Combat

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When super heroes meet super villains—or even other super heroes—combat often ensues. The *Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game* presents combat as a series of rounds and turns.

A round represents roughly five seconds of time. During each round, each combatant gets to take a turn.

## SEQUENCE OF PLAY

Here is the order of events for combat:

1. Determine positions.
2. Roll initiative checks to determine the initiative order.
3. Start a new round.
4. Each character takes their turn in initiative order.
5. If the combatants still are able and want to fight, go back to Step 3.
6. Otherwise, the combat ends.

## DETERMINE POSITIONS

Most of the time, a character’s exact position doesn’t matter that much, but during combat, it can become a matter of life or death. When a combat starts, the players work together to figure out where everyone involved in the combat is located.

If you’re using a battlemat or virtual tabletop, place the figures or icons where they belong in those spaces. Otherwise, simple descriptions should be enough.

### Line of Sight

Some powers and attacks require the character to be able to see their target. This is called having a line of sight.

If it’s unclear if a character can see a particular thing, they should make a Vigilance check against a TN the Narrator assigns.

### Earshot

Some powers and attacks require the character to be able to hear or speak to their target. This is called being within earshot.

If it’s unclear if a character can hear a particular thing, they should make a Vigilance check against a TN the Narrator assigns.

### Range

Some powers and attacks have a range listed within feet.

* Any attacks within this range are treated normally.
* Any attacks up to double this range have trouble.
* Attacks beyond double the range are impossible.

For example, if the range is 100 feet, attacks at targets within 100 feet are treated normally. From 100 to 200 feet, they have trouble. Beyond that, the attack can’t be made.

### Size

Most characters are Average size, but certain powers and traits can cause a character to be larger or smaller. The Size Categories table lists:

* The rough mass of things of various sizes.
* The modifier Average-sized characters apply to attacks against things of that size.
* The modifier Average-sized characters apply to damage when they hit something that size.
* It also lists the standard reach for a character of that size, in feet. (*Reach* is the maximum distance a target can be away for a character to be able to attack it in fight combat.)

There are additional sizes going all the way down to the quantum realm, but these don’t affect most characters.

Note that the attack and damage modifiers are relative. An attacker gains a +2 attack modifier for every step that a target is larger than them, and a –2 attack modifier for every step a target is smaller than them.

For instance, a Tiny character attacking another Tiny character would have no attack modifier due to size. Either of them, however, would get a +8 to their action check when attacking an Average-sized character. If the attack is successful, they’d also subtract 8 from their damage.

The attack modifier should also be applied to attempts to detect someone who’s sneaking or hiding. An Average-sized person trying to spot a Diminutive-sized person who’s hiding, for example, would suffer a –4 penalty to their action check.

## INITIATIVE

At the start of combat, each combatant makes an *initiative check* by rolling d616 and adding their *Initiative Modifier*. This check automatically succeeds and cannot be botched.

The players each roll for their respective heroes, while the Narrator rolls for the other characters. If the combat includes large groups of identical combatants (a platoon of Hydra soldiers, for instance), the Narrator can make a roll for each group, and each combatant in that group acts at the same initiative number.

The Narrator then sorts the combatants in order from the highest initiative check result to the lowest. If two initiative checks are tied, but one combatant got a fantastic success, that combatant goes first. If neither or both rolled fantastic successes, the combatant with the higher initiative modifier goes first. If the initiative modifiers are also tied, PCs go first. If there’s still a tie, roll off.

The sorted list is called the *initiative order*, and it persists from round to round during this combat. For each new combat, you roll to set up a new initiative order.

### The Bonus Round

Characters that get a fantastic roll on their initiative check get to take part in a bonus round before the regular combat begins. Only those characters can take a turn in this bonus round, and they do so in the regular initiative order. After they’re done, the first regular round begins.

## TAKING A TURN

On a character’s turn, they can take one *easy action*, one *standard action*, and one *movement action*. They can take these actions in any order, and they can take their easy and standard actions at any point before, during, or after their movement action.

A character also gets one *reaction* per round. A reaction can temporarily interrupt the initiative order to allow the character to respond to a trigger of some kind, either on their turn or another combatant’s turn. If a reaction interrupts another combatant’s turn, the initiative order returns to that combatant after the reaction ends. Once a character takes a reaction, they can’t take another one until the start of their next turn.

## DELAYING THINGS

In some circumstances, a character might want to delay some or all of their actions and take them later in the initiative order.

### Holding a Turn

When a character’s turn arrives in the initiative order, they can choose to *hold* their turn instead of taking it. To hold a turn, they voluntarily reduce their own initiative check to a lower number. They can specify the new number when they start holding, or they can leave it undefined until they decide to take their turn.

A character holding a turn can take it just before or just after another character’s turn. Once a character starts their turn, they cannot be interrupted by a held turn—although someone could interrupt them with a reaction instead.

When a character takes a held turn, their initiative check becomes fixed at its new place in the initiative order for the rest of the combat. If they hold their turn until the next round starts and take the held action before their next turn would have arrived in the initiative order, their initiative check rises to that new number for the rest of the combat.

No character gets to take two turns in the same round, and they don’t ever regain the time spent holding. If two or more holding characters want to act at the same time, the character who began holding first gets to go first.

A character cannot hold their turn if they are currently falling or affected by any ongoing condition that takes effect at the start or end of their turn.

### Reserving an Action

Instead of taking an easy action, movement action, or standard action on their turn, a character can choose to *reserve* that action and use it later with their reaction. (Normally, reactions can only be used to activate powers that require a reaction.) They simply state the action they plan to take and the conditions that would trigger them to take it.

The reserved action must be one the character could carry out with the action reserved. For example, they cannot reserve an easy action to make an attack.

If the trigger conditions are met before the character’s next turn, they can use their reaction to take the reserved action. If they do not have a reaction available—because they spent it, or for any other reason—they cannot take the reserved action.

The reserved action takes place immediately when the trigger conditions are met, interrupting the turn of whoever is currently acting until the reserve action is complete. The reserving character’s place in the initiative order does not change.

**Example:** Captain America is working his way into a Hydra headquarters when he’s spotted. On his move, he races around a corner, out of sight, and then stops. His player declares that he’s reserving his standard action to punch anyone that comes around the corner after him.

## EASY ACTIONS

For their easy action, a character can communicate with another character, end certain conditions, interact with something, or otherwise do something relatively safe and easy. A character can take their easy action at any point before, during, or after their movement action, and before or after their standard action.

With an easy action, a character can:

* **Activate, maintain, or end certain powers or conditions.**
* **Communicate:** This involves relaying detailed instructions or information to anyone in earshot. Shouting a brief phrase or warning doesn’t require any action at all.
* **Grab an ally.**
* **Interact with Something:** This includes simple tasks like reloading a firearm, opening a window or a door, retrieving an item from a drawer, throwing a switch, donning a mask, handing an item to an ally, and so on.
* **Pick Up a Smaller Thing:** The character can pick up a character or object smaller than their own Size. To pick up an enemy, they must *grab* that enemy first.
* **Stand Up:** If a character is prone and has no enemies nearby, they can stand up.

## STANDARD ACTIONS

When taking a standard action, a character can activate a power, make an attack, or engage in some other risky, intense, or difficult activity. Or they can use their standard action to take an additional easy or movement action instead.

A character can take their standard action at any point before, during, or after their movement action, and before or after their easy action.

With a standard action, a character can:

* **Activate, maintain, or end certain powers or conditions.**
* **Aid an Ally.** This grants that ally an edge on their next standard action.
* **Attack.**
* **Dodge.** Attacks made against the character have trouble until the character’s next turn. This costs 5 Focus.
* **Escape a Grab:** Make a Might/Agility vs. Might/Agility check to escape.
* **Grab an Enemy:** If the target is in the character’s reach, make a Might vs. Might/Agility check. On a success, the character grabs the enemy. On a fantastic success, the character *pins* the enemy too.
* **Interact with Something:** This includes tasks that require an action check. The Narrator determines the target number.
* **Pick Up Something:** The character can pick up a character or object their own Size or one step bigger. To pick up an enemy, they must *grab* that enemy first.
* **Prepare:** This gives them an edge on their next standard action. This lasts until they take a standard action, take damage, or gain a negative condition, like being grabbed.
* **Throw Something.**

### Attack

There are two different kinds of attacks: fight and ranged. Fight attacks are made with fists and handheld weapons. Ranged attacks are made with guns, bows, and many kinds of powers.

For a Fight attack, the target must be within the attacker’s *reach*. For Average-sized characters, that’s 5 feet. The attacker makes a Might check versus the target’s Agility defense. If the attack succeeds, it inflicts the attacker’s Fight Damage, or the damage of the weapon they’re using, whichever is greater.

For a Ranged attack, the target must be within the attacker’s line of sight and the weapon’s range. The attacker makes an Agility check versus the target’s Agility defense. If the attack succeeds, it inflicts the attacker’s Ranged Damage, or the damage of the weapon they’re using, whichever is greater.

If the attacker uses a weapon, the weapon determines the damage type, usually bashing, piercing, or slashing. Bullets and arrows do piercing damage, for example, while a sword does slashing damage.

### Throw Something

In general, the range for throwing an object the character’s own Size is 10 feet, plus 2 feet for every point of the character’s Might.

For each step in Size the object is smaller than the character, double the range. Characters cannot throw things that are bigger than their own Size.

For each object thrown, make a single Agility attack check and compare that to the Agility defenses of the target. On any success, the target takes the attacker’s Ranged Damage. Add the greater of the attacker’s Agility or Might to the damage. On a fantastic success, the target is also knocked prone.

The damage type is determined by the nature of whatever was thrown. Usually it’s bashing, but sometimes it could be piercing or slashing.

The thrown object also takes damage from hitting its targets.

## REACTIONS

Many powers can be used with a special kind of action called a reaction. These are triggered by something else happening in the game.

There are two basic ways anyone can use a reaction during combat as well, without any power necessary.

### Interpose

**Trigger:** An ally within the character’s reach is the target of an attack that does not also target the character.

**Effect:** The character moves (for free) to stand between the ally and the attacker, becoming the new target of the attack. The attacker’s TN for the attack is the lower of the character’s defense or the ally’s defense.

### Skulk

**Trigger:** The chararcter is a target of an attack, and an ally within their reach is not a target of that attack.

**Effect:** The character moves (for free) behind their ally, and the ally becomes the new target of the attack. The attacker’s TN for the attack is the lower of the character’s defense or the ally’s defense.

## MOVEMENT ACTIONS

When a character takes a movement action, they can use a power requiring a movement action, end certain conditions, or simply move. Or they can use their movement action to take an easy action instead.

A character can take their other actions at any point before, during, or after their movement action. In other words, a character can split their movement action up with other types of actions.

For example, a character can move, take a standard action, move a bit more, take an easy action, and then finish their move, all in a single turn.

With a movement action, a character can:

* **Activate, maintain, or end certain powers or conditions.**
* **Carry Something:** Carrying something smaller than the character’s Size does not affect their movement. Carrying something their own Size cuts their movement in half. Characters cannot normally carry something larger than their own Size.
* **Move.**
* **Stand Up.** If a character is prone and is within reach of enemies, the character can use their movement action to stand up. (This is an easy action otherwise.)

## TYPES OF MOVEMENT

When a character moves, they can travel a distance up to their Speed. Depending on their super-powers, they may have several different modes of movement, each with its own Speed.

Every character automatically has running and swimming as movement modes. Powers and traits can give them additional modes.

### Combining Modes

Characters can combine two or more modes of travel in the same movement action. For instance, if they begin their turn underwater, they could swim to the surface and then fly to a nearby building. When combining two or more modes of travel, a character must use whichever mode has the lowest Speed for them as their overall Speed for that movement action.

### Flying

A flying character can choose to start freefalling at the end of their movement action. In this way, they can use gravity to add to their Speed for a controlled dive.

### Gliding

The character can glide at their listed Speed. At the end of each turn, they lose altitude equal to half their Speed.

A gliding character can choose to start freefalling at the end of their movement action. In this way, they can use gravity to add to their Speed for a controlled dive.

### Swinglining

Swinglining consists of swinging from place to place on a series of lines, like Spider-Man does on his webs. A character can swingline at their listed Speed. They can also swing up or down as far as their swingline can reach.

The character must be within their swingline’s reach of an anchor to continue swinglining. Otherwise, they fall at the end of their turn.

### Teleporting

The character can teleport between any two open points at their listed Speed. If they end their teleportation in thin air, they fall at the end of their turn.

### Sneaking

A character who doesn’t want to be observed while moving can sneak. This cuts their Speed in half. To sneak, the character makes an Agility check. Their result becomes the TN for a Vigilance (perception) roll for anyone who might spot them.

### Towing

Sometimes a character grabs or pins a target with a line like a rope, a chain, a webline, and so on. This mostly works just like grabbing or pinning the target normally, except as follows:

* The character can move toward the target, or the target can move toward the character, as a movement action.
* If the character is strong enough to pick up the target, they can use the line to tow the target behind them.
* If the character is strong enough to carry the target they can reel the target toward them on the line as a movement action, moving the target at the character’s standard Speed.
* If the character is strong enough to throw the target, they can use the line to throw the target as a standard action, dealing Fight physical (bashing) damage to the target and whatever the target hits. If they throw the target within the current distance to the target, the target remains grabbed/pinned. Otherwise, they must release the target or the line.
* If the target is strong enough to throw the character, they can move away from the character as a movement action. The character can then release the line with their reaction or be towed behind the target.
* Other characters do not suffer trouble when attacking the character or the grabbed target.

## FALLING

Anytime a character ends a movement action in midair, they fall up to 500 feet at the end of their turn. If they don’t hit anything, they keep falling turn after turn until they do.

### Falling Damage

If a character hits something when they land, they—and whatever they hit—suffer 1d6 bashing damage for every 10 feet they fell, for the first 30 feet. Then add +5 for every 15 feet after that, to a maximum of +150.

If that damage destroys whatever was struck, the character takes the damage, smashes through it, and keeps falling. Otherwise, the impact halts the fall.

### Controlled Landing

A character with the jumping movement mode can subtract their jumping Speed from the number of feet they fell. This reflects their ability to make a controlled landing.

### Odd Landings

If the character is unfortunate enough to fall into boiling magma or onto barbed wire, the Narrator can apply a different damage subtype to the falling damage.

If the character is fortunate enough to fall onto a soft surface such as hay, water, or snow, the Narrator can reduce the damage by half or more.

## DEALING DAMAGE

Most of the time, when a character hits a target, they deal damage to it.

The amount of damage dealt is usually either the attacker’s Fight Damage or their Ranged Damage. Fight Damage is typically dealt by punches, kicks, body slams, and other physical attacks, while Ranged Damage is dealt by many super-powers and some ranged weapons and devices.

### Fantastic Damage

Most damage is a roll of up to 3d6 plus a modifier. If a character gets a fantastic result when rolling for damage, they have the option of dealing *knockback* to the victim.

For every 10 points of damage done, the victim is knocked back 5 feet. If this causes them to smash into something, they take damage as if they’d been thrown into the obstacle, as does the thing they smashed into.

### Damage Types and Subtypes

Damage is divided into *types* and *subtypes* that determine the harm caused by the damage, the mechanism by which damage is dealt, and the type of protection that protects against it.

There are two damage types. Physical injuries cause *Health damage* and mental injuries cause *Focus damage*.

There are ten damage subtypes, each of which reflects a different kind of damage:

* **Acid** damage chemically corrodes, dissolves, or melts the target.
* **Bashing** damage physically bruises, batters, or crushes the target.
* **Cold** damage physically crystallizes, freezes, or frostbites the target.
* **Energy** damage energetically annihilates, blasts, or zaps the target.
* **Heat** damage physically burns, melts, or scorches the target.
* **Force** damage energetically concusses, impacts, or slams the target.
* **Piercing** damage physically impales, pokes, or penetrates the target. It also causes bleeding.
* **Psychic** damage psychically blasts, batters, or overwhelms the target.
* **Shock** damage energetically electrocutes, ionizes, or shocks the target.
* **Slashing** damage physically cuts, lacerates, or slices the target. It also causes bleeding.

Damage type and subtype can be mixed in any combination. For instance, if the Punisher lays down suppressive fire with a submachine gun, he is dealing damage of the piercing subtype (using bullets) but Focus type (because he’s trying to cause fear and stress in the enemy, represented by damage to their Focus).

### Damage Format

The method used to make the attack specifies the amount, damage type, and subtypes. When indicating damage, the format used is “[damage amount] [damage type] [(damage subtype)] damage.”

For instance: “3d6 Health (bashing) damage.”

In many cases, the damage amount is dictated by the attacker’s Fight Damage or Ranged Damage. Those terms then replace the dice for the damage amount. For example, “Fight Health (bashing) damage” or “Ranged Focus (piercing) damage.”

### Damage Resistance

Some targets may be protected by *damage resistance* or *DR*. Damage resistance reduces the amount of damage from particular subtypes of damage. If a target’s damage resistance reduces damage dealt to 0 or less, any effects that would be triggered by that damage being dealt are not triggered.

For damage resistance, the format used is “[damage resistance amount] [damage type] [(damage subtypes)] DR.” If no subtypes are listed, then the damage resistance applies to all subtypes. If “other than [subtypes]” is listed, then the damage resistance only applies to subtypes not listed.

For instance, “15 Health (bashing) DR” indicates that a target reduces Health (bashing) damage dealt by 15 points, while “15 Focus (other than psychic) DR” indicates that a target reduces all Focus damage dealt by 15 points unless the subtype is psychic.

### Effects of Damage

If a character’s Health is reduced to 0, they are knocked *unconscious*. Any conditions or powers they were maintaining or sustaining end immediately.

While unconscious, a character cannot take any actions, their Defenses are reduced to 10, and enemies have an edge on all attacks against them. If a character’s Health is reduced to a negative value equal in magnitude to their maximum Health, or worse, they are *killed*.

If a character’s Focus is reduced to 0, they are *demoralized*. Any conditions or powers they were maintaining or sustaining end immediately. While demoralized, they have trouble on all actions. If their Focus is reduced to a negative value equal in magnitude to their maximum Focus, or worse, they are *shattered*: frozen in place by fear and stress.

### Holding Back

Most heroes don’t want to kill anyone. As such—unless their player expressly says otherwise—any attack a hero makes that would kill a target instead leaves that target 1 point away from dying.

Similarly most heroes don’t want to shatter anyone. Any attack they make that would shatter a target instead leaves that target 1 point away from being shattered.

The Narrator can overrule this in certain circumstances, however, so players should be careful with how their characters attack others. If the player drops a building on a crowd, for instance, they shouldn’t expect to not cause any casualties.

If a player wants to be even more careful, they can tell the Narrator that their character is holding back with any given attack. In such a case, they can even leave their target at 0 Health or 0 Focus instead.

### Weapons

When using a weapon, a character can decide whether to use the weapon’s damage or their own damage, depending on the kind of weapon.

A pistol, for instance, does 2d6 Health (piercing) damage. If the character has a Ranged Damage of 3d6 or more, they can use their own Ranged Damage rather than that of the pistol.

This represents the fact that higher-rank characters know how to damage their targets better than regular folks.

The main reason for many characters to use a weapon is not to increase damage but give them the ability to deal the kind of damage they wish. For instance, without a ranged weapon (or power), a character cannot do Ranged Damage to a target.

By default, Fight Damage is Health (bashing) damage. A weapon can change that to another type, like slashing or piercing, which can cause bleeding.

### Guns

##### Common Weapons

Most Marvel heroes don’t use guns, but plenty of their enemies do.

Characters with firearms are assumed to have plenty of ammunition for them, so don’t bother counting bullets. However, most firearms must be reloaded after every turn, which requires an easy action. Also, if the character botches an attack with a firearm, they run out of ammunition for that weapon.

Some weapons have different challenges or additional requirements.

* **Rifle:** Attacks at targets within 25 feet have trouble.
* **Shotgun:** Can attack up to adjacent Average-sized targets, with a single shot. Make one attack roll and compare it against each target’s defense.
* **Submachine Gun:** Reloading requires a standard action.

## HEALING

After a tough day of combat, characters want to get back to full fighting form. A character who is not unconscious, demoralized, or worse regains lost Health and Focus equal to the character’s rank every hour they take it easy. For every hour they actually sleep, they regain double that.

### Unconscious

A character knocked unconscious can be awakened by an ally. This cannot be done during combat. Outside of combat, it requires a Logic vs. TN 20 check. On a success, the awakened character’s Health returns to 1. Otherwise, the unconscious character awakens on their own after 1d6 hours.

### Demoralized

Similarly, a character who has been demoralized can be rallied outside of combat. This requires an Ego vs. TN 20 check. On a success, the rallied character’s Focus returns to 1. Otherwise, the demoralized character rallies on their own after 1d6 hours.

### Killed

If a character is killed, they are removed from play permanently. Well, “permanently.” Death is often not the final word in the Marvel Multiverse.

At the discretion of the Narrator—and with some solid and reasonable suggestions from the player—a dead character might be able to come back at some point in the future.

However, just because the game ends for one character doesn’t mean the player is out of luck. Until that character is brought back to life, the Narrator can give their player the option of playing another character of similar rank.

### Shattered

If a character is shattered, they are mentally broken and require long-term care. Many people never recover from such an experience, but heroes often manage it. Exactly how that happens is up to the Narrator.

Until the character’s mental health is restored, the Narrator can give their player the option of playing another character of similar rank.

## CONDITIONS SUMMARY

Characters can be affected by a number of conditions. Here is how they each work in the game.

### Bleeding

A character that takes 10 or more points of damage from a piercing or slashing attack starts bleeding.

A bleeding character loses 5 Health at the end of each of their turns until they die or the condition ends. A bleeding character—or an ally—can stop the bleeding by using a standard action to make a successful Logic vs. TN 20 check. Otherwise the condition ends any time the bleeding character recovers 1 or more Health.

A bleeding character left unconscious and alone eventually bleeds to death. This doesn’t happen to a character that’s been made unconscious by bashing damage. That’s why most heroes prefer to use their fists or other weapons that do bashing damage. They don’t want to kill anyone by accident.

### Blinded

Any conditions or powers the character is maintaining or sustaining that require line of sight end immediately. The character’s Speed is reduced by half for all modes of travel except teleportation. They have trouble on all action checks that require line of sight. Enemies have an edge on all action checks against them that would reasonably require sight to defend against or dodge.

### Deafened

Any conditions or powers the character is maintaining or sustaining that require earshot end immediately. They cannot use an easy action to communicate. They have trouble on all action checks that require earshot.

### Demoralized

Any conditions or powers the character is maintaining or sustaining end immediately. They have trouble on all action checks.

### Grabbed

The character can no longer take movement actions unless they are strong enough to move the grabber. If the character can take movement actions, they must carry the grabber with them on their move.

Anyone making a ranged attack against the character has trouble. If the attack is a botch, the attack accidentally hits the grabber. (If the attacker doesn’t care who gets hit, the attacker has an edge, but the target is chosen randomly.)

The character can use their standard action to attempt to break out. Make a Might vs. Agility/Might check or an Agility vs. Agility/Might check. On any success, the character escapes the enemy’s grab.

### Grabbing

The grabbing character can target the grabbed character’s Might defense instead of its Agility with Might attacks. They can throw the grabbed character if they have a power that permits this.

Anyone making a ranged attack against the grabber has trouble. If the attack is a botch, the attack accidentally hits the character that was grabbed. (If the attacker doesn’t care who gets hit, the attacker has an edge, but the target is chosen randomly.)

If the grabbing character is strong enough to throw the grabbed character, then they can carry the grabbed character on their move. Otherwise, they must release the grabbed character when they move.

The grabbing condition ends at the start of the character’s next turn unless they maintain it with an easy action. The grabbing condition also ends if the character is demoralized, knocked out, shattered, or stunned, or if the grabbed character escapes.

### Paralyzed

The character cannot move or take any actions that require Might or Agility action checks. They also cannot maintain or sustain powers that were established by or require Might or Agility action checks.

Their Agility defense is reduced to 10, and enemies have an edge on physical attacks against them.

### Pinned

The character has trouble on Might and Agility action checks and cannot move.

### Prepared

The character has an edge on standard actions. This ends after they complete a standard action or if they use their reaction, take damage, or gain most other conditions.

### Prone

The character has trouble on all Might action checks. Enemies making fighting attacks against the character gain an edge on all such attacks.

Ranged attacks against a prone character count as if they are one Size less. That generally gives attackers a –2 attack modifier.

### Shattered

The character is stunned and cannot take any actions. They can only speak simple, short sentences.

### Sneaking

Ranged attacks against a sneaking character count as if they are one Size less. That generally gives attackers a –2 attack modifier. This stacks with being prone.

### Stunned

Any conditions or powers the character was maintaining or sustaining end immediately. They can still do easy actions, but they cannot use their reaction or standard or move actions. Enemies have an edge on all attacks against them.

### Unconscious

Any conditions or powers the character was maintaining or sustaining end immediately. They cannot take any actions. All of their Defenses are reduced to 10. Enemies have an edge on all attacks against them.

## OBJECTS

In battles among super-powered characters, collateral damage comes with the territory. Things all around the area get picked up, battered, and destroyed.

Most objects can be described with three statistics: Size, Sturdiness, and Health

An object’s Size determines its Health: how much physical damage it can take before it’s destroyed.

An object’s Sturdines*s* determines how much Damage Resistance it has to physical attacks. Sturdiness can also modify the object’s Health.

Attacks against an unmoving object have a TN of 10, modified by the object’s Size, relative to the attacker. The object’s relative Size also applies a modifier to the attacker’s damage.

For example, a 200-pound wooden bookcase is a Standard, Average-sized object. That makes its Health 10 and its Damage Resistance 5. A 2-ton truck is a Rugged, Huge object. That makes its Health 120 and its Damage Resistance 10.

### Attacking Objects

Attacks against an unmoving object have a TN of 10, modified by the object’s Size. If the object is a vehicle under the control of a character, the TN is its pilot’s Agility defense, modified by the object’s Size.

If the object is a weapon, helmet, accessory, or tool being used by a character, the TN of the attack is its user’s Agility defense, modified by the object’s size, and the attack has trouble.

An object that loses more than half its Health is banged-up and causes trouble when used. An object that loses all its Health is destroyed.

### Improvised Weapons

If an attacker uses an improvised weapon—anything from a bottle to a lamppost to a truck—the object used takes as much damage as it deals to the target. When it becomes banged-up, all attacks using it cause trouble.

The larger an improvised weapon is—relative to its targets’ size—the more targets it can attack at once, as shown on the Object Size table. The number there is a maximum, and it assumes that all the potential targets are standing near enough to each other to be affected by a single attack. It’s up to the Narrator to decide how many targets can actually be affected.

When making an attack against multiple targets, the attacker should make a single attack roll. Each of the targets then compares that against their Defense Score for the ability they’re using to defend.

Roll damage for each hit target separately. Consult the Object Size table and apply the Attack Modifier as a damage bonus too.

**Example:** Spider-Man picks up a car and swings it at a bunch of Hydra agents trying to capture him. The car is Huge, which gives Spider-Man a +4 to his attack. He can target up to 8 people at once with the attack, but the Narrator rules that only 5 Hydra agents are close enough to be targeted.

Spider-Man’s player rolls d616 for a Might action check and gets a total of 10. He adds his Might action modifier of +12 to that to raise it to 22. He also adds the +4 for the size of the weapon to bring it to a total of 26.

A Hydra agent’s Agility defense score is 16, so Spider-Man hits all of them. He’s about to make a damage roll for each of them when the Narrator points out that each Hydra agent has a Health of 5. The attack has a +4 to damage (due to the car’s size) and the damage roll cannot be less than 3, for a minimum total of 7. The attack cannot fail to take down all of them, so there’s no need to roll for damage.

(Spider-Man also gets +19 to his Fight damage for other abilities and powers, so it’s actually much worse than that.)

Such an attack could easily kill each of the Hydra agents, but since Spider-Man is a hero, their player declares that they hold back enough to leave the agents at Health 0 instead.

If Spider-Man threw the car at the same group of targets, his Mighty 1 power would allow him to throw it as if it was his own size. His Might is 5, so the range for throwing it would be (10 feet + 2 feet per point of Might=) 20 feet. Attacks within 20 feet would be handled normally. He would have trouble throwing the car from there up to the maximum range of 40 feet.

### Making Holes

If a character wants to use an attack to make a hole in something rather than fully destroying it, they can try that instead.

If the attack hits, figure the damage normally and subtract the object’s damage resistance. Then divide the remaining damage by the object’s Health Modifier. (Healthier objects are harder to knock holes in.) Check that result against the Health column in the Object Size table to see how big the hole is. So, 10 points of damage makes an Average-sized hole, 25 makes a Big-sized hole, and so on.

**Example:** Cyclops blasts a brick wall for 40 points of damage. The brick wall’s Sturdiness is Rugged, so it has a Damage Reduction of 10. That means (40–10=) 30 points of damage gets through. The wall’s Health Multiplier due to being rugged is 2, so the attack does (30÷2=) 15 points of damage. That’s more than enough to blow an Average-sized hole in the wall.

##### Object Sturdiness

 **Standard** | 5
 **Rugged** | 10
 **Strong** | 20
 **Incredible** | 40

### Plowing Through Objects

Sometimes a character gets thrown against or knocked into or falls onto something. If that deals enough damage to the object the character hits, they might plow through the object and keep going.

The Narrator can use the rules for making holes to calculate whether you plow through any object you hit. All holes made in this way are the same size of the character used to make them. Average-sized characters make Average-sized holes, and so on.

See the Plowing Through Buildings table for how much damage an Average-sized character needs to make to plow through typical parts of a building.

##### Plowing Through Buildings

 **Exterior Wall** | 40

If the damage a character’s impact against an object exceeds that threshold amount, they plow through the obstacle and keep going until they hit an object that stops them—or they run out of steam.

**Example:** Juggernaut throws Wolverine (Laura Kinney) into the side of the Avengers Tower. The attack deals 65 physical (bashing) damage.

Wolverine’s reinforced skeleton gives her a Damage Reduction of 15, so she takes 50 points of damage. The exterior wall of the Avengers Tower takes 65 points of damage, and Wolverine plows through it. The exterior wall absorbs 40 points of damage, leaving 25 to go.

Wolverine hits an interior wall, which absorbs 20 points of damage before giving way, so she plows through that too. That leaves 5 points of damage.

When Wolverine smacks into a second interior wall, she does that last 5 points of damage to it. That’s not enough to plow through it, so it finally stops her there.