Conditions

Heroes run into their share of difficulties in their work. One way this game measures this is with different conditions. They are shorthand for the different game modifiers imposed by things from power effects to injuries or fatigue. So, for example, "vulnerable" is a condition where a hero's active defenses are reduced. An opponent grabbing them or an entangling mass of glue might make heroes vulnerable, or they might be made vulnerable by a foe's cunning combat maneuver or being caught off-guard. The game effect is the same (the hero's active defenses are reduced), so it is easier to just refer to the overall condition as "vulnerable" and describe the different situations that cause it.

This section describes the different conditions that can affect characters. If multiple conditions apply, use all of their effects. Some conditions supersede other, lesser, conditions, as given in their descriptions. Characters that don't require sleep are not immune to Fatigued, Exhausted, and Asleep conditions.

Progressive Conditions

Some conditions are progressive in that inflicting the same condition twice might progress into a higher degree condition. If a character already has one of the following conditions and is inflicted with any condition on the same row add the degrees together to determine the new condition with a maximum degree of three. For example if a character who is Fatigued is hit with an affliction that Fatigues then the character is Exhausted but if a Fatigued character is hit with Exhaustion then the character falls asleep instead.

Some of these progress conditions don't have a third degree in which case second degree is the maximum. Note that each higher degree condition supersedes the lower ones with the exception of asleep (see entry for details). Incapacitated, Exhausted, and Asleep are the only conditions listed below that are combined conditions instead of a basic one. Impaired progresses into Disabled going from -1 to -2 but can't progress any further, for further penalties see Weakened (condition).

* Asleep doesn't replace fatigued or exhausted.

Bound supersedes Restrained but being Restrained twice might not become Bound as determined by the Gamemaster. After enough applications of Weakened an ability may become Debilitated however it isn't the same progression process as the one above since the ability needs to drop to -5 to be Debilitated (see Weaken). There are other conditions that supersede another that are not listed above because a second application won't progress them any further.

Bound and Restrained will not replace any other conditions (except each other). Multiple instances of the same condition are redundant if they haven't progressed. Incurable and Unrecoverable conditions replace the normal versions of those conditions.

Basic Conditions

Each basic condition describes a single game modifier. They are the "building blocks" of conditions, much as effects are the basic building blocks of powers. Indeed, many power effects reference these basic conditions in the descriptions of what they do. See Powers for more details.

• Compelled: A compelled character is directed by an outside force, but struggling against it; the character is limited to free actions and a single standard action per turn, chosen by another, controlling, character. As usual, this standard action can be traded for a move or even free action. Although a Compelled character acts as though he was dazed, he isn't actually dazed and therefore the "dazed" aspect can't be healed. If a character is both dazed and Compelled then the dazed is ignored and the compelled functions normally. Controlled supersedes compelled.
• Controlled: A controlled character has no free will; the character's actions each turn are dictated by another, controlling, character.
• Dazed: A dazed character is limited to free actions and a single standard action per turn, although the character may use that action to perform a move, as usual. Stunned and incapacitated both supersede dazed.
• Debilitated: The character has one or more abilities lowered to -5 (which is the minimum). Unlike Dying there is no way to get Debilitated except by low ability rank therefore this condition does not need to set your ability rank to -5. Debilitated supersedes weakened and disabled (and impaired) of the same trait. (See Debilitated Abilities.)
• Deaf: The character cannot hear. This is caused by being auditorily unaware: giving everything total auditory concealment from him. Interaction with other characters is limited to sign-language and lip-reading (see Interaction Skills in Abilities for more information).
• Defenseless: A defenseless character has active defense result of 0. Note that this affects the result not just the defense values meaning there is no need to roll dice or add up modifiers because the sum is always 0 (which almost always fails). Attackers can make attacks on defenseless opponents as routine checks. The attacker may instead choose to perform a Finishing Attack Maneuver (see Gameplay Rules). Defenseless characters are often prone, providing opponents with an additional bonus to attack checks (see the Prone combined condition later in this section).
• Disabled: A disabled character is at a -2 circumstance penalty on checks. If the penalty applies to specific checks, they are added to the name of the condition, such as Attack Disabled, Fighting Disabled, Perception Disabled, and so forth. If it applies to the same trait(s), disabled supersedes impaired.
• Entranced: An entranced character is stunned, taking no actions other than paying attention to the entrancing effect. Any obvious threat automatically breaks the trance. An ally can also shake a character free of the condition with an interaction skill check (DC = effect rank).
• Fatigued: Fatigued characters are hindered. Characters recover from a fatigued condition after 1 hour of rest (even if awake). Exhausted supersedes Fatigued.
• Hindered: A hindered character moves at half normal speed (-1 speed rank). Immobile supersedes hindered.
• Immobile: Immobile characters have no movement speed and cannot move from the spot they occupy, although they are still capable of taking actions unless prohibited by another condition. Depending on the situation an immobile character may be moved by another character. These characters can't Dodge area attacks.
• Impaired: An impaired character is at a -1 circumstance penalty on checks. If the impairment applies to specific checks, they are added to the name of the condition, such as Attack Impaired, Fighting Impaired, Perception Impaired, and so forth. If it applies to the same trait(s), disabled supersedes impaired.
• Mental Transformed and Mind Switched: These are simply placeholders to represent that the character in under that effect. See Mental Transform and Mind Switch for details.
• Prone: A prone character is lying on the ground, receiving a -1 circumstance penalty on close attack checks. Opponents receive a +1 circumstance bonus to close attack checks but a -1 penalty to ranged attack checks (effectively giving the prone character partial cover against ranged attacks). Prone characters are hindered. Standing up from a prone position is a move action.
• Stunned: Stunned characters cannot take any actions, including free actions. Although reaction effects may still trigger and all defense checks can still be made. A stunned character is also immobile since movement requires an action. Stunned supersedes dazed and incapacitated supersedes stunned.
• Surprised: A surprised character is vulnerable. They are caught off-guard and therefore less able to act, and less able to avoid attacks. The character takes a -10 penalty to initiative. This condition is removed when their turn comes or combat ends but can't be removed by other means.
• Unaware: The character is completely unaware of his surroundings, unable to make interaction or Perception checks or perform any action based on them. If the condition applies to a specific sense or senses, they are added to the name of the condition, such as visually unaware (blind), tactilely unaware (or numb), and so forth. Subjects have full concealment from all of a character's unaware senses. This may allow for surprise attacks on the unaware character (see Surprise Attack in Gameplay Rules for more information.). See Blind and Deaf below for the impacts of being unaware in these ways.
• Vulnerable: Vulnerable characters are limited in their ability to defend themselves, halving their active defense results (rounded up). Note that this affects the result meaning you add together the dice, modifiers, and defense values then you half it. Defenseless supersedes vulnerable.
• Weakened: The character has temporarily lost character points in a trait. See the Weaken power for more information. Debilitated supersedes weakened.

Combined Conditions

Combined conditions are sets of basic conditions tied to a common descriptor. They're essentially a kind of "short-hand" for talking about a group of basic conditions that go together in a particular circumstance, much like a power is a collection of basic effects.

The individual conditions making up a combined condition can be resolved individually. For example, if an effect that removes the dazed condition is used on a staggered character (who is dazed and hindered), then the character is no longer dazed, only hindered. Similarly, if an effect imposes a condition that supersedes part of the combined condition, only that part changes. So an effect that stuns a staggered character means the character is now stunned (superseding dazed) and hindered. Similarly, an effect that immobilizes a staggered character leaves the target dazed and immobile (superseding the hindered element of the combined condition).

• Asleep: While asleep, a character is defenseless, stunned, and has several perception penalties. The character is unaware to all visual senses and take a -5 perception penalty to all hearing, olfactory, radio, mental, and some exotic senses at the GM's discretion. The DC to wake up is the same as it would be to sense the source if awake, if successful the subject knows which sense was used but doesn't know what caused it. This sense check is made every hour or every time the DC decreases. Since tactile (and sense of balance) doesn't receive a perception penalty it is often strong enough to wake someone. If a character does not require sleep then the GM may provide a circumstance bonus to perception checks made to waking up. Any effect allowing a defense check will wake you up unless it fails to affect you. Nightmares and other circumstances can also cause someone to wake up. Asleep does not replace Fatigued or Exhausted however sleeping for 1 hour will remove Fatigued and sleeping for 8 hours will remove Exhausted. Once you are no longer Fatigued or Exhausted you may naturally wake up after an amount of time determined by the GM with no check required.
• Blind: The character cannot see. This is caused by being visually unaware: everything effectively has full visual concealment from him. He is hindered and defenseless, and for activities where vision is a factor may be disabled (or more) if able to perform the task at all.
• Bound: A bound character is defenseless, immobile, and impaired.
• Exhausted: Exhausted characters are near collapse. They are impaired and hindered. Characters recover from an exhausted condition after 8 hours of sleep. Resting will cause the asleep condition with no check. Exhausted supersedes Fatigued.
• Incapacitated: An incapacitated character is defenseless, stunned, and unaware. Incapacitated characters generally also fall prone, unless some outside force or aid keeps them standing. Incapacitated supersedes both dazed and stunned.
• Paralyzed: A paralyzed character is defenseless, immobile, and physically stunned, frozen in place and unable to move, but still aware and able to take purely mental actions, involving no physical movement whatsoever.
• Restrained: A restrained character is hindered and vulnerable. If the restraints are anchored to an immobile object, the character is immobile rather than hindered. If anchored to anything else, such as another character, the restrained character is immobile unless the other object or character moves. Bound supersedes restrained.
• Staggered: A staggered character is dazed and hindered.

Damage Conditions

Damage conditions (or HP conditions) are conditions imposed by a damage effect. These conditions are unique because they are automatically imposed (based on damage, HP, and circumstances rather than affliction) and are not removed like other conditions. The conditions are automatically removed when HP is restored high enough.

• Battered: A battered character is dazed and hindered. Although it is identical to staggered it doesn't replace any other conditions because this is an HP condition. Characters gain this condition as long as they have exactly 0 HP.
• Bent: The first damage condition of objects. This state indicates damage but the object remains functional (for the most part). Bent is replaced by broken when damaged again.
• Broken: The second damage condition of objects. This state indicates that the object no longer functions. Devices no longer work and structures (like bridges) collapse. Broken replaces bent and is replaced by destroyed when damaged again.
• Bruised: Bruised is a special type of Impaired: Toughness. The difference being that it stacks indefinitely: you can receive any number of bruised penalties (each causing a -1 toughness) in addition to other conditions such as Impaired. Bruised penalties can only be inflicted by Damage.
• Dead: The character is dead (and thus incapacitated). This is a condition because it can be removed by Immortality and Healing. See Death for more info.
• Destroyed: The last damage condition of objects. This state indicates being broken beyond mundane repair (the object does not function). Destroyed replaces broken. See Damage for more info.
• Dying: A dying character is incapacitated (defenseless, stunned, and unaware) and near death. This is an HP exclusive condition while HP is negative. Dying characters make a Fortitude check (DC 5) at the start of each of their turns until they either die or stabilize. If a character gains this condition during their own turn they won't need to make a check until their next turn. If the check succeeds exactly, nothing happens. If the check succeeds by 1 or more (not degrees but actual difference), the character stabilizes, removing this condition (see Stabilized). If the check fails, they lose 1 HP. Another character can stabilize a dying character with a successful Treatment check (DC 5). Gaining any amount of HP by any means causes stabilization if HP is still negative. If dying is imposed by circumstances (such as suffocation) then HP becomes -1 (if not already negative) and becoming Stabilized isn't possible (even with Diehard) until the circumstances are removed. Stabilized and Dying are mutually exclusive: one always replaces the other.
• Stabilized: A stabilized character is incapacitated (defenseless, stunned, and unaware) and near death but not getting any closer. This is an HP exclusive condition while HP is negative. Stabilized and Dying are mutually exclusive: one always replaces the other. If a Stabilized character loses any HP but is still alive then they become Dying (replacing this condition).

Condition Cards

The following cards contain information about each condition in a way that makes quick reference easy. Handing out these cards (if printed) is also an easy way to keep track of who has what condition and a reminder of the effect.

Order of the cards is progressive conditions (alphabetically) with the column matching the degree. Then other basic/combined conditions with each row being closely related (alphabetically). Then all miscellaneous basic/combined conditions alphabetically. Then the object damage conditions (column matching degree). And finally character damage conditions alphabetically.

M&M 3e condition cards can be found here (source). These cards are very similar but would need some conversions. They have just a type, degree number, and general description but look better.