ALTERNATE RULES!!!

Alternative Rules: Healing Surges

EXTRA EFFORT Heroes are sometimes called upon to perform feats beyond even their amazing abilities. This calls for extra effort. Players can choose to burn healing surges as extra effort to improve a heros abilities in exchange after which the hero suffers some fatigue. The benefits of extra effort are not limited by power level due to their extraordinary nature. USING EXTRA EFFORT Players can have their heroes use extra effort simply by declaring they are doing so and spending a Healing Surge. Extra effort is a free action and can be performed at any time during the heros turn (but is limited to once per turn). A hero using extra effort gains one of the following benefits: COST OF EXTRA EFFORT At the start of the turn immediately after using extra effort, the hero becomes fatigued. A fatigued hero who uses extra effort becomes exhausted and an exhausted hero who uses extra effort is incapacitated. If you spend an Action Point in addition to a Healing Surge at the start of the turn following the extra effort to remove the fatigue, the hero suffers no adverse effects. In essence, spending the additional Action Point and Healing Surge lets you use extra effort without suffering fatigue. BONUS Perform one check with a bonus (+2 circumstance bonus) or improve an existing bonus to a major bonus (+5 circumstance bonus). This bonus can also negate a penalty (2 circumstance penalty), allowing you to perform the check with no modifier, or reduce a major penalty from a 5 penalty to a 2 penalty. COUNTERING EFFECTS In some circumstances the effects of one power may counter another, negating it. Generally for two effects to counter each other they must have opposed descriptors. For example, light and darkness powers can counter each other as can heat and cold, water and fire, and so forth. In some cases, such as magical or mental effects, powers of the same descriptor can also counter each other. The GM is the final arbiter as to whether or not an effect with a particular descriptor can counter another. The Nullify Power ability can counter any effect of a particular descriptor. To counter an effect, you must have readied an action. In doing so, you delay your action until your opponent tries to use a power. You may still move, since ready is a standard action. You must be able to use the readied effect as a standard action or less. Effects usable as a reaction do not require a ready action; you can use them to counter at any time. Effects requiring longer than a standard action cannot counter during action rounds (although they may be able to counter ongoing effects). If an opponent attempts to use a power you are able to counter, use your countering effect as your readied action. You and the opposing character make effect checks. If you win, your two powers cancel each other out and there is no effect from either. If the opposing character wins, your attempt to counter is unsuccessful. The opposing effect works normally. Each countered effect requires the expenditure of a Healing Surge. You can spend an Action Point to attempt to counter another power as a reaction, without the need to ready an action to do so. An Instant Counter still burns a Healing Surge, and all counters cost a Healing Surge regardless of whether or not the counter is effective. COUNTERING ONGOING EFFECTS You can also use one power to counter the ongoing effect of another, or other lingering results of an instant effect (like flames ignited by a fiery Damage effect). This requires a normal use of the countering effect and an opposed check, as above. If you are successful, you negate the effect (although the opposing character can attempt to reestablish it normally). POWER STUNTS A Power Stunt permits the hero to a Power in a fashion that has hitherto not been used. When a hero wishes to attempt the stunt, he describes the stunt to the GM. The GM then states if the stunt is possible, given the character's level of Power, and what type of roll would be required, if any. The player then spends a Healing Surge to try the stunt. All stunts cost a Healing Surge regardless of whether or not the stunt is effective.

RESISTANCE Gain an immediate additional resistance check against an ongoing effect. If youre compelled or controlled, the fatigue from the extra effort continues to affect you until youre free of the effect; so you can resist yourself to exhaustion. RETAIN You can spend a healing surge to retain a power after a miss. This doesnt add the reliable keyword, and thus keeps reliable powers as special. You can retain a daily power in this way, but you cant use it again in the same encounter. You can only do this if you miss all targets with the power and no Effect is applied. SPEED Increase the heros speed by +2 until the start of the heros next turn. STRENGTH Increase the effect of a heros Strength by +2 until the start of the heros next turn. Carrying Capacity cannot be increased using Heroic Effort unless you also have the Superstrength power feat.

IMPROVE ROLL One Action Point allows you to re-roll any die roll you make and take the better of the two rolls. On a result of 1 through 10 on the second roll, add 10 to the result, an 11 or higher remains as-is (so the re-roll is always a result of 11-20). You must spend the Action Point to improve a roll before the GM announces the outcome of your initial roll. You cannot spend Action Points on die rolls made by the GM or other players without the Luck Control power feat. INSPIRATION You can spend an Action Point to get sudden inspiration in the form of a hint, clue, or bit of help from the GM. It might be a way out of the villains fiendish deathtrap, a vital clue for solving a mystery, or an idea about the villains weakness. Its up to the GM exactly how much help the players get from inspiration and how it manifests, but since hero points are a very limited resource, the help should be in some way significant. POWER Increase one of your heros power effects by +3 until the start of the heros next turn. Permanent effects cannot be increased in this way. RECOVER You can spend an Action Point to recover faster. An Action Point combined with a Healing Surge allows you to immediately remove a dazed, fatigued, or stunned condition, without taking an action. Among other things, this option allows you to use extra effort (previously) without suffering any fatigue. Spending an Action Point to recover also lets you convert an exhausted condition into a fatigued condition. ULTIMATE EFFORT (Power Feat) You can spend an Action Point on a particular check and treat the roll as a 20 (meaning you dont need to roll the die at all, just apply a result of 20 to your modifier). This is not a natural 20, but is treated as a roll of 20 in all other respects. You choose the particular check the advantage applies to when you acquire it and the GM must approve it. You can take Ultimate Effort multiple times, each time, it applies to a different check. This power feat may not be used after youve rolled the die to determine if you succeed.

Alternative Rules: Action Points

EARNING ACTION POINTS You start with 1 action point. Your Action Point total refreshes to 1 at the beginning of each encounter. During Your Turn: You can spend an action point as a free action only during your turn, but never during a surprise round. Once per Encounter: After you spend an Action Point, you must take a short rest before your Action Point total refreshes. ACTION Gain an additional standard action during your turn, which can be exchanged for a move or free action, as usual. BEGINNERS LUCK FORTUNE By spending an Action Point, you gain an effective 5 ranks in one skill of your choice you currently have at 4 or fewer ranks, including skills you have no ranks in, even if they cant be used untrained. These temporary skill ranks last for the duration of the scene and grant you their normal benefits. EDIT SCENE You can edit a scene to grant your hero an advantage by adding or changing certain details. For example, a hero is fighting a villain with plant-based powers in a scientific lab. You deduce the villain may be weakened by defoliants, so you ask the GM if there are any chemicals in the lab you can throw together to create a defoliant. The GM requires an Action Point to add that detail and says the right chemicals are close at hand. Now you just have to use them! How much players are allowed to edit circumstances is up to the individual GM, but generally Action Points should not be allowed to change any event that has already occurred or any detail already explained in-game. For example, players cannot edit away damage or the effects of powers .The GM may also veto uses of editing that ruin the adventure or make things too easy on the players. This option is intended to give the players more input into the story and allow their heroes chances to succeed, but it shouldnt be used as a replacement for planning and cleverness, just a way to enhance them.