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Alternative Rules: Healing Surges 

EXTRA EFFORT 

Heroes are sometimes called upon to perform feats beyond eventheir amazing abilities. This calls for extra effort.

Players can choose to burn healing surges as extra effort toimprove a hero’s abilities in exchange after which the hero sufferssome fatigue. The benefits of extra effort are not limited bypower level due to their extraordinary nature.

USING EXTRA EFFORT 

Players can have their heroes use extra effort simply by declaringthey are doing so and spending a Healing Surge. Extra effort is afree action and can be performed at any time during the hero’s

turn (but is limited to once per turn). A hero using extra effortgains one of the following benefits:

COST OF EXTRA EFFORT 

At the start of the turn immediately after using extra effort, the

hero becomes fatigued. A fatigued hero who uses extra effortbecomes exhausted and an exhausted hero who uses extra effort

is incapacitated. If you spend an Action Point in addition to aHealing Surge at the start of the turn following the extra effortto remove the fatigue, the hero suffers no adverse effects. Inessence, spending the additional Action Point and Healing Surgelets you use extra effort without suffering fatigue.

BONUS

Perform one check with a bonus (+2 circumstance bonus) or

improve an existing bonus to a major bonus (+5 circumstancebonus). This bonus can also negate a penalty(–2 circumstance penalty), allowing you to perform the check with

no modifier, or reduce a major penalty from a –5 penalty to a –2

penalty.

COUNTERING EFFECTS

In some circumstances the effects of one power may counteranother, negating it. Generally for two effects to counter eachother they must have opposed descriptors. For example, light anddarkness powers can counter each other as can heat and cold,

water and fire, and so forth. In some cases, such as magical ormental effects, powers of the same descriptor can also countereach other. The GM is the final arbiter as to whether or not aneffect with a particular descriptor can counter another. The

Nullify Power ability can counter any effect of a particulardescriptor.

  To counter an effect, you must have readied an action. Indoing so, you delay your action until your opponent triesto use a power. You may still move, since ready is astandard action. You must be able to use the readied

effect as a standard action or less. Effects usable as areaction do not require a ready action; you can use themto counter at any time.

  Effects requiring longer than a standard action cannot

counter during action rounds (although they may be ableto counter ongoing effects).

  If an opponent attempts to use a power you are able tocounter, use your countering effect as your readied

action.  You and the opposing character make effect checks. If

 you win, your two powers cancel each other out and there

is no effect from either. If the opposing character wins,

 your attempt to counter is unsuccessful. The opposingeffect works normally.  Each countered effect requires the expenditure of a

Healing Surge.  You can spend an Action Point to attempt to counter

another power as a reaction, without the need to readyan action to do so. An Instant Counter still burns a

Healing Surge, and all counters cost a Healing Surgeregardless of whether or not the counter is effective.

COUNTERING ONGOING EFFECTS

You can also use one power to counter the ongoing effect ofanother, or other lingering results of an instant effect (like flamesignited by a fiery Damage effect). This requires a normal use of

the countering effect and an opposed check, as above. If you aresuccessful, you negate the effect (although the opposing charactercan attempt to reestablish it normally).

POWER STUNTS

A Power Stunt permits the hero to a Power in a fashion that hashitherto not been used. When a hero wishes to attempt the stunt,he describes the stunt to the GM. The GM then states if the stuntis possible, given the character's level of Power, and what type of

roll would be required, if any. The player then spends a HealingSurge to try the stunt. All stunts cost a Healing Surge regardlessof whether or not the stunt is effective.

ALTERNATE RULES!!!

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RESISTANCE

Gain an immediate additional resistance check against an ongoingeffect. If you’re compelled or controlled, the fatigue from theextra effort continues to affect you until you’re free of the

effect; so you can resist yourself to exhaustion.

RETAIN

You can spend a healing surge to retain a power after a miss. Thisdoesn’t add the reliable keyword, and thus keeps reliable powers as

special. You can retain a daily power in this way, but you can’t use it

again in the same encounter. You can only do this if you miss alltargets with the power and no Effect is applied.

SPEED

Increase the hero’s speed by +2 until the start of the hero’s next

turn.

STRENGTH

Increase the effect of a hero’s Strength by +2 until the start ofthe hero’s next turn. Carrying Capacity cannot be increased usingHeroic Effort unless you also have the Superstrength power feat.

Alternative Rules: Action Points  

EARNING ACTION POINTS

✦ You start with 1 action point.

✦ Your Action Point total refreshes to 1 at the beginning of

each encounter.

✦ During Your Turn: You can spend an action point as a free

action only during your turn, but never during a surprise round.

✦ Once per Encounter: After you spend an Action Point, you

must take a short rest before your Action Point total

refreshes.

ACTION

Gain an additional standard action during your turn, which can beexchanged for a move or free action, as usual.

BEGINNER’S LUCK FORTUNE 

By spending an Action Point, you gain an effective 5 ranks in oneskill of your choice you currently have at 4 or fewer ranks,including skills you have no ranks in, even if they can’t be useduntrained. These temporary skill ranks last for the duration of thescene and grant you their normal benefits.

EDIT SCENE

You can “edit” a scene to grant your hero an advantage by adding orchanging certain details. For example, a hero is fighting a villainwith plant-based powers in a scientific lab. You deduce the villain

may be weakened by defoliants, so you ask the GM if there are anychemicals in the lab you can throw together to create a defoliant.

The GM requires an Action Point to add that detail and says theright chemicals are close at hand. Now you just have to use them!How much players are allowed to “edit” circumstances is up to theindividual GM, but generally Action Points should not be allowed tochange any event that has already occurred or any detail already

explained in-game.For example, players cannot “edit” away damage or the effects ofpowers .The GM may also veto uses of editing that ruin theadventure or make things too easy on the players. This option isintended to give the players more input into the story and allowtheir heroes chances to succeed, but it shouldn’t be used as a

replacement for planning and cleverness, just a way to enhancethem.

IMPROVE ROLL

One Action Point allows you to re-roll any die roll you make andtake the better of the two rolls. On a result of 1 through 10 on the

second roll, add 10 to the result, an 11 or higher remains as-is (sothe re-roll is always a result of 11-20). You must spend the ActionPoint to improve a roll before the GM announces the outcome of

 your initial roll. You cannot spend Action Points on die rolls made by

the GM or other players without the Luck Control power feat.

INSPIRATIONYou can spend an Action Point to get sudden inspiration in the form

of a hint, clue, or bit of help from the GM. It might be a way out ofthe villain’s fiendish deathtrap, a vital clue for solving a mystery,or an idea about the villain’s weakness.It’s up to the GM exactly how much help the players get frominspiration and how it manifests, but since hero points are a verylimited resource, the help should be in some way significant.

POWER

Increase one of your hero’s power effects by +3 until the start ofthe hero’s next turn. Permanent effects cannot be increased inthis way.

RECOVER

You can spend an Action Point to recover faster. An Action Pointcombined with a Healing Surge allows you to immediately remove a

dazed, fatigued, or stunned condition, without taking an action.Among other things, this option allows you to use extra effort(previously) without suffering any fatigue. Spending an Action Pointto recover also lets you convert an exhausted condition into a

fatigued condition.

ULTIMATE EFFORT (Power Feat)

You can spend an Action Point on a particular check and treat theroll as a 20 (meaning you don’t need to roll the die at all, just apply

a result of 20 to your modifier). This is not a natural 20, but is

treated as a roll of 20 in all other respects. You choose theparticular check the advantage applies to when you acquire it andthe GM must approve it. You can take Ultimate Effort multipletimes, each time, it applies to a different check. This power featmay not be used after you’ve rolled the die to determine if you

succeed.