advanced player’s guide n Chapter Five 153
special effect(s) Frequency
Acid Attacks Rare
Air/Wind Attacks Uncommon
Attacks (All), Physical/Normal Extremely Common
Biological Attacks Rare
Blasters (same as Particle Beam Attacks) Extremely Common
Bullets Extremely Common
Celestial/Solar Attacks Rare
Chaos/Entropy Attacks Rare
Chemical Attacks (same as Gas/Poison) Common Chemical Attacks, Air-Based Uncommon
Cold/Ice Attacks Common
Cyberkinesis Attacks Uncommon
Darkness Attacks Uncommon
Dimensional Manipulation Attacks Rare Earth + Fire + Water Attacks Very Common
Earth/Stone Attacks Common
Electrical + Magnetic Attacks Very Common
Electrical Attacks Very Common
Electromagnetic Pulses Uncommon
Electromagnetic Radiation Attacks Uncommon
Energy Attacks (All) Extremely Common
Explosives Very Common
Fiery Explosions Uncommon
Fire Attacks Common
Fire Attacks + Heat Attacks Common
Force Attacks Uncommon
Gas + Poison Attacks (same as Chemical) Common
Gas Attacks Common
Gravity Attacks Uncommon
Gravity Attacks + Magnetic Attacks Uncommon
Heat Attacks Uncommon
Heat Attacks + Fire Attacks Common
High-Tech Attacks Extremely Common
Holy Attacks Uncommon
Ice/Cold Attacks Common
Ice/Cold Attacks + Water Attacks Common Iron Attacks + Steel Attacks Very Common
Kinetic Energy Attacks Rare
Life Force Attacks Rare
Light-Based Attacks Uncommon
Magic, all types Very Common
Magic, specific type Uncommon
Magnetic Attacks Uncommon
Magnetic Attacks + Gravity Attacks Uncommon Matter Manipulation Attacks Rare
Melee Attacks, Physical/Normal Extremely Common
Mental Powers, generally Common
Particle Beam Attacks (same as Blasters) Extremely Common
Physical Attacks (All) Extremely Common
Plasma Beams Uncommon
special effect(s) Frequency
Pleasurable Attacks Uncommon
Poisons Common
Radiation Attacks Uncommon
Shadow Attacks Uncommon
Silver-Based Attacks Uncommon
Solar/Celestial Attacks Rare
Sonic Attacks Uncommon
Spirit Attacks Rare
Stone/Earth Attacks Common
Technology Attacks Very Common
Telekinetic Attacks Common
Time Attacks Rare
Undead or Unholy Attacks Uncommon
Vibration Attacks Uncommon
Water Attacks Uncommon
Water Attacks + Cold Attacks Common
Wind/Air Attacks Uncommon
Wood-Based + Silver-Based Attacks Uncommon
Wood-Based Attacks Uncommon
Special Situations
Ambushes + Treacherous Attacks Very Common Attacks When Obviously Outclassed Common
Electrically grounded
If a Flyer Extremely Common
If a Non-Flyer Very Common
Falling/Knockback Damage
If a Normal Character Extremely Common If a Predominantly High-Altitude Character Common
Struck in HTH Combat Extremely Common
Specific Powers/game Mechanics
Armor Piercing Attacks Common
Affects Desolidified Attacks Rare
Blast Extremely Common
Dispel Uncommon
Drains Common
Entangles, standard Very Common
Entangles, EGO-Based (Mental Paralysis) Uncommon Flash Attacks, Sight Group Very Common Flash Attacks, all Sense Groups Extremely Common
Images, Sight Group Common
Images, all Sense Groups Common
Killing Attacks, Energy Extremely Common Killing Attacks, Physical Extremely Common
Mental Blast Common
Mental Illusions Uncommon
Mind Control Common
Mind Scan Uncommon
Presence Attacks, generally Extremely Common Presence Attacks From Desirable Opponents Common
Transform Uncommon
OPTIOnAl vulnERABIlITy FREQuEnCy TABlE
154 n Complications hero system 6th edition
OTHER vulnERABIlITy RulES
A character may have two or more Vulner- abilities that are affected by a single attack — for example, a character who’s Vulnerable to Ice/ Cold and Vulnerable to Magic could get hit by a Frost Bolt Spell. In that situation, multiply the larger multiplier by the smaller multiplier to get an overall multiplier. Thus, two x1.5 multipliers become a x2.25 multiplier, a x1.5 and x2 become a x3 multiplier, and two x2 multipliers become a x4 multiplier.
If a character has a Vulnerability to both the STUN and BODY of a particular special effect or type of attack, and is hit by a Killing Attack that exploits the Vulnerability, first determine the BODY and STUN of the Killing Attack normally. After that’s done, apply the Vulnerability multi- plier. For example, suppose a character who’s Vulnerable to Fire (2 x STUN and 2 x BODY) is hit by a fire RKA 3d6 (a fireball). The attacker rolls his damage, getting 10 BODY and a x4 STUN Multiplier for 40 STUN. The Vulnerability now applies, doubling that to 20 BODY and 80 STUN.
In campaigns that use the Hit Location rules, apply both the Vulnerability modifier and the Hit Location modifier before taking the target’s defenses into account. For example, a character hit in the Head with a Killing Attack to which he had a 2 x STUN Vulnerability would apply the x5 STUN Multiplier for the Head location, and then the x2 Vulnerability modifier.
If a character is Vulnerable to the effects of Entangles, multiply the BODY rolled for the Entangle. The PD/ED of the Entangle is not affected.
If a target is Vulnerable to a type of attack (but not to Mental Powers) and is affected by a Mental Illusion that does damage by creating an Illusion of that type of attack, the Vulnerability applies to increase the damage.
Vulnerability damage multipliers do not apply to damage from Susceptibilities, Dependences, or other Complications involving the same power/ special effect.
EXPAnDED vulnERABIlITy
For some campaigns, the three categories of frequency — Uncommon, Common, and Very Common — may not offer enough options. The accompanying Optional Vulnerability Table on APG 153 and Optional Vulnerability Frequency Table present an expanded, five-category system for Vulnerability. Under this system, characters tend to get more points for Vulnerability than they do with the standard rules.
InCREASED mulTIPlES
At the GM’s option, a character can take a Vulnerability that’s even more dangerous than normal — one that does x3, x4, or more damage. For each additional point of multiple above x2 (x3, x4, x5, x6, and so forth), multiply the base value of the Vulnerability by that number (thus, a Common Vulnerability with a x3 multiplier is worth 30 points, one with x5 is worth 50 points, and so on).
EXPAnDED EFFECTS FOR vulnERABIlITy
The standard Vulnerability rules increase the damage done by, or other direct effect of, a given attack. For example, they multiply the damage of a Blast or RKA, the amount of “blindness” caused by Flash, and the BODY of Entangles. At the GM’s option, characters can define their Vulnerability as having some effect other than increasing damage, as described in the accompanying text box. The GM can also devise other Vulnerability effects appropriate to specific characters, if desired.