Generating Ability Scores

Ability scores start out at 10, average for an adult human being. They can go as low as 1 (truly terrible) and as high as the power level allows.

BUYING ABILITY SCORES

You choose your hero’s ability scores by spending character points on them. One character point increases an ability score by 1, so putting one character point into Strength, for example, raises it from 10 to 11. Remember a score of 10 is average, 13-14 is a fair amount of talent or natural ability, 15-17 is exceptional, 18-19 is extraordinary, and so forth. (See the Ability Benchmarks table on page 30 for guidelines.)

REDUCING ABILITIES

You can also lower one or more of your character’s ability scores from the starting value of 10. Each point you lower a score gives you an additional character point to spend elsewhere. You cannot lower an ability score below 0.

If you reduce an ability score to 0 (for –10 points), you lack that ability entirely (see Nonexistent Ability Scores, page 32).

ABILITY MODIFIERS

Each ability score has a modifier associated with it, based on how above or below average it is. An average ability score (10-11) has a modifier of +0. Ability scores below 10 have negative modifiers (penalties) while abilities above 11 have positive modifiers (bonuses). An ability score’s modifier is calculated by subtracting 10 from the score, dividing by 2, and rounding down any fractions. Modifiers are shown on the Ability Modifiers table.

The modifier is added to, or subtracted from, die rolls when your character does something related to that ability. For example, your Strength modifier affects the amount of melee damage you do. Your Intelligence modifiercomes into play when you roll skills based on Intelligence, and so forth. Sometimes your modifier is used to calculate another value, such as when you use your Dexterity modifier to help determine how good you are at avoiding harm with your reflexes (your Reflex saving throw).

The maximum modifier you can have with an ability is equal to the campaign’s power level +5. So the maximum score you can have in any ability is therefore equal to twice power level, plus 20. A power level 10 hero, for example, cannot have an ability score greater than 40 (a +15 modifier). Strength is affected by the power level limits on damage (see page 24).