Types of FEATS 2

Now that we’ve looked at the mechanics of making FEATs, let’s look at the specific types we talked about briefly above: Ability FEATs, Power FEATS, Talent FEATs, Popularity FEATs and Resource FEATs.

Ability FEATs

Ability FEATs are those that come directly from the seven basic abilities: Fighting, Agility, Strength, Endurance, Reason, Intuition, and Psyche. When making an Ability FEAT, the specific ability is normally noted in the text (such as a Psyche FEAT regarding Mind Control). Often a specific color FEAT is required, such as a yellow Endurance FEAT. The particular FEATs that apply to specific abilities are noted in the Abilities section in the last chapter. Two types of Ability FEATs should be discussed in detail at this time, both of which revolve around the Strength ability. The first is the problem of lifting things, the second breaking through other items.

Lifting Things

The Strength ability, combined with the Intensity of an object’s weight, determines how much the character can lift. As noted above, lifting a weight more than three ranks below the character’s Strength can be considered automatic, those one rank below the character’s Strength require a green FEAT; those of equal Intensity to the character’s Strength require a yellow FEAT; those on one rank higher require a red FEAT; and those beyond one rank higher are impossible.

Weight Intensity:
FeebleUp to 50 pounds
PoorUp to 100 pounds
TypicalUp to 200 pounds
GoodUp to 400 pounds
ExcellentUp to 800 pounds
RemarkableUp to 2000 pounds (1tn)
IncredibleUp to 10 tons
AmazingUp to 50 tons
MonstrousUp to 80 tons
UnearthlyUp to 100 tons
Shift XUp to 250 tons
Shift YUp to 500 tons
Shift ZUp to 1000 tons

Example: Spider-Man’s Strength is set at Incredible (40). (The Amazing Spider-Man refers to his Agility.) He could lift something of up to 400 pounds without effort under ordinary circumstances (there may be circumstances which would require a FEAT roll). From 400 to about 1 ton is a green FEAT roll. From 1 ton up to 10 tons requires a yellow FEAT roll. Over 10 tons (but no more than 50 tons) would require a red FEAT roll, and likely require spending of Karma.

Breaking Things 

Most inanimate objects have a “damage-resistance” intensity, which we have called in the past the material strength of an object. Since that makes more sense than “damage resistance intensity,” we will use it here. 

To break through, rip up, or generally damage a material, a character must make a Strength FEAT against that material strength. Success indicates a two-foot-wide hole, maximum, carved in the side. The material strength of the material determines the result needed for a successful FEAT (green, yellow, or red).

The listed values are for materials between two inches and 12 inches thick. If the material is less than 2″ thick, lower the material strength by one rank. If the material is between 1 and 2 feet thick, raise the material strength by one rank. If the material strength is over 2 feet thick, raise the material strength by 2 ranks for purposes of determining damage.

Updated Material Strength Table

RankMaterials
FeebleCloth, glass, brush, paper
PoorNormal plastics, crystal, wood
TypicalRubber, soft metals (gold, brass, copper), ice, adobe, computer chips
GoodBrick, aluminum, light machinery pieces, asphalt, high strength plastics
ExcellentConcrete, Beta cloth, iron, bullet-proof glass
RemarkableReinforced concrete, steel
IncredibleSolid stone, Vibranium, volcanic rock
AmazingSteel, osmium steel, granite, gemstones
MonstrousDiamond, super-heavy alloys
UnearthlyAdamantium steel, certain mystical and enchanted elements
Shift XMaterials of these material strength ranks are virtually indestructible, such as Cap’s shield or Thor’s hammer.
Shift YMaterials
Shift ZCloth, glass, brush, paper

Example: Ice is listed as Typical material. One inch of ice is a Poor material. Two feet of ice is a Good material. Three feet or more is an Excellent material.

Note that this is an indication of resistance against damage from blows, not against other types of damage (see Fire and Ice in the Judge’s Book).

Power FEATs

Power FEATs are similar to Ability FEATs, save that the player uses the Power instead of the Ability to pull off the FEAT. Powers and their uses are listed in the back of the book. For example, Wall-crawling is a Power, whether by molecular charge suppression (Spider-Man), suction cups (the late Fly), or microscopic molecular hooks (Nightcrawler), and has a Power rank. The Wall-crawling Power rank is used to determine FEATs when using that Power. (sticking to an oil-soaked steel wall, for example).

Most powers have a range. Some are stated as “touch” or only operating over a given distance. Those that are not specifically stated as having a particular range use the Power Rank to determine their range from the table below:

Power Rank Range Table

Rank Range in Areas
Shift 0Touch only
FeebleTouch only
Poor1 area
Typical2 areas
Good4 areas
Excellent6 areas
Remarkable8 areas
Incredible11 areas
Amazing20 areas
Monstrous40 areas
Unearthly60 areas
Shift X80 areas
Shift Y160 areas
Shift Z400 areas
Class 1000100 miles
Class 300010000 miles
Class 50001000000 miles
BeyondUnlimited

Therefore, someone with Remarkable magnetic manipulation could affect objects 8 areas away, while a character (one would hope a non-player character) with Class 5000 magnetic manipulation could manipulate items on the Moon.

There are some cases when a hero may use a Power in a way it was not originally intended to carry out a certain task. These are known as Power Stunts.

For example, a character with the Speed Power suddenly decides to run in a circle very fast, creating a whirlwind. Or a character with Leaping Power decides to use his powerful leg muscles to disrupt the ground, knocking over an opponent. Or our example above, the wall-crawler decides to use his stick-to-it-ness to grapple a thief. These are Power Stunts. Certain Powers, such as weather elemental controls, almost entirely consist of these stunts.

The players will, undoubtedly, come up with an innumerable amount of stunts for their Powers (and the Judge will be told how to decide if a Power Stunt is possible in his Judge’s Book). The basic question to be asked is: Has this hero done this sort of thing before?

If you are playing an established Marvel Super Hero, whether he has done this stunt before or not is determined from the Marvel Comics themselves. Each time you can spot him using this particular stunt, that counts as one-time. Example: In one issue of X-Men, Nightcrawler uses his power to make three quick teleports, behind three separate opponents. He does it again several issues later. This means he has pulled this Power Stunt twice.

If you are playing a hero of your creation, or a hero that you have never seen perform this stunt, this means you have never performed it before. In either case, the Judge may say “no” to a stunt, if he feels it unbalances the character.

The type of FEAT (made against the Power rank) needed to make a Power Stunt is determined by the number of ti mes your character has tried it.

  • Never tried it – red FEAT roll
  • Tried it up to three ti mes – yellow FEAT roll
  • Tried it more than three times – green FEAT roll

In addition, a character making a Power Stunt must lay out 100 Karma points to make the roll (in addition to any other Karma he may spend – see Karma). Spending the Karma does not guarantee success; it only ensures that yes, the character can try the stunt. If the stunt is ruled impossible by the Judge, no Karma is spent.

If a player character has tried a stunt more than ten times, it is considered to be part of his or her bag of tricks for that Power, and a FEAT roll is not necessary to say if it is possible (this is similar to purchasing another Power in full, but allowing the player to use the Power as he is paying for it).

Failing the FEAT means that the Power Stunt has failed. The manner of failure will depend entirely on the situation. For the wall-crawler trying to grapple, the Power may fail to operate. For the speedster running in circles, the whirlwind may be uncontrollable. For Nightcrawler trying a triple ‘port, he may get only one guy. The Judge is instructed that while the failure may be life-endangering, it should not be initially or immediately deadly.

Talent FEATS

Talents are used in two fashions. In the first case, they may modify the abilities of the character in specific instances.

For example, take the Science and Professional Talents. A Talent in Biology gives you a + 1 CS on Reason FEATs which involve Biology. The players are encouraged to use this whenever they can get away with it, reasonably. While said character with Biology cannot identify the presence of radiation any better than the next guy, he can look at the plant life and from that deduce (with his + 1 CS) that there is or was a radiation source in the area. (The moral of the story is, players should get creative when using Talents.)

Certain Talents do not modify Talent FEATs. They either provide for specific abilities (such as First Aid) or special backgrounds (such as Mystic Origin or Heir to Fortune).

Popularity FEATs

The Popularity FEAT is slightly modified and expanded In the Advanced Set. Negative Popularity, which has appeared in several support products, is now made an official part of the system. The idea of Contacts is also brought in.

A Popularity FEAT is used whenever you want to get something from someone else. This may be borrowing a car from a friend, getting a hot tip from a police sergeant, finagling a favor from a newspaper columnist, or prying information from a stoolie, as well as getting special equipment from the government or persuading a terrorist to surrender. Popularity is a measure of personal charm, charisma, and good looks, combined with the hero’s reputation for honesty and fair play (Spider-Man is a nice guy, but thanks to the Daily Bugle he usually can’t get the time of day).

Using Popularity

When dealing one-on-one with a non-player character, that NPC usually has a predisposition to the hero of either Friendly, Neutral, Unfriendly, or Hostile. Friendly characters and organizations include:

  • Close friends and relatives of the hero
  • Listed Contacts for the hero 

Neutral characters and organizations include:

  • People who have never met the hero, but have heard about him
  • Other heroes, unless they have worked together before
  • Large groups of strangers

Unfriendly characters and organizations include:

  • People who have never met or heard of the hero
  • Total strangers
  • Individuals with opposite Popularity (negative if the hero is positive, and vice versa)
  • Neutral characters whom the character has offended, perhaps by not returning something

Enemies and people the character has hurt are considered totally Hostile, and will not under normal circumstances even listen to the hero, much less go along with his ideas. (There are exceptions to this. For example, if the character is getting something out of the deal, he may be more willing to go along with it).

A Popularity FEAT is rolled against the character’s Popularity rank number. This determines in which rank it will fall (example: a Popularity of 45 is rolled on the Incredible column).

Friendly targets require a green FEAT

Neutral targets require a yellow FEAT

Unfriendly targets require a red FEAT

Hostile targets are impossible FEATs

The effects of success or failure depend on the group and the thing sought. A failure for a Friendly group is a polite refusal, usually with a good reason (I’m sorry, but the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier is not available – company policy). A failure for a Neutral group is a curt refusal and potential for the group becoming Unfriendly. A failure for an Unfriendly group means the individual or group turns ugly, and-the hero may be attacked.

Column Shifts in Popularity FEATs: The nature of the request will influence the column being used. Here are some guidelines for the players:

The target benefits+2CS
The target is placed in danger-3CS
The item in question is of up to Good value-1CS
The item in question is of up to Remarkable value-2CS
There is a good chance the item will not be returned-2CS
The item is unique-3CS

Popularity FEATs are used only when dealing with NPCs (whether by players or other NPCs). A Popularity FEAT is never used against the players to force them to perform actions against their wills (normally).

Let’s take some examples.

Captain America with a Popularity of Unearthly (100) is present when a fire breaks out in a theater. He changes into costume and shouts for the panicky people to head in an orderly fashion for the fire doors. The crowd is Neutral, but benefits from the action (they survive). The roll is Unearthly + 2CS, or Shift Y. A yellow FEAT is needed. Failure would indicate that part · of the crowd listened, but a few weren’t paying attention, and would rush this way and that, looking for a quick way out.

Tony Stark as Iron Man (Popularity 20) is fighting a mutant, and is aware the Federal Government has a neutralizer ray. (Actually, all of Forge’s power-neutralizer ray-guns have been destroyed.) He has associates in the U.S. Government, in the Department of Defense. He must convince the Department of Defense (Contact – at that point Neutral) to give him the ray gun. The column is shifted – 3 CS because the item is unique, and another – 2CS because there is a chance the DOD will never see it again (they never did). The roll for Stark to get the device is Neutral, or green on the Shift O column.

Spider-Man wants some information from J. Jonah Jameson. Jameson is Unfriendly, but Spidey convinces Jonah that he might get killed, which is to Jonah’s benefit. The information does not cost, and Spider-man rolls on the Incredible (40) column hoping for a red result. (Note: Secret IDs have a separate Popularity from public IDs. If Peter Parker wanted the information, Jameson would be Neutral, and Parker could get the info more easily.)

Finally, notice in one of the above examples that Spider-Man convinces Jonah the mission is dangerous. This is not done on any die roll, but rather in conversation between the player and the Judge. The play might go something like this:

Player (Spidey): Ah, come on, JJ, where is the Vulture hiding out?

Judge: (rolling die, getting a white result) Even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you, wall-crawler! Now get out of my office before I call the cops!

Player: Oooo-kay, it’s fine by me, I mean, I don’t really want to fight him anyway. I might lose and get hurt.

Judge: Get hurt? (rolls again, gets a red result) Hummmmphffl Well, it’s against my better judgement, but if one costumed clown will take out another, it’s all right with me. Lance Bannon spotted him in Central Park, near the sheep meadow. Goodbye and good riddance!

Negative Popularity

There are charismatic bad guys like Doctor Doom, whose very evil bends others to their will. There are also those powerful characters, such as Rhino and Juggernaut, from whom people flee. Finally, there are heroes, who through bad press or prejudice (mutants) suffer from a negative Popularity.

Negative Popularity operates as positive Popularity, save that it ignores whether the target is friendly, neutral, or unfriendly. Everything is a yellow FEAT. The only modifier that comes into play is if the request is in the target’s best interests (“Run, you dolts!” is in the target’s interest). Characters with negative Popularity can never approach individuals other than Contacts for items and favors (which is why theft is always a major part of criminal behavior).

A Negative Popularity is represented as a minus ” – ” before the word, such as ” – Typical” (-5 Popularity). A character with negative Popularity suffers penalties in receiving Karma (see Karma).

Resource FEATs

Resources are modified in the Advanced Set to cut down on the paperwork. As things stood previously in the Original Set, characters gained Resources like money. They had a physical amount of Resource points, and everything cost a certain amount of RPs. This may work for Peter Parker, who has to make the rent every month, but for millionaire Tony Stark who can buy roadsters out of petty cash, this is a bit harder to handle.

For this reason, the Advanced Set creates the Resource FEAT. All items have a Resource rank instead of a cost. This is roughly equivalent to the previous set cost. The Resource ranks of most common items are listed in Chapter 4: Hardware, Magic, and More.

To purchase anything, a character must make a Resource FEAT. This is the equivalent of a credit check, or rattling the piggy bank, or checking the bank account to see how much cash is available. This is over and above that amount necessary to get by on.

A Resource FEAT may be made by a character once per week. If a Resource FEAT has been made by a character in the previous seven days, any Resource FEATs following automatically fail (“Hello, Ms. Arbogast? Put that Borneo deal on hold until next week – I just bought a new Triumph TR-7.”).

A Resource FEAT is figured in almost the same fashion as a normal FEAT, with one important exception. A lone character may not try to purchase an item with a higher rank than his Resource rank. Other rules apply – if a Resource rank is three ranks lower, the purchase is automatic; if one or two less than the Resource rank, a green FEAT is needed, and if equal, then a yellow FEAT is needed.

Success indicates the hero may purchase the item in question. Failure indicates the item is more expensive than he can afford. He cannot try for any other item of that rank or higher for the next week. Then he can make another attempt for that item, or another item (this represents the idea of saving up for a purchase).

Bank Loans Option

Characters may purchase something up to one rank higher than their Resource rank through a lending institution. The character then has to worry about making a Resource FEAT each month of two ranks less for as many months as the rank number of the item. Failure to pay results in the bank taking back the item in question. There are other institutions that lend money. They employ seven-foot tall gentlemen named Guido to collect.

Example: Peter Parker has a Poor Resource rank, and his apartment building rent is Poor as well. He makes a yellow FEAT roll to see if he can pay his rent. Failure indicates he cannot pay that week and may try to make it up the next week (providing he gives Mrs. Muggins a decent excuse for not tossing him out). Success means that he keeps Mrs. Muggins off his back for another month.

Example: Tony Stark has an Excellent Resource rank. He wants to buy a car with a Good rank. He can do so with a green FEAT (failure indicates a cash flow problem – he doesn’t have it at the moment). He can pay for a night on the town (Typical) without making a FEAT roll.

Example: Tony Stark used to run Stark International, a Large Corporation with Incredible Resources. Incredible Resources allow them to buy their boss a car for office use, but they may have to borrow money from the banks to rebuild the damage done by Iron Man’s battle with Obadiah Slane.

Combined and Multiple FEATs

Combined Actions

Individuals may help each other in performing FEATs (lifting a car, researching the function of an alien device, etc.). Check the ability both characters are using. If the lower of the two characters is within one rank of the higher, the character with the higher ability receives a +1CS benefit to the FEAT. This benefit may be used in cases of using complementary Powers for the same FEAT as well, provided that Power aids the situation.

Example One: Vision, with Amazing(50) Strength, helps She-Hulk (Monstrous(75) Strength) pull up an overturned crane. The column checked for the FEAT is Unearthly (Monstrous shifted one to the right).

Example Two: Sunspot, with Remarkable(30) Strength, helps She-Hulk lift the crane. The column checked is still Monstrous, since Sunspot’s Strength is significantly lower than She-Hulk’s.

Example Three: Shaman summons a wind of Amazing(50) intensity to help She-Hulk lift the crane. Should the Judge decide that the power complements the ability that is being checked, the FEAT is rolled on the Unearthly column. Otherwise, it is rolled on the Monstrous column. (If the Judge has good reason, such as the wind blowing up a lot of stinging dust, he may make the FEAT an Amazing FEAT owing to the added difficulty).

Multiple FEATs

More than one action In the same round: In non-combat situations, characters who perform more than one action in the same round may do so, with the note that the actions may require a larger FEAT than previously.

A character may perform up to three non-combat actions in a round, or one combat action and one non-combat action (for multiple combat operations, check under the Combat section). The difficulty of the FEATs is raised, however.

  • If both actions are Automatic, they both may be performed in a single round without either FEAT being increased.
  • If the tougher action requires a green FEAT, then both actions will require yellow FEATS to succeed. ·
  • If the tougher action requires a yellow FEAT, then both actions will require red FEATs to succeed.
  • If the tougher action requires a red FEAT then both actions may not be performed in the same round (or rather, both will fail).
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