XX.

COMBAT
Combat is an important part of comic book superhero stories. Yes, exploration and drama and character

if you never get to pick up a car and throw it at someone. To that end, this chapter expands on the idea of
Challenge Rolls and explains how to use them and a few other rules to bring fast-paced superhero battles
and other actions scenes to life in your P&P games.

PAGES
To keep things organized, time is broken down into pages during combat and other fast-paced action
scenes. A page equals a few moments of time in the game world. Each character involved in combat gets
to move and perform one or more actions each page. Once every character has had their turn to act, the
current page ends and a new one begins. If you prefer, you can call them rounds.

EDGE
All characters have an Edge Edge
equals their Perception plus the greater of their Agility or Willpower. In combat, characters act in Edge
order, from highest to lowest. In the case of a tie, action order is as follows: Heroes first, then Villains,

up defeating one another on the same page. Minions are the exception and always act after everyone
else (except unnamed civilians) because they have no Edge.

Delaying Actions
A character can always delay their action until later in the page or until the following page. They can also
hold their action, waiting to act in response to something else, in which case they act immediately after
that thing happens. If it looks like the thing the character was waiting for is not going to happen, the
character can change their mind and act at any point later in the page. If two or more characters are
waiting for the same thing to occur, action order among them is determined by Edge when it does.

The Drop
When a character has a weapon or attack aimed and ready to strike, they have the drop on anyone who
doesn t. Examples of having the drop on someone include having a gun pointed at a person whose
weapon is holstered or having a knife pressed against throat. A character armed with a ranged
weapon effectively has the drop on anyone closing the distance to engage them in close combat. A
Edge is effectively doubled when they have the drop on their opponent.

Seizing the Initiative

lve to
seize the initiative, which doubles their effective Edge for that battle. As you might imagine, this is also
useful when an opponent has gotten the drop on you.

ACTIONS
All characters get their turn to act on each page of combat. Characters can move and perform one or
more actions on their turn to act. An action
are the most common type of action, so attacks and actions are often synonymous. Characters can also

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perform however many free actions the GM considers reasonable. Free actions are minor actions like
drawing, sheathing, or dropping an item or saying a few words to someone nearby. Defenses are not
considered actions or free actions; characters can always defend t
unconscious, unable to move, or in a similar pickle. Once everyone has taken their turn to act or chosen
to skip their turn, the current page ends and a new one begins.

Multiple Actions
A character can perform 2 or more actions per page, but Challenge Rolls made to perform those actions
suffer a -2d penalty per extra action taken. For example, a character who performs 3 attacks on the same
page suffers a -4d penalty to each. A character must declare all actions before making any rolls. Despite
these rules, characters can t attack the same target more than once per page. Actions and movement are
distinct, so characters can t use extra actions to move farther than normal.

RANGE
Distances are handled abstractly in P&P using four range classes: Touch Range, Close Range, Distant
Range, and Extreme Range. Touch Range means within close combat range (roughly 5 feet). Close
Range covers anything beyond Touch Range but within the distance an ordinary person can move in one
round (roughly 50 feet). Distant Range covers anything beyond Close Range but within range of most
weapons (roughly 500 feet). Extreme Range covers anything beyond Distant Range but within visual
range and within reach of especially long range attacks and weapons (roughly 1 mile). The GM always
determines the initial range class between combatants.

Attack Range
Characters normally have to be within Touch Range to attack a target with a close combat attack or within
Distant Range to attack a target with most ranged attacks. Thrown weapons only reach Close Range
unless the attacker has superhuman strength (as discussed below) and various modern and advanced
weapons like sniper rifles and heavy military weapons can reach Extreme Range.

Throwing Range
Characters have to be within Closing Range to hit a target with a thrown weapon, unless they have
superhuman strength. Characters with 7d or more Might can use the Throwing table to determine how
far they can throw specific items. As used on that table, a character s Throwing Rank equal their Might
minus the weigh rank of whatever they re throwing (minimum 0d).

THROWING
THROWING RANK THROWING RANGE
3d to 6d Close Range
7d to 12d Distant Range
13d to 24d Extreme Range
25d or more Over the Horizon

The supervillain Shard has 15d Might. He grabs a 5-ton wrecking ball and flings it at the hero Generator,
standing at Distant Range. Since the wrecking ball weighs 5 tons, it has an 8d weight rank. Subtracting
Might leaves us with a 7d Throwing Rank, which is just enough to
reach Distant Range. Generator better look out.

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MOVEMENT
Characters move on their turn to act. Actions and movement do not interfere with each other. Actions can
happen before or after movement. If a character wants to move, perform an action, and then keep
moving, the second half of their move occurs at the end of the page.

Movement is normally handled abstractly. When the GM has to adjudicate how far or how fast a character
can move or who gets somewhere first, all characters involved in the action make Agility rolls to see who
gets to describe what happens. Characters with Powers that enhance movement speed (called Travel
Powers) add half their Travel Power ranks to these rolls. These rules assume characters are moving
through ordinary terrain. When travelling in a straight line through open terrain (such as across open sky),
the character with the highest Travel Power rank is always going to be the fastest.

Abstract Movement
Characters can move anywhere within Close Range (including moving into and out of Touch Range) in
one page. Otherwise, moving from one range class to the next takes 2 pages. Characters with Travel
Powers, however, can move faster. A Travel Power rank of 6d or more lets characters go from Touch or
Close Range to Distant Range or vice versa in 1 page. A Travel Power rank of 9d or more lets characters
go from Distant Range to Extreme Range or vice versa in 1 page. And a Travel Power rank of 12d or
more lets characters go from Touch or Close Range to Extreme Range or vice versa in 1 page.

Scorpio is charging at a machinegun turret at Distant Range. He has no Travel Power, so it will take him
to 2 pages to reach the turret. Meanwhile, his ally Sagittarius is at Extreme Range from the turret. While
that distance would normally take 4 pages to cover, Sagittarius has 6d Running. Although it will take the
equine archer 2 pages to go from Extreme Range to Distant Range, she will then be able to move from
Distant Range to Close or Touch Range on page 3 of the action.

Tactical Movement
P&P can be played with a more precise and tactical approach to movement. Using these rules, ordinary
characters can move up to 50 feet (or 15 meters) per page. Characters with Travel Powers can move 50
feet (or 15 meters) times their Travel Power rank minus 2d per page. For example, a character with 8d
Flight could move 300 feet per page (50 feet times 6d) under these rules. Groups that prefer using map
zones rather than concrete distances can assume that each zone covers roughly 50 linear feet (or 15
linear meters), allowing for easy conversion from feet or meters to zones.

within the same zone, and Distant Range means within 500 feet (150 meters) or within 10 zones. Last,
w Extreme Range simply means off the map.

Chases
Chases through open t
most chases occur in locations where maneuverability is just as important as speed, places like crowded
city streets, dark and winding sewer tunnels, or the cramped airspace between office buildings. Chases
like these are handled with open-ended contests as described below.

Each exchange in a chase lasts one page. Characters make Chase Rolls at the start of each page using
Agility if on foot (or using a Travel Power), Survival if mounted, or Vehicles if piloting a vehicle. They

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add half their Travel Power rank if using a Travel
, so characters can still
attack or perform other actions as usual. If a chase involves multiple pursuers or multiple quarries, each
pursuer picks one quarry to chase (and roll against).

As usual, winning an exchange grants you a +2d bonus on the next exchange. Winning an exchange with
a Margin of 3 or more, however, lets you close or expand the distance between you and your opponent
by one range class. The chase ends if the parties move closer than Close Range or farther than Extreme

(although they can still fight). At farther than Extreme Range, the quarry escapes.

Flicker is chasing a car full of bank robbers. When the chase starts, the car is at Distant Range. Flicker
rolls her 6d Agility plus 5d (half her 9d Running) while the getaway driver rolls his 4d Vehicles plus 3d
Flicker wins the first Chase Roll with a Margin of 3 and closes
to within Close Range of the car. Next page, she wins the exchange with a Margin of only 1
enough to earn the +2d bonus on her next Chase Roll, but not enough to close the distance any further.
On the third page, Flicker wins the Chase Roll with a Margin of 5, enough to close the distance to Touch
Range and end the chase. The player describes how Flicker corners the car in a dead end.

ATTACKS AND DEFENSES

Attacks are handled like ordinary Challenge Rolls. The attacker makes an Attack Roll using the Trait that
corresponds to their attack, and the target makes a Defense Roll using the Trait that corresponds to their
best defense (whichever is most effective against the attack) Threshold. If the
attacker rolls a Margin of 1 or more, the attack hits and deals damage or inflicts a special effect. If the
attacker rolls a Margin of 0 or less, the attack misses or hits but has no significant effect. The Attack and
Defense table indicates which Traits are used to perform common attacks and defenses.

ATTACK AND DEFENSE

ATTACK ATTACK TRAIT DEFENSE TRAITS
Close Combat Might Agility or ½ Toughness or Power Rank
Ranged Combat Agility Agility or ½ Toughness or Power Rank
Physical Power Power Rank Agility or ½ Toughness or Power Rank
Mental Power Power Rank Willpower or Power Rank

Notice that combat is handled abstractly. Attackers use one Trait that lumps accuracy and damage
together when making Attack Rolls. Likewise, defenders use only one Trait to make Defense Rolls. Even
though defense involves both avoiding attacks and resisting damage, the defender makes only one roll
using whichever of their defenses is most effective against each attack.

Also notice that while they are Challenge Rolls, Attack Rolls are not about determining who gets to
narrate the outcome of an attack. Instead, Attack Rolls have specific concrete effects usually dealing
damage or a special effect that vary depending on th While narrations can certainly
have their place in combat, Attack Rolls are mainly about dealing damage or special effects.

Gatecrasher finds himself tangling with several members of Checkmate, a chess-themed supervillain
group he can

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 kind of
thing. Anyway, the Rook is their heavy, and he takes a swing at our hero. The Rook rolls his 13d Might
and gets 9 successes on his Attack Roll. Gatecrasher, meanwhile, rolls his 12d Armor Power and gets 8
successes on his Defense Roll. The attack lands, dealing 1 point of damage.

Active and Passive Defenses

There are two kinds of defenses: active and passive. Active defenses and Active Defense Rolls
represent attempts to block, dodge, or parry attacks, while passive defenses and Passive Defense
Rolls represent the ability to resist or withstand attacks. For example, Agility is often used to make
Active Defense Rolls, while Toughness, Willpower, and the Armor Power are often used to make
Passive Defense Rolls. The major difference between active and passive defenses is that characters
when immobilized, surprised, unconscious, or otherwise unable to actively
defend themselves (though simply losing a turn to act prevent a character from using their active
defenses). Passive defenses, by comparison, are always available to a character.

Combat Modifiers
GMs can use modifiers to make combat more tactical and keep things grounded in reality. Sample
modifiers are provided below, but the GM always has the final say when applying modifiers. Modifiers
covering the same factor never stack. For example, attackers suffer a penalty to their Attack Rolls when
fighting an invisible enemy and when fighting in pitch darkness. Both penalties address visibility, so they
do stack. Instead, just use the best bonus or the worst penalty in these cases.

Cover: Attackers suffer a penalty to their Attack Rolls if their target is hiding behind cover. Partial cover
imposes a -1d penalty, significant cover imposes a -2d penalty, and almost total cover (think arrow slits)
imposes a -3d penalty. Ignore this modifier if the attack is powerful enough to penetrate whatever the
target is using as cover (see Chapter XX, Environment).

Size: Attackers get a bonus to their Attack Rolls when attacking large targets and a penalty to their Attack
Rolls when attacking sm

penalty is - ize, -2d for targets less than one-

size, or -3d for targets less than one-

Visibility: Characters suffer a -1d penalty to their Attack Rolls and Active Defense Rolls when they have
poor visibility, a -2d penalty when they have terrible visibility, or a -3d penalty when they have no visibility.
Poor and terrible visibility result from different degrees of the same things: dim lighting, fog, smoke, etc.
No visibility is usually due to blindness or total darkness. Characters effectively have no visibility against
invisible opponents unless they have a Power like Radar that compensates for this.

Weapons and Armor: Weapons provide bonuses to Attack Rolls and sometimes to Active Defense Rolls
against close combat attacks (i.e., when parrying attacks). Armor provides bonuses to Defense Rolls.

are best reserved for street-level characters. For more on this, see Chapter XX, Equipment.

DAMAGE
Damaging attacks inflict damage equal to their Health. When a
Health drops to 0, they are defeated and knocked out of the fight for the rest of the scene.

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Defeated characters regain consciousness and recover 1 point of Health by the time the next scene
begins. Because this game emulates a four-
or being killed in combat unless using the optional Lethal Damage rule.

Healing
Heroes can make a Hard (2) Toughness roll and recover Health equal to their Margin after each night of
rest (or after each day of rest if they living la vida nocturnal). If they spend a full 24 hours doing nothing
but resting, this Threshold drops to Average (1). Once defeated and carted off to the authorities or
removed from the scene, NPCs heal as quickly as the plot requires.

Quick Recovery
Once a battle is over, Heroes can spend 1 Resolve to catch their breath and shake off their injuries. This
lets them make a Hard (2) Toughness roll and recover Health equal to their Margin right on the spot, but
they can only heal damage sustained in that battle.

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Powers like Ensnare, Mind Control, and Stun inflict conditions and effects other than damage, called
special effects
no, you can t extend this duration by delaying your turn to
act). Attackers can stack a specia over
multiple pages. If a special effect duration Health, the target is
defeated by the special effect, which means it lasts for the rest of the scene.

Parthian smiles as he watches Citizen Soldier and Gatecrasher arm-wrestle at his charity fundraiser. A
tap on the shoulder gets his attention, and he turns to look into the eyes of the Villain, Heartbreaker.
Unable to avert his gaze, Parthian feels his will slowly drain away as she attempts to use Mind Control
on him. Heartbreaker rolls a whopping 8 successes on her Mind Control roll (her Attack Roll), while
Parthian rolls 3 successes on his Willpower roll (his Defense Roll). With her Margin of 5, Heartbreaker

Breaking Free
affected by a special effect can try to break free of it
on their turn to act. The character makes a Challenge Roll using the passive defense identified in the
Might, Toughness, or Willpower . If successful, the
special effect Heroes can also spend 1 Resolve to reduce a
special effect duration by one page on their turn to act. Either way, if this reduces the duration to 0, the
character is immediately free of the special effect and can act normally on that turn to act.

On his turn to act, Parthian tries to break free of the Mind Contro Willpower
nearly as well-

Mind Control duration by 2 pages. He then decides to spend 1 Resolve to reduce the duration by one
more page, which is just enough to free him of

Holding On
Whenever a Hero defeats a target with a special effect, they can spend 1 Resolve to extend the

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duration so that it lasts until the end of the following scene. Heroes can keep extending their special effect
duration from one scene to the next as long as they keep spending Resolve.

GRAPPLING
Grappling covers all attempts to physically control an opponent. There are three grappling moves: grabs,
holds, and escapes. A grab is any attempt to take a weapon or other handheld item away from an
opponent. A hold is any attempt to control or restrain an opponent. An escape is any attempt to break
out of a hold. These moves all require a Might roll against the Might roll. However, a
character who is not already grappling can also use an ordinary active defense against an attempted grab
or hold. The possible outcomes for each move are listed on the Grappling table.

GRAPPLING
MARGIN GRAB HOLD ESCAPE
0 or less No Effect No Effect No Effect
1 to 2 Partial Grab Partial Hold Escape
3 or more Full Grab Full Hold Reverse

Grab
A partial grab means the combatants are fighting over the item and neither can use it. As long as this
continues, neither can make Active Defense Rolls except against the other. Either fighter can release the
item and immediately exit grappling combat at any time. A full grab means the attacker gains control of
the object and can use it or toss it aside immediately. In effect, a full grab is a free action.

Hold
A partial hold means both combatants are tied up. Neither can exit grappling combat or make Active
Defense Rolls except against the other. They can only make unarmed attacks and grappling moves. A
full hold means the attacker has control over their opponent. The only thing a character in a full hold can
decide on a
case-by-case basis). The attacker can deal damage on subsequent pages without losing the hold, or they
can inflict pain to get the opponent give in, tap out, or surrender, at least for the moment (defenders may
use Willpower instead of Might when defending against this kind of forced surrender).

Escape
An escape lets the character escape either kind of hold. A fighter who escapes a hold can keep grappling
with their opponent or they can exit grappling combat immediately. A reverse lets the character escape a
hold as described above and, if they wish, and allows them to put their opponent in a partial hold.

COMBAT STUNTS
A combat stunt is any attack, maneuver, or tactic used to gain an advantage over an opponent without
hurting them. Because co useful against enemies
too tough to take on directly. The Traits used to perform and resist combat stunts vary by stunt. The GM
decides which Traits to use on a case-by-case basis. Some combat stunts are fairly realistic and actually
work in the real word. Others are things you might see in an action move, unlikely but not impossible. And
some strain the limits of plausibility or hinge entirely on comic book logic. GMs will have to determine (and
let their players know) what kind of stunts they will allow in their games. Use the following examples as a

23
guide when adjudicating and creating your own combat stunts.

Dirty Trick: Perception or their best active

Charm
Perception

Disarm: The atta Might or their best active defense to

Exploit Power: one of

their superpowers against them. For example, they might use their water powers to drench an opponent
with electrical powers, their electrical powers to tase an opponent made of water, their sonic powers to
overwhelm an opponent with super hearing, etc. This stunt is only possible when opponents have
naturally conflicting superpowers, as determined by the GM.

Footwork: The attacker makes an Agility Agility to outmaneuver them or trip

them up. If either character has a Travel Power, they can add half its rank to these rolls.

Inspire: The character makes a Command roll against whatever Threshold the GM sets to deliver a

right situation, this might even end a battle when the outcome seems clear.

Manipulate: The character makes a Command Willpower to frighten them or a

Charm Willpower to annoy or distract them with insults, wisecracks, etc. Either
Ability can also be used to taunt an enemy into targeting the character instead of their allies.

Overpower/Trip: Might (overpower),

Agility (trip), or their best active defense (either) to sweep, throw, trip, or otherwise knock them prone.
This can also be used to push or shove a target backwards or to pull them in.

Show Off:
s
head, or drawing, twirling, and holstering their six-shooter before the target can even react.

Suppressive Fire: The attacker makes a ranged Willpower to

Vehicle Stunt: The character makes a Vehicles Agility, Vehicles, or Travel

Power to perform a vehicle stunt that gives them a unique advantage (pop a car onto two wheels to fit
through a narrow alley, pull a bootlegger reverse and drive backwards to shoot a pursuer, etc.).

Stunt Effects
Combat stunts do not have preset effects. Instead, a character who performs a successful combat stunt
selects an effect from the Combat Stunts table or makes up their own effect using the examples below
Combat
Stunts table, and players must explain how their actions caused the desired effect. Bonuses and

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 MARGIN SAMPLE EFFECTS
- ● +3d bonus to ally
● prevent target from moving from their current location ● grant ally within Close
1 or 2
Range a free move towards or away from target ● maneuver target towards or away
from a location ● distract target or get their attention
-3d penal ● +3d bonus to
● make target lose their next
3+
turn to act ● grant ally within Close Range a free action against target ● maneuver
target exactly where you want them ● taunt target or make them attack you

MINIONS
Minions are unique in several ways. As already noted, Minions have a Threat characteristic which they
use in place of all other Traits. They also act in groups rather than as individuals in combat. For your
convenience, the Threat Ranks table from Chapter XX, Characters is reprinted here.

THREAT RANKS
DESCRIPTION THREAT
Civilians 2d
Bruisers 3d
Professionals 4d
Experts 5d
Elites 6d
Superhumans 7d+

Minion Attacks
Minions act in groups of 1 to 6 characters. A group of Minions can break into two or more groups to attack
multiple Heroes, but each group is treated as a single character. Each group of Minions gets one turn to
act per page, during which it can move and perform one action or attack. To keep things simple, Minion
groups work the same way even when there

Minion attacks are handled abstractly, with many attacks combined into a single Attack Roll opposed by a
single Defense Roll. For this reason, Minions get a bonus to their Attack Rolls that varies depending on
the number of Minions in the group, as shown on the Minion Attack Bonus table. Ignore this bonus
when determining whether a Minion group can penetrate defenses like Armor. Minions are assumed to be
armed with weapons or natural attacks like claws, fangs, martial arts, etc. If a Minion group happens to be
without weapons or dangerous natural attacks, reduce this bonus by 2d.

MINION ATTACK BONUS

MINIONS BONUS
1 +2d
2 to 3 +4d
4 to 6 +6d

Minion Defeats

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 Health. When a character attacks a group of Minions, they defeat a number of
ive, defeating a number of Minions
Margin. A single attack can defeat more than one group of Minions, as long as all are
within range or reach of the attack. Minions defeated by a damaging attack are knocked unconscious,
while those defeated by a special effect attack are affected for the rest of the scene.

SPECIAL CASES
Comic book combat involves more than just smacking each other around. While it would be impossible to
cover every possible option, the following section provides rules for some of the more common situations
likely to arise in mundane and superheroic combat. Use these rules as a guide when adjudicating the
antics, edge cases, and wild ideas that inevitably arise when supers throw down.

All-Out Attacks
All-out attacks represent attacking wildly and without regard for defense or taking slow and careful aim.
Either way, a character who makes an all-out attack gets a +2d bonus on their Attack Rolls and a -4d
penalty on their Defense Rolls (active and passive) until their next turn to act. GMs can switch these
modifiers to a +1d bonus and a -2d penalty when running low-power games.

All-Out Defenses
All-out defenses represent focusing exclusively on blocking and evading attacks. A character who
performs an all-out defense gets a +2d bonus on their Defense Rolls (active and passive), but they can
attack or perform other actions until the end of their next turn to act. All-out defending also lets characters
use their Travel Powers to make Active Defense Rolls if they have room to maneuver.
perform actions, characters can still move and perform free actions while all-out defending.

Ambushes
Ambushing someone requires a successful Challenge Roll using Covert against the Perception.
When using deception or seduction to catch a target off guard in a different way, use Charm instead of
Covert.
ve defenses on the first page of combat.
When there are multiple ambushers or multiple targets, the GM can use the Group Rolls rule or have
each character roll separately, whatever works best.

Area Attacks
Explosions, blasts of dragon fire, and other attacks that target an area of effect are area attacks. Area
attacks target everyone and everything in their area of effect. A character making an area attack makes
one Attack Roll and every target in the area of effect makes a separate Defense Roll (as usual, Minions
defend as a group). Because area attacks target a large area rather than a specific individual, targets
suffer a -2d penalty to their Active Defense Rolls against area attacks.

Charge Attacks
A charge attack involves slamming into a target at speed. Charge attacks can be made against any
target who is farther than Touch Range but can be reached in one page. Attackers can use any Trait they
would normally use to make a close combat attack or because sped and weight matter here they can
use Powers
battle is happening underwater). Charging attackers get a +2d bonus on their Attack Roll but suffer a -2d

26
penalty on their Defense Rolls (active and passive) until their next turn to act.

Charge attacks can sometime wind up hurting the attacker instead of the target. If the target uses a
passive defense that leaves the charge attack with a Margin of -1 or less, the attacker takes damage
cesses minus half their best passive defense rank.

Clobbering Attacks
Characters with superhuman strength can use an enemy they have in a full hold (see Grappling) as a
club or a thrown weapon. This is a clobbering attack, and it works like an attack on both the target and
the held enemy, but the held enemy can only use passive defenses against the attack. If the target

damage (because the attack misses). You need at least 6d Might to do this to an ordinary person, 8d
Might to do this to an enemy with the Heavy Flaw, or 10d Might to do this to an enemy with the Very
Heavy Flaw. The Might etion.

Defending Others
A character can forego their next turn to act to defend anyone within Close Range of them, usually by
shoving them out of the way or leaping between them and the attack. This lets the character make a
ehalf. If the character uses a passive defense and the attack results in a
Margin of 1 or more, the character takes the damage. If the character uses an active defense and the
attack results in a Margin of 1 or more, the original target takes the damage. None of this prevents the
original target from making their own Defense Roll against the attack.

Instant Recovery
Heroes are surprisingly resilient and hard to keep down. Once per battle, a Hero can spend 1 Resolve on
their turn to act for an instant recovery. This immediately frees them of all special effects, even if they ve
been defeated. If the Hero has been reduced to 0 Health (or less if using the Lethal Damage rule), this
instead revives the Hero and brings them back up to 1 Health.

Knockback
There are times you want to knock someone across the room, the street, or the city, if only to make a
knockback is for. Characters using subdual attacks (see below) may accept a -2d
penalty to their Attack Roll to knock a target backwards. Kno
Margin: targets are knocked to Close Range with a Margin of 3 to 6, to Distant Range with a Margin of 7
to 12, or to Extreme Range with a Margin of 13 or more. If the target uses a passive defense against the
attack, increase the effective Margin by 2 for these purposes. If the target has the Heavy or Very Heavy
Flaws, reduce the effective Margin by 2 or 4, respectively, for these purposes.

If the target hits a solid obstacle, they stop moving and take 1 extra point of damage per range class they
would have travelled. For example, a target knocked back to Distant Range would take 2 extra points of

smash right through, take no extra damage, and keep right on going.

Luring
Luring an enemy involves getting them to attack something unintentionally. To perform a lure, a defender
must declare their intention to lure and then make an Active Defense Roll at a -2d penalty. If the attack

27
misses with a Margin of -1 or less, it strikes whatever the defender intended. Of course, the intended
target must be within range or reach of the original attack. Attackers can be lured into attacking their
allies, but their allies are free to make their own Defense Roll against the lured attack.

Mounted Combat
Riders and their mounts are treated like a single character in combat. Riders roll Survival plus half their

rider or the mount. A ride Agility

character. If necessary, riders make Survival rolls to keep their mounts under control.

Subdual Attacks
Unarmed attacks and attacks made with simple blunt weapons are subdual attacks. Targets can use
their full Toughness (rather than half their Toughness) as a passive defense against subdual attacks.
On the plus side, subdual attacks can cause knockback, as described above. Additionally, when using the
Lethal Damage rules, characters using subdual attacks can always pull their punches and deal only
enough damage to knock targets to 0 Health, leaving them defeated but stable.

Team Attacks
When two or more characters coordinate their attacks against a single team
attack. This covers all sorts of comic book teamwork such as coming at the opponent from opposite
sides, catching them in a crossfire, blasting the same spot on their armor, throwing a teammate like a
fastball, etc. Characters performing a team attack hold their attacks until the end of the page and then
attack at the same time. Each gets a bonus to their Attack Roll equal to half the number of attackers
involved in the attack. For example, if 3 or 4 characters perform a team attack, they each get a +2d bonus
on their Attack Rolls. No more than 6 characters may participate in the same team attack, and no
character can be the subject of more than one team attack per battle.

Using Scenery
Wielding a streetlight like a makeshift club. Using random objects in creative or unorthodox ways is a
staple of superhero combat. If a character comes up with a creative way to use an item in their
environment, they can apply one of the effects listed below to their attack. Most items can only be used
roy them, ordinary
to superhero combat. The GM always has the final say regarding what items may be found in the
environment and how characters might use them (taking comic book logic into account, of course).

Apply Pro: Characters can use scenery to give their damaging attack a Pro without spending the
Resolve normally required (see Chapter XX, Resolve). For example, shooting a gas canister and
causing it to explode could give Blast the Area Pro for one attack. Similarly, grabbing a long streetlight
and using it as a sweeping club could turn a close combat attack into an area attack.

Exploit Power: Characters can damage or destroy scenery to use a damaging attack to perform the
Exploit Power combat stunt. For example, they might bust open a fire hydrant or a water tower to drench
a target with electrical powers, drop a power line on a target made of water, strike the bells of a cathedral

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when fighting a target with super hearing, use a cement mixer to scoop up a target made of mud or sand,
etc. This tactic is highly situational, but the possibilities are endless.

Minor Stunt: Characters can use scenery to perform an attack that deal damages and works like a 1 to 2
Margin combat stunt. For example, dropping a chandelier or a bunch of shipping crates onto a target
could both deal damage and prevent them from moving on their next turn to act.

Power Stunt: Characters can damage or destroy scenery to imitate the effects of a Power without
spending the Resolve normally required (see Chapter XX, Resolve). These effects usually last for one
page per 2 Margin unless the GM rules otherwise. For example, an attacker can cut an overhanging tarp
to imitate the Ensnare Power or shoot holes in oil barrels to imitate the Slick Power.

GRITTY COMBAT RULES

These combat rules reflect how combat works in four-color comic books and superhero cartoons, but that
light-hearted feel might not suit your table. If you want a darker or more realistic game where combat is
serious business, use one or more of the following rules. Several of these rules will have a dramatic
impact on the game, so consider them carefully before deciding which to use and allow yourself a retcon
or a do- rule after testing it in play.

Active Defenses
Characters suffer a cumulative -1d penalty on their Active Defense Rolls for every active defense after the
first made on the same page. For example, a character forced to make 3 Active Defense Rolls on one
page suffers no penalty on the first roll, a -1d penalty on the second roll, and a -2d penalty on the third
roll. This applies only to active defenses; passive defenses don t suffer from this attrition.

Friendly Fire
Ranged attacks can sometimes hit unintended targets. Characters suffer a -3d penalty to their ranged
Attack Rolls when shooting at a target engaged in close combat or otherwise bunched up with other
characters. If the attacker rolls a Margin of -1 or less, they make a second attack, this time at no penalty,
that targets another character in that group randomly selected by the GM.

Hard Targets
Machines, vehicles, and solid inanimate objects like stone walls are all sturdier than flesh-and-blood
characters. To account for this, objects like these have the Armor (Hardened) Power at a rank equal to
their Body (for vehicles) or their Structure (for everything else).

Lethal Damage
Health below 0 and into negative numbers. When
a target is reduced to -1 Health or less, they begin taking 1 point of damage per page, usually from blood
loss. A character will die if their Health reaches negative its full value. For example, a character with 3
Health will die if their Health reaches -3 or less. Characters can make an Average (1) Medicine roll to
stabiliz
reduced to negative Health can spend 1 Resolve to stabilize themselves.

Range Penalty
Things are harder to hit when they re father away. To keep this simple, apply a -2d penalty to all ranged

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Attack Rolls against targets at Distant Range and, if applicable, at Extreme Range.

Slow Healing
Natural healing takes time. quick recovery after a battle.
Additionally, ordinary medical care is less effective: a successful Medicine roll heals only 1 point of
damage per 2 Margin Technology rolls made to repair robots and such). Last, if using
the Lethal Damage rules, defeated characters Health when
the next scene begins. Instead, they remain unconscious until they heal back up to1 Health.

Wound Penalties
Wounded characters are not at their best. A character at or below half their full Health t spend
Resolve to add extra dice to their Challenge Rolls. For example, a character with 7 Health will suffer this
Health or less. Even worse, a character who has been brought down
to 1 Health l failed Challenge Rolls.

EXAMPLE OF COMBAT
Remember the arm-wrestling exhibition from Chapter 1? Well, with the main event concluded, Citizen
Soldier and Gatecrasher are getting ready to go sign some autographs when a giant mecha and four
robotic Minions smash their way into the arena, gunning for our heroes. The mecha has 13 Edge, Citizen
Soldier has 12 Edge, and Gatecrasher has 9 Edge Edge scores.
As a result, on every page of this fight, the giant mecha acts first, Citizen Soldier acts second,
Gatecrasher acts third, and the robotic Minions act last.

On the first page of combat, the giant mecha tries to step on Gatecrasher. It rolls its 13d Might and gets
8 successes on its Attack Roll. Gate uses his 12d Armor to defend himself and rolls 6 successes on his
Defense Roll. Not great. The Attack Roll succeeds with a Margin of 2, and a giant mechanical foot
stomps Gate into the ground, dealing 2 points of damage.

Citizen Soldier acts next. Wasting no time, he leaps at the robotic Minions using his 12d Might to make
his Attack Roll and he rolls 8 successes. Being Minions, the robots use their 6d Threat to make one
Defense Roll for the entire group and they roll 3 successes. Ouch! With a Margin of 5, our mighty hero
turns 3 (half of the 5 Margin) of these beeping bozos into scrap metal.

Not one to take this kind of thing lying down, Gatecrasher jumps up and declares that he s going to
perform 2 actions this page. He s going to grab the remaining robot Minion (his first action) and then
he s going to throw him at the mecha (his second action). Oh, and he also declares and all-out attack,
which will give him a +2d bonus on his Attack Rolls.

Gate s first attack is resolved using his 12d Might against the Minion s 6d Threat. He suffers a -2d
penalty for taking two actions but gets a +2d bonus for the all-out attack, so these modifiers cancel each
other out. Gatecrasher rolls 8 successes and the robot rolls 5 successes. Unfortunately for the robot, our
boy Gate only needed 3 successes to place him in a full hold.

With the robot now at his mercy, Gatecrash makes like Sandy Koufax and fastballs the mechanical
Minion at the mecha. Once again, he suffers a -2d penalty for taking two actions but gets a +2d bonus
for the all-out attack, so these modifiers cancel each other out. Gatecrasher rolls his 12d Might and gets
9 successes, the Minion rolls its 6d Threat and gets 4 successes, and the mecha rolls its 14d Armor and

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gets 10 successes. The Minion gets hit with a 5 Margin attack and turns into confetti. The mecha, on the
other hand, takes a -1 Margin attack and suffers no damage. That thing is tough!

If there were any Minions left, it would be their turn to act. No such luck. Since everyone still involved in
the battle has taken their turn, the current page ends and a new one begins

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