CONDITIONS

Heroes run into their share of difficulties in their work. One way Mutants & Masterminds
measures this is with different conditions. They are shorthand for the different game modifiers
imposed by things from power effects to injuries or fatigue. So, for example, “vulnerable” is a
condi-tion where a hero’s active defenses are reduced. An oppo-nent grabbing them or an
entangling mass of glue might make heroes vulnerable, or they might be made vulner-able by a
foe’s cunning combat maneuver or being caught off-guard. The game effect is the same (the hero’s
active defenses are reduced), so it is easier to just refer to the overall condition as “vulnerable” and
describe the different situations that cause it.

Recovery - Living targets remove one damage condition per minute of rest, starting from their most
severe condition and working back. So a damaged character recovers from being incapacitated,
then staggered, dazed, and finally removes a –1 Toughness check penalty per minute until fully
recovered. The Healing and Regeneration effects can speed this process.
Objects, having no Stamina, do not recover from damage unless they have an effect like
Regeneration. Instead, they must be repaired. See the guidelines under the Technology skill when
repairing damaged object.

BASIC CONDITIONS
Each basic condition describes a single game modifier. They are the “building blocks” of
conditions, much as effects are the basic building blocks of powers. Indeed, many power effects
reference these basic conditions in the descriptions of what they do. See the Powers chapter for
details.

B1.Compelled B9.Immobile
B2.Controlled B10.Impaired
B3.Dazed B11.Normal
B4.Debilitated B12.Stunned
B5.Defenseless B13.Transformed
B6.Disabled B14.Unaware
B7.Fatigued B15.Vulnerable
B8.Hindered B16.Weakened

B1.Compelled
A compelled character is directed by an outside force, but struggling against it; the character is
limited to free actions and a single standard action per turn, with both types of action being chosen
by another, controlling character. As usual, this standard action can be traded for a move action.
Controlled supersedes compelled.

B2.Controlled
A controlled character has no free will; the character’s actions each turn are dictated by another,
controlling, character.

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B3.Dazed
A dazed character is limited to free actions and a single standard action per turn, although the
character may use that action to perform a move, as usual. Stunned supersedes dazed.

B4.Debilitated
The character has one or more abilities lowered below –5. (See Debilitated Abilities in the Abilities
chapter.)

B5.Defenseless
A defenseless character has active defense bonuses of 0. Attackers can make attacks on defenseless
opponents as routine checks (see Routine Checks). If the attacker chooses to forgo the routine check
and make a normal attack check, any hit is treated as a critical hit (see Critical Hits, page 240).
Defenseless characters are often prone, providing opponents with an additional bonus to attack
checks (see Prone, in the Combined Conditions section).

B6.Disabled
A disabled character is at a –5 circumstance penalty on checks. If the penalty applies to specific
checks, they are added to the name of the condition, such as Attack Disabled, Fighting Disabled,
Perception Disabled, and so forth. Debilitated, if it applies to the same trait(s), supersedes disabled.

B7.Fatigued
Fatigued characters act as if hindered. Characters recover from a fatigued condition after an hour of
rest.

B8.Hindered
A hindered character moves at half normal speed (–1 speed rank). Immobile supersedes hindered.

B9.Immobile
Immobile characters have no movement speed and cannot move from the spot they occupy,
although they are still capable of taking actions unless prohibited by another condition.

B10.Impaired
An impaired character is at a –2 circumstance penalty on checks. If the impairment applies to
specific checks, they are added to the name of the condition, such as Attack Impaired, Fighting
Impaired, Perception Impaired, and so forth. If it applies to the same trait(s), disabled supersedes
impaired.

B11.Normal
The character is unharmed and unaffected by other conditions, acting normally.

B12.Stunned
Stunned characters cannot take any actions, including free actions

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B13.Transformed
Transformed characters have some or all of their traits altered by an outside agency. This may range
from a change in the character’s appearance to a complete change in trait ranks, even the removal of
some traits and the addition of others! The primary limit on the transformed condition is the
character’s power point total cannot increase, although it can effectively decrease for the duration of
the transformation, such as when a powerful superhero is turned into an otherwise powerless mouse
or frog (obviously based on considerably fewer power points).

B14.Unaware
The character is completely unaware of his surroundings, unable to make interaction or Perception
checks or perform any action based on them. If the condition applies to a specific sense or senses,
they are added to the name of the condition, such as visually unaware, tactilely unaware (or numb),
and so forth. Subjects have full concealment from all of a character’s unaware senses.

B15.Vulnerable
Vulnerable characters are limited in their ability to defend themselves, halving their active defenses
(round up the final value). Defenseless supersedes vulnerable.

B16.Weakened
The character has temporarily lost power points in a trait. See the Weaken effect in the Powers
chapter for more. Debilitated supersedes weakened.

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COMBINED CONDITIONS
Combined conditions are sets of basic conditions tied to a common descriptor. They’re essentially a
kind of “short-hand” for talking about a group of basic conditions that go together in a particular
circumstance, much like a power is a collection of basic effects.
The individual conditions making up a combined condition can be resolved individually. For
example, if an effect that removes the dazed condition is used on a staggered character (who is
dazed and hindered), then the character is no longer dazed, only hindered. Similarly, if an effect
imposes a condition that supersedes part of the combined condition, only that part changes. So an
effect that stuns a staggered character means the character is now stunned (superseding dazed) and
hindered. Similarly, an effect that immobilizes a staggered character leaves the target
dazed and immobile (superseding the hindered element of the combined condition).

C1.Asleep C8.Incapacitated
C2.Blind C9.Paralyzed
C3.Bound C10.Prone
C4.Deaf C11.Restrained
C5.Dying C12.Staggered
C6.Entranced C13.Surprised
C7.Exhausted

C1.Asleep
While asleep, a character is defenseless, stunned, and unaware. A hearing Perception check
with three or more degrees of success wakes the character and removes all these conditions, as does
any sudden movement (such as shaking the sleeping character) or any effect allowing a resistance
check.

C2.Blind
The character cannot see. Everything effectively has full visual concealment from him. He is
hindered, visually unaware, and vulnerable, and may be impaired or disabled for activities where
vision is a factor.

C3.Bound
A bound character is defenseless, immobile, and impaired.

C4.Deaf
The character cannot hear, giving everything total auditory concealment from him. This may allow
for surprise attacks on the unaware character (see Surprise Attack in the Action & Adventure
chapter). Interaction with other characters is limited to sign-language and lip-reading (see
Interaction Skills in Chapter 3).

C5.Dying
A dying character is incapacitated (defenseless, stunned, and unaware) and near death. When the
character gains this condition, immediately make a Fortitude check (DC 15). If the check succeeds,
nothing happens. With two degrees of success, the character stabilizes, removing this condition. If
the check fails, the character remains dying.

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Three or more total degrees of failure mean the character dies: so three failed Fortitude checks or
one or two checks adding up to three degrees. Dying characters make a Fortitude check each round
until they either die or stabilize. Another character can stabilize a dying character with a successful
Treatment check (DC 15) or use of a Healing effect (see the Powers chapter).

C6.Entranced
An entranced character is stunned, taking no actions other than paying attention to the entrancing
effect. Any obvious threat automatically breaks the trance. An ally can also shake a character free of
the condition with an interaction skill check (DC 10 + effect rank).

C7.Exhausted
Exhausted characters are near collapse. They are impaired and hindered. Characters recover from
an exhausted condition after an hour of rest in comfortable surroundings.

C8.Incapacitated
An incapacitated character is defenseless, stunned, and unaware. Incapacitated characters
generally also fall prone, unless some outside force or aid keeps them standing.

C9.Paralyzed
A paralyzed character is defenseless, immobile, and physically stunned, frozen in place and unable
to move, but still aware and able to take purely mental actions, involving no physical movement
whatsoever.

C10.Prone
A prone character is lying on the ground, receiving a –5 circumstance penalty on close attack
checks. Opponents receive a +5 circumstance bonus to close attack checks but a –5 penalty to
ranged attack checks (effectively giving the prone character total cover against ranged attacks).
Prone characters are hindered. Standing up from a prone position is a move action.

C11.Restrained
A restrained character is hindered and vulnerable. If the restraints are anchored to an immobile
object, the character is immobile rather than hindered. If restrained by another character, the
restrained character is immobile but may be moved by the restraining character.

C12.Staggered
A staggered character is dazed and hindered.

C13.Surprised
A surprised character is stunned and vulnerable, caught off-guard and therefore unable to act, and
less able to avoid attacks.

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