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PrefaceThe original edition of 4C System was published by Phil Reed in 2007. Although most of the text
was released into the public domain, the credits, illustrations and layout remain protected by copyright.This edition removes all copyright material from 4C System.
Phil Reed also released a supplement called Weapons & Gear which was also in the public domain.
This unofficial new edition by Chris Sakkas corrects a few errors, moves all powers to the Powerschapter and makes some formatting changes but otherwise preserves the texts of 4C System andWeapons & Gear as they were written by Phil Reed.
First Release of the Libre Edition, 2012.
To the extent possible under law, the person who associated CC0 with this work has waived all
copyright and related or neighboring rights to this work.
Typeset in Liberation Serif and Ubuntu.
The cover of this book, which is also public domain, uses an image from Wonder Comics 001,hosted by the Digital Comic Museum.
For more libre works, visit and
You can visit Phil Reeds website here:
Contact Chris Sakkas by email at
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4C System4C is a RPG toolkit rather than complete
game system; it provides a foundation for you tobuild upon. As presented, 4C is specifically for
superhero roleplaying though it could beadapted to other genres with a bit more work.
For Gamers
As a gamer you can use 4C to build yourown game system or to assist in converting 4Cproducts to similar systems. 4C is not areplacement for any games that you may alreadyown but is, rather, an aid.
For Publishers
You can use 4C as the basis for an entirelynew game strip out the powers and drop inappropriate origins and classes,* for example,to create a fantasy game or as common groundfor the development of material that iscompatible with other games that use a similarsystem.
4C is released to the public as public domainand almost every part of the text, including thetitle, is open for use (the names of thoseinvolved in the creation of 4C are not open foruse). The copyright on 4C is unassigned and thetext is donated to the public domain; anyone canuse this material for their own products and withtheir own ideas.
* A class could be nothing more than a setpackage of abilities; by selecting a class thecharacter gains specific skills and abilities.
Dice
4C uses percentile dice, two differently
colored ten-sided dice with one die designatedthe tens die and the other the ones die.Whenever the rules state roll d% roll both diceto generate a number between 0 (both dice show0) and 99 (both dice show 9).
Remember that unlike many other systems, aresult of 00 in 4C is 0 rather than 100.
Example: Richard rolls d%. The tens diecomes up 8 and the ones die comes up 3, fora roll of 83.
Advanced
Throughout this text are boxes marked asAdvanced. These boxes present new rules andideas that build on the basic text. Publishers andplayers can mix and match these rules to create asystem for their exact needs. Publishers, for easeof reference, are encouraged to stick to either theBasic or Advanced version when creating acompatible product and cite which version is
used for their product. If youre creating anentirely new game based on this systemcompatibility is not a concern and youre free todo anything you wish.
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ContentsPreface................................................................14C System..........................................................2
For Gamers ...................................................2
For Publishers ...............................................2Dice ...............................................................2Advanced.......................................................2
Contents..............................................................3Characters...........................................................4
Character Origin ...........................................4Advanced Character Origins ........................4
Traits...................................................................5Primary Traits................................................5Secondary Traits............................................6
Rank Values........................................................7
Advanced Rank Values..................................7Optional Rule: Rank Names..........................7
Skills...................................................................8Skill Determination.......................................8Using Skills...................................................8Advanced Option: Contacts...........................8Advanced Skills.............................................8
Powers................................................................9Power Determination.....................................9
Basic Power Selection..................................9Advanced Power Selection..........................10Power Descriptions......................................11
Playing the Game.............................................22Master Table................................................22Altering The Dice........................................22Combat........................................................22
Gamemastering................................................30Using the Master Table................................30Character Health, Hit Points, or Vitality......30Fluctuating Fortunes....................................30Character Assets, Means, or Resources.......31Character Fame, Popularity, or Prestige......31Vehicles........................................................32
Character Advancement...................................35Weapons & Gear..............................................36
Introduction.................................................36Grenades......................................................36Omphalos IX Precision-Fire Rifle...............37Shrouded Relay...........................................38Voltaic-Concussion Fist...............................39Potions.........................................................39
Feel free to share the text of this file with anyone. The text is released to public domain and can beused as the basis for games of your own design. Enjoy.
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Characters
Character Origin
The first step in character creation is todetermine the characters origin. Roll d% on thefollowing table:
Roll Origin
00-04 Robot
05-09 Alien
10-39 Skilled Human
40-59 Changed Human
60-79 Mutant
80-99 Technologically Enhanced
Robot The character is a robot orperhaps some otherconstruct, such as a golem.
Alien The character is a beingfrom another world ordimension such as a Martian,
elemental, angel, or devil.Skilled Human The character is a highly
skilled human; any powersare actually superior trainingor specialized devices.
ChangedHuman
The character was humanbut became superhumanthrough some outsideagency, often an accident orexperiment.
Mutant The character was born withor destined to developsuperhuman powers.
TechnologicallyEnhanced
The characters powers arethe result of devices andgadgets.
Advanced Character Origins
As per standard character creation, rollrandomly for traits, powers, and skills and thenmodify the results for the origin of the character:
Origin Modifiers
Robot The Rank Values of allPrimary Traits are eachincreased by +10. Thecharacters Repute is reducedto 0.
Alien The Rank Values of all
Primary Traits are eachincreased by +10. Thecharacter loses one powerbutstill retains a minimum ofone power.
Skilled Human The character gains threebonus skills.
ChangedHuman
One of the charactersPrimary Traits (select one) isincreased by +10.
Mutant The characters Fortitude isincreased by +10. Thecharacters Lifestyle isreduced by -10 (minimum of1). The character gains onebonus power and all of thecharacters powers should beinnate and not derived fromequipment. The charactersRepute is reduced to 0.
TechnologicallyEnhanced
The characters Intellect isincreased by +20. Thecharacters Lifestyle isincreased by +20.
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Traits4C characters are defined by a set of distinct
Traits. Each character has two types of Traits:Primary and Secondary. Primary Traits are
defined by Rank Values, Secondary Traits aredefined by either Rank Value or a numericalscore (see individual Secondary Traits fordetails).
Primary Traits
4C features a total of seven Primary Traits:
Melee
This Primary Trait is the measure of acharacters expertise in melee combat. Whenkicking, punching, stabbing, or otherwisefighting in close quarters, this Trait determinesthe success or failure of the attack.
Coordination
This Primary Trait is the measure of acharacters physical proficiency. When shooting,throwing, dodging, balancing, or otherwise
employing physical nimbleness, this Traitdetermines the success or failure of the action.
Brawn
This Primary Trait is the measure of acharacters physical power. When lifting heavyobjects, determining damage with melee orthrown attacks, throwing an object a certaindistance, or otherwise engaged in activitiesrelying on physical power, this Trait determines
the success or failure of the action.
Fortitude
This Primary Trait is the measure of a
characters physical stamina and robustness.When attempting to hold breath, resist sickness,overcome toxins, ignore fatigue, keep fromdying, or otherwise engaged in physicallystrenuous tasks, this Trait determines the successor failure of the action.
Intellect
This Primary Trait is a measure of thecharacters intelligence. When attempting toinvent, solve a problem, learn, or otherwise usesmarts, this Trait determines the success orfailure of the action.
Awareness
This Primary Trait is a measure of thecharacters intuition. When attempting to sensedanger, spot something, recognize a hunch, orotherwise work on instinct rather than analyzinga situation, this Trait determines the success orfailure of the action.
Willpower
This Primary Trait is a measure of thecharacters mental strength. When dealing withpsychic abilities, magic powers, issues ofwillpower, or otherwise using powers of themind, this Trait determines the success or failureof the action.
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Determining Primary Trait RankValues
Roll d% once on the following table for eachPrimary Trait to determine its Rank Value:
Dice Roll Rank Value
00-04 1
05-09 3
10-19 6
20-39 10
40-59 20
60-79 30
80-95 40
96-99 50
Secondary Traits
4C characters have four Secondary Traits:
Damage
This Secondary Trait is a measure of thephysical punishment a character can sufferbefore dying. This Secondary Trait uses anumerical score (not Rank Value) that is
decreased as the character takes damage. ThisSecondary Trait, as well as damage and healing,is discussed further under Character Health, HitPoints, or Vitality.
This Secondary Traits starting value iscalculated by adding up the Rank Values of thecharacters first four Primary Traits (Melee,Coordination, Brawn, and Fortitude).
Fortune
This Secondary Trait is a measure of thecharacters ability to use luck, training, and/orexperience to influence the present (discussedfurther under Nine Lives). This SecondaryTrait uses a numerical score (not Rank Value)
and points may be spent from it to affect dierolls and improve the Rank Values of PrimaryTraits (discussed further under FluctuatingFortunes).
This Secondary Traits starting value iscalculated by adding together the Rank Valuesof the characters last three Primary Traits(Intellect, Awareness, and Willpower).
Lifestyle
This Trait is a measure of the characterswealth and ability to procure needed items andservices (discussed further under CharacterAssets, Means, or Resources).
To calculate the Rank Value for thisSecondary Trait roll once on Table 1.
Repute
This Secondary Trait is a measure of how
well the character is known; the greater thescore the more popular the character. ThisSecondary Trait uses a numerical score (notRank Value); how this Trait influences the gameis covered under Character Fame, Popularity, orPrestige.
To calculate this Secondary Traits value rolld% and divide the result by 3 (round up).
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Rank ValuesRank Values are the numerical representation
of Traits and power levels in 4C. Rank Valuesrange from 0 to 1000. Most characters will have
Rank Values in the 1-50 range withexceptionally powerful characters having RankValues of 51 or greater. Although no charactermay have a Rank Value of 0, characters may be0reduced to the rank of 0 in special situations.Here is a comparison of the different RankValues:
Rank Value Range Description
01-02 Minimum human
03-05 Below-average human
06-09 Average human
10-19 Above-average human
20-29 Exceptional human
30-39 Maximum human limit
40-49 Low superhuman
50-74 Superhuman
75-99 High superhuman
100-149 Low cosmic150-999 Cosmic
1000 Beyond comprehension
Advanced Rank Values
The Advanced game takes the highest RankValue groups and divides them so that instead of12 groups (13 if you count 0) there are now 17(18 with 0). This is primarily for the
introduction of extremely powerful (cosmic)beings. If youre running a fairly low-level gameyou may want to stick with the smallerselection.
Optional Rule: Rank Names
Although not necessary, Gamemasters may
wish to assign names to the various Rank Valueranges as a means of adding additional flavor.The following is a list of suggested RankNames.
Rank ValueRange
Rank Name
01-02 Doddering, Feeble, Weak
03-05 Inferior, Poor, Shabby
06-09 Average, Mundane, Typical
10-19 Accomplished, Competent,Good
20-29 Excellent, Exceptional, Skillful
30-39 Extraordinary, Remarkable,Super
40-49 Fantastic, Incredible, Wonderful
50-74 Amazing, Astounding,Legendary
75-99 Colossal, Monstrous,
Monumental100-149 Astonishing, Marvelous,
Unearthly
150-999 Inconceivable, Indescribable,Unthinkable*
1000 Incomprehensible, Improbable,Unimaginable**
* Rank Values of this magnitude can also bedescribed using abstract terms such as Move A,
Shift 1, or Step X.** Rank Values at this level may best be
described in abstract terms such as Class A,Magnitude 1000, or Mark Z.
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SkillsAfter Origins and Traits characters may
possess skills, mundane talents that grant them abenefit when performing a specific action or
operating in a pre-determined field of expertise.
Skill Determination
To determine the number of skills a characterpossesses roll d% on the following table:
Roll Number of Skills
00-19 1
20-59 2
60-89 390-99 4
Using Skills
Such things as Acrobatics, Investigation,Pilot, Drive, and Martial Arts are consideredskills; discuss the skills you would like acharacter to have with the Gamemaster forapproval. A skill grants a +1 Row Step bonuswhen making any rolls on the Master Tableduring an action appropriate to the skill inquestion.
Advanced Option: Contacts
In place of a skill a character may possess a
contact. A contact is a friend or acquaintance thecharacter can call on for assistance. Contactsmust be cleared with the Gamemaster thoughany reasonable contact idea should beautomatically allowed. (Attempting to claim thePresident of the U.S. as a contact is going to bea lot more difficult to have approved by theGamemaster than a low-level police officer.)
Advanced Skills
With Gamemaster approval a character maytake one advanced skill in place of two skills.An advanced skill grants a +2 Row Step bonus.
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PowersPowers are what make the character a
superhero.
Power Determination
To determine the number of powers acharacter possesses roll d% on the followingtable:
Roll Number ofPowers
00-19 2
20-59 3
60-89 490-98 5
99 Magic*
* Magic is a unique power able to replicateall other powers.
Once youve determined the number ofpowers for a character roll d% once for eachpower on the Basic Power Selection or
Advanced Power Selection table to determinethe characters specific powers:
Basic Power Selection
Roll Power
00-03 Animal Command
04-07 Body Armor
08-11 Claws
12-15 Contaminant Resistance
16-19 Elasticity
20-23 Elemental/Energy Control
24-27 Extra Body Parts
28-31 Fast Attack
32-35 Flight
36-39 Force Field
40-43 Growth/Shrinking
44-47 Invisibility
48-51 Mind Control
52-55 One-of-a-Kind Weapon
56-59 Phasing
60-63 Physical Metamorphosis
64-67 Regeneration
68-71 Shapeshift
72-75 Super Leap
76-79 Supersense
80-83 Superspeed
84-87 Telekinesis
88-91 Telepathy
92-95 Teleportation
96-99 Wall Crawling
If you roll the same power twice you mayelect to either increase the powers Rank Valueby +20 or roll again on the table.
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Advanced Power Selection
If playing under the Advanced options,characters have a larger number of powersavailable. Roll d% once for each power on thefollowing table to determine the characters
specific powers:
Roll Power
00-01 Absorption
02-03 Alter-Ego
04-05 Animal Command
06-07 Astoundingly Wealthy
08-09 Body Armor
10-11 Burrowing
12-13 Celebrity
14-15 Chameleon
16-17 Claws
18-19 Contaminant Resistance
20-21 Combat Awareness
22-23 Detection
24-25 Dimension Jump
26-27 Elasticity
28-29 Elemental/Energy Control
30-31 Elemental/Energy Generation
32-33 Extra Body Parts
34-35 Fast Attack
36-37 Flight
38-39 Force Field
40-41 Growth/Shrinking
42-43 Headquarters
44-45 Improved Skills
46-47 Invisibility
48-49 Mind Control
50-51 Mind Shield
52-53 Nine Lives
54-55 Nullification
56-57 One-of-a-Kind Weapon
58-59 Paralyzing Touch
60-61 Phasing
62-63 Physical Metamorphosis
64-65 Plant Control
66-67 Protected Sense
68-69 Reflection
70-71 Regeneration
72-73 Shapeshift
74-75 Sidekick
76-77 Super Leap
78-79 Supersense
80-81 Superspeed
82-83 Telekinesis
84-85 Telepathy
86-87 Teleportation
88-89 Trait Boost
90-91 Trait Increase
92-93 Vehicle
94-95 Wall Crawling
96-97 Water Native
98-99 Weapon
If you roll the same power twice you mayelect to either increase the powers Rank Valueby +20 or roll again on the table.
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Determining Power Rank Values
Roll d% once on the following table for eachPower to determine its Rank Value:
Dice Roll Rank Value
00-04 1
05-09 3
10-19 6
20-39 10
40-59 20
60-79 30
80-95 40
96-99 50
Power Descriptions
The following are the descriptions of thevarious powers. Each description includesgeneral ways in which the power can be usedduring a game session. The Gamemaster sets thedifficulty for specific actions attempted bycharacters with their powers.
Absorption
The character is immune to damage inflictedby a specific elemental or energy type (selectone, see Elemental/Energy Control) up to theRank Value of this power. Any damage inflictedover the Rank Value of this power is sufferednormally.
The character may use the absorbed energy inone of two ways:
1. Healing. The character instantly recovers
a number of damage points equal to thedamage absorbed, up to his maximumvalue.
2. Attack. The character, on his next turn,may unleash the absorbed energy as anattack. Treat as an appropriate elementalor energy control attack with a Rank
Value equal to the number of damagepoints absorbed.
Alter-Ego
The character possesses another form, adifferent persona he can willingly change into.Create a second character to use as thischaracters Alter-Ego. The second characterautomatically has no powers and is a skilledhuman (do not roll for powers or origin).Additionally, the second character cannotpossess any primary trait with a Rank Valuegreater than 30; any result rolled over 30 isautomatically reduced to 30.
Amplified Elemental/EnergyControl
The Rank Value of the charactersElemental/Energy Control power (select oneelement or energy type) is increased by one-halfthe Rank Value of this power. In addition to thepower boost, when using his Elemental/EnergyControl power the character rolls three dice,designating two of the dice as the tens die andthen discarding one of the two after the roll.
A character that possesses Elemental/EnergyGeneration but not Elemental/Energy Control can also control the chosen element or energyas per the Elemental/Energy Control power, butthat control is at an effective Rank Value equalto one-half the Rank Value of this power +10.
Animal Command
The character can communicate with andcontrol animals. To successfully communicate
with an animal the character must roll d% on theMaster Table using the Rank Value of this poweror the characters Willpower +10, whichever isgreater. A result of red or greater indicatessuccessful communication. To control ananimal, the character must achieve a yellowresult.
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The character can control one type of animal(such as birds, reptiles, mammals, sea creatures,etc.), which must be determined at the time ofthe characters creation.
Astoundingly Wealthy
Not a power, this result increases thecharacters Lifestyle by +50 and Repute by +20.
Body Armor
The character has armor of some kind,perhaps thick hide or a protective bodysuit,which reduces damage by an amount equal tothe Rank Value of this power.
BurrowingThe character possesses the ability to tunnel
beneath the earth, moving at a rate equal to hisnormal running speed (see Movement) throughany subterranean terrain with a material rankequal to or less than the Rank Value of thispower. The character cannot burrow throughother characters.
Celebrity
Not a power, this result increases thecharacters Repute by +30. The character is sofamous that whenever he would gain or loseRepute the values are doubled. The charactercannot possess a secret identity.
Chameleon
The characters body, as well as worn orcarried items, can be changed at will allowingthe character to blend into the surroundings.
This is similar to Invisibility, except it is easierto detect the character; anyone searching for thecharacter rolls d% and adds the Rank Value oftheir Awareness trait to the roll and compares itagainst the characters d% roll plus the RankValue of this power. If the character rolls higherthan the searcher the character remains hidden.
Claws
The character has some form of claws, eithera natural part of the characters body or a wornitem. The character uses the Rank Value ofeither the characters Melee or this power tomake slashing attacks. Claws are treated as a
one-handed weapon for purposes of damage.
Optional: Instead of claws the characterpossesses another type of weapon of the playerschoosing which may be used for bashing orslashing attacks (choose one).
Combat Awareness
The character has a special sense that alertsthe character to danger seconds before it strikes.In all instances in which the Awareness trait isused the character uses the Rank Value of thispower or the characters Awareness +10,whichever is greater.
Contaminant Resistance
The character possesses a strong resistance totoxins, diseases, and the like. Any time thecharacter must roll to resist the effects of poison,disease, or similar environmental hazards thecharacter may use the Rank Value of this power
or the Rank Value of Fortitude +10, whichever isgreater.
Detection
The character has the ability to detect aspecific form of energy, power, or supernaturalpresence.
Players that wish to possess a form ofdetection not listed here are encouraged to
discuss the idea with their Gamemaster.Otherwise, select one type from the followinglist:
Magic: The character can detect magicalenergy spells, artifacts, those with the abilityto use magic, etc. within a number of sectorsequal to the Rank Value of this power.
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Elemental Control
Air: The character can manipulate winds toattack, create force fields, lift objects, etc.
Earth: The character can manipulate theground to attack, create walls of earth that act asarmor, lift objects, etc.
Fire: The character can manipulate fire toattack, increase or decrease the temperate of aflame, create a wall of fire like a force field, etc.
Water: The character can manipulate water toattack, create walls of water that act as armor,lift objects, etc.
Energy Control
Electrical: The character can manipulateelectricity to attack, create force fields, lift
objects, etc.
Light: The character can manipulate light toattack, blind opponents, create force fields, etc.
Magnetic: The character can manipulateferrous metals to attack, create walls of metalthat act as armor, lift metallic objects, etc.
Sound: The character can manipulate soundto attack, lift objects, create force fields, etc.
Elemental/Energy GenerationThe character has the ability to spontaneously
generate a single element or type of energychosen from the the Elemental/Energy Controlpower list. The character can also control thechosen element or energy as per theElemental/Energy Control power but thatcontrol is at an effective Rank Value equal toone-half the Rank Value of this power.
A character that possesses matching
Elemental/Energy Control andElemental/Energy Generation gains a permanent+10 Rank Value bonus to both powers.
Extra Body Parts
The character additional body parts beyondtwo arms and two legs, either a completely newpart (such as a tail) or extras of an existing part(four arms instead of two). Extra parts do notgrant a character bonus attacks.
Advanced Extra Body Parts
In the Advanced game, the character selects asingle extra body part. Extra body parts functionas follows:
Claws: The character gains the Claws power.If the character already possesses the Clawspower the powers Rank Value is increased by+20.
Extra Arms: The character gains one bonus
attack each turn.Extra Legs: The character moves faster;
increase movement by 1 sector each turn.
Shell: The character gains the Body Armorpower. If the character already possesses theBody Armor power the powers Rank Value isincreased by +20.
Tail: The character gains one bonus attackeach turn and may use the tail as if it were anextra arm.
Wings: The character gains the Flight powerwith the speed determined by the Rank Value ofthis power. If the character already possesses theFlight power the powers Rank Value isincreased by +20.
Fast Attack
A character with this power can attack anumber of times each turn based on the powersRank Value:
Rank Value Attacks/Turn
01-29 2
30-49 3
50 4
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Flight
The character can fly either through the useof an item or by innate means. When flying thecharacter can move a number of sectors per turndepending on the Rank Value of the power:
Rank Value Sectors/Turn01-02 1
03-05 2
06-09 3
10-19 4
20-29 5
30-39 6
40-49 7
50-74 8
75-99 9
100-149 10
150-999 15
1000 *
* The character can circle the world in asingle turn.
Force FieldThe character has the ability to generate a
force field, either through mental powers or adevice.
Device: The force field acts as armor with aRank Value equal to the powers Rank Value. Ifan attack deals damage in excess of this forcefields Rank Value the device is shorted out for1-10 turns (during which time it cannot beused).
Mental: The force field acts as armor with aRank Value equal to the powers Rank Value orthe characters Willpower +10, whichever isgreater. If an attack deals damage in excess ofthe force fields Rank Value or the charactersWillpower +10, whichever is greater, thecharacter must roll d% on the Master Table
using the Rank Value of the charactersFortitude. A result of black leaves the characterdazed and the character must spend 1-10 turnsrecovering (the character may take no actionsduring that time). On any other result thecharacter is dazed for one turn.
Growth/Shrinking
The character can grow larger or smaller(select one), to a maximum/minimum height asshown on the table below:
Rank Value MaximumHeight
MinimumHeight
01-02 9 feet 4 feet
03-05 12 feet 3 feet
06-09 15 feet 2 feet
10-19 18 feet 1 foot
20-29 21 feet 6 inches
30-39 24 feet 3 inches
40-49 27 feet 2 inches
50-74 30 feet 1 inch
75-99 60 feet inch
100-149 120 feet inch
150-999 240 feet 1/8 inch
1000 480 feet 1/16 inch
When using Growth, the Rank Value of thecharacters Brawn is changed to the Rank Valueof this power or the characters Brawn RankValue +10 whichever is greater. Opponentsattacking the bigger character gain a +1 RSbonus on their attacks.
When using Shrinking the Rank Value of the
characters Brawn is unaffected. Anyoneattacking the character when using this powersuffers a -1 RS penalty and the character gains a+2 RS bonus to attacks.
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Headquarters
The character possesses a secretheadquarters. The headquarters size and locationmust be approved by the Gamemaster. The exactmakeup of the headquarters weapons locker,garage, communications center, prison, etc.
must also be approved by the Gamemaster. TheRank Value of the headquarters should be usedas a rough guide.
RankValue
Possible Size and Contents
01-05 A secret room in an apartment.May include a computer and basiclab. Nothing sophisticated.
06-09 An apartment. A home gym would
be appropriate. Maybe one piece ofadvanced technology.
10-19 A house. A few dedicated roomsserve as an armory, a brig, or otherspecialized duty. May include agarage.
20-29 A mansion. Sprawling, spacious,and loaded with extras.
30-39 A compound. Multiple buildingsbehind a sturdy fence or wall. A
character with a headquarters ofthis size most likely does not havea secret identity.
40-49 A skyscraper. Some floors may berented out as offices or apartmentsbut most of the building isdedicated to the characters pursuitagainst crime.
50 An orbital complex, subterraneancity, inter-dimensional residence, orother highly unusual and/ormassive complex.
A headquarters can be of a smaller size thansuggested. A Rank Value 50 headquarters, forexample, could be a single well-outfittedmansion.
Improved Skills
Not exactly a power, this result grants thecharacter two bonus skills and increases theRow Step bonus of one skill to +3.
InvisibilityThe character can become invisible and
remain so for as long as desired. Sound, scent,heavy rain, and other methods can still give aninvisible character away. The character may alsoattempt to turn objects or other charactersinvisible by touching them. Roll d% on theMaster Table using the Rank Value of thispower, on a result or red or greater the item orcharacter touched is invisible and remains so aslong as the character touches it.
Magic
The character possesses knowledge of, andability to use, magic. Magic allows the characterto cast spells that duplicate any other power inthe game; as a result Magic is the sole power thecharacter may have. A character may use onlyone spell per turn.
Duplicated powers function as described inthe individual power sections and at a Rank
Value equal to the characters Magic RankValue.
Mind Control
The character can take over the minds ofothers. A target of Mind Control must be withinvisual range of the character and must possess aWillpower Rank Value less than the Rank Valueof this power or the characters Willpower,whichever is greater.
To take control of another the character mustroll d% on the Master Table using the RankValue of this power or the characters Willpower+10, whichever is greater. If the result is blackthe mind control attempt fails. If the result is redor greater the target is controlled until the
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character releases the targeted character or thetarget is ordered to do something out of theordinary (such as injure a companion) at whichpoint the target rolls d% on the Master Tableusing the Rank Value of the target charactersWillpower. A result of red or greater is needed to
break free of the mind control.
Mind Shield
A character with the Mind Shield powerpossesses a special resistance to Mind Controlattempts. For purposes of resisting Mind Controlthe characters Willpower Rank Value isincreased by the Rank Value of his Mind Shieldpower.
Additionally, the character gains a mental
Force Field at a Rank Value equal to one-halfthe Rank Value of this power. A character whopossesses Force Field (Mental) who also has thispower gains a bonus equal to one-half the RankValue of this power.
Nine Lives
The character is exceptionally lucky. At thestart of each game session the character gains apool of Fortune points equal to twice the Rank
Value of this power. These points must be usedduring that game session to affect die rolls andcannot be saved or used for characterimprovement. Additionally, once each gamesession the character may roll the dice withoutdeclaring the tens die until after the roll.
Nullification
The character possesses the ability to nullify completely negate the powers of otherswithin a number of sectors equal to one-tenththe Rank Value of this power (round up). To usethis power the character must roll d% on theMaster Table using the Rank Value of thispower. If the result is black the nullificationattempt fails and the character suffers damageequal to one-half (round up) the Rank Value of
the power the character attempted to nullify. Ifthe result is red the targeted power works at halfits effectiveness (round up). On any other resultthe power is negated for this turn.
One-of-a-Kind Weapon
The character owns a unique weapon of theplayers choice which deals damage equal to itsRank Value.
Melee Weapon: The character makes meleeattacks with the weapon using the weaponsRank Value or the characters Melee +10,whichever is greater.
Ranged Weapon: The character uses theweapons Rank Value or the charactersCoordination +10, whichever is greater, when
attacking.
Incorporated Power: At the playersdiscretion one of the characters other powersmay be incorporated into the weapon increasingthe Rank Value of the incorporated power by+10 but losing the use of the incorporated powerif the weapon is lost or stolen.
Paralyzing Touch
The characters touch can render opponentsunable to move. To paralyze an opponent thecharacter must first hit with a melee attackwhich deals no damage. The target must thenroll d% on the Master Table using the targetsFortitude Rank Value to resist. If the result isblack the target is paralyzed knocked downand unconscious for a number of rounds equalto one-tenth the Rank Value of this power(round up).
PhasingThe characters body can change into an
insubstantial form allowing the character tophase through objects. The power grants thecharacter armor at the Rank Value of this power.
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Physical Metamorphosis
The characters body can change into anunusual material, selected from the list below, atwill. When metamorphosed the characterpossesses the traits of the material and gainsarmor equal to the Rank Value of this power.
Depending on the form and Gamemasterapproval the character may make use of theRank Value of this power to determine damagewhen attacking (punching with fists of steel,igniting things if made of fire, etc.).
Energy: The character transforms into abeing of pure energy (choose electricity, light,radiation, etc.). When in energy form thecharacter may do such things as:
Jump into power lines and travel throughthem. (Electricity)
Move at the speed of light. (Light)
Cause radiation burns and sickness.(Radiation)
Fire: The character transforms into a beingof pure fire. When in fire form the character iscapable of setting things on fire.
Metal: The character transforms into a beingof pure metal (players choice as to the kind of
metal). The Rank Value of the characters Brawnis changed to the Rank Value of this power orthe Brawn Rank Value +10, whichever isgreater.
Water: The character transforms into a beingof pure water. When in water form the charactermay choose to flow like water, running throughcracks and other small spaces.
Plant Control
The character can control plants, forcingthem to twist and turn and using them to wrestle,attack opponents, or block attacks. The characterperforms all of these actions, through a chosenplant, using the Rank Value of this power or thecharacters Melee +10, whichever is greater. The
character can control a number of plants eachturn equal to the number of times he can attackin a turn (controlling counts as an attack). Thecharacter can only control plants within anumber of sectors equal to one-tenth the RankValue of this power (round up).
Protected Sense
One of the characters senses either anormal sense (sight, hearing, etc.) or asupersense (see Supersense) is completelyimmune to damage or attacks of a Rank Valueequal to or less than the Rank Value of thispower. Touch, though a sense, cannot beprotected.
ReflectionThe character possesses the ability to reflect
the effects of another characters power back atthe originating character. To use this power thecharacter must roll d% on the Master Tableusing the Rank Value of this power. If the resultis black the reflection attempt fails and thecharacter suffers the normal effects of the power.If the result is red both the character and theoriginator of the affected power suffer thenormal effects of the reflected power. On any
other result the power is reflected back and theoriginator suffers the powers full effect.
Regeneration
The character heals quickly. Once per turn,instead of taking another action, the charactermay recover a number of Damage points equalto the Rank Value of this power.
ShapeshiftThe character can turn into any shape desired
(animals, other characters, objects) though thecharacter retains the characters original size(unless the character also has the Growth orShrinking powers). The change is automaticallysuccessful unless the character attempts to
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Coordination +10, whichever is greater. A resultof black indicates failure.
Telekinesis
The character possesses the mental ability tomove objects without touching them. The upperlimit of weight the character may lift with thispower is the greater of the powers Rank Valueor the characters Willpower Rank Value +10.
Rank Value Weight
1-2 50 lb.
3-5 100 lbs.
6-9 200 lbs.
10-19 400 lbs.
20-29 800 lbs.
30-39 1 ton
40-49 10 tons
50-74 50 tons
75-99 80 tons
100-149 100 tons
150-999 200 tons
1000+ 400 tons
Ranged Attacks: The character may also usethis power to perform ranged attacks bythrowing an object or simply using telekineticforce using the characters Willpower inplace of Coordination. A successful attack dealsdamage equal to the Rank Value of this power.
Telepathy
The character can read the minds of othersand transmit mental messages. For all actions
involving this power the character uses thegreater of the powers Rank Value or thecharacters Willpower +10.
A character with this power may read themind of any character with a Willpower RankValue lower than the characters Rank Value in
this power or the characters Willpower +10,whichever is greater.
A character with this power is automaticallyaware when someone attempts to read thecharacters mind. The character may attempt toblock the other telepath; both characters roll d%
and add the Rank Value of this power or thecharacters Willpower +10, whichever is greater.
Teleportation
The character may teleport a number ofsectors equal to the Rank Value of this power ina single turn. Teleporting requires the player toroll d% on the Master Table using the RankValue of this power. A result of black means thecharacter arrives dazed at the destination sector
and must spend the next turn recovering (thecharacter may take no actions that turn).
If the character is unfamiliar with or cannotsee the destination sector and teleports into asolid object which can include the ground the player must roll d% on the Master Tableusing the Rank Value of the charactersFortitude. A result of black immediately bouncesthe character back to the starting sector wherethe character is dazed and must spend 1-10 turnsrecovering (taking no actions during that time).
Any other result immediately bounces thecharacter back to the starting sector where thecharacter is dazed for one turn.
Trait Boost
Unlike Trait Increase (see below), this poweris a temporary boost to any one primary trait ofthe characters choice (chosen at the time thispower is acquired). Once each hour of gametime the character can automatically boost the
chosen traits Rank Value by an amount equal tothe Rank Value of this power. For a number ofturns equal to one-tenth the newly boosted value(round up), the affected primary trait operates atthis new value. At the end of this time theaffected primary traits Rank Value is reduced to
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one-half (round up) its normal value for 1d10turns.
Trait Increase
Not exactly a power, the characterincreases the rank value of any two primarytraits by +15 each. If this power is rolled twicethe bonus to each primary trait chosen isincreased to +20 each.
Vehicle
The character possesses a unique andexceptional vehicle. The character selects anexisting vehicle and then increases theDurability, Handling, and Velocity of the vehicleby one-half this powers Rank Value (round up).
In addition to this increase the vehicle possessestwo special systems weapons, unusual abilitiesthat mimic a power, or any other equipment theGamemaster will approve with each system ata Rank Value equal to one-half this powersRank Value (round up).
Wall-Crawling
The character can move normally, either byusing a specialized device or innate means,
across surfaces from which most people wouldfall (walls and ceilings, for example).
Gamemasters should inflict a row step penaltywhen attempting to move across a slipperysurface.
Water Native
The character is from a watery civilizationand may breathe underwater or on land. Whenswimming, the character moves a number ofSectors determined by the Rank Value of thispower.
RankValue
Sectors Moved in One TurnWhen Swimming
01-02 1 sector
03-29 2 sectors
30+ 3 sectors
Weapon
The character possesses a weapon, orweapons, with a combined total damage equal tothe Rank Value of this power.
Example: A character with a Rank Value of30 in this power could own two rifles, threepistols, or a bow, crossbow, and pistol.
The character may possess weapons that do
not appear within these rules or in existing 4CSystem games or supplements. Such newweapons must be approved by the Gamemaster.
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a 1 Row Step penalty to your attack for everysector you move into unless you perform a rush.You may also move and dodge in the same turnbut you suffer a 1 Row Step penalty to yourdodge for every sector you move into.
During a turn the action takes place as
follows:
1. The Gamemaster secretly determines theactions of Gamemaster Characters.
2. The players each state their actions forthe turn.
3. One player and the Gamemaster eachroll d% to determine Initiative for theirside; highest roll wins.
4. The side that won Initiative acts.
5. The side that lost Initiative now acts.
6. Repeat until the combat is over.
Optional Rule: Initiative Bonus
Each turn each side adds the highest RankValue of Awareness of its members to theInitiative roll.
Example: The highest GamemasterCharacter Awareness Rank Value is 20 while the
highest player character Awareness Rank Valueis 50; the Gamemaster adds 20 to theGamemaster Characters Initiative roll whilethe player rolling for the player characters adds50 to the Initiative roll.
Movement
4C games are played on a map divided intoindividual areas known as sectors. The numberof sectors a character may move in a turn is
determined by the Rank Value of Coordination.Rank Value Sectors Moved in One Turn
01-02 1 sector
03-29 2 sectors
30+ 3 sectors
Climbing: The above table assumes acharacter moving horizontally along the ground;if the character is moving vertically (i.e.climbing a wall) use the following:
Rank Value Sectors* Climbed in One Turn
01-29 1 sector30+ 2 sectors
* One sector is approximately 10 feet.
Some powers grant characters special formsof movement. See the individual powerdescriptions for details.
Advanced Movement Options
In addition to moving across sectors on the
map (either through walking, running, orclimbing), characters may also swim andcharacters that move for an extended of periodof time may suffer the effects of exhaustion.
Swimming
Without a special power or device, acharacter moves only a single sector each turnwhen swimming. A character that sinks mayhold his breath for a number of turns equal to his
Fortitude Rank Value; after that point thecharacter must roll d% on the Master Tableusing the characters Fortitude Rank Value:
Color Result
Black You are dying.
Red You are winded; your Fortitude RankValue drops by one Row Step.
Blue No effect.
Yellow No effect.
The character must continue rolling onceeach turn, with a cumulative -1 Row Steppenalty to his Fortitude Rank Value for each turnsince he started drowning, until he reachesbreathable air.
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Exhaustion
A character can move for a number of turnsequal to the Rank Value of his Fortitude beforehe runs the risk of suffering from exhaustion.The character must roll d% on the Master Tableusing the characters Fortitude Rank Value:
Color Result
Black You collapse and must rest for 3-30turns.
Red You collapse and must rest for 2-20turns.
Blue No effect.
Yellow No effect.
The character must continue rolling once
each turn at a -10 penalty to his FortitudeRank Value until he rests for 10 turns.
Melee Attacks
Hitting, kicking, stabbing, slashing, etc. areall types of melee attacks. To resolve a meleeattack, determine whether or not it is a Bashingor Slashing attack.
Bashing: Any unarmed attack with fists orfeet or an attack with a blunt weapon or object is
a Bashing attack. Roll d% on the Master Tableusing your Melee Rank Value and compare theresult to the following table:
Color Result
Black Miss. You whiff.
Red Hit. See Damage.
Blue Pound. Your opponent suffers damageand may be knocked down (possiblyinto an adjacent sector).
Yellow Concuss. Your opponent suffersdamage and may be knocked out.
Slashing: Any attack with a knife, sword, orother sharp object is a Slashing attack. Roll d%on the Master Table using your Melee RankValue and compare the result to the followingtable:
Color Result
Black Miss. Nothing but air.
Red Hit. See Damage.
Blue Concuss. Your opponent suffersdamage and may be knocked out.
Yellow Dying. Youve fatally wounded youropponent.
Ranged Attacks
Includes shooting a firearm and throwing aweapon or object, in short any attack across adistance is a ranged attack. Roll d% on theMaster Table using your Coordination RankValue and compare the result to the followingtable:
Color Result
Black Miss. Wild shot.
Red Hit. See Damage.
Blue Nail. Youve hit your target; if you didnot declare you were trying for theNail then this is a Hit.
Yellow Dying. Youve fatally wounded youropponent.
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Range: Weapons are limited in range asfollows:
Weapon Range (In Sectors)
Bow 4
Crossbow 4
Pistol 4
Rifle 8
Shotgun 2
ThrownObject
1 sector per row on the MasterTable starting with Rank Value6-9; lower Rank Values canonly throw an object in the samesector.
Power 1/10 the Rank Value of the
power (round up)
Optional Rule: Range Penalty
Count the number of sectors from theattacker to the target ignoring the attackerssector but including the targets sector. For eachsector the attacker suffers a -1 Row Step penaltyto the effective Rank Value of Coordination forthis attack.
Rushing
To rush an opponent you must meet thefollowing conditions:
The opponent cannot be in the samesector as you.
You must be able to reach the opponentin one turn.
If these two conditions are met you roll d%on the Master Table using your Fortitude Rank
Value and gaining a +1 Row Step for each opensector you move into. Compare the result to thefollowing table:
Color Result
Black Miss. You run right past.
Red Hit. See Damage.
Blue Pound. Your opponent suffers damageand may be knocked down (possibly
into an adjacent sector).
Yellow Concuss. Your opponent suffersdamage and may be knocked out.
Wrestling
Grabbing, choking, holding, and similarattacks are all covered under wrestling. Roll d%on the Master Table using your Brawn RankValue and compare the result to the followingtables:
Seizing: Use this when you want to grabsomething out of an opponents grasp.
Color Result
Black Miss. You grab at air.
Red Miss. Not quite.
Blue Snatch. Youve grabbed the target ofyour seize attempt.
Yellow Shatter. Youve grabbed the item but
broke it.
Slipping: Use this when youre being held byan opponent.
Color Result
Black Fail. Youre still held.
Red Fail. Just for a second . . ., but no.
Blue Elude. Youve escaped.
Yellow Turnabout. Youve not only escaped
but can also reverse the hold.
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Struggling: Use this when you want to graban opponent and restrain the character.
Color Result
Black Fail. Not even close.
Red Fail. Just out of reach.
Blue Hold. Youve successfully grappledyour opponent.
Yellow Hold. Youve successfully grappledyour opponent.
Dodging
Roll d% on the Master Table using yourCoordination Rank Value and compare the resultto the following table:
Color Result
Black Fail. Not quick enough.
Red 3 Row Step. Anyone attacking you thisturn suffers a -3 Row Step penalty tothe appropriate Trait.
Blue 6 Row Steps. Anyone attacking youthis turn suffers a -6 Row Step penaltyto the appropriate Trait.
Yellow 9 Row Steps. Anyone attacking you
this turn suffers a -9 Row Step penaltyto the appropriate Trait.
Attacking Multiple Targets at Once
When surrounded by multiple opponents in asingle sector a character may elect to attackeveryone at once. Roll to attack but on a Yellowresult everyone is affected as if the result wasRed. Any result less than Yellow is a completemiss. This only works with melee attacks.
Damage
Any successful hit inflicts damage that issubtracted from your Damage total. When yourDamage points are reduced to 0, you are Dying.
The amount of damage an attack inflictsdepends on what type of attack it is:
Melee Attack: Inflicts an amount ofdamage equal to the Rank Value of theattackers Brawn if weaponless; a one-handed weapon adds +5 points and a
two-handed weapon adds +10 points.
Ranged Attack: Inflicts a number ofpoints of damage equal to the MaterialValue of the item thrown. The followingis a small selection of possible objects.
Item Thrown Material Value
Concrete Block 20
Steel Beam 30
Compact Car 40
Pickup Truck 50
If the attack was with a weapon it inflicts anumber of points of damage as follows:
Weapon Damage
Bow 10
Crossbow 10
Pistol 10
Rifle 15Shotgun 25
Armor: Reduces the amount of damagesuffered in an attack by subtracting the armorsRank Value from the amount of damageinflicted; any remaining points are thensubtracted from Damage.
Example: A character wearing armor with aRank Value of 10 hit by a punch dealing 20points of damage suffers only 10 points of
damage to Damage.
Pulling Your Punch: You can choose tomitigate the damage done by any of yourattacks. Prior to attacking you state the reducedamount of damage your attack can cause and/orthe level of success it can achieve. If your attackhits it does the reduced damage and if your level
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of success was greater than your limit, thesuccess if reduced to your limit.
Example: Gina does not want her pistol-wielding character to kill an opponent so shestates her character is pulling her punch withthe pistol (shooting in a non-vital area) limiting
the attacks damage to a Nail result; if Ginas d% roll achieves a Dying result, it is reduced toNail instead.
Advanced Combat
Block
Sometimes its necessary to stop Brawn withBrawn. When blocking, roll d% on the MasterTable using your Brawn Rank Value and
compare the result to the following table:
Color Result
Black Fail. Your block attempt has no effect.
Red 1 Row Step. For purposes of damage,the Rank Value of the attackers Brawnsuffers a -1 Row Step penalty.
Blue 4 Row Steps. For purposes of damage,the Rank Value of the attackers Brawnis reduced by 3 row steps.
Yellow 7 Row Steps. For purposes of damage,the Rank Value of the attackers Brawnis reduced by 6 row steps.
Catching
There are times when a character must catchsomething (a falling civilian, a thrown object,etc.) When catching, roll d% on the MasterTable using your Coordination Rank Value andcompare the result to the following table:
Color Result
Black Fail. You miss. If it was an objectbeing thrown to harm you, such as aweapon, youre automatically hit.
Red Fail. Youve missed.
Blue You catch, but possibly harm, it. Youmust make a second d% roll on theMaster Table using Coordination; anyresult less than Blue means what youcaught suffers damage equal to theRank Value of your Brawn.
Yellow Perfect catch. Good job!
Evade
Similar to dodging, except it applies to meleecombat only, Evade is the act of weaving andbobbing to avoid an attack. Roll d% on theMaster Table using your Melee Rank Value andcompare the result to the following table:
Color Result
Black Fail. Not only did you fail but youmoved into the exact spot youropponent was attacking; youropponent automatically hits you.
Red Evade. You successfully evade theattack and are unharmed.
Blue Superior Evade. Not only did yousuccessfully evade the attack butyouve also maneuvered yourself intoan enviable position; on the next turn
you gain a +1 Row Step bonus to yourMelee roll to attack the opponent thatyou just evaded.
Yellow Maximum Evade. As blue but yourbonus is +2 Row Steps.
Waiting
A character that wins initiative may choose towait before acting, allowing opponent(s) to actfirst and then interrupting and taking an action atthe best possible moment. For example, acharacter planning a ranged attack against anopponent may wait for that opponent to movecloser (reducing the penalty associated withranged attacks).
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Material Value of CommonSubstances
Sometimes the strength of an object willcome into play. In such instances, use thefollowing table as a point of reference:
Material Value Substance
1-2 Paper
3-5 Plastic
6-9 Aluminum
10-19 Brick
20-29 Concrete
30-39 Stone
40-49 Iron
50-74 Steel
75-99 Diamond
100+ Magical or alien substance
Combat Results
The following is a listing of the variouscombat results mentioned previously.
Concuss: Compare the Rank Values of theattackers Brawn to the defenders Fortitude. Ifthe attackers Rank Value is greater than thedefenders the defender must roll d% on theMaster Table using his Fortitude and comparethe result to the following table:
Color Result
Black The defender is knocked unconsciousfor 1d10 turns. The defender loses allFortitude points and can do nothinguntil regaining consciousness at whichpoint the defender immediatelyrecovers a number of Fortitude pointsequal to the Rank Value of Fortitude.
Red No effect.
Blue Same as Red.
Yellow Same as Red.
Dying: You are dying. Your Damage pointsdrop to 0 and your Fortitude Rank Value dropsby one Row Step on the Master Table at the endof each turn until it reaches Rank Value 0, atwhich point you are dead. Once youve reachedRank Value 01-02 you can stabilize yourself by
spending 10 Fortune points each turn.If you receive aid before you die, meaning
someone spends a full turn tending to yourwounds, you automatically stabilize; yourDamage points remain at 0 but your FortitudeRank Value stops dropping.
Elude: Youve escaped from the hold andmay move into any adjacent sector of yourchoice.
Hold: Youre firmly holding your opponent.
For every Turn you maintain the hold youropponent suffers a number of points of damageequal to your Brawn Rank Value.
Nail: This is a called ranged attack on aspecific target. It is used for feats ofmarksmanship such as severing a rope with anarrow or shooting a gun out of someones hand;it deals damage to the target like a normal hitThe attacker must state the intention to try forthis result before rolling the attack. If a Nail isnot declared before the dice are rolled this result
is treated as a Hit. The Gamemaster has the finalsay on the effect of a successful Nail attackresult.
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Pound: Compare the Rank Values of theattacker and defenders Brawn. If the attackersRank Value is greater than the defenders thedefender rolls d% on the Master Table usingFortitude. Compare the result to the followingtable:
Color Result
Black The defender is knocked down andinto an adjacent sector of the attackerschoice. The defender must spend nextturn getting up and can perform noother action. If theres an obstaclebetween the chosen sector and thedefenders current sector; and if theattackers Brawn is greater than theMaterial Value of the obstacle (see
above), the defender is knockedthrough the obstacle.
Red The defender is knocked down in thecurrently occupied sector. Thedefender must spend next turn gettingup and can perform no other action.
Blue No effect.
Yellow No effect.
Shatter: Unfortunately you grabbed theobject a little too hard and broke it. If the objectcould possibly injure someone or something,such as a gun, the Gamemaster should rollrandomly to determine which character orimportant item in the sector or adjacent sectors
was harmed.Snatch: Youve grabbed the object in
question and wrested it from your opponent.
Turnabout: Youve not only escaped youropponents hold but can also place your ownHold on the opponent or move to an adjacentsector instead.
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Gamemastering4C is a toolkit. As such, no suggestions or
information on the art of being a Gamemasterare provided; if you need an introduction to
being a Gamemaster, or just want to polish upon your skills, it is recommended you searchonline for help (various RPG messageboardsmay prove especially useful to noviceGamemasters).
Using the Master Table
The Master Table has already beenintroduced in the Combat section, but theusefulness of the table extends beyond the
confines of combat; the Master Table is the keyto any an all actions characters perform.
When a character wants to attempt an actionthat will have an impact on the storyline (i.e.leap from rooftop to rooftop or notice an enemyhiding in a dark alley) the Gamemaster does twothings:
1. Decides which Primary Trait or powerapplies to the action. For example,Brawn for jumping or Awareness for
noticing or Superspeed for running up awall.
2. Decides the difficulty of the action basedon the following table:Black: Easy.Red: Average.Blue: Difficult.Yellow: Ridiculous.
The player then rolls d% based on theappropriate Trait or power and compares the
color result to the color needed for success; ifthe result equals the color or a greater color thecharacters action succeeded. If the action fails,it is up to the Gamemaster to determine exactlywhat happens to the character as a result.
Varying Circumstances: In addition tosetting the basic requirements for success, the
Gamemaster can also use Row Step bonuses andpenalties to reflect favorable or unfavorableconditions. The following are some suggested
modifiers:
Circumstance Modifier
Hiding in shadows -5 Row Steps to opponentsattempting to notice
Jostling train -2 Row Steps to balancealong the top of the traincars
Raining -2 Row Steps to trying tograb a wet ledge
Character Health, Hit Points, orVitality
Characters start the game with a number ofDamage points equal to the total of their firstfour Primary Trait Rank Values (Melee,Coordination, Brawn, and Fortitude). Characterslose these points as they suffer damage (seeDamage) throughout the course of an adventureand may die if reduced to 0 points (see Dying).
Healing
Characters recover all damage betweenadventures.
Optional Healing
For adventures that take place over a series ofdays, or if youre just looking for a little moredepth in your games, characters heal a number
of Damage points each night equal to the RankValue of their Fortitude.
Fluctuating Fortunes
Characters start the game with a number ofFortune points equal to the total of their last
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Actions Speak Louder Than Words: TheGamemaster may assign Row Step bonuses andpenalties to the d% to reflect the charactersactions prior to interacting with the public. Thefollowing are some suggested modifiers:
Circumstance Modifier
Threatening -2 Row Steps to reactionswhen threatening a citizen
Friendly +2 Row Steps to reactionswhen treating citizens in afriendly manner
Dealing with Criminals: The above assumesthe character is dealing with law-abidingcitizenry. If the character is interacting withcriminals the table is reversed; a black result
indicates a favorable response.
Gaining and Losing Repute Points
Each time a character stops a crime or saves alife (or, if things arent going well, commits acrime or kills), and the action is known to thepublic, the character gains or loses Reputepoints:
Points Gained or Lost
Thwart Criminal Activity +1
Save a Life +2
Commit Criminal Activity -2
The above amounts are suggestions only. Ifthe crime a character stopped would haveaffected the entire city or if the life the charactersaved was that of someone important orfamous, the character may gain bonus points.
Vehicles
Except for those with special movementpowers, characters will need to rely on vehiclesif they want to quickly cross long distances.
All vehicles are defined by three VehicleTraits:
Durability
This Vehicle Trait is a measure of how muchdamage a vehicle can suffer before it isdestroyed. It also doubles as armor, reducing thedamage the vehicle and characters inside thevehicle suffer from an attack by its value.
This Vehicle Trait uses a numerical score (notRank Value) that is decreased as the vehicletakes damage and increased when the vehicle isrepaired; this Vehicle Trait may never dropbelow a score of 0 and never be raised above itsstarting value. Damaging and repairing vehiclesis discussed below.
Handling
This Vehicle Trait measures the agility of avehicle. This Vehicle Trait uses a Rank Value.Performing sharp turns or other unusualmaneuvers is handled with this Trait; roll d%and compare the color result to the difficulty ofthe maneuver on the following table:
Color Difficulty
Black Easy (standard turns)
Red Average (sharp turns)
Blue Difficult (jumping over a broken
bridge)
Yellow Ridiculous (turning a car on to twowheels to slip through a narrow alley)
If the result equals the color or a greater colorthe maneuver succeeded. If the maneuver failsthe vehicle crashes.
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Crash: When a vehicle crashes its operatormust roll for the severity of the crash. Roll d%on the Master Table using the operatorsCoordination Rank Value and compare the resultto the following table:
Color Result
Black Vehicle crashes into an appropriateobject, character, or vehicle (asdetermined by the Gamemaster) in thesame sector in which the maneuverwas attempted. If the vehicle crashesinto a character or other vehicle thereis a chance for the vehicle to avoid thecrash (see Collision).
Red As black but the vehicle crashes in anadjacent sector to the one in which the
maneuver was attempted.Blue Same as red.
Yellow Same as red.
For purposes of damage inflicted/suffered, acrash is treated like a collision. If there isnothing but ground to hit in the sector thevehicle crashes into the ground (Material Value50).
VelocityThis Vehicle Trait measures the number of
sectors a vehicle may move in a single turn. ThisVehicle Trait uses a numerical score (not RankValue).
Vehicle Combat
Vehicles are attacked like characters; roll theattack and apply damage if the attack hits.Vehicles cannot wrestle or be wrestled.
Collisions: A vehicle hits something (acharacter, wall, another vehicle, etc.). Avehicles operator may choose to purposefullyhit an object (ram) and the selected target mustroll d% on the Master Table using Coordinationif on foot or the vehicles Vehicle Trait #2(Control, Handling, Maneuvering, etc.) if
operating a vehicle and compare the result to thefollowing table:
Color Result
Black Failure. The target is hit and sufferscollision damage.
Red Success. The target gets out of theway.
Blue Same as red.
Yellow Same as red.
Collision Damage: The struck object suffersa number of points of damage equal to thevehicles Durability and the striking vehiclesuffers a number of points of damage dependingon what was hit:
Character: If the character has armor(either worn or natural), the vehiclesuffers a number of points of damageequal to the armors Rank Value.
Vehicle: The vehicle suffers a number ofpoints of damage equal to the secondvehicles Durability.
Object: The vehicle suffers a number ofpoints of damage equal to the MaterialValue of the hit object.
Characters Inside a Vehicle: Charactersinside a vehicle that is involved in acollision suffer 10 points of damage forevery sector the vehicle moved that turnprior to the collision.
A vehicle involved in a collision moves nofurther that turn.
Vehicle Damage and Repairs
A vehicle with its Durability reduced to 0 iscompletely destroyed; it cannot be repaired.Vehicles are fully repaired between adventures.
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Sample Vehicles
The following is a small selection ofvehicles. The Gamemaster should use these as apoint of reference for vehicles of his owndesign.
Vehicle Durability Handling Velocity
Compact Car 10 6 6
Sports Car 10 30 12
Private Jet 20 10 20
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Character AdvancementAs a superhero game, character advancement
is slightly out-of-genre and not completelyappropriate. For those of you that like
advancement, though, characters may improvetheir traits and powers as follows:
Traits: A character may spend Fortune toimprove the Rank Value of traits. Increasing aRank Value by one costs a number of pointsequal to the current value.
Example: Joseph wishes to increase hischaracters Melee from 30 to 31. This costs 30points.
Powers: The Rank Values of powers can be
increased in the same way as the Rank Value ofTraits: Increasing a Rank Value by one costs anumber of points equal to the current value.
A character may also gain a completely newpower with its Rank Value determinedrandomly by spending 1,000 points. This new
power must have an in-game explanation (be itan accident, a new gadget, super serum, or anyother means approved by the Gamemaster).
Skills: A character can gain a new skill at thecost of 250 points. As with new powers, thereneeds to be an in-game reason for this new skill(maybe the character has been attending nightschool).
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Weapons & Gear
Introduction
One of the things that the 4C System rulesare sorely lacking is a section on sampleequipment. Sure, there are the occasionalweapons and vehicles, but for the most part therules provide gamemasters and players with zeroguidance and assistance on weapons and gear.
Enter the 4C System Weapons & Gear series.In this infrequent series, published as I have thetime to devote to the system, I plan on detailinga variety of different types of gear, gadgets, anddevices, ranging from equipment suitable for
near-future campaigns to magic items straightout of a fantasy setting.
As with the actual 4C System rules, all of thematerial in this PDF is released to the publicdomain. Use this material as you wish and,please, use this material as a guide to creatingyour own 4C System Weapons & Gear.
Grenades
In the superheroic universe of most 4CSystem games, everyone from villains to heroesto military forces to criminals to alien invadersmakes use of grenades. The following is a smallselection of sample grenades, each designed fora specialized purpose. Gamemasters and playersshould use the described grenades as guidelinesand inspiration for grenades of their own design.
The availability of the grenade is given in thebrackets.
Anti-Arcane (Rare): This grenade is
specially designed to disrupt magical powersand abilities. Any character with the Magicpower that is in the same sector or an adjacentsector as the detonated grenade must roll d%on the Master Table using Rank Value 40 (thegrenades effective Nullification (Magic) RankValue). If the result is black the grenade fails to
disrupt the affected characters Magic power. Ifthe result is red the affected characters Magic
power works at half its effectiveness (round up).On any other result the Magic power isdisrupted and will not work this turn.
Frag (Uncommon): 20 damage to all targetsin the affected sector; 10 damage to all targets inadjacent sectors. Reduce the Rank Value ofaffected targets Body Armor by 10.
Incendiary (Uncommon): This grenadeexplodes in a burst of fire (this grenade mimicsthe Elemental Generation (Fire) power at Rank
Value 30, for purposes of control and absorptionpower use). All targets in the affected sectorsuffer 30 damage; targets in adjacent sectorssuffer 15 damage. The Body Armor power anddevices granting the power, unless designed toresist fire, do not work against this attack.
Lightning (Rare): This grenade explodes ina burst of electricity (this grenade mimics theEnergy Generation (Electricity) power at RankValue 30, for purposes of control and absorptionpower use). All targets in the affected sector
suffer 30 damage; targets in adjacent sectorssuffer 15 damage. The Body Armor power anddevices granting the power, unless designed toresist electrical attacks, do not work against thisattack.
Paralytic (Rare): All characters in the sectorin which this grenade detonates must roll d% onthe Master Table using their Fortitude RankValue to resist. If the result is black the target isparalyzed knocked down and unconscious for 5 turns.
Scream (Rare): All targets within 6 sectorsof a detonated Scream grenade must Roll d% onthe Master Table using their Awareness RankValue and compare the result to the followingtable:
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A personal weapon of the vigilante Wire, theOmphalos IX was created in the dark futureworld of tomorrow. Before its destruction (at thehands of Wire himself, so that the weaponstechnology would not fall into enemy hands),the Omphalos IX proved itself a capable,
dangerous weapon able to knock down even thetoughest of armored opponents.
4C System Information
Accurate. The Omphalos IX is equipped withan advanced scope and laser targeting designatorthat grants the user a +20 bonus to Coordinationwhen attacking.
Deadly Accuracy. The Omphalos IX is soaccurate that all Red attack results are stepped
up to Blue; any result of Hit is immediatelyadvanced to a Nail result.
Armor Piercing. The Omphalos IXs armorpiercing rounds reduce the effectiveness ofBody Armor; reduce the Rank Value of anytargets Body Armor by one-half (round down).
Limited Ammo.The Omphalos IX is aconventional weapon and requires ammunition.The weapons magazine holds 30 rounds;replacing a magazine requires 4 turns. Extra
magazines and ammunition are difficult tolocate though new ammunition can be created(in the proper weapons shop or laboratory) bysomeone with the proper skill (Weaponsmithing,Science, Engineering, etc.). One hour of workyields 90 rounds.
Range Drawback. As a precision rangedweapon, the Omphalos IX is poorly suited toclose-in fighting. When used to attack a targetwithin 12 sectors, the users Coordination RankValue is reduced by one-half (round down).
Additionally, any Blue or Yellow attack resultsare automatically reduced to a Red result.
Range. 20 Sectors.
Damage. 20
Shrouded Relay
Communicator, Foreign Military PrototypeAvailability: UncommonAttack Type: N/AManufacturer: Widows Weave Ltd.Designer: Rebecca CognoscentiFirst Appearance:Spiders Nest Quarterly #19Current Whereabouts: Unknown
The Shrouded Relay is an externalcommunicator worn on the head. A supersciencedevice that grants its wearer limited telepathicand psychic powers, the Shrouded Relay isespecially valuable to those who find themselvesgoing up against opponents known to possessMind Control abilities. The device fits snugly,held in place with a micro-fiber that wraps
around the wearers head and secures to a braceworn beneath the users armor or clothing.
A fairly uncommon device, hundreds ofShrouded Relays have been manufactured andsold to the worlds heroes, villains, and foreignmilitaries. Each Shrouded Relay must beproperly tuned to work with other Relays;failure to do so prevents the user fromcommunicating telepathically with others of histeam.
4C System Information
Telepathy. An advanced science device, theShrouded Relay enables its wearer tocommunicate telepathically with anyone elsewearing a Shrouded Relay; the wearer gainsTelepathy at Rank Value 50 but does not gainthe ability to read minds. A character whopossesses Telepathy who uses this device gains a+10 Rank Value bonus to his innate Telepathy.
Trait Increase. The wearer gains TraitIncrease (Willpower) for as long as this device isworn. A character who possesses Trait Increase(Willpower) who uses this device gains a +5Rank Value bonus to his Willpower.
Tuned. The device must be tuned. Thisrequires a toolkit, the proper skill (Science,
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Engineering, Communications, etc.), and tenminutes for each Shrouded Relay in the set.
Mind Shield. The Shrouded Relay grants thewearer Mind Shield at Rank Value 30 for as longas the device is worn.
Psychic Scars. Each time the wearer uses theShrouded Relays Telepathy power the charactermust make a Willpower test on the MasterTable; on a result of Black the character sufferspermanent Willpower damage and loses 1pointfrom his Willpowers Rank Value.
Voltaic-Concussion Fist
Experimental Weapon, Military PrototypeAvailability: RareAttack Type: BashingManufacturer: Breyfogle and Grant ResearchDesigner: ClassifiedFirst Appearance:Smashing Slicer Comics#213Current Whereabouts: Unknown (last seen inMajor Patriot#76)
Built in the last days of the twentieth century,the Voltaic-Concussion Fist was originallyconceived as an anti-powers weapon withenough strength to provide a talented normal
with the ability to engage one-on-one with apowered villain. Built for the United Statesgovernments anti-powers agency, StopGAP, theFist was used in a few test missions but wasdeemed too expensive for regular service and,eventually, the project was shelved.
Less than a dozen Voltaic-Concussion Fistprototypes were manufactured before the projectwas closed down. While most of the devicesremain locked away in a secure governmentfacility, at least three are known to have found
their way onto the blackmarket. Where thesethree Fists are today is unknown.
4C System Information
Energy Generation. The Voltaic-ConcussionFist grants the wearer Energy Generation
(Electrical) at Rank Value 40. If worn by acharacter that possesses Elemental/EnergyControl of the matching elemental or energytype, the Voltaic-Concussion Fist grants a +10Rank Value bonus to the characters innatepower for as long as the device is worn.
Amplified. The Voltaic-Concussion Fistgrants the wearer Amplified Energy Control(Electrical) at Rank Value 30 for as long as thedevice is worn.
Draining. The Voltaic-Concussion Fist is apowered device that must be attached to aspecialized backpack. The backpack carriesenough power for 20 uses before it must berecharged. Recharging the device requires anadvanced energy supply (found in most speciallabs but not in your garage) and 3d10+5 turns. Apower belt may be used in place of thebackpack; the belt provides enough power for10 uses and requires 2d10+5 turns to recharge. Auser may wear both the belt and backpackthough the Fist can only be connected to one ofthe two power sources at a time; switchingbetween power sources requires 1turn.
Potions
Single-use arcane items, potions are brewedby witches, sorcerers, and others who practicethe magical arts. In a standard 4C campaign,potions are rare or unique items (gamemastersdecision) and are not commonly seen during anadventure. In low-magic superhero campaigns itis very likely that an entire adventure can bestructured around a single potion (the teammatesof a wounded hero, for example, must locate amagical healing potion in order to save theirfriend).
Drinking a potion requires 1turn and thepotions effect automatically takes place (orstarts, for potions with a duration) the next turn.Characters with the Fast Attack power cansacrifice one attack each turn to drink onepotion. Drinking a second potion before the first
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one has expired negates the granted effects ofboth potions.
Dodging: For the 3turns after drinking thispotion, whenever dodging, the characterreplaces the dodging results table with thefollowing:
Color Result
Black 1 Row Step. Anyone attacking you thisturn suffers a -Row Step penalty to theappropriate Trait.
Red 4 Row Step. Anyone attacking you thisturn suffers a -4 Row Step penalty tothe appropriate Trait.
Blue 8 Row Steps. Anyone attacking youthis turn suffers a -8 Row Step penalty
to the appropriate Trait.Yellow Automatic. Anyone attacking you this
turn automatically fails.
Healing: A healing potion restores 25Damage points turn after it is administered to awounded individual. A healing potion cannotincrease a characters Damage points beyond hisstarting value.
Invisibility: Drinking an invisibility potiongrants a character the Invisibility power (see the4C System rules) for turns.
Strength: Strength potions, once swallowed,increase a characters Brawn Rank Value by2d10+10 (roll as soon as the potion is used) for
3 turns.
More Potions
So you need a Potion of Intellect but thereisnt one listed. No problem, youre a smartplayer. Just grab the Potion of Strength,change the name and affected Primary Trait, andyoure done. One Potion of Intellect ready foraction.
You can even use this trick for potions based
on powers!
Lesser and Greater Potions
Any potion with a set turn duration is alsoavailable in lesser and greater versions. Alesser potion remains in effect for 2turns whilea greater potion remains in effect for 4 turns.
For example, a Lesser Potion of Fortitudeincreases the affected characters Fortitude
Trait Rank Value by 2d10+10 for 2 turns.
