Where We've Been

Mutants & Masterminds is through playtesting and into the editing and development phase. We'll be telling you a lot more about the game as the clock ticks down to the October launch, but we thought we'd give you a peek at where we’ve been first.

In the early days of the game's development, we asked Sam Wood to do some concept sketches that would help us establish the look and feel of the game. Sam, as any D&D fan could tell you, was one of the artists behind the look of 3E, and it was just our luck that Sam is also a huge superhero fan (and in fact also playtested the M&M rules). Sam did several conept sketches for us and Mutants & Masterminds author Steve Kenson used them to create playtest characters. The sketches and playtest stats for two of these characters, Inferna and the Pugilist, are revealed here for the first time. The playtesting of these characters, and dozens of others created by our crack group of volunteers, helped refine the Mutants & Masterminds rules into their final form. Enjoy this look at where we've been, and join us over the next few weeks for a look at where we're going.

Inferna

Power Level 10

Strength 10, Dexterity 14, Constitution 14, Intelligence 12, Wisdom 12, Charisma 12

Melee Attack: +6

Ranged Attack: +8

Defense: 18 (15 flat-footed)

Initiative: +2 (Dex)

Saving Throws: Damage +2, Fortitude +2, Reflex +5, Will +4

Hero Points: 5

Skills

Acrobatics +8, Concentration +8, Hide +6, Power Use (Fire Control) +10, Spot +6

Feats

• Accurate Attack: By taking a penalty of up to 5 on her damage, Inferna can add the same number to her attack rolls for that round.
• Dodge: Inferna has a +1 dodge bonus to Defense against all opponents or a +2 dodge bouns against a single opponent of her choice each round.
• Expertise: Inferna can take a penalty of up to 5 on her attack rolls for one round, adding the same number to her Defense for that round.
• Identity Change: Inferna can transform from her secret identity into her costumed identity at will as a half action.
• Point Blank Shot: Inferna has a +1 bonus on attack rolls and damage with ranged attacks within 30 ft.
• Power Attack: By taking a penalty of up to 5 on her attack rolls, Inferna can add the same number to her damage that round.
• Precise Shot: Inferna can make ranged attacks into melee without the usual -4 penalty for doing so.

Powers

Fire Control (+10): Inferna can generate and control fire, allowing her to throw blasts of fire that do her power rank in lethal damage with a range increment of 100 feet and a maximum range of 1,000 feet.

Extras: Inferna has the following extras on her Fire Control:

• Fire Shield: Inferna can surround herself with a shield of fire that gives her a +10 bonus on her Damage saving throws.
• Flame Aura: Inferna can surround her body with a flame aura that does power rank lethal damage to anything that touches her.
• Flight: By superheating the air and projecting a stream of fire out behind her, Inferna can fly at a speed of 50 ft.

Power Stunts: Inferna has mastered the following Fire Control power stunts:

• Heat Blast: A blast of heat with the same range and damage as her fire blasts, except it does stun rather than lethal damage.
• Snuff Flames: Inferna can reduce the intensity of any fire within 1,000 ft. of her by her power rank. If this reduces the fire's intensity to 0 or less, it goes out immediately.

Reflexes (+3): +3 bonus on all Reflex saving throws (already factored in).

Willpower (+3): +3 bonus on all Will saving throws (already factored in).

Background

Kate McCann was just an ordinary teenage girl, until the night when she woke from a nightmare to find her house on fire. Kate managed to escape, but her parents weren't so lucky. She was placed in the care of the state, until men from the government came and quietly took her away.

They brought her to a facility controled by META-4, a top-secret organization that studied the powers of mutants and other super-humans, people like Kate. Their tests revealed that she was a powerful pyrokinetic, with the psychic ability to create and control fire. Their proceedures helped to bring Kate's power out, but she broke out of the lab and went on the run.

For a while, Kate hid from META-4 agents until they were able to convince her to come in from the cold. Now she works as an agent for the organization, looking for other young mutants like herself and going on missions using the code-name Inferna. She tries to serve as a role-model to young people and wants to spare other mutants the traumas she has suffered.

The Pugilist

Power Level 13

Strength 18, Dexterity 16, Constitution 20, Intelligence 13, Wisdom 14, Charisma 13

Melee Attack: +12 (unarmed damage DC 23)

Ranged Attack: +12 (ranged damage DC by attack)

Defense: 22 (18 flat-footed)

Initiative: +6 (Dex, Improved Initiative)

Saving Throws: Damage +7, Fortitude +5, Reflex +5, Will +4

Hero Points: 7

Skills

Balance +8, Bluff +8, Climb +12, Hide +8, Intimidate +10, Jump +12, Listen +5, Move Silently +8, Sense Motive +8, Spot +5

Feats

• Assessment: The Pugilist can size up an opponent's abilities. As a half action, he can choose a target within 30 feet. Choose three attributes (ability scores, skills, or powers) and the GM must tell you which one the target is best in and which he is worst in.
• Attack Focus (unarmed): +1 bonus on unarmed attack rolls.
• Blind-Fight: In melee whenever the Pugilist missed an attack due to concealment he can re-roll his miss chance once. Invisible attackers get no bonus to hit him in melee, and he does not lose his dodge bonus against them. Darkness, blindness, and poor visibility reduce his movement speed to three-quarters rather than half.
• Counterattack: If an opponent attacks the Pugilist in melee combat and misses, The Pugilist gets one immediate melee attack against them as a free action at his full attack bonus. He can use this feat 4 times per round, but only once per opponent per round.
• Defensive Move: If an opponent attacks the Pugilist in melee combat and misses, he can immediately move a 5-foot step as a free action.
• Dodge: The Pugilist has a +1 dodge bonus to Defense in combat against all opponents, or +2 against a single opponent, if he chooses.
• Durability: Any lethal attack with a damage bonus less than the Pugilist's Damage save bonus (+7) inflicts stun damage on him instead.
• Fame: The Pugilist is widely known, and has a +3 bonus on Charisma-based skill checks when dealing with somone who has heard of him.
• Expertise: The Pugilist can take a penalty of up to 5 on his attack rolls for a round and add that number as a bonus to his Defense for the round.
• Immunity: The Pugilist is immune to aging, disease, and poisons.
• Improved Critical (unarmed): The Pugilist scores a potential critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 when striking unarmed.
• Improved Disarm: When the Pugilist makes an attempt to disarm an opponent, they do not get a chance to disarm him.
• Improved Initiative: +4 bonus to Initiative checks.
• Improved Trip: When the Pugilist makes a trip attack against an opponent, they do not get a chance to trip him.
• Instant Stand: Standing up again after being knocked prone (for whatever reason) is a free action for the Pugilist.
• Iron Will: +2 bonus to Will saving throws (already factored in).
• Lightning Reflexes: +2 bonus to Reflex saving throws (already factored in).
• Power Attack: By taking a penalty of up to -5 on his attack rolls, the Pugilist can add the same number to his damage for that round.
• Rapid Strike: The Pugilist can make two melee attacks per round. The extra attack is at his full base attack bonus, but each attack that round (the extra one and his normal one) suffers a -2 penalty.
• Startle: The Pugilist can designate an opponent and make an Intimidation check as a half action. His opponent must immediately make a Will save with a DC equal to the result of the Intimidation check. If the save fails, the opponent is considered flat-footed against the Pugilist's next attack (losing any dodge bonus to Defense).
• Stunning Attack: When the Pugilist makes an unarmed attack, he can choose not inflict normal damage. Instead, the target makes a damage save. A successful save results in no effect, a failed save means the target is stunned for one round.
• Takedown Attack: If one of the Pugilist's melee attacks leaves an opponent stunned, disabled, or worse, he gets an immediate additional melee attack against another opponent within reach. This must be the same type of attack as the first, at the same attack bonus. He can use this ability once per round, unless he's fighting minions, in which case he can use it over and over again until he misses an attack.
• Toughness: +2 bonus to Damage saving throws (already factored in).

Powers

Combat Sense (+5): The Pugilist retains his full dodge bonus to Defense when surprised, flat-footed, or any other condition where he is still capable of movement (not while entangled, helpless, etc.).

Regeneration (+2): The Pugilist reduces his current stun and lethal hits by 1 every 5 rounds. He has a +2 bonus on all checks to recover from injury.

Super-Strength (+4): The Pugilist is about fifteen times stronger than a normal man. He can lift 4,800 lbs. as a heavy load. He has a +4 bonus on all Strength checks (and Str-based skill checks) and does +4 damage with melee attacks.

Extra: Ghost Touch: The Pugilist can hit anything. He can touch and hit incorporeal creatures as is they were solid.

Background

Nobody knows who he is or where he comes from. He answers to a number of names: Champ, Golden Glove, Big Guy, Fella, and even "Hey You" sometimes, but most simply call him the Pugilist, after an account by a British journalist in the 1920s. All anyone knows about him is that the Pugilist shows up from time to time when there's an important fight to be won, and that he always fight on the side of what's right.

He's a tough, wiry-looking fellow wearing only loose-fitting khaki pants, combat boots, a cap, and a black mask. His hands are taped-up like a prize-fighter's. He speaks in a sort of slow drawl, with a hint of an Irish accent, but the Pugilist is a man of few words. He prefers to let his fists do his talking for him, and they're mighty eloquent. He's laid more than a few villains out on the mat, only to disappear before anyone can congratulate or thank him. Although many a prize-fighter over the years has wanted to go toe-to-toe with the legendary Pugilist, and more than a few have tried to call him out, he's never fought for sport or title, only when the need is there for someone to stand up for what's right.

The Pugilist is apparently immortal, since he's been seen in places around the world since the early 1900s (and there are rumors of sightings going back to the late 1800s). Despite being over a hundred years old, he shows no signs of aging or slowing down in the slightest, and his right hook is just as mean as ever. As long as his two fists can make a difference, he'll be there, but some who have fought alongside the mysterious boxer say that he has the air of a man with a heavy burden, waiting for the day when he won't be needed any longer and he can retire, a true champion.