TO THE ALPHA RULES PLAYTESTERS 
  Alice Peng 
  Brandon Powers 
  Aldo J. Regalado 
  Laura Vance 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  XD12 Superhero System © 2020 Matt Frisbee 
  mrfrizgames@gmail.com 
  All rights reserved.  No portion of this work may be reproduced in any fashion or by any means without the 
  expressed, written consent of the author, save for those sections or pages that indicate otherwise, which are 
  intended for personal, non-commercial uses only. 
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  4 
   
  TABLE OF CONTENTS                       
   
  05 The Basics 
   
   
  Terminology 
   
   
  Standard Difficulties Table 
  06  
  Benchmarks Table 
   
   
  Materials Table 
  07  
  Traits 
   
   
  Edges 
   
   
  Power Tiers 
  08 Combat 
   
   
  Scale 
   
   
  The Combat Rounds 
   
   
  Initiative 
   
   
  Actions 
   
   
  Action Types 
  09  
  Pre-Combat Free Actions 
   
   
  Interrupt Actions 
   
   
  Making an Attack 
   
   
  Damage 
   
   
  Damage Dice 
   
   
  Damage Effects 
   
   
   
  Catatonic 
  10  
   
  Critically Wounded 
   
   
   
  Knocked Out (KO’d) 
   
   
   
  Stunned 
   
   
   
  Traumatized 
   
   
   
  Wounded 
  11  
  Lethal Damage from Standard Attacks 
   
   
  Throwback 
   
   
  Healing 
   
  Fate Dice 
   
   
  Standard Fate Dice Use 
   
   
  Automatic Success 
   
   
  Power Feats 
  12 Environmental Damage 
   
   
  Asphyxiation / Drowning / Suffocation 
   
   
  Deprivation 
  Falling 
  Horror / Insanity 
  13  
  Pressure / Vacuum 
   
   
   
  Pressure 
   
   
   
  Vacuum 
   
   
  Radiation 
   
   
  Toxin / Disease 
  14 Character Creation 
   
   
  Power Tiers 
   
   
  Attributes 
  15  
  Edges 
   
   
   
  Edges Listing 
   
   
   
  Edge Descriptions 
   
  20  
  Powers 
   
   
   
  Boosters & Limiters 
   
   
   
   &  Powers 
   
   
   
  Power Tier Table 
   
   
   
   Powers 
   
   
   
  Standard Boosters 
  21  
   
  Standard Limiters 
  23  
   
  Custom Boosters and Limiters 
   
   
   
  Power Types 
   
   
   
  Powers Listing 
  24  
   
  Powers Descriptions 
  65  
  Subplots 
  71 XD12 Character Sheet 
  72 Sample Character – Nightfall 
  73 Sample Villain – Mister Maul 
  74 Experience & Reputation 
   
   
  Experience 
   
   
  Reputation 
  75 Supervillain Secrets 
   
   
  Bonus Dice 
   
   
  Experienced Villains 
   
   
  Fiat Dice 
   
   
  Supervillain Subplot Activation 
   
   
  Supervillain Teams 
  76  
  Minions 
   
   
  Hideouts 
   
   
  Populating the Setting 
   
   
  The Old Hands vs. The Fresh Faces 
  77 Sample Setting 
   
   
  Welcome to Lakeport, Wisconsin 
   
   
  Financial Notes 
   
   
  Social 
   
   
  Recreation 
  78  
  Lakeport Districts Map 
   
   
  City Districts Overview 
  80 Example of Play 
  88 Gallery of Rogues 
   
   
  Aunt Arctica 
  89  
  Black Arrow 
  90  
  Clockwork 
  91  
  Madame Motley 
  92  
  Meteorica 
  93  
  Shadow Tiger 
  94  
  Techno 
  95  
  Thundara 
  96 Helpful Tables and Charts 
  98 Index 
  99 The Final Word… 
   
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  5 
   
  THE BASICS 
   
   
  Welcome to the XD12 Superhero System (XD12SS for 
  short), and thank you for supporting Your Friendly 
  Neighborhood Game Designer!  Believe it or not, 
  Monoceros Games is pretty much a one-man band, though 
  I do have a great bunch of friends and fellow gamers who 
  have provided input into this project!  To all of you, thank 
  you so very much for your help and advice! 
  I’m going to assume this isn’t the first time you’ve 
  played a tabletop roleplaying game and jump right into 
  defining the terms and mechanics you’ll need to know.  If 
  you’re feeling a bit lost or have a rules question, please 
  contact me at mrfrizgames@gmail.com. 
  Let’s start with what you’ll need to play.  First and 
  foremost, you’re going to need at least two people who are 
  interested in playing comic book superhero characters or 
  running the game or both. 
  One of these people is going to be the referee. This is 
  the person who runs the game by setting up the 
  adventures, playing the villains and other people in the 
  game setting, and describing what the characters 
  experience, deciding what happens when the characters try 
  to do things, and so on. 
  Everyone else at the table will be players.  Each of 
  these people is the controller of one of the heroes in the 
  game, deciding what that character does and says during 
  each gaming session. 
  The next thing needed are dice.  As you might expect, 
  XD12SS uses 12-sided dice – a lot of them.  Depending on 
  how powerful the heroes and villains are in the game, you 
  may need as many as a dozen 12-siders for each player 
  and the referee.  In these rules, I’ll be using the shorthand 
  ‘D’ to represent 12-sided dice, placing a number in front of 
  the letting to indicate how many.  Thus 6D, for example, 
  means six 12-sided dice. 
  The other kind of dice used in this game are the 
  standard 6-sided dice, though each person won’t need 
  more than a couple of these.  In these rules, they’ll be 
  referred to as ½D, since they’re half the value of a 12-sided 
  die.  If any other roll is needed, I’ll refer to them with a lower 
  case ‘d’ instead; such as 2d. 
  You will also need a copy of the character record sheet 
  found in this book, or a reasonable facsimile, for each hero 
  in the game.  Referees will probably want to use character 
  record sheets for the supervillains in their adventures. 
  In addition to all that, you’ll probably want some scratch 
  paper or a notebook to keep track of details in the game 
  during play; a few reliable writing instruments of your 
  choice; at least one copy of these rules, of course; plus, a 
  nice, level table surface for dice rolling, writing, etc.  While 
  some referees may wish to use a gaming screen to hide 
  their dice roll results and adventure notes from the players, 
  it is a matter of personal preference.  The same goes with 
  miniatures and maps. 
  Terminology 
   
  XD12SS is designed to simulate the characters and 
  adventures found in superhero comic books, movies, and 
  television series.  To that end, all characters will have traits 
  representing in game terms what they can do. 
   
  Traits are rated by the number of 12-sided dice a 
  character’s controller rolls when attempting to do something 
  using that trait – which is called a task roll.  Traits are rated 
  from 1D on the low end to 12D on the high end.  If the 
  character doesn’t have a specific trait, his controller rolls a 
  six-sided die (a ½D) instead. 
   
  The number of dice the character has in a trait is called 
  his trait rating.  This is sometimes used as the difficulty for 
  task rolls that others make that may involve the character 
  (such as determining if an attack hits the character).  To get 
  an idea of what trait ratings represent, check out the 
  Benchmarks and Materials Tables on the next page. 
   
  When a task roll is made, each of the dice rolled are 
  compared to the task’s difficulty, which is set between 2 
  (practically a sure thing) and 12 (a harrowing task).  The 
  normal difficulty for most tasks is 7. 
   
  Standard Task Difficulties Table 
  # 
  Difficulty 
  # 
  Difficulty 
  2 
  Sure Thing 
  8 
  Challenging 
  3 
  Child’s Play 
  9 
  Daunting 
  4 
  Trivial 
  10 
  Vexing 
  5 
  Easy 
  11 
  Demanding 
  6 
  Mundane 
  12 
  Harrowing 
  7 
  Normal 
  13+ 
  Impossible (?) 
   
  In a standard task roll, if one or more of the dice rolled 
  is equal to or greater than the difficulty, the task is 
  successful.  If all of the dice show numbers less than the 
  difficulty, the task fails. 
  In an effect task roll, the number of dice you roll that 
  equal or exceed the difficulty matter – and are called 
  success dice.  The number of success dice in a task roll 
  indicate the effect level of the task, which is often used by 
  the referee to determine what happens as a result.  Usually, 
  the greater the effect level, the better the character did on 
  the task. 
   
  The final type of task roll is the opposed task roll, 
  where two or more characters are opposing one another.  
  In that case, each character makes a task roll with the most 
  applicable trait, using the number of dice the other 
  character is rolling for his difficulty for the task.  The 
  character with the most success dice succeeds in the 
  competition.   
  The amount of victory – the effect level – of an opposed 
  task is determined by the differential between the victor’s 
  success dice and the opponent’s success dice.  This is 
  most common in a damage / effect task roll when a 
  character is using a trait against another character or 
  combatant. 
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  6 
   
  Benchmarks Table 
  TR 
  Speed 
  Time 
  Weight 
  Distance 
  1/128 
  - - - 
  - - - 
  1 ounce 
  ½ inch 
  1/64 
  - - - 
  - - - 
  ¼ pound 
  1 inch 
  1/32 
  - - - 
  - - - 
  ½ pound 
  3 inches 
  1/16 
  - - - 
  - - - 
  1 pound 
  6 inches 
  ⅛ 
  - - - 
  - - - 
  5 lbs. 
  1 foot 
  ¼ 
  Stationary 
  Instantaneous 
  10 lbs. 
  1 yard 
  ½ 
  1 mph 
  1 second 
  25 lbs. 
  2.5 yds. 
  1 
  5 mph 
  10 seconds 
  50 lbs. 
  5 yds. 
  2 
  10 mph 
  30 seconds 
  100 lbs. 
  25 yds. 
  3 
  25 mph 
  1 minute 
  250 lbs. 
  50 yds. 
  4 
  50 mph 
  5 minutes 
  500 lbs. 
  100 yds. 
  5 
  100 mph 
  30 minutes 
  2 tons 
  250 yds. 
  6 
  250 mph 
  1 hour 
  10 tons 
  1 mile 
  7 
  500 mph 
  12 hours 
  25 tons 
  2.5 miles 
  8 
  Mach 1 
  1 day 
  50 tons 
  10 miles 
  9 
  Mach 5 
  1 week 
  100 tons 
  25 miles 
  10 
  Sublight 
  1 month 
  1 kiloton 
  100 miles 
  11 
  Lightspeed 
  1 year 
  10 kilotons 
  1,000 miles 
  12 
  Warp Speed 
  10 years 
  100 kilotons 
  10,000 miles 
  13+ 
  Hyperwarp 
  x10 per +TR 
  x10 per +TR 
  x10 per +TR 
   
  Materials Table 
  TR 
  Material Strength / Resistance 
  ¼ 
  Plastic Wrap, Tissue Paper 
  ½ 
  Gauze, Paper 
  1 
  Cardboard, Linen, Styrene 
  2 
  Drywall, Interior Door, Lexan, Plate Glass 
  3 
  Exterior Door, Leather, Plywood, Safety Glass 
  4 
  Car Door, Chain Mail Armor, Cinderblock, Fire Door 
  5 
  Curtain Wall, Light Pole, Riot Gear, Tree Trunk 
  6 
  Armored Car, Ballistic Armor, Brick / Stone Wall, Sheet Metal 
  7 
  Bomb Squad Armor, Reinforced Concrete, Stone Column 
  8 
  AFV Armor, Ship’s Hull, Street Pavement 
  9 
  Highway Pavement, Steel I-Beam, Plastisteel 
  10 
  Airport Runway, Transteel 
  11 
  Diamond 
  12 
  Progressium 
  13+ 
  Eternite 
   
   
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
   
  Collision Damage: Damage inflicted to a target by a 
  moving object or vehicle has a base damage trait rating 
  equal to the speed TR (i.e. that’s how many d12 are rolled 
  to determine the damage Effect Level to the target).  
  Distance Note: A combat space is a volume that is 
  approximately 10 x 10 x 10 yards.  Interior combat spaces 
  are usually smaller. 
   
  Leaping: A character’s Leap or Teleport power 
  translates directly to the Distance column for non-combat 
  use.  See a power’s description for its use in combat. 
   
  Lifting: 
  A 
  character’s 
  Strength 
  attribute 
  or 
  Psychokinesis power will be able to lift the weight listed for 
  the trait rating.  Any weight one or more trait ratings less 
  than the trait’s maximum can be carried or thrown. 
   
  Material:  The trait rating of a specific material indicates 
  the equivalent Armor trait rating provided to a target if used 
  as cover, or the resistance trait rating to damage inflicted. 
   
  Movement: A character’s trait rating in a typical 
  movement power (Fly, Run, Swing, Swim) usually indicates 
  non-combat use speed.  See power descriptions for details. 
   
  Throwing: The maximum distance an object can be 
  thrown is equal to the difference between the character’s 
  trait rating and the object’s weight TR.  Thus, a Strength 8D 
  character could throw a car (2 tons, Weight TR 5) about 50 
  yards (Distance TR 3) or five combat spaces.  The referee 
  may alter the distance based on conditions (balance, 
  aerodynamics, size, etc.) 
   
  Time Note: A combat round lasts approximately 10 
  seconds. 
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
   
  Opposed Task Roll Example 
   
  If a spy is trying to sneak past a guard, the spy would 
  use his Agility trait while the guard would use his Perception 
  trait.  If the spy is Agility 5D and the guard is Perception 4D, 
  then the spy’s controller rolls five 12-sided dice with a 
  difficulty of 4, while the guard’s controller rolls four dice with 
  a difficulty of 5. 
   
  The spy’s controller rolls 1, 6, 7, 9, and 10 for a total of 
  4 success dice.  The guard’s controller rolls 1, 3, 6, and 8, 
  for a total of 2 success dice.  The spy wins the contest with 
  an effect level of (4 – 2 =) 2, and manages to get past the 
  guard without being noticed. 
   
   
  Heroes in XD12SS have a special advantage over the 
  villains in the game called fate dice.  Each hero has a pool 
  of fate dice he can expend to add a single success to a task 
  roll his controller makes – either to gain a single success 
  from a failed roll, or to improve the effect level of a 
  successful one.  Fate dice also have other uses that will be 
  detailed later on.  Only one fate die may be expended in a 
  single task roll, and once all dice in the pool are expended, 
  the character no longer has the benefit.  However, a 
  character can gain additional fate dice during play through 
  various means. 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  7 
   
  Traits 
   
  Okay, we’ve talked about traits in passing, but what are 
  they, exactly?  Glad you asked.  A trait represents an ability 
  the character has.  In the game, there are two types of traits 
  – attributes and powers – which are expressed as a 
  number of dice; the number of 12-sided dice the character’s 
  controller rolls when attempting a task with that trait. 
   
  Attributes represent the basic abilities all people have 
  to some extent.  In the game there are nine primary 
  attributes and three derived attributes.  The primary 
  attributes are determined by the number of character dice 
  expended in each when the character is created before 
  play.  If a character expends no dice in a primary attribute, 
  its value is ½D, meaning the character’s controller will roll 
  a six-sided die for task rolls with that attribute.  The derived 
  attributes have each of their values determined by the 
  number of dice in three of the primary attributes – rounding 
  up in cases where half-dice are present. 
   
  Powers are those incredible abilities that separate 
  superheroes and supervillains from the rest of humanity – 
  the ability to fly, or shoot beams of energy, or turn invisible, 
  for examples.  Like attributes, these are also rated in dice.  
  Unlike attributes, there are some powers that are especially 
  useful or powerful in comparison to the others, and will 
  require additional character dice expenditures to achieve 
  the same number of dice as in attributes. 
   
  Edges 
   
  Characters have one other set of abilities that are 
  supplemental to their traits, representing skills, personal 
  experience, birthrights, or special advantages not everyone 
  has. They are called edges.  An edge is a pool of dice the 
  character can use to supplement the number of dice in an 
  attribute or power task roll, or to pump up an attribute’s trait 
  rating when it is being used as the difficulty for a task roll 
  being made by someone else that will affect the character 
  either directly or indirectly.  However, edge dice 
  expenditures are limited to the specific situations where 
  they apply. 
  Like fate dice, edge dice are expended during the 
  course of a gaming session and reset at the beginning of 
  the next session.  Unlike fate dice, a character may expend 
  as many edge dice as he has remaining in that edge’s pool 
  on a single task roll – so long as he doesn’t violate the 
  campaign cap of the game.  For each character die 
  expended on edges, the character gains two edge dice.  
  Also, the maximum number of dice a character may have 
  in a single edge pool is equal to the campaign cap of the 
  game.  All edge dice must be full dice – no half-dice are 
  allowed for edges. 
   
  Power Tiers 
   
  There are four power tiers in play for XD12SS – 
  human, metahuman, superhuman, and ultrahuman.  
  Each tier represents a relative level of power available to 
  characters and an upper limit to the number of dice any 
  particular trait may have. 
  Human level characters – which are people like most 
  of us in the real world – will have a maximum of 3D for a 
  trait for a starting character.  Traits for humans are limited 
  to attributes and edges.  In general, humans cannot have 
  powers, unless they are in the form of items. 
  Metahuman level characters represent people who 
  have either attained enhanced traits through extensive 
  training – like an athlete or an elite agent – or have lower 
  level superhuman powers that make them somewhat better 
  than the average person.  Often, player-characters of this 
  level are thought of as ‘street-level’ or ‘crimefighter’ types 
  protecting a single city or district in a very large metropolis.  
  Metahuman characters have a maximum of 6D for a trait or 
  edge for a starting character.  This doesn’t imply that all of 
  the character’s traits will be metahuman level, of course. 
  Superhuman level characters are the superheroes 
  and supervillains – the types that pop into mind when it 
  comes to comic books, movies, and television series.  They 
  may protect a single city by themselves, or team up with 
  others of their ilk to protect nations or entire worlds.  
  Superhuman characters have a maximum of 9D for a trait 
  or edge for a starting character.  This is the ‘default level’ 
  for superhero campaigns. 
  Ultrahuman level characters are the high-end supers 
  – tasked with protecting worlds by themselves, or teaming 
  up with their peers to protect interstellar regions, and even 
  entire galaxies.  Ultrahuman characters have a maximum 
  of 12D for a trait or edge for a starting character.  
  Ultrahuman villains are often challenges for teams of 
  superhuman heroes as well. 
   
   
   
   
   
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  8 
   
  COMBAT 
   
  Scale 
  Combat is somewhat abstract in XD12SS with no set 
  scale or grids for movement.  Instead, this game’s 
  battlegrounds employ the idea of Spaces.  Spaces are 
  roughly ten yards across outdoors, but can be smaller for 
  subdivided interior spaces.  Vertical distances are 
  measured in spaces as well.  Spaces regulate combat 
  movement as well as help define who and what is in the 
  character’s general vicinity without turning combat into a 
  purely tactical exercise.  Any combatants in the same space 
  can make touch and melee attacks against one another 
  without taking an action to move. 
  There are also Features within a space, which are 
  items or locations that are of particular interest – a vehicle, 
  a dumpster, a fire escape, a piece of furniture, a light pole, 
  a news stand – any significant object or small structure 
  qualifies.  Anything a character could reasonably do on, 
  around, inside, behind, etc. with a feature should be 
  permitted by the referee. 
  It’s the referee’s decision to map out a combat scene 
  or not.  If there will be a large number of combatants, it’s 
  usually easier to keep track of the combat with a map and 
  counters or miniatures.  Smaller numbers of combatants 
  can generally be handled with a quick sketch on scratch 
  paper, or in the theater of the mind. 
   
  The Combat Round 
  Each combat round in XD12SS covers about ten 
  seconds of time in the game setting, meaning there are six 
  rounds per minute.  In a combat round, everyone gets an 
  opportunity to act, though it is entirely possible that a 
  combatant may not be able to act due to being stunned, 
  knocked out, or otherwise prevented by power effects. 
   
  Initiative 
  Each character has an Initiative attribute that is the 
  average (rounding up) of the TR’s of his Perception, 
  Prowess, and Reflexes attribute.  The trait rating of his 
  Initiative is the number of actions he may take during a 
  combat round.  If two combatants on opposing sides of a 
  conflict have the same Initiative, they should make an 
  opposed task roll to determine who has the opportunity to 
  act first between them 
   
  Characters are ranked by the number of actions each 
  gets during each round of the combat scene, from highest 
  to lowest.  The character with the greatest number of 
  actions gets the opportunity to act first, and play proceeds 
  down the order until all characters have had the opportunity 
  to perform their actions. 
   
   
   
  Actions 
  During each combat round, each character will get the 
  opportunity to take a number of actions – combat, free, and 
  move.  A character may only take one combat action in a 
  round (though he may make more than one attack in that 
  action if he has the Rapid Attack power).  A character may 
  take free and move actions as long as he has actions to 
  expend in a given round. 
  A combatant doesn’t have to take all of his actions at 
  once.  He can expend a free action to hold his remaining 
  actions until later in the round.  However, no actions can be 
  held from one combat round to the next.  
  When all combatants have had the opportunity to act, 
  any characters holding actions may opt (in initiative order) 
  to expend any remaining actions they have.  Each may 
  elect to pass, or take one, some, or all of their available 
  actions at that time. 
    If all of the combatants from opposing sides have 
  been taken out of the fight or have fled the battleground, 
  the combat scene ends.  Otherwise, each character again 
  has his full number of actions to take, the initiative returns 
  to the top of the order, and another round begins. 
   
  Action Types 
  A combat action means the character is making an 
  attack or supporting an attack by another combatant.  
  Combat actions are fairly straightforward – the character 
  uses them to make an attack against another combatant or 
  other target (such as an object or a combat space, for those 
  powers with the Area of Effect booster). 
  A free action indicates the character is taking some 
  type of non-combative miscellaneous action.  This is a 
  broad category of possibilities for a character, but generally 
  encompasses everything that isn’t covered by combat or 
  move actions. 
  The more common types of free actions are: 
   Activate or deactivate a continuing power, 
   Make a standard Intelligence or Perception task roll; 
   Use a non-combative trait; 
   Recover from being stunned; 
   Go prone or stand without moving; 
   Switch powers in a Power Array or Power Pool; and 
   Give instructions to one or more NPC’s. 
  A move action permits a character without a 
  movement power to run from one combat space to another 
  (or up to 10 yards out of combat) for each move action he 
  expends during a round.  Characters with a movement 
  power may move up to a number of combat spaces 
  indicated in the power’s description based on the trait rating 
  of that power. 
   
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  9 
   
  Pre-Combat Free Actions 
  All characters who are aware they are initiating combat 
  (i.e. are not unaware or surprised) get two free actions 
  before the combat scene begins to get ready for that 
  combat.  More often than not, such characters will activate 
  powers, ready weapons, etc. 
   
  Interrupt Actions 
   
  If a character is holding one or more actions, he may 
  attempt to interrupt another character’s declared action 
  before it happens, rather than wait until the end of the 
  round.  In order to do so, his controller must perform an 
  interrupt by announcing the intended action, and then make 
  an Initiative opposed task roll versus the Initiative of the 
  character he is interrupting.  If the interrupter wins the 
  contest, his action(s) are performed first.  If the originally 
  acting character wins, then the interrupter’s action(s) occur 
  after she performs her actions. 
   
  Making an Attack 
  To make an attack, the character expends a combat 
  action, declares the target(s) of the attack, what power will 
  be used for damage or effect from the attack, and makes 
  an opposed attribute task roll, with both attacker and target 
  using the appropriate attribute for the attack type.  Note that 
  appropriate edge dice may be added to increase the 
  number of dice attacker and/or defender rolls, thereby 
  increasing the difficulty for the other.  If the attacker 
  achieves at least one effect level in the task, the target may 
  be affected by the power the attacker is using. 
   
  There are four types of attacks – melee, mental, 
  ranged, and touch – and each is handled slightly 
  differently. 
   
  Touch and Melee attacks use the Prowess attribute.  
  In order to use a touch or melee attack, the attacker and 
  target must be in the same combat space (or within 10 
  yards of each other) and the attacker must not have a 
  condition or situation that prevents his ability to make the 
  attack.  Note that a character with the Stretch power may 
  be able to make ranged touch and melee attacks. 
   
  Touch attacks differ from melee attacks in that melee 
  attacks may apply bonus damage dice from the attacker’s 
  Strength attribute (thus requiring the attack to be able to 
  use his Strength to make such an attack).  A touch attack 
  solely relies on the damage power’s trait rating to determine 
  damage. 
   
  Ranged attacks use the Reflexes attribute.  Ranged 
  attacks generally require Line of Sight between the attacker 
  and target, and the attacker must not have a condition or 
  situation that prevents his ability to make the attack.  Unless 
  the attacker has the Accuracy booster for the attack power, 
  the attacker’s difficulty increases by one for every combat 
  space (ten-yard increment) between himself and the target. 
   
  Mental attacks use the Ego attribute.  Mental attacks 
  generally require Line of Sight between the attacker and 
  target, and the attacker must not have a condition or 
  situation that prevents his ability to make the attack.  Mental 
  attacks are generally not affected by range. 
   
  Damage 
  An attacker who makes a successful attack task roll has 
  the possibility of inflicting damage or applying effect levels 
  of a non-damaging power to the target. 
  The attacker’s controller makes an opposed task roll 
  against the target’s controller.  The attacker uses the attack 
  power’s trait rating, while the target’s controller uses the 
  trait rating of an appropriate defense power; or her Fortitude 
  attribute trait rating for a melee, ranged, or touch attack; or 
  her Ego attribute for a mental attack.  If the power doesn’t 
  do damage, then refer to the power description for the 
  appropriate method to determine the power’s effectiveness. 
  If this is a melee attack, the attacker also gains 
  additional damage dice from the trait rating of his Strength 
  attribute as well.  Note that the target may apply edge dice 
  from her Mental Discipline edge for a mental attack or 
  power. 
  If the attacker achieves one or more Effect Levels 
  versus the target, the target sustains that many dice of 
  Stamina damage if it is a standard attack of any type; a 
  lethal attack inflicts one die of Fortitude damage if it is a 
  physical attack, or one die of Ego damage if it is a mental 
  attack for every three dice of Stamina damage inflicted.  If 
  the attack is non-damaging, the target is affected by the 
  number of Effect Levels of the attacker’s power. 
   
  Damage Dice 
   
  When damage is applied to one of Ego, Fortitude, or 
  Stamina, the effect level of the power reduces the targeted 
  attribute by -1D per point of effect level.  When an attribute 
  is reduced in this fashion, there is a chance the character 
  will be adversely affected by the damage inflicted.  If one of 
  these attributes is reduced to 0D by damage from an attack, 
  there are automatic adverse results for the character. 
   
  Damage Effects 
   
  Catatonic:  When a character’s Ego attribute is 
  reduced to 0D by damage, the character is catatonic.  A 
  catatonic character needs immediate medical attention or 
  she could perish from extreme mental / psychological 
  trauma.  A character who is catatonic is automatically 
  knocked out, with all the effects of that condition. 
   
  While a character is catatonic, she must make a 
  Fortitude standard task roll every minute (six combat 
  rounds) with a difficulty equal to the sum of one and the 
  number of minutes that have elapsed since the character 
  was rendered catatonic.  A catatonic character may expend 
  fate dice to succeed at this task until help arrives.  If this roll 
  is failed before help arrives, the character either dies, or 
  lapses into a fugue state that will require extensive 
  treatment for her recovery. 
   
  If the character is treated by a character with the Medic 
  edge, he must be able to touch the character, must expend 
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  10 
   
  a number of free actions equal to the power tier of the 
  catatonic character, and then must make an Intelligence 
  task roll with a difficulty equal to the patient’s Ego trait 
  rating.  If the medic character is successful, the effect rating 
  is the number of Ego dice restored to the patient and the 
  patient is no longer catatonic or in danger of dying.  The 
  character will still be knocked out, and will need to be 
  revived from that state. 
   
  If the character is subjected to the Heal power, the 
  effect level of the task roll is the number of Ego dice 
  restored to the character.  The character will still be 
  knocked out, and will need to be revived as per that 
  condition’s rules. 
   
   
  Critically Wounded: When a character’s Fortitude 
  attribute is reduced to 0D by damage, the character is 
  critically wounded.  A critically wounded character needs 
  immediate medical attention or she could perish from 
  extreme physical trauma.  A character who is critically 
  wounded is automatically knocked out, with all the effects 
  of that condition. 
   
  While a character is critically wounded, she must make 
  an Ego standard task roll every minute (six combat rounds) 
  with a difficulty equal to the sum of one and the number of 
  minutes that have elapsed since the character was critically 
  wounded.  A critically wounded character may expend fate 
  dice to succeed at this task until help arrives.  If this roll is 
  failed, the character dies, or lapses into a coma that will 
  require extensive treatment for her recovery. 
   
  If the character is treated by a character with the Medic 
  edge, he must be able to touch the character, must expend 
  a number of free actions equal to the power tier of the 
  catatonic character’s Fortitude trait rating, and then must 
  make an Intelligence task roll with a difficulty equal to the 
  patient’s Fortitude trait rating.  If the medic character is 
  successful, the effect rating is the number of Fortitude dice 
  restored to the patient and the patient is no longer critically 
  wounded or in danger of dying.  The character will still be 
  knocked out, and will need to be revived from that state. 
   
  If the character is subjected to the Heal power, the 
  effect level of the task roll is the number of Fortitude dice 
  restored to the character.  The character will still be 
  knocked out, and will need to be revived as per that 
  condition’s rules. 
   
   
  Knocked Out (KO’d): When a character’s Stamina 
  attribute is reduced to 0D by damage (it cannot be reduced 
  any lower than that – additional Stamina damage becomes 
  either Ego or Fortitude damage, depending on the attack 
  type), the character is knocked out. 
   
  If a KO’d character isn’t revived or subjected to the Heal 
  power, she goes prone (if allowed by conditions) and takes 
  no actions at all for the duration of the current scene.  All 
  active powers turn off unless they have the Always Active 
  limiter. 
   
  A character who is KO’d usually recovers all Stamina 
  dice at the beginning of the next scene.  Stamina is not 
  permanent damage, after all. 
   
   
  Stunned: When a character takes one or more dice of 
  Stamina damage, and her new temporary Stamina total is 
  equal to or less than the campaign cap (9D in the default 
  Superhuman Tier game), she makes a Stamina standard 
  task roll with a difficulty equal to the number of dice of 
  damage she sustained.  If the task is successful, there is no 
  effect.  If the character fails, she is stunned. 
   
  A stunned character cannot take any other actions until 
  she has expended a free action to recover or ‘shake it off.’  
  Any active ongoing powers that require concentration shut 
  off when the character is stunned.  A stunned character 
  defends against further attacks in the standard fashion, but 
  cannot expend edge dice until she has recovered. 
  A character can be stunned multiple times in 
  succession or even be stunned again while already 
  stunned.  A stunned character must expend a free action 
  for every stun result she has sustained before taking any 
  other actions. 
   
   
  Traumatized: A character who sustains Ego damage 
  dice makes an Ego standard task roll at the trait rating after 
  damage is applied, with a difficulty equal to the number of 
  damage dice the character sustained in the attack.  If the 
  task roll is successful, there is no effect.  If the character 
  fails, she is traumatized. 
   
  A traumatized character is automatically stunned and 
  must recover from being stunned before being able to take 
  actions again.  The effects from being stunned (see above) 
  all apply until the character can recover from being stunned. 
   
  Each time a character is traumatized, attackers 
  targeting her reduce the difficulty of all attack and damage 
  / effect task rolls they make by one.  So, if she’s traumatized 
  twice, all difficulties are reduced by two; traumatized a third 
  time and all difficulties are reduced by three; and so on. 
  This penalty is removed after she is successfully 
  treated by a character with the Medic edge, or she is 
  subjected to a successful use of the Heal power.  A 
  character may also recover naturally, but that will take 
  significant amounts of time. 
   
   
  Wounded: A character who sustains Fortitude damage 
  dice makes a Fortitude standard task roll at the trait rating 
  after damage is applied, with a difficulty equal to the 
  number of damage dice the character sustained in the 
  attack.  If the task roll is successful, there is no effect.  If the 
  character fails, she is wounded. 
   
  A wounded character is automatically stunned and 
  must recover from being stunned before being able to take 
  actions again.  The effects from being stunned (see above) 
  all apply until the character can recover from being stunned. 
   
  Each time a character is wounded, she increases the 
  difficulty of all task rolls she makes by one.  So, if she’s 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  11 
   
  wounded twice, all difficulties are increased by two; three 
  wounds and all difficulties are increased by three; and so 
  on. 
  This penalty is removed after her wounds are 
  successfully treated by a character with the Medic edge, or 
  she is subjected to a successful use of the Heal power.  A 
  character may also heal naturally, but that will take bedrest 
  and significant amounts of time. 
   
  Lethal Damage from Standard Attacks 
   
  If a character sustains additional Stamina damage 
  while he is at 0D, one-third of Stamina damage inflicted to 
  the target (dropping fractions) becomes -1D of Fortitude 
  damage for physical attacks, or -1D of Ego damage for 
  mental attacks.  Note that this does not apply to the attack 
  that reduces the target to 0D, but all subsequent attacks 
  after he’s been knocked out. 
   
  Throwback 
  A physical attack has the possibility of knocking the 
  target down or throwing the target back one or more combat 
  spaces.  If the total damage inflicted to the target is equal 
  to or greater than the target’s Strength trait rating, the target 
  makes a contested task roll versus the amount of damage 
  the attacker inflicted.  If the attacker wins the task, the target 
  is knocked back a number of combat spaces (10-yard 
  increments) equal to one less than the attacker’s effect 
  level.  If the result is a tie or the attacker only achieves one 
  effect level in the task, the target is knocked down in the 
  same space.  If the target wins the task, the target has no 
  throwback effect. 
   
  If the target is knocked down, she is considered prone 
  until she can expend a free action to stand up.  If the target 
  has one or more spaces of throwback, she immediately 
  flies or tumbles directly away from the direction of the 
  attack, and sustains additional Stamina damage equal to 
  the effect level of the throwback if she impacts a sufficiently 
  solid object before her involuntary movement stops.  Note 
  that active and passive defenses can be used to reduce or 
  eliminate throwback damage.  The target is considered 
  prone in the new location until she can expend a free action 
  to stand up. 
  Attackers reduce the difficulty of attack tasks by one 
  versus prone targets in the same combat space, while 
  attackers in other combat spaces increase the difficulty by 
  one instead.  Prone characters must expend a free action 
  to regain their feet, orient themselves, etc. 
   
  Healing 
   
  Characters generally recover any lost Stamina points 
  after a combat scene ends.  If another combat scene 
  follows immediately, a character can only recover half the 
  points he or she lost during the previous scene (rounding 
  up) before the next one starts. 
   
  Characters who have sustained Ego and/or Fortitude 
  damage recover those values at the rate of 1D per Power 
  Tier of the current value per day.  If the character is tended 
  by someone with the Medic edge, the patient will recover a 
  number of dice equal to the Medic’s Effect Level on a 
  healing task roll, which is made once per day. 
   
  If a character is walking wounded (i.e. adventuring 
  while still healing Ego and/or Fortitude dice), the value of 
  his Luck and/or Stamina derived attributes, are temporarily 
  lowered accordingly. 
   
  Fate Dice 
   
  The number of dice in a character’s fate dice pool is 
  equal to the sum of his Luck attribute and his Reputation 
  Rank.  Fate dice have a number of uses in the game, 
  making them a fairly useful commodity that the character 
  will have to expend wisely to carry the day.  Those uses are 
  detailed below. 
   
  Standard Fate Die Use 
   
  The standard expenditure of a fate die increases the 
  number of success dice in an effect or damage / effect task 
  roll the character makes by one, increasing the effect level 
  of that task. 
   
  Automatic Success 
   
  A character may expend a fate die to make a failed 
  standard task roll a success, or may expend it in advance 
  of a standard task roll to gain an automatic success with 
  that task.  This allows a character to succeed where 
  ordinarily he wouldn’t have a chance of success. 
   
  Power Feat 
   
  A power feat permits the character to do something 
  different with a power to simulate the effects of another 
  power – such as using his Fly power to lift a heavy object, 
  or use a water-based Blast to cushion the landing of a 
  falling character, etc. 
   
  In order to attempt a power feat, the character must 
  expend a fate die and then make a power effect task roll 
  with the difference of twelve and his Ego trait rating for the 
  difficulty.  The effect level of the roll becomes the trait rating 
  of the desired power effect. 
   
  For example, Maritime Man (Ego 5D) is attempting to 
  use his Blast (Water) 8D to safely lower a victim trapped in 
  a burning building to the ground (simulating Psychokinesis).  
  He expends a fate die to make the attempt and then his 
  controller rolls eight dice with a difficulty of (12 – 5 =) 7.  The 
  roll is 1, 2, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 12; giving his power feat an 
  effect level of four, or Psychokinesis 4D.  That is enough to 
  lower a typical person (up to 250 pounds) at a rate of 5 mph, 
  a safe descent rate. 
   
  If he’d desired, Maritime Man’s controller could have 
  expended an additional fate die to increase the effect level 
  of this task by one, bumping it to Psychokinesis 5D for this 
  task. 
   
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  12 
   
  ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE 
   
   
  Even without supervillains, monsters, natural and 
  manmade disasters, and having the fate of the world resting 
  on one’s shoulders occasionally, things can get pretty 
  dangerous in the life of a superhero.  This section covers 
  environmental damage; those situations when the place 
  your character is in is also trying to kill him. 
   
  Asphyxiation / Drowning / Suffocation 
   
  Whatever the means, cutting off a person’s oxygen 
  supply has immediate and highly detrimental effects to him.  
  Under controlled conditions, taking the time to get a full 
  breath, and assuming that the character is relatively calm 
  and moving slowly, a character can hold his breath for a 
  number of combat rounds (ten-second increments) equal to 
  his Fortitude trait rating without ill effects.  For every combat 
  round beyond that, the character expends a Stamina point 
  just for not being able to breathe.  If a character is taking 
  taxing or strenuous actions, then he must expend an 
  additional Stamina point for each action of that type.  The 
  referee decides what sorts of actions qualify as taxing or 
  strenuous, but making attacks, evading attacks, sustaining 
  damage, using Strength, etc. will qualify. 
  When the character is out of Stamina and still cannot 
  breathe or otherwise oxygenate himself, he passes out 
  (KO’d) and starts sustaining Fortitude damage (becoming 
  wounded) at the rate of -1D per combat round.  If he isn’t 
  rescued before he reaches Fortitude 0D, he becomes 
  critically wounded.  Note that any attempts at stabilization 
  will have to get the character to sufficient air before making 
  the attempt. 
   
  Deprivation 
   
  Environments that don’t provide food or water are slow 
  killers and generally only come into play during survival 
  scenarios 
  such 
  as 
  being 
  stranded 
  or 
  marooned 
  somewhere.  The situation is called Deprivation since 
  we’re not going into the nuts and bolts about starving and/or 
  dehydrating to death. 
  When in such conditions for a day or longer, a character 
  without the appropriate Life Support power (dehydration 
  and starvation) must make a Fortitude standard task roll 
  each day, with a difficulty determined by the referee based 
  on the environment and the character’s situation.  Note that 
  in extended scenarios, the difficulty should increase over 
  time.  If the character succeeds, he staves off ill effects for 
  the day.  If he fails, he suffers a die of Stamina damage that 
  doesn’t recover until he finds adequate food, water, and 
  shelter. 
  Once the character runs out of Stamina, he is unable to 
  care for himself and will begin to die in earnest.  Making the 
  Fortitude roll every three hours, and suffering -1D to that 
  attribute for failing the roll.  This continues until he is 
  rescued or perishes.  (While this is not something most 
  characters will face personally, it can be used in rescue 
  scenarios to represent how badly off the victims are.) 
  It is assumed that in order to make that roll, there will 
  be at least a little food and water in whatever environment 
  the character is in.  If there isn’t anything at all, then no 
  amount of foraging is going to help, so the roll automatically 
  fails. 
   
  Falling 
   
  These guidelines presume the character is falling in an 
  Earth-Standard gravity field with an atmosphere fairly close 
  to what you’d find on Earth.  The referee will need to alter 
  the parameters as needed for altered gravity and/or 
  atmospheric conditions.  It also presumes the character has 
  no means to fly or otherwise cannot slow his descent. 
   
  While it isn’t entirely realistic, a good rule of thumb is to 
  apply the number of vertical spaces (ten-yard increments) 
  as the trait rating of a Lethal Strike upon the character.  A 
  fall from a height greater than 12 vertical spaces (120 
  yards, roughly equivalent to a 35-story building) won’t do 
  any more than 12D, but for every additional increment of 
  vertical spaces equal to the character’s Fortitude trait 
  rating, the fall automatically inflicts an additional -1D 
  Fortitude damage. 
   
  As an example, say Nightfall (page 72) gets tossed off 
  the roof of an office building that is 70 stories tall, about 24 
  vertical spaces.  Assuming nobody can rescue him before 
  he greets the pavement below, he will sustain a Lethal 
  Strike 12D attack.  Since he is Fortitude 6D, he will sustain 
  (12 / 6 =) -2D Fortitude automatically, in addition to any 
  other damage he takes from the Lethal Strike. 
  Note that the falling character will reach terminal 
  velocity at 45 vertical spaces.  Terminal velocity is 120 
  miles per hour (roughly TR 5 on the Speed column of the 
  Benchmarks Table), so a falling character will continue to 
  fall about 60 vertical spaces every combat round (ten 
  seconds). 
   
  There are too many possible scenarios for rescuing a 
  falling character to detail them here.  In general, anyone 
  attempting a rescue will need to do it within ten seconds 
  (one combat round) – which, again, isn’t realistic, but works 
  for the game and genre – if the distance is 45 vertical 
  spaces or less. 
   
  Horror / Insanity 
   
  In extreme situations, people who are exposed to 
  horrific terrors or mind-warping experiences may not 
  emerge from them unharmed.  Repeated exposure to such 
  situations takes a toll on a person’s psyche, which can 
  leave them unable to function despite being physically 
  unharmed. 
   
  To simulate this in XD12SS, the effects of Horror or 
  Insanity are essentially Mental Blast (with the Lethal 
  booster) attacks that are environmental damage – so only 
  Mental Resistance will protect the character from the lethal 
  damage effects, while Mental Toughness can reduce or 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  13 
   
  prevent the Stamina damage.  Thus, the insanity or horror 
  will eat away at the character’s Ego until it is reduced to 0D, 
  leaving the character traumatized and possibly catatonic.  
  For monsters with this ability, the Mental Blast power 
  should be purchased with the Area of Effect (No Toggle) 
  booster – which makes it expensive and therefore rare. 
   
  Pressure / Vacuum 
   
  Sudden exposure to extreme over-pressures as well as 
  to soft or hard vacuum, is immediately detrimental and life-
  threatening to anyone without the proper Life Support.  
  Let’s take each in turn. 
   
  Pressure 
  This encompasses a character being forced to 
  evacuate a submarine or other underwater structure at 
  depth, enter a hostile high-pressure atmosphere without 
  protection, etc.  Real world survivable pressure limits on a 
  typical human top out around 65 atmospheres, which is 
  about 955 pounds per square inch – equal to being about 
  2,000 feet underwater, 67 vertical spaces. 
   
  In game terms, sudden exposure to higher pressure 
  subjects the character to a Lethal Strike attack with a trait 
  rating equal to +1D for every three atmospheres or three 
  vertical spaces underwater from the surface.  If the 
  character is more than 36 vertical spaces (just shy of 1100 
  feet) underwater or subjected to more than 36 atmospheres 
  of pressure, the character also takes an additional -1D 
  Fortitude damage that no defense can prevent for every 
  three additional vertical spaces or atmospheres. 
  Characters with Damage Resistance, Force Barrier 
  (Bubble Booster), Force Field, or Toughness may apply 
  those against the damage of pressure.  The good news is 
  that the damage is a one-time physical attack – if the 
  character survives the pressure change, he’ll take no 
  further damage so long as he remains at that pressure.  Of 
  course, unless the character has some form of Life Support 
  it’s going to be a moot point about the pressure change… 
   
  Vacuum 
   
  People getting sucked out into the vacuum of space is 
  a common trope of space adventure science-fiction.  
  Contrary to a lot of gory descriptions and depictions, 
  exposure to vacuum isn’t all that dramatic – just lethal. 
   
  First off, there’s no oxygen (or anything else) to 
  breathe, so you’ve got all the fun of asphyxiating (see 
  above) on top of the pressure change damage.  If you’re 
  out in space, you also have radiation to worry about, along 
  with exposure to extreme cold or heat (depending on how 
  close you are to the nearest star). 
   
  In game terms, exposure to hard vacuum is a Lethal 
  Blast 6D attack that occurs at the beginning of each combat 
  round (or every ten seconds).  Aside from Life Support 
  (Vacuum), the only powers that will reduce or prevent this 
  damage are Damage Resistance, Force Barrier (Bubble 
  Booster), Force Field, or Toughness. Remember that just 
  because the character has protection from the damage 
  doesn’t mean his troubles are over – as mentioned above… 
   
  Radiation 
   
  Ionizing radiation – the kind most people think of when 
  somebody says ‘radiation’ – is present in very small 
  amounts everywhere on Earth and to a larger degree out in 
  space.  It consists of highly energetic subatomic particles 
  (alpha and beta radiation) or penetrating electromagnetic 
  energy (cosmic rays, gamma rays, and X-rays) that come 
  from nuclear fission or nuclear fusion. 
   
  In game terms, radiation is a Lethal Blast that 
  automatically has the booster Piercing and the limiter Not 
  Versus Radiation Immunity that occurs at the beginning of 
  each combat round.  The intensity of the radiation depends 
  on both the intensity of the source and the amount of 
  protection the character happens to bring with him. 
   
  Often, heroic characters who are exposed to radiation 
  are mutated by the experience, and develop super-powers 
  as a result.  Other times (the original Captain Marvel, for 
  example), it simply kills the character either quickly or 
  slowly.  That is always up to the referee to decide. 
   
  Toxin / Disease 
   
  Characters have all sorts of possibilities for being 
  exposed to hazardous materials, poisons, venoms, toxins, 
  bacteria, viruses, nanites, etc.  While the exposure rules are 
  covered with the power Immunity (page 40), how damage 
  is inflicted is described below.  Note that this isn’t the same 
  as the real world, this is a simplification for the game. 
   
  When a character is affected by a toxin or disease (i.e. 
  fails his Fortitude standard task roll), he is subject to its 
  effects, which range from unpleasant to lethal, depending 
  on its hazard rating.  The hazard rating becomes the trait 
  rating of whatever sort of damage the pathogen inflicts.  
  Thus, a hazard rating 8 pathogen will have a trait rating of 
  8D when applied to the character.  Whatever sort of effect 
  the pathogen has should be constructed using the powers 
  presented for characters in the game.  The hazard rating 
  also is an indication of the difficulty for Medic task rolls to 
  attempt to treat and cure the character. 
  Toxins and diseases inflict their damage / effects based 
  on time increments.  Toxins may inflict damage every 
  combat round if particularly lethal, though may inflict 
  damage every minute or hour in slower-acting versions.  
  Diseases typically have an incubation time before the onset 
  of symptoms and subsequent damage.  Note that if a 
  character doesn’t have immunity, he will need medical 
  assistance to recover from the types of toxin / disease 
  exposure represented here. 
  All of the effects of a toxin or disease should be 
  described in game terms before a character’s exposure.  
  More often, such exposure will be to an associate or 
  innocent victim that the characters will be under the gun to 
  save. 
   
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  14 
   
  CHARACTER CREATION 
   
  Power Tiers 
   
  When making a character for play, the character’s 
  controller should decide what power tier the character will 
  be, as this determines the maximum trait rating that 
  character can have and how many dice the character can 
  have in total among attributes, edges, and powers. 
   
  Power Tiers Table 
  TR 
  Power Tier 
  Initial Dice Pool 
  ½ 
  X 
  X 
  1 
  Human 
  Trait Max 3D 
  30 character creation dice, 
  plus up to 5 subplots dice 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  Metahuman 
  Trait Max 6D 
  60 character creation dice, 
  plus up to 10 subplots dice 
  5 
  6 
  7 
  Superhuman 
  Trait Max 9D 
  90 character creation dice, 
  plus up to 15 subplots dice 
  8 
  9 
  10 
  Ultrahuman 
  Trait Max 12D 
  120 character creation dice, 
  plus up to 20 subplots dice 
  11 
  12 
   
   
  The default Power Tier for XD12SS is the Superhuman 
  level, which permits primary attributes, edge ratings, and 
  powers to reach a maximum of 9D each. 
  If desired, a Superhuman level character may also take 
  on up to 15 dice from subplots – those aspects of the 
  character that represent flaws, problems, or other situations 
  that could potentially affect the character adversely during 
  play, creating new challenges for him or her to overcome.  
  Dice from subplots may be used to improve the character’s 
  existing traits and edges, or to acquire new ones. 
   
  Attributes 
   
  Every character has nine primary attributes and three 
  derived attributes.  The primary attributes are Agility, Ego, 
  Empathy, Fortitude, Intelligence, Perception, Prowess, 
  Reflexes, and Strength. 
  Agility (AGL) measures the character’s physical 
  grace, coordination and basic athleticism. 
  Ego (EGO) represents the character’s force of will, 
  mental toughness, courage, and charisma.  Characters 
  wishing to use and resist combative mental powers will use 
  this attribute. 
  Empathy (EMP) rates the character’s ability to interact 
  and socialize with other people, as well as understand their 
  motivations, aspirations, and fears. 
  Fortitude (FOR) determines the character’s health, 
  physical toughness, and constitution.  This attribute helps 
  the character resist being stunned by an attack. 
  Intelligence (INT) measures the character’s wit, 
  mental acuity, memory, and problem-solving abilities. 
  Perception (PER) indicates the character’s sensory 
  acuity as well as the ability to rapidly interpret information 
  from his or her senses. 
  Prowess (PRO) represents the character’s raw combat 
  skill and is used when making and attempting to avoid 
  touch and melee attacks. 
  Reflexes (REF) is a measure of hand-to-eye 
  coordination and the character’s ability to act and react in 
  dangerous situations.  This attribute is used when making 
  and attempting to avoid ranged attacks. 
  Strength (STR) codifies the character’s physique and 
  raw physical power.  This attribute determines the damage 
  inflicted in melee attacks and by thrown object attacks the 
  character makes. 
   
   
  There are three derived attributes that are used for 
  game mechanics and aren’t considered traits, even though 
  their values are each determined by three primary 
  attributes.  Initiative, Luck, and Stamina are described 
  below. 
   
  Initiative (INIT) rates the character’s relative quickness 
  and decisiveness in combat situations, helping to determine 
  the order in which actions are taken in a combat scene.  Its 
  value is equal to the average of the values of the character’s 
  Perception, Prowess, and Reflexes scores, rounding up. 
   
  Luck (LUCK) represents the heroic ability of 
  accomplishing things that ordinary people cannot.  Each 
  luck die expended adds one success to a single task roll 
  the character makes.  The score in this attribute, which is 
  the sum of the character’s Ego, Empathy, and Intelligence 
  attributes, along with his Reputation Rank, resets at the 
  beginning of each gaming session. 
   
  One luck die may be expended from the character’s 
  pool on any single task roll the character makes, but once 
  the dice are expended, they’re gone until the pool resets at 
  the beginning of the next gaming session.  Additional luck 
  dice may be gained during a session through the activation 
  of the character’s subplots, especially noteworthy or heroic 
  acts, or the usage of fiat dice by villains opposing the 
  character. 
   
  Stamina (STAM) codifies the amount of non-lethal 
  damage the character can withstand before being knocked 
  out.  This attribute’s score is determined by the sum of the 
  character’s Agility, Fortitude, and Strength, rounding up. 
   
  Attributes Matrix 
  AGL 
   
  PER 
   
  EGO 
   
  FOR 
   
  PRO 
   
  EMP 
   
  STR 
   
  REF 
   
  INT 
   
  STAM 
   
  INIT 
   
  LUCK 
   
   
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  15 
   
  Edges 
   
  Edges represent a character’s personal experience, 
  formal education, inborn abilities, special talents, etc. that 
  give him or her a bit of an advantage in specific situations.  
  Each edge is a pool of dice that can be expended to 
  supplement task rolls the character makes during a gaming 
  session, or can be used to increase the difficulty of tasks 
  that target or adversely affect the character in some way, in 
  situations outlined in each edge’s description. 
   
  A character’s controller may elect to expend none, one, 
  some, or all of the dice remaining in an edge so long as the 
  sum of the edge dice and the dice already being rolled 
  doesn’t exceed the campaign cap of the game (9D in the 
  default Superhuman Tier).  However, once dice are 
  expended from an edge, they are gone until the pool resets 
  at the beginning of the next gaming session. 
  Note that having no dice in an edge pool doesn’t mean 
  the character doesn’t have ability with that edge, he just 
  doesn’t get any more benefit from the edge pool when 
  attempting tasks related to it.  This is especially true for the 
  Medic edge – the character may still attempt to stabilize and 
  revive others even if he has no dice in his Medic edge pool. 
  When obtaining edges, the character gets two edge 
  dice for every character die he expends.  These dice may 
  be divided among different edges or applied to a single 
  edge as needed. 
   
  Edges Listing 
  Accelerated Healing 
  Entitlement 
  Network 
  Access 
  Equestrian 
  Orator 
  Acrobat 
  Etiquette 
  Performer 
  Act 
  Evade 
  Persuade 
  Administrate 
  Exceptional Memory 
  Power Use 
  Alias 
  Favors 
  Profession 
  Animal Handler 
  Forgery 
  Quick Change 
  Art 
  Freefall 
  Quick Study 
  Attractive 
  Gambler 
  Ranged Combat 
  Awareness 
  Headquarters 
  Renown 
  B & E 
  Humanities 
  Researcher 
  Blind Fighting 
  Incredulity 
  Resistance 
  Bluff 
  Infamy 
  Scientist 
  Climb 
  Insight 
  Security Systems 
  Coerce 
  Internal Compass 
  Seduction 
  Contort 
  Intuition 
  Shadow 
  Converse 
  Knowledge 
  Sleight of Hand 
  Courage 
  Language 
  Stalwart 
  Criminologist 
  Legacy 
  Stealth 
  Cryptographer 
  Lipreader 
  Streetwise 
  Cybernetics 
  Mechanic 
  Survival 
  Danger Sense 
  Medic 
  Touch Combat 
  Demolitions 
  Melee Combat 
  Tracker 
  Disguise 
  Mental Combat 
  Trader 
  Dodge 
  Mental Discipline 
  Vehicle 
  Electronics 
  Mimic 
  Wealth 
  Enhanced Dexterity 
  Navigator 
  Weaponsmith 
  Edge Descriptions 
   
  Accelerated Healing: The character heals more 
  quickly than average.  Each die expended from this pool will 
  allow the character to heal back one additional point of Ego 
  or Fortitude damage (controller’s choice) for a single day’s 
  worth of healing.  Characters desiring to heal back even 
  more quickly should consider the Regenerate power. 
   
  Access: The character has access to a particularly 
  useful location or information resource that aids his efforts 
  and everyday life.  This can represent a backdoor to a law 
  enforcement database, use of a laboratory, etc.  The 
  character’s controller and referee should work out exactly 
  what sort of benefits the access will provide when assigning 
  dice to this edge.  Characters may have multiple types of 
  access, allowing this edge to be obtained more than once. 
  Acrobat: This is the ability to perform stunts and 
  unusual maneuvers most people cannot attempt, such as 
  walking across tightropes, traversing ledges, making leaps 
  and performing rolls safely. 
  Act: This edge covers both performance art acting as 
  well as assuming the mannerisms and speech patterns of 
  other people in a convincing fashion.  This talent can also 
  be used to mask one’s emotions and hide one’s true intent.  
  A character may also use this edge to ‘play possum’ or 
  otherwise deceive others in combat. 
  Administrate: This edge covers the interactions with 
  professional and bureaucratic organizations with the 
  purpose of obtaining access, favors, goods, information, or 
  services. 
   
  Alias: The character has made substantial effort in 
  establishing an alternate identity that is separate from his 
  own and his heroic persona.  This alias has full credentials 
  that will stand up to a rigorous background check and can 
  be used by him for various purposes, though typically for 
  undercover and/or investigative work.  Some heroes may 
  use the alias to throw off those who seek them out as well 
  – fans, villains, law enforcement, etc.  This benefit is used 
  to supplement task rolls the character makes to provide 
  alibis and explanations to cover for his superhero activities. 
  Animal Handler: This is the ability to quickly and 
  effectively train and control animals of all types.  For the 
  ability to ride a beast of burden, see the Equestrian edge. 
  Art: The character has the ability to create pleasing 
  works of visual art, sculpture, or other crafts. 
  Attractive: The character is considered more socially 
  or physically pleasing than average to others, who will 
  desire to spend time in the character’s presence.  The 
  referee and the character’s controller should work out how 
  the character’s attractiveness affects others, and how such 
  a response might bring favorable results to the character’s 
  social interactions. 
  Awareness: The character is particularly good at 
  perceiving his surroundings and has a knack for discerning 
  important information from it, such as threats and details.   
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  16 
   
  B & E [Breaking & Entering]: The character has 
  practical experience in defeating locks of all types, whether 
  using improvised tools or specially made ones. 
  Blind Fighting: This is the ability to engage in effective 
  melee or touch combat when the character is in total 
  darkness, when his/her foes are invisible or completely 
  obscured, or when the character is blinded. 
  Bluff: This edge improves the character’s chances of 
  telling believable or convincing falsehoods to referee-
  controlled characters. 
  Climb: This is the ability to scale difficult obstacles, 
  walls, and other sheer surfaces successfully.  To use this 
  edge, the character makes a Strength standard task roll 
  with a difficulty determined by the conditions, obstacles, 
  and distance of the climb as part of his move action.  Failure 
  may indicate inability to move, or even a fall.  It is left to the 
  referee’s discretion if additional task rolls will be necessary 
  for longer climbs. 
  Coerce: This is the working knowledge of how to force 
  referee-controlled characters to give the character access, 
  goods, favors, and/or services through the use of blackmail, 
  bribery, and/or intimidation techniques. 
  Conceal: This edge improves the character’s chances 
  of finding what has been hidden as well as hide things from 
  others who are conducting a deliberate search. 
  Contort: This talent aids the character when he 
  attempts to fit into or crawl through small, tight spaces 
  (within reason without the Shapeshift, Shrink, or Stretching 
  power) by manipulating his body.  At the referee’s 
  discretion, the character may also use this edge in attempts 
  to escape from being held, or from bonds, restraints, and 
  bindings (possibly even an Ensnare power, depending on 
  how it is defined). 
  Converse: This edge covers the character’s ability to 
  subtly gain information from someone through a skillfully 
  manipulated interpersonal interaction.  The character may 
  also use this edge as part of the character’s defense 
  against similar attempts targeting him. 
  Courage: The character has the ability to better resist 
  the effects of coercion and intimidation attempts, as well as 
  the effects of the Fear power. 
  Criminologist: The character has working knowledge 
  of the methods and techniques needed to properly process 
  a crime or accident scene for clues and evidence.  
  Characters with this edge may also attempt to ‘sanitize’ a 
  crime scene to remove clues and evidence others might 
  find. 
  Cryptographer: The character has experience in 
  cracking and creating secret codes and ciphers that carry 
  clandestine 
  information, 
  including 
  data 
  and 
  signal 
  encryption techniques. 
  Cybernetics: 
  The 
  character 
  has 
  the 
  working 
  knowledge needed to effectively design, manipulate, 
  operate, program, and repair computer and robotic 
  equipment, devices, and systems.   
  Danger Sense: The character has an ability to sense 
  when he is in danger, which gives him a chance to identify 
  the source of the danger, as well as have a chance to avoid 
  potential harm even when he would not be able to detect it 
  otherwise. 
  Demolitions: 
  The 
  character 
  has 
  the 
  working 
  knowledge and experience to safely prepare explosive 
  charges, defuse and disarm active explosive devices, and 
  efficiently use explosives to maximum effect.  The most 
  common use of this talent is in defusing bombs and other 
  dangerous explosive devices.   
  Disguise: This edge covers the ability to change a 
  person’s appearance with makeup, costume, and facial 
  appliances (within reason).  Note that certain perceptive 
  powers may reveal the character’s deception regardless of 
  how well he did on the disguise attempt. 
   
  Dodge: The character is adept at avoiding melee and 
  touch attacks.  Dice from this pool are applied to the 
  character’s Prowess attribute trait rating to increase the 
  difficulty of melee or touch attacks targeting him. 
  Electronics: This edge covers the abilities needed to 
  construct, modify, and repair electronic devices. 
  Enhanced Dexterity: The character has improved 
  ability with using his or her limbs and/or digits.  When 
  making task rolls involving non-traditional manipulation 
  (using one’s ‘off hand,’ attempting to operate a device or 
  mechanism with one’s feet, etc.) dice from this pool may be 
  applied to the attempt. 
  Entitlement: The character has some special privilege 
  that ordinary people don’t have or aren’t normally allowed.  
  This can range from having a license to legally practice a 
  specific profession, such as doctor or lawyer, to having 
  police powers (aside from those that most superheroes 
  employ in assisting the police), to being a member of a 
  nation’s nobility, to diplomatic immunity, or even being the 
  head of a state or a nation.  The player and referee should 
  carefully define the nature of each entitlement the character 
  will have and how many benefit dice each is worth. 
  Equestrian: The character has the ability to ride any of 
  a number of trained beasts of burden.  The character’s 
  edge should only be applied to stunts, difficult conditions, 
  or combat maneuvers made while riding the animal. 
  Etiquette: This is the ability to effectively mix and 
  mingle with the upper classes in formal and social 
  occasions and events. 
  Evade: The character is adept at avoiding ranged 
  attacks.  Dice from this pool are applied to the character’s 
  Reflexes attribute trait rating to increase the difficulty of 
  ranged attacks targeting him. 
   
  Exceptional Memory: The character has an enhanced 
  ability to recall information, images, events, conversations, 
  etc. with greater detail than most people.  Dice from this 
  pool may be applied to Intelligence task rolls that involve 
  memory recall.  A character’s controller may also expend a 
  die from this pool to get an accurate accounting of a 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  17 
   
  previous event or information provided to the player from 
  the referee. 
   
  Favors: The character is owed favors by powerful 
  people and/or organizations.  Favors may be used to obtain 
  goods, services, access, etc. that the character might 
  desire or need during the course of an adventure.  This 
  benefit may be used to supplement task rolls involving 
  tasks covered by the Coerce or Persuade edges. 
  Forgery: This edge enables the character to produce 
  and detect counterfeit artwork, documents, signatures, or 
  currency (when possible). 
  Freefall: The character has experience in manipulating 
  his body while falling or in weightless environments.  This 
  edge may be applied to all tasks made in such conditions, 
  such as maneuvering in microgravity, skydiving, base 
  jumping, or high diving. 
  Gambler: This edge helps the character to reliably win 
  at games of chance and skill, as well as to detect cheating 
  by others, or to attempt to cheat without getting caught. 
  Headquarters: The character has one (or more) bases 
  that support his activities, as well as providing a secure 
  location for vehicles, devices, gear, etc.  The HQ may also 
  have facilities and equipment that imparts certain abilities 
  the character can’t carry with him.  Dice from this edge may 
  only be applied when the character is at his headquarters. 
  Humanities: This edge entails a working knowledge of 
  the practical aspects of eclectic fields of the liberal arts, 
  such as law, literature, mythology, philosophy, political 
  science, statistics, and theology. 
   
  Incredulity: Sometimes referred to as the ‘Clark Kent’ 
  or ‘Bruce Wayne’ effect, this benefit represents a character 
  who has taken great pains to establish a decidedly unheroic 
  persona in his regular identity.  The persona is so 
  convincing that even if there is solid proof to connect him 
  with his heroic identity, that friends, relatives, lovers, 
  enemies, and law enforcement will have a hard time 
  believing it.  This edge’s dice may be added to opposed 
  task rolls made by the character’s significant NPC’s when 
  others try to convince them of ‘the truth.’ 
   
  Infamy: This benefit is typically reserved for villains – 
  sort of like an opposite for the Renown benefit, but 
  representing a negative reputation with the public and a 
  positive one in the criminal subculture.  The dice of this 
  benefit typically supplement task rolls related to the villain 
  attempting to terrify specific individuals or the public in 
  general, to give authorities and other would-be heroes 
  pause, or even to garner a favor in a pinch from the criminal 
  subculture.  Note that if the villain attempts to affect a 
  player-character hero, this is always an Ego opposed task 
  roll. 
   
  Insight: The character has the ability to focus his mind 
  when presented with an intellectual problem or challenge.  
  The dice from this benefit may be applied to Intelligence 
  task rolls for figuring things out, making calculations, 
  understanding a concept, etc. 
   
  Internal Compass: The character generally knows the 
  cardinal directions (in those places where they apply) 
  regardless of his situation.  The dice from this benefit may 
  be applied to task rolls involving the Navigator and Survival 
  edges, as well as other situations where knowing directions 
  would be beneficial. 
  Intuition: The character has a knack for trusting 
  hunches and engaging in non-linear thinking.  The dice 
  from this benefit may be used (at the referee’s discretion) 
  to supplement task rolls regarding hunches, non-linear 
  thinking, or first impressions of people or situations. 
  Knowledge: 
  This 
  edge 
  represents 
  a 
  working 
  knowledge of an eclectic nature, such as knowledge of a 
  particular group or organization, an item or group of similar 
  items, an event or era, or even a site or city.  Note that this 
  edge may be taken multiple times to cover multiple fields of 
  knowledge. 
  Language: Every character has one native language 
  or form of communication in which he or she has complete 
  mastery.  For each additional language or form of 
  communication, he is required to purchase one or more 
  dice of this edge.  Each language known must be defined 
  when this edge is obtained, though the character may take 
  this edge multiple times for the ability to communicate in 
  multiple languages. 
   
  Legacy: The character has a friend, relative, or 
  ancestor who has passed down a number of useful items 
  and/or information to him.  Usually, this is part of the 
  character’s creation mythos, where he learns of the legacy 
  and decides to take up the mantle from the one who came 
  before.  It is very important for the player and referee to 
  establish the exact nature of the legacy the character has 
  and under what situations the legacy’s edge dice may be 
  applied. 
  Lipreader: This is the ability to understand a speaker’s 
  words by watching the movement of her lips.  A character 
  can lipread any language in which he has at least one edge 
  die or is a native speaker.  If the lipreading task is 
  successful and the language isn’t the character’s native 
  tongue, the referee may require an additional test of the 
  character’s language edge for comprehension. 
  Mechanic: This edge covers the ability to construct, 
  modify, and repair mechanical devices and vehicles. 
  Medic: This edge represents a character’s experience 
  and working knowledge in the field of healthcare as a 
  paramedic, nurse, doctor, etc.  The character may use this 
  edge to speed the healing of Ego and Fortitude damage for 
  characters under his care, stabilize a critically injured / 
  wounded character, revive a character who has been 
  knocked out, treat illness and disease effectively, and 
  perform first aid as well.  Many of this edge’s abilities were 
  covered in the section on combat.  The rest are detailed 
  below. 
  Treat Disease / Illness: This is generally an 
  Intelligence standard task roll with a difficulty equal to 
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  18 
   
  the pathogen’s Strength rating.  Particularly virulent 
  pathogens will require cumulative effect levels to cure. 
  Provide First Aid: For non-traumatic injuries and 
  wounds, the character is assumed to be able to lend 
  aid and provide treatment without requiring a task roll. 
  Melee 
  Combat: 
  The 
  character 
  has 
  practical 
  experience and/or formal training in fighting hand-to-hand, 
  either unarmed or with melee weaponry.  This edge is 
  usually applied to the character’s attack task roll when 
  attempting melee combat. 
  Mental 
  Combat: 
  The 
  character 
  has 
  practical 
  experience and/or formal training in employing his mental 
  powers in combat.  This edge is applied to the character’s 
  attack task roll when attempting mental combat. 
   
  Mental Discipline: The character is adept at resisting 
  the damage or effects of mental attacks and powers.  Dice 
  from this pool are applied to the character’s Ego attribute 
  trait rating to increase the difficulty of mental attacks 
  targeting him. 
  Mimic: The character can make a close approximation 
  of someone’s voice or other sound such as an animal call 
  or noise. 
  Navigator: The character has the ability to safely and 
  effectively find his way across terrain and bodies of water 
  by using appropriate techniques, tools, and information. 
  Network: The character has numerous friends and 
  allies that can provide him with information.  A character 
  can only have one network, with the number of dice of the 
  benefit indicating how extensive and useful it is to him.  The 
  dice from this edge may be used to supplement Intelligence 
  task rolls, provided the character is able to contact the 
  network first. 
  Orator: This is the ability to engage in effective and 
  entertaining public speeches and debates that are 
  designed to disseminate information and deliver a 
  convincing presentation. 
  Performer: This talent covers performance art related 
  to music, dance, comedy, and storytelling. 
  Persuade: This is the working knowledge of how to 
  convince NPC’s to provide the character access, goods, 
  favors, and/or services by convincing the target of the 
  character’s need or the urgency of compliance.  This edge 
  differs from Coerce in that no threats or intimidation are 
  employed to convince the NPC to comply – it’s more the 
  means to convince people of one’s earnest desires and the 
  need of cooperation. 
  Power Use: The character has experience and/or 
  formal training in using a specific power that increases its 
  effectiveness.  Attack powers use this trait when 
  determining damage inflicted by a specific attack.  Defense 
  powers use this trait when the character is resisting 
  damage or effects.  Regardless of power type, this edge is 
  applied to any power feat attempts that use the defined 
  power.  The power this edge modifies must be defined 
  when the edge is obtained; the character may have multiple 
  Power Use edges to reflect experience and/or training in 
  using multiple powers. 
  Profession: The character has experience and training 
  to successfully perform the duties required for gainful 
  employment in a specific career or job, which is defined 
  when this edge is obtained.  This edge may be taken 
  multiple times to reflect expertise in multiple jobs or careers, 
  each of which must be defined when dice for this edge are 
  assigned. 
  Quick Change: For game purposes, it typically takes 
  about thirty seconds (three combat rounds) for a character 
  to strip off his civilian outfit and don his superhero garb.  For 
  each die expended from this edge, he reduces the amount 
  of time needed by one combat round.  If the character 
  expends three dice from this edge, his change takes one 
  free action to complete.  The character can also expend 
  dice from this edge to have different sets of clothes or 
  disguises to aid maintaining his secret identity. 
  Quick Study: The character is adept at temporary 
  learning.  For every two dice he has in this edge, he can 
  gain one die in a temporary edge for the duration of a 
  gaming session.  When applying this edge, the character 
  will need some time (usually 12 – INT hours) to ‘bone up’ 
  on the subject in game.  He can split his available dice 
  among two or more edges, if desired. 
  Ranged Combat: The character has practical 
  experience and/or formal training in making effective 
  ranged attacks, either with weaponry or with superpowers.  
  This edge is applied to the character’s attack task roll when 
  attempting ranged combat. 
   
  Renown: The character has garnered a positive 
  reputation with the public.  The dice of this benefit may 
  supplement task rolls the character makes to influence 
  public figures (‘I’ll vouch for this prisoner – she is making a 
  serious attempt to reform’), getting groups of people to 
  follow the character’s instructions (‘For your own safety, 
  please leave this area at once’), or even garner a favor in a 
  pinch (‘I need to borrow this – there are lives at stake’).  
  Renown usually applies to the character’s superhero 
  identity.  If his alter-ego has renown, it is obtained 
  separately. 
  Researcher: The character has the ability to find useful 
  information in databases, libraries, records, etc. 
   
  Resistance: This edge gives the character a better 
  chance of not being adversely affected by environmental 
  hazard pathogens.  The edge applies to Fortitude standard 
  task rolls made due to exposure to bacteria, invasive 
  nanites, parasites, poisons, radiation, toxins, venoms, 
  viruses, and xenobiotics.  To have the character be 
  unaffected by one or more classes of pathogens, see the 
  Immunity power. 
  Scientist: The character has extensive general 
  knowledge of the fields of scientific study. If the character 
  is particularly good at one specific field of science, he 
  should take a Knowledge edge for it as well. 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  19 
   
  Security Systems: The character has the working 
  knowledge of how to effectively set up electronic alarms, 
  sensors, surveillance, and traps – but most characters use 
  this knowledge and expertise to devise and implement 
  ways to defeat systems set up by others. 
  Seduction: Depending on the nature of your particular 
  setting, this talent may or may not include the more carnal 
  implications of the word.  However, the core aspect entails 
  the ability to use wit, guile, personal attractiveness, and 
  charisma to charm another person into providing access, 
  goods, favors, information, loyalty, or services.   
  Shadow: The character has working knowledge of the 
  techniques needed to subtly follow someone without their 
  knowledge, and to recognize and counter efforts by others 
  that are targeting him.   
  Sleight of Hand: This is the ability to palm items, fool 
  the eye, do performance magic tricks (not real magic as 
  that requires the Magic power), pick pockets, and so on. 
  Stalwart: The character has a supporting NPC who 
  works with him either as a sidekick or as a coordinator of 
  his activities.  This is essentially another character that is 
  managed by the referee who is an unshakable ally.  
  Stalwarts occasionally get into trouble as well, such as 
  being captured by a character’s nemesis, winding up in the 
  wrong place at the wrong time, etc.  The dice in this edge 
  can only be applied if the character’s stalwart is available 
  and able to assist him.  A character may have multiple 
  stalwarts, but the player should work with the referee as to 
  the nature and abilities of his stalwart(s). 
  Stealth: This is the working knowledge of how to avoid 
  detection both in and out of combat by employing discrete 
  observation techniques, silent movement, cover and 
  concealment, camouflage, and environmental conditions to 
  mask one’s presence. 
  Streetwise: The character knows how to effectively 
  deal with and interact with criminal subcultures to gain 
  access, favors, goods, information, or services. 
  Survival: The character has the working knowledge 
  needed to find edible food, potable water, and adequate 
  shelter in wilderness and potentially hostile environments 
  (if at all possible) with a minimum of equipment or 
  preparation. 
  Tactics: The character has a working knowledge of 
  combat situations and the ability to gain an advantage when 
  he and his allies are attacking his foes.   
  Touch 
  Combat: 
  The 
  character 
  has 
  practical 
  experience and/or formal training in touch combat such as 
  sport fencing or using a touch-based power.  This edge is 
  applied to the character’s attack task roll when attempting 
  touch combat. 
  Tracker: The character has the ability to follow a trail 
  by observing the telltale signs of passage left by a person, 
  vehicle, or animal in the surrounding terrain.  The referee 
  may require a cumulative effect level for an extended 
  pursuit or trail. 
  Trader: This edge improves the character’s chances of 
  striking a good bargain with a merchant or customer, 
  decreasing the price of goods and services purchased and 
  increasing the price of goods and services sold. 
  Vehicle: The character has one or more vehicles that 
  enable him to get around more easily and may have other 
  abilities to aid him.  The player should identify the vehicle 
  and summarize its capabilities.  Note that a vehicle cannot 
  go everywhere with the character; if this is the case, the 
  character should instead have the powers of the vehicle 
  with the Item limiter applied.  But for those situations where 
  it is possible to have a vehicle, the dice from this edge are 
  available to aid the character.  Note that the character may 
  have multiple vehicles, but they should be distinct from one 
  another. 
  Wealth: A character with this benefit has ready access 
  to monetary resources above and beyond the average 
  person – which, in modern society, can be a big help.  
  Characters without this benefit (and who haven’t taken the 
  Poverty subplot) are assumed to be middle-class.  The dice 
  of this benefit typically supplement task rolls where the 
  character is attempting to influence others.  Wealth can also 
  be expended as single dice to represent a significant 
  purchase for someone of the character’s economic class 
  such as first-class transportation, or substantial charitable 
  donation, etc.  Of course, a character cannot have any level 
  of the Poverty subplot with this benefit. 
  Weaponsmith: The character has the ability to design, 
  construct, modify, and repair most weapons from spears 
  and swords to firearms to energy weapons.   
   
   
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  20 
   
  POWERS 
   
  Powers are those special abilities that separate 
  superheroes and supervillains from the rest of society, 
  enabling them to do incredible things.  Powers are rated in 
  Trait Ratings like attributes.  Starting character powers for 
  a Superhuman Power Tier campaign are capped at 9D. 
  Powers can be altered with Boosters and Limiters which 
  affect how they operate. 
  Boosters increase a power’s flexibility or usefulness, 
  but also increases the number of character creation dice 
  that the character must expend, anywhere from a ½D to 
  10D per booster.  The sum of the power’s dice and the 
  number of Boosters added to it cannot exceed the cap (9D 
  in a standard Superhuman Power Tier campaign). 
  Limiters reduce a power’s flexibility or usefulness, 
  while decreasing the number of character creation dice that 
  the character must expend.  While a power may have any 
  number of limiters, the sum of all the limiter dice cannot 
  reduce a power’s character creation dice expenditure to 
  less than one-half of the sum of its base cost and boosters. 
  For example, a power that requires eight creation dice 
  can only take on limiters that total 4D or less – anything 
  beyond that amount can still be applied to define the power, 
  but garners no additional discount. 
   
   &  Powers 
  In general, each character creation die expended on a 
  power gains the character +1D of trait rating with that 
  power.  However, some powers have a greater benefit to 
  the character than others and are marked with a plus ‘’ 
  indicating that an additional character creation die must be 
  expended for each power tier of that power.  Any power 
  marked with a double plus ‘’ requires two additional 
  character creation dice per power tier. 
   
  Power Tier Table 
  TR Range 
  Power Tier 
   
   
  1D to 3D 
  Human 
  1 
  2 
  4D to 6D 
  Metahuman 
  2 
  4 
  7D to 9D 
  Superhuman 
  3 
  6 
  10D to 12D 
  Ultrahuman 
  4 
  8 
   
   
  For example, Nightfall (page 72) has an armored 
  costume he wears that has the power Armor 6D.  However, 
  Armor is a  power, so he must expend additional 
  character creation dice to obtain the power.  6D is 
  Metahuman Tier, so he must expend two more character 
  dice for a total of eight creation dice for Armor 6D.  He does 
  get a small discount from the Inaccessible Item limiter 
  (-½D) that brings the total expenditure to 7½D for this 
  power. 
   
   Powers 
   
  Powers marked with the ‘’ symbol can be complicated 
  to use effectively and should be reserved for characters 
  controlled by more experienced players and referees. 
   
  Standard Boosters 
  While boosters vary widely, what follows is a fairly 
  common list of the more popular options.  The additional 
  number of dice from the character’s creation pool are listed 
  in brackets following the booster’s name. 
  Affects (define) [+1D]:  The character’s power works 
  on a type of target normally immune to it, such as a Blast 
  which Affects (Intangible) targets that are normally immune 
  to Physical Damage, or Psychic Dominion that Affects 
  (Mindless) targets, such as undead creatures or other 
  automatons.  This booster is often situational against 
  specific targets. 
  Affects Others [+1D]:  This booster allows a power 
  that just affects the character to affect other people, besides 
  himself.  If the character can only affect others, see the 
  Others Only limiter. 
  Area of Effect (AOE) [+2D or +3D]:  The power can 
  affect all the combatants in a space rather than a single 
  target.  If the power has no range, then it affects every other 
  combatant in that space except the character.  Note that an 
  AOE attack will affect both friends and foes if they are in the 
  same space – it is a non-selective attack.  At the +2D level, 
  the character can only use this power as an AOE; the +3D 
  level allows the character to ‘toggle’ between a standard 
  use and the AOE, with the controller declaring which is 
  being attempted when using the power. 
  Broadcast [+2D or +3D]:  This booster makes a 
  ranged power affect anyone who sees or hears the 
  character, either in person or on video and/or audio) giving 
  the character a much wider range.  At the +2D level, the 
  character can only use this power in Broadcast mode; the 
  +3D level allows the character to ‘toggle’ between a 
  standard use and the Broadcast mode, with the controller 
  declaring which is being attempted when using the power. 
  Burst [+1D or +2D]:  A power with this booster does 
  its full effect against a single target, but also affects every 
  other potential target in the same space at one-half the 
  original trait rating, rounding up.  At the +1D level, the 
  character can only use this power as a Burst effect; the +2D 
  level allows the character to ‘toggle’ between a standard 
  use and the Burst effect, with the controller declaring which 
  is being attempted when using the power. 
  Contagious [+1D]:  This power may affect someone 
  else who comes into contact with the target while the power 
  is still in effect.  The new victim resists the power’s effect 
  normally and also becomes contagious while the power is 
  still in effect. 
  Damage Aura [+1D]:  This booster turns any attack 
  power into one that inflicts damage upon any combatant 
  who touches the character, or successfully attacks the 
  character with a Touch or Melee attack.   
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  21 
   
  Defensive [+1D]:  This power can be used to block 
  attacks.  The attacker and character make a power 
  opposed task roll (as appropriate) to determine if the attack 
  was blocked before it affects the character. 
  Extended Duration [+1D]:  A momentary power lasts 
  for a number of combat rounds (ten-second intervals) equal 
  to one-third the TR of this power, rounding up.  Attack 
  powers inflict their effect TR on the target(s) when the 
  character with this power takes an attack action. 
  Hardened [+1D]:  A protection power that has this 
  booster negates the power booster Piercing. 
  Increased Throwback [+1D or +2D]: A physical attack 
  power that produces the throwback effect adds one extra 
  space to the distance for each power tier of the attack 
  power on a one-for-one basis.  At the +1D level, the power 
  always produces the increased effect; the +2D level allows 
  the character to ‘toggle’ between a standard effect or the 
  increased effect, with the controller declaring which is being 
  attempted when using the power. 
  Line of Sight [+1D]:  This booster lets the character 
  use the power out to any distance, provided the character 
  can see and identify the target.  Range penalties still apply. 
  Loaner [+3D]:  This booster allows a power that 
  normally only the character can use to be ‘loaned out’ by 
  the character to another character.  The character with a 
  loaned power may use it until the ‘owning’ character 
  reclaims it, or the character with the loaned power loses the 
  ability to consciously control that power. 
  Multiple Targets [+3D]:  An attack power with this 
  booster allows the character to expend a Stamina die and 
  one or more free actions with his combat action to attack 
  more than one target with it.  The character must expend 
  one free action for every additional target past the first when 
  using this booster, but only loses -1D Stamina doing it. 
  Thus, expending a Stamina die and one free action 
  allows the character to attack two targets (the original plus 
  one more); expending 2 free actions allows the character to 
  attack three targets (the original plus two more); 3 free 
  actions, four targets, and so on.  The attacker makes a 
  single attack task roll against all targets.  For those targets 
  he hits, the character makes a single damage / effect roll, 
  with each target opposing individually.  The character may 
  also use the attack power normally. 
  A power with this booster may not be used with the 
  Rapid Attack power, nor may it be used as a booster for the 
  aforementioned power.  This booster cannot be applied to 
  a power with the Tiring limiter. 
  Passengers [+1D]:  For each instance of this booster, 
  a character with this movement power booster can 
  transport up to a number of additional characters (or 
  increments of 250 pounds of anything else) equal to his trait 
  rating in this power. 
  Piercing [+3D]:  If the target of a power with this 
  booster has a protection power that is used to reduce its 
  effects, this booster reduces that protection power’s TR by 
  half, rounding up.  However, the effect level of the 
  character’s damage task roll is also halved, rounding up. 
  Ranged [+1D]:  A power with this booster that is 
  normally limited to touch or melee now can affect a target 
  out to a range of spaces (ten-yard increments out of 
  combat) equal to one-half of its Trait Rating, rounding up. 
  Selective [+1D]:  This booster is supplemental to a 
  power that normally affects an area or has the AOE, 
  Broadcast, or Burst booster.  The power only affects the 
  targets the character selects. 
  Targets Others [+2D]: This booster turns a non-attack 
  power that normally affects only the character and/or willing 
  participants into a form of attack by subjecting unwilling 
  targets to its effects. 
  Unobvious [+2D]:  A power with this booster makes it 
  difficult for those targeted to know where the power is 
  coming from.  The source of a power is usually obvious 
  when it is in use.  With this booster, the target must make a 
  Perception standard task roll with a difficulty equal to the 
  difference of 12 and the power’s trait rating to detect its 
  source. 
   
  Standard Limiters 
   
  Like boosters, limiters also vary quite a bit.  What 
  follows is a list of the more common options.  Note that 
  limiters cannot reduce the number of dice expended from 
  the character’s creation pool to less than one-half the 
  creation dice needed for the power and its boosters, though 
  they may still be applied to define a power’s special effects. 
  Always Active [-1D or -2D]:  A power with this limiter 
  is always active.  For damaging powers, this means the 
  character may damage people and things around him 
  wherever he goes.  Other powers may make the character 
  appear freakish or just make life difficult for him. 
  For -1D, the character’s Always Active power can be 
  temporarily suppressed by making an Ego standard task 
  roll with a penalty modifier equal to the trait rating of this 
  power.  The suppression lasts so long as the character’s 
  concentration isn’t seriously challenged – such as by 
  sustaining damage, being subjected to a distracting 
  situation, being mind-controlled, etc.  For -2D, the character 
  cannot suppress the Always Active power, no matter what. 
  An Always Active power cannot also have any of the 
  following limiters: Decays, Focus, Limited Uses, Others 
  Only, Ritual, Shutdown, Temporary, Tiring, or Unreliable. 
  Connected [-1D or -2D]:  A power with this limiter can 
  only be used in conjunction with another power.  If the other 
  power isn’t active, this power isn’t either.  This power 
  cannot have a TR greater than the power it is connected to, 
  and the creation dice expenditure reduction only affects this 
  power, not the power it is connected to. 
  For -1D, the other power can be used independently 
  without this power, but not the other way around.  For -2D, 
  the two powers must always be used together.  A power 
  with this limiter can never be used independently. 
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  22 
   
  Decays [-1D]:  A power with this limiter loses one Trait 
  Rating (-1D) after each use in a scene.  It recovers all lost 
  trait rating dice between scenes.  This limiter cannot be 
  applied to a power with the Always Active or Max Only 
  limiter. 
  Extra Time [-½D, -1D, or -2D]:  The character needs 
  more time to use a power with this limiter than usual.  The 
  typical amount of time to use a power is a single action.  If 
  the power requires an additional free action to use, the dice 
  reduction is -½D.  If the power requires two additional free 
  actions to use, the dice reduction becomes -1D.  And if the 
  power requires three additional free actions to use, the dice 
  reduction becomes -2D.  Note that if the character doesn’t 
  have enough actions in a single combat round to use a 
  power with this limiter, it takes longer than one round to use 
  the power. 
  Feedback [-½D, -1D or -2D]:  The character’s power 
  has a nasty habit of harming him if he fails a task roll while 
  using it.  For a discount of -½D, the character sustains a 
  physical or mental attack from the power (referee’s call) 
  equal to one-half of the power’s trait rating, rounding up.  At 
  the -1D level, the attack is at the power’s full trait rating.  
  And at the -2D level, the attack is at the power’s full trait 
  rating and has the booster Piercing as well for that attack.  
  Note this limiter cannot be applied to a power that does not 
  require a task roll. 
  Focus [-1D]:  The character must concentrate to 
  maintain a power with this limiter.  This limiter cannot be 
  applied to passive powers, powers that do not already 
  require concentration, to momentary powers, or to any 
  power that has the Always Active limiter. 
  Item [-½D, -1D, or -2D]:  A power with this limiter 
  indicates it is not innate to the character, coming from some 
  object or device instead.  This means the source of that 
  power can be taken away from the character – how easily 
  that happens determines this limiter’s discount to the 
  power.  The three categories of this limiter are Inaccessible 
  (-½D), Accessible (-1D), and Readily Accessible (-2D). 
  An inaccessible item [-½D] can only be taken 
  from the character when he is incapable of resisting the 
  effort to do so – knocked out, mind controlled, etc. – 
  representing an item that is worn, such as a ring, a 
  bracer, a circlet, armor, or a costume. 
  An accessible item [-1D] can be taken away, but 
  only with some difficulty; targeting the item instead of 
  the character increases the attack task roll difficulty by 
  four if an attacker is attempting to take possession of it; 
  or by three if the attacker is just attempting to knock it 
  loose, away, etc.   
  A readily accessible item [-2D] can be taken 
  away more easily, increasing the attack task roll 
  difficulty by two if an attacker is attempting to take 
  possession of it, or by one if the attacker is just 
  attempting to knock it loose, away, etc. 
  Lockout [-2D]:  The character cannot use or maintain 
  other non-passive powers while a power with this limiter is 
  active. 
  Limited Uses [-½D, -1D or -2D]:  A power with this 
  limiter can only be used eight times [-½D], four times [-1D], 
  or twice [-2D] per adventure.  This limiter cannot be applied 
  to a power with the Always Active limiter. 
  Max Only [-1D]:  With this limiter, the power must be 
  used at full strength (i.e. at its maximum Trait Rating) and 
  cannot vary, nor can the character exert any fine control 
  over it.  This limiter cannot be applied to a power with the 
  Decays limiter. 
  No Power Feats [-1D]: A power with this limiter can 
  only be used in the way it is described in the rules.  The 
  character cannot modify or otherwise change the way it 
  works by attempting a Power Feat. 
  No Range [-1D]:  A ranged power with this limiter can 
  only be used in the character’s current combat space 
  (within 10 yards if outside of combat). If the power is a 
  ranged attack, it can only be used as a touch attack, unless 
  it has the Area of Effect booster.  This limiter cannot be 
  applied to a power with the Broadcast or Burst booster. 
  No Throwback [-1D]:  This limiter can only be applied 
  to an attack power.  The power doesn’t produce Throwback 
  no matter how much damage it inflicts upon a target. 
  Not Versus (define) [-1D]:  A power with this limiter 
  does not affect some common type of object or substance, 
  such as wood, aluminum, or things colored blue, for 
  example. 
  Only (define) [-2D]:  With this limiter, a power works 
  only in a given situation or against a particular subject, such 
  as only at night, only when the target is angry, only against 
  men (or women), and so forth. 
  Others Only [-1D]:  A power that normally only affects 
  the character only affects others instead; the character can 
  never use it on himself.  This limiter cannot be applied to a 
  power with the Always Active limiter. 
  Ritual [-½D]:  With this limiter, the character needs to 
  do something in addition to deciding to use the power. The 
  ritual can be something as simple as throwing an object, to 
  needing to perform a little song and dance, or making 
  mystic gestures and speaking magical words.  If the 
  character cannot do the ritual, he cannot use the power.  If 
  the ritual requires the character to take more than a single 
  action, consider adding the Extra Time limiter above.  This 
  limiter cannot be applied to a power with the Always Active 
  limiter. 
  Shutdown [-1D]:  With this limiter, if the character rolls 
  one or more 1’s when making a task roll, the power shuts 
  down after that use and cannot be used again during the 
  current scene.  The character may not expend edge points 
  to avoid this outcome, but may expend luck points to do so.  
  If the power is passive, make a naked 2d12 roll after it is 
  employed to determine if the power shuts down.  This 
  limiter cannot be applied to a power with the Always Active 
  limiter. 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  23 
   
  Temporary [-1D]: A continuous or permanent power 
  with this limiter only lasts for a number of combat rounds 
  equal to one-third of this power’s Trait Rating (rounding up) 
  for each use. This limiter cannot be applied to a power with 
  the Always Active limiter. 
  Tiring [-1D]:  The character expends one point of 
  Stamina every time he uses this power due to the effort it 
  takes to activate it. This limiter cannot be applied to a power 
  with the Multiple Targets booster or the Always Active 
  limiter. 
  Uncontrolled [-3D]:  A power with this limiter activates 
  sometimes whether the character wants it to or not, under 
  the control of the referee.  On the upside, the character 
  gains three bonus fate dice for use during the current 
  gaming session whenever the referee invokes this limiter. 
  Unreliable [-1D]:  A power with this limiter doesn’t 
  always work when the character wants it to.  If the character 
  rolls one or more 1’s when making a task roll to use this 
  power, it doesn’t work, even if the character would have 
  normally succeeded. This limiter cannot be applied to a 
  power with the Always Active limiter. 
   
  Custom Boosters and Limiters 
  A number of powers have their own unique boosters 
  and limiters, representing special aspects of that power.  
  These custom boosters and custom limiters are listed 
  following each power description that has one or both of 
  them. 
   
  Power Types 
  There are seven broad types of powers in XD12SS – 
  Alteration, Attack, Defense, Mental, Miscellaneous, 
  Movement, and Sensory.  Each type is described below. 
  Alteration powers not surprisingly allow the character 
  to alter something – themselves, their environment, others 
  – in either a beneficial or detrimental fashion. 
  Attack powers allow the character to inflict Ego, 
  Fortitude, and/or Stamina damage to or cause some other 
  detrimental effect to the intended target(s).  In order to use 
  an attack power, the character will have to take a combat 
  action and roll an attack task with one of Prowess (touch 
  and melee attacks), Ego (mental attacks), or Reflexes 
  (ranged attacks). 
  Defense powers protect the character (and sometimes 
  others) from suffering the effects of attack powers targeting 
  them.  Defense powers are generally used as the Resisting 
  Trait in an attacker’s Damage / Effect Task.  Some defense 
  powers require a free action to activate (active) before 
  they’re needed, while the rest do not (passive). 
  Mental powers are a group of parapsychological 
  abilities that are all based on the character’s Ego, though 
  the power’s TR ultimately determines the final effect. 
  Miscellaneous powers are a broad grouping of 
  powers that don’t fall under any other heading, and thus 
  vary from power to power. 
  Movement powers allow the character to go from one 
  place to another relatively quickly, or move in a way that 
  others cannot.  To use a movement power, a character 
  must be able to take a move action. 
  Sensory powers allow the character to perceive his 
  surroundings in ways that most people cannot.  Use of 
  these powers usually requires the character to take a free 
  action and make a Perception standard or effect task roll. 
   
  Powers Listing 
  Power 
  Type 
  Power 
  Type 
  Absorb 
  Def. 
  Lethal Strike  
  Att. 
  Accelerate 
  Misc. 
  Life Support 
  Alt. 
  Acute Sense 
  Sen. 
  Location Sense 
  Sen. 
  Additional Limbs 
  Alt. 
  Longevity 
  Misc. 
  Add. Sensory Group 
  Sen. 
  Magic 
  Misc. 
  Alter Locale 
  Alt. 
  Manipulate 
  Alt. 
  Analytic Sense 
  Sen. 
  Mental Blast 
  Att. 
  Armor 
  Def. 
  Mental Resistance 
  Def. 
  Blast 
  Att. 
  Mental Toughness 
  Def. 
  Boost Attribute 
  Alt. 
  Microscopic Sense 
  Sen. 
  Burrow 
  Mov. 
  Modified Attribute 
  Alt. 
  Cling 
  Mov. 
  Paracognition 
  Men. 
  Copy Power  
  Alt. 
  Penetrating Sense 
  Sen. 
  Cosmic Awareness  
  Sen. 
  Perceive Weakness 
  Sen. 
  Counter-Attack 
  Att. 
  Perception Shield 
  Def. 
  Damage Resistance 
  Def. 
  Power Array 
  Misc. 
  Dazzle 
  Att. 
  Power Pool 
  Misc. 
  Deflect 
  Def. 
  Psychic Dominion 
  Men. 
  Density Increase 
  Alt. 
  Psychokinesis 
  Men. 
  Detection 
  Sen. 
  Radio Sense 
  Sen. 
  Dimension Shift 
  Mov. 
  Rapid Attack 
  Att. 
  Enhanced Senses 
  Sen. 
  Regenerate 
  Alt. 
  Ensnare 
  Att. 
  Replicate 
  Alt. 
  Faster Than Light 
  Mov. 
  Resurrect 
  Alt. 
  Fear 
  Men. 
  Run 
  Mov. 
  Fly 
  Mov. 
  Shapeshift 
  Alt. 
  Force Barrier 
  Def. 
  Shrink 
  Alt. 
  Force Field 
  Def. 
  Shroud 
  Alt. 
  Grow 
  Alt. 
  Siphon 
  Alt. 
  Heal 
  Alt. 
  Steal Trait 
  Alt. 
  Illusion 
  Misc. 
  Stretch 
  Alt. 
  Immunity 
  Def. 
  Strike 
  Att. 
  Imperceptible 
  Alt. 
  Swim 
  Mov. 
  Intangible 
  Alt. 
  Swing 
  Mov. 
  Invoke 
  Misc. 
  Telepathy 
  Men. 
  Invulnerable 
  Def. 
  Teleport 
  Mov. 
  Karma Control 
  Misc. 
  Toughness  
  Alt. 
  Lack of Weakness 
  Def. 
  Tracking Sense 
  Sen. 
  Leap 
  Mov. 
  Trait Protection 
  Def 
  Leech 
  Alt. 
  Transform 
  Alt. 
  Lethal Blast 
  Att. 
  Universal Translation 
  Misc. 
   
   
  The power descriptions begin on the next page. 
   
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  24 
   
  Powers Descriptions 
   
  Absorb  Defense; Passive 
   
  The character is able to take some or all of the damage 
  inflicted upon him in a successful attack targeting him and 
  temporarily transform it into additional trait rating dice for 
  one of his own traits. 
  The character’s controller defines a limited group of 
  damage sources that the character can absorb and the trait 
  that the absorbed damage is transferred to.  (See the 
  Suggested Power Sources & Special Effects listing on page 
  96 for ideas.)  The character cannot transfer absorbed 
  damage to this power.  Damage that is absorbed is not 
  inflicted upon the character’s Ego, Fortitude, or Stamina.  
  The character can only absorb a maximum number of 
  damage dice equal to his trait rating in this power.  The 
  character must have at least one TR in the trait to which 
  absorbed damage will be transferred, unless he takes the 
  custom booster Temporary Trait for this power. 
   
  When the character is successfully attacked and the 
  attacker makes the damage / effect task roll, the character 
  uses this power against the damaging power.  The 
  character’s success dice indicate the number of damage 
  points absorbed, which cannot be more than the amount of 
  damage the attacker inflicts.  Any remaining damage is 
  applied to the character as usual, with any damage effects 
  taking effect before the character’s absorbed trait rating 
  dice are applied. 
   
  A character’s affected trait can be temporarily 
  increased to a maximum of one power tier above the 
  campaign cap (6D for Human Tier, 9D for Metahuman Tier, 
  12D for Superhuman Tier, and 15D for Ultrahuman Tier).  
  The absorbed trait ratings fade at the rate of -1D per combat 
  round (ten-second increments) beginning at the end of the 
  combat round after they are initially absorbed.  If the 
  character wishes to retain the absorbed dice for a longer 
  period of time, take the Slower Fade custom booster; for a 
  shorter period of time, take the Faster Fade custom limiter. 
   
  Once the character has absorbed a number of trait 
  rating dice equal to the TR of this power, he can absorb no 
  more until one or more have faded.  Note that even if he 
  has absorbed damage from more than one attack, the fade 
  rate remains the same on the total absorbed and not on 
  each individual attack. 
   
  Absorb Custom Boosters 
  General Source [+3D]: Instead of a narrowly 
  defined source, the character selects one general 
  source of damage – energy, mental, or physical – for 
  this power to act upon.  For game balance, a character 
  may only purchase this booster once. 
  Slower Fade [+1D]: The character’s trait rating 
  increase lasts longer than the base time.  For each 
  instance of this booster, the number of combat rounds 
  (ten second intervals) before the benefit fades by -1D 
  is increased by one.  Thus, the first instance means that 
  two combat rounds elapse before the benefitted trait 
  loses -1D; the second instance extends this to three 
  rounds, and so on. 
  Temporary Trait [+2D]: The character defines a 
  trait that he only has when he successfully absorbs 
  damage from one or more attacks.  He has that trait at 
  the TR of the damage he has absorbed.  The maximum 
  TR of his temporary trait is equal to the trait rating of his 
  Absorb power. 
   
  Absorb Custom Limiter 
  Faster Fade [-1D]: The character’s trait rating 
  fades at a faster rate than -1D per combat round. For 
  each instance of this limiter, the number of trait rating 
  dice lost each round increases by -1D.  Thus, the first 
  instance of this limiter reduces the benefit to the trait by 
  -2D per round; the second instance increases the loss 
  to -3D per round, and so on. 
   
  Accelerate  Miscellaneous 
   
  The character is able to accomplish non-combat tasks 
  in a fraction of the time it would ordinarily take.  This is a 
  common 
  ability 
  of 
  Speedster 
  and 
  Time-Travelling 
  characters – the result of an accelerated metabolism, 
  manipulation of the time-space continuum, etc.  This power 
  applies to tasks the character would normally be expected 
  to accomplish successfully if he had as much time as he 
  desired – though the referee has final say, of course. 
  A character using Accelerate doesn’t have increased 
  attributes – if he can’t normally disassemble a car 
  barehanded, he won’t be able to do so when he’s 
  accelerated; if he can’t normally make a mark in an armored 
  concrete wall with a dinner spoon, he won’t be able to do it 
  when he’s accelerated; and so on.  If the character desires 
  the ability to do these sorts of things while accelerated, the 
  character should obtain those traits with the Connected 
  (Accelerate) limiter. Also, characters don’t age while 
  accelerated. 
  Accelerate can reasonably simulate a number of other 
  powers (Run and Teleport for examples).  The character 
  should make the appropriate Power Feat task rolls in order 
  to accomplish these effects while accelerated. 
  To use Accelerate in a combat scene requires 
  expending a free action.  The table below indicates how 
  much time can be compressed into that action, based on 
  the character’s Accelerate TR. 
   
  Accelerate Time Compression Table 
  TR 
  Effect 
  TR 
  Effect 
  TR 
  Effect 
  0 
  3 seconds 
   
   
   
   
  1 
  10 seconds 
  5 
  30 minutes 
  9 
  1 week 
  2 
  30 seconds 
  6 
  1 hour 
  10 
  1 month 
  3 
  1 minute 
  7 
  12 hours 
  11 
  1 year 
  4 
  5 minutes 
  8 
  1 day 
  12 
  1 decade 
   
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  25 
   
  Accelerate Custom Limiter 
  Only Mental [-1D]: The character’s mental 
  functions are accelerated rather than the rest of his 
  body – he can figure things out very quickly, but he 
  can’t move that fast.  This is a common limiter for 
  artificial intelligences that are extremely capable but 
  (generally) immobile. 
   
  Acute Sense  Sensory 
   
  One of the character’s sensory groups – hearing, 
  magic, olfactory, psychic, tactile, or vision – is 
  noticeably more sensitive than the rest.  For each character 
  die of this power, the character gains +2D Perception to a 
  defined sense.  Note that a character must actually have 
  the ability to sense in a particular group in order to make it 
  acute.  (Humans typically do not have magic and psychic 
  sensory groups – see the Additional Sensory Group power 
  to obtain either or both.)  Additionally, the acute sense’s 
  total dice cannot exceed the campaign cap (9D in a 
  standard Superhuman campaign).  Of course, if a character 
  wishes to improve all of his senses, he should increase his 
  Perception attribute trait rating instead. 
   
  Additional Limbs  Alteration 
  The character has one additional manipulative limb for 
  every trait rating of this power.  ‘Limb’ is broadly defined for 
  this power – arms, legs, tentacles, tails, claws, mandibles, 
  tongues, etc. – as long as it can perform some manipulative 
  function.  A limb is generally about the same size (within 
  reason) as the character’s ‘ordinary limbs’ (arms and legs 
  for humans).  If a character is an animal that is normally 
  without manipulative limbs, this power can be defined to 
  make one or more of those limbs manipulative. 
  Additional limbs do not permit the character to make 
  multiple attacks during his combat action in combat, but do 
  give him bonus modifiers (at the referee’s discretion) with 
  melee combat and with grappling or holding other 
  combatants.  Additional limbs also give a character the 
  ability to perform unusual maneuvers that wouldn’t normally 
  be possible for humans. 
  It is also possible to give powers that apply only to one 
  or more additional limbs to create specialized appendages 
  or mount weapons - a common feature with robots, mecha, 
  and cyborgs – through the Only Additional Limbs or Single 
  Limb custom limiters. 
   
  Additional Limbs Custom Limiters 
  Only Additional Limbs [-½D]: This limiter is 
  applied to other powers that are Connected to the 
  character’s additional limbs. 
  Single Limb [-1D]: This limiter is also only applied 
  to other powers that are Connected with a single 
  additional limb. 
   
   
  Additional Sensory Group (ASG)  Sensory 
   
  The character can make Perception task rolls for one 
  or more sensory groups – hearing, magic, olfactory, 
  psychic, tactile, and vision – that members of his race 
  wouldn’t ordinarily have.  For most humans, this is the way 
  to add magic and/or psychic sensory groups. 
   
  For each trait rating in this power, the character gains 
  the use of a defined sensory group.  If the character desires 
  increased abilities with an ASG, he should take additional 
  sensory powers defined as being part of the group in 
  question. 
   
  Alter Locale  Alteration 
  The character can make a specific alteration to his 
  surroundings that can have beneficial effects for himself 
  and others.  The amount and volume of the alteration is 
  based upon the trait rating of this power.  The volume is one 
  combat space for every two TR of this power.  Outside of 
  combat, it is a sphere with a radius equal to this power’s 
  trait rating on the Distance column of Benchmarks Table – 
  thus, characters with a particularly high TR in this power 
  can affect an entire city or even an entire region. 
  Typically, this power has no range and is centered upon 
  the character.  To use this power, the character takes a free 
  action to activate it.  The power is continuous until the 
  character turns it off, is stunned, knocked out, critically 
  wounded, catatonic, or is otherwise made unable to 
  maintain the power.  Due to the possibilities offered by this 
  power, the referee has the final say about what abilities can 
  be used by player-characters with this power in the game. 
   
  Alter Locale Power Examples 
  The supervillain Blackout has Alter Locale (Electrical 
  Blackouts) 4D, allowing him to cut the power to several city 
  blocks (radius 100 yards) outside of combat, or up to 2 
  adjacent combat spaces in combat, when using this power. 
  Lumaire is a light-themed superheroine who has Alter 
  Locale (Illumination) 2D, allowing her to illuminate a 
  spherical volume around her with a radius of 25 yards, or 
  her current combat space, when using this power. 
   
  Analytic Sense  Sensory 
   
  The character is capable of using one of his sensory 
  groups to analyze whatever it is perceiving to a greater 
  degree than normally possible.  For example, a character 
  with Analytic Vision may use it to identify the amounts and 
  types of pigments present in a painting.  A character with 
  Analytic Hearing could detect voice stresses of someone 
  speaking, perhaps ferreting out a lie, and so on. 
   
  For each trait rating of this power, one of the six 
  sensory groups – hearing, magic, olfactory, psychic, 
  tactile, or vision – becomes an analytic sense for the 
  character.  A character cannot take on an analytic sense 
  group if he doesn’t have some ability to sense with that 
  group.  (Humans typically don’t have the magic and psychic 
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  26 
   
  sensory groups – see the Additional Sensory Group power 
  to obtain either or both.) 
   
  To use this power, the character expends a free action, 
  and declares what specific information he is attempting to 
  glean.  The referee decides the difficulty for the task roll, 
  and the character makes a Perception effect task roll.  In 
  cases where a deception is being employed, the character 
  would make an opposed task roll instead.  The effect level 
  of a successful roll would be guidance for the referee as to 
  how accurately or how much detail is revealed to the 
  character. 
   
  Armor  Defense; Passive 
   
  The character has means to prevent or reduce the 
  damage from standard and lethal physical attacks.  This 
  power doesn’t work against damage from the character’s 
  environment unless the character takes the custom booster 
  Includes Environment below.  This power opposes an 
  attacker’s damaging power in the damage / effect task roll. 
   
  Armor Custom Booster 
   
  Includes Environment [+1D]: The character’s 
  armor 
  is 
  also 
  applied 
  against 
  damage 
  from 
  environmental sources such as mundane fires, ionizing 
  radiation, chemical exposure, etc. 
   
  Blast  Attack 
  The character can make a ranged attack against a 
  target.  When obtaining this power, the character should 
  define a damage or power source for this attack.  With the 
  custom booster Additional Source, the character can switch 
  between predetermined damage or power sources by 
  taking a free action. 
  To use this power, the character must expend a combat 
  action and make an attack task roll using his Reflexes 
  attribute as the Attack Trait.  If the attack task is successful, 
  this power is the Effect Trait for the attack’s Damage / Effect 
  task roll.  Note that the target may apply a passive or active 
  defense versus the effect trait’s TR. 
  Note that the difficulty of the character’s attack roll 
  increases by one for each combat space or range 
  increment from the character to the target.  For a reduced 
  range penalty, the character should take the Accurate 
  Attack custom booster.  The maximum range of this power 
  is the trait rating in combat spaces or ten-yard increments.  
  To increase this range, the character should take on the 
  Increased Range custom booster. 
   
  Blast Custom Boosters 
  Accurate Attack [+½D]: The character’s power 
  isn’t as affected by range as usual.  For each time this 
  booster is taken, the number of combat spaces or 
  range increments per increase of difficulty is increased 
  by one.  Thus, one instance of this booster means the 
  task difficulty increases by one for every two combat 
  spaces or range increments; the second instance 
  means one difficulty increase for every three spaces or 
  increments, and so on. 
  Additional Source [+½D]: The character’s 
  physical blast can toggle to a different source of 
  damage when the character takes a free action to 
  switch it up.  For physical attacks, this booster may be 
  purchased multiple times to reflect multiple damage 
  sources.  This booster is unavailable for mental attacks. 
  Increased Range [+½D]: The maximum range of 
  the character’s physical blast is doubled each time this 
  booster is taken.  If the character wishes to have no 
  range restriction on his blast, he should take the 
  standard booster Line of Sight instead. 
   
  Blast Custom Limiter 
   
  Limited Range [-½D]: The maximum range of the 
  character’s physical blast is halved each time this 
  limiter is taken.  If the character wishes only to be able 
  to attack targets in the same combat space (within five 
  yards), consider the No Range standard limiter instead. 
   
  Boost Attribute  Alteration 
   
  The character can temporarily increase the trait rating 
  of a selected primary attribute.  This increase does not 
  affect the values of derived attributes based on the boosted 
  attribute. The character must specify which attribute is 
  boosted when obtaining this power. 
   
  To use this power, the character expends a free action 
  and makes a Boost Attribute effect task roll with a difficulty 
  equal to the difference of 12 and the character’s Ego trait 
  rating (minimum of difficulty 2).  The effect level of the task 
  is the number of dice added to the selected primary 
  attribute.  The boosted attribute may temporarily exceed the 
  campaign cap but cannot be greater than three dice over 
  the maximum trait rating for the campaign cap. 
   
  Once boosted, the attribute’s temporary gain fades at 
  the rate -1D per combat round (ten-second increments out 
  of combat) until it reaches its normal rating once again.  The 
  fade begins at the end of the combat round following this 
  power’s activation.  If a character attempts a repeat 
  activation of this power before a previous boost has faded 
  completely, he must take a Stamina die of damage in 
  addition to a free action to ‘pump it up’ again.  The 
  maximum boost at any one time to any affected primary 
  attribute is equal to the trait rating of this power. 
   
  Referees may wish to consider limiting the maximum 
  boost to Ego, Prowess, and/or Reflexes to the campaign 
  cap for game balance. 
  Additional attributes can be boosted by the same 
  amount as the first by taking the custom booster Additional 
  Attribute.  If the character wishes to select which primary 
  attribute(s) is(are) boosted each time this power is used, he 
  should take the Any Attribute custom booster.  If the 
  character wishes the boost to remain in effect for a longer 
  period of time, he should take the Extended Time custom 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  27 
   
  booster.  If the character wishes the boost to fade more 
  quickly, he should take the Reduced Time custom limiter. 
   
  Boost Attribute Custom Boosters 
  Additional Attribute [+1D]: The character may 
  boost another primary attribute by the same amount as 
  the first.  This additional attribute must also be defined 
  when this booster is acquired.  Multiple attributes may 
  be boosted in this fashion. 
  Any Attribute [+3D]: The character may boost any 
  one of his nine primary attributes with this power, but 
  only one at a time.  If the character wishes to boost 
  more than one attribute at a time, he must also 
  purchase the Additional Attribute booster as well. 
  Extended Time [+1D]: The time between 
  reductions in the boosted attribute(s) is increased by 
  one round (ten-second increment) for each instance of 
  this booster.  Thus, the first instance means that two 
  rounds elapse before the boost fades by -1D; the 
  second instance makes it three rounds before a -1D 
  fade, and so on.  This booster cannot be taken in 
  conjunction with the Reduced Time limiter. 
   
  Boost Attribute Custom Limiter 
   
  Reduced Time [-1D]: The amount of reduction in 
  the boosted attribute increases by -1D per combat 
  round (ten-second increment) for each instance of this 
  limiter.  Thus, the first instance means that the boosted 
  attribute fades -2D per combat round or increment; the 
  second instance means the boost fades at -3D per 
  combat round, and so on.  This limiter cannot be taken 
  in conjunction with the Extended Time booster. 
   
  Burrow  Movement 
   
  The character is able to move underground by boring 
  through dirt, rock, obstructions, foundations, etc.  The 
  character may use this ability to evade surface or airborne 
  observation, or to quickly access subterranean structures, 
  caverns, etc.  The character may also use this ability to bore 
  through obstacles above the surface as well. 
  The character may move as normally underground as 
  everyone else does on the surface – a number of combat 
  spaces equal to one-half of his Burrow trait rating (rounding 
  up) with a move action.  The character’s sustained 
  movement rate is determined by referencing one-half of his 
  Burrow trait rating (rounding up) on the Speed column of 
  the Benchmarks Table. 
  The character may also use this power to attempt to 
  breach subterranean obstacles such as foundations, walls, 
  rocks, etc.  If the character encounters an obstruction that 
  has a Materials TR that is greater than his Burrow TR, he 
  may expend a free action and make a Burrow standard task 
  roll with a difficulty equal to the Materials PR of the 
  obstruction.  If the burrower succeeds, he continues 
  through the obstruction.  If he fails, his movement action 
  ends at the obstruction and he must either go around on his 
  next move action or expend both a move and free action to 
  make another breaching attempt. 
  Typically, a character will leave a tunnel or channel in 
  his wake when using this power.  This allows other 
  characters (and possibly adversaries) to follow him.  If this 
  isn’t a desired side-effect, add the custom booster Closed 
  Tunnel.  If the character wishes to disguise or hide his entry 
  and exit points, add the custom booster Pass Without 
  Trace.  Ordinarily, those with Expanded Sensory Range 
  (Auditory) have a chance to hear someone burrowing 
  beneath them.  If the character wishes to move silently 
  while using this power, add the custom booster Silent 
  Running. 
  Note that a character without some means to navigate 
  can generally only burrow in a straight line at relatively 
  shallow depth to reliably surface at an intended destination.  
  The character may wish to also purchase a sensory power 
  with the limiter Connected to this power, or the Internal 
  Compass edge for blind navigation underground. 
   
  Burrow Custom Boosters 
  Closed Tunnel [+1D]: The character closes up his 
  burrowing tunnel behind him, effectively blocking 
  anyone from following his path underground. 
  Pass Without Trace [+3D]: The character can use 
  his power without leaving overt evidence of his entry 
  and exit points.  Casual observers will have to make an 
  Intelligence standard task roll with a difficulty equal to 
  this power’s trait rating to detect the character’s 
  passage.  The searcher decreases the difficulty by one 
  for each additional free action she takes to find the 
  character’s entry or exit point. 
  Silent Running [+2D]: The character makes no 
  easily discernable noise or vibrations when using this 
  power, making it difficult for others to detect his 
  passage.  The difficulty for others (including passive 
  sensors on security systems) to detect his passage is 
  the difference of twelve and the active trait rating of this 
  power; meaning going more slowly makes it even 
  harder to detect the character. 
   
  Burrow Custom Limiter 
   
  Reduced Penetration [-2D]: The character’s 
  burrowing power has less penetration power.  When 
  encountering an obstacle, obstruction, or dense 
  underground medium, the difficulty is doubled for the 
  character’s Burrow standard task roll to penetrate it. 
   
   
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  28 
   
  Cling  Movement 
   
  The character can cling to vertical and inverted 
  surfaces and move across them as easily as walking or 
  running across ground or pavement is for typical humans.  
  When traversing vertical or inverted surfaces the character 
  uses the lesser trait rating between this power and another 
  surface movement power to determine his clinging 
  movement rate. 
  The character may also use this power to resist 
  Throwback from attacks targeting him by substituting the 
  trait rating of this power in place of his Strength TR. 
   
  Cling Custom Limiters 
  Cannot Invert [-1D]: The character can only 
  traverse vertical surfaces with this power. 
  Cannot Resist Throwback [-1D]: The character 
  cannot use this power to resist Throwback effects. 
  Surface Restriction [-1D]: The character cannot 
  traverse surfaces of a specific relatively common 
  substance – glass, aluminum, wood, stone, ice, etc. 
   
  Copy Power  Alteration 
   
  The character can detect a power that a target 
  character possesses and temporarily copy it, allowing him 
  to temporarily use that power.  The target still has use of 
  the trait as well, and can continue to use it during and after 
  the character has copied it. 
   
  The character essentially has a flexible power in 
  reserve with this power, that can only copy one that exists 
  with another character.  If the power is successfully copied, 
  the character gains use of that power with any boosters and 
  limiters the target has. 
  To use this power, the character must be familiar with 
  the target’s traits or have perceived the target use the trait 
  the character wishes to copy.  He expends a combat action 
  and makes a touch attack on the intended target. 
  If the attack task is successful, the character makes a 
  Copy Power effect task roll with a difficulty equal to the 
  difference of twelve and the trait rating of the power to be 
  copied (i.e. powers with greater trait ratings are easier to 
  copy).  If the target has the Trait Protection power, that 
  power’s trait rating is the difficulty instead.  If the character 
  is capable of copying multiple powers, this defense applies 
  to each one of them. If the effect level of the task is less 
  than one, the character fails to copy the targeted power.   
  If the effect level of the damage / effect task roll is one 
  or greater, the total indicates the number of combat rounds 
  after the current one that the character retains the power.  
  If the character wishes to retain the copied power for longer, 
  he must expend one Stamina point at the beginning of each 
  extra round he wishes to retain it. 
  The maximum dice the character has with the copied 
  power is equal to the lesser of the target’s trait rating or the 
  trait rating of this power.  If the character attempts another 
  Copy Power use while a previous use is still in effect, the 
  powers copied from the previous use are lost immediately. 
  To prevent headaches on the part of the referee, a 
  character cannot copy the power Copy Power.  You’re 
  welcome. 
   
  Copy Power Custom Boosters 
  Additional Power [+2D]: The character can copy 
  an additional power from the target with a single attack 
  for each instance of this booster. 
  Extended Time [+2D]: The character’s copied trait 
  lasts longer than the base time.  For each instance of 
  this booster, the number of combat rounds (ten second 
  increments) are increased by half of the original result 
  (rounding up). 
  Ranged Copy [+2D]: The character can copy the 
  target’s power(s) at range with a ranged attack rather 
  than with a touch attack.  Increase the difficulty of the 
  attack task roll by one for each combat space of range 
  (ten-yard increments) from the character to the target. 
   
  Copy Power Custom Limiters 
  Limited Time [-½D]: The character’s copied power 
  lasts less time than the base amount.  The amount of 
  time the power is copied is halved (rounding up).  This 
  limiter may only be applied to this power once. 
  Single Trait [-3D]: The character can only copy 
  one specific target power with this power which must 
  be defined when this limiter is applied.  This limiter may 
  only be taken once. 
  Trait Restriction [-1D]: The character can only 
  copy one type of power with this power – Alteration 
  Powers, Attack Powers, Defense Powers, Mental 
  Powers, Miscellaneous Powers, Movement Powers, or 
  Sensory Powers.  This limiter may only be taken once. 
   
  Cosmic Awareness  Sensory 
  The character is capable of detecting events, objects, 
  beings, etc. throughout the solar system and far beyond.  In 
  many campaigns, this can extend to other magical planes 
  or to other dimensions of reality, with referee permission.  
  This could also be used as a way to discover alterations or 
  disturbances in the current dimension’s timestream as well, 
  again with referee permission. 
  Like other sensory powers, Cosmic Awareness is 
  supplemental to the character’s Perception attribute trait 
  rating.  The sum of this power’s trait rating and his 
  Perception trait rating cannot exceed the campaign cap (9D 
  in a standard Superhuman campaign).  Note that a 
  character’s Cosmic Awareness must be defined as either a 
  magic or psychic sense, so the character will also need to 
  obtain the Additional Sensory Group power for the defined 
  group for this power. 
  To use this power, the character expends a free action 
  and makes an effect task roll based on the sum of his trait 
  ratings with this power and his Perception attribute, with a 
  difficulty based on conditions determined by the referee.  If 
  successful, the character should be able to glean details of 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  29 
   
  what is happening in the “cosmic neighborhood’ based on 
  the effect level of the task roll. Truly universe-effecting 
  events will be detectable at great distance depending on 
  their severity. 
  Once detected, the character may make additional task 
  rolls to glean further details.  Typically, this power is a 
  magic or psychic sense – the character should define 
  which when this power is obtained.  The character may 
  apply the power Analytic Sense to this if he has the latter 
  for the sensory group that applies to the defined group of 
  this power. 
  The character can apply the standard limiter 
  Uncontrolled which transforms the character’s Cosmic 
  Awareness into a passive power that can be used by the 
  referee as a harbinger of things to come… 
   
  Counter-Attack  Attack 
   
  The character has the ability to counter-attack anyone 
  or anything that attacks him with a specific type of attack.  
  The character must define if this ability works against touch 
  and melee attacks, ranged attacks, or mental attacks.  If 
  the character wishes this power to work against multiple 
  attack types, he should apply the custom booster Additional 
  Attack Type. 
  If this power is Connected to another power (such as 
  Force Field), then it is only active while the other power is 
  active.  Otherwise, the power is similar to a passive 
  defense. 
  If the character is targeted by a successful attack of the 
  type his counter-attack applies to, and he is not 
  incapacitated by the attack (stunned, knocked out, 
  ensnared, etc.), he has the option to immediately counter-
  attack his attacker by expending a free action (if he has one 
  available).  Note that he doesn’t have to make a counter-
  attack. 
  When making the counter-attack, the character does 
  not use a traditional attack trait (Ego, Prowess or Reflexes); 
  instead he substitutes this power’s trait rating.  Before he 
  makes the attack, the character declares the attack power 
  he will use for the counter-attack damage / effect task roll, 
  which must be of the same type (melee/touch, mental, or 
  ranged) as the one that attacked him. 
  So long as he has one or more free actions to expend, 
  a character has the option to make a single counter-attack 
  for each successful attack that targets him specifically.  He 
  cannot counter-attack an attack that has the Area of Effect 
  or Broadcast booster, and he can only counter an attack 
  with the Burst booster if he was the original target. 
   
  Counter-Attack Custom Booster 
  Additional Attack Type [+2D]: The character may 
  apply this power against one additional type of attack 
  for each purchase of this booster – touch and melee 
  attacks, ranged attacks, or mental attacks.  For game 
  balance, the character may only have one instance of 
  this booster. 
  Damage Resistance  Defense; Passive 
   
  The character has the ability to resist Fortitude damage 
  inflicted upon him by lethal attacks, though any Stamina 
  damage inflicted in that type of attack will still affect him.  
  This power is often obtained along with the Toughness 
  power to reflect a superhumanly resilient physique, though 
  usually fewer dice of this power are obtained.  This power 
  cannot be Connected to the Toughness power, nor vice 
  versa. 
   
  Use of this power is a standard task roll with a difficulty 
  equal to the sum of three and the amount of Fortitude 
  damage inflicted in the attack.  If the effect level of the result 
  equals or exceeds the lethal damage inflicted, the attack 
  does no dice of Fortitude damage.  If the character’s result 
  is less than the lethal damage inflicted, the remaining lethal 
  damage is applied to the character at the rate of -1D 
  Fortitude per point of differential. 
   
  Dazzle  Attack 
   
  The character can overload one or more of the target’s 
  sensory group(s), temporarily disabling the target’s 
  perceptive abilities with the targeted group(s).  Until the 
  effects of the dazzle wear off (usually after a number of 
  combat rounds), the target must rely upon other senses.  
  The character’s controller must define which sensory group 
  the power affects (see table below).  If the character wishes 
  the attack to affect more than one sensory group, he should 
  obtain the custom booster Add Sensory Group for each 
  additional group after the first. 
   
  Dazzle Effects by Sensory Group 
  Sensory 
  Group 
   
  Dazzle Effects 
  Auditory 
  The target cannot hear or use hearing-based powers. 
  Magical 
  Target cannot use magical detection and magic-based 
  sensory powers. 
  Olfactory 
  The target cannot perceive smell or taste, nor can she 
  use sensory powers based on olfactory senses. 
  Psychic 
  The target cannot use any mental sensory powers or 
  other mental powers that target via mental sensing. 
  Tactile 
  The target cannot feel her surroundings. 
  Visual 
  The target cannot see or use sight-based powers. 
   
   
  To use this power, the character expends a combat 
  action and makes a ranged attack task roll, increasing the 
  difficulty by one for each combat space or ten-yard 
  increment between the character and the target. 
   
  If the attack task has one or more effect levels, the 
  character makes a Dazzle effect task roll with a difficulty 
  equal to one-half (rounding up) of the target’s Reflexes trait 
  rating.  If the target has the Perception Shield power that 
  applies to one or more of the affected sense groups, then 
  this becomes an opposed task roll between this power and 
  the target’s instead.  One-half of the effect level of the task 
  roll (rounding up) is the number of combat rounds (ten-
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  30 
   
  second increments) the target’s affected senses are 
  disabled.  Note that a character cannot be dazzled for a 
  sensory group he doesn’t have. 
   
  Dazzle Custom Boosters 
  Add Sensory Group [+2D]: This power affects an 
  additional sensory group for each instance of this 
  booster.  Each additional group must be defined when 
  this booster is applied.  For play balance, a character 
  cannot have a single or multiple Dazzle power(s) that 
  cover all sensory groups – individually or in concert; 
  there must always be at least one sensory group 
  available to targets of the power. 
  Extended Time [+1D]: The character’s effect lasts 
  longer than the base time. For each instance of this 
  booster, the target is dazzled for one additional combat 
  round or ten-second increment for every two rounds 
  inflicted in an attack. 
   
  Dazzle Custom Limiter 
  Limited Time [-1D]: The target’s sensory group(s) 
  is affected for less time than the base.  The number of 
  combat rounds the target’s senses are dazzled is 
  reduced by half (rounding up).  This limiter may only be 
  applied once. 
   
  Deflect  Defense; Active 
   
  The character can redirect a ranged physical attack of 
  a specific type targeting him so it does not inflict damage to 
  him.  In order to use this power, the character must be free 
  to move and act (i.e. not Ensnared or restrained).  A 
  character may deflect any number of ranged attacks in a 
  single combat round, but he must expend a free action for 
  each attack he attempts to deflect in the same combat 
  round.  The specific types of attacks are detailed below. 
   
  Hurled Objects: Covers hand-thrown weapons 
  such as boomerangs, chakrams, clubs, darts, javelins, 
  knives, rocks, shuriken, and spears. 
  Low-Velocity Projectiles: Covers mechanically-
  aided projectiles such as arrows, air gun bullets, 
  blowgun darts, bolts, sling bullets, and spring needles. 
  High-Velocity Projectiles: Covers chemically-
  aided projectiles such as firearm bullets, and micro-
  rockets. 
  Hypervelocity Projectiles: Covers advanced 
  projectiles such as gauss projectiles, linear gravitonic 
  projectiles, and ramjet rounds. 
  Pulsed Energy: Covers energy packet projectiles 
  such as blaster bolts, phased plasma packets, and 
  laser pulses. 
  Energy Rays: Covers energy streams such as 
  disintegration rays, disruptor beams, laser beams, 
  particle beams, and plasma streamers. 
   
   
  To use this power, the character must be aware of the 
  attacker (i.e. he cannot use this power against a surprise 
  attack) and the attack must be of a group that he can 
  deflect.  The character can deflect attacks with the Burst 
  booster that target him directly, but not ones that target 
  someone or something else, or have the Area of Effect or 
  Broadcast boosters. 
  When an attacker makes a successful attack task roll 
  targeting the character, the character may attempt to 
  deflect it before the attacker makes her damage / effect task 
  roll.  The character declares he is attempting to deflect the 
  attack, expends a free action, and then makes a Deflect 
  opposed task roll versus the attacker’s Reflexes attribute 
  trait rating.  If the character wins the task roll, the attack has 
  been successfully deflected and has no effect on the 
  character. 
  If the character wishes to reflect the attack back at the 
  attacker or redirect the attack to target another combatant, 
  he should take the custom booster Reflect or Redirect.  If 
  the character wants to be able to deflect attacks from an 
  additional group, he should take the custom booster 
  Additional Group. 
   
  Deflect Custom Boosters 
  Additional Group [+½D]: The character can 
  deflect attacks from an additional group listed above. 
  Redirect [+3D]: The character can (at his 
  discretion) redirect an attack against any legitimate 
  target.  To do this, the character must first successfully 
  deflect the attack as described above.  The character 
  then declares what the new target for the redirected 
  attack is and makes an attack task roll using this power 
  instead of Reflexes.  If the attack succeeds, the trait 
  rating of the attacking power initially used is applied to 
  the redirected target in the damage / effect task roll. 
  Reflect [+1D]: The character can reflect an attack 
  back at the attacker rather than just deflect it.  With this 
  booster, the character can only reflect the attack at the 
  original attacker and not to any other target.  The 
  procedure is otherwise the same as outlined in the 
  Redirect booster listing above. 
   
   
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  31 
   
  Density Increase  Alteration 
   
  The character can increase his density while 
  maintaining roughly the same volume.  The character gains 
  +1D to his Strength attribute and he gains +1D of the 
  Damage Resistance power for each point of trait rating of 
  this power, while (roughly) doubling his mass.  The 
  character also reduces any throwback result from attacks 
  targeting him by one space per two trait ratings of this 
  power that are active. 
   
  To use this power, the character must expend a free 
  action to activate it.  The power remains on until the 
  character turns it off, is knocked out, critically wounded, 
  catatonic, or is otherwise prevented from using this power.  
  Note that the character is still subject to campaign cap limits 
  in regards to his Strength attribute and Damage Resistance 
  power. 
   
  Characters with this power may face problems due to 
  their increased mass, such as destroying furniture, 
  damaging floors and pavement, etc.  A character with this 
  power who winds up in the water will need to have the Swim 
  power at an equal trait rating to remain afloat.  If a character 
  wishes to avoid these problems, he can purchase the 
  Ground Pressure Constant booster. 
   
  Density Increase Table 
  AL 
  Weight 
  AL 
  Weight 
  AL 
  Weight 
  0 
  150 lbs. 
   
   
   
   
  1 
  300 lbs. 
  5 
  2 tons 
  9 
  30 tons 
  2 
  600 lbs. 
  6 
  4 tons 
  10 
  60 tons 
  3 
  1200 lbs. 
  7 
  8 tons 
  11 
  100 tons 
  4 
  1 ton 
  8 
  15 tons 
  12 
  200 tons 
   
  Density Control Custom Booster 
  Ground Pressure Constant [+1D]: No matter how 
  much the character increases density, his feet won’t 
  punch through or damage a ground surface or floor any 
  more readily than someone of standard human weight 
  and size. 
   
  Detection  Sensory 
  The character’s controller can define a single 
  substance (gold, blood, etc.) or property (magical, evil, 
  falsehood, cardinal directions, etc.) the character can 
  detect with one of his sensory groups – auditory, magical, 
  olfactory, psychic, tactile, or visual.  The controller 
  should also specify the manner in which such detection 
  occurs.  (Note that in order to use this ability at range with 
  Tactile senses, the character will have to purchase the 
  Ranged Sense or Remote Sense power.) 
  The dice of this power add to the character’s Perception 
  attribute when attempting to detect the defined substance 
  or property. To use this power, the character must expend 
  a free action and make an effect task roll, using the sum of 
  his trait ratings in this power and his Perception attribute.  
  The difficulty of the task is determined by the referee.  If the 
  task is attempted at range, an increase of one in the task’s 
  difficulty per combat space or ten-yard increment is typical. 
  A character may take this power multiple times to 
  reflect different detection capabilities.  A character who 
  wishes to have the same detection ability with multiple 
  senses, should take the Additional Group custom booster. 
   
  Detection Custom Booster 
   
  Additional 
  Group 
  [+½D]: 
  The 
  character’s 
  detection power works through an additional sensory 
  group for each instance of this booster. 
   
  Dimension Shift  Movement 
   
  The character can cross the barriers between 
  dimensions to reach alternate planes of existence or other 
  universes.  With the custom booster Time Travel, the 
  character can also travel forward through time to reach the 
  future or backwards to visit the past.  If the character can 
  only travel through time, he should take the custom limiter 
  Only Time Travel instead.  If the character can only travel 
  to a specific dimension and back, he should take the 
  custom limiter Single Dimension.  If he can only travel to a 
  limited number of dimensions, he should take the custom 
  limiter Dimension Group. 
  Note that the referee may not have a campaign 
  multiverse or wish a character to have time travel abilities – 
  even though both are well established superhero tropes.  
  This power may also be reserved as a plot device.  In the 
  canon XD12SS setting, there is an established multiverse 
  along with an alternate history and general future outline for 
  the main dimension. 
   
  Characters with this power typically have the edge 
  KNO: Alternate Dimensions.  The referee may require the 
  character to expend a free action to make an Intelligence 
  effect task roll to see if he is familiar with his intended 
  destination.  Characters who time travel will have similar 
  edges such as Humanities, KNO: History, or KNO: Future 
  Timeline.  If the character fails the roll, he increases his 
  Dimension Shift task roll difficulty by one.  For every two 
  effect levels of a successful task roll, decrease the 
  Dimension Shift task roll difficulty by one. 
   
  To use this power, the character expends a move 
  action and makes a Dimension Shift standard task roll with 
  a difficulty set by the referee.  A table of suggested 
  difficulties is presented on the next page.  Note that unless 
  the character has the custom limiter Solo Shifter, he may 
  take any number of willing passengers who are in the same 
  combat space with him. 
   
  If the task roll is successful, the referee should use the 
  effect level achieved as a guide to the character’s accuracy 
  in reaching his intended destination in the targeted 
  dimension or time. 
  If the task roll is failed, the character and passengers 
  don’t go anywhere (or anywhen in the case of time travel).  
  If the character took the standard limiters Feedback or 
  Unreliable with this power, and fulfills the conditions for 
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  32 
   
  either to activate, then he (and his passengers) go 
  somewhere (or somewhen) unexpected instead. 
   
  If this power has the Targets Others standard booster, 
  then the character is required to expend a combat action 
  and make a ranged combat attack when subjecting 
  unwilling targets to the effects of this power, instead of a 
  move action. 
   
  Common Difficulties for Dimension Shift task rolls 
  Diff. 
  Dimension Shift Condition 
  5 
  Character is from the target dimension 
  6 
  Character is familiar with the target dimension 
  7 
  Character has visited the target dimension once or twice 
  8 
  Character has knowledge of but never visited target 
  9 
  Character is unfamiliar with the target dimension 
  10 
  Character is ‘shifting blind’ to the target dimension 
  Diff. 
  Time Travel Condition 
  5 
  Character is from the targeted time 
  6 
  Target time difference less than 10 years 
  7 
  Target time difference less than 100 years 
  8 
  Target time difference less than 1,000 years 
  9 
  Target time difference less than 10,000 years 
  10 
  Target time difference more than 10,000 years 
   
  Dimension Shift Custom Booster 
  Familiar Locations / Times [+2D]: The character 
  has taken the time to memorize a number of specific 
  locations and/or times that he can shift to more easily 
  than others – which would qualify as a familiar location 
  / time.  The maximum number of locations / times he 
  can have memorized is equal to twice his Intelligence 
  trait rating.  A character requires about an hour to 
  memorize a location / time in this fashion.  The 
  character will have to consult with the referee to make 
  sure both understand the precise locations / times 
  memorized.  The character may trade out locations / 
  times at need, deciding which location / time is 
  dropped. 
  Time Travel [+2D]: In addition to traveling 
  between dimensions, the character can travel through 
  time in a single dimension. 
   
  Dimension Shift Custom Limiters 
  Dimension Group [-1D]: The character can only 
  shift between his ‘home’ dimension and a select group 
  of others.  The number and types of dimensions should 
  be worked out between the player and referee when 
  obtaining this limiter. 
  Only Time Travel [-1D]: The character can only 
  travel forward or backward through time in a single 
  dimension.  The character does not need to take the 
  Time Travel booster, if he takes this limiter. 
  Single Dimension [-2D]: The character can only 
  shift between his ‘home’ dimension and one other.  The 
  specific dimension must be defined when this limiter is 
  taken. 
  Solo Shifter [-1D]: The character cannot bring 
  along passengers when he shifts between dimensions 
  / travels through time. 
   
   
   
  Enhanced Senses  Sensory 
   
  The character has one or more sensory abilities that 
  other people simply do not have.  For convenience, these 
  rules group all the possibilities under one heading, but the 
  individual senses should be listed separately on the 
  character record sheet. 
   
  Note that the character cannot take an enhanced sense 
  in a sensory group he cannot normally perceive unless he 
  has already taken the Additional Sensory Group power for 
  that sense’s sensory group as well. 
   
  Like other sensory powers, this power supplements the 
  character’s Perception attribute trait rating.  The sum of the 
  character’s Perception trait rating and this one cannot 
  exceed the campaign cap (9D in a standard Superhuman 
  campaign). 
   
  To use an Enhanced Sense, the character expends a 
  free action and makes a Perception effect task roll, 
  supplemented with the dice in the Enhanced Sense he is 
  using, with a difficulty determined by the referee.  The effect 
  level of the task should be used as guidance for the referee 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  33 
   
  as to the amount and accuracy of information gained from 
  the attempt. 
   
  Auditory Senses 
  Absolute Pitch: The character can perfectly 
  determine the pitch of a musical note or tone, 
  decreasing the difficulty of tasks such as acting, 
  mimicry and performance.  With the Emission custom 
  booster, the character can also (within reason) 
  accurately reproduce a sound he’s heard. 
  Infrasonic Hearing: The character can sense 
  sounds that occur below the human threshold of 20 Hz, 
  such as footsteps, seismic events, severe weather, air 
  pressure changes, some large animal calls, etc. 
  Ultrasonic Hearing: The character can sense 
  sounds that occur above the human threshold of 
  20,000 Hz, such as dog whistles, bat echolocation 
  clicks, electronic devices in operation, etc.  A character 
  with this power can detect and locate active sonar 
  sources. 
   
  Auditory Senses Custom Booster 
   
  Emission [+½D]: The character can also emit 
  sounds / signals for an Enhanced Auditory Sense he 
  has in addition to perceiving them. 
   
  Magical Senses 
   
  Discriminatory Magical Sense: The character 
  can determine specific aspects about magical 
  energies, such as the type of magic, the source or entity 
  that used or cast the magic, etc. 
   
  Transdimensional Sense: The character can 
  detect and locate entities and energy that are from 
  other dimensions, such as daemons, faeries, and other 
  travelers between the dimensions.  The character can 
  use this sense to locate dimensional nexuses (volumes 
  of space where alternate realities overlap) as well. 
   
  Olfactory Senses 
   
  Expanded Palate: The character can sense tastes 
  and smells that are ordinarily classified as ‘tasteless’ or 
  ‘odorless,’ gaining additional warning of hazardous 
  substances around him. 
   
  Psychic Senses 
   
  Discriminatory Psychic Sense: The character 
  can detect psychic or mental energies and determine 
  specific aspects about them, such as their relative 
  strength, the source or entity producing them, the type 
  of mental power being used, traces of same in locations 
  and people, etc. 
   
  Tactile Senses 
   
  Expanded Touch: The character can gather more 
  information through his sense of touch than most 
  others – such as subtle textures or impressions on a 
  surface; subtle heat or cold differences on surfaces or 
  in the air around him; vibrations being propagated 
  through a wall, floor, the ground, or in water; detecting 
  nearly invisible seams or cracks; and so on. 
   
  Visual Senses 
  Infrared 
  Vision: 
  The 
  character 
  can 
  see 
  electromagnetic energy that has wavelengths longer 
  than 740 nm (bottom end of visual red on the 
  spectrum), enabling him to see heat patterns.  This 
  enables him to see in darkness so long as there are 
  heat sources around him.  Some snakes have this 
  ability to a very limited degree to detect warm-blooded 
  prey in darkness. 
  Ultraviolet Vision: The character can see 
  electromagnetic energy that has wavelengths shorter 
  than 380 nm (top end of the visual violet on the 
  spectrum), enabling him to see in all but absolute 
  darkness.  (Starlight produces UV energy, too.)  Some 
  animals (notably insects) have this sense as well. 
   
  Enhanced Sense Custom Booster 
   
  Additional Sense [+1D]: The character has an 
  additional Enhanced Sense at the same trait rating as 
  the first for each instance of this booster. 
   
   
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  34 
   
  Ensnare  Attack 
   
  The character can trap, bind, or otherwise impede a 
  target character or combatant, restricting her ability to move 
  and act.  The ensnarement medium – energy bonds, ball 
  and chain, a plasteel net, sticky polymer filaments, bolas, a 
  highly elastic shroud, etc. – should be defined when this 
  power is obtained. 
  To use this power, the character expends a combat 
  action and makes a ranged attack task roll. If the attack is 
  successful, the character makes an Ensnare damage / 
  effect task roll using the target’s choice of Agility or 
  Reflexes as the opposing trait. 
   
  The effect level of a successful damage / effect task roll 
  is applied to the target becoming the amount of Stamina 
  damage dice the ensnared target must inflict through 
  Strength or other applicable powers (Psychokinesis, for 
  example) to the ensnarement medium before she is free. 
   
  For the most part, an ensnared character is unable to 
  use most of her traits until she is free.  Mental powers can 
  still be used, though they may be impacted by the 
  ensnarement, especially if the Engulfs Target booster is 
  applied.  Normally, an ensnared character is able to roll and 
  flop around to a limited extent while she struggles to get 
  free.  If the character is trying to move to a specific location 
  in a space, the referee may require an Agility standard task 
  roll with a penalty modifier equal to the trait rating of the 
  ensnarement.  Note that an ensnarement may adversely 
  affect a flying character, depending on how that power is 
  defined for that character. 
  To attempt to break out of an ensnarement, the 
  ensnared combatant expends a combat action and makes 
  a Strength or power damage / effect task roll with the 
  Ensnare power trait rating as the opposing trait.  An 
  ensnared target may be assisted out of her situation by 
  allies, but at the referee’s discretion (depending on the 
  methods), part of the damage dice applied to the bonds (up 
  to one-half) may also be inflicted upon the ensnared target 
  as well. 
  Also, at the referee’s discretion, adversaries may attack 
  an ensnared target, inflicting damage on both the bindings 
  and the target, split evenly, rounding down.  Depending on 
  the particulars of the ensnarement, the referee may decide 
  on what sorts of powers or attacks will actually be effective.  
  An ensnared character that is subject to the Immobility 
  custom booster will decrease the difficulty of attacker’s task 
  rolls to hit by one, and may also be considered prone, which 
  will decrease the difficulty by an additional one if the 
  character is on the ground. 
  An ensnared combatant may not use the Rapid Attack 
  power to make a breakout attempt. 
  If an ensnared combatant has the Grow power and was 
  smaller than her maximum height when ensnared, she may 
  opt to expend a free action to activate that power and use 
  the remaining trait ratings to maximum size in the breakout 
  attempt.  Ensnare attacks reduce their effectiveness by -1D 
  for every trait rating of Grow the target has active, unless 
  the attacker is also similarly grown. 
  Similarly, a character with the Shrink power who isn’t at 
  minimum size may substitute that power by expending a 
  free action to activate it.  Ensnare attacks reduce their 
  effectiveness by -1D for every trait rating of Shrink the 
  target has active; and is ineffectual versus a target with an 
  active Shrink 7D or more, unless the attacker is also 
  similarly shrunk. 
  A character with the Intangible power will be able to 
  escape an ensnarement by expending a free action to turn 
  that power on.  If the power was already active when the 
  Ensnare attack is made, it has no effect on that character, 
  unless this power has the Affects (Intangible) booster. 
  The effect level of a successful breakout effort is 
  applied against the ensnarement, reducing the remaining 
  amount needed to break out.  If the effect level is greater 
  than the damage needed, the character breaks out of the 
  ensnarement and is no longer restrained. 
   
  Ensnare Custom Boosters 
  Barrier [+1D]: This power can be used to create a 
  barrier across an opening or gap.  The maximum width 
  of the barrier is equal to one-third (rounding up) of the 
  power’s trait rating in combat spaces or ten-yard 
  increments.  When used this way, this power’s trait 
  rating is reduced by three for every combat space or 
  ten-yard increment of distance of gap or opening 
  bridged for effects purposes.  Breaching the barrier is 
  the same as attempting to break out of an 
  ensnarement. 
  This booster, at the referee’s discretion, may also 
  allow the character to make a safety net to catch a 
  falling target, a crash fence to slow a runaway vehicle, 
  a temporary bridge or climbing structure, etc.  In such 
  cases, the referee may require the character to attempt 
  a power feat to do so, depending on how the power is 
  defined. 
  Engulfs Target [+2D]: The ensnared character is 
  unable to make most Perception task rolls (though 
  some sensory powers may still work, at the referee’s 
  discretion) and is unable to communicate (except via 
  Telepathy or other nontraditional means).  This booster 
  may not be combined with the Exposed booster. 
  Exposed [+3D]: Attacks made against an 
  ensnared target inflict their full damage against the 
  target, doing no damage to the ensnarement.  Allies 
  may still assist the target to escape, however.  This 
  booster may not be combined with the Engulfs Target 
  booster. 
  Immobility [+2D]: The ensnared target is rooted or 
  anchored to a particular location or object while 
  ensnared.  This assumes that there is some feature or 
  surface available in the same space as the target, but 
  the anchor can also be defined as the character who 
  generated the ensnarement, representing a tether, 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  35 
   
  lanyard, or rope.  What effect this booster has on 
  swimming and flying characters is left to the discretion 
  of the referee. 
  Mental Effect [+3D]: The ensnared character is 
  held by mental forces rather than physical bonds.  This 
  changes the basic nature of the ensnarement to a 
  mental attack rather than a ranged one.  The target may 
  only use mental powers that inflict damage (such as 
  Mental Blast) or an Ego effect task roll to attempt to 
  break out of the ensnarement. 
  Resistant [+3D]: It is particularly difficult for 
  ensnared targets to break free from the ensnarement.  
  Breakout attempts that don’t have the Piercing booster 
  require two dice of damage to inflict one die of damage 
  upon the ensnarement medium.  This booster can only 
  be taken once. 
   
  Ensnare Custom Limiters 
  Fades [-2D]: The ensnarement is only temporary, 
  composed of some substance or energy that 
  sublimates away over time.  The character’s 
  ensnarement loses one damage die per combat round, 
  starting with the round it ensnares the target. 
  Only 
  Versus 
  Non-Resisting 
  [-3D]: 
  The 
  ensnarement can only be used on non-resisting targets 
  such as knocked out combatants, persons who have 
  surrendered, those affected by the Psychic Dominion 
  power who have been ordered to not resist, etc. 
  Partial [-1D]: The ensnare power only affects a 
  maximum of one pair of the target’s limbs to simulate 
  bolas or cuffs – for humanoids, that would mean legs 
  or arms. 
   
  Faster Than Light (FTL)  Movement 
   
  The character has the ability to move faster than the 
  speed of light.  Typically, the character will also have the 
  powers of Fly and Life Support to survive the rigors of space 
  (or has a vehicle that does), but there are other possibilities 
  to achieve the same effect. 
   
  The table below indicates the distance in lightyears the 
  character can cover in a single day based on the trait rating 
  of this power. 
   
  FTL Movement Speed Table 
  TR 
  LY / day 
  TR 
  LY / day 
  TR 
  LY / day 
  1 
  1 
  5 
  25 
  9 
  500 
  2 
  2.5 
  6 
  50 
  10 
  1,000 
  3 
  5 
  7 
  100 
  11 
  2,500 
  4 
  10 
  8 
  250 
  12 
  5,000 
   
   
  At base ability, this power assumes the character is 
  traveling through normal space.  A character using 
  hyperspace may travel directly to and from planetary 
  surfaces with no relative time elapsing, though real time still 
  elapses while he is in hyperspace.  Note that this power 
  cannot be used on a planetary scale to substitute for the 
  Teleport power. 
   
  To use this power, the character must expend a move 
  action to activate the ability.  A character with standard FTL 
  movement can change course during the trip as needed.  A 
  character with the Hyperspace FTL booster cannot as no 
  time elapses for him. 
   
  FTL Movement Custom Boosters 
  Hyperspace Communication [+½D]:  Like the 
  custom limiter below, the character can communicate 
  over vast distances instantaneously in addition to his 
  FTL movement.  The character has an instantaneous 
  communication range equal to the distance of his daily 
  FTL Movement power.  Communication over longer 
  distances is possible, but has a signal lag equal to the 
  amount of time the character would need to cover that 
  distance with this movement power. 
  Hyperspace FTL [+1D]: The character doesn’t 
  need to fly through space for his FTL Movement, but 
  rather can go point to point (usually planetary surface 
  to planetary surface) by dropping through a hyperspace 
  wormhole.  The distance the character can travel in a 
  single jump is equal to the FTL speed of the standard 
  power.  The character experiences no relative time 
  passage, though the amount of time that elapses 
  during his trip in normal space is the same as standard 
  FTL travel.  The character can travel longer distances 
  by making a series of jumps through hyperspace. 
  Time Dilation [+1D]: The character’s time 
  increment of one day per distance is reduced by one 
  trait rating on the Benchmarks Table for every instance 
  of this booster.  Thus, the first instance drops the time 
  increment to 12 hours; the second instance reduces it 
  to 1 hour; the third instance reduces it to 30 minutes, 
  and so on.  Thus, the character with three instances of 
  this booster only needs 30 minutes to travel the 
  distance indicated by this power’s trait rating. 
   
  FTL Movement Custom Limiter 
  Communication Only [-3D]: The character 
  cannot actually travel faster than light, but can receive 
  and transmit hyperspace communications.  Note that a 
  character with this limiter doesn’t need the Hyperspace 
  Communication custom booster.  As per the booster, 
  any source or destination within the character’s FTL 
  Movement distance increment permits instantaneous 
  communication.  Communication over longer distances 
  is possible, but has a signal lag equal to the amount of 
  time it would take the character to cover the distance 
  indicated by this power’s trait rating. 
   
   
   
   
   
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  36 
   
  Fear  Miscellaneous 
   
  This power is usually reserved for villains with a 
  supernatural theme or for genuine monsters, as the power 
  instills unreasoning terror in those around the character, 
  causing them to flee from or cower helplessly in the 
  character’s presence.  If the terror is so traumatic that it 
  causes psychological damage, the character should take 
  the Insanity booster. 
   
  In game terms, this power counts as a form of mental 
  attack that affects all creatures within the same combat 
  space as the character (or within a radius of five yards out 
  of combat).  Targets with the Courage edge or the Mental 
  Toughness power can resist this power to some extent; but 
  only targets with the Mental Resistance power can resist 
  this power with the Insanity booster. 
   
  To use this power, the character must expend a free 
  action and make a Fear effect task roll, comparing the roll 
  to each target’s Ego trait rating, with any Courage edge dice 
  the target wishes to expend.  If a target has Mental 
  Toughness, this becomes an opposed task roll versus that 
  power. 
   
  If the task roll has an effect level of one or more, the 
  target suffers an increase of one difficulty per effect level to 
  all task rolls she makes against or affecting the character.  
  If the effect level is greater than a target’s Ego trait rating, 
  the target must attempt to flee from the character’s 
  presence at her first available opportunity to expend a move 
  action, or cower in the same space if escape isn’t possible, 
  expending a free action in the process. 
  A target who manages to leave the combat space the 
  character is in may take a free action and make an Ego 
  standard task roll with a difficulty equal to the sum of three 
  and the effect level of the character’s fear power task to 
  shake off the fear and remove her task difficulty penalty.  
  Targets who are cowering may attempt this as well, though 
  the difficulty will be the sum of six and the effect level of the 
  character’s fear power task. 
  If the character has the Insanity booster, every three 
  effect levels also inflict -1D Ego damage.  A character with 
  Mental Resistance may use that power to lessen or prevent 
  this damage as outlined in the description of that power.  
  Characters who sustain Ego damage may be rendered 
  catatonic or be traumatized as well. 
  The effect of the Fear power fades at the rate of one 
  effect level per combat round, starting at the beginning of 
  the round following this power’s usage, though any Ego 
  damage inflicted remains until healed.  Characters desiring 
  a slower or faster fade should reference the custom 
  boosters and limiters listed below. 
   
  Fear Custom Boosters 
   
  Insanity [+3D]: The character’s fear power is so 
  traumatic, that it can inflict Ego damage at the rate 
  of -1D for every three effect levels of a successful 
  usage, as outlined in the power description.  This 
  booster may only be taken once. 
   
  Slower Fade [+1D]: The character’s fear effect 
  fades more slowly than one difficulty point per combat 
  round.  For each instance of this booster, the number 
  of combat rounds between fades is increased by one.  
  Thus, with the first instance of this booster, the power 
  fades by one difficulty point every two combat rounds; 
  the second instance, it fades by one difficulty point 
  every three combat rounds; and so on. 
   
  Fear Custom Limiter 
   
  Faster Fade [-1D]: The character’s fear effect 
  fades at a rate greater than one difficulty point per 
  combat round.  For each instance of this limiter, the 
  number of points of fade increases by one.  Thus, with 
  the first instance, the power fades two difficulty points 
  per combat round; the second instance, it fades by 
  three difficulty points per combat round; and so on. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
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  37 
   
  Fly  Movement 
   
  The character is able to do aerospace movement 
  through the air and (possibly) space.  In combat, the 
  character can move a number of spaces equal to his trait 
  rating in this power with a move action.  Outside of combat, 
  reference the Speed column of the Benchmarks Table for 
  the character’s maximum speed when using this power. 
   
  Flight Custom Limiters 
  Affected by Weather [-1D]: This power is 
  adversely affected by bad weather such as storms, 
  strong winds, high altitudes, etc.  Under such 
  conditions, the character is limited to one-half normal 
  movement rates with this power, rounding up. 
  Gliding Only [-1D or -2D]: The character cannot 
  gain altitude (except with updrafts and thermals) and 
  must descend while flying.  This limiter implies an 
  altitude ceiling and the character’s inability to use this 
  power in space as well.  The -1D limiter is for standard 
  gliding.  If this power functions more like a parachute, 
  to just bring the character to a soft landing during a fall, 
  the limiter becomes -2D.  Note that with the parachute 
  limiter, this power caps at the 3D trait rating. 
  Signature [-1D]: The character’s flight power is 
  extremely noisy, showy, or otherwise very noticeable to 
  both the public and his enemies when he is about to 
  arrive on the scene or when he is departing.  Things 
  like back-blast, a distinctive roar, and scorch marks 
  from rockets; the rushing sounds and contrails of jet-
  engines; the bluster and noise of riding a whirlwind, etc. 
  are covered by this particular limiter. 
  Wings [-1D or -2D]: The character has physical 
  wings – fairy wings, energy wings, bird wings, bat 
  wings, insect wings – that are large / powerful enough 
  to enable him to fly.  If the wings can be damaged, or 
  they are bulky and difficult to conceal, this limiter is -1D. 
  If the character’s wings have an altitude ceiling and 
  cannot operate in space at all; or if both conditions in 
  the -1D limiter are present, this limiter becomes -2D 
  instead. 
   
  Force Barrier  Defense; Active 
   
  The character can create a barrier of energy or force 
  that prevents or reduces physical damage and also can 
  prevent or hinder the passage of beings and objects 
  through it.  If the character takes the custom booster 
  Bubble, he can create a hemispherical (if on a surface) or 
  spherical (if in a volume of space) that can protect himself 
  and anyone else who can fit inside it.  If a character can 
  only make a bubble with this power, he should take the 
  custom limiter Force Bubble.  A character who wishes to 
  make force bubbles around other combatants – either for 
  protection or containment of enemies should take the 
  standard booster Ranged. 
   
  The barrier has a maximum size of 100 square yards 
  (10 yards x 10 yards) or the width of a combat space for 
  every three trait ratings of this power (rounding up). If using 
  the Bubble booster, it can enclose a space up to five yards 
  in diameter, increasing by about 2.5 yards for every 
  increment – allowing it to enclose an entire combat space 
  at trait rating 3D. 
   
  When this power is active, it is the resisting trait for the 
  attacker’s damage / effect task roll of any physical attacks 
  directed against it or targeting anyone or anything behind it.  
  Anything or anyone attempting to penetrate the barrier or 
  bubble essentially makes a physical attack against the 
  barrier using its Strength trait rating as the attacking trait. 
  This barrier works against environmental, lethal, and 
  standard physical damage, but it can fail when it is 
  breached.  It automatically fails if the character loses the 
  ability to maintain his concentration (i.e. is rendered 
  catatonic, is critically wounded, knocked out, stunned, etc.). 
   
  If the character sustains Ego, Fortitude or Stamina 
  damage while this power is active, the character makes a 
  Fortitude standard task roll with a difficulty equal to the sum 
  of three and the damage he sustained in the attack. If the 
  task roll result is failed, the character’s Force Barrier turns 
  off and cannot be reactivated until the character can 
  expend a free action to do so. 
   
  Force Barrier Custom Boosters 
   
  Attacks Permitted [+1D]: Ordinarily, a force 
  barrier works both ways.  With this booster, the 
  character’s barrier allows him and anyone on his side 
  to make ranged attacks against targets on the other 
  side of the barrier. 
   
  Bubble [+2D]: The character can enclose himself 
  and others within his force barrier to make a 
  hemispherical or spherical bubble around him.  
  Everyone within the bubble enjoys the benefits of its 
  protection or the inconvenience of being held within it. 
   
  Opaque Side [+½D]: Ordinarily, a force barrier is 
  transparent to auditory and visual senses.  For each 
  instance of this booster, the character’s force barrier 
  acts like a one-way mirror for one of those sensory 
  groups – the character and anyone else on his side of 
  the barrier can perceive through it, but anyone on the 
  other side cannot.  Note that some sensory powers may 
  be able to penetrate the barrier even with this booster. 
   
  Force Barrier Custom Limiter 
   
  Force Bubble [-1D]: The character can only create 
  bubbles around himself rather than barriers.  If he also 
  takes the standard booster Ranged, he can enclose 
  others in force bubbles at range by expending a combat 
  action and making a ranged attack task roll (this 
  becomes automatic if the target is a consenting ally or 
  incapable of action). 
   
   
   
   
  
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  38 
   
  Force Field  Defense; Active 
   
  The character can create a field of energy or force 
  around himself that prevents or reduces physical damage 
  affecting him.  To use this power, the character declares the 
  power is active and expending a free action.  This power is 
  an active defense, meaning the character can only use it if 
  he’s taken a free action to activate it and he has the ability 
  to concentrate (i.e. he’s not catatonic, critically wounded, 
  knocked out, stunned, or under some form of mental control 
  like Psychic Dominion). 
   
  When this power is active, it is the opposing trait to an 
  attacker’s damage / effect task roll.  If the character has an 
  effect level equal to or greater than the attacker’s, the force 
  field protects him from damage from the attack.  If the 
  attacker’s effect level is greater, that amount of the 
  appropriate damage is applied to the character.  This power 
  works against environmental, lethal and standard physical 
  damage, but it can fail when it is breached. 
   
  If the character sustains Ego, Fortitude, or Stamina 
  damage while this power is active, the character makes a 
  Fortitude standard task roll with a difficulty equal to the sum 
  of three and the damage he sustained in the attack. If the 
  task roll result is failed, the character’s Force Field turns off 
  and cannot be reactivated until the character can expend a 
  free action to do so. 
   
  A force field permits the character to make melee, 
  mental, ranged, and touch attacks without penalty 
   
  Force Field Custom Booster 
   
  Opaque Side [+½D]: Ordinarily, a force field is 
  transparent to auditory and visual senses.  For each 
  instance of this booster, the character’s force field acts 
  like a one-way mirror for one of those sensory groups 
  – the character can perceive through it, but anyone 
  outside of it cannot.  Note that some sensory powers 
  may be able to penetrate the force field even with this 
  booster. 
   
   
  Grow  Alteration 
   
  The character can increase his size – increasing his 
  height, Strength trait rating, and normal movement rate; 
  plus gaining trait ratings in the Damage Resistance power, 
  at a cost of being easier to target and increasing his mass.  
  The effects of this power are detailed on the tables below. 
   
  Grow Adjustments Table 1 
  Trait 
  Rating 
  Maximum 
  Height 
  Maximum 
  Weight 
  STR 
  Bonus 
  Damage 
  Resist. 
  Throw 
  back 
  0 
  6 ft 
  150 lbs. 
  +0 
  +0 
  -0 
  1 
  9 ft. 
  300 lbs. 
  +1D 
  +0 
  -0 
  2 
  12ft. 
  600 lbs. 
  +2D 
  +1D 
  -1 
  3 
  15 ft. 
  1200 lbs. 
  +3D 
  +1D 
  -1 
  4 
  20 ft. 
  1 ton 
  +4D 
  +2D 
  -2 
  5 
  30 ft. 
  2 tons 
  +5D 
  +2D 
  -2 
  6 
  40 ft. 
  4 tons 
  +6D 
  +3D 
  -3 
  7 
  50 ft. 
  8 tons 
  +7D 
  +3D 
  -3 
  8 
  60 ft. 
  15 tons 
  +8D 
  +4D 
  -4 
  9 
  100 ft. 
  30 tons 
  +9D 
  +4D 
  -4 
  10 
  150 ft. 
  60 tons 
  +10D 
  +5D 
  -5 
  11 
  200 ft. 
  100 tons 
  +11D 
  +5D 
  -5 
  12 
  250 ft. 
  200 tons 
  +12D 
  +6D 
  -6 
   
  Grow Adjustments Table 2 
  Trait 
  Rating 
  Character’s 
  To Hit 
  Attacker’s 
  To Hit 
  Stretch 
  Bonus 
  Movement 
  0 
  +0 
  +0 
  None 
  +0 
  1 
  +0 
  +1 
  None 
  +0 
  2 
  +1 
  +1 
  None 
  +1 
  3 
  +1 
  +2 
  None 
  +1 
  4 
  +2 
  +2 
  None 
  +2 
  5 
  +2 
  +3 
  1D 
  +2 
  6 
  +3 
  +3 
  1D 
  +3 
  7 
  +3 
  +4 
  2D 
  +3 
  8 
  +4 
  +4 
  2D 
  +4 
  9 
  +4 
  +5 
  3D 
  +4 
  10 
  AOE 1 
  +5 
  3D 
  +5 
  11 
  AOE 1 
  +6 
  4D 
  +5 
  12 
  AOE 2 
  +6 
  4D 
  +6 
   
  Key to Tables: At the Grow TR indicated… 
  Height: …the character becomes this tall. 
  Weight: …the character weighs this much. 
  Strength Bonus: …the character’s Strength trait 
  rating increases this much. 
  Damage Resist.: …the character gains the 
  indicated rating in the Damage Resistance power as a 
  result of his growth. 
  Throwback: …the character subtracts this many 
  spaces of throwback effect from any attack that targets 
  him. 
  Character to Hit: …the character’s unarmed 
  attacks are reduced in difficulty by the amount 
  indicated.  ‘AOE’ indicates he gains the Area of Effect 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  39 
   
  booster to his unarmed attacks due to his great size.  
  The value indicates the number of contiguous combat 
  spaces the character can attack at once with his ‘AOE’ 
  due to his size. 
  Attackers’ to Hit: …is the decrease to an 
  attacker’s attack task roll difficulty when targeting the 
  character due to his size.  This is also the amount that 
  difficulties are decreased when others are making 
  perception-related tasks to locate the character. 
  Stretch: …the character gains the Stretch power 
  at this trait rating due to the character’s size. 
  Bonus Movement: …the character adds this 
  many bonus combat spaces (or ten-yard increments) to 
  his ground movement due to his size. 
   
   
  To use this power, the character expends a free action 
  and activates it.  Unless this power is defined otherwise, the 
  character’s clothing and gear grow to proportionate size 
  with him.  The power remains on until the character turns it 
  off, is stunned, knocked out, critically wounded, catatonic 
  or otherwise prevented from using this power.  Note that the 
  character is still subject to campaign cap restrictions in 
  regards to his Strength attribute and Damage Resistance 
  power. 
  The character can do nothing but change sizes when 
  growing or shrinking back to normal size.  If he wishes the 
  option to act while changing sizes, he should purchase the 
  Work in Progress custom booster. 
  The character can normally grow (or shrink) up to 3D 
  trait ratings per action.  If the character wishes to grow or 
  shrink faster, he can take the Instant Change or Rapid 
  Change custom booster.  A character who wishes to 
  change size more slowly while taking other actions should 
  take the Gradual Change custom limiter. 
    
  A character that simply wishes to be taller without the 
  increase in size should take the Height Only limiter. 
   
  Grow Custom Boosters 
   
  Instant Change [+3D]: The character can assume 
  whatever trait rating of size he desires (to his 
  maximum) in a single free action. 
   
  Rapid Change [+1D]: The character may normally 
  change up to three trait rating of size per free action.  
  With each purchase of this booster, the character 
  increases the rate of change by 3 TR.  Thus, the first 
  purchase increases the rate to six TR of size per free 
  action; two purchases increases the rate to nine TR; 
  and so on. 
   
  Work in Progress [+3D]: Normally, a character 
  can’t do anything else while growing (or shrinking back 
  down).  With this booster, the character can perform 
  growing (and shrinking) as part of another action.  This 
  allows him to incorporate the growth or shrink into an 
  attack, a move, or some other action. 
   
  Grow Custom Limiters 
   
  Gradual Change [-1D]: The character is limited to 
  changing one size trait rating per free action. 
   
  Height Only [-3D]: The character only applies the 
  Height, Attackers’ to Hit, Stretch, and Bonus Run 
  columns to his increased size.  He gains no other 
  benefits.  This can represent a character who can 
  telescope or stretch parts of himself to increase height. 
   
  Heal  Alteration 
   
  The character has the ability to restore Ego, Fortitude, 
  or Stamina points to a living target that has lost dice in them.  
  This power can also be used to remove a stunned condition 
  from a target, revive a knocked-out character, and stabilize 
  a catatonic or critically wounded character. 
  To use this power, the character must be able to both 
  expend a free action and touch a non-resisting or restrained 
  target.  The character declares which of Ego, Fortitude, or 
  Stamina he is attempting to heal, and makes a Heal effect 
  task roll with a difficulty equal to the sum of three and the 
  number of dice of damage the target has sustained to the 
  attribute the character is attempting to heal.  If the task is 
  successful, the effect level of the task is the number of 
  damage dice the target regains (up to her maximum value). 
   
  Healing back one or more Stamina dice of damage of 
  a character who is stunned automatically removes all 
  stunned conditions she had.  Healing back one or more dice 
  of Stamina damage of a character who has been knocked 
  out automatically revives her to a stunned condition. 
  Healing back one or more dice of Ego damage to a 
  traumatized character removes an equal number of lost 
  actions from that condition.  If all lost actions are removed 
  in this fashion, the character is no longer traumatized.  
  Healing back one or more dice of Ego damage to a 
  catatonic character stabilizes her, though she is still 
  traumatized. 
  Healing back one or more dice of Fortitude damage of 
  a wounded character revives her to a stunned state.  
  Healing back one or more dice of Fortitude damage of a 
  critically wounded character automatically stabilizes her 
  and revives her to a wounded state. 
   
  Illusion  Miscellaneous 
   
  The character can create illusions that fool one or more 
  senses of others.  Depending on the effect level, the illusion 
  may actually be so convincing that others may suffer 
  Stamina damage from ‘attacks’ it makes.  If the character 
  wishes to generate mental illusions (i.e. ones that only 
  targeted individuals can perceive), he should take on the 
  custom limiter Mental Only, and read how that changes the 
  basic mechanics of this power. 
   
  In general, this power is assumed to affect the basic 
  human sensorium – auditory, olfactory, tactile, and vision – 
  but not others.  To have this power affect one or more entire 
  sensory groups, the character should purchase the 
  Sensory Group custom booster. 
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  40 
   
   
  When attempting to use this power, the character 
  should describe the illusion he is attempting to present.  
  The table below should be used as a guide when 
  determining what difficulty should be applied for the power 
  task roll.  The referee may impose other modifiers to the 
  typical difficulty as conditions warrant. 
   
  Standard Difficulties to an Illusion Task Roll 
  Diff. 
  Condition 
  3 
  Static Illusion: a still picture on a surface; mimicking 
  immobile scenery or surroundings for camouflage; 
  producing a false wall or door.  [Mental effect level 1] 
  5 
  Simple Illusion: a static shape that moves; an inarticulate 
  sound; a basic scent; hot/warm/cool/cold surface or material.  
  [Mental effect level 2] 
  7 
  Moderate Illusion: an animated shape; simple, repetitive 
  sounds; mixed scents; an illusional texture to a surface; wind 
  effects.  [Mental effect level 3] 
  9 
  Complex Illusion: convincing animated likeness of a living 
  organism; mimicking speech; mimicking complex scents; 
  liquid textures.  [Mental effect level 4] 
  11 
  Intricate Illusion: convincing likeness of a known / famous 
  personage; musical performance; painful / injurious objects 
  or chemicals.  [Mental effect level 5] 
   
  To use this power, the character expends a free action 
  and makes an Illusion effect task roll, applying all applicable 
  modifiers, and references the result on the table below. If 
  the character wishes his illusions to inflict damage, he must 
  purchase the custom booster Inflicts Standard Damage.  In 
  such cases, use this power for the trait rating of the damage 
  / effect task roll. 
  For an observer to discern the illusion, she must make 
  a Perception effect task roll with a difficulty equal to the 
  character’s Illusion trait rating.  If the observer has an equal 
  or greater effect level on her task compared to the 
  character’s effect level on the Illusion task roll, she will 
  realize it isn’t real and the illusion will have no further effects 
  on her actions. 
  If an observer has a sensory power active that is not 
  affected by the character’s Illusion, that observer 
  automatically perceives through the illusion with no effect 
  to her.  (Some perception powers require the observer to 
  expend a free action to use them.) 
  The illusion remains so long as the character wills it, so 
  long as he can concentrate (i.e. the character isn’t 
  catatonic, critically wounded, knocked out, stunned, or 
  subjected to a mental power or attack).  If the character 
  changes the nature of the illusion, he will be required to 
  expend a free action and make another Illusion effect task 
  roll with a difficulty based on the new parameters. 
  Others who have extended interaction with an illusion 
  decrease the difficulty of perceiving it as an illusion by one 
  per combat round (ten-second increment), and/or per 
  successful attack against them that inflicts damage, to their 
  perception-based task rolls to recognize the illusion as 
  being unreal.  Victims of damage from illusions recover any 
  lost Stamina at the end of the combat round that they 
  realize the illusion or the character turns off the power. 
   
  Illusion Custom Boosters 
   
  Inflicts Standard Damage [+3D]: The character’s 
  Illusion power has the ability of making attacks that will 
  inflict Stamina damage.  Attacks and damage inflicted 
  by illusions are based on the character’s Illusion trait 
  rating. 
   
  Sensory Group [+1D]: The character’s illusions 
  affect all senses of a sensory group.  The character 
  must define a sensory group for each instance of this 
  booster.   The groups are Magical or Psychic, since the 
  others are covered in the base power description. 
   
  Illusion Custom Limiters 
   
  Mental Only [-2D]: The illusion only affects a 
  targeted individual and she is the only one that 
  perceives it.  The character makes a mental attack 
  against the target, using the trait rating of this power as 
  the attacking trait in the damage / effect task roll.  If the 
  character is successful, reference the effect rating (ER) 
  of that task roll on the Illusion Standard Difficulties table 
  above for the type of illusion created in the target’s 
  mind. 
  When determining the result, Mental Toughness 
  opposes the Illusion’s trait rating.  When the target has 
  cause to doubt the illusion, she may expend a free 
  action and make an Ego standard task roll with a 
  difficulty equal to the standard difficulty of the illusion 
  type indicated on the Standard Difficulties table above.  
  If successful, the illusion disappears from her mind and 
  she recovers any damage sustained from the illusion 
  as detailed above. 
   
  Immunity  Defense; Passive 
   
  The character is immune to a specific group of 
  pathogens or other environmental hazards with a hazard 
  rating equal to or less than the trait rating of this power.  The 
  group must be defined when this power is purchased – see 
  the Immunity Pathogen Groups table below.  For each 
  additional group of immunity desired at the same level of 
  defense, the character should purchase the Additional 
  Group custom booster.  If the character wants his Immunity 
  to apply to all groups, he should purchase the All Groups 
  custom booster. 
   
  Immunity Pathogen Groups 
  Bacteria 
  Poisons 
  Venoms 
  Nanites 
  Radiation 
  Viruses 
  Parasites 
  Toxins 
  Xenobiotics 
   
   
  This is a passive defense that is always active.  
  Ordinarily, a character without this power makes a Fortitude 
  opposed task roll versus the pathogen’s hazard rating.  If 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  41 
   
  the character is successful or the task roll is a draw, the 
  character isn’t affected by the pathogen or condition (this 
  time). 
   
  If the pathogen has a hazard rating lower than or equal 
  to the character’s Immunity trait rating, it has no chance of 
  affecting him at all. 
  When the character is exposed to something in an 
  immunity group that has a hazard rating greater than the 
  character’s trait rating in this power, the character makes 
  an Immunity opposed task roll versus the pathogen’s 
  hazard rating.  If the character wins the roll or it is a draw, 
  the character resists being affected.  If the pathogen wins 
  the roll, the character then attempts resist it again by using 
  his Fortitude as detailed above. 
   
  Immunity Custom Booster 
   
  Additional Group [+½D]: The character has 
  Immunity to another group of pathogens at the same 
  trait rating as the first one.  This group must be defined 
  when this booster is acquired.  This booster may be 
  taken multiple times, but if the character wants 
  Immunity to more than three groups, he should 
  consider the All Groups custom booster instead. 
   
  All Groups [+2D]: The character has Immunity to 
  all groups of pathogens at this power’s trait rating. 
   
  Imperceptible  Alteration 
   
  The character has the ability to mask his presence from 
  one or more specific sensory groups of others.  To use this 
  power, the character expends a free action and declares 
  that the power is active. 
  While this power is active, observers attempting to 
  perceive the character with the specific sensory group(s) 
  must expend a free action and make a Perception opposed 
  task roll versus the character’s trait rating in this power.  If 
  the observers win the task roll, the character is visible to 
  them in some fashion for a number of combat rounds equal 
  to the effect level the observers achieved.  If the character 
  wins the task roll or it is a tie, the character remains 
  imperceptible to the observers, even if they are aware he is 
  in their midst or proximity. 
  If the others are using sensory groups not covered by 
  the character’s Imperceptible power when attempting to 
  detect him, the character should be visible to those senses, 
  provided he isn’t taking other precautions (such as making 
  a stealth attempt). 
  The specific sensory group to which the character is 
  Imperceptible must be defined when this power is 
  purchased.  For each additional sensory group, the 
  character should add the custom booster Add Sensory 
  Group.  The sensory groups are listed below.  For game 
  balance, a character can only be Imperceptible to a 
  maximum of four sensory groups. 
   
  Imperceptible Power Sensory Groups 
  Group 
  Notes 
  Auditory 
  The character cannot be heard; breathing, 
  heartbeat, movement, etc. are all silent. 
  Magical 
  The character cannot be detected by magical 
  means. 
  Olfactory 
  The character cannot be smelled or tasted; this also 
  works against the power Tracking Sense. 
  Psychic 
  The character cannot be detected by psychic 
  means. 
  Tactile 
  The character cannot be felt; it enables the 
  character to plant objects on people, pick pockets, 
  use touch powers imperceptibly, etc. 
  Visual 
  The character cannot be seen. 
   
  Imperceptible Custom Booster 
  Add Sensory Group [+1D]: The character is 
  imperceptible to an additional sensory group for every 
  instance of this booster. 
   
  Imperceptible Custom Limiters 
  Only to Obscure Details [-3D]: The character’s 
  Imperceptible power only works to make him 
  anonymous – the character has no discernable 
  features or qualities that can be detected by the 
  sensory group(s) his power affects.  Others know he’s 
  there, so this power won’t prevent him from being 
  targeted for attacks, but will prevent those who 
  perceive him from being able to identify him. 
  Only Versus Sensors [-2D]: The character’s 
  Imperceptible power only affects remote sensing 
  equipment like security cameras, motion detectors, 
  surveillance bugs, recording devices, automatons, etc. 
  Camouflage [-3D]: The character’s Imperceptible 
  power only works when he remains relatively 
  motionless. 
   
   
   
   
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  42 
   
  Intangible  Alteration 
   
  The character has the ability to become incorporeal, 
  able to pass through most obstructions, objects, people, 
  structures, etc. effortlessly.  The character is also immune 
  to all but a select group of physical attacks and powers, 
  though can still be affected by mental attacks and mental 
  powers the same as everyone else.  The trait rating of this 
  power indicates the Material trait rating (from the Materials 
  Table) of objects the character can pass through without 
  difficulty. 
   
  The character is still limited to whatever movement 
  abilities he has when corporeal, and is also visible to most 
  people (barring some other power or ability).  However, the 
  character will appear hazy, translucent, or some other 
  effect appropriate to the power that lets observers instantly 
  know that the character isn’t ‘all there,’ so to speak.  
  Intangible characters cannot penetrate force fields without 
  purchasing the Affects Force Barriers/Fields custom 
  booster. 
   
  If the intangible character attempts to pass through an 
  object that has a greater Material TR than his power, he 
  may expend a free action and make an Intangible opposed 
  task roll versus the material’s TR.  If he wins the task roll, 
  the character continues through the object as part of his 
  move action.  If the task roll is a draw (i.e. Effect Level 0), 
  the character may expend a Stamina die to continue his 
  move action, or must end his move action at that point.  If 
  the object wins the task roll, the character must end his 
  move action at that point. 
   
  In combat, physical attacks do not affect an intangible 
  character unless they have the Affects (Intangible) booster.  
  Other physical powers that don’t actually inflict damage 
  such as Dazzle will still affect an intangible character, but 
  Ensnare typically won’t without the aforementioned 
  booster.  The character’s controller should establish a 
  specific type of attack or special effect that will affect him 
  while intangible.  (See the Suggested Power Sources / 
  Special Effects table for ideas.) 
   
  Intangible characters usually cannot affect the physical 
  world unless they purchase the While Intangible booster for 
  the traits they wish to use while in that state.  Players should 
  note that may not be allowed in your campaign, so check 
  with the referee before doing the power build.  An intangible 
  character is still capable of using mental powers and 
  attacks, and can be targeted by same. 
   
  The 
  referee 
  should 
  remember 
  that 
  intangible 
  characters are still limited in their knowledge of their 
  surroundings in the absence of perceptive powers.  Just 
  because a character can pass through a wall doesn’t mean 
  he automatically knows what’s on the other side until he 
  gets his perceptive organs through it, for example. 
   
  Intangible Custom Boosters 
  Affects 
  Force 
  Barriers/Fields 
  [+3D]: 
  The 
  character may pass through force barriers and force 
  fields as if they were physical objects or barriers, 
  substituting the trait rating of the force field for the 
  material trait rating. 
  While Intangible [+3D]: This is a booster for any 
  other trait the character can use normally while 
  intangible.  Characters that wish to manipulate objects 
  while intangible usually obtain this booster for their 
  Strength attribute. 
   
  Intangible Custom Limiters 
  Not Through Solid Objects [-2D]: The character’s 
  incorporeal form cannot pass through objects or solid 
  barriers, but can pass through openings that are too 
  small for people to pass through, such as holes, grates, 
  cracks, gaps, etc. 
  Leaves Body Behind [-3D]: This version of 
  Intangible gives the character a spiritual form that can 
  be separate from his physical form.  The character’s 
  physical body is essentially in a deep sleep or trance 
  while the spiritual form is ‘out and about’ leaving it 
  defenseless.  The character must return to his body to 
  merge and become corporeal once again. 
   
  Invoke  Miscellaneous 
   
  The character can bring into existence one or more 
  creatures that will do his bidding, fight for him, etc.  Due to 
  the complications of managing more than one character at 
  a time, it is recommended that only experienced players 
  and referees should create and run characters with this 
  power. 
  The character must decide upon the form of the 
  invoked creature, creating it with Invocation Dice (ID).  The 
  character must expend a character creation die for 5 ID.  
  The maximum number of ID a single invoked form can have 
  is equal to five times the trait rating cap for the campaign.  
  (In a standard Superhuman campaign, with a cap of 9D, 
  that would be 45 ID.) 
  For additional invoked creatures that the character can 
  bring into existence, he must take on instances of the 
  Creature Multiplier booster.  If the character can invoke 
  different creatures, he must take on instances of the 
  Creature Array custom booster. 
  To use this power, the character expends a free action 
  and declares how many (or which forms) of his creatures 
  he is invoking into existence.  All invoked creatures appear 
  in the same combat space (or within five yards of him out 
  of combat). 
  Invoked creatures remain in existence until they are 
  sent back by the character.  If a creature is killed / destroyed 
  before it is sent back, the character can ‘replace’ it between 
  adventures.  If the creature is wounded / damaged before 
  being sent back, it retains that injury / damage for the 
  duration of the adventure, unless it is healed / repaired.  
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  43 
   
  Creatures that are knocked out remain so for the duration 
  of that scene, and recover at the beginning of the next 
  scene, allowing them to be summoned again.  After the 
  adventure is over, all the invoked creatures ‘reset’ to their 
  optimum conditions. 
   
  Invulnerable  Defense; Passive 
   
  The character is exceptionally resilient to standard and 
  lethal damage from a predefined source.  Attacks from one 
  of the character’s predefined sources that target him which 
  have a trait rating equal to or less than the character’s 
  Invulnerability trait rating have no effect on the character 
  at all.  Those attacks that are greater than his Invulnerability 
  TR, require him to use this power to resist the attacker’s 
  damage / effect task roll, even if he has a greater TR in 
  another defense power. 
   
  Note that a character cannot be invulnerable to attack 
  powers that inflict no damage, such as Dazzle or Ensnare.  
  A character may be invulnerable to more than one specific 
  damage source by adding the Additional Source custom 
  booster.  A character may also make himself invulnerable 
  to one or more broad categories of damage sources – 
  energy, magic, mental, or physical – by adding the Broad 
  Category custom booster. 
   
  Invulnerability Custom Boosters 
   
  Additional Source [+1D]: The character has 
  invulnerability to another specific source of damage.  
  This booster may be taken multiple times (with referee 
  approval) to cover multiple damage sources.  Note that 
  this booster cannot be combined with the Broad 
  Category booster below. 
   
  Broad 
  Category 
  [+5D]: 
  The 
  character 
  is 
  invulnerable to one or more broad categories of 
  damage sources.  For each instance of this booster, the 
  character’s controller selects one from energy, magic, 
  mental, or physical damage categories.  For play 
  balance, a character cannot be invulnerable to all four 
  categories.  This booster cannot be combined with the 
  Additional Source booster above. 
   
  Karma Control  Miscellaneous 
   
  The character has the ability to either generate a 
  temporary pool of fate dice that can be used by a targeted 
  ally during a scene, or a temporary pool of unluck dice that 
  he can use to adversely affect the task rolls of a target 
  adversary during a scene.  Each unluck die expended 
  reduces the effect level of a single die in a task roll made 
  by another character by one – the opposite of fate dice.  If 
  the unluck die is applied to a standard task roll, the roll is 
  failed unless the target expends one of her own fate dice to 
  counter it. 
   
  In its base ability, the character will either have the 
  power of good karma (fate dice) or bad karma (unluck dice).  
  If the character wants to do both, he should take the Good 
  & Bad custom booster. 
   
  To use this power, the target must be in the same 
  combat space (or within five yards).  The character then 
  expends a free action and makes a Karma Control standard 
  task roll at Normal difficulty (7).  The effect level of the task 
  roll indicates the number of fate or unluck dice generated 
  by the effort. 
   
  Note that for game balance, the character cannot target 
  a specific character for good or bad karma more than once 
  in a single scene. 
   
  Karma Control Custom Booster 
   
  Good & Bad [+3D]: The character has the ability 
  to grant good karma or inflict bad karma at his 
  discretion.  He must announce which type is in play 
  each time he uses this power. 
   
  Karma Control Custom Limiter 
   
  Reduced Effect [-1D]: The character’s power 
  generates one-half (rounding up) the number of dice 
  indicated by the effect level of his task roll. 
   
  Lack of Weakness  Defense; Passive 
   
  The character’s defenses are more difficult to penetrate 
  than most others, resisting attempts by others to use the 
  Perceive Weakness power.  This defense power is always 
  active – whenever the character is subjected to a 
  successful use of the Perceive Weakness power, he is 
  allowed to immediately use this power to attempt to counter 
  it. 
   
  To use this power, the character makes a Lack of 
  Weakness effect task roll with the observer’s Perceive 
  Weakness trait rating as the difficulty.  The effect level of 
  the task roll cancels out that many bonus edge dice the 
  observer obtains from her power use.  If the character’s 
  effect level is equal to or greater than the observer’s 
  Perceive Weakness task roll effect level, the observer gains 
  no benefit from her power. 
   
   
  
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  44 
   
  Leap  Movement 
  The character is able to make great horizontal and 
  vertical leaps.  In combat scenes, the distance in spaces of 
  a leap is the trait rating of this power, assuming the 
  character has adequate vertical space and an unobstructed 
  path.  For the maximum distance (horizontal or vertical) per 
  leap outside of combat scenes, reference this power’s trait 
  rating on the Distance column from the Benchmarks Table. 
   
  To use this power, the character must expend a move 
  action.  Characters with this power may attempt a power 
  feat to negotiate obstacles, make pinpoint landings, attack 
  / intercept a flying or airborne target, avoid ranged attacks 
  while in the air, etc.  With the referee’s permission, the 
  character may apply the Freefall edge to such attempts. 
   
  Leech  Alteration 
   
  The character can temporarily take away part or all of 
  a target’s dice of a trait, adding those stolen dice to one of 
  the character’s existing traits.  When this power is obtained, 
  the character must define both the target’s trait that is 
  reduced and the character’s trait that is improved with a 
  successful attack.  This power cannot target derived 
  attributes or edges. 
  To use this power, the character expends a combat 
  action and makes a touch attack on the target.  If 
  successful, the character makes a Leech damage / effect 
  task roll versus one-half of the target’s Fortitude trait rating 
  (rounding up) or the target’s trait rating in the Trait 
  Protection power, if any.  Note that the character can only 
  Leech up to the target’s full trait rating of the target trait, or 
  his own trait rating in this power, whichever is less. 
  Obviously, if the target doesn’t have the trait targeted 
  by the character’s power, this attack will have no effect and 
  the character won’t gain any dice.  The character also 
  cannot Leech more dice than the target has in the targeted 
  trait.  A character with this power can only increase his own 
  benefiting trait by a total of three dice over the campaign’s 
  cap – each purchase of the Slower Fade custom booster 
  reduces this limit by -1D until it reaches the campaign cap. 
  Note that the maximum trait rating a character can gain 
  from this power is equal to his trait rating in this power, 
  which is also the maximum number of dice the target can 
  lose from one or more such attacks from the same 
  character.  The character can leech the targeted trait from 
  multiple targets until he reaches his maximum. 
  If an attribute is targeted and/or benefitted with this 
  power, the values of the derived attributes based upon it 
  are not changed by the effects of this power.  If a trait is 
  reduced to 0D by this power, it cannot be used by the target 
  until she recovers at least 1D.  In the case of a 0D attribute, 
  the target may still make task rolls at ½D and employ any 
  applicable edge dice to those tasks. 
  Ordinarily, the transfer of trait rating is temporary, with 
  the target regaining the Leeched dice at the rate of +1D per 
  combat round (ten-second increments).  The dice gained 
  by the character also fade by -1D per combat round.  That 
  rate can be changed with the custom booster Slower Fade 
  or with the custom limiter Faster Fade. 
   
  Leech Custom Boosters 
  Benefits Trait Group [+3D]: The character’s 
  power may either selectively benefit any one of his 
  traits from a related group, or may be split evenly 
  among all the traits he has of that group – the 
  character’s controller decides which when this booster 
  is applied. Acceptable groups are listed below. 
  Alteration Powers 
  Mental Powers 
  Attack Powers 
  Miscellaneous Powers 
  Attributes 
  Movement Powers 
  Defense Powers 
  Sensory Powers 
   
  Slower Fade [+2D]: For each instance of this 
  booster, the character’s power fades at a slower rate, 
  increasing the number of combat turns (10-second 
  increments) it takes for the target to regain +1D and the 
  character to lose -1D.  This booster may be purchased 
  multiple times to further slow the rate of fade.  Thus, the 
  first instance means that the fade is -1D every two 
  combat rounds; the second instance increases the time 
  between the fades to -1D every three combat rounds; 
  the third instance increases the time between the fades 
  to -1D every four combat rounds; and so on.  Note that 
  this also slows the rate of the target’s recovery of the 
  Leeched trait as well. 
  Targets Trait Group [+3D]: The character’s power 
  can selectively target any one trait from a related group.  
  Note that the character’s controller must declare which 
  trait in the related group is being targeted before 
  making the touch attack.  This booster may be taken 
  more than once to add more groups that can be 
  targeted with the character’s power.  Samples of 
  acceptable groups are listed on the table above. 
   
  Leech Custom Limiter 
  Faster Fade [-1D]: The character’s power fades at 
  a faster rate than -1D per combat round, increasing the 
  number of dice that fade per combat round by -1D.  
  Thus, the first instance of this booster causes the power 
  to fade at -2D per combat round (ten-second 
  increments); the second instance, -3D per combat 
  round; the third instance means -4D per combat round; 
  and so on.  The target also gains back the dice lost by 
  the character each round. 
   
   
   
   
   
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  45 
   
  Lethal Blast  Attack 
   
  The character has the ability to make a ranged lethal 
  physical attack against a target.  Damage is resolved like a 
  standard attack, but for every three Stamina points 
  sustained (after the effect of a defensive power), the target 
  also sustains -1D Fortitude. 
  If the target doesn’t have a defense against physical 
  lethal 
  damage 
  (i.e. 
  Armor, 
  Damage 
  Resistance, 
  Invulnerable, Force Barrier, or Force Field), then all of the 
  success dice rolled before defenses are applied counts 
  for the possible application of Fortitude damage to the 
  target. 
   
  Example: Southside Slim, a villainous bruiser, takes a 
  bullet from a rival gang’s enforcer who got six success dice 
  on his damage / effect roll.  Slim has Toughness 7 and 
  manages four success dice.  Slim’s attacker inflicts (6-4=) 
  2 Stamina points of damage; but since Toughness doesn’t 
  stop lethal damage, the enforcer gets to count all his 
  success dice to determine the lethal damage.  With six 
  success dice, Slim takes -2D Fortitude from the shot. 
   
  Lethal Blast Custom Booster 
   
  Additional Source [+1D]: The character’s lethal 
  blast can toggle to a different predefined source of 
  damage.  Switching from one source to another 
  requires the character to expend a free action.  This 
  booster may be obtained multiple times to reflect 
  multiple damage sources. 
   
   
  Lethal Strike  Attack 
   
  The character has the ability to make a touch lethal 
  physical attack against a target.  This can be made into a 
  melee attack by taking the Melee Attack custom booster.  
  Damage is resolved like a standard attack, but for every 
  three Stamina points sustained (after the effect of a 
  defensive power), the target also sustains -1D Fortitude. 
  If the target doesn’t have a defense against physical 
  lethal 
  damage 
  (i.e. 
  Armor, 
  Damage 
  Resistance, 
  Invulnerable, Force Barrier, or Force Field), then all of the 
  success dice rolled before defenses are applied counts 
  for the possible application of Fortitude damage to the 
  target.  (See example with the Lethal Blast power 
  description for details.) 
   
  Lethal Strike Custom Booster 
   
  Additional Source [+1D]: The character’s lethal 
  strike can toggle to a different predefined source of 
  damage.  Switching from one source to another 
  requires the character to expend a free action.  This 
  booster may be obtained multiple times to reflect 
  multiple damage sources. 
   
  Melee Attack [+2D]: The character’s lethal strike 
  is a physical blow or effort that allows him to 
  supplement this power’s dice with his Strength dice in 
  the damage / effect task roll after a successful attack 
  task roll.  Note that the maximum number of damage 
  dice is limited to the lesser of twice this power’s trait 
  rating or the Power Tier Cap for the campaign (9D in a 
  standard Superhuman setting). 
   
  Life Support  Alteration 
   
  The character has the ability to endure situations and 
  environments that are normally detrimental to human life.  
  For each trait rating of this power, the character gains one 
  situation or condition listed below that he can endure 
  indefinitely.  This power is assumed to be always on unless 
  the character has a limiter or subplot that indicates 
  otherwise. 
   
  Life Support Condition / Situation 
  Asphyxiation 
  Hypothermia 
  Dehydration 
  Sleep Deprivation 
  High Pressure 
  Starvation 
  Hyperthermia 
  Vacuum 
   
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  46 
   
   
  Location Sense  Sensory 
   
  The character has the ability to accurately sense his 
  surroundings when he cannot rely on sight alone (the most 
  common way most humans navigate their immediate 
  terrain).  When the character defines this power, he decides 
  which of the five sensory groups besides visual he uses – 
  auditory, magical, olfactory, psychic, or tactile.  If the 
  character is subjected to a Dazzle attack in his defined 
  group, his power is inhibited the same as any other 
  perception ability is.  If an Imperceptible adversary has that 
  ability for the character’s location sense sensory group, the 
  character will have the same problems perceiving her as he 
  would with a standard sense. 
   
  When using Location Sense, the character usually 
  doesn’t have to make a task roll just to navigate the 
  landscape.  If the character has specific threats or seeks 
  specific information about a location, he should expend a 
  free action and make a Location Sense standard task roll, 
  with an appropriate difficulty based on conditions.  If 
  degrees of threat or information are present, then the 
  referee may require the character make an effect task roll 
  instead, with a specific effect level on the task to avoid 
  them. 
   
  Some characters with enhanced perception powers or 
  abilities may be able to detect a character using a location 
  sense.  If the character wishes his Location Sense to be 
  less obvious, he should get the Passive LS custom booster. 
   
  Note that while a location sense can be exceptionally 
  accurate, it also doesn’t fully substitute for regular 
  perceptive abilities.  Fine details and limitations should be 
  apparent in the way the power is defined by the character, 
  and should be clarified between the character’s controller 
  and the referee before the character enters play. 
  Some of the more common location senses are listed 
  below, but this list is by no means comprehensive. 
   
  Auditory LS 
   
  Echolocation is what allows bats and some other 
  creatures to move and hunt at night and in complete 
  darkness. 
   
  Sonar is the aquatic version of echolocation. 
   
  Magical LS 
   
  Mana 
  Sensing 
  assumes 
  that 
  magical 
  energy 
  permeates all things and the character can sense the subtle 
  changes in the field around him made by objects and 
  creatures. 
   
  Olfactory LS 
  Scent Sensing assumes the character’s olfactory ability 
  is enhanced to the degree that he can detect objects and 
  creatures around him solely by smell or taste. 
   
  Psychic LS 
   
  Psychic Sonar allows the character to send out small 
  pulses of mental energy to detect his local terrain. 
   
  Tactile LS 
   
  Barometric Sonar permits the character to feel the 
  subtle pressure differences in the air across his body to get 
  general information about his surroundings. 
   
  Location Sense Custom Booster 
   
  Passive LS [+2D]: The character’s Location 
  Sense power can usually be detected by certain types 
  of perceptive powers and abilities with a Perception 
  task roll.  If the character’s power has this booster, he 
  cannot be located in that fashion, as he is perceiving 
  and interpreting the ambience of that sensory group 
  around him. 
   
  Longevity  Miscellaneous 
  The character’s natural life span is markedly longer 
  than the human norm, although this makes him no less 
  easy to kill by unnatural means, of course.  For each die in 
  this benefit, the character’s natural life span is increased as 
  indicated on the table below.  A normal human lifespan is 
  considered to be 100 Earth years. 
   
  Long-lived characters should be allowed to substitute 
  this power for Intelligence when things turn to the matter of 
  history, depending on how long the character has lived.  
  This power may also be used to resist the effects of 
  unnatural aging as well. 
   
  Longevity Lifespan Table 
  1D 
  250 yrs. 
  5D 
  5000 yrs. 
  9D 
  100,000 yrs. 
  2D 
  500 yrs. 
  6D 
  10,000 yrs. 
  10D 
  1 million yrs. 
  3D 
  1000 yrs. 
  7D 
  25,000 yrs. 
  11D 
  10 million yrs. 
  4D 
  2500 yrs. 
  8D 
  50,000 yrs. 
  12D 
  100 million yrs. 
   
   
  
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  47 
   
  Magic  Miscellaneous 
   
  The character can manipulate magical energies or 
  cosmic forces to replicate the benefits and effects of any 
  one power.  To use this power, the character expends a 
  free action, declares what power he is attempting to 
  duplicate and at what trait rating (up to a maximum of his 
  trait rating in this power).  He then makes a Magic standard 
  task roll with a difficulty equal to the trait rating of the power 
  he is attempting to duplicate.  If the task roll is successful, 
  the character has that power.  If the task roll is failed, the 
  magic use attempt has no effect. 
  Once the character has successfully replicated a 
  power, he may use it for as long as he can concentrate or 
  desires to have that power active.  The power functions as 
  if the character had the power normally, except that any 
  task rolls required by that power use the character’s Magic 
  power trait rating instead of what is normally used. 
  If the character can replicate more than one power at a 
  time, the character should also obtain the custom booster 
  Additional Power.  If the character wishes to change out the 
  power (or attempt to increase the replicated power’s trait 
  rating), he will have to expend a free action and make the 
  task roll detailed above.  Characters with this power may 
  have one (or more, if permitted) default powers replicated 
  at the start of an adventure, with the referee’s permission. 
   
  Magic Custom Booster 
  Additional Power [+1D]: For each instance of this 
  booster, the character may replicate an additional 
  power with his Magic power.  A character is limited to a 
  number of replicated powers equal to one-half 
  (rounding up) of his trait rating in his Magic power. 
   
  Manipulate  Alteration 
   
  The character has the ability to control and direct the 
  actions of a group of traditionally non-sentient life forms – 
  plants, insects, animals, micro-organisms – or animate 
  mobile machinery such as vehicles and robots.  The group 
  must be defined and approved by the referee when this 
  power is obtained. 
   
  With this power, the character could use the controlled 
  creatures / objects to attack others, form barriers, perform 
  work, etc.  Any natural abilities that creatures might have 
  could also be used in creative ways by the character.  In 
  general, the character’s trait rating with this power 
  determines the relative effectiveness of actions taken by 
  creatures or objects that are under his control.  The group 
  being manipulated will be under the character’s control for 
  as long as he can concentrate (i.e. he is not catatonic, 
  critically wounded, knocked out, stunned, or under mental 
  control, etc.). 
  If the character wishes to manipulate more than one 
  group of creatures or objects, he should purchase the 
  Additional Group custom booster.  If the character wishes 
  to manipulate a broad category – all creatures or all 
  animate objects – he should take the Broad Group custom 
  booster.  If the character wishes to manipulate any creature 
  or object, he should take the All Things custom booster.  If 
  the character wishes to have control of a small group of 
  creatures or objects, he should take the Limited Group 
  custom limiter. 
  To determine the relative size of the group of smaller 
  creatures or objects, or the maximum size of a single larger 
  creature or object, reference the Weight column of the 
  Benchmarks Table with the character’s trait rating in this 
  power. 
   
  To use this power, the character must have creatures 
  or objects of his defined group within a number of combat 
  spaces (increments of ten yards out of combat) equal to his 
  trait rating in this power.  The character expends a free 
  action and makes a Manipulate standard task roll with a 
  difficulty equal to the sum of three and the distance in 
  combat spaces to the creatures / objects he wishes to 
  manipulate.  If the roll is successful, the character gains 
  control of the targeted creatures or objects. 
   
  A group that is under the character’s control that is 
  made to attack another combatant or group of combatants 
  uses the character’s Manipulate power trait as both the 
  attacking trait and the damage / effect trait. 
  A group of smaller creatures / objects (such as a swarm 
  of insects) can be attacked en masse by other combatants.  
  The damage inflicted reduces the character’s effective trait 
  rating – if it is reduced to 0D, the group has been dispersed 
  or eliminated.  Larger individually animated objects are 
  subject to the referee’s discretion in regards to the 
  effectiveness of attacks made against them. 
   
  Manipulate Custom Boosters 
   
  Additional Group [+1D]: For each instance of this 
  booster, the character can manipulate another group of 
  creatures or objects, though he can only manipulate 
  one group at a time.  The additional group must be 
  defined and approved by the referee when this booster 
  is obtained. 
   
  All Things [+3D]: The character can manipulate all 
  non-sentient creatures and animate objects with this 
  power. 
   
  Broad Group [+2D]: For each instance of this 
  booster, the character can manipulate all groups of 
  non-sentient creatures or all groups of animate objects 
  with this power, instead of a single group.  The broad 
  group must be approved by the referee when this 
  booster is obtained. 
   
  Manipulate Custom Limiter 
   
  Limited Group [-2D]: The character can only 
  manipulate a small subset of creatures or object types 
  with this power, rather than all that would normally be 
  included in a group.  This limited group must be defined 
  when this limiter is taken and must be approved by the 
  referee. 
   
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  48 
   
  Mental Blast  Attack 
   
  The character has a parapsychological power that 
  permits him to attack the mind of a target being directly, 
  inflicting Stamina damage if he is successful.  This power 
  can be resisted with Mental Toughness.  This power 
  effectively has the Line of Sight and Unobvious boosters.  
  As with mental powers, it uses Ego as the trait for the 
  character’s attack roll with the target’s Ego trait rating as the 
  difficulty. 
   
  This attack can inflict lethal damage if the Lethal 
  Damage custom booster is taken.  The Ego damage can 
  only be resisted with the Mental Resistance power.  If that 
  booster is taken, the character will inflict -1D Ego to the 
  target for every three dice of Stamina damage. 
   
  Mental Blast Custom Booster 
   
  Lethal Damage [+3D]: The character’s mental 
  blast also inflicts lethal damage with a successful 
  attack.  For every three dice of Stamina damage 
  inflicted, the target also suffers -1D Ego damage as 
  well.  The lethal damage can only be resisted with the 
  Mental Resistance power. 
   
  Mental Resistance  Defense; Passive 
   
  The character has the ability to resist Ego damage 
  inflicted upon him by lethal attacks, though any Stamina 
  damage inflicted in that type of attack will still affect him.  
  This power is often obtained along with the Mental 
  Toughness power to reflect a superhumanly resilient mind, 
  though usually fewer dice of this power are obtained.  This 
  power cannot be Connected to the Mental Toughness 
  power, nor vice versa. 
   
  Use of this power is a Mental Resistance effect task roll 
  with a difficulty equal to the sum of three and the amount of 
  Ego damage inflicted in the attack.  If the effect level of the 
  result equals or exceeds the lethal damage inflicted, the 
  attack does no dice of Ego damage.  If the character’s result 
  is less than the lethal damage inflicted, the remaining lethal 
  damage is applied to the character at the rate of -1D Ego 
  per level. 
   
  Mental Toughness  Defense; Passive 
   
  The character has means to prevent or reduce the 
  damage from standard mental attacks, as well as help the 
  character resist the effects of mental powers.  This power 
  doesn’t work against damage from the character’s 
  environment, nor does it prevent Ego damage from lethal 
  mental attacks (though it can prevent or reduce Stamina 
  damage from same).  This power opposes an attacker’s 
  mental power in the damage / effect task roll. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Microscopic Sense  Sensory 
  The character can perceive objects and events that are 
  too small for most humans to detect directly.  Magnification 
  is 10X at 1D, increasing by a factor of ten with each trait 
  rating – 2D is 100X, 3D is 1,000X, 4D is 10,000X, and so 
  on.  At 6D (1,000,000X), the character could perceive 
  individual atoms; at 8D (100,000,000X) the character could 
  detect objects down to a single Planck length; and at 9D or 
  greater, the character’s microscopic sense is so powerful 
  that even the most advanced and theoretical physics would 
  no longer apply to what the character perceives. 
  The character defines which of the six sensory groups 
  his microscopic sense is for – auditory, magical, 
  olfactory, psychic, tactile, or visual (by far the most 
  common).  If the character is subjected to a Dazzle attack 
  in his defined group, his power is inhibited the same as any 
  other perception ability.  If the character desires his 
  Microscopic Sense to function with more than one sensory 
  group, he should take the Additional Sensory Group custom 
  booster. 
  To use this power, the character expends a free action 
  to activate it (usually while examining a specific object or 
  location).  The power remains active until the character 
  turns it off, is unable to concentrate (i.e. is catatonic, 
  critically wounded, knocked out, stunned, under mind 
  control, etc.), or prevented from using the power (from a 
  Dazzle attack or the effects of another power).  For 
  instances of gathering specific details or information from 
  what is being perceived with this power, the character 
  makes a Microscopic Sense effect task roll with an 
  appropriate difficulty based on conditions.  At the referee’s 
  discretion, the amount of information gleaned may depend 
  on the effect level of the task roll. 
   
  Microscopic Sense Custom Booster 
   
  Additional Sensory Group [+½D]: For each 
  instance of this booster, the character has the option of 
  defining an additional defined sensory group for his 
  Microscopic Sense – auditory, magical, olfactory, 
  psychic, tactile, or visual. 
   
   
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  49 
   
  Modified Attribute  Alteration 
   
  This is a special notation in the Powers section of a 
  character’s record sheet for boosters or limiters that have 
  been applied to one or more of the character’s primary 
  attributes.  The attribute is noted under this heading along 
  with the boosters and limiters affecting the amount of 
  character creation dice expended for the trait. 
   
  For example, Paragon Prime has a magic helmet that 
  transforms him into a mighty superhero when he recites its 
  mystic inscription while donning it; enhancing his Strength 
  2D by +6D.  This would be represented as follows: 
   
  Helm of Paragon Prime – Modified Attribute 6D 
  (+6D to Strength); Limiters – Inaccessible Item (Prime’s 
  Helm, -½D), Ritual (Recite inscription while donning 
  helm, -½D); 5D Total 
   
  Paracognition  Mental 
   
  The character has one of three forms of paranormal 
  cognitive ability – clairsentience (remote sensing), 
  precognition (sensing of future events), or postcognition 
  (sensing of past events) – which is defined when this power 
  is obtained.  If the character wishes to have additional forms 
  of this power, he may purchase the custom booster 
  Additional Form for each.  In general, this power cannot be 
  used in combat scenes, as it takes at least a full minute or 
  more for the character to fully interpret what his 
  paracognitive ability reveals to him. 
   
  Clairsentience allows the character to perceive a 
  location at a distance as if he was actually there.  The 
  referee should determine the actual distance between the 
  character and the location he desires to perceive and find 
  the trait rating of that distance on the Distance column of 
  the Benchmarks Table. 
   
  To use the clairsentience form of the power, the 
  character makes a Clairsentience effect task roll with the 
  trait rating of the distance as the difficulty.  The amount of 
  detail and information the character gains should be based 
  on the effect level of the task roll, subject to the referee’s 
  discretion. 
   
  Precognition allows the character to perceive events 
  that have a significant likelihood of coming to pass without 
  intervention by himself or others.  In general, the character 
  must have a target for this power – himself, another person, 
  an object, etc. – as it is the future of the target he attempts 
  to perceive.  Often, the character has to focus on one 
  particular question or aspect of the target – “Will my 
  nemesis return or is she really gone for good?” or “When 
  will I find true love?” 
   
  To use the precognition power, the referee decides 
  how far in the future the answer might be and compares the 
  trait rating of that time relative to the present on the Time 
  column of the Benchmarks Table.  The character then 
  makes a Precognition effect task roll with the trait rating of 
  the relative time as the difficulty.  The accuracy of the 
  prediction should be based on the effect level of the task 
  roll, subject to the referee’s discretion. 
   
  Postcognition allows the character to perceive events 
  that have already occurred in regards to an object or a 
  location – or a corpse.  The character must either be in the 
  location or have the object available in his proximity in order 
  to use this power.  As with Precognition above, the 
  character needs to decide on a particular question or 
  aspect of the location or object. 
   
  To use the precognitive power, the referee decides how 
  far into the past the character’s answer might be and 
  compares the trait rating of that time relative to the present 
  on the Time column of the Benchmarks Table.  The 
  character then makes a Postcognition effect task roll with 
  the trait rating of the relative time as the difficulty.  The 
  accuracy of the prediction should be based on the effect 
  level of the task roll, subject to the referee’s discretion. 
  Note that in cases where the character’s power is 
  Uncontrolled, the referee determines what sort of 
  information the character gains.  Since this power could 
  potentially prevent or spoil certain types of adventures, the 
  referee should weigh the possibilities carefully before 
  allowing player-characters to have these powers. 
   
  Paracognition Custom Booster 
   
  Additional Form [+2D]: The character has one 
  additional form of paracognition – Clairsentience, 
  Precognition, or Postcognition – in addition to the one 
  he originally obtained at the same trait rating as the 
  first.  This booster may be purchased twice to cover all 
  three forms of this power. 
   
  Penetrating Sense  Sensory 
  The character can perceive into and through most 
  barriers to a specific sensory group.  When this power is 
  obtained, the character’s controller must specify one of the 
  six sensory groups it affects – auditory, magical, 
  olfactory, psychic, tactile, or visual (the most common) 
  – as well as a common substance or situation that blocks 
  the character’s penetrating sense.  If the character is 
  subjected to a Dazzle attack in his defined group, his power 
  is inhibited the same as any other perception ability is.  If 
  an Imperceptible adversary has that ability for the 
  character’s sensory group, the character will have the same 
  problems perceiving her as he would with a standard 
  sense.   
   
  A penetrating sense is assumed to be a power the 
  character has to activate and deactivate by conscious 
  effort.  To use this power, the character expends a free 
  action and makes a Penetrating Sense effect task roll with 
  a difficulty based on the conditions of its use.  The 
  Penetrating Sense remains active until the character turns 
  it off, or is incapable of conscious action (i.e. is catatonic, 
  critically wounded, knocked out, stunned, mind controlled, 
  etc.), or the power is inhibited by another character’s power.  
  The character’s power never works against a barrier or 
  situation that blocks it. 
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  50 
   
   
  Some examples of the different types of penetrating 
  senses are listed below. 
   
  Auditory PS 
   
  Penetrating Hearing allows the character to pick up 
  sounds and conversations out of ambient background 
  noise.  The amount of information gleaned may be 
  dependent on an effect task roll, at the referee’s 
  discretion. 
   
  Magical PS 
   
  Penetrating Magic Sense permits the character to 
  see through magical illusions, locate hidden magical 
  objects, determine the true nature of a source of 
  magical energy, etc. 
   
  Olfactory PS 
   
  Penetrating Olfactory allows the character to 
  identify true scents and tastes underlying covering or 
  illusionary ones, such as a drug laced into a drink or 
  food, the smell of blood beneath a haze of perfume, a 
  scent trail someone has tried to hide with mustard or 
  pepper, etc. 
   
  Psychic PS 
   
  Penetrating Psychic Sense permits the character to 
  perceive through mental illusions, identify the wielders 
  of mental powers, etc. 
   
  Tactile PS 
   
  Penetrating Tactile Sense grants the character the 
  ability to sense an object’s internal structure, 
  composition, hidden compartments, etc. 
   
  Visual PS 
   
  Penetrating Vision (sometimes called ‘X-ray 
  Vision’) allows the character to see into and through 
  solid objects, barriers, etc. 
   
  Penetrating Sense Custom Booster 
   
  Additional Sensory Group [+1D]: For each 
  instance of this booster, the character has penetrating 
  sense at his current trait rating for one additional 
  sensory group. 
   
   
  Perceive Weakness  Sensory 
   
  The character has the ability to locate, identify, and 
  exploit weak points in a target’s defenses by observing the 
  target.  With a successful use of this power, the character 
  will gain bonus edge dice that he can use to improve his 
  attack task rolls with a defined type of attack for the duration 
  of the current scene against that specific target.  This power 
  is directly opposed by the Lack of Weakness power. 
  The character may not use this power to gain the 
  advantage against more than one combatant at a time – 
  though at the referee’s discretion, the character may have 
  the same advantage against all combatants who are 
  similarly protected (uniform troops, minions, etc.) for the 
  duration of that scene. 
   
  The character must designate one of his sensory 
  groups – auditory, magical, olfactory, psychic, tactile, or 
  visual – as the one he uses for this power.  (He must have 
  sensory ability in the sensory group designated.)  If the 
  character wishes to have the option to use one or more 
  other senses with this power, he should take the Additional 
  Sensory Group custom booster. 
   
  The character must also designate a specific type of 
  attack that this power will improve – melee / touch, mental, 
  or ranged.  If the character wishes to have the option to use 
  one or more other attack types with this power, he should 
  take the Additional Attack Type custom booster. 
   
  To use this power, the character expends a free action 
  and makes a Perceive Weakness effect task roll with the 
  target’s Ego (for mental attacks), Prowess (for melee / 
  touch attacks), or Reflexes (for ranged attacks) trait rating 
  as the task difficulty.  If a character has multiple attack 
  types, he may select which of the target’s attributes he will 
  use for the task’s difficulty.  The target’s controller doesn’t 
  have to tell him which would be the most beneficial for his 
  task roll. 
  The effect level of the task roll becomes a pool of edge 
  dice the character can use for attacks made against that 
  target with that type of attack for the rest of the combat 
  scene.  However, if the target has the Lack of Weakness 
  power, the target gets to employ that power to reduce or 
  eliminate the character’s advantage. 
  Note that if a character cannot employ a sense defined 
  under this power, the character cannot use this power. 
   
  Perceive Weakness Custom Boosters 
   
  Additional Attack Type [+2D]: For each instance 
  of this booster, the character’s benefits from this power 
  may be used with an additional defined attack type – 
  melee/touch, mental, or ranged. 
   
  Additional Sensory Group [+1D]: For each 
  instance of this booster, the character has the option of 
  employing senses from an additional defined sensory 
  group to use this power – auditory, magical, olfactory, 
  psychic, tactile, or visual. 
   
   
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  51 
   
  Perception Shield  Defense; Passive 
   
  The character has a passive defense against the 
  Dazzle power for one or more of his sensory groups.  If this 
  power protects one or more of the character’s senses 
  affected by a Dazzle attack, the character applies this 
  power’s trait rating as the resisting trait in the attacker’s 
  damage / effect task roll.  If the character wins the task, or 
  the outcome is a draw, the character suffers no effects from 
  the attack.  If the attacker wins the task, the character 
  cannot use the affected sensory group for a number of 
  rounds (10-second intervals) equal to one-half (rounding 
  up) of the attacker’s effect level. 
   
  The character’s controller must define a sensory group 
  this power defends.  If this power protects more than one 
  sensory group, he should obtain the custom booster Add 
  Sensory Group for each additional group protected. 
   
  The available sensory groups are auditory, magical, 
  olfactory, psychic, tactile, and visual. 
   
  Perception Shield Custom Booster 
  Add Sensory Group [+½D]: For each instance of 
  this booster, the character’s power protects him from 
  Dazzle attacks in an additional sensory group. 
   
  Power Array  Miscellaneous 
   
  The character has a group of powers that he can only 
  use one at a time – simulating a weapon or device with 
  multiple effects settings, or a utility belt full of useful 
  gadgets.  Any powers that the character has outside of the 
  power array can be used normally, but those powers in the 
  array require a free action to swap, unless the character 
  takes the custom booster Fast Swap. 
   
  To create a power array, the character should work out 
  the individual character dice required for each power 
  (including boosters and limiters) he wishes to have in the 
  array.  Obviously, a power array must have at least two 
  powers, but could have many more unless the referee 
  declares a limit.  (It will be rare for a character to have more 
  than five powers in an array.)  The power that requires the 
  most dice determines the base number of character 
  creation dice needed for the power array.  Each additional 
  power in the array requires a number of additional character 
  creation dice equal to the power tier of that power - +1D for 
  Human Tier, +2D for Metahuman Tier, +3D for 
  Superhuman Tier, and +4D for Ultrahuman Tier. 
  Any boosters and/or limiters for all powers in the array 
  are applied to the array itself.  If individual powers have 
  separate boosters and/or limiters, these are determined 
  before establishing the array’s base power.  Note that the 
  rule regarding the sum of boosters and trait rating not being 
  greater than the campaign cap doesn’t apply when 
  calculating the total dice needed for a power array, though 
  it does apply to the individual powers within it. 
  Referees should carefully consider a player-character’s 
  power array build before allowing it in her campaign, as this 
  is a powerful tool to permit a character to have multiple 
  powers for a significant reduction in the number of 
  character creation dice needed.  In general, no character 
  should have more than one power array. 
   
  Power Array Example 
   
  The two-fisted crime fighter Nightfall already has the 
  Headquarters and Vehicle edges; but he also has a utility 
  belt with a number of gadgets he uses to fight crime as well.  
  The player running Nightfall decides this utility belt is best 
  defined in game terms as a Power Array. 
  After doing a bit of brainstorming, Nightfall’s controller 
  comes up with five items for the utility belt – a ranged 
  weapon, a hand-to-hand weapon, some flash-bang 
  grenades, a pair of light-amplification goggles, and an 
  emergency air supply.  The player also decides that 
  Nightfall’s gadgets will all have the Accessible Items limiter, 
  and he’ll be able to trade them out very quickly, indicating 
  the Fast Swap custom booster. 
   
  Utility Belt – Power Array [5 powers]; Booster – Fast 
  Swap (+2D); Limiter – Accessible Items (-1D); 16D total. 
   
  1) Tesla Gun: Physical Blast 8D [Electrical]; 
  Limiters – Limited Uses (8 shots, -½D), No Throwback 
  (-1D); 6½D [+3D] 
   
  2) Transteel Knuckledusters: Strike 4D [8D with 
  Strength]; Boosters – Affects Intangible (+1D), Melee 
  Attack (+1D); 6D [+2D] 
   
  3) 
  Flash-Bang 
  Mini-Grenades: 
  Dazzle 
  5D 
  [Auditory & Visual]; Boosters – Add Sensory Group 
  (+2D), Area of Effect (no toggle, +2D)); Limiter – 
  Limited Uses (4 grenades, -1D); 8D [Base] 
   
  4) 
  Light-Amplification 
  Goggles: 
  Enhanced 
  Senses +1D [IR Vision & UV Vision]; Booster – 
  Additional Sense (+1D); 2D [+1D] 
   
  5) Emergency Air Supply: Life Support 1D 
  [Asphyxiation]; 1D [+1D] 
   
   
  In calculating the cost of the utility belt, Nightfall uses 
  the Mini-Grenades’ 8D.  The Fast Swap custom booster 
  adds +2D to the dice needed, while the Accessible Items 
  standard limiter reduces the dice needed by -1D for a base 
  amount for the array of 9D.  The Tesla Gun is a 
  Superhuman Tier power, adding +3D to the total; the 
  Knuckledusters are a Metahuman Tier power, adding 
  another +2D to the total; and the Goggles and Air Supply 
  are both Human Tier powers, adding +1D each to the total, 
  bringing the number of character creation dice needed to 
  (9+3+2+1+1=) 16D. 
   
  Power Array Custom Booster 
   
  Fast Swap [+2D]: The character can swap out one 
  power for another in his power array at will, instead of 
  expending the free action normally required. 
   
   
   
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  52 
   
  Power Pool  Miscellaneous 
   
  The character has a pool of character dice he can use 
  to create a varying set of powers.  The source can be any 
  that has some unifying aspect such as ‘cosmic power,’ 
  ‘biological mutations,’ or ‘arsenal of gadgets.’  The pool may 
  have a maximum number of powers equal to the trait rating 
  of the campaign cap (which would be nine in the default 
  Superhuman Tier campaign).  If the character desires to 
  have fewer powers available at once, he should take the 
  Limited Powers custom limiter.  If the character’s powers 
  cap at a lower trait rating than the campaign cap, he should 
  take the Reduced Powers custom limiter. 
  The sum of the trait ratings of powers within the pool 
  cannot exceed the total dice of the pool.  The maximum 
  number of dice that can be in a character’s power pool is 
  five times the trait rating of the campaign cap.  (This would 
  be five times 9D, or 45D in the default Superhuman 
  campaign.) 
   
  At its base ability, powers in a powers pool can only be 
  changed out between adventures.  For more frequent 
  opportunities to change powers, see the list of custom 
  boosters below. 
   
  Characters with this power can be complicated to run 
  as the controller will have to define the powers his character 
  has each time they are changed around.  The referee may 
  require the character’s controller to create a list of 
  predetermined powers his character can trade out when 
  needed.  The referee should also carefully consider 
  whether this power will unbalance her campaign as it is 
  easy for a knowledgeable or experienced player to abuse. 
   
  Power Pool Example 
  The superhero Continuum has a power pool defined as 
  ‘cosmic powers.’  Continuum gets his powers from the 
  Continuum Crystal – an extraterrestrial artifact that allows 
  him to select his powers while re-energizing him.  
  Continuum’s power pool has a cap of 9D (the default 
  Superhuman Tier campaign cap), so no power from it can 
  be more than 9D, and he can have no more than (5 x 9D =) 
  45D in the pool. 
  However, Continuum’s power pool has a base of 30D, 
  so the sum of dice of the powers in it cannot exceed that 
  amount.  Continuum can change out his powers by 
  returning to the Continuum Crystal, so he takes the Limited 
  Change custom booster [+2D].  The stone also only grants 
  him four powers at once, so he also takes five instances of 
  the Limited Powers limiter [-½D each, -2½D total]; and it 
  limits his powers to an 8D cap for each, for one instance of 
  the Reduced Powers custom limiter [-½D].  The number of 
  character dice expended for the power pool becomes 
  (30+2-2½-½=) 29D. 
  The powers the stone grants our hero cannot total more 
  than 30D, including boosters and limiters for each power.  
  Continuum’s controller defines the hero’s ‘standard’ power 
  set as Fly 6D, Force Barrier (Cosmic Energy) 6D [with 
  the Bubble custom booster for a total of 8D], Blast (Cosmic 
  Energy) 8D, and Psychokinesis 4D [with the Combat and 
  Manipulation custom boosters for a total of 8D], which totals 
  out at (6D+8D+8D+8D=) 30D. 
   
  Whenever Continuum wants to change out his powers, 
  he must return and touch the Continuum Crystal.  If he is 
  prevented from doing so, he has to make do with what he’s 
  got. 
   
  Power Pool Custom Boosters 
   
  Limited Change [+2D, +1D for each additional 
  location]: The character can alter the powers in his 
  pool during an adventure by visiting a specific place 
  (such as an arsenal, base, or laboratory).  This allows 
  the character to adapt to changing conditions and 
  enemies at the cost of time and convenience.  If there 
  is more than one place where he can do this, the cost 
  for this booster increases by +1D for each additional 
  place after the first. 
   
  Quick Change [+5D]: The character can change 
  out one power in his pool by expending a free action 
  and making an Intelligence standard task roll with a 
  difficulty equal to the trait rating of the power desired.  
  If the task is failed, the power set remains the same.  If 
  the task succeeds, the character swaps out a power (or 
  powers) with at least as many dice as the new power. 
   
  Instant Change [+10D]: The character can alter 
  one, some, or all of the powers in his pool by expending 
  a free action. 
   
  Power Pool Custom Limiters 
   
  Limited Powers [-½D]: For each instance of this 
  limiter, the maximum number of powers the character 
  may have in his power pool is reduced by one. 
   
  Reduced Powers [-½D]: For each instance of this 
  limiter, the maximum trait rating of each power in the 
  character’s power pool is reduced by -1D. 
   
   
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  53 
   
  Psychic Dominion  Mental 
   
  The character can force the target of this power to take 
  actions that she wouldn’t normally do, such as attack allies 
  or make false statements.  The character must maintain 
  concentration to continue this power’s effects – this 
  concentration is broken when the character is catatonic, 
  critically wounded, knocked out, stunned, or otherwise 
  prevented from using this power. 
   
  The character may target anyone within line of sight 
  when using this power.  To use this power, the character 
  expends a combat action and makes a mental attack 
  against the intended target.  This power is applied in the 
  character’s damage / effect task roll.  If the target doesn’t 
  have the Mental Toughness power, it is a standard task with 
  a difficulty equal to the target’s Ego trait rating; otherwise it 
  is an opposed task roll versus that target’s power. 
   
  If the character’s roll results in one or more effect levels, 
  the character has some amount of control over the target.  
  In general, the target will accept orders regarding actions 
  she would be normally inclined to do.  While under Psychic 
  Dominion in a combat scene, the target retains her position 
  in the combat order and uses her own initiative.  The 
  character dominating the target doesn’t expend his actions 
  issuing commands to her. 
  Whenever the target is ordered to an action she 
  wouldn’t normally do, she makes an Ego standard task roll 
  with the character’s trait rating in this power as the difficulty.  
  The amount the target is opposed to an order, outlined on 
  the table below, reduces the difficulty of this task. 
   
  Resisting Psychic Dominion Orders Modifiers 
  Red. 
  Condition 
  Red. 
  Condition 
  -1 
  Moderately opposed 
  -3 
  Vehemently opposed 
  -2 
  Strongly opposed 
  -5 
  Diametrically opposed 
   
   
  If the target’s task roll effect level equals or exceeds the 
  character’s effect level when he established dominion over 
  the target, the target successfully fights off the order and 
  the character’s control over her is broken.  If the target’s 
  effect level is less, or the target fails the roll, the target 
  carries out the order. 
   
  Typically, this power is used by villains to manipulate 
  heroes and innocent people.  It should never be used by 
  one player-character to manipulate another player-
  character except in extreme situations, such as the target 
  has a phobia subplot and cannot act on her own in a matter 
  of life and death. 
   
  The target must be commanded by the character in a 
  language or means of communication she will understand.  
  A character may use the power Telepathy to issue 
  commands that breach the language barrier. 
   
  The character may also attempt to use this power to 
  break the dominion another character has over a target 
  being.  The character makes the attack to control the target 
  and must equal or exceed the effect level the other 
  dominator achieved over the target to break her free of the 
  dominion.  There are some variations to this power which 
  are detailed in the custom boosters and limiters listed 
  below. 
   
  Psychic Dominion Custom Boosters 
  Amnesia [+2D]: The target of the dominion has no 
  memory of her actions while under the effect of this 
  power. 
  Mental Delusion [+4D]: The target of the dominion 
  believes that contrary actions performed while under 
  the effect of this power were her own choice. 
  Possession [+3D]: The character’s psyche 
  resides within the target being while this power is 
  active.  The character is able to use the target’s senses, 
  body, limbs, digits, and abilities as if they were his own.  
  In combat, the target uses the character’s initiative 
  instead of her own.  The drawback is that the 
  character’s physical body remains motionless and 
  defenseless while this power is active – similar to the 
  Lockout limiter. 
   
  Psychic Dominion Custom Limiters 
  Single Command [-3D]: The character can only 
  compel the target of his dominion to do one thing while 
  under his control, such as ‘go to sleep’ or ‘answer my 
  questions truthfully.’  The character’s controller must 
  define the single command when obtaining this power. 
   
  Psychokinesis  Mental 
   
  The character has the ability to lift, move, and 
  manipulate objects and beings at range when using this 
  mental power.  There are many creative uses to this power 
  but because of its potentially unbalancing nature, the more 
  combative aspects of the power are relegated to boosters 
  that must be added on. 
   
  At its most basic form, the character can lift and move 
  an inanimate object whose weight is equal to or less than 
  the amount referenced in the Weight column of the 
  Benchmarks Table for this power’s trait rating.  Moving an 
  object from one combat space to another on a battleground 
  takes a free action, but the maximum amount of weight that 
  can be moved is reduced by two trait ratings.  Outside of 
  combat, the sum of and object’s weight trait rating and the 
  speed trait rating the character is using to move it cannot 
  exceed the character’s trait rating in this power. 
  The psychokinetic can also pick up living creatures.  
  Non-resisting or KO’d characters do not require a task roll.  
  Combative targets require the character to expend a 
  combat action and make an Ego effect task roll with a 
  difficulty equal to the target’s Agility trait rating, noting the 
  effect level of a successful attempt. 
  If the target attempts to break free while being held, the 
  target must use a free action and make her choice of a 
  Strength or Agility standard task roll with a difficulty equal 
  to the character’s trait rating in this power.  The target must 
  equal or exceed the effect level achieved by the character 
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
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  to break free.  This also applies to attempts by the target to 
  perform some other action aside from communicating while 
  being held. 
   
  Picking up, moving, and setting down or dropping are 
  all the psychokinetic can do with the base cost of this 
  power.  See the custom boosters below for additional 
  maneuvers and actions that can be performed.  Actions that 
  would simulate another power require purchase of the other 
  power with the Connected limiter. 
   
  Psychokinesis Custom Boosters 
  Combat [+2D]: This booster allows the character 
  to do various things to a held target that ultimately 
  cause damage to the target or others – spinning the 
  target to disorient or make the target dizzy, slamming 
  the target into solid objects or other creatures, 
  constricting the target to inflict damage directly, 
  throwing the target, etc.  Each action attempted 
  requires a free action and an appropriate attack effect 
  task roll. 
  Manipulation [+2D]: This booster allows the 
  character finer control of his power, allowing him to 
  manipulate controls, remove items from other’s hands, 
  plucking objects from hooks and belts, tie knots in 
  ropes and strings, hold doors shut or force them open, 
  etc.  Each attempt requires expending a free action and 
  making a Psychokinesis effect task roll versus a 
  referee-determined difficulty, with the effect level of the 
  task suggesting the relative success of the outcome. 
   
  Radio Sense  Sensory 
  The character can ‘hear’ audio radio and ‘see’ video 
  television transmissions up and down the band, including 
  shortwave, military, and police bands.  The character can 
  also sense active radar sources.  When defining this power, 
  the character should define this power as being one of the 
  six sensory groups – auditory, magical, olfactory, 
  psychic, tactile, or visual.  This power is typically defined 
  as either magical or psychic, if it is taken without an Item 
  limitation.  If it is an item or device, then it is assumed to be 
  both auditory and visual. 
  To use this power, the character expends a free action 
  and makes a Radio Sense standard task roll with a difficulty 
  based on conditions such as signal strength, interference 
  (natural and intentional), etc.  Note that a character 
  generally won’t be able to understand transmissions made 
  in a language he doesn’t understand.  For game purposes, 
  it is assumed that the character can comprehend both 
  analog and digital transmissions so long as the signal is of 
  a recognizable form for human communication.  To 
  understand digital signals (computer data links, WiFi, fax 
  machine transmissions, etc.), he will have to make an 
  Intelligence standard task roll (with an appropriate 
  Cybernetics or Language edge), or other referee-imposed 
  requirements. 
  If the character also wishes to transmit audio and video 
  signals, he should purchase the Transceiver custom 
  booster.  If the character wishes to jam radio and video 
  broadcasts by others, he should purchase the Jammer 
  custom booster. 
   
  Radio Sense Custom Boosters 
   
  Jammer [+1D or +2D]: The character can 
  selectively interfere with radio and video transmissions.  
  For +1D, this jamming is obvious and the source can 
  possibly be traced to the character.  For +2D, the 
  jamming is subtle and much more difficult to track 
  down. 
  To use the jamming ability, the character takes a 
  free action and makes a Radio Sense standard task roll 
  with a difficulty equal to the radio signal’s trait rating.  If 
  he is successful, the character’s jamming remains in 
  effect so long as he can maintain concentration, and he 
  can end the jamming at will. 
  To locate the source of jamming, a character must 
  expend a free action and make a Radio Sense standard 
  task roll with a difficulty equal to the source’s signal 
  strength trait rating, if the jamming is obvious.  If the 
  jamming source is subtle, this becomes an opposed 
  task roll versus the jamming signal’s trait rating. 
   
  Transceiver [+1D or +2D]: The character can also 
  make radio and video transmissions.  For +1D, the 
  character’s 
  transmissions 
  are 
  broadcast 
  omnidirectionally, meaning that anyone who happens 
  to be listening to or watching that frequency will also 
  receive it.  For +2D, the character’s transmissions are 
  directional and on a narrow beam, meaning they can 
  only be received by those stations along the beam 
  (usually only the intended receiver).  Anyone 
  attempting to jam or intercept a narrow beam 
  transmission must make a Radio Sense opposed task 
  roll versus the character’s trait rating in this power. 
   
   
  
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  55 
   
  Rapid Attack  Attack 
   
  The character has the ability to make one or more 
  additional attacks in a combat action, but all the attacks 
  must be of the same type and use the same attack trait. 
   
  The number of additional attacks is based on the attack 
  trait the character uses to hit the target – Ego for mental 
  attacks, Prowess for melee and touch attacks, or Reflexes 
  for ranged attacks.  Divide the trait rating of this power by 
  the trait rating of the attribute the character would use for 
  the attack.  The result, rounding up, is the number of 
  additional attacks the character gains. 
   
  The dice in this power represent a pool of dice that are 
  divided among the extra attacks.  Each of the additional 
  attacks have a maximum of the trait rating of the attribute 
  that the attack would normally have.  The final additional 
  attack gets the ‘leftover’ dice. 
  It is the character’s option to use this power or not on a 
  given combat action.  If he is using it, he must declare so 
  before making his first attack.  A character who is subject 
  to the effects of an attacker’s Ensnare power cannot use 
  this power in attempts to break out of the ensnarement. 
   
  Rapid Attack Example 
   
  Nightfall, a two-fisted crimefighter, has Rapid Attack 
  6D.  Normally, he uses this power in conjunction with his 
  melee combat attacks, which use his Prowess 4D to 
  determine if he hits his targets.  Dividing his Rapid Attack 
  trait rating by his Prowess trait rating yields 1.5, which 
  rounds up to two.  This allows him two additional attacks, 
  plus the attack he would normally get, for a total of three.   
  The first attack would be at 4D, his usual.  The six dice 
  of his Rapid Attack power are then applied for his to hit in 
  the two additional attacks.  The first additional attack is at 
  4D, matching his Prowess, while the second is made at 2D, 
  the remaining dice in his Rapid Attack power. 
  If Nightfall chooses to use this power with a ranged 
  attack, it would be based on Reflexes 5D instead, meaning 
  he would get his normal attack at 5D, his second attack at 
  5D, and a third attack at 1D. 
   
  Regenerate  Alteration 
   
  The character is able to quickly recover Ego or 
  Fortitude points lost due to damage or combat.  The 
  character must define which of the two is recovered when 
  obtaining this power.  Since characters generally recover 
  lost Stamina at the end of a scene, this power doesn’t affect 
  that attribute.  To use this ability on both attributes, the 
  character should take the Both Attributes custom booster. 
  The character’s regeneration power is considered to be 
  always active and will function under all damage effects.  
  However, powers such as Leech, Siphon, or Steal Trait 
  targeting this power may inhibit or shut down this power.  
  The only thing that stops it is the character’s death.  If you’re 
  playing a genre that allows for maiming of characters, then 
  the regenerating character can also regrow lost digits, 
  limbs, and organs over time – any sort of injury that doesn’t 
  kill the character outright. 
   
  This power is automatic and (so long as the character 
  isn’t dead) works no matter what the character’s condition 
  is.  At the base level of ability, the character regains a 
  number of lost attribute dice equal to his trait rating in this 
  power every day (TR 8 on the Time column of the 
  Benchmarks Table).  This power substitutes for both normal 
  and medically-assisted healing, so the character really only 
  needs bedrest to heal back from wounds.  The character 
  only regenerates lost points and the process continues until 
  he has his original trait rating in the attribute(s) this power 
  affects. 
   
  As an option, with the referee’s permission, the 
  character’s regeneration dice benefit can be spread out 
  across a day.  Thus, if the character has Regenerate 6D 
  without an accelerated rate, he could gain back +1D every 
  two hours instead of getting back all six dice at the same 
  time. 
  Note that this power does not allow points that have 
  been taken away with the Leech, Siphon, or Steal Trait 
  powers to be regained.  If the character wishes to 
  regenerate at a faster rate than once per day, he should 
  purchase the Accelerated Rate custom booster. 
   
  Regenerate Custom Boosters 
  Accelerated Rate [+½D]: For each instance of this 
  booster, the time between attribute regenerations 
  decreases by one trait rating on the Time column of the 
  Benchmarks Table.  Thus, the first instance means the 
  character regenerates lost points every 12 hours (TR 7 
  on the Time column of the Benchmarks Table); the 
  second instance brings the time period to every hour 
  (TR 6); the third, is every 30 minutes (TR 5); the fourth, 
  means the character regenerates every 5 minutes (TR 
  4); and so on. 
  Both Attributes [+3D]: The character may 
  regenerate both Ego and Fortitude at the same time.  
  This booster may only be taken once. 
   
   
  
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  Replicate  Alteration 
   
  The character has the ability to create one or more 
  duplicates of himself that can act independently of the 
  original.  The character can create a number of replicants 
  of himself equal to the trait rating of this power.  Each 
  replicant has the same traits at the same trait ratings as the 
  character, without the Replicate power (so the replicants 
  can’t make more replicants). 
   
  To use this power, the character must expend a free 
  action and declare how many replicants he is creating.  He 
  can create a number of replicants equal to one-third of his 
  trait rating in this power (rounding up) in a single free action.  
  The maximum number of replicants the character can 
  create in any single scene is equal to his trait rating. 
   
  A replicant comes into play with the same attribute 
  totals as the character at the time the replicant is created. 
  If the character has sustained Ego, Fortitude, and/or 
  Stamina damage when he creates a replicant, the replicant 
  will have the same amount and types of damage.  While a 
  replicant is loyal to the character, it is not suicidal nor 
  fearless. 
  When a replicant is Catatonic or Critically Wounded, it 
  disappears.  If the character is unable to maintain 
  concentration (i.e. he is catatonic, critically wounded, 
  knocked out, stunned, mind controlled, etc.), all of the 
  character’s replicants disappear.  If the character has 
  created his maximum number of replicants, and one or 
  more disappear, he cannot create replacements in the 
  same scene. 
   
  The character may voluntarily eliminate any or all of his 
  replicants by taking a free action and declaring how many 
  are going away. 
   
  Obviously, this power can get out of hand pretty quickly 
  and severely unbalance the game.  It can also be confusing 
  keeping track of so many copies.  The referee should 
  carefully consider any character with this power before 
  allowing it in her campaign. 
   
  Resurrect  Alteration 
   
  This power gives the character the ability to bring dead 
  beings back to life by restoring Ego and Fortitude points 
  after the being has died.  Note that not all beings can be 
  resurrected, depending upon the manner of their deaths – 
  disintegration, for example, leaves nothing left to resurrect.  
  This power cannot bring a being back to life that has died 
  from advanced age or other natural causes. 
  This power requires the character to touch the body of 
  the target being.  The character expends a free action and 
  makes a Resurrect effect task roll with a difficulty equal to 
  the trait rating on the Time column of the Benchmarks Table 
  that the target has been dead. 
  If the task roll is failed, the character is irreversibly dead 
  and cannot be resurrected.  If the task roll is successful, the 
  target regains a number of lost dice to Ego or Fortitude 
  equal to the effect level of the character’s task roll.  If both 
  Ego and Fortitude are at 0D, then the regained dice are 
  distributed evenly between the two attributes. 
  The character may either have this power automatically 
  kick in when he is killed, targeting himself; or he may only 
  have it affect himself by taking the appropriate custom 
  booster or limiter listed below. 
  The resurrected target is knocked out (Stamina 0D), 
  and still wounded if the resurrect use didn’t restore all of her 
  lost dice. 
  This power could unbalance a campaign in many ways.  
  Imagine trying to run a murder mystery when a character 
  could bring the victim back to life to finger the murderer, or 
  a gritty campaign where none of the PC’s has much to fear 
  from death. 
  Even in a campaign where this power is allowed, the 
  character having that power should work very hard to keep 
  that knowledge secret from the rest of the world, or else he 
  will be mobbed by hordes of people begging him to save 
  family members, loved ones, friends, celebrities, etc.  And 
  one can only imagine what lengths billionaires, criminal 
  syndicates, and rogue governments would go to in coercing 
  the character’s aid!  In any case, the referee should very 
  carefully consider the implications this power might have on 
  her campaign and plan accordingly if she allows it. 
   
  Resurrect Custom Booster 
   
  Death Save [+2D]: The character’s power kicks in 
  automatically to attempt to save the character’s life when 
  he is killed.  The character’s Resurrect effect task roll to 
  save himself is Normal Difficulty (7). 
   
  Resurrect Custom Limiter 
   
  Only Self [-1D]: The character’s power only works on 
  himself.  The character’s power kicks in automatically to 
  attempt to save the character’s life when he is killed.  The 
  character’s Resurrect effect task roll to save himself is 
  Normal Difficulty (7). 
   
  Run  Movement 
   
  The character is able to move quickly over the ground 
  via his legs and feet (or other means of ground locomotion 
  as appropriate).  Normally, a character can move from one 
  adjacent combat space to another in a single move action 
  (around ten yards).  With this power, a character in combat 
  can move up to a number of combat spaces equal to this 
  power’s trait rating in a move action.  Note that the 
  character can only reach a combat space or location he 
  could get to on his own two feet (or other means). 
  Out of combat, the character’s maximum running 
  speed is equal to the trait rating of this power on the Speed 
  column of the Benchmarks Table.  At TR 5+, the character 
  is capable of running on water in non-combat situations, 
  though he will have to maintain that speed for the entire 
  time, and will have to perform a Run power feat for anything 
  beyond straight line or gentle curving movement. 
   
  
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  57 
   
  Shapeshift  Alteration 
   
  The character can alter his physical form to resemble 
  other objects, people, creatures, etc. that are roughly equal 
  to his size and mass.  The more effect levels the character 
  achieves when using this power, the more convincing his 
  resemblance is in his altered form. 
   
  When using this power, the character takes a free 
  action and makes a Shapeshift effect task roll with a 
  difficulty based on the relative complexity of the desired 
  result.  A table for suggested task difficulties is listed below. 
   
  Suggested Difficulties for Shapeshift Attempts 
  Difficulty 
  Attempted Shapeshift Result 
  2 
  Superficial alterations to own features 
  3 
  Alterations to mask character’s identity 
  4 
  Create anonymous features 
  5 
  Resemble any humanoid 
  6 
  Resemble simple inanimate object 
  7 
  Resemble any living creature on same planet 
  8 
  Resemble complex inanimate object 
  9 
  Resemble any living creature on any planet 
  10 
  Resemble animated object 
  11 
  Resemble an imaginary creature 
   
   
  Of course, there are some sensory powers that will 
  detect the character regardless of how well he does with his 
  shapeshift attempt.  Note that a character with this power 
  can only maintain it with concentration.  He reverts back to 
  his natural form when he is catatonic, critically wounded, 
  knocked out, stunned, etc. 
   
  A character with just the base power can only shape 
  shift to forms that have the same relative size and mass.  
  To have free range with his options for shapeshifting, the 
  character should also obtain Density Increase, Grow, 
  and/or Shrink.  If the character only has these abilities when 
  he is using his Shapeshift power, the other powers should 
  be purchased with the Connected limiter. 
   
  A character can also memorize one or more specific 
  forms to shapeshift into by getting the custom booster 
  Memorized Form.  To memorize a new form, the character 
  must be able to study and practice the form for an amount 
  of time equal to (15 – INT) on the Time column of the 
  Benchmarks Table.  The character’s controller can decide 
  which formerly memorized form is discarded.  If the 
  character can only shapeshift into memorized forms, he 
  should apply the custom limiter Only Memorized Forms. 
   
  Note that just because the character resembles 
  someone or something, he doesn’t have any of the object’s 
  or person’s abilities unless he possesses such abilities in 
  his natural form, or has Copy Trait or Magic to mimic them. 
   
  Shapeshift Custom Booster 
  Memorized Form [+½D]: For each instance of this 
  booster, the character has memorized a fixed form for 
  his shapeshift power.  He can assume this form 
  automatically without making a task roll by expending a 
  free action. 
   
  Shapeshift Custom Limiter 
  Only Memorized Forms [-2D]: The character’s 
  shapeshifting ability is limited to only those forms he 
  has previously memorized.  Obviously, the character 
  must have one or more memorized forms before 
  applying this limiter to the power. 
   
  Shrink  Alteration 
   
  The character is able to reduce his height and weight 
  to a size smaller than human norms.  This enables him to 
  fit into and through small spaces, avoid detection, conduct 
  reconnaissance, perform tasks at microscopic scales, etc. 
   
  Shrink Adjustments Table 
   
  AL 
   
  Height 
   
  Weight 
  STR 
  Loss 
  PER 
  Difficulty 
  Throwback 
  Bonus 
  0 
  6 ft. 
  160 lbs. 
  - - - 
  - - - 
  +0 
  1 
  4 ft. 
  80 lbs. 
  - - - 
  - - - 
  +1 
  2 
  2 ft. 
  40 lbs. 
  -1D 
  +1 
  +2 
  3 
  1 ft. 
  20 lbs. 
  -1D 
  +1 
  +3 
  4 
  6 in. 
  5 lbs. 
  -2D 
  +2 
  +4 
  5 
  3 in. 
  1 lb. 
  -3D 
  +3 
  +5 
  6 
  1 inch 
  4 oz. 
  -4D 
  +4 
  +6 
  7 
  ½ inch 
  1 oz. 
  -5D 
  +5 
  +7 
  8 
  ¼ inch 
  5 g 
  -6D 
  +6 
  N/A 
  9 
  1 mm 
  1 mg 
  -7D 
  +7 
  N/A 
  10 
  Microscopic 
  N/A 
  Micro 
  Micro 
  N/A 
  11 
  Subatomic 
  N/A 
  Micro 
  Micro 
  N/A 
  12 
  Quantum 
  N/A 
  Micro 
  Micro 
  N/A 
   
  Key to Table: At the Shrink TR indicated… 
  Height: …the character becomes this tall. 
  Weight: …the character weighs this much. 
  STR Loss: …is the modifier to the character’s Strength 
  trait rating (minimum of ½D, doesn’t affect Stamina). 
  PER Difficulty: …is the modifier for others’ attempts to 
  perceive the character. 
  Throwback Bonus: …is the number of additional 
  combats spaces added to the character’s throwback 
  distance when attacked (if any is generated at all). 
   
  Table Entry Notations 
  N/A: Not Applicable to human-scale 
  Microscopic / Micro: Character’s size is far below 
  human scale, and the character is not genuinely interacting 
  with human-sized characters at that size. 
  Subatomic: Character is about the size of a large 
  subatomic particle. 
  
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  58 
   
  Quantum: The character is at quantum scale (≤100 
  nm). 
   
  If a character retains his normal-sized Strength AL 
  when smaller, add the custom booster Retains Original 
  Strength. 
   
  To use this power, the character expends a free action 
  and activates it.  Unless this power is defined otherwise, the 
  character’s clothing and gear shrink to proportionate size 
  with him.  The power remains on until the character turns it 
  off, is stunned, is knocked out, catatonic, or critically 
  wounded, or otherwise prevented from using this power. 
  The character can do nothing but change sizes when 
  shrinking or growing back to normal size.  If he wishes the 
  option to act while changing sizes, he should add the Work 
  in Progress custom booster. 
  The character can normally shrink (or grow back) up to 
  three trait ratings per action.  If the character wishes to grow 
  or shrink faster, he can take the Instant Change or Rapid 
  Change custom booster.  A character who wishes to 
  change size more slowly while taking other actions should 
  take the Gradual Change custom limiter. 
   
  Shrink Custom Boosters 
   
  Instant Change [+3D]: The character can assume 
  whatever trait rating of size he desires (down to his 
  minimum or back up to normal size) in a single free action. 
   
  Rapid Change [+½D]: The character may normally 
  change up to three trait ratings of size per free action.  With 
  each instance of this booster, the character increases the 
  rate of change by one.  Thus, the first instance increases 
  the rate to four trait ratings of size per free action; the 
  second increases the rate to five trait ratings; the third 
  increases the rate to six trait ratings, and so on. 
   
  Retains Original Strength [+1D]: The character 
  normally loses Strength when at less than human normal 
  size.  With this booster, the character retains his human-
  sized Strength trait rating even when shrunk. 
   
  Work in Progress [+2D]: Normally, a character can’t 
  do anything else while shrinking (or growing back up).  With 
  this booster, the character can perform shrinking (and 
  growing) as part of another action.  This allows him to 
  incorporate the shrink or growth into an attack, a move, or 
  some other action. 
   
  Shrink Custom Limiter 
   
  Gradual Change [-1D]: The character may only 
  change one trait rating of size per free action. 
   
   
  Shroud  Alteration 
   
  The character is able to temporarily hamper others 
  when using any sense from a defined sensory group in a 
  targeted volume.  Combatants, sensors, bystanders, 
  animals, etc. will all be affected, but the character creating 
  the shroud will be unaffected by it, unless he takes the 
  custom limiter Also Affected. 
   
  At this power’s base level of ability, it affects one 
  combat space (or a volume of space with a radius of five 
  yards out of combat).  The character can affect one 
  additional adjacent space (an increase of five yards’ radius 
  out of combat) each time he takes the custom booster 
  Increased Volume. 
   
  This power is normally ranged, with a maximum 
  distance in spaces (or increments of ten yards out of 
  combat) equal to this power’s trait rating.  If the character 
  purchases the custom booster Targeting, he can ‘attach’ 
  the shroud to a targeted combatant so that the target is 
  always the center of the shroud and it moves with her – but 
  that requires the character to make a ranged attack before 
  the Shroud damage / effect task roll. 
   
  When obtaining this power, one of the six major 
  sensory groups – Auditory, Magical, Olfactory, Psychic, 
  Tactile, or Visual – is selected.  If more than one sensory 
  group is to be affected, the character should purchase the 
  Add Sensory Group custom booster as well.  Note that this 
  power is limited to a maximum of three sensory groups.  
  Also, the custom booster Variable Sense Group may be 
  selected to switch up sense groups between uses.  If this 
  booster is selected, the power may only affect one sensory 
  group at a time. 
   
  To use this power, the character expends a free action 
  and makes a Shroud effect task roll, using the sum of three 
  and the number of combat spaces distant the affected 
  volume is from the character.  The effect level of the task 
  plus three is the difficulty for beings and sensors in the 
  affected volume making Perception task rolls using the 
  affected sensory groups while this power is active. 
  The power remains in effect as long as the character 
  can maintain concentration (i.e. isn’t catatonic, critically 
  wounded, knocked out, stunned, or otherwise prevented), 
  or until he turns this power off.  If the character wishes to 
  move or otherwise alter the Shroud, he will have to expend 
  a free action to establish another Shroud in the new location 
  or alter the original.  The character can only have one 
  volume of shroud active at a time. 
  For play balance, if there is also an attack associated 
  with the use of this power, then Shroud must be Connected 
  to the attack, and not the other way around.  This is so the 
  character will have to make an attack task roll rather than a 
  Shroud effect task roll to inflict damage on one or more 
  targets.  However, once the attack is made, this power 
  operates normally, as indicated above. 
   
   
   
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  59 
   
  Shroud Custom Boosters 
  Add Sensory Group [+2D]: For each instance of 
  this booster, the character’s Shroud affects one 
  additional sensory group.  This booster may be taken 
  twice, but a Shroud cannot affect more than three 
  sensory groups simultaneously. 
  Increased Volume [+1D]: For each instance of 
  this booster, the character’s shroud may (if he chooses) 
  fill an additional combat space or expand an additional 
  five yards in radius out of combat. 
  Targeting [+3D]: The character may target an 
  individual or non-stationary object with this power by 
  making a ranged attack.  If successful, the character’s 
  shroud will be centered upon the target and will follow 
  it so long as the character can maintain concentration.  
  The shroud will dissipate if the target leaves the 
  battleground or moves a significant distance from the 
  character (subject to the referee’s discretion). 
  Variable Sense Group [+3D]: The character may 
  define which sensory group is being affected by his 
  shroud each time he uses the power.  If the power has 
  this booster, it can only affect one sensory group at a 
  time. 
   
  Shroud Custom Limiters 
   
  Also Affected [-2D]: The character is as affected 
  by his Shroud power as everyone else; he suffers the 
  same penalty modifiers to his Perception task rolls 
  based on senses in the sensory group(s) his power 
  targets. 
   
  Weather Affected [-2D]: The shroud is like a 
  smoke cloud or aerosol and is adversely affected by 
  winds and rain when used outdoors, or by fans and fire 
  suppression systems.  The referee should use her 
  discretion in modifying the difficulty to this power’s 
  effect task roll based on the prevalence of those 
  conditions, or other more extreme environmental 
  conditions. 
   
  Siphon  Alteration 
   
  The character can temporarily drain away part or all of 
  the target’s dice in a trait.  When this power is purchased, 
  the character must define the target’s trait that is reduced.  
  Derived attributes and edges may not be targeted by this 
  power. 
  To use this power, the character expends a combat 
  action and makes a touch attack on the target.  If 
  successful, the character makes a Siphon damage / effect 
  task roll with one-half of the target’s Fortitude trait rating 
  (rounding up) or the target’s trait rating in the Trait 
  Protection power, if any.  The effect level is the number of 
  dice the target subtracts from the targeted trait.  Note that 
  the character can only Siphon up to the target’s full trait 
  rating of the target trait, or his own trait rating in this power, 
  whichever is less.  Obviously, if the target doesn’t have a 
  trait rating in the trait targeted by the character’s power, this 
  attack will have no effect. 
  If a primary attribute is targeted with this power, the 
  values of the derived attributes based upon it are not 
  changed by the effects of this power.  If an attribute is 
  reduced to 0D by a Siphon power attack, the character rolls 
  ½D for task rolls, and can apply Fate Dice and/or applicable 
  edge dice to task attempts based on that attribute.  A power 
  reduced to 0D cannot be used until the character regains at 
  least 1D in it. 
  Ordinarily, the loss is temporary, with the target 
  regaining the Siphoned trait rating back at the rate of +1D 
  per combat round (10-second increments) starting at the 
  end of the combat round after the Siphon power’s use.  That 
  rate can be changed with the custom booster Slower 
  Recovery or with the custom limiter Faster Recovery. 
   
  Siphon Custom Boosters 
  Slower Recovery [+2D]: The target’s Siphoned 
  trait returns at a slower rate than +1D per combat round 
  (ten seconds).  For each instance of this booster, add 
  one combat round between recoveries.  Thus, the first 
  instance of this booster increases the time to two 
  combat rounds (twenty seconds); the second instance 
  increases the time to three combat rounds (thirty 
  seconds); and so on. 
  Targets Trait Group [+2D]: The character’s power 
  can selectively target any one trait from a related group.  
  Note that the character’s controller must declare which 
  trait in the related group is being targeted before 
  making the touch attack.  This booster may be taken 
  more than once to add more groups that can be 
  targeted with the character’s power.  The available 
  groups are listed below. 
  Alteration Powers 
  Mental Powers 
  Attack Powers 
  Miscellaneous Powers 
  Attributes 
  Movement Powers 
  Defense Powers 
  Sensory Powers 
   
  Siphon Custom Limiter 
  Faster Recovery [-1D]: The target’s trait recovers 
  at a faster rate than +1D per combat round (ten 
  seconds).  For each instance of this limiter, the target 
  recovers an additional +1D of the Siphoned trait.  Thus, 
  the first instance allows the target to recover +2D per 
  combat round; the second allows +3D per round; the 
  third allows +4D per round; and so on. 
   
   
  
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  Steal Trait  Alteration 
   
  The character can detect a trait that a target character 
  possesses and temporarily take part or all of it away from 
  her, allowing him to temporarily use that trait as if it were 
  his own.  If the character manages to take all of the targeted 
  trait’s dice away, the target will be unable to use that trait 
  until the stolen trait ratings fade away from the character’s 
  control. 
   
  The character essentially has a flexible trait in reserve 
  that can only be one that exists with another character.  The 
  character gains use of that trait at its base ability, applying 
  all limiters the target has immediately, and only adding 
  boosters once the full amount of the target’s trait has been 
  stolen.  The character can steal a maximum number of dice 
  of the targeted trait equal to his trait rating in this power, or 
  the target’s maximum dice in the targeted trait, whichever 
  is less. 
  Before using this power, the character must be familiar 
  with the target’s traits or have perceived the target use the 
  trait that the character wishes to steal.  To use this power, 
  the character takes a combat action, announces which of 
  the target’s traits he intends to steal, and makes a touch 
  attack on the target.  If successful, the character makes a 
  Steal Trait damage / effect task roll with one-half of the 
  target’s Fortitude trait rating (rounding up) or the target’s 
  trait rating in the Trait Protection power, if any.  The effect 
  level is the number of dice the target subtracts from the 
  targeted trait and the number of dice the character has of 
  that trait to use. 
  If the stolen trait is one the character already possesses 
  (most commonly an attribute), the stolen trait’s TR replaces 
  the character’s original TR in that trait if it is greater than his 
  original.  Otherwise, he retains his original trait rating in that 
  attribute. 
  Stolen traits fade at the rate of -1D per combat round, 
  and similarly, the target gains back stolen traits at +1D per 
  combat round (ten-second interval).  The character may 
  retain the trait for a longer amount of time by getting the 
  custom booster Extended Time.  The character may also 
  have less time to use the trait by taking on the custom 
  limiter Limited Time.  A character desiring to copy more 
  than one trait at a time from a single target should purchase 
  the custom booster Additional Trait for each extra trait he 
  wishes to copy.  If the character wishes to copy a trait at 
  range, he should apply the Ranged Theft custom booster 
  (see below for additional details). 
  To prevent headaches on the part of the referee, a 
  character cannot steal the power Steal Trait from another 
  character.  You’re welcome. 
   
  Steal Trait Custom Boosters 
  Additional Trait [+2D]: For each instance of this 
  booster, the character can copy an additional trait from 
  the target with a single attack. 
  Extended Time [+2D]: For each instance of this 
  booster, the character’s stolen trait fades more slowly 
  than -1D per combat round (ten seconds). For each 
  instance of this booster, add one combat round 
  between fades.  Thus, the first instance of this booster 
  increases the time between fades to two rounds; the 
  second to three rounds; the third to four rounds 
  between fades; and so on. 
  Ranged Theft [+3D]: The character can steal the 
  target’s trait at range rather than with a touch attack.  
  The character must define which sense is used to 
  perceive the target’s powers.  When this booster is 
  applied, the character makes a ranged attack on the 
  target instead of a touch attack.  The power otherwise 
  works the same way. 
   
  Steal Trait Custom Limiters 
  Limited Time [-1D]: For each instance of this 
  limiter, the character’s stolen trait fades more quickly 
  than -1D per combat round (ten seconds). For each 
  time this limiter is applied, increase the amount of fade 
  by -1D each round.  Thus, the first instance of this 
  limiter increases the fade rate to -2D per round; the 
  second to -3D per round; the third to -4D per round; and 
  so on. 
  Single Trait [-3D]: The character can only steal 
  one specific trait which must be defined when this 
  limiter is applied.  This limiter may only be taken once. 
  Trait Restriction [-1D]: The character can only 
  copy certain types of traits with this power (see table 
  below).  This limiter may only be taken once. 
  Alteration Powers 
  Mental Powers 
  Attack Powers 
  Miscellaneous Powers 
  Attributes 
  Movement Powers 
  Defense Powers 
  Sensory Powers 
   
   
  
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  61 
   
  Stretch  Alteration 
   
  The character can distend at least part of his body into 
  unusual shapes and extend his reach for unnatural 
  distances.  This allows the character to make touch and 
  melee attacks at a distance from his target, plus allows the 
  possibility for the character to use his malleable body in 
  unusual ways.  Note that the character remains more or 
  less recognizable as himself while distended – if the 
  character just wants to change his appearance, his 
  controller should consider the power Shapeshift. 
   
  A character with the Stretch power may make touch 
  and melee attacks out to a number of combat spaces equal 
  to the trait rating of this power.  If stretching outside of 
  combat, the maximum distance is five yards times his trait 
  rating in this power.  If the character wishes to increase his 
  height via stretching, he should get the Grow power with the 
  Height Only custom limiter and the Connected limiter. 
   
  Strike  Attack 
   
  The character has the ability to make a touch standard 
  physical attack against a target.  This can be made into a 
  melee attack by taking the Melee Attack custom booster. 
  When obtaining this power, the character should define 
  a damage or power source for this attack.  With the custom 
  booster Additional Source, the character can switch 
  between predetermined damage or power sources. 
   
  Physical Strike Custom Booster 
   
  Additional Source [+½D]: The character’s Strike 
  can toggle to a different predefined source of damage.  
  Switching from one source to another requires the 
  character to expend a free action.  This booster may be 
  obtained multiple times to reflect multiple damage 
  sources. 
   
  Melee Attack [+1D]: The character’s strike is a 
  physical blow or effort that allows him to supplement 
  this power’s dice with his Strength dice in the damage 
  / effect task roll after a successful attack task roll.  Note 
  that the maximum number of damage dice is limited to 
  the lesser of twice this power’s trait rating or the Power 
  Tier Cap for the campaign (9D in a standard 
  Superhuman setting). 
   
  Swim  Movement 
   
  The character is able to move quickly through or upon 
  bodies of water, able to achieve a maximum speed equal 
  to his trait rating on the Speed column of the Benchmarks 
  Table.  In combat, the character can move a number of 
  water spaces equal to his trait rating in this power by 
  expending a move action.  Characters with this power can 
  also take other actions while swimming, such as make 
  attacks, use powers, etc. without being forced to make an 
  Agility standard task roll. 
  A character without the Swim power can only move to 
  an adjacent water space by expending a move action, and 
  can only take other actions by making an Agility attribute 
  standard task roll.  
   
  Without the Life Support power, a character swimming 
  through water (as opposed to being on the surface) with this 
  power will still have to come up for air periodically, can 
  safely dive to a maximum depth of forty feet, and will be 
  affected by water temperature, pollutants, etc. 
   
  Swing  Movement 
   
  The character is able to move quickly through arboreal 
  and urban landscapes by swinging on a line, vines, etc.  
  Whether the character accomplishes this by actually 
  swinging, or by some advanced form of parkour, it is 
  assumed he has whatever he needs to accomplish the feat, 
  unless he applies one of the Item limiters to this power. 
   
  Movement via this method is typically accomplished 
  outside of combat and the character can reach speeds 
  equal to this power’s trait rating on the Speed column of the 
  Benchmarks Table, though referees may cap the top speed 
  of this power at their discretion.  Attempting to use this 
  power in combat requires a move action, and possibly an 
  Agility standard task roll, with a difficulty at the referee’s 
  discretion.   
  Swings done in combat generally occur only in a 
  straight line, though the character’s elevation at any given 
  point will be left to the referee’s discretion.  Obviously, the 
  surrounding trees / structures will have a lot of influence 
  over the character’s maximum speed when using this 
  power, such as the need for higher elevation attaching 
  points for swing lines. 
  The Swing power may seem limited compared to other 
  movement powers, but it also offers considerable 
  possibilities for power feats and unusual movement ability 
  to surprise foes. 
   
  Telepathy  Mental 
   
  The character has the ability to communicate directly 
  with another mind.  The character using this power must 
  have line of sight to establish it (unless the target mind is 
  one the character has the Familiar custom booster for).  
  Once established, the persons linked can move out of line 
  of sight to a distance indicated on the Distance column on 
  the Benchmarks Table for the character’s trait rating with 
  this power (even farther with the Extended Range custom 
  booster). 
   
  Establishing a link with a permissive mind requires a 
  free action and no task roll.  A non-permissive mind forces 
  the telepath to expend a free action and make a Telepathy 
  standard task roll with a difficulty equal to one-half of the 
  target’s Ego attribute, or her trait rating in the Mental 
  Toughness power. 
   
  The persons linked can communicate freely while the 
  link remains – language is not a barrier to this form of 
  communication.  The depth of the basic level of this power 
  allows the linked persons to subvocalize what they want to 
  communicate, but emotions and empathic impressions 
  
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  62 
   
  such as anger, pain, passion, sadness, etc. occasionally 
  come through as well. 
  The link goes down when the telepath or the other 
  person in the link is catatonic, critically wounded, knocked 
  out, or stunned; if the telepath wills it; something actively 
  prevents mental power usage; or if a linked person moves 
  out of range.  See the list of custom boosters below for 
  additional telepathy abilities. 
   
  Telepathy Custom Boosters 
  Extended Range [+1D]: For each instance of this 
  booster, the telepath’s maximum range is one greater 
  than his trait rating on the Distance column of the 
  Benchmarks Table. 
  Familiar [+1D]: For each instance of this booster, 
  the telepath has familiarized himself with a number of 
  target minds equal to his trait rating, and can link with 
  any of those minds as long as a target mind is 
  somewhere within range of the telepath’s power – no 
  line of sight or task roll is required.  There is no limit to 
  the number of minds the telepath can be familiar with, 
  but he cannot link with more than one mind at a time, 
  even if he is familiar with any or all of them, unless he 
  also purchases the Multi-Link custom booster (see 
  below). 
  Manipulation [+2D]: The telepath can manipulate 
  the thoughts of a target mind to change memories, 
  feelings, beliefs, etc.  To use this variation of this power, 
  the telepath expends a combat action and makes a 
  mental attack against the target.  If successful, the 
  character makes a Telepathy damage / effect task roll 
  with a difficulty equal to one-half of the target’s Ego trait 
  rating (rounding up), or the trait rating of the target’s 
  Mental Toughness power.  If the character achieves 
  one or more effect levels with the task roll, reference 
  the amount on the table below for the result. 
  EL 
  Telepathic Manipulation Result 
  1-2 
  The effort has a short-term effect on the target, lasting 
  1d12 hours.  After that time, the target will know that 
  the telepath has altered her mindset. 
  3-4 
  The effort has a long-term effect on the target, lasting 
  1d6 days.  After that time, the target will know 
  something or someone deliberately altered her 
  mindset, but won’t remember who or what. 
  5+ 
  The effort has an extended effect on the target, lasting 
  1d6 weeks.  The target will think that her paradigm shift 
  is explained by natural means. 
   
  Multi-Link [+½D]: The telepath can link multiple 
  minds to create a ‘party line’ among the minds linked.  
  The number of minds linked is limited to the telepath’s 
  trait rating in this power.  For each instance of this 
  booster, the maximum number of minds doubles. 
  Probe [+2D]: The telepath can probe a target mind 
  for specific information.  In the case of a submissive 
  mind, this requires no task roll – though if the target has 
  been subjected to telepathic manipulation, the attempt 
  should be treated like an attempt versus a combative 
  mind. 
  Combative minds require the character to expend 
  a combat action and make a mental attack against the 
  target, with a difficulty equal to one-half of the target’s 
  Ego trait rating (rounding down) or the trait rating of the 
  target’s Mental Toughness power. 
  Once the telepath is through the target’s defenses, 
  a mental probe will require at least one additional free 
  action; and perhaps more at the referee’s discretion.  If 
  the telepath is being deliberate in his probe, the referee 
  may decrease the difficulty of the attempt (at the cost 
  of time, of course). 
   
  To complete the probe, the character expends a 
  free action and makes a Telepathy damage / effect task 
  roll with a difficulty equal to one-half of the target’s Ego 
  trait rating (rounding up), or the trait rating of the 
  target’s Mental Toughness power.  If the character 
  achieves one or more effect levels with the task roll, 
  reference the amount on the table below for the result. 
  EL 
  Telepathic Probe Result 
  1-2 
  The target reveals surface thoughts as well as ones 
  she was deliberately attempting to conceal.  The 
  telepath can tell the difference between truth and 
  falsehood of the target’s statements to others. 
  3-4 
  The target reveals short-term and long-term memories.  
  The telepath can detect if the target has been subjected 
  to telepathic manipulation or psychic dominion. 
  5+ 
  The target reveals her subconscious desires and 
  dreams.  If the target has been subjected to telepathic 
  manipulation or psychic dominion, the telepath can 
  identify the source. 
   
  Scan [+1D]: The telepath may telepathically scan 
  an area to locate a specific mind.  The area is limited to 
  the radius from the telepath out to his trait rating in this 
  power on the Distance column of the Benchmarks 
  Table.  The character must expend a free action and 
  make a Telepathy standard task roll with a difficulty 
  equal to the exponent of ten of the number of people 
  within that radius.  The difficulty of the task is reduced 
  by two if the target mind is one with which he is familiar. 
   
   
  
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  63 
   
  Teleport  Movement 
   
  The character is able to displace from one location to 
  another without travelling between the two points.  In 
  combat, this is a number of combat spaces equal to this 
  power’s trait rating in a move action.  Outside of combat, 
  the character may displace up to the trait rating of this 
  power on the Distance column of the Benchmarks Table 
  with each teleport.  (Teleport 11 could get the character 
  from New York City to Tampa, Florida in a single jump!) 
   
  Teleporting characters are typically limited to displacing 
  to locations within their line of sight.  However, the 
  character may familiarize himself with a number of specific 
  locations up to his Intelligence trait rating by purchasing the 
  custom booster Familiar Locations.  Note that the character 
  can only displace to those locations within his range.  A 
  character can also have a number of temporary locations 
  that he can quickly trade out or reset by applying the custom 
  booster Floating Locations.  Again, the teleporter can only 
  displace to a location that is within his range. 
   
  Teleporting characters cannot penetrate personal 
  Force Fields or displace to locations enclosed within the 
  Force Barrier power’s Force Bubble custom booster.  
  Similarly, a character trapped within a force bubble cannot 
  teleport out of it. 
   
  Teleport Custom Boosters 
  Familiar Locations [+1D]: The character has 
  taken the time to memorize a number of specific 
  locations that he can teleport to without having line of 
  sight.  The maximum number of locations he can have 
  memorized is equal to his Intelligence trait rating.  A 
  character requires about ten minutes to memorize a 
  location in this fashion.  The character can only teleport 
  to a familiar location without line of sight if it is within his 
  range.  The character will have to consult with the 
  referee to make sure both understand the precise 
  locations memorized. 
  Floating Locations [+1D]: The character has the 
  ability to quickly remember and change a number of 
  temporary locations he can teleport to without having 
  line of sight.  Setting a location requires the character 
  to expend a free action and make a successful 
  Intelligence standard task roll at Normal difficulty (7). 
  The maximum number of floating locations he can 
  have memorized is equal to his Intelligence trait rating.  
  Again, the character will have to consult with the 
  referee to make sure both understand the precise 
  locations memorized. 
  Increased Non-Combat Distance [+½D]: For 
  each instance of this booster, the character’s maximum 
  non-combat distance per teleport move is increased by 
  one trait rating on the Distance column of the 
  Benchmarks Table.  This doesn’t increase the distance 
  of his moves in combat scenes. 
   
   
  Toughness  Defense; Passive 
   
  The character has some means to prevent or reduce 
  the damage from standard physical attacks.  This power 
  doesn’t work against damage from the character’s 
  environment, nor does it prevent Fortitude damage from 
  lethal physical attacks (though it can prevent or reduce 
  Stamina damage from same).  This power opposes an 
  attacker’s damaging power in the damage / effect task roll. 
   
  Tracking Sense  Sensory 
  The character can track a target being or animal or 
  object by finding and following traces of the target’s 
  passage with a sensory group – auditory, magical, 
  olfactory, psychic, tactile or visual.  The trait rating of this 
  power substitutes for the character’s Perception attribute 
  when tracking a target. 
  When using this power, the character expends a free 
  action and makes a Tracking Sense standard task roll, with 
  a difficulty based on the age of the trail, terrain, weather 
  conditions, etc.  If the character wishes to have more than 
  one sensory group aid him with this power, he should 
  purchase the Additional Sensory Group custom booster. 
   
  Tracking Sense Custom Booster 
   
  Additional Sensory Group [+½D]: For each 
  instance of this booster, the character has this power 
  for one additional sensory group.  For play balance, a 
  character may only have tracking sense for a maximum 
  of three sensory groups. 
   
  Trait Protection  Defense; Passive 
   
  The character has some resistance to powers that 
  detrimentally affect his traits, such as Copy Trait, Leech, 
  Siphon, or Steal Trait.  This passive defense is always 
  active, even if the character is catatonic, critically wounded, 
  knocked out, or stunned.  This power is the opposing power 
  to the aforementioned powers when an attacker makes the 
  power’s damage / effect task roll. 
   
  At its base level, this power protects all of the 
  character’s traits – attributes and powers – though the 
  custom limiter Limited Defense can reduce this protection 
  to one type of trait.  The custom limiter Single Trait brings 
  the protection down to a single attribute or power. 
   
  Trait Protection Custom Limiters 
   
  Limited Defense [-1D]: This power only protects a 
  specific type of trait – Attributes or Powers.  The 
  character defines which when this limiter is applied.  
  This limiter may only be applied once. 
   
  Single Trait [-3D]: This power only protects a 
  single trait.  The character defines which when this 
  limiter is applied.  This limiter may only be applied once. 
   
   
   
   
  
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  Transform  Alteration 
   
  Due to the complications of managing more than one 
  character at a time, it is recommended that only 
  experienced players and referees should create and run 
  characters with this power. 
   
  The character has more than one form – each form 
  having a different set of attributes, edges, benefits, and 
  powers – essentially giving the controller multiple 
  characters that can be switched out.  The most common 
  form of this power is having a super-powered persona and 
  a normal human persona, though it is possible for a 
  character to have multiple forms he can transform into. 
   
  Each of a character’s forms is one instance of this 
  power, so a character with multiple forms will have one 
  instance of this power for each form.  A subordinate form 
  gets 10D for every character die in its instance of this 
  power.  In a standard Superhuman campaign with a trait 
  rating cap of 9D, a subordinate form is limited to 90D.  A 
  character’s subordinate forms may also have the same 
  number of subplot dice as he does.  Note that subordinate 
  forms do not require the Transform power to change back 
  to the base form, and must change to the base form again 
  before changing into another form. 
   
  To change forms, a character expends a free action for 
  every power tier of the subordinate form.  If he doesn’t have 
  enough free actions to expend in a single round to 
  transform, he must expend any remaining free actions 
  required in the next combat round.  Outside of combat, a 
  transformation takes about ten seconds.  Transforming 
  back takes the same number of free actions, or ten seconds 
  out of combat. 
   
  Note that damage to one form is proportionately 
  applied to a new form.  If a subordinate form is knocked out, 
  catatonic or critically wounded, the character transforms 
  back to his base form by the end of the next combat round. 
   
  If the character loses one or more dice from one of his 
  forms (from Copy Trait, Leech, Siphon, or Steal Trait), he 
  cannot use that form until he has regained all of its dice.  A 
  character targeting him with Copy Trait or Steal Trait must 
  get all of the dice in a subordinate form before she can 
  transform into that form.  She is forced back to her normal 
  form when all the dice of that power use have faded. 
   
  A character can have no more than one-third of his total 
  character dice pool (rounding down) in forms of the 
  Transform power.  Note that this power cannot be placed 
  in a Power Array or Power Pool. 
   
  Transform Example 
   
  Schizoid Man, a somewhat unstable supervillain, can 
  transform into three subordinate forms.  His base form is 
  his supervillain persona.  His subordinate forms are a 9D 
  feline form with 90 character dice; a 7D fire form with 70 
  character dice; and his ‘normal’ 4D human form with 40 
  character dice.  So, on his character sheet he would have 
  the Transform power listed three times at 9D, 7D, and 4D. 
  It takes three free actions to transform to and from his 
  feline and fire forms; but only two free actions to transform 
  to and from his human form.  Technically, he could still have 
  additional forms totaling another 10D since the standard 
  Superhuman limit for this power would be (90D / 3 =) 30D. 
   
  Transform Custom Booster 
   
  Instant Transform [+2D]: The character doesn’t 
  need free actions to transform as long as he is 
  conscious and able to concentrate. 
   
  Transform Custom Limiter 
   
  Triggered Transformation [-1D]: The character 
  automatically transforms when a predefined condition 
  is fulfilled – typically when a specific subplot is 
  activated, either by the player or referee.  Note that only 
  the subordinate form that has this limiter is the one the 
  character transforms into. 
   
  Universal Translation  Miscellaneous 
   
  The character has the ability to translate all forms of 
  communication into one he can comprehend and he can 
  express himself effectively with.  Note that this power may 
  be used for all forms of communication – written, somatic, 
  verbal, etc. – but not for telepathic communication. 
   
  When the character is confronted with a situation that 
  calls for use of this power, he expends a free action and 
  makes a Universal Translation effect task roll.  The difficulty 
  should be based on how much or how different the new 
  form of communication is to ones with which the character 
  is familiar. 
  The effect level of the task roll becomes the number of 
  dice for a temporary Language edge that is used in making 
  Intelligence 
  task 
  rolls 
  for 
  comprehension 
  and 
  communication attempts of his own for the duration.  Note 
  that this temporary edge may exceed the typical limit 
  imposed on a character regarding maximum edge dice 
  pools.   
  Note that ‘the duration’ is left to the referee’s discretion, 
  as an interaction may go on for an indeterminate length of 
  time, from a single scene to an entire adventure. 
   
  Universal Translation Custom Limiter 
   
  Terrestrial Only [-1D or -3D]: The character’s 
  ability is limited to only those forms of communication 
  used on his home world.  Aliens, extra-dimensional 
  beings, etc. are beyond his ability to comprehend 
  without an extended interaction of several days or 
  weeks.  If the campaign is limited to a single world with 
  limited interaction with extraterrestrials, this limiter 
  is -1D; if this is an interstellar or galactic campaign 
  where alien interaction is common, this limiter is -3D. 
   
  
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  SUBPLOTS 
   
   
  While taking on one or more subplots isn’t required, 
  they add some depth to the character and allow the referee 
  some interesting hooks to draw the character into the 
  adventures she creates.  While subplots add bonus 
  character dice to help complete a character’s set of traits – 
  as each subplot die nets the character an additional 
  character creation die to expend – they also provide the 
  opportunity for the character to gain some badly needed 
  Fate Dice during an adventure when they come into play. 
   
  Characters are limited to a number of subplot dice 
  based on the Power Tier of their character: -5D for Human 
  Tier, -10D for Metahuman Tier, -15D for Superhuman Tier, 
  and -20D for the Ultrahuman Tier.  Subplots are limited to 
  being -1D to -5D; the more dice in the subplot, the more 
  significant a particular subplot is.   
   
  Subplots are typically activated by the referee to add 
  dramatic tension to a scene or adventure.  As a general 
  guideline, a referee should activate no more than five of an 
  individual character’s subplot dice in a single adventure.  
  However, a character who is running low or is out of Fate 
  Dice for an adventure may (with the referee’s permission) 
  voluntarily activate a subplot. 
   
  When a Subplot is activated, the character immediately 
  gains a number of fate dice equal to the number of dice in 
  the subplot activated that can only be used during the 
  current gaming session.  However, the stipulations of the 
  subplot are applied to the character for the remainder of the 
  session. 
   
  What follows are some guidelines for some of the more 
  common subplots of popular comic book heroes (and 
  villains).  Players should feel free to come up with their own, 
  but be sure to talk them over with the referee so both she 
  and the player understand precisely what the subplot 
  entails.  Referees should mull over such decisions carefully, 
  mostly to make sure that the subplot actually would cause 
  the character some sort of problem.  If it doesn’t, it really 
  isn’t much of a subplot.  Players should be steered away 
  from min/maxing characters with pointless, unlimiting 
  subplots, or ones that have no place or significance in her 
  campaign. 
   
  A player should look for a set of subplots that help 
  define who his character is, suggest the character’s pre-
  adventuring days, and perhaps even what may be yet to 
  come in the character’s future.  Referees should encourage 
  creativity and take careful note of what the player is 
  suggesting in their choices for the character.  Some of the 
  best plots and story arcs are spawned by the characters’ 
  wants, needs, and plans, after all. 
   
  Addiction 
   
  Normally, this would be covered under the heading of 
  Mental Problem or Physical Problem, but it is a prevalent 
  enough comic book trope to warrant its own listing. 
  A character with this subplot has a dependence on 
  something – a substance, a condition, an activity – and 
  suffers physical and/or psychological harm when he can’t 
  get enough of it.  Aside from the obvious path of addiction 
  to one or more recreational drugs, this can reflect 
  medicines needed by a character who has a chronic 
  medical condition such as diabetes or asthma, or an 
  amphibian character who needs to spend time in the water 
  every day. 
  On the psychological side, a character can be addicted 
  to any number of behaviors, but this subplot reflects a much 
  deeper level where he will suffer withdrawal symptoms if 
  he’s not permitted to engage in his addictive behavior. 
  If a character wishes to overcome an addiction (and the 
  referee decides it is possible), he must expend character 
  dice gained from experience points to remove it.  It is up to 
  the player and referee to decide how best to resolve the 
  situation in game – whether by roleplaying out the recovery, 
  or by having it occur ‘off camera.’ 
  Whenever this subplot is activated, the character hasn’t 
  been able to get enough of his addiction in a day.  The 
  character must make an Ego (for psychological addictions) 
  or Fortitude (for physical addictions) effect task roll with a 
  difficulty equal to the sum of six and the number of dice in 
  this subplot.  If the task roll succeeds, the character fights 
  off the need, but the difference between the trait rating of 
  the addiction and the effect level of the task is added to the 
  difficulty of all Ego or Fortitude task rolls (as appropriate to 
  the addiction) for the remainder of the gaming session. 
  If the task roll is failed, the character is in the throes of 
  withdrawal (or suffering the effects of not getting something 
  essential); the difficulty of all Ego or Fortitude task rolls (as 
  appropriate to the addiction) is increased by the trait rating 
  of the addiction for the remainder of the gaming session.  
  Also, if possible, the character will immediately seek out the 
  means of fulfilling his addiction. 
  For each day that a character cannot fulfill his addiction, 
  he suffers -1D to Ego or Fortitude (as appropriate to the 
  addiction).  Yes, under these rules, it is possible to die from 
  an addiction – not to be morbid, but in the real world, people 
  do commit suicide because of unfulfilled addictions, 
  withdrawal, overdoses on ‘substitute’ drugs, and for lack of 
  essential medicines.  If the character’s Ego or Fortitude 
  reaches 0D, the character becomes catatonic or critically 
  wounded and must be stabilized and treated.  The 
  character must go through therapy to heal psychological 
  addiction damage, and must heal from their physical 
  wounds from lack of an essential substance. 
  A minor addiction subplot (-1D) indicates it is fairly easy 
  for the character to obtain what he needs to avoid 
  withdrawal – only unusual circumstances would prevent 
  
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  66 
   
  him.  This level is suitable for most common medications 
  and psychological addictions. 
  A significant addiction subplot (-2D or -3D) means the 
  character has some difficulty in obtaining what he needs.  
  This level of subplot is common for illegal drugs and other 
  illegal substances, along with some of the more carnal or 
  seamy forms of psychological addiction. 
  A consuming addiction subplot (-4D or -5D) means the 
  character has great difficulty in obtaining what he needs, 
  being forced to dedicate a significant portion of his free time 
  to his addiction.  This level of subplot isn’t suitable for most 
  heroic character concepts, but could be present in NPC’s 
  and villains. 
   
  Adversary 
   
  The character has a rival or has made an enemy who 
  competes with or opposes his activities, goes out of her way 
  to make the character’s life difficult, seeks to humiliate and 
  thwart him at every turn, etc.  This person may have nothing 
  more than a friendly rivalry, striving to prove herself better 
  than the character in every dare and challenge that comes 
  along, but nothing more.  The trait rating of a particular 
  adversary reflects just how much of a threat the adversary 
  is to the character. 
  A minor adversary (-1D) is the frenemy level of 
  adversary – somebody who takes pleasure in one-upping 
  the character or likes reminding him of his mistakes and 
  failures.  It can also represent a ‘friendly’ rivalry with a 
  professional colleague, or a glory-hound superhero looking 
  to hog the spotlight, etc. 
  A significant adversary (-2D to -3D) is actively 
  attempting to make the character’s life less than enjoyable.  
  This is the person who spreads vicious rumors or tells the 
  character’s secrets to others; the supervillain who is toying 
  with the character for jollies; or the newspaper editor who 
  is constantly putting the worst spin on the character’s 
  activities; and so on. 
  A consuming adversary (-4D to -5D) has made making 
  the character’s life very difficult a personal hobby or even a 
  profession.  This is usually someone in a position of power 
  who is seeking a very public way to bring the character 
  down for her own benefit or personal satisfaction.  Such 
  adversaries can be jilted lovers, tied to one of the 
  character’s Secrets, or a villain engaged in a not-so-secret 
  whispering campaign. 
   
  Dependent 
   
  The character has someone who depends upon him for 
  emotional, financial, or even physical support.  This is 
  someone the character desires to protect from harm, 
  provide for, care for, nurture, etc.  The character will go out 
  of his way to do things for someone who depends upon him 
  – depending on the level of the devotion he has to this 
  person, he may even risk life and limb, compromise his 
  morals, do whatever it takes to protect them – something 
  that his heartless enemies know all too well.  Note that if 
  the character has one or more Stalwarts, he cannot take 
  any of them as a dependent. 
   
  A minor dependent (-1D) is the casual friend or relative 
  who has a knack for getting into situations that the 
  character has to help her out of. 
   
  A significant dependent (-2D to -3D) is the close friend 
  or relative the character spends time with on a regular basis 
  who (knowingly or not) gets entangled with the character’s 
  superhero activities occasionally. 
   
  A consuming dependent (-4D to -5D) is the spouse, 
  fiancée, parent(s), best friend, etc. who is a major part of 
  the character’s life, and as such, is often put into peril 
  because of their or the character’s activities (or both). 
   
  Distinct Feature 
   
  The character has a noteworthy physical aspect such 
  as an unusual skin tone, abnormal size, prominent facial 
  features, wings, or might even be obviously extraterrestrial.  
  This subplot implies that this distinct feature can only be 
  disguised or hidden to a limited degree, singling the 
  character out from the crowd, and possibly causing him 
  additional problems when trying to interact with society in 
  general.  In some game settings where mutants are 
  discriminated against or subject to outright hatred, a mutant 
  could be detected with specific genetic markers or special 
  sensors, which would also be a distinct feature. 
   
  A minor distinct feature (-1D) is easily hidden or 
  disguised, only discovered by someone making a 
  deliberate search or inspection. 
  A significant distinct feature (-2D to -3D) is difficult to 
  hide or disguise, and can be easily discovered by someone 
  who is suspicious or is particularly attentive to the unusual 
  (like young children, for example). 
  A consuming distinct feature (-4D to -5D) cannot be 
  hidden or disguised with anything short of the Illusion or 
  Shapeshift power. 
   
  Duty 
   
  Characters with this subplot could be part of an 
  organization that’s like a law enforcement agency or a 
  military outfit – inspiring dedication to ideals that rarely 
  waver or are questioned, adhering to an oath.  Or the 
  character may simply have a rigid code of conduct he’s 
  developed over his life that he cannot or will not 
  compromise.  In either case, the extent to which this oath 
  or code rules over his options, shapes his decisions, and 
  affects his life determines how many character dice the 
  character gains from it. 
   
   
   
  
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  Enemy 
   
  This is what happens when an Adversary decides that 
  the only way she’s going to get even is by taking bloody 
  satisfaction against the character.  An enemy wants to hurt 
  the character, plain and simple – be it character 
  assassination, or the actual thing, or something that’s a bit 
  of both.  An enemy is deadly serious and will not stop unless 
  the character stops her first. 
  The trait rating of this subplot indicates the relative 
  threat level of a particular enemy.  Typically, an enemy gets 
  -1D per Power Tier and an additional -1D if she’s 
  particularly dangerous or resourceful and can get at the 
  character outside of a confrontation (such as knowing his 
  secret identity, his Dependents, etc.). 
   
  Goal 
   
  The character is highly dedicated to reaching some 
  paramount achievement or result in his efforts either as a 
  superhero or a person, or both.  If this goal is easily 
  attainable, then its trait rating should be low; but if it is only 
  barely within the character’s abilities to achieve (or will be 
  in the future), then the trait rating should be greater. 
  The player and referee should discuss the character’s 
  goal so both are clear on what it is and how the character 
  will go about achieving it.  Such a subplot should be fodder 
  for more than one adventure over the course of a 
  campaign, after all, as the character strives (and 
  occasionally suffers a setback) in reaching that lofty 
  paramount. 
  When this subplot is activated, some aspect of the 
  adventure either has the promise of helping the character 
  fulfill his goal, or just seems to – usually hindering the 
  resolution of the adventure in the process.  Whether the 
  character is willing to let his goal wait for a greater good has 
  been the subject of many superhero stories over the years. 
   
   
   
  History 
   
  Everybody has a story to tell – where they’ve been, 
  what they’ve done – but with this subplot, the character’s 
  history is still having some amount of effect on his present.  
  It could be a traumatic event, a decision that was made that 
  can never be unmade, or even a path that was trod by the 
  character that now dominates his destiny.  The player and 
  referee should discuss this part of the character’s history 
  and how it is affecting him now – and how it could affect him 
  in the future as well. 
   
  A minor history subplot (-1D) could be no more than a 
  loose end or footnote in the character’s past that was never 
  resolved – a nagging reminder of who the character once 
  was or could have been under different circumstances. 
   
  A significant history subplot (-2D to -3D) is that one 
  person the character wishes he could still have in his life, 
  or that one thing he should have done differently that keeps 
  coming back around to bite him occasionally. 
   
  A consuming history subplot (-4D to -5D) is an event, 
  decision, or situation with consequences that constantly 
  remind the character of his actions or lack thereof when he 
  either made or could have made a difference.  Much of what 
  he does in the present (including being a superhero) might 
  be a result of what he did or didn’t do back then… 
   
  Hunter 
   
  The character is being sought by a person, group, or 
  agency, though the motive is different than the Adversary 
  or Enemy types above.  A hunter desires to have or take 
  something from the character at lower trait ratings; and is 
  seeking to incarcerate or coerce him into doing something 
  at higher trait ratings. 
  The hunter might be an investigative reporter looking to 
  expose the hero’s identity, an agency of the government 
  who seeks something from the character, or an obsessed 
  fan of the superhero who desires attention in the worst sort 
  of way. 
  A minor hunter (-1D) could be the aforementioned 
  obsessed fan, that stalker ex, a nosy neighbor, inquisitive 
  kid, etc. 
  A significant hunter (-2D to -3D) is typically somebody 
  who wants something more than the character’s time and 
  their efforts aren’t misguided or have innocent motivations.  
  This is the investigative reporter or diligent P.I. who are 
  looking for answers to questions the character would rather 
  not answer. 
  A consuming hunter (-4D to -5D) is usually an 
  organization such as a government agency, law-
  enforcement, a corporation, or even a supervillain and his 
  minions, that are seeking the character.  At this level, the 
  player and referee should have a discussion about why the 
  character is in the hunter’s sights and what the hunter 
  wants from him. 
   
   
  
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  Kryptonite 
   
  Made famous by Superman, this subplot refers to some 
  substance or condition that is detrimental to the character 
  but is completely harmless to nearly everyone else in the 
  game setting.  A traditional vampire, for example, can be 
  destroyed by exposure to sunlight – a condition rather than 
  a substance.   
  The character’s controller must define the hero’s 
  personal kryptonite and decide what sort of effect it has 
  upon him.  A substance has to be within the same combat 
  space or within five yards of the character to affect him; 
  while a condition is subject to the referee’s discretion.  The 
  amount of detriment the character suffers when subjected 
  to it determines the subplot’s trait rating. 
  When the character is exposed to the substance or 
  situation, he immediately suffers the effects of a continuous 
  Siphon 12 simultaneously to all of his inherent powers and 
  primary attributes that are above the Human Power Tier 
  (4D or greater).  Any powers that come from items or from 
  other non-inherent sources are unaffected.  Under these 
  circumstances, the character’s derived attributes are 
  reduced to values indicated by the reduced primary 
  attributes as well.  Any modified attributes lose any 
  boosters or limiters associated with them as well. 
  These conditions persist until the character is removed 
  from the vicinity of the substance or the condition ends.  
  Recovery from an exposure is one minute (six combat 
  rounds) or equal to the length of exposure, whichever is 
  less. 
  The character also suffers -1D Stamina damage 
  (remember that the character’s derived attributes are also 
  affected) from every combat round (ten seconds) of 
  exposure.  Once the character runs out of Stamina, he 
  begins suffering -1D of Fortitude per round until he is 
  critically wounded.  The character cannot be stabilized or 
  revived until he is removed from the presence of his 
  Kryptonite.  So yeah, without help or means of escape, it 
  will eventually kill him.  More damaging forms (higher trait 
  ratings) of Kryptonite should be proportionately rare. 
   
  Mental Problem  
   
  Psychological issues are a staple of comic book 
  superheroes and villains.  While phobias are by far the most 
  common, one that is rapidly gaining in prominence is Post 
  Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  Other forms that this 
  subplot could take include obsession, isolation, loss of self-
  identity, 
  trust 
  issues, 
  paranoia, 
  amnesia, 
  memory 
  repression, inferiority complexes – the list literally runs the 
  gamut of the darkest parts of the psyche, though more for 
  villains than heroes.  A hero with problems is even more 
  heroic when he must battle them along with the bad guys 
  to carry the day – the risk of being hamstrung at any 
  moment by one’s own demons is a powerful storytelling tool 
  for campaigns where the person behind the mask has to 
  stand barefaced in the light of day… 
   
   
   
  Moral Code 
   
  The character has a specific set of morals that shape 
  his actions and decisions.  Whenever he is confronted with 
  a situation where he might violate them, he must choose to 
  either deal with the consequences or he must find another 
  way.  Breaking one’s moral code usually involves a period 
  of remorse followed by an act of personal penance (which 
  is best roleplayed).  Most people would rather not break 
  their moral code, if at all possible.  But as a superhero, 
  depending on the game setting, the character may have to 
  in order to prevent an even greater evil from befalling those 
  he is trying to protect… 
   
  Personality Quirk 
   
  The old saying goes “just because you are a 
  personality, doesn’t mean you actually have any.”  These 
  subplots are a way of putting a stamp of individuality on a 
  character – the kind that people remember, for good or ill. 
  A hero who leaves some telltale clue indicating he had 
  a hand in some deed, someone who always wears the 
  same outfit, a person who always speaks and writes in 
  verse, the ever-present cigar stub at the corner of the 
  mouth; these are all quirks that mark the individual for who 
  he is.  Whether the motivation is from the need for fame and 
  notoriety, or a hint of a deeper personal problem or trait, the 
  character will certainly be noteworthy – making it difficult for 
  him to be inconspicuous… 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  69 
   
  Physical Problem 
   
  For most heroes, this particular subplot could never 
  apply as they stand upon the pinnacle of physical 
  development.  However, there are many examples of a 
  superhero who has severe physical problems – Tony 
  Stark’s shrapnel wounds; Matt Murdock’s blindness, Dr. 
  Miles Hawkins’ paralysis, bilateral amputee Melati Kusuma, 
  and paraplegic Silhouette Chord, to name just a few. 
  Superheroes could have other physical problems as a 
  result of gaining super powers – Barry Allen’s accelerated 
  metabolism, Wade Wilson’s brain damage, Clark Kent’s 
  extreme strength, Drake Burroughs’ anti-energy form, etc.  
  The player and referee should discuss the implications of 
  the character’s physical problem so there is no 
  misunderstanding as to what it means for that character. 
   
  Poverty 
   
  While most characters are considered to be middle 
  class when it comes to money and resources, some heroes 
  like Peter Parker and Angelica Jones have to hustle pretty 
  hard just to earn bread money.  This particular subplot is 
  fairly straightforward, with three levels of poverty: Poor 
  (-1D), Subsistence (-2D or -3D), and Destitute (-4D 
  or -5D).  Note that a character cannot have both this subplot 
  and the benefit Wealth. 
  Poor characters are getting by, but not really getting 
  ahead in life; though this can also represent the typical 
  higher learning student who’s working her way through 
  school.  While this character may be able to scrape up date 
  night money, it won’t be more than dinner and a movie 
  rental at best. 
  Subsistence living means having only enough money 
  for the rent, bills, and food, with virtually nothing leftover.  
  Characters who want to save for a rainy day or a special 
  purchase have to hustle up another job, which really cuts 
  into the time they can be superheroes. 
  Destitute characters are usually homeless, scraping up 
  meals from garbage cans and soup kitchens, begging on 
  the streets, wearing donated clothing, etc.  Maybe their 
  superpowers could make them a lot of money, but for 
  whatever reason, that’s not an option.   
   
  Public Identity 
   
  Some superheroes, like Peter Parker and Bruce 
  Wayne, go to a lot of effort to hide who they really are.  
  However, some superheroes go the opposite route and let 
  the whole world know who they are – T’challa is a head of 
  state, Tony Stark is a flamboyant millionaire, Dr. Frank 
  McCoy headed up a bureau of the federal government, 
  Alison Blaire is an entertainer, Adrian Veidt was famous as 
  a humanitarian, and Reed Richards is a world-famous 
  scientist, just to name a few.  While characters with public 
  identities aren’t living secret lives, people know how to find 
  them, causing other sorts of problems. 
   
  It should be noted that having a public identity doesn’t 
  imply the character is famous in any way, except for being 
  a superhero.  Characters desiring fame should take some 
  dice in the Renown edge. 
   
  A minor public identity (-1D) simply means that while 
  the character isn’t advertising his identity, he isn’t keeping 
  it a secret, either.  This means that people who are looking 
  for him (Adversaries, Enemies, and Hunters, for example) 
  will be able to find him with just a bit of work. 
   
  A significant public identity (-2D or -3D) indicates that 
  knowledge of the character’s alter-ego is well-documented 
  – he may not even bother using his heroic moniker.  His 
  enemies know how to find him, along with a good idea of 
  what he’s capable of doing.  Anyone who takes the time to 
  shadow him will find out who his friends and associates are, 
  too. 
   
  A consuming public identity (-4D or -5D) indicates 
  literally everyone knows the character is the guy behind the 
  mask.  If superheroes double for celebrities in the game 
  setting, it is likely the character will be hounded by 
  autograph seekers, paparazzi, fanboys/fangirls, lawyers, 
  etc.  Enemies will know just about everything concerning 
  the character’s powers and weaknesses, who he 
  associates with, what his psychological triggers are, etc. 
   
  Rage 
   
  The character has problems controlling his anger in 
  stressful situations.  While this would normally be classified 
  as a Mental Problem under these rules, the condition is a 
  common enough comic book trope to warrant its own 
  listing.  In general, when the character is subjected to a 
  situation that triggers his rage, he must make an Ego 
  standard task roll with a difficulty equal to the sum of seven 
  and the number of dice in the subplot to fight down the urge 
  to act out upon it. 
   
  A minor rage subplot (-1D) indicates that the character 
  has a very specific trigger for his rage (defined by his 
  controller) and it is limited only to whatever triggers him.  If 
  he is triggered, he will immediately and exclusively attack 
  the person(s) who triggered him until they have been 
  battered, blasted, or otherwise subdued.  Once triggered, 
  he remains triggered until the object of his rage is down or 
  someone else intervenes to stop him. 
   
  A significant rage subplot (-2D to -3D) means the 
  character has even less control when it comes to his trigger.  
  If he is triggered, he will keep attacking the object(s) of his 
  rage even after they’ve been subdued, possibly to the point 
  of a critical wounding, unless he’s stopped by someone.  If 
  it winds up being a public display, the character will be 
  subject to public scrutiny and possibly legal action. 
   
  A consuming rage subplot (-4D or -5D) indicates that 
  the character’s triggering sends him into a berserk rage – 
  he will literally attack anyone and anything that gets 
  between him and the object of his rage, and he will not stop 
  attacking until his target is dead or he is physically 
  restrained or subdued.  A character who has this level of 
  rage is literally a ticking timebomb and the campaign’s 
  
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  70 
   
  referee should seriously consider disallowing this subplot 
  for heroes of any stripe. 
   
  Secret 
   
  The character has one or more aspects about himself 
  he desperately wishes to keep hidden, and will go to great 
  lengths to do just that.  The most common secret for 
  superheroes is their alter egos.  However, while most 
  characters don’t advertise who’s behind the mask, those 
  who do know aren’t talking about it to anyone.  A character 
  with this form of the subplot has to work at maintaining 
  appearances, have contingency plans, a list of ready-made 
  excuses to allay suspicions, etc.  In general, the trait rating 
  of a secret identity reflects a combination of the character’s 
  relative amount of fame or popularity and how much he has 
  to work to keep the secret. 
   
  Characters with this subplot may know other secrets 
  that shouldn’t be revealed, such as secretly being the 
  offspring 
  of 
  a 
  notorious 
  supervillain, 
  being 
  an 
  extraterrestrial, knowing who really shot JFK (and why), etc.  
  Whatever the secret, it’s a sure bet that someone else 
  wants to know it – or wants to make sure nobody else 
  knows theirs… 
   
  Social Problem 
   
  Sometimes, it’s not what you’ve done that gives you 
  trouble, but what you are in the eyes of others.  The world 
  is often imperfect, full of prejudice, misconceptions, and 
  fears.  Depending on the game setting, extraterrestrials, 
  mutants, and members of specific ethnic groups could be 
  subject to prejudice, even overt hatred and exclusion. 
  Whatever the situation, if the character has this subplot, 
  he is subject to it.  Even though he has powers, society can 
  make him powerless in certain situations.  As a referee, be 
  sure your players understand how these problems might be 
  played out – and if they might make anyone at the table 
  uncomfortable, it shouldn’t be the subject of roleplay or on 
  any of the group’s character sheets. 
   
  Susceptibility 
   
  The character has a physical or mental flaw which 
  either causes him to suffer additional damage from a 
  damage source or class of attacks; or, enhances the 
  affecting trait rating of specific detrimental power that 
  targets him. 
   
  When a character is susceptible to attacks, the amount 
  that is applied to his character after reduction by his 
  defenses (if any) is increased by the trait rating of this 
  subplot. 
   
  If the character is susceptible to the effects of a specific 
  non-combat power, this subplot is worth an additional -1D; 
  for powers of a specific class – alteration, mental, 
  miscellaneous, movement, or sensory powers – this 
  subplot is worth an additional -2D. 
   
  The referee is the final arbiter of what kinds of 
  susceptibilities are permitted in her campaign.  If a 
  character has powers or other abilities that render a 
  susceptibility (or any other subplot, for that matter) moot, it 
  should not be allowed. 
   
   
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  71 
   
  XD12 Character Sheet 
  Name  
  aka 
   
  Attributes 
  AGL 
   
  PER 
   
  EGO 
   
  FOR 
   
  PRO 
   
  EMP 
   
  STR 
   
  REF 
   
  INT 
   
  STAM 
   
  INIT 
   
  LUCK 
   
  Edges (2 Edge Dice per Character Die) 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Powers  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  This page may be reproduced for personal use only. ©2020 Matt Frisbee 
  Subplots 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Build Record 
   
   
   
   
     Base 
  Attributes 
   
   
   
  + Subplots 
  + Edges 
   
   
   
  + XP Dice 
  + Powers 
   
   
   
  + Bonus Dice 
  = Total Dice 
   
  = 
   
  = Total Dice 
  Counters 
  Reputation Counter 
   
  Experience 
  Counter 
   
  Reputation Rank 
   
  Char. Dice Earned 
   
  Char. Dice Spent 
   
  Fate Dice 
  Luck Attribute 
  Reputation Rank 
  Fate Dice 
  Pool Total 
   
  + 
   
  = 
   
  Damage Record 
  Stamina 
  Fortitude 
  Ego 
   
   
   
  Character Sketch 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Player Name: 
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  72 
   
  SAMPLE CHARACTER 
   
  Nightfall (aka Mike Nowak) 
   
  ATTRIBUTES (39D) 
  AGL 5D  
   
  PER 4D 
   
  EGO 4D 
  FOR 6D 
   
  PRO 4D 
   
  EMP 3D 
  STR 4D  
   
  REF 5D  
   
  INT 4D  
   
  STAM 15D  
  INIT 5D  
   
  LUCK 11D 
   
  EDGES (23D) 
  Cybernetics 2D, Dodge 2D, Electronics 2D, Headquarters 
  2D, KNO: Lakeport 2D, KNO: Physical Sciences 2D, KNO: 
  Supers 2D, Legacy (Library) 4D, Mechanic 2D, Melee 
  Combat 4D, Ranged Combat 4D, Researcher 2D, Stealth 
  2D, Streetwise 2D, Vehicle (Motorcycle) 6D, VO: Ground 
  Vehicles 2D, Wealth 4D, Weaponsmith 2D 
   
  POWERS (43D) 
  Armored Costume – Armor 6D; Limiter – Inaccessible 
  Item (costume); 7D 
  Athletic I – Leap 2D; 2D 
  Athletic II – Swim 2D; 2D 
  Athletic III – Run 3D; 3D 
  Battle Fury – Rapid Attack 6D; Limiter – Only after 
  sustaining Stamina damage from an Adversary; 4D 
  Enhanced Health – Immunity 7D (All Groups); Booster 
  – All Groups; 9D 
  Utility Belt – Power Array [5 powers]; Booster – Fast 
  Swap; Limiter – Accessible Items; 16D total. 
  1) Tesla Gun: Physical Blast 8D [Electrical]; Limiters – 
  Limited Uses (8 shots), No Throwback; 7D [+3D] 
  2) Transteel Knuckledusters: Strike 4D [8D with 
  Strength]; Boosters – Affects Intangible, Melee Attack; 
  8D [+2D] 
  3) Flash-Bang Mini-Grenades: Dazzle 5D [Auditory & 
  Visual]; Boosters – Add Sensory Group, Area of Effect 
  (no toggle); Limiter – Limited Uses (4 grenades); 8D 
  [Base] 
  4) Light-Amplification Goggles: Enhanced Senses 
  +1D [IR Vision & UV Vision]; Booster – Additional 
  Sense; 2D [+1D] 
  5) Emergency Air Supply: Life 
  Support 1D 
  [Asphyxiation]; 1D [+1D] 
   
  SUBPLOTS (-15D) 
  Distinct Feature (-1D): Closely Resembles Midnight 
  Man (Nightfall’s outfit and equipment were spares 
  belonging to the former superhero.) 
  Dependent (-3D): Akiko Kawahara (She was his 
  shoulder when his parents died; they’ve been close ever 
  since, and have been getting closer…) 
  Enemy (-3D): Mystery Villain (Nightfall’s enemy will be 
  introduced by the referee as part of the hero’s introductory 
  adventure.) 
  Mental Problem (-1D): Hiding from his Grief (Mike is 
  using his crimefighting to hide from the pain of his parents’ 
  tragic deaths.) 
  Moral Code (-3D): Protect the Innocent (Nightfall will 
  protect the victims of crime and circumstance above all 
  else.) 
  Personality Quirk (-1D): Rookie Crimefighter (Mike is 
  still learning the trade of being a superhero and 
  occasionally makes mistakes.) 
  Secret (-3D): Secret Identity (Mike Nowak takes great 
  care and effort to hide his connection to his heroic alter-
  ego, Nightfall.) 
   
  Base 90D + Subplots 15D = 105D 
  Attributes 39D + Edges 23D + Powers 43D = 105D 
   
  BACKSTORY 
   
  Mike Nowak was a focused student in high school, 
  always more interested in practical subjects rather than 
  academic ones.  He was a good athlete, but not interested 
  enough in pursuing a college scholarship to push himself.  
  He was looking at entering the workforce the summer after 
  his graduation, but a tragic turn of fate sent his life in a 
  completely different direction. 
   
  When his parents died in a car accident, he inherited 
  their legacy – enough money so he’d only have to work 
  occasionally, and a locked steamer trunk that had been 
  carefully hidden away behind a false wall in his childhood 
  home. 
   
  That steamer trunk told Mike volumes about a history 
  his father had kept secret from him – that one of Mike’s 
  great uncles was Midnight Man, a crimefighter who’d 
  disappeared nearly thirty years ago.  The trunk held a 
  library of carefully written notes about what the superhero 
  had learned while battling crime.  It also held a couple of 
  spare costumes and equipment the hero had used. 
   
  Mike tried on the costume.  It fit.  He put the rest of the 
  gear on, including the utility belt.  It looked right; if felt right; 
  like it had been made for him. 
  And suddenly, as he studied his costumed visage in the 
  mirror, Mike knew what he wanted to do. 
  To the rest of the world, he spent a year mourning his 
  parents; but in reality, he was hammering his young body 
  into shape while learning the capabilities of the weapons 
  and gadgets in the utility belt.  He purchased an old auto 
  repair shop for his headquarters, and a high-performance 
  motorcycle to get around town. 
  In the evenings he split his time between the library of 
  notes Midnight Man had made and Akiko, the old high 
  school friend who’s become a bit more than that of late.  He 
  hasn’t told her what he plans to do.  He’s not sure he wants 
  to – being a superhero is risky business, after all. 
  The year has passed quickly.  He’s got his alibis in 
  place and he’s suiting up at the auto repair shop, waiting for 
  nightfall to arrive.  Nightfall, he muses silently as he 
  straddles the bike, I like that… 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  73 
   
  SAMPLE VILLAIN 
   
  Mister Maul (aka Tyrone Moss) 
   
  ATTRIBUTES (48D) 
  AGL 5D  
   
  PER 6D 
   
  EGO 4D 
  FOR 8D 
   
  PRO 8D 
   
  EMP 2D 
  STR 9D* 
   
  REF 6D  
   
  INT 3D  
   
  STAM 22D  
  INIT 6D  
   
  LUCK 9D 
  *Density Increase & Grow already figured in. 
   
  EDGES (12D) 
  Blind Fighting 4D, Coerce 4D, Danger Sense 4D, Infamy 
  4D, Melee Combat 4D, Ranged Combat 4D 
   
  POWERS (45D) 
  Mutant Physique I – Density Increase 2D (+2D STR, 
  +2D Armor, -2 space Throwback, 900 lbs. with Grow added 
  in); Booster – Ground Pressure Constant; Limiter – Always 
  Active; 2D 
  Mutant Physique II – Grow 1D (7½ feet high, +1D 
  STR, +1 Attacker’s to Hit, 900 lbs. with Density Increase 
  added in); Limiter – Always Active (no discount); 1D 
  Mutant Physique III – Armor 3D (5D with Density 
  Increase); Booster – Includes Environmental Damage; 5D 
  Mutant Physique IV – Trait Protection 7D; 7D 
  Powerful Legs I – Leap 6D (6 combat spaces, 
  maximum non-combat distance is 1 mile); 6D 
  Powerful Legs II – Run 4D (4 combat spaces, 
  maximum non-combat speed is 50 mph); 4D 
  Psychic Manipulation Damage I – Mental Resistance 
  6D; 6D 
  Psychic 
  Manipulation 
  Damage 
  II 
  – 
  Mental 
  Toughness 6D; 6D 
  Thrown Objects – Blast (Kinetic) 7D; Booster – 
  Multiple Targets (+2D); Limiters – Extra Time (+1 Free 
  Action, -½D), Must have objects to throw (-½D); 8D 
   
  SUBPLOTS (-15D) 
  Distinct Feature (-5D): Physically Large & Massive 
  (Mister Maul stands about 7½ feet tall and weighs 900 lbs.) 
  Goal (-3D): Retirement Plan (Mister Maul wants to 
  retire as a rich man and is looking for that one final score.) 
  History (-3D): Psychic Dominion Damage (Mister Maul 
  was a hero once, but was permanently changed to a villain 
  by Mistress Mindbender.) 
  Hunter (-3D): Wanted by Law Enforcement (Mister 
  Maul is a wanted supervillain, deemed to be criminally 
  insane.) 
  Rage (-1D): Mental Attacks (Mister Maul retains a 
  hatred for users of mental powers, owing to his history.) 
   
  Base 90D + Subplots 15D = 105D = Attributes 48D + 
  Edges 12D + Powers 45D 
   
  BACKSTORY 
   
  Tyrone Moss was a hero once.  Maul was a member of 
  a team of superheroes who defended a small metropolis 
  out west.  He hardly remembers those days anymore; but 
  when he does, it makes him angry, though he’s not really 
  sure why. 
   
  He knows that the psionic supervillainess Mistress 
  Mindbender did something to him – he was fighting her 
  minions along with the rest of the team when it happened.  
  The pain that seared through his head stopped him cold, 
  her mocking laughter twisting her beautiful features into a 
  cruel parody of femininity, filling him with unreasoning rage. 
   
  He’d been holding back that rage, afraid of using his 
  unchecked power against anyone, even his enemies, for 
  fear of losing control.  Mindbender’s Psychic Dominion 
  shattered those shackles, replacing them with commands 
  that he was forced to obey while using his full strength.  Her 
  insults and cruel mirth were the whips that drove him into a 
  mindless fury as he turned upon his teammates. 
   
  And when his friends lay broken and bleeding on the 
  street, he helped the villainess break into a gemstone vault 
  and loot its contents.  But when she ordered him to hand 
  over the booty, he balled his fists, mirroring her sadistic 
  smile on his own features. 
   
  “No,” was all he said as he advanced. 
   
  She tried to command him once again, but the hero she 
  could control was gone.  Only her own cruelty and malice 
  remained in the mind of Maul – now housed in a seven-foot 
  tall, nine-hundred pound mountain of rippling muscle 
  adorned with shreds of the costume he’d once worn.  He 
  bared his teeth, his knuckles popping as his fists shook with 
  the rage that surged through him like an avalanche, a growl 
  rising in his throat. 
   
  That day, that moment, Mistress Mindbender knew 
  pure, unadulterated terror as he raised his fist to deliver a 
  terrible blow… 
   
  After that, nothing.  The memory ends, but the anger 
  remains.  Soon after, there are more memories.  Criminal 
  activities, mostly – his life of crime is now all that he 
  remembers clearly.  Sometimes heroes try to stop him, 
  reminding him of what he once was.  And that also makes 
  him angry. 
   
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  74 
   
  EXPERIENCE & REPUTATION 
   
   
  As the heroes successfully complete adventures, they 
  gain proficiency with their abilities and acquire some 
  measure of status with the public and government.  These 
  are represented by experience and reputation. 
  Experience is represented by points on the character’s 
  Experience Counter. 
   It reflects the character’s 
  development 
  from 
  a 
  beginning 
  superhero 
  to 
  an 
  experienced and seasoned defender of the people. 
  Reputation points are tracked on the character’s 
  Reputation Counter, and are used to improve the 
  character’s Reputation Rank – the amount of sway the 
  character has over the public and governments friendly to 
  him when making task rolls to influence them.  The 
  character’s Reputation Rank also factors into the number 
  of Fate Dice in his pool at the start of each adventure. 
   
  Experience 
   
  At the end of each adventure, the characters are 
  awarded a number of experience points (XP) based on the 
  length of the adventure, the number and strength (relative 
  to them) of their adversaries, the relative success the 
  characters had with the adventure, and finally how well the 
  character’s controllers roleplayed their characters during 
  the adventure. 
   
  When a character has collected ten experience points, 
  he gains an additional character creation die to expend and 
  subtracts ten points from his counter (i.e. leftover points 
  carry over toward earning his next character creation die).  
  Note that earned character dice don’t have to be expended 
  right away, and can be saved for a large expenditure later 
  in the game. 
   
  Adventure Length: A good rule of thumb is to award 
  each character one experience point for each session the 
  player is at the table and participating in the game. 
   
  Adversaries: As a general guideline, award a number 
  of XP to the group equal to the number of Power Tiers of 
  each villain they defeat during the adventure session – 1 
  XP for Human Tier, 2 XP for Metahuman Tier, 3 XP for 
  Superhuman Tier, and 4 XP for Ultrahuman Tier. 
  Any minions of the villain(s) who are defeated by the 
  heroes are not counted as adversaries, but the referee 
  should award a 1 XP bonus to the group for each scene 
  where the heroes bested ‘the horde.’ 
   
  Success: Superheroes are supposed to save the day.  
  While the referee shouldn’t penalize failure, it shouldn’t be 
  rewarded, either.  Thus, failing to stop the supervillain(s) 
  from achieving their goals earns no experience points.  
  However, the degree of success in every other case should 
  net the characters anywhere from 1 XP (stopping the 
  villains by the skin of one’s teeth) to 3 XP (thwarting the 
  villains at every turn of the adventure) each. 
   
  Roleplaying: Players come to the game to have fun, 
  as does the referee.  One of the ways the players show their 
  appreciation of the referee’s efforts is by immersing 
  themselves into the world the referee has created, and 
  acting out the parts that their characters have in it.  Thus, 
  the roleplaying award of experience should reflect the 
  amount of engagement the player has with the adventure – 
  no matter what role his character played in it.  Each 
  character should be awarded 1 XP to 3 XP by the referee’s 
  assessment of their controller’s participation. 
   
  Reputation 
   
  A character’s reputation is built by his public actions.  If 
  nobody witnesses or knows about what a character did, the 
  character gains no reputation for his actions.  Reputation 
  points are earned by defeating supervillains, protecting 
  their home setting from danger, and by heroic opportunities. 
   
  Defeating Supervillains: Each character earns 
  reputation points for apprehending supervillains.  Whether 
  the character is acting alone or as part of a group, each 
  character earns a number of reputation points equal to each 
  villain’s Power Tier as outlined in Adversaries above. 
   
  Protecting Home: A typical comic book city faces 
  myriad dangers on a regular basis.  In general, a character 
  earns a number of reputation points equal to the XP reward 
  given for the success aspect of an adventure. 
   
  Heroic Opportunities: Remember that the PC’s are 
  superheroes!  That means they do things to help people – 
  mainly saving lives.  While it may not happen every single 
  adventure, a good referee gives the characters a chance to 
  be heroic for the common man.  Whether a character is 
  stopping a random mugging, working to bring a runaway 
  vehicle to a halt, rescuing people from a burning building, 
  or transporting an organ cross-country for a vital transplant 
  operation, the effort put forth by the character shows how 
  much they care about the little guy, which earns respect 
  and admiration.  In general, each character who 
  participates in a successful heroic act should be rewarded 
  1 to 3 reputation points. 
   
  Each Reputation Rank costs a number of reputation 
  points equal to ten times that rank.  When a character earns 
  enough reputation points to achieve the next rank, the 
  reputation counter is reset to zero and the character 
  accrues points toward the next rank.  Characters start at 
  Reputation Rank 0.  After they accrue 10 or more reputation 
  points, they become Rep +1, and their reputation counters 
  reset to zero.  They must then earn 20 or more reputation 
  points to become Rep +2, after which the counter again 
  resets to zero.  After that, they must earn 30 or more points 
  to make Rep +3, and so on. 
   
  A character’s Reputation Rank (Rep) is a bonus 
  modifier added to Ego attribute task rolls regarding 
  interactions 
  with 
  community 
  leaders, 
  governments, 
  agencies, law enforcers, and the general public. 
   
   
   
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  75 
   
  SUPERVILLAIN SECRETS 
   
   
  Up until now, the rules have dealt with superheroes – 
  the characters the players will be playing in the game.  Now, 
  it’s time to talk about their adversaries, the supervillains.  
  Depending on your setting, they’ll vary from being 
  hilariously inept foils for the characters to trounce on a 
  regular basis to deadly and highly capable nemeses that 
  threaten the very lives of every one of the game universe’s 
  inhabitants.  Fortunately, most supervillains in most settings 
  fall somewhere in the middle. 
   
  Bonus Dice 
   
  Bonus Dice permit a supervillain to have more 
  Character Dice than the standard limits on Power Tiers 
  would allow.  While the villain is permitted more dice, she 
  must still conform to the campaign cap so far as powers 
  and attributes are concerned (9D in the standard 
  Superhuman Tier).  This permits the referee to create more 
  powerful villains while keeping some semblance of balance 
  in the game. 
  In general, the referee should limit the maximum 
  number of Bonus Dice to the number of subplot dice 
  permitted for that power tier.  For the standard Superhuman 
  Tier setting, that would mean a supervillain could have up 
  to 90 base dice, 15 subplot dice, and 15 bonus dice as well. 
   
  Experienced Villains 
   
  Well-established villains may also have reputation 
  ranks tacked onto their build, reflecting their time in the 
  game before the current crop of heroes (i.e. the player-
  characters) showed up.  When creating an experienced 
  villain, each Villainous Reputation Rank costs one 
  character creation die. 
  These sorts of villains should be more challenging to 
  the characters than simply having a more powerful 
  opponent, as experienced villains get more Fiat Dice (see 
  below) to use during the game.  They also get bonuses to 
  intimidate others as they are well-known in both the law-
  enforcement and criminal worlds. 
   
  Fiat Dice 
   
  It’s already been established that only player-
  characters are allowed to use Fate Dice.  The supervillain 
  equivalent is Fiat Dice, though they are used somewhat 
  differently. 
   
  In the Latin, fiat means "let it be" or "let it be done."  It 
  roughly means to make a decree.  You see authors taking 
  this to extremes in superhero stories all the time, if only to 
  advance the story or to set up the situations the heroes 
  must overcome on their way to triumph.  Examples include 
  a relatively low-powered supervillain setting up an 
  elaborate deathtrap for the hero, or taking over entire 
  broadcasting networks to taunt the authorities, or having 
  some incredible gadget that allows them to temporarily gain 
  the upper hand over their nemesis, or manage a highly 
  improbable escape while thumbing his nose at the hero and 
  promising “You haven’t heard the last of me!”  These are all 
  situations that a poor, spandex-clad klutz couldn’t possibly 
  arrange within days of escaping prison.  And yet, 
  supervillains do this all the time.  How? 
   
  In XD12SS, the supervillain pulls these things off by 
  expending Fiat Dice from their pool – which is equal to the 
  sum of the villain’s Ego, Empathy, and Intelligence.  Villains 
  who have gained a villainous reputation (in much the same 
  way that heroes gain a heroic one) add the rank of that 
  reputation to their Fiat Dice Pool. 
   
  There are three levels of Fiats in the game – 
  situational, plot element, and paradigm shift which 
  require the supervillain to expend 1, 3, or 5 Fiat Dice, 
  respectively. 
   
  Situational Fiats (1 Fiat Die) generally only affect one 
  scene, allowing the referee to add on, change, retcon, or 
  otherwise alter the setting or situation of a scene.  The most 
  common use of a situational fiat is to permit the villain to 
  escape a scene so he can return later in the adventure, or 
  to permit the adventure’s plot to continue. 
   
  Plot Element Fiats (3 Fiat Dice) allow the supervillain 
  to create scenes in the game that are clearly beyond her 
  abilities listed on her character sheet – things like setting up 
  death traps, arranging network broadcasts, bringing on 
  minions (‘partners’) to supplement her abilities, etc.  While 
  adventures generally have a series of scenes already 
  planned out, this fiat generally allows the supervillain to 
  exploit a turn of events. 
   
  Paradigm Shift Fiats (5 Fiat Dice) should be used 
  very sparingly by the referee, since they represent a 
  supervillain having an ability that is extremely improbable 
  or might even temporarily ‘break’ the accepted norms of the 
  campaign.  In general, this level of fiat should be in the pre-
  planning of an adventure, with the supervillain’s Fiat Points 
  held in reserve for the point it may come to pass. 
   
  Supervillain Subplot Activation 
   
  We already know that when a player-character has a 
  subplot activated by the referee (or activates it himself), he 
  gains bonus Fate Dice to use during the game session.  A 
  supervillain can also have one or more of her subplots 
  activated as well, which gains her bonus Fiat Dice to use 
  during the gaming session, at the referee’s discretion.  If 
  there are multiple villains, the Fiat Dice from one villain’s 
  subplot can be distributed to other villains. 
   
  Recurring Villains 
   
  I freely admit that like recurring villains – sometimes a 
  little too much.  I also admit that I have occasionally 
  overused a recurring villain; once to the point where the 
  players decided he was too much of threat and very nearly 
  wound up killing him so he would ‘stay down.’ 
   
  Fortunately, in XD12SS the Fiat Dice pool each villain 
  has can help the referee regulate how often each villain can 
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  76 
   
  return to action.  After a villain has made an appearance 
  (and has hopefully been defeated and apprehended), he 
  retains whatever Fiat Dice he didn’t use during the 
  adventure.  After each adventure without his presence, roll 
  1d6: 1-3 indicates the villain has recovered 1 Fiat Die to his 
  pool, a 4 or 5 indicates the recovery is 2 Fiat Dice, while a 
  6 is 3 Fiat Dice of recovery. 
   
  When the supervillain’s Fiat Dice pool is once again at 
  capacity, enough time should have elapsed that the heroes 
  are ready for another round with their favorite nemesis… 
   
  Supervillain Teams 
   
  While most villains prefer to work alone, there are many 
  possible motivations for the bad guys and gals to work 
  together – common goals and common enemies are the 
  most popular reasons.  Often a group of villains have 
  teamed up as mercenaries for a more powerful supervillain 
  or a mastermind – a supervillain that doesn’t have much for 
  powers, but is the brains behind the operation. 
   
  Whatever the motivations they have, it is important for 
  the referee to play fair – to balance the playing field of an 
  adventure.  The most straightforward way to do this is to 
  add up the total number of character dice of all the heroes 
  and all of the villains.  If the villains have the greater total, 
  the group of heroes gain one additional Fate Die to use for 
  every five dice they’re behind.  If the heroes have the 
  greater total, the villains’ team gains one more Fiat Die for 
  every five dice the heroes are ahead. 
   
  Minions 
   
  While both heroes and villains can have Stalwarts, 
  villains often find ways to bring on extra help in the form of 
  muscle, mercenaries, technical assistance, etc.  These 
  sorts of people are known as minions. 
   
  A villain or mastermind can muster a maximum number 
  of minions equal to five times the sum of one and her 
  Reputation Rank (as a villain).  If it is a team doing the 
  recruiting, then the number becomes five times the sum of 
  the team members and the total of their Reputation Ranks. 
   
  Typical minions are Human Tier characters (30D).  For 
  more powerful minions, the villain(s) must expend more of 
  their ‘Minion Pool’ to get them.  A Metahuman Tier minion 
  (60D) costs two ‘basic’ minions; A Superhuman Tier minion 
  (90D) costs four ‘basic’ minions; and an Ultrahuman Tier 
  minion (120D) costs eight ‘basic’ minions. 
   
  Hideouts 
   
  Most 
  supervillains 
  don’t 
  have 
  a 
  permanent 
  headquarters, but rather a temporary base of operations, 
  which is known as a hideout.  The villain gets to construct 
  a hideout by expending a Fiat Die from her pool.  The more 
  elaborate, secretive, or secure the hideout is, the more Fiat 
  Dice should be expended.  Even the most elaborate or most 
  elusive of hideouts shouldn’t require more than ten Fiat 
  Dice from a supervillain team. 
   
  Populating the Setting 
   
  Villains come in all shapes and sizes, along with 
  varying power levels and experience.  The types of villains 
  populating your setting should reflect that, but should also 
  provide foils and challenges for the characters in the game 
  as well.  While you don’t have to create them all at once, 
  you’re probably going to need about a dozen supervillains 
  for every hero in the campaign in the short term. 
   
  Remember that a supervillain doesn’t have to be all-
  powerful to be dangerous or provide a challenge to the 
  players.  However, the temptation to create the ultimate 
  supervillain can drive a referee to extremes.  If your Big 
  Bads are simply an escalation of combat powers designed 
  to overwhelm the characters, well, you’re probably not 
  doing the referee thing right. 
   
  Instead, populate your setting with a mix of 
  supervillains that are in all ranges of capability, from Human 
  Tier up to Ultrahuman Tier, with the majority being the same 
  tier as the heroes.  While an effective power build can give 
  a team of heroic characters fits, the way to draw the players 
  into the adventure is to make the villain characters 
  interesting and multidimensional.  For example, a character 
  with ties to a villain outside of the costume always makes 
  for great storytelling.  But better yet, a villain with ties to one 
  of the character’s dependents… 
   
  The Old Hands vs. The Fresh Faces 
   
  It’s also important to consider that some villains have 
  been in costume for a long time in the game’s setting, which 
  is reflected in their Reputation Rank.  A villainous reputation 
  gets the bad guys some advantages – like being able to 
  recruit minions and increasing their Fiat Dice Pool.  Plus, a 
  villain with a big reputation should be more intimidating than 
  somebody who just stepped into the arena yesterday. 
   
  For villains only, the character may expend a character 
  die in the character build per Reputation Rank gained.  
  Villains with 1 – 3 Reputation are fairly new, but have been 
  around long enough to have name recognition.  Reputation 
  4 – 6 indicates an established villain with a modest amount 
  of clout in underworld circles.  A Reputation of 7 – 9 
  indicates an old hand in the supervillain circle, possibly 
  someone other starting supervillains look up to or use for a 
  measuring stick for their own crimes.  And finally, a 
  Reputation of 10 or greater is one of the setting’s iconic 
  villains with a long history who can pull a lot of weight in the 
  criminal subculture. 
   
   
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  77 
   
  SAMPLE SETTING 
   
   
  What follows is a sample city setting for a Superhuman 
  Tier campaign.  With the variety of Power Tiers, it is 
  possible that one city might be all you need.  However, 
  higher-powered characters might need a larger stage for 
  their abilities – a nation, a world, a star system, or even the 
  entire galaxy.  Ultimately, it’s up to the referee to decide just 
  how much setting will be enough for his players and the 
  situations he wishes to use to challenge their characters. 
   
  Depending on your game and your gaming style, you 
  might not need this much information to run your game – 
  especially for a short story arc campaign, or episodic 
  adventures – or you might need more information than what 
  is provided here.  Go with what works for you. 
  Some of my first campaigns with other game systems 
  were based on my hometown at that time – The Quad-
  Cities – with a large street map that had been subdivided 
  into districts with a marker and had several fictional 
  locations added for ease of play.  Since all of the players 
  lived in the area, there was no need to describe any of the 
  surroundings; we already knew (or thought we knew) the 
  major landmarks, neighborhoods, personalities, etc.  That 
  campaign had a very limited scope – the heroes dealt with 
  threats to the Quad-Cities almost exclusively and had little 
  to do with the rest of the world. 
   
  And honestly, that’s not a bad formula for a beginning 
  referee – stick to what you know and improvise the rest.  
  However, if the referee and the players don’t all live in a 
  modestly large city, or are gaming via internet and are all 
  over the world, it helps to lay out the setting so everybody 
  has some understanding of the place the characters are in. 
   
  Welcome to Lakeport, Wisconsin 
   
  Lakeport is the largest city in the state of Wisconsin with 
  around a half-million residents, including the suburbs of 
  Milwaukee County.  The largest plurality of residents are 
  European-Americans, followed next by African-Americans, 
  Hispanic-Americans, and Asian-Americans.  There are 
  significant minority populations of Native Americans, legal 
  alien Canadians, and recent Central European immigrants.  
  The standard of living is somewhat above average in 
  respects to both state and national averages, while the 
  overall crime rate is average. 
   
  Lakeport is located in the southeastern portion of the 
  state at the confluence of the Milwaukee and Kinnickinnic 
  Rivers along the western shore of Lake Michigan.  It is 
  about ninety miles north of Central City, Illinois, which is a 
  much larger metropolis in neighboring Illinois. 
   
  The city became an epicenter for metahuman activity 
  in the 1980’s when Orb, a multinational megacorporation, 
  established its world headquarters in the Downtown district.  
  CEO and majority shareholder Lars Maxim, has directed 
  the company’s operations with help from his wife Athena, 
  which include numerous advanced weapon and technology 
  contracts with the United States government. 
  Lars was also instrumental in selling the federal 
  government on the MetaMax Prison System for holding the 
  most dangerous and powerful metahuman criminals.  Many 
  of the advanced security systems, restraints, and 
  pacification 
  technologies 
  used 
  by 
  MetaMax 
  were 
  developed by Orb.  Given the number of escapes by 
  prominent supervillains, the entire project has been called 
  into question many times by government officials, making 
  Lars a fairly regular visitor to Washington DC… 
   
  Financial Notes 
   
  Lakeport is home to several major corporations that 
  employ nearly a quarter of the area’s workforce.  Orb is the 
  largest of these, followed by Reuthlisberger Brewing, Great 
  Lakes Insurance Group, Curtiss-Wright Airlines, Heartland 
  Agribusiness, Merkel Motorcycles, Packard Motor Works, 
  and Potawatomi Bingo Casino.  The federal government 
  employs a notable percentage as well, with the majority of 
  those employed by the United States Combined Arms 
  Research Center, which tests and develops weapons and 
  weapon platforms for the Department of Defense. 
  Another significant portion of the federal workforce is 
  employed by the MetaMax Gamma Federal Corrections 
  Facility, which detains metahuman criminals on a deep-
  water platform in Lake Michigan some 15 miles east of the 
  city.  Finally, a number of scientists and technicians work 
  for the Advanced Weapons Research Facility, which is one 
  of the many places the Defense Advanced Projects 
  Research Agency (DARPA) develops its myriad high-tech 
  devices and weapons. 
   
  Social 
  Lakeport benefits from a full range of fine arts programs 
  and institutions, all of which are well-funded through various 
  large corporations and their executive staffs.  Performing 
  arts have a long history of patronage in Lakeport, though 
  the other arts are not neglected.  Professional sports are 
  also well represented with franchises in every major sport 
  (except football, which is the domain of the Green Bay 
  Packers).  Collegiate sports and activities are in evidence 
  as well, with Marquette University and the University of 
  Wisconsin – Lakeport inside the city limits. 
   
  Recreation 
   
  Lakeport offers a wide selection of recreational options, 
  depending on the season.  The city is home to a large 
  number of parks, which offset the increasingly urban 
  landscape.  There are a number of clubs and organizations 
  for various activities and several activity-specific sites run 
  by the city to give residents sufficient outlets for their 
  passions.  Lakeport is also a very golf-friendly city, with forty 
  courses within thirty minutes’ drive of downtown.  For 
  recreation of a different sort, the city offers a wide variety of 
  restaurants, nightclubs and bars for a large range of tastes.  
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  78 
   
  Many tourist attractions are found within the city limits as 
  well, which explains the increasing number of visitors to the 
  city each year. 
   
  Lakeport Districts Map 
   
   
  City Districts Overview 
   
  Bayview: This residential district is one of the oldest 
  remaining in the city limits, with many late 19th Century and 
  early 20th Century homes nestled along tree-lined streets.  
  It is a fashionable address for the city’s old-money families 
  and for the newly-monied professionals that flock to the 
  city’s tech industries. 
  Blue Light District: This area of the city is home to its 
  heritage district, featuring many older brownstone buildings 
  that have been converted over into modern storefronts with 
  apartment lofts.  The district is a popular destination for 
  tourists during the day, as it has a thriving commercial area 
  along Byrne Avenue (Buyers’ Boulevard), plus nighttime 
  entertainment that is frequented by the locals.  The district 
  gets its name from the ironwork streetlamps with blue-tinted 
  glass that line many of its streets. 
  The Corridor: This area is a college-town of sorts of 
  Marquette University on its eastern end, dominated by 
  apartment buildings, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, 
  nightclubs, bookstores, and other businesses catering to 
  students of the university.  The commercial parts mix and 
  mingle with light industrial concerns the closer one gets to 
  Menomonee Channel.  The area is a popular nighttime 
  destination for the city’s younger professionals. 
  The Docks: While it isn’t the largest port on the Great 
  Lakes, the Port of Lakeport still moves several million tons 
  of cargo annually and has over two-thousand ship arrivals 
  every year.  This area has a number of heavy industries 
  operating in the district in direct support of the port’s 
  operations.  The United States Coast Guard maintains a 
  rescue station on the south end of the docks, though its 
  helicopters and rescue planes operate out of Timmerman 
  Airport to the northwest. 
  Downtown: The urban core of Lakeport is found here 
  with a cluster of modern high-rise buildings looming over 
  the rest of the landscape – the tallest being Lakebreeze 
  Tower at 700 feet, including an impressive broadcasting 
  tower at its summit.  Only the wealthiest of the city’s 
  professionals call this district home, though most would 
  prefer a house or mansion in the western suburbs.  
  Downtown is where you’ll find the best restaurants, hotels, 
  tourist attractions, and entertainment, along with the city’s 
  corporate and financial centers. 
  The Gardens: This residential district gets its name 
  from the large number of cemeteries that are found here.  
  There are many retirement communities which are nestled 
  among groves of stately trees and manicured gardens.  It 
  is also where you’ll find Fort Antolak, a US Army facility 
  charged with securing items and weapons that were once 
  in the possession of supervillains.  Also notable is the 
  Havenwood State Forest – which has been closed off to the 
  public since 1987. 
  The Heights: This low ridge of hills is crowned with a 
  large zone of commercial businesses and light industry with 
  a swath of residential zones surrounding them consisting of 
  single-family residences and small apartment buildings.   
  Midtown: While it is mostly residential in nature, this 
  district is home to some interesting landmarks as well.  King 
  Park is a testament to the civil rights crusader of the 1960s, 
  but is also a popular destination in the fall months as its 
  famed maple trees often produce spectacular displays of 
  color.  Of note is Sui Generis Academy; a private school 
  where the city’s richest families send their children. 
  Monument Hill: This district is named for National 
  Cemetery in its northwestern corner and Lakeport Memorial 
  Park in the southeastern corner.  The former honors 
  Lakeport’s military heroes, while the latter enshrines the 
  costumed heroes who have protected the city’s residents 
  over the years.  The rest of the area is single family housing 
  for those of modest means, and apartments for young 
  couples and singles. 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  79 
   
  North Shore: If you need a fashionable address, look 
  no further than this mixed residential and commercial 
  district.  Offering beautiful views of Lake Michigan to the 
  east, and the banks of the Milwaukee River through its 
  center, residential housing prices are the highest anywhere 
  in the city, especially along the row of high-rise apartments 
  in Shoreline Towers in its northeastern area.  A citywide 
  attraction for residents is the Milwaukee River Parkway – a 
  bike path and hiking trail that meanders along the western 
  bank of that river between playgrounds, picnic areas, 
  gardens, and groves of ornamental trees.  For those who 
  are into nightlife, the best times in town can be found along 
  Brubaker Street in the nightclubs, bars, and street scenes 
  of the Neon Playground.  And of course, the college life 
  abounds in the neighborhoods around the University of 
  Wisconsin – Lakeport. 
  The Patchwork: This district consists of several 
  clusters of ethnically exclusive neighborhoods that do their 
  best to make outsiders feel distinctly unwelcome.  At night, 
  street gangs roam the alleys looking for victims while the 
  residents are virtual prisoners in their own homes as the 
  petty rivalries play themselves out.  It’s a good place to look 
  for the criminal subculture, fugitives, and illicit goods – just 
  watch your back. 
  Riverside: The Kinnickinnic River along this district’s 
  southern border marks the boundary between the nicer 
  parts of the city and its gritty, crime-ridden southern 
  districts.  This middle ground sees a fair share of crime, 
  though most of it is not the violent variety.  When the 
  Wisconsin State Fair makes its annual run during the first 
  half of August on the fairgrounds in the southwestern part 
  of the district, there’s enough police presence to keep most 
  of the problems at bay. 
  Rustbelt:  Many of the factories here closed up during 
  an economic downturn three decades ago, leaving the 
  machines to rust and the buildings to corrode.  These days, 
  the caverns of iron and rust have become playgrounds for 
  the city's counter-culture.  Supervillains on the sly tend to 
  hide out here, and clandestine meetings between the city's 
  organized crime elite often take place here, away from 
  prying eyes. 
  Southend: This residential district is working class 
  poor – large families crammed into small houses with 
  postage stamp lawns.  Light industry shares some of the 
  neighborhoods, and are usually not good neighbors, 
  spreading air and noise pollution throughout the district.  
  Crime is common here, but the rents are cheap, so there 
  are a lot of startup businesses in the mix as well, looking for 
  that one big break that will move them up the ladder. 
  The Valley: The Menomonee Valley is the home to 
  heavy industry in Lakeport, much of which relies on rail and 
  ship traffic to take in supplies and raw materials and to ship 
  out finished products to the rest of the world.  The rest of 
  the city doesn’t take much notice what happens in this part 
  of town, save the few thousand who work here.  
  Supervillains looking to start a big caper on the north side 
  of the city often have a hideout here, just to be close to the 
  action. 
  Westgate: This district is one of the city’s more affluent 
  areas, dominated by townhouses with large lawns and the 
  occasional mansion.  There are many former residents of 
  the Bayview District that have moved here in recent years, 
  seeking to keep the escalating crime rates from the south 
  side’s inhabitants at arm’s length. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  80 
   
  EXAMPLE OF PLAY 
   
   
  What follows is an example of how all the rules work 
  together during play.  The referee is Sara, while Eric is a 
  new player to the group who will be running Nightfall.  This 
  is an introductory solo adventure that Sara is using to 
  introduce Eric to the setting and to establish his character 
  – including Nightfall’s mystery villain enemy… 
   
  Sara 
  Okay, so I see you’ve got your character, a handful of d12’s, 
  a writing instrument and some scratch paper.  That means 
  we can get started! 
  Eric 
  Great!  So, where is this taking place? 
  Sara 
  Our campaign setting is the city of Lakeport, Wisconsin – the 
  game universe’s analog of Milwaukee.  Just don’t expect it 
  to be exactly like our version, okay? 
  Eric 
  Since I’ve never been there, no problem. 
  Sara 
  So, I’ve read what you wrote for Nightfall’s backstory.  It 
  looks like you want this character to be a fresh face with a 
  familiar costume. 
  Eric 
  Yeah.  I read some of the campaign’s background you wrote 
  up and really liked Midnight Man in Bay City, Delaware.  So 
  I wanted to continue the legacy, so to speak. 
  Sara 
  It’s a very common superhero trope, so I’m willing to go with 
  it.  Anyway, Nightfall’s alter ego, Mike Nowak, has been 
  spending a year getting ready to be a superhero.  What sort 
  of thing would get him out of the gym and into the ring? 
  Eric 
  Some kind of crime spree, maybe? 
  Sara 
  Okay, so how about a series of suspicious thefts? 
  Eric 
  Nods. If they’re something interesting, sure. 
  Sara 
  Got it.  As a matter of fact, there have been a series of thefts 
  over the past couple of weeks in The Valley and The Corridor 
  districts. 
  Eric 
  I imagine that Mike might not take an interest right away, but 
  would run across something in the local paper about it. 
  Sara 
  He reads the newspaper?  Wow, so old school! 
  Eric 
  People with hacking skills can figure out where Mike’s been 
  poking around on the internet, so I figure he probably reads 
  all the local and regional newspapers, and makes digital 
  copies of any interesting stories for future reference like 
  Midnight Man used to do.  It’s one of his quirks to keep his 
  superhero activities on the QT. 
  Sara 
  Nods. Indeed it will.  Let me scribble a quick note to myself 
  about that.  Sara notes that Nightfall will gain a bonus 
  experience point for the adventure since Eric is playing the 
  character in accordance with his concept.   Okay, so the 
  series of thefts have been for technological goodies – 
  nothing cutting edge or experimental – but also nothing in 
  any sort of quantity to turn a quick buck on the black market, 
  either. 
  Eric 
  Sounds like somebody’s got a shopping list.  Mike’s going to 
  assume that whoever’s stealing this stuff wants it for a bigger 
  caper.  Can he figure out what that might be? 
  Sara 
  That sounds like an Intelligence standard task roll at Normal 
  Difficulty, so at least one of your dice will have to show 7 or 
  greater to succeed. 
  Eric 
  Rolls 4D – 1, 2, 9, and 11. I have two success dice. 
  Sara 
  More than good enough, and yes, the items stolen would be 
  what one might need to get through someone’s computer 
  security via a hacking job.  Mike would know that since he 
  has a couple of edge dice in Cybernetics. 
  Eric 
  Hmmm.  That begs the question of what the real target might 
  be.  May I make another Intelligence task roll to figure that 
  out? 
  Sara 
  You can certainly try, but there are a lot of potential targets 
  for that, so I’d say this will be an Intelligence effect task roll 
  at Vexing Difficulty, so you’ll need dice that show 10 or 
  greater. 
  Eric 
  Brutal!  Looks like I’ll need to expend some edge dice to help 
  with this one.  I’d like to expend 1D each from Cybernetics; 
  Headquarters; Knowledge: Lakeport; and Streetwise. 
  Sara 
  Very good!  I’d say they all apply, so mark them off.  That 
  means you’ll be rolling 4D for Mike’s Intelligence trait rating 
  and adding 4D in edge dice for a total of 8D. 
  Eric 
  Rolls 8D – 2, 5, 7, a pair of 8’s, 11, and a pair of 12’s.  That’s 
  effect level 3.  I think I’ll expend one of Nightfall’s Fate Dice 
  to improve that to a four. 
  Sara 
  That’s a wise move.  With effect level 4, Mike reasons out 
  that the target will have to be something protecting a lot of 
  monetary value, like a bank, a gem exchange… 
  Eric 
  …or the casino, maybe?  I remember reading that there’s a 
  casino in The Valley District. 
  Sara 
  You are correct.  Potawatomi Casino is toward the eastern 
  end of that district. 
  Eric 
  Hmmm.  The equipment to do a high-end hack of a security 
  system is only a few thousand dollars – ten at the most.  A 
  bank or gem exchange job would require a lot of equipment 
  to crack into safes and vaults, but that would be a lot of return 
  for the effort, so somebody could afford to bankroll the crew 
  to keep them off the police’s radar until it was time to do the 
  job.  If that is the case, then why risk getting caught in a 
  bunch of small jobs when some criminal or syndicate could 
  easily front the money for a series of legitimate purchases?  
  That must mean that the crew is strapped for cash to begin 
  with, so they’re looking at a quick and easy high six-figure or 
  low seven-figure paycheck by doing a hit-and-run on the 
  casino. 
  Sara 
  Wow.  Um… 
  Eric 
  Or am I totally off base? 
  Sara 
  No, no – that’s actually a very compelling line of reasoning.  
  Sara writes some more notes, changing up her adventure 
  plan to reflect Eric’s logic.  So, if that’s the way you’re going 
  to go with it, what’s Mike’s next move? 
  Eric 
  The equipment that has already been stolen – does Mike get 
  the impression that the crew could have gotten the stuff 
  anywhere?  That none of it is exclusive to the businesses 
  that have been victimized? 
  Sara 
  Nods. That is the case. 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  81 
   
  Eric 
  It sounds like the crew is operating out of a hideout nearby, 
  maybe.  Mike’s going to check out any buildings in the area 
  that have been abandoned for signs of activity. 
  Sara 
  Is he doing that in his Secret I.D. or as Nightfall? 
  Eric 
  Actually, he’s hoping that Akiko’s available for lunch, so he’s 
  got an excuse to be out and about. 
  Sara 
  Smiles. I’m sure she’ll make some time for Mike.  What does 
  she do for a living? 
  Eric 
  Hmmm.  I hadn’t really thought about it, actually.  Oops.  Any 
  suggestions? 
  Sara 
  No worries.  The rest of the group’s characters have had 
  details worked out on the fly during our sessions, too.  Given 
  that both Mike and Akiko aren’t long out of high school… how 
  about a secretary? 
  Eric 
  That’s good.  If it’s okay with you, I’ll say she’s been in tech 
  school for the past year, which gave her time to spend with 
  Mike when they were getting close.  Now that she’s got her 
  certification, can we say that she’s working in the office pool 
  for a big company or corporation? 
  Sara 
  I like that.  Akiko was just recently hired by Orb Corporation, 
  since that outfit is a major player in Lakeport. 
  Eric 
  I sense some serious plot hooks in Mike’s future, but yeah, 
  let’s go with it. 
   
  Both Sara and Eric pause to jot down some notes regarding 
  Akiko for future reference before continuing. 
  Eric 
  So, Mike will call her up to see if she’s free. 
  Sara 
  Makes the sound of a telephone ringing, speaks as Akiko. 
  “Hi, Mike!  I was just thinking of you!” 
  Eric 
  Speaking as Mike. “Aw, that’s sweet!  I’ve been thinking of 
  you, too.  How’s work today?” 
  Sara 
  “Kinda slow, actually.  The bigwigs have all been in a 
  meeting with Mr. Maxim this morning.  Scuttlebutt says there 
  are some government types in the complex today, too, but 
  nobody’s sure.  How about you?” 
  Eric 
  “I’ve been puttering around the auto shop this morning, but 
  now I’d like to get some fresh air.  Are you free for lunch?” 
  Sara 
  “I think I can manage it.  There’s a little café right across the 
  street – get us a table and I’ll be there about 12:30.” 
  Eric 
  “I’ll be there.  Take care, sweetie.” 
  Sara 
  “You too!  Bye-bye.” 
  Eric 
  How long does Mike have before the lunch date? 
  Sara 
  About an hour-and-a-half, I’d say. 
  Eric 
  Hmmm.  Not enough time to do any looking around before 
  lunch, so he’ll take the time to get cleaned up and dressed 
  spiffy to meet with Akiko. 
  Sara 
  Smiles. ‘Spiffy’?  Sure.  By the time you get that done, drive 
  into the Downtown District, find a parking place, find the café, 
  and get a table, it’s nearly 12:30. 
  Eric 
  By the way, if this place is really expensive, I’ll be happy to 
  expend one of Mike’s Wealth edge dice to pay for lunch. 
  Sara 
  Nope, not that expensive, but it’s nice to know that money is 
  no object for Mike when it comes to Akiko! 
  Eric 
  Ever the romantic, I see. 
  Sara 
  Anyway, Akiko is only a few minutes late and the two of you 
  have a wonderful lunch together – some Italian pasta and 
  salad – but all too soon, it’s time for her to get back to work. 
  Eric 
  Did she happen to say anything more about the big meeting 
  going on at Orb Corporation? 
  Sara 
  The only things on her mind were lunch and Mike. 
  Eric 
  Hmmm.  That’s going to complicate things if tonight is 
  Nightfall’s debut… 
  Sara 
  Grins. Won’t it though?  After Mike pays the check, what’s 
  next? 
  Eric 
  Besides leaving a nice tip for the server, he heads down into 
  The Valley District to nose around for that hideout.  Will I 
  need to make a task roll for that? 
  Sara 
  I’m thinking you’ll need to make a Perception standard task 
  roll at Normal difficulty to notice anything out of the ordinary. 
  Eric 
  Mike’s Perception is 4D.  He rolls 4D – 1, 1, 4, and 9. Whew!  
  That was close, but I got one success die. 
  Sara 
  Since that’s a standard task roll, it’s enough.  The Valley 
  District is the heavy industrial core of Lakeport, riding the 
  south bank of the Menomonee Channel.  There’s a lot of run-
  down light industry buildings here, with a fair amount of truck 
  and rail traffic moving around. 
  Eric 
  Are there any of them within a block or two of the casino?  I 
  figure the crew will want to be close but not too close. 
  Sara 
  As a matter of fact, there’s an old warehouse facility just one 
  block west of the casino.  Mike notices that there’s a newer 
  rental panel truck parked next to the loading docks along the 
  building’s east side, facing the casino.  There’s also a cluster 
  of directional microwave antennae that appears to have 
  been recently mounted on the roof. 
  Eric 
  Pointed toward the casino? 
  Sara 
  Nods. Mm-hmm. 
  Eric 
  I wish I knew more about casinos.  I wonder if Midnight Man’s 
  Legacy Library of notes might be able to help?  I’ll head over 
  to Nightfall’s Headquarters and do some research. 
  Sara 
  Okay, that’ll be an Intelligence effect task roll at Challenging 
  Difficulty. 
  Eric 
  Which means I’ll need 8 or more for success dice.  Well, I 
  already said I was using the Legacy Library, so I’ll grab 2D 
  from that edge, along with 1D each from Headquarters and 
  Researcher.  With Mike’s Intelligence at 4D, I’m adding 4D 
  to it for a total of 8D for the roll. 
  Sara 
  That’s your last edge die from Headquarters, by the way. 
  Eric 
  Nods. Yeah, I know.  Here goes.  Rolls 8D – 2, 4, 5, a pair 
  of 9’s, 10, 11, and 12. And that’s effect level 5! 
  Sara 
  Wow!  Midnight Man’s library had a lot to say about casinos!  
  The biggest takeaway you get from the notes is that the time 
  a casino is most vulnerable is when they are collecting the 
  cash from the gaming tables and the slot machines.  
  However, remind me of this result later on, and I’ll reduce the 
  difficulty of any other casino-related task rolls for the rest of 
  the session. 
  Eric 
  Jots down the note. Got it.  So, I wonder if that’s happening 
  tonight? 
  Sara 
  Mike doesn’t know and it’s not like the casino will hand out 
  that information to just anybody, either. 
  Eric 
  Hmmm.  I guess Mike will have to stake out the warehouse 
  tonight and see if the crew is there.  Since they’re already 
  guilty of multiple thefts, he can apprehend them for that. 
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  82 
   
  Sara 
  By the way, your research takes up most of the afternoon. 
  Eric 
  Sighs. Figures.  Well, Mike had better get back to the 
  apartment so he can spend at least a little time with Akiko. 
  Sara 
  Given your roll about casinos, I’ll say that Midnight Man’s 
  notes indicate that casinos generally do the collections after 
  midnight or later.  So the youngsters can have most of the 
  night together… 
  Eric 
  All right.  Uncle already.  Eric will spend a romantic evening 
  with Akiko.  He’ll even expend a Wealth edge die to spring 
  for a bouquet of roses and some champagne. 
  Sara 
  Mike is going to try drunk crimefighting? 
  Eric 
  You’re forgetting about his Enhanced Health power.  Since 
  it is Immunity 7D versus all groups and alcohol is technically 
  a toxin… 
  Sara 
  …Mike never gets drunk.  Got it. 
  Eric 
  It’s a two-edged sword – all but the most powerful painkillers 
  won’t work on him, either.  If he’s got a headache, he has to 
  deal with it.  But with that power, it means that he can get 
  Akiko drunk, if necessary, to make his graceful exit. 
  Sara 
  Okay, Akiko is a little late getting home from work, but she is 
  very pleasantly surprised by the roses and the champagne.  
  Speaking as Akiko.  “I’m impressed, lover boy!  What’s the 
  special occasion?” 
  Eric 
  Speaking as Mike. “You, mon cher,” as he takes her into his 
  arms. “You’ve made every day since I’ve met you a special 
  occasion.”  He gives her a long, gentle kiss. 
  Sara 
  Which she returns, of course.  And you have the gall to tease 
  me about being a romantic!  Anyway, that’s where the 
  Comics Code Authority would probably do a fade to black on 
  the scene.  Why don’t you summarize what’s in the comic 
  book’s caption box as we do a ‘Later That Night…’ transition 
  montage. 
  Eric 
  Okay.  Later that night, Mike quietly leaves Akiko in peaceful 
  slumber and heads back down to the auto repair shop.  
  There, he undergoes a transformation as he sheds his street 
  clothes and dons the garb that once belonged to Midnight 
  Man – a form-fitting blue and silver-gray armored bodysuit 
  with a cowl that hides the upper half of his face, matching 
  gloves and boots, and a functional utility belt adorned with 
  pouches and devices in black and gunmetal grays.  On his 
  chest is a stylized crescent moon symbol in pearlescent 
  silver.  He mounts and fires up his high-performance 
  motorcycle, idling it out of the garage and onto the street 
  before roaring off into the night… 
  Sara 
  Claps. Bravo!  So is Mike heading straight for the 
  warehouse? 
  Eric 
  Not exactly.  I’m hoping there’s somewhere close he can 
  park the bike that will be out of sight where he can get a good 
  look at the warehouse without being obvious about it. 
  Sara 
  I’ll say there’s a gravel parking lot just west of the warehouse 
  with a bunch of semi-trailers parked on it. 
  Eric 
  Perfect!  He’ll park the bike between two of the trailers.  
  Hopefully the shadows will hide the bike while Nightfall is 
  gone.  He’ll then jump up on top of one of the trailers to get 
  a better view of the warehouse. 
  Sara 
  With Nightfall’s Leap 2D power, that will be no problem. 
  Make a Perception standard task roll at Daunting Difficulty. 
  Eric 
  Since we’re in the nighttime now, Nightfall will use his Light-
  Amplification Goggles from his Utility Belt and take a long, 
  slow look at the warehouse to the east. 
  Sara 
  And that will bring the task roll’s difficulty down to Normal, so 
  you need a 7 or better on one of the dice. 
  Eric 
  Rolls Perception 4D – 3, 9, 10, and 12. Three success dice. 
  Sara 
  To the east is the fifteen-story hotel tower of the casino 
  complex, which is brightly lit along with the large parking lot 
  area to the southeast.  While all that light means it’s easy to 
  make out the general outline of the large, three-story 
  warehouse, much of the western side is in deep shadow 
  because of it and the roof’s details are obscured by glare.  
  You can see the warehouse building is surrounded by a high 
  security fence of sturdy vertical metal bars… 
  Eric 
  Nightfall will switch the goggles to infrared to get a better look 
  at the roof. 
  Sara 
  He immediately picks out a humanoid form on the roof of the 
  warehouse, near that cluster of microwave antennae he saw 
  in the afternoon. 
  Eric 
  ‘Humanoid form’?  It’s not a human being? 
  Sara 
  It’s too big to be a typical human – Nightfall can tell just by 
  comparing it to the antennae cluster.  Whoever or whatever 
  that is, it’s at least seven feet tall and very muscular, but it 
  still has human proportions.  Infrared won’t give Nightfall any 
  more details than that. 
  Eric 
  Since Nightfall has Knowledge: Supers, I’d like to make an 
  Intelligence task roll to see if this… whatever on the roof 
  rings any bells. 
  Sara 
  Fair enough.  We’ll make it an effect task roll at Daunting 
  Difficulty, since you don’t have a lot of information to go on. 
  Eric 
  Great.  Since I’ll need 9’s or better on the dice, I’ll expend 
  both dice from Nightfall’s Knowledge: Supers edge.  So, 
  Intelligence 4D plus 2D from his edge for a total of 6D on the 
  roll.  He rolls 6D – 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Ugh!  I’ve got no 
  success dice!  Fine, I’ll expend a Fate die to get effect level 
  1, at least. 
  Sara 
  Nothing’s ringing much of a bell for Nightfall – though he 
  vaguely remembers a newspaper story that talked about a 
  big brute of a super from a few weeks back.  It was a fight in 
  Central City – the game universe’s version of Chicago – but 
  nothing more than that. 
  Eric 
  Drat.  If Nightfall had more time, he’d go back to the repair 
  shop and dig through the Legacy Library again, but it looks 
  like the bruiser and his crew are about ready to pull their 
  caper. 
  Sara 
  Speaking of which, the big guy on the roof leaves the 
  antennae cluster and heads back into the building through a 
  nearby roof hatch. 
  Eric 
  To quote Jayne Cobb, ‘It’s time for some thrilling heroics.’  
  Nightfall will stow the goggles and run over to the 
  warehouse, leaping over the fence along the way. 
  Sara 
  Again, with Nightfall’s Run 3D and Leap 2D, he can jump the 
  fence in a single bound. He’s standing on a crumbling 
  asphalt parking lot about ten yards from a side door. 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
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  Eric 
  Nightfall’s first instinct was to go in through the roof after 
  sabotaging the antennae array, but maybe going in on the 
  sly is better; he might have a chance of ambushing the big 
  guy that way. 
  Sara 
  Possibly.  So how’s he going to do it? 
  Eric 
  He’ll try to force the door – quietly – to get inside of the 
  warehouse.  He’ll put his shoulder to the door and keep 
  increasing the pressure until something gives. 
  Sara 
  Let’s see, the Materials Table says that a fire door is TR 4, 
  so you’ll need a total of effect level 4 to open it.  Make a 
  Strength effect task roll at Normal Difficulty. 
  Eric 
  Can I apply both dice of my Knowledge: Physical Sciences 
  or Mechanic edges to this roll?  I’m hoping they might help 
  me figure out the best place to put my shoulder. 
  Sara 
  Hmm.  That’s an interesting application.  Well, not Mechanic, 
  since that’s about mechanical devices – if he was trying to 
  pick the lock, maybe.  But I’ll say okay to the other edge, 
  since leverage would be something covered under the 
  Physical Sciences.  Of course, B & E would be the most 
  appropriate edge for this. 
  Eric 
  That’ll be something to spend Nightfall’s experience points 
  on in the future.  Right now, that’s Strength 4D plus 2D of 
  edge for a total of 6D on the roll.  He rolls 6D – 1, 3, 5, 9, 11, 
  and 12. That’s effect level 3, so I’ll tack on a Fate Die to make 
  it effect level 4.  That also brings Nightfall down to eight Fate 
  Dice remaining in his pool. 
  Sara 
  Nightfall leans on the door, increasing the pressure on it until 
  something pops in the door’s latching mechanism and he 
  forces it open.  He hears some small part from the doorknob 
  skitter away on the concrete floor with a hollow metallic tinkle 
  into the darkness beyond.  The interior of the building is pitch 
  black, relieved only by the dimly lighted exit signs on the far 
  walls of this storage bay. 
  Eric 
  So the building is a series of storage bays, I take it? 
  Sara 
  Nods. Kinda like a maze in the dark. 
  Eric 
  Nightfall will put on the goggles again to help find his way 
  around in the murk.  He’ll go as quietly as he can, and save 
  his Stealth edge for when he finds light and noise. 
  Sara 
  It takes several minutes for Nightfall to work his way through 
  the warehouse building before he finds a bay that’s lit up.  As 
  he edges up to the opening, which is designed to permit 
  forklifts and other vehicles to pass, he sees a large bay, 
  about ninety by ninety feet.  While the ceiling is three stories 
  tall, about two stories up there are a series of metal beams 
  and struts between the larger iron columns that support the 
  roof.  Old mercury vapor floodlights provide the lighting of 
  the floor, but the ceiling is mostly in dusty shadow.  There 
  are a number of smaller construction vehicles parked on the 
  floor of the bay – an end-loader and backhoe, a light-duty 
  bulldozer, a utility truck with a cherry-picker boom 
  attachment – along with one of the warehouse’s fork lifts.  
  Near the center of the bay is a cluster of portable tables, 
  chairs, and shelving that are loaded down with computer 
  equipment.  You see two guys hard at work on a pair of 
  desktop machines, with a bundle of cables snaking their way 
  into the rafters. 
  Eric 
  No sign of the big guy? 
  Sara 
  Shakes her head. He doesn’t seem to be around. 
  Eric 
  As K-2SO would say, ‘I find that answer vague and 
  unconvincing.’  Nightfall will take an extra moment to look 
  around, just to be sure. 
   
  Sara has expended one of Mister Maul’s Fiat Dice for a 
  Situational Fiat, allowing him to be aware that Nightfall is 
  about and prepare to ambush him.  Nightfall will get a bonus 
  Fate Die when the villain makes his grand entrance.  Since 
  Mister Maul is Agility 5D, what is actually happening here is 
  an opposed task roll.  The big guy will make his Agility effect 
  task roll at Trivial Difficulty, since Nightfall is Perception 4D. 
  Sara 
  Okay, go ahead with a Perception effect task roll at Easy 
  Difficulty, since Nightfall’s taking his time. 
  Eric 
  Rolls 4D – 1, 5, 9 and 12. Effect level 3. 
  Sara 
  Rolls Mister Maul’s Agility 5D at Trivial Difficulty (4) – 3, 4, 5, 
  6, and 7 – for effect level 4, which is greater than Nightfall’s 
  EL 3.  Nope, there’s no sign of the big guy. 
  Eric 
  Then our hero will deal with the minions first.  Nightfall will 
  try sneaking over near to the pair working on the computers, 
  using the parked vehicles for concealment. 
  Sara 
  Normally, that would be an opposed task roll, but they’re so 
  engrossed with what they’re doing and they’re only 
  Perception 2D, so I’ll give it to you.  Nightfall manages to 
  sneak up to within ten feet without being noticed, peeking 
  around the corner of the backhoe. 
  Eric 
  Since Mike has the Cybernetics edge, can he figure out what 
  they’re doing? 
  Sara 
  You can make an Intelligence effect task roll at Normal 
  Difficulty, if you like. 
  Eric 
  I will, tacking on the last Cybernetic edge die Nightfall has to 
  make it 5D.  He rolls 5D – 4, 5, 8, 10, and 11.  That’s effect 
  level 3. 
  Sara 
  They’re using hacker terminology when they speak to each 
  other – one seems to be navigating a computer system while 
  the other is running interference, distracting or disabling the 
  security in the system so the other guy can work. 
  Eric 
  They’re already in!  Okay, this has to stop, now.  Nightfall 
  quietly draws the Tesla Gun from its holster on his utility belt 
  as he steps out from behind the back hoe.  “Hands high, 
  gentlemen.  The gig is up.” 
  Sara 
  Their heads swivel to glance at you.  “We got company, 
  boss!”  And then from behind you… 
  Eric 
  Aw, man! 
  Sara 
  Using Mister Maul’s gravelly voice: “Yeah, I noticed.”  You 
  spin around to face an African mountain of muscle, wearing 
  a sleeveless red and black spandex shirt that’s skin-tight.  
  His matching bicycle shorts and boots are scuffed and worn, 
  telling of better days.  Even these casual footfalls seem 
  heavy, echoing unnaturally in the live acoustics of the nearly 
  barren bay.  That’s when you remember the newspaper 
  article about a hero named Maul in Central City who’d 
  switched sides under the influence of a psionic villainess and 
  went on a rampage. 
  Eric 
  Say hello to Nightfall’s Mystery Villain, I take it. 
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  84 
   
  Sara 
  Nods.  Indeed.  We’ve got some bookkeeping to do before 
  things get serious here.  First and foremost, Nightfall gets 
  three bonus Fate Dice – one from the Fiat die that the villain 
  used to get the drop on you, and the other two because I’m 
  activating two of our hero’s subplots – Rookie Crimefighter 
  and Closely Resembles Midnight Man – which are one die 
  each. 
   
  Mister Maul currently has only 1D remaining in his Fiat Dice 
  pool.  He used 1D to elude capture in Central City, 1D to 
  travel undetected to Lakeport, 3D to bring on his hacker 
  ‘partners’ for the crime, 1D for not getting caught in the 
  crew’s previous thefts, 1D for his temporary hideout in the 
  warehouse, and 1D to get the drop on Nightfall in this scene.  
  In order to pump up his Fiat Dice total, Sara may have up to 
  5D of the villain’s subplots become active. 
  Eric 
  Okay, so noted. 
  Sara 
  Continuing as Mister Maul: “Nothin’ to worry about. It’s just 
  some wannabe superhero with a Midnight Man fetish, is all.  
  Keep workin’.”  He’s slowly walking toward you. 
  Eric 
  I bring the Tesla Gun to bear.  “That’s far enough, Maul!” 
  Sara 
  “That’s Mister Maul to you, kid.”  He’s stopped his advance 
  and is starting to circle you, trying to get between you and 
  the hackers.  He nods toward you as he moves.  “That getup 
  will net you the blue ribbon at a cosplay contest, kid, but I’m 
  the real deal.” 
  Eric 
  If it’s villain monologue time, I’ll let him talk while I’m 
  surveying the hackers’ work area.  I want to find a way to cut 
  the power to their computers. 
  Sara 
  That’ll be a Perception standard task roll at Challenging 
  Difficulty since you already have the Cybernetics and 
  Electronics edges and you’re trying not to tip off Mister Maul 
  to what you’re planning. 
  Eric 
  Nods and rolls 4D – a pair of 5’s and a pair of 7’s. Drat!  I’ll 
  expend one of those bonus Fate Dice to succeed at the task. 
  Sara 
  There’s an electrical junction box to the right of the villain that 
  all of the equipment’s power cords are connected to. 
  Eric 
  I’ll let him ramble on while making sure I’ll have a clean shot 
  at that with the Tesla Gun. 
  Sara 
  Nods while continuing Mister Maul’s monologue. He leans 
  casually against a large I-beam support for the roof and 
  smiles.  It’s an ugly thing without mirth – just cruelty and 
  malice personified.  “Any other day, you’d be a bloody smear 
  on the wall or the floor by now, because normally I’d be on a 
  tight schedule.”  She cocks a thumb behind her, imitating the 
  villain.  “Tonight, though, Jack and Benny here need some 
  extra time to cut through the casino’s cybernetic security 
  systems before I go in there and take the money.”  She cocks 
  her head, again playing the part of Mister Maul. “You look 
  like a bright boy, so it’s quiz time.  Why doesn’t every criminal 
  in the world rip off casinos?” 
  Eric 
  I’ll play along and try to answer it.  Would this be eligible for 
  the bonus regarding casinos you mentioned earlier? 
  Sara 
  Nods.  That’ll be an Intelligence effect task roll at Easy 
  Difficulty; 5’s or better on the dice. 
  Eric 
  Since I want him to keep talking, I’ll expend my last 
  Streetwise edge die to make it 5D, and try to keep the 
  conversation going.  Rolls 5D – 4, 5, 8, 10, and 12.  Effect 
  level 4. 
  Sara 
  That’s plenty.  The legacy library mentioned that most 
  casinos are owned by criminals. 
  Eric 
  “I figure that most of them are owned by one crime syndicate 
  or another, and nobody wants to be on a capo’s bad side.” 
  Sara 
  The villain seems impressed.  “That’s a pretty good guess.  
  Just about anywhere else, you’d be right.  But Potawatomi is 
  owned by the Native American tribe of the same name.  Try 
  again.” 
  Eric 
  Any more help from Minute Man’s notes? 
  Sara 
  Most casinos in his day were used to launder criminal profits. 
  Eric 
  Nods. “Serial numbers on the currency?” 
  Sara 
  “On the money, kid – literally, in this case.  Each and every 
  bill that goes into the vault is electronically scanned for its 
  serial number and recorded in a computer file.  That way, if 
  somebody like me rips off the casino, the Justice 
  Department has a record of what bills to be looking for when 
  they hit circulation again.” 
  Eric 
  “Which allows them to track you down, eventually.  So your 
  associates are searching for the file with the numbers so 
  they can erase it?” 
  Sara 
  “Actually, we’re going to substitute a file of bogus numbers 
  to throw them off the trail long enough to get away and get 
  our booty converted to another country’s currency.  I’ve been 
  looking to retire, you see.  If this works, we can sell our 
  method to other crews for a percentage of the take and be 
  set up for the rest of our lives.” 
  Eric 
  “It’s brilliant,” I say to Maul.  Since it sounds like he’s about 
  finished, I’m getting ready to shoot that junction box with the 
  Tesla Gun. 
  Sara 
  Nods.  Mister Maul’s smile evaporates as he cracks his 
  knuckles.  “Right now, the only fly in the ointment is you, kid.”  
  The supervillain stands upright and starts walking toward 
  you while balling his fists.  “Hold still, and I’ll just knock you 
  out for a few hours, maybe knock loose a few teeth.  But if 
  you show me any resistance, kid, I’ll wipe what’s left of you 
  off my boots on my way out the door.” 
  Eric 
  And that’s when I shoot the junction box. 
  Sara 
  Normally, this would be part of a combat scene, but you’ve 
  been angling for this shot while gaining information from 
  Mister Maul – bravo, by the way – so we’re going to do that 
  attack task roll before combat starts.  That’ll be a Reflexes 
  standard task roll at Normal Difficulty due to the size of the 
  target, so 7’s or better. 
  Eric 
  Nightfall has the Ranged Combat edge, but I’ll save its dice 
  for the fight with the big guy.  Rolls Reflexes 5D – 2, a pair 
  of 6’s, and a pair of 9’s.  I hit with two success dice. 
  Sara 
  Okay, your damage / effect task roll is next.  That’ll be the 
  Tesla Gun’s Blast 8D power versus the trait rating of the 
  materials of the junction box, which I’ll say is TR 4.  Since 
  this is opposed, you’ll roll 8D and I’ll roll 4D for the box. 
   
  Eric rolls 8D – 3, a pair of 4’s, 6, 8, a pair of 10’s, and 12; for 
  a total of 7 success dice since Sara is rolling four dice.  Sara 
  rolls 4D – 2, 5, 7, and 9; for a total of 1 success die, since 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  85 
   
  Eric rolled eight dice.  Eric’s attack is effect level (7 – 1 =) 6, 
  so he does six Stamina damage to the junction box. 
  Sara 
  The junction box explodes in a shower of sparks!  Out of the 
  corner of his eye, Nightfall sees the computer screens flare 
  and go dead while copious amounts of the magic blue smoke 
  begin to billow out of the computers. 
  Eric 
  Scratch one hacking attempt!  Now for Maul… 
  Sara 
  And here’s where we start the combat scene.  Mister Maul is 
  Initiative 6D while Nightfall is Initiative 5D.  That means that 
  the villain will go first and have a total of six actions to expend 
  each combat round, while Nightfall will go second and have 
  a total of five actions to expend each combat round.  Since 
  this is the start of the combat scene, each combatant has 
  two pre-combat free actions to use.  While Jack and Benny 
  are technically in the combat scene, they’re not really 
  combatants, so they’ll use their actions to find some cover 
  under their computer tables.  Mister Maul has nothing he 
  needs to do before we start.  What about Nightfall? 
  Eric 
  I’m going to swap out my Tesla Gun – which has just 7 shots 
  left, by the way – for the Transteel Knuckledusters.  With the 
  Fast Swap booster, my Power Array doesn’t need a free 
  action to swap powers, but that’s what I’m doing. 
  Sara 
  Thanks for the update.  Since you and Mister Maul are in the 
  same combat space, he’s going to start by slugging you.  
  That’ll be a melee attack using his Prowess 8D with 
  Nightfall’s Prowess trait rating as the difficulty, which is 4. 
  Eric 
  Not for long – I’ll expend both of my Dodge edge dice to 
  increase it to 6D and keep my fingers crossed. 
  Sara 
  Sara rolls 8D – 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 11, and 12.  Five success 
  dice on a standard task roll, so yeah, he clobbers you.  Mister 
  Maul is Strength 9D which will be versus your costume’s 
  Armor 6D. 
   
  Sara rolls 9D with a difficulty of 6 – 1, 2, a pair of 6’s, a pair 
  of 10’s, and a trio of 11’s for seven success dice.  Eric rolls 
  6D with a difficulty of 9 – 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 11 for one success 
  die, to which he adds a Fate die for a total of two.  Mister 
  Maul inflicts (7 – 2 =) 5D Stamina damage to Nightfall, 
  reducing our hero from Stamina 15D to 10D.  Nightfall 
  doesn’t check for stun yet, since his Stamina hasn’t dropped 
  below the campaign cap of the game (9D).  However, since 
  the damage inflicted is greater than Nightfall’s Strength 4D, 
  there is a second opposed task roll of Mister Maul’s damage 
  (5D) versus Nightfall’s Strength to determine if there’s any 
  throwback from the attack.  Sara rolls 5D at a difficulty of 4 
  – 1, a pair of 6’s, 7, and 9 for five success dice; while Eric 
  rolls 4D with a difficulty of 5 – 2, 3, 9, and 11 for two success 
  dice, which increases to three as Nightfall expends another 
  Fate die, creating a throwback effect of (5 – 3 – 1 =) 1 combat 
  space.  Nightfall lands in the space behind him and is prone.  
  Ordinarily, he would take and additional 1D Stamina damage 
  from the throwback, but his armored costume can easily stop 
  that. 
  Sara 
  So that’s Mister Maul’s combat action.  He’ll use a move 
  action to get to the same combat space you’re in, and then 
  expend a free action to hold his remaining three actions.  
  That would make it your turn. 
  Eric 
  I’ll take a free action to stand up, and then I’ll expend my 
  combat action to make a melee attack with my Strike power 
  and I’ll also use my Rapid Attack power, since Maul was kind 
  enough to inflict some Stamina damage on Nightfall.  My 
  Prowess is 4D, so with my Rapid Attack, that would be two 
  attacks at 4D and another at 2D, but I’m going to expend 2D 
  from my Melee Attack edge for that last one so all three will 
  be at 4D. 
  Sara 
  Okay, got it.  Mister Maul’s Prowess is 8D, so that’s difficulty 
  8 for all three.  If he thought you were a threat, he’d use some 
  of his own Melee Combat edge dice in defense. 
   
  Eric makes three 4D rolls at difficulty 8 – 1) 1, 5, 9, and 12; 
  2) 4, a pair of 6’s, and 11; and 3) 6, 8, 9, and 11; a total of 
  three successful attacks.  Nightfall’s Strike is 4D, but he can 
  add up to 4D of Strength to that for a total of 8D for each.  
  Sara will roll 5D for Mister Maul’s Armor power.  So, for each 
  damage / effect task roll, Eric will roll 8D with a difficulty of 5 
  while Sara will roll 5D with a difficulty of 8.  The first hit inflicts 
  (8 – 1 =) 7D Stamina damage, the second hit inflicts (5 – 2 
  =) 3D Stamina damage, and the third hit inflicts (5 – 4 =) 1D 
  Stamina damage for a total of 11D, dropping him from 22D 
  to 11D.  Again, Mister Maul’s Stamina wasn’t lowered to less 
  than the campaign cap (9D) so there is no stun check.  Also, 
  since each of Nightfall’s attacks was less than Mister Maul’s 
  Strength 9D, there is no throwback effect, even though the 
  total inflicted from all three attacks was greater. 
  Eric 
  I suppose he’ll think I’m a threat now!  I’ll take a free action 
  to find the main breaker or fuse box for this bay.  If it’s a 
  standard Perception task roll, I’ll just expend a Fate Die up 
  front for an automatic success. 
  Sara 
  It is and that leaves you with eight Fate dice.  It’s back in the 
  center of the bay, where the hackers were working and are 
  now cowering under their tables.  That leaves you with two 
  actions for this round. 
  Eric 
  I expend my move action to run over to the breaker box – 
  that’s just one combat space away and I have Run 3D.  Once 
  there, I’ll expend a free action to throw the main switch, 
  which should kill all but the emergency lights.  Since I do 
  have the Electronics edge, I should be able to do that, right? 
  Sara 
  I agree.  Nightfall throws the main switch and plunges the 
  bay into pitch darkness.  That’s all of your actions for this 
  round.  However, Mister Maul still has two held actions.  He 
  uses one of them to bark at Jack and Benny.  “Get your 
  flashlights on and find that kid!”  He does something else 
  with his last free action, because you hear him make a grunt 
  of effort. 
  Eric 
  He just picked up something heavy, didn’t he?  The forklift 
  wasn’t over there, was it? 
   
  Eric is right.  Mister Maul has just picked up a 5 ton forklift 
  which is weight TR 6.  Since the villain is Strength 9D, he 
  could throw it TR 3 distance; 50 yards or five spaces. 
  Sara 
  With the lights out, you can’t tell for certain.  Since Jack and 
  Benny used their actions to find cover, they won’t be able to 
  do anything else, so the first combat round is over. 
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  86 
   
  Eric 
  Okay, before Maul takes his first actions, can I use the Fast 
  Swap booster on my power array to put my Light-
  Amplification Goggles on? 
  Sara 
  You can; but it’ll mean putting your Knuckledusters away. 
  Eric 
  They won’t be much help against a flying forklift, methinks. 
  Sara 
  Done.  It’s the start of the second round now.  Mister Maul 
  will expend a free action to hold his remaining five actions 
  for later in the round.  Nightfall is next. 
  Eric 
  I’m going to take Jack and Benny out of action before they 
  can get their flashlights on me.  Since I’m in the same 
  combat space, I’ll make a standard melee attack against 
  them both using my Rapid Attack power. 
  Sara 
  All right, how do you want to divide up the attacks? 
  Eric 
  Can I make one attack each and use the last attack on 
  whoever’s still in the fight? 
  Sara 
  Since they’re minions, sure.  They’re not really combatants. 
   
  Eric rolls Prowess 4D with a difficulty of 3 – Jack) a trio of 9’s 
  and a 12; Benny) 1, 4, 7, and 9; hitting with both.  Since 
  neither minion has a defense power to use, they’re both 
  rolling Fortitude 2D at difficulty 4, while Eric rolls Strength 4D 
  at difficulty 2.  On both rolls, Eric inflicts 2D Stamina, 
  bumping it up to 3D each by expending a total of two Fate 
  Dice.  Both minions then check for stun by rolling Fortitude 
  2D at difficulty 3 (since Nightfall inflicted 3D Stamina 
  damage to each).  Jack’s roll is 1 & 2, so he is stunned; 
  Benny rolls 3 & 12, and isn’t stunned.  Both also check for 
  throwback since they’re Strength 2D.  For Jack, Nightfall rolls 
  two success dice versus Jack’s one, and he suffers one 
  space of throwback (taking another 1D Stamina damage, for 
  a total of 4D this round, leaving him with 2D).  Benny 
  matches Nightfall’s success dice for effect level 0, and is 
  knocked down in the same space.  Nightfall then makes his 
  final rapid attack on Benny, which is reduced to difficulty 2 
  since the target is prone.  Prowess 4D – 3 and a trio of 5’s; 
  is successful.  Nightfall rolls Strength 4D versus Benny’s 
  Fortitude 2D, rolling four success dice to Benny’s one and 
  inflicts 3D Stamina damage which renders Benny knocked 
  out. 
  Sara 
  Since Benny’s knocked out, we’re going to say he’s been 
  thrown into the next space over with Jack, for convenience.  
  You still have four actions left, what would you like to do 
  next? 
  Eric 
  Since I have the goggles on, can I see if he’s holding a 
  forklift? 
  Sara 
  Actually, he isn’t.  He’s ripped the propane tank off the back 
  of the forklift and is wielding that. 
  Eric 
  Then I’m going to give him an audio target by tossing over 
  the rest of the equipment and computers in a noisy fashion 
  in a free action, then use another free action to hold the 
  remaining two.  I should have picked up a couple of edge 
  dice in Evade, though. 
  Sara 
  That’s what experience points are for.  While Nightfall 
  watches, Mister Maul takes a free action to make an auditory 
  Perception task roll to try to locate Nightfall. 
  Eric 
  I’m glad I managed to get Jack and Benny out of the way, at 
  least! 
  Sara 
  Mister Maul will roll Perception 6D at Challenging Difficulty – 
  it would have been Vexing but the noise you made lowered 
  it.  Sara rolls 6D – 2, 5, 8, 9, and a pair of 11’s.  That’s four 
  success dice, so he’s got a bead on your location.  He takes 
  a combat action and an additional free action (due to the 
  limiter on his Blast power) and makes a ranged attack by 
  throwing the tank at you! 
   
  Mister Maul is Reflexes 6D while Nightfall is Reflexes 5D.  
  Sara rolls – a trio of 2’s, 5, 8, and 10, which means the attack 
  hits.  The villain’s Blast 7D roll is at difficulty 6 due to 
  Nightfall’s Armor 6D, while the hero’s difficulty is 7.  Both 
  villain and hero manage just three success dice each, for no 
  effect. 
  Sara 
  *Krang!*  The tank caroms off of your armored costume and 
  clatters across the warehouse floor, leaving you none the 
  worse for wear.  Maul then takes a move action to get into 
  the center combat space with you.  With your goggles, you 
  think he’s searching for your lifeless form on the floor. 
  Eric 
  Which means he’s out of actions.  I’ll use my leap power to 
  get up to the rafters.  I want to do it stealthy so he doesn’t 
  hear me. 
  Sara 
  That’ll take an Agility opposed task roll versus Mister Maul’s 
  Perception 6D. 
  Eric 
  Nightfall’s Agility 5D, and I’ll add both of his Stealth edge dice 
  to make that 7D. 
   
  Sara rolls Maul’s Perception 6D at difficulty 7, while Eric rolls 
  Nightfall’s Agility + Stealth of 7D at difficulty 6.  Eric scores 
  six success dice while Maul manages only two, for effect 
  level 4. 
  Sara 
  You are quieter than the rats living in this place as you land 
  softly on one of the overhead supports. 
  Eric 
  I do a Fast Swap of my goggles for a grenade, hoping the 
  big guy doesn’t move very far before I can use it.  No other 
  actions this round after that. 
  Sara 
  In the darkness, Jack recovers from being stunned and 
  drags Benny toward the lighted exit sign in the corner.  And 
  that ends the second round of combat.  The third round of 
  combat begins with Mister Maul expending a free action to 
  attempt another Perception task roll to find you.  Because of 
  your Stealth roll outcome, he needs more than effect level 4 
  to find you.  This is Daunting Difficulty because of the 
  darkness, which Nightfall is also responsible for.  
  Considering that you’re about to attack him again, the villain 
  has four dice in the Danger Sense edge, of which he can add 
  three to his Perception 6D without exceeding the campaign 
  cap. 
   
  Sara rolls 9D at difficulty 9 – a pair of 1’s, 2, 6, 9, a pair of 
  11’s, and 12; garnering only effect level 4. 
  Eric 
  Whew!  Thought he had me for a second. 
  Sara 
  Speaking as Mister Maul.  “I know you’re still here, kid.  
  You’ve already busted up my big plans for tonight, but that 
  outfit and those toys on your belt must be the genuine 
  Midnight Man articles, which means they’re worth a pretty 
  penny on the black market.  You can either give them to me 
  now, or I can pull them off of your corpse.” 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  87 
   
  Eric 
  If he’s still doing the monologue, I want to leap into an 
  adjacent combat space and chuck the grenade in my wake.  
  I’ll expend a Fate Die to do a Power Feat to avoid the other 
  struts and supports, if I have to. 
  Sara 
  Fair Dinkum.  Expend the die and make a ranged attack task 
  roll at difficulty 7; that’s a base of 3 for the AOE target, 1 for 
  range, and 3 more for the dark. 
  Eric 
  Okay, Reflexes 5D.  Eric rolls 5D – 3, 5, 6, and a pair of 11’s.  
  I’ve got four success dice.  The grenade is Dazzle 5D versus 
  Maul’s Reflexes 6D, right? 
  Sara 
  That is correct.  Your effect level will be one-half the number 
  of combat rounds he’ll be blinded and deafened, rounding 
  up, since he doesn’t have the Perception Shield power. 
  Eric 
  Eric rolls 5D at difficulty 6 – 1, a trio of 7’s, and 9.  That’s 
  effect level 4, and I’ll expend a Fate Die to make it EL 5. 
  Sara 
  That’ll blind and deafen Mister Maul for the next three 
  combat rounds.  How many Fate Dice do you have left? 
  Eric 
  Three. 
  Sara 
  Okay, by my count, Nightfall still has three free actions left. 
  Eric 
  I can’t use any of them effectively right now, so I’ll Fast Swap 
  back to my Goggles so I can keep an eye on the big guy and 
  expend one free action to hold the other two. 
  Sara 
  Mister Maul isn’t happy, to say the least.  Most of his speech 
  bubbles are nothing but Grawlix and black scribbles as he 
  blunders about, smashing the rest of the computer 
  equipment in that, swinging like a drunken sailor who’s just 
  spent the last doubloon.  Unless you want to use your saved 
  free actions… 
  Eric 
  I take a quick look at the corner where Jack and Benny are. 
  Sara 
  Jack is still valiantly trying to drag Benny to the exit, but he’s 
  not very muscular, and in the darkened warehouse, he’s 
  having a hard time of it. 
  Eric 
  If that’s it for Maul and those two, then I’m done, too. 
  Sara 
  Then we start combat round number four.  Mister Maul is 
  working on getting his sight and hearing back, so that’s this 
  round and the next one.  You’ll have to work fast. 
  Eric 
  I intend to.  I’ll expend a move action to get back to the main 
  breaker box and turn the lights back on with a free action.  I’ll 
  fast swap my goggles for the knuckledusters, then I’ll use a 
  combat action with my Rapid Attack power to make three 
  Strike attacks on Mister Maul. 
  Sara 
  All right, even with the lights on, Maul is still blinded and 
  deafened.  After your first attack on him, he’ll be aware that 
  you’re there, and can apply one die of his Blind Fighting edge 
  to both the second and third attack.  So he’ll be Prowess 8D 
  for the first attack and 9D for the other two.  I’d add more if I 
  could, but 9D is the campaign cap, of course. 
  Eric 
  Okay.  The last two dice of my Melee Combat edge will go 
  into my final attack so all four are Prowess 4D. 
   
  Nightfall’s first Strike attack is 4D at difficulty 8 – 3, 6, 8, and 
  11; then his next two are at difficulty 9 – 3, 4, 7, and 9; then 
  the last – 4, 5, 9, and 11; so all three hit Mister Maul.  Each 
  attack does Strike 4D + Strength 4D for a total of 8D versus 
  Mister Maul’s Armor 5D.  The first attack does (4 – 2 =) 2D 
  Stamina damage, which reduces Mister Maul to Stamina 9D 
  and requiring the villain to check for stun, but at Fortitude 8D, 
  difficulty 2 is assured, so Sara and Eric move on.  The 
  second attack does an additional (6 – 2 =) 4D Stamina 
  damage, reducing Maul to Stamina 5D.  Maul makes his 
  Fortitude standard task roll at difficulty 4 (the amount of 
  damage in the second attack) and remains on his feet.  The 
  third attack does (5 – 1 =) 4D, so Nightfall expends a Fate 
  Die to increase it to 5D, knocking the villain out, as he’s been 
  reduced to 0D by the final attack. 
  Sara 
  With a final, savage uppercut that lands squarely on the big 
  guy’s chin, Mister Maul crashes to the floor, and lays still. 
  Eric 
  Quick check – has Jack dragged Benny out of the bay yet? 
  Sara 
  Nope, but they’re literally on the doorstep. 
  Eric 
  Since we’re out of combat, I’ll fast swap my knuckledusters 
  for the Tesla Gun, and blast the exit sign above the door. 
  Sara 
  Jack ducks and whirls around to face you, very obviously 
  afraid, cowering.  Without being prompted, he raises his 
  hands. 
  Eric 
  “Look after Benny, but don’t go anywhere.  I’m a pretty good 
  shot.” 
  Sara 
  And we do a quick ‘A little later’ narrative box where the cops 
  arrive and take control of the crime scene, leading Maul 
  away in special super-restraints.  The villain shoots you a 
  look of pure hate as they get him into an armored 
  transportation truck to take him away. 
  Eric 
  I nod at him in acknowledgement with a thought bubble over 
  my head – “Yeah, he’ll be back.”  If the police have the matter 
  in hand, it’s time for Nightfall to pull a fast fade. 
  Sara 
  And that’ll be where we bring your character’s origin story to 
  an end. 
  Eric 
  That was fun!  And I gotta say that my enemy is one tough 
  hombre! 
  Sara 
  I’ll take that as a compliment!  Now, let’s figure out how many 
  experience points Nightfall earned.  First, it’s 1 XP for 
  participating in the adventure, plus 3 XP for Mister Maul 
  being a Superhuman Tier villain, plus 3 XP for complete 
  success in the adventure, 2 XP for participation and 
  cooperation in getting this adventure done, and 1 XP more 
  for that detail about how Mike is hiding his activities.  That’s 
  a total of 10 XP, which means Nightfall now has 1D of 
  experience he can expend to improve his character! 
  Eric 
  I’ll let you know if I want to expend it or save it when I get 
  together with the rest of the group, if that’s okay. 
  Sara 
  That’ll be fine.  Nightfall also earns some Reputation ticks for 
  this adventure as well – 3 ticks for Maul’s power tier, and 2 
  more ticks for protecting home from criminal activity and 
  solving a crime spree. 
  Eric 
  That means I’m halfway to Reputation Rank 1, already.  
  Cool!  I’m looking forward to meeting the group. 
  Sara 
  I’m glad you decided to join us! 
   
   
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  88 
   
  GALLERY OF ROGUES 
   
  Aunt Arctica [aka Neve Fuar] 
   
  ATTRIBUTES (38D) 
  AGL 4D  
   
  PER 4D 
   
  EGO 3D 
  FOR 6D 
   
  PRO 5D 
   
  EMP 3D 
  STR 3D  
   
  REF 6D  
   
  INT 4D  
   
  STAM 13D  
  INIT 5D  
   
  LUCK 10D 
   
  EDGES (28½D) 
  Alias (Kelly Doyle) 5D, Awareness 4D, Bluff 3D, Disguise 
  3D, KNO: Cryogenics 5D, KNO: Supers 3D, LANG: English 
  5D, LANG: Irish (native), Mental Discipline 3D, Mimic 3D, 
  Power Use (Freeze Gun) 4D, Ranged 
  Combat 5D, Researcher 3D, Scientist 3D, 
  Touch Combat 5D, Weaponsmith 3D 
   
  POWERS (38½D) 
   
  Cryonic Adaptation I – Life Support 
  (Hypothermia) 1D; 1D 
   
  Cryonic Adaptation II – Immunity 
  (Bacteria, Parasites, Viruses & Xenobiotics) 
  6D; Booster – Three Additional Groups 
  (+1½D); 7½D 
   
  Freeze Gun – Power Array (4 powers); 
  Booster – Fast Swap (+2D); Limiter – Readily 
  Accessible Item (-2D); 16D 
  1) Freeze Ray – Lethal Blast (Cold) 6D; 
  Limiters 
  – 
  Max 
  Only 
  (-1D), 
  No 
  Throwback (-1D); 8D [Base] 
  2) Ice Ray – Ensnare (Ice Encasement) 
  6D; Boosters – Barrier (+1D), Engulfs 
  Target (+2D), Immobility (+2D); Limiters 
  – Fades (-2D), Max Only (-1D); 8D [+3D] 
  3) Ice Fog – Shroud (Olfactory & Visual) 
  6D; Booster – Add Sensory Group (+2D); 
  Limiter – Max Only (-1D); 7D [+3D]  
  4) Ice Sliding – Leap 5D; 5D [+2D] 
   
  Ice Armor I – Force Field 6D; Booster – 
  Hardened (+1D); 7D 
   
  Ice Armor II – Strike (Cold) 6D; Booster 
  – Damage Aura (+1D); Limiter – Connected 
  (Force Field, -1D); 6D 
   
  Ice Armor III – Alter Locale (Generates 
  Cold) 2D; Connected (Force Field, -1D); 1D  
   
  SUBPLOTS (-15D) 
   
  Dependent (-3D): Favorite Niece / Nephew of the 
  Week (‘Aunt’ Kelly often ‘adopts’ someone who has been 
  kind to her, which spills over into her villainess identity, too.) 
   
  Distinct Feature (-1D): Low Body Temperature (Neve 
  is cold to the touch and has a body temp around 40ºF.) 
   
  Hunter (-3D): Wanted by Law Enforcement (Neve is on 
  the run from both American and European authorities.) 
   
  Mental Problem (-2D): Everybody’s Favorite ‘Aunt’ 
  (Neve suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder, often 
  lapsing into her ‘Aunt’ Kelly persona between capers.) 
   
  Secret (-3D): Secret Identity (Neve’s ‘Aunt’ Kelly 
  persona takes great care to protect her true identity.) 
   
  Susceptibility (-3D): Fire / Heat Attacks (Neve’s 
  altered biology leaves her vulnerable to high temperatures.) 
   
  BACKSTORY 
   
  Neve Fuar was a scientist once, studying cryonic 
  hibernation and its potential uses for long duration space 
  missions for the European Space Agency.  While she knew 
  what she was doing, experimental work with prototype cold 
  sleep units was dangerous, even under the best of 
  conditions.  There had already been several accidents on 
  the project and none of the “volunteers” – the 
  euphemistic term for the life-sentenced 
  prisoners who’d decided to risk death for a 
  chance at a pardon and release – had been 
  revived successfully. 
  Funding for the project was drying up.  
  Neve needed something – anything – 
  positive to bring to the board of directors so it 
  wouldn’t be cancelled.  She was sure she’d 
  corrected all the problems from the previous 
  failures, but the pool of volunteers had dried 
  up.  So she did what every other self-assured 
  and desperate scientist in the past had done. 
  She performed the experiment upon 
  herself. 
  She awoke two weeks later to find that 
  the drugs and other chemicals needed to 
  keep her alive while in hibernation had 
  altered her biology.  It took a while longer for 
  her to notice that the process had also altered 
  her mind. 
  When the project was cancelled Neve 
  flew into a rage and was summarily fired from 
  the institute as well.  She spent the next 
  several weeks practicing her newfound 
  powers while building and perfecting a 
  weapon using the same cryonics technology 
  that had changed her.  She put on a costume 
  and took revenge on the board members, 
  stealing all the notes and equipment so no 
  one could replicate her work while she 
  continued to work on it. 
   
  She went on the run after that, using the moniker 
  ‘Arctica’ when she had to mingle with European 
  supervillains to pay for equipment, supplies, and eventually, 
  a secretive way to the United States where she could 
  continue the work, as if perfecting the technology and 
  process would make up for the lives she’d taken, all the 
  crimes she’d committed. 
   
  But she won’t stop – she can’t stop – because the next 
  experiment could be the breakthrough at last… 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  89 
   
  Black Arrow [aka Sonja Stepanova] 
   
  ATTRIBUTES (40D) 
  AGL 5D  
   
  PER 5D 
   
  EGO 4D 
  FOR 5D 
   
  PRO 4D 
   
  EMP 2D 
  STR 4D  
   
  REF 4D  
   
  INT 3D  
   
  STAM 14D  
  INIT 5D  
   
  LUCK 9D 
   
  EDGES (20D) 
  Climb 3D, Dodge 4D, Electronics 2D, Evade 4D, KNO: 
  Supers 3D, LANG: English 4D, LANG: Russian (native), 
  Mechanic 3D, Melee Combat 4D, Ranged Combat 6D, 
  Shadow 2D, Stealth 2D, Weaponsmith 3D 
   
  POWERS (55D) 
   
  Athletic I – Leap 2D; 2D 
   
  Athletic II – Run 3D; 3D 
   
  Bow & Quiver – Power Array 
  (5 powers); Limiter – Accessible 
  Items (-1D); 19½D 
  1) Broadhead Arrows – 
  Lethal 
  Blast 
  (Stab) 
  6D; 
  Limiter – Limited Uses (4 
  arrows, -1D); 9D [+2D]  
  2) Flash-Bang Arrows – 
  Dazzle (Auditory & Visual) 
  5D; Booster – Add Sensory 
  Group 
  (+2D), 
  Burst 
  (no 
  toggle, 
  +1D); 
  Limiter 
  – 
  Limited Uses (4 arrows, -1D); 
  7D [+3D] 
  3) Smoke Arrows – Shroud 
  (Visual) 
  6D; 
  Limiters 
  – 
  Limited Uses (4 arrows, -1D), 
  Weather Affected (-2D); 3D 
  [+2D] 
  4) Stun Arrows – Blast 
  (Blow) 
  8D; 
  Booster 
  – 
  Piercing (+3D); Limiters – 
  Limited Uses (8 Arrows, -
  ½D); 10½D [Base] 
  5) Synthasilk Net Arrows – 
  Ensnare 
  6D; 
  Booster 
  – 
  Immobility (+2D); Limiter – Fades (-2D), Limited Uses 
  (8 arrows, -½D); 5½D [+3D] 
   
  Combat Batons I – Strike (Physical Blows) 4D [8D with 
  Strength]; Booster – Melee Attack (+1D); Limiter – 
  Accessible Items (-1D); 4D 
   
  Combat Batons II – Swing 4D; Limiter – Accessible 
  Items (-1D); 3D 
   
  Combat Training – Rapid Attack 8D; 10D 
   
  Tactical Goggles – Perception Shield (Visual) 5D; 
  Limiters – Decays (-1D), Inaccessible Item (-½D); 3½D 
   
  Tactical Outfit I – Armor 6D; Limiters – Decays (-1D), 
  Inaccessible Item (-½D); 6½D 
   
  Tactical Outfit II – Imperceptible (Visual) 6D; Limiters 
  – Camouflage (-2D), Inaccessible Item (-½D); 3½D 
   
  SUBPLOTS (-25D) 
   
  Enemy (-3D): Eastern European Crime Syndicate 
  (Sonja crossed them as part of a job; they aren’t happy.) 
   
  Goal (-3D): Get Rich or Die Trying (Sonja has been 
  poor all of her life; being a supervillainess is her way out.) 
   
  History (-3D): Former Russian Syndicate Member 
  (Sonja’s criminal past is long and ugly; she wants it gone.) 
   
  Mental Problem (-1D): Don’t Touch Me (Sonja has a 
  strong aversion to being touched or restrained in any way.) 
   
  Moral Code (-3D): Her Word Is Her Bond (Sonja keeps 
  her promises; when she takes on a job, she finishes it.) 
   
  Personality Quirk (-1D): Ego 
  Signature (Sonja’s arrows are 
  custom 
  made, 
  so 
  everyone 
  knows her work.) 
   
  Poverty (-1D): Poor (Sonja 
  uses most of ill-gotten gains to 
  support her family overseas.) 
   
  Villain Bonus Dice (-10D): 
  Sonja has years of experience 
  before her arrival at Lakeport. 
   
  BACKSTORY 
   
  Sonja Stepanova was born 
  into a bad situation.  Her father 
  had 
  been 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Organizatsiya in Mother Russia, 
  but had bungled a job that had 
  cost the syndicate millions of 
  rubles.  Desperate to save her 
  father’s life, Sonja offered herself 
  up to pay for her father’s mistake. 
   
  The syndicate agreed and the 
  nightmare began.  For ten long 
  years, she trained to become the 
  syndicate’s Tikhiy Ubiytsa – The 
  Silent Assassin – an archer using 
  stealth and dissolving poison 
  arrows to take out the syndicate’s 
  enemies.  She proved to be a 
  good student, earning many 
  enemies, for as long as she permitted them to live. 
   
  When the syndicate attempted to expand its influence 
  into Eastern Europe, Sonja was on the front lines of an 
  extended back alley war.  One of the targets was rich and 
  she took the money and ran.  She’d hoped that she could 
  take her mother and sister with her to the states, but in the 
  end, she left them behind. 
   
  Sonja pulled a few jobs, sending most of the money to 
  her family who were left out in the cold by the syndicate 
  when Sonja left.  She lives better in Lakeport than she used 
  to in Russia, but her parents are not well, and most of her 
  money goes to keep them alive and secure – for now… 
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  90 
   
  Clockwork 
  [aka Mark Thomas (M.T.) Greenwich] 
   
  ATTRIBUTES (36D) 
  AGL 5D  
   
  PER 5D 
   
  EGO 3D 
  FOR 3D 
   
  PRO 4D 
   
  EMP 3D 
  STR 3D  
   
  REF 4D  
   
  INT 6D  
   
  STAM 11D  
  INIT 5D  
   
  LUCK 12D 
   
  EDGES (32D) 
  Awareness 6D, B & E 8D, Cybernetics 4D, Electronics 5D, 
  KNO: Lakeport 4D, Mechanic 5D, 
  Melee 
  Combat 
  6D, 
  PRO: 
  Watchmaker 4D, Ranged Combat 
  4D, Security Systems 8D, Stealth 
  6D, Streetwise 2D, Weaponsmith 
  2D 
   
  POWERS (37D) 
   
  Clock-Themed Arsenal – 
  Power Array (3 Powers); Booster 
  – Fast Swap (+2D); Limiter – 
  Accessible Items (-1D); 15D 
  1) Combat Cane – Strike 
  (Physical Blow) 4D [8D with 
  Strength]; 
  Boosters 
  – 
  Defensive 
  (+1D), 
  Melee 
  Attack (+2D); 9D [Base] 
  2) Pocket Watch Grenades 
  – Blast (Kinetic) 8D; Booster 
  – Burst (no toggle, +1D), 
  Limiter – Limited Uses (4 
  grenades, -1D); 8D [+3D] 
  3) Watch Spring Tanglers – 
  Ensnare 6D; Booster – Burst 
  (no toggle, +1D); Limiter – 
  Limited Uses (4 tanglers, -
  1D); 6D [+2D] 
   
  B & E Master – Intangible 9D; 
  Limiters – Not Through Solid Objects (-2D), Only to 
  Remove Objects from Inaccessible Places (-2D), Requires 
  an Intelligence standard task roll (-½D); 4½D 
   
  Elusive – Teleport 6D; Boosters – Floating Locations 
  (+1D), Passengers (+1D), Unobvious (+2D); Limiters – 
  Only to Elude Capture (-2D), Requires an Intelligence 
  standard task roll (-½D); 7½D 
   
  Master Electrician – Alter Locale (Causes Electrical 
  Blackouts) 4D; Booster – Selective (+1D); Limiter – Extra 
  Time (+1 Free Action, -½D), Requires an Intelligence 
  standard task roll (-½D); 4D 
   
  Security Systems Wizard – Imperceptible (Auditory, 
  Tactile & Visual) 7D; Booster – Add Two Sensory Groups 
  (+2D); Limiters – Limited Uses (-½D), Only Versus Sensors 
  (-2D), Requires an Intelligence standard task roll (-½D); 6D 
   
  SUBPLOTS (-15D) 
   
  Addiction (-5D): Obsessed with Time Pieces (M.T.’s 
  crimes always involve clocks, watches, hourglasses, etc.) 
   
  Hunter (-3D): Wanted by Law Enforcement (M.T. is a 
  known criminal and prison escapee.) 
   
  Mental Problem (-3D): Always Follows a Time Table 
  (M.T. hates it when his plans are put off schedule.) 
   
  Personality Quirk (-1D): Affects a Fake British Accent 
  (Like Dick van Dyke in Mary Poppins; yeah, that bad.) 
   
  Social (-3D): Criminal World Thinks He’s a Snitch (M.T. 
  didn’t, but that’s what his former crew still in prison says.) 
   
  BACKSTORY 
   
  Mark was an ordinary burglar 
  in his teens – a second-story man 
  for an established and successful 
  crew of thieves in Lakeport.  Then 
  the crew got caught by a pair of 
  low-powered heroes.  Most of the 
  crew did hard time as habitual 
  offenders, but Mark wound up in 
  reform school. 
  He tried to make the best of it, 
  using 
  vocational 
  training 
  to 
  become 
  a 
  watchmaker.  
  Unfortunately, his classes and 
  time in the prison shop were the 
  only good times.  He was bullied 
  and brutalized by the other 
  juveniles in the school; he learned 
  all too well that chaos and 
  violence ruled the hallways and 
  cells. 
  Clocks weren’t like that.  They 
  were orderly, predictable, and 
  precise.  Clocks and watches 
  became Mark’s refuge from the 
  school.  He would sit quietly for 
  hours, listening to the metronomic 
  beat of their mechanical hearts, 
  counting off the seconds until he turned eighteen and was 
  set free. 
  Mark found his old profession was closed to him.  
  Rumor had it that he’d turned evidence against his crew for 
  a lighter sentence, and no other crew wanted him.  The 
  high-end jewelry stores that sold watches didn’t want the 
  services of a former thief, either.  He eventually found work 
  in a Mom-and-Pop repair shop, but it was peanuts 
  compared to what he’d been making as a thief. 
   
  One night, he relived his undoing at the hands of the 
  heroes in a dream, but instead of it ending in the nightmare 
  of reform school, a trim, dapper figure emerged from a clock 
  on the wall, fending off the heroes with one of the clock 
  hands long enough for him to escape. 
   
  He awoke from the dream and smiled.  And thus, the 
  idea for a new villain – Clockwork – was born. 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  91 
   
  Madame Motley [aka Lucia Nimrod] 
   
  ATTRIBUTES (45D) 
  AGL 4D  
   
  PER 5D 
   
  EGO 8D 
  FOR 5D 
   
  PRO 5D 
   
  EMP 4D 
  STR 3D  
   
  REF 4D  
   
  INT 7D  
   
  STAM 12D  
  INIT 5D  
   
  LUCK 19D 
   
  EDGES (19D) 
  Attractive 3D, Cybernetics 3D, 
  Electronics 3D, Headquarters 8D, 
  Mechanics 3D, Vehicle (Aerodyne) 
  8D, Wealth 8D, Weaponsmith 2D 
   
  POWERS (51D) 
   
  Dominant Mind – Psychic 
  Dominion 7D; Booster – Amnesia 
  (+2D), Area of Effect (toggle, +3D); 
  12D 
   
  Gadgets Galore – Power Pool 
  20D; Booster – Quick Change 
  (+5D); 25D 
   
  Infectious Idiocy – Siphon 
  Intelligence 
  6D; 
  Boosters 
  – 
  Broadcast 
  (no 
  toggle, 
  +2D), 
  Slower Recovery (+2D); Limiter – 
  Extra Time (+1 Free Action, -½D), 
  Ritual (Must Be Able to Speak, -
  ½D); 9D 
   
  Language Savant – Universal 
  Translation 
  6D; 
  Limiter 
  – 
  Terrestrial Only (-1D); 5D 
   
  SUBPLOTS (-25D) 
   
  Distinct 
  Feature 
  (-1D): 
  Distinctive Green Hair & Eyes 
  (Lucia has bright green hair and 
  solid 
  green 
  eyes 
  with 
  no 
  discernable pupil.) 
   
  Goal (-3D): Prove Humanity’s 
  Stupidity (Lucia despises being a 
  genius in an average society and 
  wants to show everyone how 
  ‘stupid’ they actually are.) 
   
  Hunter (-3D): Federal Fugitive 
  (Lucia 
  has 
  been 
  declared 
  criminally insane and is to be 
  remanded to federal custody for 
  treatment.) 
   
  Mental 
  Problem 
  (-3D): 
  Obsessed 
  with 
  Harlequins 
  & 
  Clowns (She is surrounded by 
  dolls, pictures, statues, etc. of 
  these, and dresses like them 
  whenever she can.) 
   
  Public Identity (-5D): Lucia Nimrod (She prefers her 
  Madame Motley persona, of course, but law enforcement 
  and most heroes know who she is.) 
   
  Villain Bonus Dice (-10D): Madame Motley is an 
  established villainess in the setting. 
   
  BACKSTORY 
   
  Lucia Nimrod has always been a bit odd.  But then 
  eccentricity 
  was 
  a 
  traditional 
  hallmark of her family – most 
  people said it was because of their 
  staggering 
  wealth. 
   
  Lucia’s 
  obsession with mimes and clowns 
  was a hint of what was to come. 
  It started in elementary school 
  when it became obvious that she 
  was far more intelligent than her 
  classmates and teachers.  To 
  entertain 
  herself, 
  she 
  would 
  orchestrate elaborate pranks that 
  showed the victims exactly how 
  foolish they were.  There were hurt 
  feelings and fights, suspensions, 
  detentions, and finally expulsion 
  as Lucia’s pranks escalated. 
    
  Her childhood was 
  spent 
  bouncing from one private school 
  to another, and then from one 
  private tutor to another.  And when 
  she had finally tired of other 
  people’s attempts at educating 
  her, and their loathing at the 
  pranks she would victimize them 
  with, her parents kicked her out of 
  the mansion for good. 
  Their deaths were sudden, 
  seemingly 
  accidental, 
  and 
  strangely ironic.  The rest of her 
  brothers and sisters met equally 
  twisted fates, none of which were 
  ever traced back to Lucia, who 
  became the sole heiress of the 
  family fortune.  She took to 
  dressing in the manner of a 
  harlequin at home, loathing every 
  time she was forced to go among 
  the fools of the world. 
  “If they only knew what it was 
  like,” she mused one night by the 
  fireplace, 
  “to 
  be 
  a 
  genius 
  swimming in an ocean of stupidity.”  
  She thought about it for a while 
  and then a twisted smile graced 
  her features.  “Perhaps they need 
  to find out for themselves, and I 
  shall be their teacher…” 
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  92 
   
   
  Meteorica [aka Kenna Brenton] 
   
  ATTRIBUTES (34D) 
  AGL 4D  
   
  PER 4D 
   
  EGO 3D 
  FOR 4D 
   
  PRO 4D 
   
  EMP 3D 
  STR 3D  
   
  REF 6D  
   
  INT 3D  
   
  STAM 11D  
  INIT 5D  
   
  LUCK 9D 
   
  EDGES (28D) 
  Alias (Allison Brand) 4D, Attractive 4D, Awareness 6D, 
  Converse 4D, Danger Sense 4D, Disguise 4D, Evade 6D, 
  KNO: 
  Lakeport 
  2D, 
  KNO: 
  Supers 2D, Quick Change 4D, 
  Ranged 
  Combat 
  6D, 
  Streetwise 4D, Touch Combat 
  6D 
   
  POWERS (43D) 
   
  Born 
  of 
  the 
  Fire 
  – 
  Invulnerable 
  (Fire 
  / 
  Heat 
  Attacks) 9D; 9D 
   
  Cloud 
  of 
  Embers 
  – 
  Shroud (Olfactory & Visual) 
  6D; Booster – Add Sensory 
  Group 
  (+2D); 
  Limiter 
  – 
  Weather Affected (-2D); 6D 
   
  Flaming Corona I – Force 
  Field 6D; 6D 
   
  Flaming 
  Corona 
  II 
  – 
  Lethal Strike (Fire / Heat) 6D; 
  Booster – Damage Aura (+1D); 
  Limiters – Connected (Force 
  Field, no toggle, -1D), Max 
  Only (-1D), No Throwback (-
  1D); 6D 
   
  Flaming Corona III – Alter 
  Locale (Creates Heat and 
  Light) 2D; Limiter – Connected 
  (Force Field, no toggle, -1D); 
  1D 
   
  Heatwave Attack – Blast 
  8D; Boosters – Area of Effect 
  (no toggle, +2D); Limiters – 
  Max Only (-1D), No Range 
  (-1D), No Throwback (-1D); 7D 
   
  The Meteor – Fly 9D; Limiter – Signature (A Streak of 
  Fire, Scorch Marks, etc., -1D); 8D 
   
  SUBPLOTS (-15D) 
   
  Distinct Feature (-1D): Flaming Aura (Magical senses 
  can detect Kenna’s unique aura of living flame.) 
   
  Hunter (-3D): Wanted by Law Enforcement (Meteorica 
  has committed a number of crimes in the United States.) 
   
  Kryptonite (-1D): Immersion in Water (A child born of 
  the fire cannot bear to be extinguished.) 
   
  Mental Problem (-2D): Pyrophile (Kenna surrounds 
  herself with fire imagery, burning candles, fireplaces, etc.) 
   
  Secret (-5D): Secret Identity (Kenna has carefully 
  established an alias for herself to throw off her hunters.) 
   
  Susceptibility (-3D): Water-based Attacks (Fire and 
  water have long been traditional enemies.) 
   
  BACKSTORY 
   
  Allison Brenton was a pyromaniac whose dark 
  fantasies included being trapped in a burning building 
  where she and her ‘flame-mate’ could be consumed in the 
  eternal embrace of an inferno.  She was seventeen when 
  she worked up the nerve and had the opportunity to try to 
  make her dream come true. 
  When 
  the 
  firefighters 
  pulled her from the ashes of the 
  smoking 
  ruins 
  of 
  an 
  abandoned house, Allison’s 
  clothes had been burned away 
  but her flesh was unblemished.  
  She rambled on about her 
  becoming one with the fire.  
  Because 
  of 
  her 
  extensive 
  history of mental illness, Allison 
  was institutionalized.  Shortly 
  after that, she discovered she 
  was pregnant. 
  There is a legend that 
  salamanders, 
  legendary 
  lizards of fire, occasionally will 
  mate with a woman who is 
  surrounded by fire.  The legend 
  goes on to state that ‘fire 
  children’ born of such a union 
  have fantastic powers over fire, 
  especially 
  if 
  the 
  mother’s 
  desire for the flames is true. 
  Kenna watched her mother 
  slide into the abyss of madness 
  as she grew up and came to 
  grips with her birthright.  She 
  hid her newfound powers from 
  her grandparents, but kept on 
  practicing with them, getting 
  better each day. 
  At sixteen, she began 
  using them to get what she 
  wanted, sneaking out at night.  People around town 
  reported what they thought were large meteors streaking 
  across the sky, but Kenna knew what they’d seen was her.  
  She also knew that she needed to get away from home 
  before she was discovered. 
   
  Soon after she turned eighteen, on a night when the 
  rest of the family was out, she burned down the only home 
  she’d ever known, hoping the world would think her dead, 
  while taking on her mother’s name… 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  93 
   
  Shadow Tiger [aka Sung-hi Leung] 
   
  ATTRIBUTES (40D) 
  AGL 5D  
   
  PER 4D 
   
  EGO 6D 
  FOR 6D 
   
  PRO 4D 
   
  EMP 2D 
  STR 4D  
   
  REF 5D  
   
  INT 4D  
   
  STAM 15D  
  INIT 5D  
   
  LUCK 12D 
   
  EDGES (22D) 
  Blind Fighting 5D, Climb 2D, Contort 2D, Danger Sense 5D, 
  Dodge 5D, Evade 5D, LANG: Cantonese (native), LANG: 
  English 4D, Melee Combat 5D, 
  Mental Combat 5D, Shadow 3D, 
  Streetwise 3D 
   
  POWERS (43D) 
   
  Martial Arts Conditioning – 
  Toughness 6D; 6D 
   
  Mind Shroud Technique – 
  Imperceptible (Visual) 6D; Limiter 
  – Only to Obscure Details (-3D); 
  3D 
   
  Shadow Tiger Kung-Fu – 
  Power Array (3 Powers); Booster 
  – Fast Swap (+2D); 21D 
  1) Closed Paw Strike – 
  Strike (Blows) 4D [8D with 
  Strength]; Booster – Melee 
  Attack (+1D); 5D [+2D] 
  2) Nerve Strike – Ensnare 
  6D; Boosters – Exposed 
  (+3D), 
  Immobility 
  (+2D), 
  Mental Effect (+3D); 14D 
  [Base] 
  3) Spirit Claw Strike – 
  Mental Blast 6D; Booster – 
  Lethal 
  Damage 
  (+3D); 
  Limiters – Max Only (-1D), No 
  Range (-1D), Tiring (-1D); 8D 
  [+3D] 
   
  Shadow Shift Technique – 
  Teleport 6D; Limiter – Only from 
  One Shadow to Another (-2D); 
  4D 
   
  Three Fists Technique – 
  Rapid Attack 8D; Limiter – Only 
  with Closed Paw Strike (-2D); 9D 
   
  SUBPLOTS (-15D) 
   
  Goal (-3D): Seeking the 
  Ancient Master (Legend says that 
  original master of Shadow Tiger Kung-Fu is still alive; Sung-
  hi wishes to learn all the secrets of the art.) 
   
  Hunter (-3D): White Lotus (Shadow Tiger murdered 
  this superhero’s mentor; the hero has sworn to bring the 
  villain to justice.) 
   
  Physical Problem (-3D): Austere Lifestyle (In order to 
  maintain his abilities, Sung-hi has a strict regimen of diet, 
  exercise, and meditation he must follow every day.) 
   
  Poverty (-1D): Poor (Sung-hi spends most of his ill-
  gotten gains on his quest to find the Ancient Master.) 
   
  Secret (-5D): Secret Identity (Sung-hi takes extreme 
  care to hide his connection to Shadow Tiger.) 
   
  BACKSTORY 
  Sung-hi Leung grew up on the mean streets of a Hong 
  Kong slum.  He watched helplessly as a brutal tong 
  murdered his family and took 
  everything they had, knowing that 
  to try to defend them was to join 
  them in death.  Orphaned and 
  starving, he was taken in by the 
  master of a martial arts school, 
  where the discipline of training 
  helped him bear his grief while 
  confronting his fear. 
  While most of the students of 
  the school learned the traditional 
  path of Tiger-style Kung-Fu, the 
  darkness in Sung-hi’s soul drew 
  him to the more secretive way of 
  the Shadow Tiger.  He had a 
  natural affinity for it, but in 
  exchange for its secrets, the 
  master 
  required 
  Sung-hi 
  to 
  commit crimes to help support the 
  school. 
   
  Eventually, the legend of the 
  Shadow Tiger grew, and the 
  heroes of Hong Kong began to 
  learn of his cunning, power, and 
  skill, as he defeated or eluded 
  them time and time again.  In one 
  of the fights, he’d bested the 
  superhero White Lotus.  The 
  hero’s master pleaded for his 
  student’s life, and Shadow Tiger 
  killed the master instead. 
   
  Soon 
  after 
  that, 
  Shadow 
  Tiger’s master told him of the 
  legend of the Ancient Master of 
  Shadow Tiger Kung-Fu.  “He is 
  the one who can complete your 
  training,” the master told him, “for 
  you have learned all I can teach 
  you.” 
  And 
  so, 
  the 
  supervillain 
  slipped out of Hong Kong and began wandering the globe.  
  His travels have brought him to Lakeport, looking for more 
  clues in his quest, and whatever crimes he must commit to 
  continue it. 
   
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  94 
   
  Techno [aka Wayne Martell] 
   
  ATTRIBUTES (38D) 
  AGL 5D  
   
  PER 5D 
   
  EGO 3D/8D* 
  FOR 5D 
   
  PRO 5D 
   
  EMP 1D 
  STR 2D/6D* 
  REF 6D  
   
  INT 6D  
   
  STAM 12D  
  INIT 6D  
   
  LUCK 10D 
  *With Modified Attribute Added In 
   
  EDGES (20½D) 
  Cybernetics 
  4D, 
  Electronics 
  3D, 
  Exceptional Memory 3D, Insight 2D, KNO: 
  Computer Systems 4D, KNO: Lakeport 
  2D, KNO: Supers 2D, LANG: Binary Code 
  4D, LANG: English (native), Mechanic 2D, 
  Melee Combat 3D, Mental Combat 4D, 
  Ranged Combat 3D, Scientist 2D 
   
  POWERS (46½D) 
   
  Combat Armor – Armor 5D; Limiter – 
  Inaccessible Item (-½D); 6½D 
   
  Cybernetic Assault Suit – Power 
  Array (3 powers); Limiter – Inaccessible 
  Item (-½D); 12½D 
  1) Assault Programming – 
  Telepathy 
  6D; 
  Boosters 
  – 
  Manipulation (+2D), Probe (+2D); 
  Limiters – No Range (-1D), Only A.I.’s 
  and Computers (-2D); 7D [Base] 
   
  2) Enhanced Hacking – Psychic 
  Dominion 6D; Booster – Amnesia 
  (+2D); Limiters – No Range (-1D), 
  Only A.I.’s and Computers (-2D); 5D 
  [+3D] 
   
  3) Remote Control – Manipulate 
  6D; Booster – Broad Group (All 
  Objects with Electronic Controls, 
  +2D); Limiter – Not Versus Radio 
  Interference or Jamming (-2D); 6D 
  [+3D] 
   
  Exoskeleton Augmentation – Modified Attribute 4D 
  (+4D to Strength); Limiter – Inaccessible Item (-½D); 3½D 
   
  Jump Jets – Leap 5D; Limiter – Inaccessible Item 
  (-½D); 4½D 
   
  Laser Array I – Blast (Light) 8D; Booster – Line of Sight 
  (+1D); Limiter – Inaccessible Item (-½D), Limited Uses (8 
  shots, -½D); 8D 
   
  Laser Array II – Dazzle (Visual) 6D; Booster – Line of 
  Sight (+1D); Limiters – Connected (no toggle, -2D), 
  Inaccessible Item (-½D), Limited Uses (8 shots, -½D); 4D 
   
  Neural Interface – Modified Attribute 5D (+5D to Ego); 
  Limiters – Inaccessible Item (-½D), Only for Cybernetic 
  Assault Suit Powers (-2D); 2½D 
   
  Tactical Visor I – Enhanced Senses (IR & UV Vision) 
  1D; Booster – Additional Sense (+1D); Limiter – 
  Inaccessible Item (-½D); 1½D 
   
  Tactical Visor II – Perception Shield (Visual) 4D; 
  Limiter – Inaccessible Item (-½D); 3½D 
   
  SUBPLOTS (-15D) 
   
  Addiction (-1D): Internet Addiction (Wayne spends 
  most of his free time accessing the internet.) 
   
  Goal (-3D): Expose Secrets (Wayne has a Robin Hood 
  mentality when it comes to secrets people need to know.) 
   
  Personality Quirk (-3D): Uber-Nerd 
  (Wayne interacts better with technology 
  than people.) 
   
  Secret (-5D): Secret Identity (Wayne 
  is already a recluse; so he’s also hiding 
  his connection to Techno.) 
   
  Susceptibility 
  (-3D): 
  Electrical 
  Attacks (One of the few drawbacks of the 
  neural interface for his suit.) 
   
  BACKSTORY 
   
  Wayne Martell has always been a whiz 
  with 
  technology. 
   
  He’s 
  built 
  and 
  programmed his own computers, robots, 
  and gadgets since grade school.  He won 
  science 
  fairs, 
  design 
  competitions, 
  scholarships, and more – he was a 
  teenager with a future. 
   
  When the internet came along, Wayne 
  discovered a whole other world and 
  immersed himself in it.  He spent more 
  and more time surfing the net, and less 
  and less time working on projects, 
  schoolwork, and social interaction. 
   
  Eventually, his disappointed parents 
  kicked him out of the house.  Wayne was 
  forced to take on meaningless jobs to 
  support his internet addiction, losing 
  several of them because he’d use the 
  company computers more than work.  
  When one employer tried to cut him off, he 
  hacked his way in to gain access. 
   
  The employer was Orb, and during his 
  hacking run he uncovered the specs on a combat suit they 
  were working on for the US military.  He also uncovered a 
  bunch of failed trials of the prototypes that had crippled or 
  killed test operators, several of whom were suing Orb for 
  damages and continuing medical expenses.  After he 
  downloaded all of the files, he leaked the accident and legal 
  data to internet news sites and kept the technical specs for 
  himself. 
   
  A year later, the modified suit is done – a miracle of 3D 
  printing and garage manufacturing, funded with blackmail 
  money of other corporations that had dirty little secrets and 
  didn’t want to end up like Orb.  Wayne has done a few test 
  runs to check its capabilities, but now he’s ready to step into 
  the big leagues as a modern day Robin Hood named 
  Techno. 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  95 
   
  Thundara [aka Gale Bronte] 
   
  ATTRIBUTES (44D) 
  AGL 5D  
   
  PER 4D 
   
  EGO 3D 
  FOR 7D 
   
  PRO 6D 
   
  EMP 3D 
  STR 7D  
   
  REF 6D  
   
  INT 3D  
   
  STAM 19D  
  INIT 6D  
   
  LUCK 9D 
   
  EDGES (12D) 
  Attractive 2D, Awareness 4D, Blind Fighting 4D, KNO: 
  Meteorology 2D, KNO: Lakeport 2D, KNO: Supers 2D, 
  Researcher 2D, Seduction 2D, 
  Scientist 2D, Streetwise 2D 
   
  POWERS (49D) 
   
  Microburst Attack – Blast 
  (Wind) 7D; Boosters – Burst (no 
  toggle, +1D), Increased Throwback 
  (no toggle, +1D); Limiter – Max Only 
  (-1D); 8D 
   
  The 
  Tempest’s 
  Child 
  – 
  Invulnerable (Physical & Energy) 
  6D; Booster – Broad Category x2 
  (+6D); 16D 
   
  Thunderclap Attack – Blast 
  (Sonic) 8D; Booster – Area of Effect 
  (no toggle, +2D); Limiter – Decays (-
  1D); 9D 
   
  Updraft 
  Rider 
  – 
  Fly 
  6D; 
  Booster 
  – 
  Passengers 
  (+1D); 
  Limiter – Signature (Gust of Wind, -
  1D); 5D 
   
  Whirlwind 
  Command 
  – 
  Psychokinesis 7D; Boosters – Area 
  of Effect (no toggle, +2D), Combat 
  (+2D); 11D 
   
  SUBPLOTS (-15D) 
   
  Distinct 
  Feature 
  (-1D): 
  Statuesque Redhead (Gale has a 
  mane of bright red hair is over six 
  feet tall.) 
  Enemy (-3D): Eclipse (This is the sorceress who laid 
  Thundara low with her magic and humiliated her.) 
   
  History (-3D): Deceased Lover (Gale’s fiancée died 
  from the lightning strike that made her Thundara.) 
   
  Rage (-3D): When Targeted with Magic Powers (Gale 
  knows these can hurt her and reacts badly to them.) 
   
  Secret (-1D): Secret Identity (Gale only takes basic 
  precautions to disassociate her from Thundara.) 
   
  Susceptible (-4D): Magic-sourced Powers (Gale 
  doesn’t know why, but magic gets through her defenses.) 
   
  BACKSTORY 
   
  Things were different for Gale Bronte a few years ago.  
  She was a beautiful meteorology student at the University 
  of Wisconsin – Lakeport, with a wonderfully cute and sweet 
  fiancée who had a taste for adventure.  It was that taste for 
  adventure that had put them out on Lake Michigan on a 
  small sailboat one lazy summer afternoon. 
   
  Gale knew all about instability thunderstorms, how 
  innocent cumulus clouds could rapidly explode into the 
  anvil-crowned thunderheads that heralded lightning, hail, 
  downpours, and worse.  But she wasn’t thinking of them as 
  she and he dozed on the deck in 
  each other’s arms. 
  The storm exploded above 
  them, shattering the serenity of their 
  summer siesta.  There was nowhere 
  to hide in the little boat as the 
  microburst from the storm threw the 
  lake’s surface into a frenzy of 
  whitecaps.  Desperate to keep their 
  small boat from capsizing, she was 
  helping him bring in the sail when a 
  blinding flash of light seared her 
  vision as the thunderclap knocked 
  her senseless.  Lightning had found 
  the boat’s metal mast, of course, 
  sending them both to the deck. 
  When Gale awoke shaking and 
  soaked, the storm had passed.  It 
  took her a few moments to regain 
  her senses, but when she did, she 
  realized her lover wasn’t breathing.  
  Desperate 
  to 
  find 
  help, 
  she 
  discovered her powers and quickly 
  mastered them while trying to save 
  him, but all for naught.  In the depths 
  of despair, she tried to end her own 
  life, only to find that she was 
  invulnerable. 
  It was then that she met Eclipse.  
  The sorceress said that she could 
  bring her lover back to life – but that 
  the 
  material 
  components 
  needed 
  for 
  high-order 
  necromancy were expensive and hard to obtain.  Her 
  desperate desire to reclaim her happiness led to a year-
  long crime spree that would forever taint her reputation. 
   
  But the components weren’t for a resurrection spell, 
  rather one that was intended to enslave Gale to Eclipse as 
  a mindless servant.  Gale realized this at the last moment 
  and managed to escape her fate and only barely escaping 
  with her life. 
   
  After that, Gale decided to embrace her fate as a 
  powerful villainess, unaware that her change of heart was 
  part of the failed spell Eclipse had cast upon her.  The 
  sorceress had called her Thundara once; Gale decided to 
  keep it, as she embarks on a life of crime… 
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  96 
   
  Helpful Tables & Charts 
   
  Standard Task Difficulties Table 
  # 
  Difficulty 
  # 
  Difficulty 
  2 
  Sure Thing 
  8 
  Challenging 
  3 
  Child’s Play 
  9 
  Daunting 
  4 
  Trivial 
  10 
  Vexing 
  5 
  Easy 
  11 
  Demanding 
  6 
  Mundane 
  12 
  Harrowing 
  7 
  Normal 
  13+ 
  Impossible (?) 
   
  Benchmarks Table 
  TR 
  Speed 
  Time 
  Weight 
  Distance 
  1/128 
  - - - 
  - - - 
  1 ounce 
  ½ inch 
  1/64 
  - - - 
  - - - 
  ¼ pound 
  1 inch 
  1/32 
  - - - 
  - - - 
  ½ pound 
  3 inches 
  1/16 
  - - - 
  - - - 
  1 pound 
  6 inches 
  ⅛ 
  - - - 
  - - - 
  5 lbs. 
  1 foot 
  ¼ 
  Stationary 
  Instantaneous 
  10 lbs. 
  1 yard 
  ½ 
  1 mph 
  1 second 
  25 lbs. 
  2.5 yds. 
  1 
  5 mph 
  10 seconds 
  50 lbs. 
  5 yds. 
  2 
  10 mph 
  30 seconds 
  100 lbs. 
  25 yds. 
  3 
  25 mph 
  1 minute 
  250 lbs. 
  50 yds. 
  4 
  50 mph 
  5 minutes 
  500 lbs. 
  100 yds. 
  5 
  100 mph 
  30 minutes 
  2 tons 
  250 yds. 
  6 
  250 mph 
  1 hour 
  10 tons 
  1 mile 
  7 
  500 mph 
  12 hours 
  25 tons 
  2.5 miles 
  8 
  Mach 1 
  1 day 
  50 tons 
  10 miles 
  9 
  Mach 5 
  1 week 
  100 tons 
  25 miles 
  10 
  Sublight 
  1 month 
  1 kiloton 
  100 miles 
  11 
  Lightspeed 
  1 year 
  10 kilotons 
  1,000 miles 
  12 
  Warp Speed 
  10 years 
  100 kilotons 
  10,000 miles 
  13+ 
  Hyperwarp 
  x10 per +TR 
  x10 per +TR 
  x10 per +TR 
   
  Materials Table 
  TR 
  Material Strength / Resistance 
  ¼ 
  Plastic Wrap, Tissue Paper 
  ½ 
  Gauze, Paper 
  1 
  Cardboard, Linen, Styrene 
  2 
  Drywall, Interior Door, Lexan, Plate Glass 
  3 
  Exterior Door, Leather, Plywood, Safety Glass 
  4 
  Car Door, Chain Mail Armor, Cinderblock, Fire Door 
  5 
  Curtain Wall, Light Pole, Riot Gear, Tree Trunk 
  6 
  Armored Car, Ballistic Armor, Brick / Stone Wall, Sheet Metal 
  7 
  Bomb Squad Armor, Reinforced Concrete, Stone Column 
  8 
  AFV Armor, Ship’s Hull, Street Pavement 
  9 
  Highway Pavement, Steel I-Beam, Plastisteel 
  10 
  Airport Runway, Transteel 
  11 
  Diamond 
  12 
  Progressium 
  13+ 
  Eternite 
   
  Power Tiers Table 
  TR 
  Power Tier 
  Initial Dice Pool 
  ½ 
  X 
  X 
  1 
  Human 
  Trait Max 3D 
  30 character creation dice, 
  plus up to 5 subplots dice 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  Metahuman 
  Trait Max 6D 
  60 character creation dice, 
  plus up to 10 subplots dice 
  5 
  6 
  7 
  Superhuman 
  Trait Max 9D 
  90 character creation dice, 
  plus up to 15 subplots dice 
  8 
  9 
  10 
  Ultrahuman 
  Trait Max 12D 
  120 character creation dice, 
  plus up to 20 subplots dice 
  11 
  12 
   
  Attributes 
  AGL 
   
  PER 
   
  EGO 
   
  FOR 
   
  PRO 
   
  EMP 
   
  STR 
   
  REF 
   
  INT 
   
  STAM 
   
  INIT 
   
  LUCK 
   
   
  Edges Listing 
  Accelerated Healing 
  Entitlement 
  Network 
  Access 
  Equestrian 
  Orator 
  Acrobat 
  Etiquette 
  Performer 
  Act 
  Evade 
  Persuade 
  Administrate 
  Exceptional Memory 
  Power Use 
  Alias 
  Favors 
  Profession 
  Animal Handler 
  Forgery 
  Quick Change 
  Art 
  Freefall 
  Quick Study 
  Attractive 
  Gambler 
  Ranged Combat 
  Awareness 
  Headquarters 
  Renown 
  B & E 
  Humanities 
  Researcher 
  Blind Fighting 
  Incredulity 
  Resistance 
  Bluff 
  Infamy 
  Scientist 
  Climb 
  Insight 
  Security Systems 
  Coerce 
  Internal Compass 
  Seduction 
  Contort 
  Intuition 
  Shadow 
  Converse 
  Knowledge 
  Sleight of Hand 
  Courage 
  Language 
  Stalwart 
  Criminologist 
  Legacy 
  Stealth 
  Cryptographer 
  Lipreader 
  Streetwise 
  Cybernetics 
  Mechanic 
  Survival 
  Danger Sense 
  Medic 
  Touch Combat 
  Demolitions 
  Melee Combat 
  Tracker 
  Disguise 
  Mental Combat 
  Trader 
  Dodge 
  Mental Discipline 
  Vehicle 
  Electronics 
  Mimic 
  Wealth 
  Enhanced Dexterity 
  Navigator 
  Weaponsmith 
  2 Edge Dice per Character Creation Die 
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  97 
   
  Power Tier Table 
  TR Range 
  Power Tier 
   
   
  1D to 3D 
  Human 
  1 
  2 
  4D to 6D 
  Metahuman 
  2 
  4 
  7D to 9D 
  Superhuman 
  3 
  6 
  10D to 12D 
  Ultrahuman 
  4 
  8 
   
  Powers Listing 
  Power 
  Type 
  Power 
  Type 
  Absorb 
  Def. 
  Lethal Strike  
  Att. 
  Accelerate 
  Misc. 
  Life Support 
  Alt. 
  Acute Sense 
  Sen. 
  Location Sense 
  Sen. 
  Additional Limbs 
  Alt. 
  Longevity 
  Misc. 
  Add. Sensory Group 
  Sen. 
  Magic 
  Misc. 
  Alter Locale 
  Alt. 
  Manipulate 
  Alt. 
  Analytic Sense 
  Sen. 
  Mental Blast 
  Att. 
  Armor 
  Def. 
  Mental Resistance 
  Def. 
  Blast 
  Att. 
  Mental Toughness 
  Def. 
  Boost Attribute 
  Alt. 
  Microscopic Sense 
  Sen. 
  Burrow 
  Mov. 
  Modified Attribute 
  Alt. 
  Cling 
  Mov. 
  Paracognition 
  Men. 
  Copy Power  
  Alt. 
  Penetrating Sense 
  Sen. 
  Cosmic Awareness  
  Sen. 
  Perceive Weakness 
  Sen. 
  Counter-Attack 
  Att. 
  Perception Shield 
  Def. 
  Damage Resistance 
  Def. 
  Power Array 
  Misc. 
  Dazzle 
  Att. 
  Power Pool 
  Misc. 
  Deflect 
  Def. 
  Psychic Dominion 
  Men. 
  Density Increase 
  Alt. 
  Psychokinesis 
  Men. 
  Detection 
  Sen. 
  Radio Sense 
  Sen. 
  Dimension Shift 
  Mov. 
  Rapid Attack 
  Att. 
  Enhanced Senses 
  Sen. 
  Regenerate 
  Alt. 
  Ensnare 
  Att. 
  Replicate 
  Alt. 
  Faster Than Light 
  Mov. 
  Resurrect 
  Alt. 
  Fear 
  Men. 
  Run 
  Mov. 
  Fly 
  Mov. 
  Shapeshift 
  Alt. 
  Force Barrier 
  Def. 
  Shrink 
  Alt. 
  Force Field 
  Def. 
  Shroud 
  Alt. 
  Grow 
  Alt. 
  Siphon 
  Alt. 
  Heal 
  Alt. 
  Steal Trait 
  Alt. 
  Illusion 
  Misc. 
  Stretch 
  Alt. 
  Immunity 
  Def. 
  Strike 
  Att. 
  Imperceptible 
  Alt. 
  Swim 
  Mov. 
  Intangible 
  Alt. 
  Swing 
  Mov. 
  Invoke 
  Misc. 
  Telepathy 
  Men. 
  Invulnerable 
  Def. 
  Teleport 
  Mov. 
  Karma Control 
  Misc. 
  Toughness  
  Alt. 
  Lack of Weakness 
  Def. 
  Tracking Sense 
  Sen. 
  Leap 
  Mov. 
  Trait Protection 
  Def 
  Leech 
  Alt. 
  Transform 
  Alt. 
  Lethal Blast 
  Att. 
  Universal Translation 
  Misc. 
   
  Power Types 
  Alteration 
  Defense 
  Miscellaneous 
  Attack 
  Mental 
  Movement 
   
   
  Sensory 
  Suggested Power Sources & Special Effects 
  Acid 
  Friction 
  Nullification 
  Air 
  Gravity 
  Pheromonal 
  Bio-Energy 
  Heat 
  Plasma 
  Chemical 
  Hypnosis 
  Psionic 
  Chi Focus 
  Ice 
  Quantum Forces 
  Cold 
  Inertia 
  Radiation 
  Cosmic 
  Ionic 
  Sound 
  Daemonic 
  Kinetic 
  Supernatural 
  Darkness 
  Lifeforce 
  Tachyon 
  Divine 
  Light 
  Temporal 
  Earth 
  Magic 
  Ultrasonic 
  Electricity 
  Magnetic 
  Vibration 
  Faerie 
  Mystic 
  Water 
  Fire 
  Nuclear 
  Zero-Point Energy 
   
  Sensory Groups 
  Auditory 
  Olfactory 
  Tactile 
  Magical 
  Psychic 
  Visual 
   
   
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  98 
   
  INDEX 
   
  Attacks, 9 
  Asphyxiation, 12 
  Attributes, 7, 14 
  Automatic Success, 11 
  Benchmarks Table, 6 
  Bonus Dice, 75 
  Boosters, 20 
   
  custom 23 
   
  standard, 20-21 
  Catatonic, 9 
  Character 
  Nightfall, 72 
  record sheet, 71 
  Combat 
   
  actions, 8 
   
   
  interrupt actions, 9 
   
   
  pre-combat actions, 9 
   
  features, 8 
   
  initiative, 8 
  round, 8 
  scale, 8 
   
  spaces, 8 
  Critically Wounded, 10 
  Damage, 9 
   
  dice, 9 
   
  effects, 9-11 
   
  environmental, 12-13 
   
  lethal damage from standard attacks, 11 
  Deprivation, 12 
  Disease, 13 
  Drowning, 12 
  Edges, 7, 15-19 
   
  descriptions, 15-19 
   
  listing 15 
  Example of Play, 80-87 
  Experience, 74 
  Falling, 12 
  Fate Dice, 6, 11 
   
  use, 11 
  Fiat Dice, 75 
  Healing, 11 
  Hideouts, 76 
  Horror, 12 
  Insanity, 12 
  Knocked Down, 11 
  Knocked Out, 10 
  Lakeport, 77-79 
  Limiters, 20 
   
  custom, 23 
   
  standard, 21-23 
  Materials Table, 6 
  Minions, 76 
  Powers, 7, 20-64 
   
   &  powers, 20 
   
   powers, 20 
   
  descriptions 24-64 
   
  listing, 23 
   
  types, 23 
  Power Feat, 11 
  Power Tiers, 7, 14 
   
  Power Tier Table, 20 
  Pressure, 13 
  Prone, 11 
  Radiation, 13 
  Suffocation, 12 
  Stunned, 10 
  Task Rolls, 5 
   
  difficulties, 5 
   
  opposed task roll example, 6 
  Reputation, 74 
  Setting, 77 
   
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  99 
   
  Subplots, 65-70 
   
  activation, 65 
   
  addiction, 65 
   
  adversary, 66 
   
  dependent, 66 
   
  distinct feature, 66 
   
  duty, 66 
   
  enemy, 67 
   
  experienced villains, 75 
   
  goal, 67 
   
  history, 67 
   
  hunter, 67 
   
  kryptonite, 68 
   
  mental problem, 68 
   
  moral code, 68 
   
  personality quirk, 68 
   
  physical problem, 69 
   
  poverty, 69 
   
  public identity, 69 
   
  rage, 69 
   
  secret, 70 
   
  social problem, 70 
   
  susceptibility, 70 
  Supervillains 
   
  Aunt Arctica, 88 
   
  Black Arrow, 89 
   
  Clockwork, 90 
   
  Fiat Dice, 75 
   
  Hideouts, 76 
   
  Madame Motley, 91 
   
  Meteorica, 92 
   
  Minions, 76 
  Mister Maul, 73 
  Recurring, 75 
  Secrets, 75-76 
   
  Shadow Tiger, 93 
   
  Subplot Activation, 75 
   
  Teams, 76 
   
  Techno, 94 
   
  Thundara, 95 
   
  Villainous Reputation, 76 
  Throwback, 11 
  Toxin, 13 
  Traits, 7 
   
  attributes (see above) 
   
  powers (see above) 
  Traumatized, 10 
  Vacuum, 13 
  Wounded, 10 
   
  THE FINAL WORD… 
   
   
  And that word is perseverance.  The 2020 Pandemic 
  lockdowns in Iowa hit about two weeks after GamiCon 
  Copper in Cedar Rapids was over – I typically volunteer to 
  help out with the game auction, but I’d jumped in with both 
  feet and helped with everything that time around.  To 
  paraphrase Dale Horvath from The Walking Dead, if I’d 
  known it was going to be the last face-to-face gaming I’d do 
  this year, I would have signed up for more events. 
  As I usually do when my normal gaming outlets are 
  closed to me, I work on gaming stuff.  The last time that 
  happened was a decade ago when I was working retail and 
  didn’t have a set schedule.  That period produced my first 
  set of tabletop roleplaying games – Survivors of the Fire, 
  Distant Worlds, Damned Are The Living, and the FUGLI 
  Core Rules. 
   
  The alpha rules test happened in May with the fine folks 
  behind the Babies with Knives YouTube Channel.  That 
  pointed up a lot of game mechanics problems with that 
  particular ruleset which had me going back to the keyboard 
  to try and remedy them.  It took most of the summer for me 
  to realize that the problems just couldn’t be fixed 
  satisfactorily without further complicating an already 
  complex set of rules. 
   
  At that particular crossroads, I actually set the project 
  aside for a couple of weeks.  During that summer, my 
  mother was hospitalized for a month, my best friend had 
  been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and I went through 
  a scare where I thought I was having another stroke (my 
  first one was three days after Christmas in 2012).  And, of 
  course, there was a pandemic going on, too. 
   
  It would have been easy to just set the game aside and 
  decide that this just wasn’t the year for this sort of project.  
  Problem is, I’ve been trying to write a superhero genre 
  TTRPG off and on for over ten years.  I just couldn’t let this 
  one go. 
   
  Those of you who are familiar with my other games will 
  recognize the mechanics of this one.  By reinventing the 
  wheel, I think I’ve finally given the FUGLI system the 
  revamp it needed to make it better.  I can honestly say that 
  I’m happy with what the original concept has become – four 
  nearly complete rewrites later. 
   
  I’m looking forward to playing this game face-to-face 
  with my friends once again, after the pandemic finally 
  subsides to the point where some semblance of normalcy 
  is restored in our daily lives.  For now, I’ll settle for virtual 
  gaming and writing supplements for this particular offering. 
   
  Anyway, I do hope you enjoy the XD12 Superhero 
  System, and thanks for your patience while I was thrashing 
  around getting it done. 
   
  -- Matt Frisbee 
  Your Friendly Neighborhood Game Designer 
  October 2020 
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  100 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  101 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  XD12 GAMES 
   
   
  102 
   
   SUPER ACTION!     SUPER THRILLS!    SUPER ADVENTURE! 
   
   
  Take on the role of a COMIC BOOK SUPERHERO fighting legions of nefarious 
  criminals, monsters, and supervillains!  YOU create the hero YOU want to play 
  with a simple, yet comprehensive ruleset that allows for a wide variety of 
  character archetypes and customization!  The XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM 
  uses unique and easy game mechanics to resolve character tasks and combat 
  so players and referees can focus being the heroes who are saving the day!   
   
  Characters in continuing campaigns will be able to develop and improve 
  existing powers and abilities, or gain new ones, while garnering the admiration 
  and respect of the people with rules for experience and reputation! 
   
  The XD12 SUPERHERO SYSTEM includes all the rules needed to create heroes 
  and villains, a complete set of game rules, nine supervillains, a sample hero, a 
  setting outline, rules for running (and improving) supervillains, a character 
  sheet, and helpful tables for the referee.  In addition, each player and the referee 
  will need a handful of twelve-sided dice, a couple of six-sided dice, writing 
  instruments, scratch paper, a love for superheroes, and lots of imagination for 
  hours of fun and excitement!  Get your copy today from XD12 GAMES! 
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/XD12 System/XD12 Superhero System.pdf