Mastermind's Manual Design Journal: Abilities

The six ability scores are the foundation for any M&M character. The Mastermind's Manual looks at different ways of handling those basic abilities, from random rolls to generate ability scores to variant interpretations. Here are some samples:

Shorthand Abilities

This variant drops the numerical ability scores and uses only the ability score's modifier, set at a default of +0 for starting characters. So characters have ability scores of –1, 0, +1, +2, and so forth. An ability score bonus can be increased at a cost of 2 power points per +1 or decreased, giving back 2 power points per –1.

The maximum ability score bonus remains based on the campaign's power level with the minimum score at –5. So a character's ability scores might be Str +2, Dex +3, Con +1, Int +8, Wis +4, Cha +0, for example. In cases where characters normally gain or lose ability score points, they lose 1 power point from an ability modifier instead (with every 2 points shifting the modifier up or down by 1).

This variant has the same effect on Enhanced Abilities: instead of costing 1 point per rank and adding +1 ability point per rank, they cost 2 points per rank and add a +1 ability bonus per rank.

Mandatory Super-Strength

Mutants & Masterminds separates lifting and controlled applications of muscle power somewhat from the raw Strength score, allowing for a wide range of lifting capabilities within the narrower range of Strength bonuses allowed at a particular power level. Some Gamemasters may prefer a more direct correlation between Strength and Super-Strength, in which case the following option can be used.

For each point of Strength bonus over +5, a character must also have 1 rank of the Super-Strength power. So a character with Strength 22 (a +6 bonus) must also have Super-Strength 1; Strength 24, Super-Strength 2; Strength 26, Super-Strength 3, and so forth. Characters can have more than the required amount of Super-Strength, but must have at least that amount. Since Super-Strength costs 2 points per rank, this effectively doubles the cost of Strength past Strength 20 to 2 power points per point rather than 1 (or 4 power points per +1 Strength bonus).

Super-Abilities

Enhanced Abilities in M&M allow you to treat some or all of an ability score as a power. This variant requires ability scores greater than 20 be considered powers, costing 2 points per rank. Each rank in a super-ability grants a +1 bonus to that ability's modifier, as in the Shorthand Abilities option above. Characters can combine normal and super-abilities, so a hero might have Dex 16 and Super-Dexterity +5, for example (for a total Dexterity modifier of +8). This variant was in use in the first edition of Mutants & Masterminds.

You can vary the "threshold" where a super-ability is required. For example, M&M places "maximum human ability" at around an ability score of 24, so you can require super-abilities for higher bonuses than +7 under this variant. You can also lower the threshold, making 18 the maximum "normal" ability score, for example.