Important Terms
(Below is a list of important terms found in the game that will better help you understand the rules when reading them.)
(Below is a list of important terms found in the game that will better help you understand the rules when reading them.)
ability score: The numerical rating of an ability.
ability: One of the six basic character traits: Strength (Str), Dexterity (Dex), Constitution (Con), Intelligence (Int), Wisdom (Wis), and Charisma (Cha).
accurate sense: A sense you can use to pinpoint something’s location accurately enough to target in combat. Vision is an accurate sense for normal humans. Other accurate senses are available from the Super-Senses power.
accurately perceive (also accurately sense): To notice something with an accurate sense.
action: A character activity. There are standard actions, move actions, full actions, free actions, and reactions.
acute sense: You can sense fine details about anything you can detect with a particular sense. Visual and auditory senses are acute for humans.
alternate power: One power that may be substituted for another, but not usable at the same time, giving a power different options or “settings.”
array: A collection of alternate powers.
attack bonus: A modifier used to measure a character’s combat skill.
attack roll: A roll to determine if an attack hits. To make an attack roll, roll d20 and add the appropriate modifiers for the attack type. An attack hits if the result is equal to or greater than the target’s Defense. An attack die roll of 20 always hits, while a die roll of 1 always misses.
attack: Any of numerous actions intended to harm, disable, or neutralize an opponent. An attack is usually a standard action.
bonus: A positive modifier to a die roll.
character: A fictional individual in the game. The players control player characters, while a BM controls non player characters in events.
check: A method of deciding the outcome of an action (other than attacking or making a saving throw). Checks are based on a relevant character ability, skill, power, or other trait. To make a check, roll d20 and add any relevant modifiers. If the check result equals or exceeds the Difficulty Class (DC) of a task or the result of an opponent’s check, it succeeds.
condition: A character’s overall health and state of being
critical hit (crit): An attack inflicting additional damage. To score a critical hit, an attacker must first score a threat (usually a natural 20 on an attack roll, depending on the attack being used) and the attack total must exceed the target’s Defense. A critical hit does +5 damage.
damage bonus: A modifier used to determine the damage of an attack.
damage: Harm caused to a character by injury, illness, or some other source.
DC: Difficulty Class.
deal damage (also inflict damage): Cause damage to a target.
defense bonus: Modifier used to determine how difficult a character is to hit in combat.
Defense: A measure of how difficult a character is to hit in combat. Defense equals 10 + defense bonus.
descriptor: A term describing the nature of a power. A descriptor may define how certain effects appear or function.
Difficulty Class (DC): The number a player must meet or beat for a check or saving throw to succeed.
dodge bonus: Half the defense bonus (rounded up). Characters lose their dodge bonus when they are flat-footed, stunned, or otherwise incapable of reacting to an attack.
dying: Near death and unconscious. A dying character can take no actions.
effect: An aspect of a power with a particular game effect.
encounter (also scene): A portion of an adventure, like a chapter of a
story.
extra: A power modifier that enhances a power, increasing its cost.
fail: Achieve an unsuccessful result for a check, saving throw, or other die roll.
flat-footed: Especially vulnerable to attacks at the beginning of a fight. Characters are flat-footed until their first turn in the initiative cycle. Flatfooted characters lose their dodge bonus to Defense.
flaw: A power modifier that limits a power, reducing its cost.
free action: A minor activity, requiring very little time and effort. full action (also full-round action): An action requiring all your effort in a round. Some skills, feats, and powers require a full action (or longer) to use.
Boss Mod (BM): Dark Bunny Lord or Vatsu0. The guild creators whom have last say on every conflict. Kind of like referee's for a game.
Mods will have power as well however for all special concerns contact a boss mod.
hero/villain (also superhero/supervillain or player character): A character controlled by a player, one of the main protagonists of an adventure or series.
lasting: An effect requiring additional saving throws to overcome.
lethal: Damage that can disable or kill a target.
Luck points: Points players can spend to gain bonuses with particular actions.
melee attack: An attack used in close combat.
melee weapon: A handheld weapon designed for close combat.
modifier: Any bonus or penalty applied to a die roll.
move action: An action intended to move a distance or to manipulate or move an object. You can take up to two move actions per round.
natural: A natural result on a roll is the actual number appearing on the die, not the modified result obtained by adding bonuses or subtracting penalties.
nonlethal: Damage that stuns or knocks out a target, but does no permanent harm. Unless specified otherwise, damage is nonlethal.
non-player character (NPC): A character controlled by a mod (as opposed to a character controlled by a player). Usually during an event.
penalty: A negative modifier to a die roll.
player character (PC, also hero/villain): A character controlled by a player, one of the main protagonists of an adventure or campaign.
power feat: An enhancement or alternate use of a power.
power level (also level): A limit on overall power and ability in a campaign, also sometimes used to describe the overall power of a character.
power modifier: An increase or decrease in a power’s capabilities, also increasing or decreasing its cost.
power points: Points allocated to a character’s different traits during character creation, also awarded for advancement after each adventure.
power stunt: A power feat acquired temporarily through extra effort
power: A superhuman trait, like the ability to fly or shoot blasts of energy
range increment: Each full range increment of distance between an attacker and a target gives the attacker a cumulative –2 penalty to the ranged attack roll. Normal ranged attacks have a maximum range of ten range increments. Thrown weapons have a maximum range of five range increments.
ranged attack: Any attack made at a distance.
ranged weapon: An energy, projectile, or thrown weapon designed for attacking from a distance.
rank: A measure of a character’s level of mastery with a skill or power.
reaction: An action that takes place in response to some circumstance. Reactions take no time or effort on the character’s part, occurring automatically.
round: A six-second unit of game time used to manage combat. Every character in combat may take at least one action every round.
saving throw (save): A roll made to avoid or reduce harm. The four types of saving throws are Toughness, Fortitude, Reflex, and Will.
stack: Combine for a cumulative effect. If modifiers do not stack, it is specified in the rules. In most cases, modifiers to a given check or roll stack. If the modifiers of a particular roll do not stack, only the best bonus or worst penalty applies. Sometimes there is a limit to how high a stacked bonus or penalty can be, based on power level.
staggered: Badly beaten and barely holding on to consciousness. Staggered characters can take a standard or move action each round, but not both.
standard action: An action intended to do something within about 3 seconds. You can perform a single standard action per round.
target (also subject): The intended recipient of an attack, action, or power.
threat range: All natural die roll results constituting a threat when rolled for an attack. For most attacks, the threat range is a roll of 20. Some attacks have greater threat ranges.
threat: A possible critical hit.
trained: Having at least 1 rank in a skill.
trait: Any of a character’s game-defined qualities: abilities, bonuses, skills, feats, and powers are all traits.
unarmed attack: A melee attack made with no weapon in hand.
untrained: Having no ranks in a skill. Some skills cannot be used untrained.
