Table of Contents Introduction 2 Illusory Powers .31 Character Generation .3 Life Control Powers .35 How We Do It .3 Magical Powers 41 Physical Form 3 Matter Control Powers 49 Type Definitions 3 Matter Conversion Powers 59 Origi n of Power 10 Matter Creation Powers 63 Primary and Secondary Abilities 11 Mental Enhancement Powers 68 Weakness Generation 12 Physical Enhancement Powers 80 Power Generation 14 Power Control Powers 82 Power Categories 14 Self-Alteration Powers 86 Power Listings 18 Travel Powers 93 Defense Powers 18 Index 101 Detection Powers 19 Range Table inside front cover Energy Control Powers 21 Area of Effect Table inside front cover Energy Emission Powers 26 Movement Table inside back cover Fighting Powers 29 Simultaneous ActionfTarget Table inside back cover This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. My reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written consent of TSR, Inc., and Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd, Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. All characters appearing in this gamebook and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of the Marvel Entertainment Group. Inc. MARVEL SUPER HEROES and MARVEL SUPER VILLAINS are trademarks of the Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. "Copyright 1987 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Game Design "1986 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. Credits: Author: David E. Martin Typographer: Kim N. Lindau Editor: Karen S. Martin Keyliner: Stephanie Tabat Cover Artist: Jeff Butler Interior Artists: The Marvel Bullpen PDF Version 2.5 Updated by: The Skycutter Welcome to the Ultimate Powers Book. What you hold in your hands is a distillation of months of rather peculiar research. The idea was to create an encyclopedic listing of the all the known super powers ever to appear in any comic book, science fiction or fantasy literature, film, or role-playing game. Once these were identified and catalogues, the next phase was to fill in as many holes as I could imagine. What super powers should exist but have not yet been used? I think I found most of the holes; you can discover some of these as the more bizarre listings in the Ultimate Powers Book. The final phase was adapting all this work to a form that you, the player, can use. Okay, here it is. In the Player's Book of the MARVEL SUPER HEROES Advanced Set, there is a character generation system that gives you a choice of five basic character types plus a way of randomly determining what Powers and Power ranks they possess. Other comic book role playing games have their own systems. Most of them, I feel, generate characters that would have trouble besting the assistants of many characters in comic books today. When I was creating The Ultimate Powers Book, I wanted to create a system that would allow players to generate anyone-from a bona fide deity (in comics terms, naturally) to Aunt May. The character generation system that begins this book is what resulted from that desire. The Ultimate Powers Book is not a game in itself. Rather it is a supplement designed to enlarge the character generation system of the game you are already playing. Think of it as souping up for game mechanics. This book also retains its original purpose, that of a way to interpret existing comic book characters and hopefully create new ones. As I sit here banging away on the keyboard, I like to think that maybe somewhere in here in the genesis for the next comic book super hero. I've said enough. You have a new world to explore, the world of Ultimate Power. Enjoy! This book is not an exact replica of the original Ultimate Powers Book, as it contains addenda material and minor typographical corrections. Text appearing in red is from "The Ultimate Addenda", an article by David Edward Martin which appeared in Dragon Magazine #122, June 1987. 2 ~.C.H~~.RA.7C.T.E~~~.G:Em~l.....-E:RA.I':"""'-~.TI.O:~L..--_~'0.j'-.-.: HOWWEDO IT 47 Surgical Composite physically and genetically altered. The 48-49 Modified Human Organic Fantastic Four are examples of this type. The following is a system for creating new 50-51 Modified Human Muscular Induced Mutants roll their random characters in the Marvel Universe or 52-53 Modified Human Skeletal ranks for Primary Abilities on Column 1 whatever section of the Multiverse you 54-57 Modified Human Extra Parts of the Random Ranks Table. play in. Newly generated characters have 58 Demihuman Centaur Induced Mutants can raise anyone the advantage of being unique to the 59 Demihuman Equiman Primary Ability +1CS. player, and thus (in my eyes, at least) the 60 Demihuman Faun player has a firmer commitment to them. A 61-62 Demihuman Felinoid Random Mutation: The hero was born player Invests more of his energy and 63-64 Demihuman Lupinoid to Normal Humans, but a freak twist of imagination in a character he creates 65-66 Demihuman Avian genetic fate made him a mutant from himself They also offer an advantage to 67 Demihuman Chiropteran birth. Most of these are the Mutants the Judge. Because player-generated 68 Demihuman Lamian found in the Marvel Universe, such as characters don't have to adhere to 69 Demihuman Merhuman the X-Men. someone else's continuity, all restraints in 70 Demihuman Other Random Mutants roll on Column I of that area of the game are gone All bets 71-72 Cyborg Artificial the Random Ranks Table. are off and anything can happen. limbs/organs They gain one additional Power. The Ultimate Powers Book generation 73-74 Cyborg Exoskeleton Resources are reduced -1 CS. system has seven steps 75-76 Cyborg Mechanical Endurance Is raised +1CS. • Generate a physical form. Body Breed Mutants: The hero's parents were • Generate an Origin of Power. 77-79 Cyborg Mechanically • Generate Primary Abilities. Augmented Mutants, as were any number of • Generate Secondary Abilities. 80-82 Robot Human preceding generations. Breed Mutants • Generate a Weakness. Shape form tribes and have close-knit families; • Generate Powers. 83-84 Robot Usuform this is a defense mechanism born from • Give your character life. 85-86 Robot Metamorphic generations spent hiding their true selves 87 Robot Computer from normal society. Examples of Breed The joy and exasperation of random 88 Angel/Demon Mutants include the Inhumans. creation is that even when you think you 89 Deity Breed Mutants roll on Column 1of the know where you're heading, you can still 90 Animal Random Ranks Table. be taken in a completely different direction 91 Vegetable Intuition is raised +1CS. by a roll of the dice. Each of the seven 92 Abnormal Chemistry - Endurance is raised +1CS. Breed Mutants must have at least one steps contains factors that can totally 93 Mineral Contact, usually their tribe. revamp your character. You can even 94 Gaseous interpret the same sets of numbers in 95 Liquid Androids: These are artificially created dramatically different ways 96 Energy organic beings. An android is made of 97 Ethereal laboratory-created protoplasm and grows Physical Form 98 Undead to maturity in an artificial womb. More 99 Compound Your character's physical form is what he intricately made Androids can actually 00 Changeling looks like now Oh, he might have been interbreed with Normal Humans. One born a relatively normal child in Cleveland, example is the Vision. Androids generally Ohio, but this category is how people see Type Definitions resemble the race that created them; him now The player can either select one Normal Human: The body is completely alien androids can be any shape. of the body types below or be brave and normal and possesses no detectable ab­ Androids roll on column 4 of the let the dice do it for him. Deliberate normalities. Any Powers the hero Random Ranks Table. selection is recommended if YOU are possesses have left no visible mark on Popularity is initially lowered -1 CS. setting up a special campaign that the body. Androids may raise anyone Ability +1CS. requires certain types of characters, like Random ranks are rolled on Column 2 Androids gai n one Power. on other worlds or in other eras of the Random Ranks Table, page 6 of Androids have at least one Contact, the Dice Roll Physical Form Sub-form the Player's Book and reproduced in this lab tech or scientist who created them. text for your convenience. 01-25 Normal Human Resources are increased +1CS. Humanoid Race: The hero is a normal 26-30 Mutant Induced member of a human-like race from 31-33 Mutant Random Induced Mutant: The hero started life "somewhere else." This may be another 34-35 Mutant Breed as a Normal Human, "then something world, era, dimension, or lost land hidden 36-38 Android happened." As a result of a freak somewhere on the Earth. Most can pass 39-46 Humanoid Race happenstance, the hero has been as Normal Humans with a little disguise 3 or explanation. Some of the Humanoid replaced or augmented by artificial scholars or drunken lechers. Centaurs Race's Powers don't exist in their home means. Although he is also a Random roll on Column 5. environment but develop as a result of Mutant, Wolverine is a good example of Equimen possess horse legs in place the Humanoid's exposure to Earth's this type of character. The new skeleton of human ones.