This section gives the House Rules on Limitations, Advantages, and Power Frameworks for Hero Games. Most of the rules here are focussed on Champions, but can be used for any Hero game such as Fantasy Hero. There are also new modifiers, such as Puncture, Area Effect (Ring), and END Delay, which are modifiers that show up now and again, and are very useful, so have been given a full writeup. Several new ideas were given and hashed out in the Champions Mailing list.

AREA EFFECT (ANY AREA): Of all the area effect advantages, this provides the most pathetic size for cost. The area is doubled, so that each 5 active points of the power 1 hex of area is produced. Albeit still quite small compared to the other area effects (especially radius), this results in a more useful construct.

AREA EFFECT (LINE): The advantage Explosion may be added to the cost of an ordinary AE: Line, making the area more devastating. Explosive Lines do full damage along the original effect of the line, then each hex line perpendicular to the line loses one DC of effect per hex (making a really wide, rectangular explosion that loses power to the sides but is full potency down the center).

AREA EFFECT (SELECTIVE): Instead of rolling to hit the targets in the area that you wish to hit, the attacker rolls to hit each target in the area he does not wish to hit. This is done at each target's full DCV. Thus, instead of naturally missing who you wish, the selective area will hit everyone in the area unless it is carefully placed.

AUTOFIRE: Doubling the number of shots for Autofire is a +1/4 advantage, not +1/2. 5 more shots is not as useful as the original 5, because you have to hit by an increasing number of success to get each shot to land. It also chews through charges and/or END at an increasingly accellerated rate.

DAMAGE SHIELD: Presently in the rules a Damage Shield will not function with a simple strike or contact, which is different than many would assume it works based on the concept of, for example, The Human Torch. As such, an additional advantage is allowed:
Aggressive Damage Shield: This type of Damage Shield will do its damage when the character makes any sort of contact with another object, such as Strikes, Move Bys, etc. This is in addition to the other circumstances in which the Damage Shield deals damage (Grabs, being attacked by another character). Note that strictly, the character will constantly do damage to whatever surface they are on; GMs may wish to disregard this effect, or grant a Limitation if this effect is appropriate for the character.

Aggressive Damage Shield: an extra +1/2 advantage on Damage Shield

EXPLOSION: Explosion can be purchased as a Line effect instead, doing full damage at the first two hexes of the line, and losing 1 damage class per 2 hexes down the line, until it tapers off to nothing at the end. Alternately, the line can do full damage in the center two hexes, and lose 1 DC for each hex away from that in either direction so both ends do minimal damage. Explosion can also be defined so that when it goes off, the damage is reversed: it does full damage at the maximum distance, and least damage immediately at the center of the explosion.

NO NORMAL DEFENSE: Due to the absence of Minimum costs for most powers, NND must be defined against a minimum level of defense (typically the minimum cost suggested in the book), to negate the possibility of buying every defense at 1 point for protection against NNDs. Note, this will result in a smack upside the head by the GM.

Always hits still suffers from the normal restrictions of the power it is bought for, if it is bought on a mental power, then it still requires Line of Sight, if it does stun damage, it will have no effect on an automoton that takes no stun, if it is bought on a normal energy blast, it has its normal range and will not strike a target that is completely concealed behind a barrier. Always Hits is not Indirect, it does not ignore barriers or line of sight. Normal defenses still apply, and when the character is hit, hit locations are determined (if any) and defenses apply as usual. This can be a very dangerous power if bought with certain advantages, such as NND and Autofire. Powers with this advantage are considered special attacks - thus autofire and Reduced END are increased in cost.

Always Hits: +1 Advantage

AREA EFFECT (GROUP): This Area Effect advantage causes a powerl to work on all members of a specific, defined group. All characters of this group within the area are affected by the power, but no others are affected. The area is not very large, only 1" radius for each 20 active points in the power (excluding this advantage), and is spherical in shape.

• Very narrow, specific group: My twin brothers, Eldest female member of the Elven Noble Houses: +1/2 advantage
• Narrow, Specific Group: Immediate Family members, members of the President's Secret Service bodyguard: +1 advantage
• Specific Group: Knights of the Round Table, extended family members, All town members over the age of 80: +1 1/4 advantage
• Broad Group: Nobility of the Kingdom, those bearing a special ring, all town members over the age of 20: + 1 1/2 advantage

The kind of group that can be affected and the type of power this can be cast on must be defined carefully and the advantage can only be used with specific GM permission.

Some examples include:
• Group Heal: 2D6 heal (as damage) to all members of the party [Specific Group, +1¼]
• Smart Bomb: 1D6 Killing Attack, only hits orcs of the White Hand [Broad Group, +1½]
• Clone Bomb: 4D6 Killing Attack, only affects my clone [Very specific Group, +½]
• Closed Circuit Radio: Radio Two Way, only affects those with CCR headset (bought Megascale) [Broad Group, +1½]

AREA EFFECT (MENTAL): This area effect is not limited by space, rather by the number of minds effected. Powers bought with Area Effect: Mental must be either mental powers, or those purchased with the advantage Based on Ego Combat Value. All powers that take this advantage have no range automatically, it cannot be purchased as a limitation on the power. A mental area effect uses the mind scan modifiers as to how many minds the mentalist can effect. Only valid targets that the mentalist can perceive can be effected. This can be combined with Mind Scan to effect a large number of targets from a great distance, affecting minds in the area around the place the mind scan targets. This advantage is inherently selective but only one roll is made and those that the mentalist fails his attack roll on are not effected.

Area Effect (Mental): +1 Advantage

AREA EFFECT (RING): This is a hollow circle 1 hex thick, with an outer radius the same size as Area Effect: Radius (1" per 5 active points in radius). The +1/4 Advantage may double either the radius or the thickness.

Area Effect (Ring): +1/2 advantage.

AREA EFFECT (WALL): This is an advantage that can only be applied to Constant Powers that affect others; it treats the power similar to a Force Wall. The power has 1" of wall for each 5 active points, which can be reconfigured to different heights, shapes, etc, and if it is enclosed will create a dome effect (covering the enclosure). The Power with this advantage can have the options of force wall such as Opaque and One Way. Anything attempting to pass through the wall is affected by the power, and the area cannot be moved. Making the area larger costs +1/4 to double its area.

EXAMPLE: Flaming Celery can project a powerful ring of fire around his foes to keep them from running. This flaming circle entraps the targets, but does no damage unless they try to pass through the barrier it forms.

Area Effect (Wall): +1 Advantage

CUMULATIVE AUTOFIRE: This advantage may be applied only to attacks bought with the advantage Autofire. It allows a character to add up the total dice of damage and apply them as one attack. This advantage can be incredibly powerful and must be monitored carefully by the GM, remembering that this is treated as an attack against special defenses, increasing the normal cost of the Autofire advantage.

Cumulative Autofire: +1 1/2 Advantage

EFFICIENT: An Efficient power is one that is less reliant on dice for it's effect. Each level of Efficient raises the minimum any one die can roll by 1, but has no effect on the maximum roll.

Autofire powers bought with this should be considered attacks against a "special defense", thus requiring an additional +1 advantage, as it makes some autofire effects horrible.

Efficient is an odd advantage, one best suited for effects that never "fizzle," or to represent powers that the PC is very experienced with. As such, it requires a very good reason to be bought, GM approval should be obtained before using.

Efficient: +1/4 for each level

END DELAY: Endurance cost is normally paid each phase a power is used. With this advantage, the END cost can be paid with a longer delay, a step up the time chart for each +1/4 paid. This, like Charges, cannot have more than a +1/2 advantage, and only can be purchased on Constant powers. When a power with this advantage is first used, the END is paid that phase, then the delay occurs.

Endurance Delay: +1/4 advantage per level

END ONLY TO START: With this advantage, the power costs double it's normal END cost to cast, and none from that point on. If the power is changed in any way, such as altering defenses, spreading, or so forth, the END cost must be spend again, double normal. Be aware that this advantage can be very powerful when combined with certain advantages, especially uncontrolled. It obviously only applies to Constant Powers.

Endurance Only to Start: +1/4 Advantage

IGNORES DAMAGE REDUCTION: This advantage is bought on attacks, and the damage that exceeds defenses ignores at least some of the Damage Reduction the target has bought. This can be very brutal to a person who relies on Damage Reduction like affects desolidification can be to the desolidified character. This is a +14 advantage for each 25% of Damage Reduction that the attack ignores.

If the Damage Reduction is bought with the Hardened Defense advantage, this effect is negated, similar to armor piercing. Like Armor Piercing, you can buy an additional level of Ignores Damage Reduction to defeat the hardening, and back and forth.

Ignores Damage Reduction: +1/4 Advantage for each level

INCREASED KNOCKBACK: This advantage reduces the dice rolled for knockback by 1D6 on the attack it is bought on.

Increased Knockback: +1/2 advantage each level

KILLING DAMAGE: This advantage turns the Body damage of an Energy Blast into a killing attack, that is, the BOD damage requires resistant defenses to defend against.

Killing Damage: +1/2 advantage

PIERCING: An attack bought with the Piercing advantage punches through the amount of defense equal to the body rolled on the attack. This is a +1/2 advantage and may be doubled (literally) for an additional +1/2, thus reducing the defenses by 2 for each 1 BOD rolled on the dice. Count the BOD rolled on the dice as if this a normal attack. This makes the power very lethal against low defenses but not very potent against very high defenses.

Piercing: +1/2 advantage

RANGE BASED ON STRENGTH: If a power is normally no range, this advantage may be bought as a half step to ranged. It allows the attack to be used at range as if it were an object to be thrown, useful for such attacks as daggers and grenades. The distance the attack can be thrown is based on its weight and the character's strength. This can be bought for other characteristics (usually EGO) as well.

Range Based on Strength: +1/4 Advantage

RELIABLE: Although this costs nothing, it is technically a modifier, as it enables the character to change how a power behaves. Reliable makes every die rolled roughly average, so that a D6 roll becomes 3 every time. This means that it never will be high, nor low, but is predictable. This should have a magnifying glass next to it, as it should be used judiciously. In the 5th edition rules this is referred to as "Standard Effect." This advantage may not be bought with Efficient, above.

Reliable: +0 advantage

SEEKING: With this advantage, the attack will continue to attempt to hit a target until it succeeds. It is similar to continuous, in that the effect will act on it's own, on the attacker's phases, but different in that it will only take effect once. The attack is launched and the attacker must guide the attack, taking a half phase rolling to hit each phase until the attack succeeds. The Seeking power costs END each phase the character (and thus Seeking Attack) acts on, and requires the attacker to be able to perceive the target for it to hit. Only one Seeking attack can be after a target at once, unless the advantage "Uncontrolled" is purchased for the power. The attacker cannot launch another attack while the seeker is in effect unless it was bought with the Uncontrolled advantage.
If a Seeking attack is purchased with charges, then the charges must be bought with a duration on them (the power need not be built continuous) and the power will seek its target for the duration of the charge. If the attacker cannot see the target any longer, the seeker will launch into a straight line like a normal attack that missed, and stop when it hits a surface or at it's maximum range. The direction traveled may be determined randomly if not clear, and as such may return to the attacker!

The seeking power may be shut off at any time by the attacker. Autofire must be bought with the extra cost if this advantage is used.

Seeking is best used for helicopter-style 'mask and unmask' type of attacks, and with limited uses.

For a +1/2 advantage, the attacker can switch targets on his phase, choosing another person for the seeker to go after.

Seeking, Base level: +1/4 advantage

Can change targets: +1/2 advantage

VARIABLE EFFECT: This advantage allows powers to be used more flexibly than normally possible. Energy blast with this may be used as stun only or normal; an area effect attack with this may be used as a normal blast or as the area effect, and so forth. A very partial list of examples would be:

• Changing the PD or ED level of a defense power such as Force Field without changing the other defense
• Using a power with an advantage, such as Area Effect, with or without the advantage
• Varying the size of an Area Effect such as Radius or Ring to smaller than its full area covered
• Making the attack normal or stun only
• Varying the DEF and BOD of an Entangle attack
• Limiting the senses affected by a Darkness or Images power

This cannot be used to represent any effect that another power or advantage already does, it simply allows simple variation with the power - typically lowering it. The GM must keep a close watch on the power, as it often can be better represented with a Multipower, and has great potential for abuse.

Variable Effect: +1/4 advantage

ACTIVATION ROLLS: As can be seen below, an attacker can subtract from a target's activation roll for armor with skill levels (see combat). If the armor cannot be taken advantage of in such a way, the activation limitation is worth -1/4 less than normal (-1 1/2 becomes -1 1/4)

SIDE EFFECTS: At the present cost, very low power effects are severely punished by this advantage. Thus, the chart is slightly different:

ARMOR DOES NOT PREVENT PENETRATION: This is bought on any defense that does not actually bounce the attack, but has the effect of it passing through entirely. Attacks against such armor would still trigger such effects as poison darts whose venom only takes effect when it penetrates defenses. Example: Bob the fearless Vampire slayer fires his .45 at a vampire, and the bullets simply tear through him, doing little actual damage. Anything behind the vampire takes the full damage of the attack, however.

Does Not Prevent Penetration: -1/4 limitation

DELAYED USE: With this Limitation, a power can only be used after a given period of time has passed. The power may be used immediately, but then not again until the phase after the time limit is up. The Limitation varies based on the delay between uses, based on the time chart:

DETERIORATION: This limitation represents a power that loses some of it's defense or body with time. This can apply to Entangle, Force Walls, or any static construct that has a defense or body, and the amount that deteriorates is given a value as follows:

RANGE BASED ON STRENGTH: If a power normally has range, it may be bought with this limitation. It allows the attack to be used at range as if it were an object to be thrown, useful for such attacks as daggers and grenades. The distance the attack can be thrown is based on its weight and the character's strength. This can be bought for other characteristics (usually EGO) as well.

Range Based on Strength: -1/4 Limitation

RESISTABLE: A Resistable power is one that can be reduced or negated in effect by the target in addition to their normal defenses. A Resistable power is affected by whatever normal defenses apply, if any, then the victim is able to make a roll to resist it's effect. The roll to resist is an Ego Roll by default, but can be any other skill or characteristic roll if desired. The limitation given by being Resistable is as follows:

Frameworks include Multipower, Power Pool, Elemental Control, and Packages. Each one gives a benefit for having a tight concept, and often greater flexibility for the character. These constructs strongly encourage a good concept for the character by giving a bonus to someone who thinks in terms of a well-defined character. All powers that go into any power framework must receive GM approval, and if given such approval, any power can be placed in a framework. Frameworks, as the rules point out, cannot be put within other frameworks (so you cannot have a multipower in your power pool, for example), with the single exception that a package if built properly can be. This construct usually is best used in Multipowers, where a single slot has several small powers that turn on at the same time and if bought as individual slots would cost more than adding them all up and placing in one slot.

ELEMENTAL CONTROL: Highly skill-based characters such as detectives and scientists may buy their closely related skills in an Elemental Control, with GM approval. Elemental Controls are always only acceptable with a very good reason and a tight conception, typically to represent one power used several different ways. Also, a Drain may be targeted at an opponent's EC control cost, which lower all powers in the EC by as much as it is lowered.

MULTIPOWER: According to the rules, you may change multipower slots only on the beginning of your phase, which is not used in this campaign. You may change your multipower once per half phase, but not after an attack. You may still abort your next phase to change a slot, however. Players should be aware that a drain can be bought that will affect the multipower pool, and will therefore lower the level that every power in the multipower can be used at, and negate many if not all ultra powers.

POWER POOL: Characters who take a Power Pool may not, under any circumstances, change their powers nor add any to the pool during play. Characters may change powers during a lull such as a food break, when their character is unconscious, etc, but not during action. You must come to the game with a list of powers available to you, and can only add to that or alter it between games or during a break. This list is what the character can use to choose from for the pool, and only this list. This is a game play rule, not a character creation rule, and it is to keep things moving smoothly. Players doing so surreptitiously will be ignored when their DEX comes up until they cease their actions, sorry, but that kind of delay makes the game much less fun for other players.

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