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Super Power Stunts

Proposed and co-authored by Dan Chevrier, this section is dedicated to stunts performed using Super Abilities. Many make use of combinations of multiple powers, which may bend the rules but we don't believe will break them. If you, the reader of this site, have a stunt feel free to write it up, tell me about it, and I'll post anything reasonable.

Alter Physical Structure, Control: Matched Elements

- Dan Steiner

Possessing a body formed of a substance that the character also can animate and/or control in an elemental fashion lends the character a few spectacular power stunts. Note that these stunts only work while the character is in that altered physical state, and that the stunts require an ample source of that element. Possible combinations are:

    1. Elemental Behemoth: Treated similarly as the Water Behemoth sub-ability (HU2 pg 246) of Alter Physical Structure: Liquid. The character can absorb materials into his body, growing in physical size and power. The amount of material a character can absorb increases with experience level, but doesn't have noticible effect until third level. A third level character can increase his mass up to 150% of his normal amount, while a tenth level character can increase up to 500% of his normal amount. Note that at tenth level the character's height is increased to 215% normal and PS is increased to 464% normal: a 2 m tall character with PS of 30 is now 4.31 meters tall and has a PS of 139!

Mass / SDC Multiplier
[ ExpLvl / 2 ]

PS Multiplier
[ ExpLvl / 2 ] 2/3

Height Multiplier
[ ExpLvl / 2 ] 1/3

Note: The increases in size and strength are not meant to emulate the existing game-balanced powers, but instead correspond with realistic physical implications. See my note on the actual results of physical growth on size, strength, and SDC.


    2. Elemental Merge: Treated exactly as the Water Merge sub-ability (HU2 pg 246-7) of Alter Physical Structure: Liquid. Given an ample source of the character's chosen element, the character can merge himself into the material. There must be elemental material at least equal to twice the size of the character for this ability to work. This requires best judgement by GM, since size and mass are different quantities for the different elements. When merged, characters travel at one third normal speed through that material, but gain a measure of limited invulnerability. The character is invulnerable to physical and energy attacks until the material they've merged into has been destroyed. Characters are still vulnerable to psychic attack, but most magic attacks will have to penetrate the merged material to cause direct injury.

Alter Physical Structure: Electricity; Control Elemental Forces: Air

- Dan Steiner

Possession of both of these powers allows the character to merge his body with the weather patterns he creates, causing a lightning storm. The character is physically part of the storm, having spread his influence over the incredible amounts of charge gathered in the storm clouds. This tactic increases the amount of electricity the character normally has available for his attacks.

    1. Atmospheric Manipulation: Build Charge: The character can collect charges in the atmosphere. Every use of the manipulation (two attacks, as usual) builds up charge capable of causing 100 points of damage. This charge can be used by the character as a damage bonus to his normally available electricity-based attacks, distributed as he sees fit. The character can store one manipulation's worth of electricity in the atmosphere per level of experience.

Limitation: The charge is difficult to store, and if the character loses control the charge will be released as uncontrolled bolts of lightning. The bolts will strike the path of least resistance, usually going through either conductive objects or objects with high elevation. In either case, the objects should be attached to the ground, giving the lightning a circuit path. Every melee the character has stored electricity in the atmosphere requires a roll to control his power. The base ability is 50%, plus 5% per level of experience, but minus 10% per manipulation stored. The amount of electricity damage bonus lost on a failing roll is equal to the difference between the character's roll and the value he needed to maintain control.
Example: A fourth level character has stored three manipulation's worth of charge in the atmosphere. At the beginning of each melee he must roll lower than 40% to maintain his control. He rolls a 65%, meaning a bolt of lightning doing 25 points of damage will be released uncontrolled.

    2. Limited Invulnerability: The character can become a physical part of the atmospheric system he creates, lending him limited invulnerability. The character cannot be injured by kinetic attacks (including bullets) because the character has temporarily abandoned his solid form. Energy and magic attacks, however, will excite the atmospheric system the character has merged with. The attacks will do one tenth damage to the character, but most attacks that strike the weather system (a strike roll of ten or higher) will damage the character. This state can be maintained for one minute per level experience. This stunt provides protection against most Bio-Manipulation-type attacks, but does not protect the character from other psychic attacks.

Alter Physical Structure: Electricity and Mechano-Link

- Dan Chevrier

The combining of these two powers has several spectacular results. The Character with both of these powers will find that her ability to link with machines is greatly increased. By becoming the machine’s power source the character has greater control over any device with which she physically merges.

    1. Bonuses: After using this combination power, a character has even greater understanding of machines and gains an additional bonus on top of those listed under Mechano-Link.

+5% to all piloting skills known to the character. The base skill increases from 60% to 70%
+10% to all Read Sensory Equipment
+10% to computer, electrical and mechanical skills
+10% to the ability to understand and operate unknown or alien machines

    2. Device Merge: The character is able to physically merge with any electrical/electronic device. By merging thusly, she is able to use the features of the device as though they were extensions of her self. This does not mean that inanimate items gain locomotive powers, but rather that she is able to use all of the features of a device. A drawback of this power is that the device may not survive the merger. The character is a being of pure electricity that may have enough power to fuse the machine to slag. Also, despite the character’s greater ability to control her power at higher levels, she still becomes a more powerful force and cannot merge with some devices anymore. The result of a failed merge is that the devices circuits are fused and the device becomes useless. Use the following chart to determine chance of succeeding.

Device size Levels: 1-3 4-6 7-9 10-12 13-15
Small (walkman) 15 12% 8% 3% Failure
Medium (oven) 40% 38% 35% 31% 28%
Large (automobile) 65% 64% 62% 59% 55%
Industrial (factory machine) 90% 90% 89% 87% 84%

    3. Computer Merge: This power remains largely unchanged, except that if a character desires to merge with a computer physically, she may reduce it to slag. Other results of failure may simply be lost information (and lots of it), damaged components

Computer Size Levels :1-3 4-6 7-9 10-12 13-15
Hand held (palm pilot) 10% 5% Failure Failure Failure
Laptop 30% 25% 20% 15% 10%
Desktop 50% 45% 40% 35% 30%
Supercomputer 70% 65% 60% 55% 50%

    4. Robot Merge: By entering a robot, the character is able to override the programming or remote control (even if it is an exoskeleton) and use the robot as her own body. Much as a computer merged character can read files on a hard drive, this character can read programming in the robot and put it to use. While inside a robot, the character can use any of the machines pre-programmed skills at the listed proficiency levels. The character will not retain these skills upon exiting the robot. Use the character’s own combat skills if the robot has no combat programming.


    Artificial Intelligence: if a computer or robot is gifted with A.I., the character possessing it gains complete control of the physical form and can do as she wishes. During the possession, the ‘mind’ of the robot retains it’s own self-awareness. GM’s can decide whether or not the two can communicate.

    Escaping Destruction: if the device is destroyed while the character is still inside, he has a 50% chance of escaping, +3% per level. If the character does not escape her energy will be grounded out and she will be essentially killed. This chance of escaping is increased by 20% if the cause of destruction is the character’s attempt to merge.

    Meltdown: characters may use the fusing ability to destroy an object or device. To do so, the character must try to enter it. If she fails, no damage is done. If she succeeds, she can safely do 20% damage per melee round. This damage can be increased by 5% at 5th, 10th and 15th level. Chance of escaping, unfortunately, decreases as the rate of damage increases; chance of escaping decreases by 5% at 5th, 10th and 15th level.

Energy Expulsion: Electricity; Mental Stun

- Dan Steiner, inspired by "The Baron"

    Stun Bolt: The character can use his powers in combination, lending versatility to the Mini-Lightning Bolt and greater range and rate of attack to Mental Stun. The stun attack has increased effect on its victim because it is powered by the electric current generated by the character. The stun bolts can be simultaneously used on multiple targets after first level of experience.

This attack can also be used as a "stun punch." The stun part of the punch gets the same bonus to strike as the stun bolt, but the physical attack does not; it is possible that the physical punch could miss but the electric attack could strike the victim. Make one roll to strike, adding hand to hand strike bonuses. The victim must save vs stun if the punch lands; if the punch doesn't land add the +3 bonus to see if the stun damage is applied without the punch damage.

Range: 100 feet (30.5 m) +20 feet (6 m) per level of experience
Damage: 1D6 points of damage, plus Special: Victims lose two attacks per melee, have no initiative and are -6 on all combat rolls. Skill performance and speed are reduced by 40%.
Duration: Victims suffer penalties for two melee rounds, and suffer penalties at half effect for two additional rounds.
Attacks per Melee: Counts as one hand to hand attack, when aimed at one person. The character can fire a stun bolt at one target per level of experience, at the cost of one attack per target. Further, the character accumulates -1 to strike for each intended target. Ex: Firing at four target requires fourth level experience, four melee attacks, and all bolts are fired with a strike penalty of -4.
Saving Throw: Dodge; Once hit by the bolt a 15 or higher is needed to save vs the stun effects. ME bonuses vs psionics can be applied, but other bonuses vs psionics are not appropriate as this attack is electric in nature.
Bonus: +3 strike, +1 per additional odd level of experience

Note regarding Initiative penalties: If your house rules include an Advanced Initiative Rule like mine the penalties for attacks per melee and initiative are applied differently. The victim that fails to save vs stun doesn't lose any attacks outright, but suffers a -12 initiative penalty. Combined with the sub-rule that a character can have only one attack with intiative less than one, this initiative penalty will eliminate an appropriate number of attacks.

Mass / Velocity Changes

- Dan Steiner

Many powers allow characters to alter their masses, either directly or as a consequence of their power. The rules of HU2 make no mention of the consequences of changing a character's mass while they are in motion, which would have very significant effects of the character's speed and damage potential. The stunts I've created are motivated entirely by introductory level physics, and include:

Because of this write-up's size, I've moved it to a separate page.

Holographic Projection

- Dan Steiner

I've never liked this power in the past because of it's severe limitations, but some creativity can make it more formidable. I don't like the hard requirement that the character has to see the image to project it. After a certain point the character should be able to project simple generic objects without having to witness them.


- Dan Steiner

    Low Frequency Attacks: Intense vibrations at low frequencies can cause severe incapacitive effects in people and animals. Victims will feel nausea and pain, with little physical damage.

    Resonance Attack: The most spectacular use of harmonic vibrations has been left out of this power! Many objects have natural resonant frequencies; vibrations of an object at one of its resonant frequencies will cause the vibrations to greatly increase in magnitude as they pile on top of each other. For example, a child's swing has a natural resonant frequency. If you repeatedly push the rider forwards when they're at the peak of their motion you can make them swing much higher than from a single push. The energy you give the swing with each push builds up, until the amplitude of its motion exceeds the limit of the swing at 90 degrees. If you push the swing at random points during its motion you will often take away energy from the swing, and it will maintain a low amplitude.

Solid physical objects also have natural resonant frequencies. Some objects will vibrate with incredible amplitudes before taking significant damage; the Tacoma Narrows Bridge was an incredible example of this effect in reality. Of course, most objects don't like to be severly shaken, so these vibrations will cause significant damage when allowed to continue indefinitely. The most impressive result of this attack is that the damage can build to a scale large enough to bring down buildings!

This attack takes a long time to set up, but will cause incredible damage if it reaches full effect. First the attacker must find the resonant frequencies of the object, which will take 1D6 melees of probing with weak vibrations.