page 1
HERO SYSTEM 5TH EDITION
COMBAT
SUMMARY
ATTACK ROLLS usually only protect against one type of damage
DOING DAMAGE
or the other  for example, a character s Physical
Here s how to calculate Defense (PD) only works against physical attacks,
your Attack Roll (your
and his Energy Defense (ED) against energy attacks.
chance to hit on 3d6):
Normal Damage Attacks
1. If the attack does Normal Damage
For Normal Damage (like punches, clubs, (fists, clubs, Energy Blasts):
11 + attacker s OCV
- defender s DCV Energy Blasts), the total on the dice is the amount of
a. Add all applicable forms of Defense  both
STUN damage the attack does. To determine how
Normal and Resistant  together to determine
For example, if the
much BODY damage it does, look at the numbers
the character s total Defense.
attacker is OCV 8 and
rolled on the dice: a 1 is 0 BODY; a 2-5 is 1 BODY,
the defender is DCV 6,
b. Subtract the character s total Defense from the
and a 6 is 2 BODY. Thus, a 6d6 Normal Damage
the Attack Roll is: 11 +
STUN damage done by the attack. The remain-
attack which rolls 6, 5, 4, 4, 2, and 1 does 22 STUN
8 - 6 = 13 or less on 3d6.
der is how much STUN damage he suffers.
and 6 BODY. The number of BODY done is usually
close to the number of dice rolled.
c. Subtract the character s total Defense from the
A roll of 3 always hits; a
BODY damage done by the attack. The remain-
roll of 18 always misses.
der is how much BODY damage he suffers.
NORMAL DAMAGE
OCV = DEX/3, plus
2. If the attack does Killing Damage
applicable Combat Skill
Each die for
(claws, blades, guns):
Levels and modifiers
Normal Attack BODY done
a. Determine how much of the character s
1 0 (zero)
DCV = DEX/3, plus
Defense is Resistant (meaning it protects against
applicable Combat Skill
2-5 1
Killing Damage). Armor, Damage Resistance,
Levels and modifiers
Force Field, and Force Wall provide Resistant
62
Defense; so does armor the character wears
(chainmail or plate armor, for example).
RANGE MODIFIER
Killing Damage Attacks
b. Subtract the character s Resistant Defense
OCV
For Killing Damage (like claws, knives, and from the BODY damage done by the attack.
Range Modifi
er
bullets), the total on the dice is the amount of The remainder is how much BODY damage he
0-4 -0
BODY the attack does. To determine the STUN suffers.
5-8 -2
done, the character rolls a STUN Multiplier  1d6-
i. A character s Normal Defenses, includ-
9-16 -4
1 (minimum of 1)  and multiplies the result by
ing his PD and ED (unless modified by
17-32 -6
the amount of BODY done. For example, suppose
Damage Resistance), do not reduce the
33-64 -8
an RKA 3d6 rolls 3 + 4 + 5 = 12. That s 12 BODY
BODY from Killing Damage, even if he
65-128 -10
damage. Then you roll another die for the STUN
has Resistant Defenses.
...and so forth
Multiplier. If it comes up 5, the Multiplier is (5 - 1
c. If the character has no Resistant Defenses, he
=) 4, so the attack does 48 STUN (4 x 12).
takes all the STUN damage done by the attack.
ACTIONS
d. If the character has any Resistant Defenses, add
TAKING DAMAGE
all applicable forms of Defense  both Normal
In his Phase in combat,
and Resistant  together to determine his total
a character can:
There are two types of defenses: Normal
Defense. Subtract his total Defense from the
(which only apply against Normal Damage) and
STUN damage done by the attack. The remainder
 Move his full inches
Resistant (which apply against Normal and Killing
is how much STUN damage he suffers.
of movement (1 = 2 m)
Damage). Normal Defenses include a character s
natural PD and ED; Resistant Defenses include
3. If the attack does No Normal Defense
 Move up to half his
Armor, Force Fields, and PD and ED for which a
(NND) damage:
inches of movement and
character has bought Damage Resistance. In Heroic
attack (attack must be a. If the character has the applicable defense,
campaigns, Resistant Defense usually indicates
last; making an attack
he takes no damage at all.
some form of armor.
ends the Phase)
b. If the character does not have the applicable
The HERO System also distinguishes between
defense, he takes all the damage.
physical damage (such as punches, bullets, swords,
 Take a Recovery
falling, clubs, and so forth) and energy damage (such
Some Advantages, such as Armor Piercing or
as fire, lasers, Energy Blasts, and the like). Defenses
 Perform some other Hardened, may affect how damage applies to defenses.
action, maneuver, or
the like.
page 2
HERO SYSTEM 5TH EDITION
TAKING
EFFECTS OF DAMAGE RECOVERY TIME
RECOVERIES
There are four major effects of damage: Stun-
STUN Total How Often Character Recovers
Characters use REC
ning; Knockout; Injury; and Death.
-0 to -10 Every Phase and Post-Segment 12
to regain STUN and
-11 to -20 Post-Segment 12 only
END. This is known as
-21 to -30 Once a minute only
 Recovering or  taking
Stunning
-31 or more GM s option (a long time)
a Recovery. When a
character Recovers, add
If the amount of STUN damage a character
his REC to his current
Actions he wants to. However, his END total in this
suffers from a single attack (after subtracting his
STUN and END totals.
situation equals his current STUN total; he s put all
defenses) is less than his CON, he suffers no addi-
of his energy into waking up.
tional effect  he just loses the STUN.
Characters get to
If the amount of STUN damage a character
Recover in two situa-
suffers from a single attack (after subtracting his tions. First, after Seg-
Injury
ment 12 each Turn,
defenses) is greater than his CON, he loses the
all characters (even
STUN and is Stunned. A Stunned character s DCV Characters who take BODY damage suffer
Stunned ones) get a
instantly drops to to ½. At the end of the Segment, appropriate injuries based on the attack being used
free Post-Segment 12
any of his Powers which are not Persistent, and any  cuts, broken bones, wounds, burns, and other
Recovery. This Recovery
Skill Levels of any type, turn off. The character can such unpleasantries.
occurs automatically
do nothing until he recovers from being Stunned (unless the character is
holding his breath or
(though he still gets his free Post-Segment 12
Death deeply unconscious).
Recovery).
A character at or below 0 BODY is dying. He
Recovering From Being Stunned
Second, a character may
loses 1 BODY each Turn (at the end of Segment
A Stunned character must take a moment to choose to take a Recov-
12). Death occurs when, either due to attacks or to
ery as his Action in any
clear his head. This is called recovering from being
loss of BODY per Turn, he has lost twice his origi- of his Phases. Taking a
Stunned.
Recovery is a Full Phase
nal BODY (i.e., when he reaches a negative BODY
Recovering from being Stunned requires a
Action, reduces the
score equal to his starting positive BODY).
Full Phase, and is the only thing the character
character s DCV by half,
can do during that Phase. A character can recover
and occurs at the end
from being Stunned in the Segment in which he
of the Segment (after all
KNOCKBACK
other characters who
was Stunned if he had a Phase in that Segment
have a Phase that Seg-
and had not yet acted that Phase. When he recov-
In some types of combat, attacks are so power-
ment have acted).
ers from being Stunned, the character s DCV
ful they knock the characters all over the battlefield.
returns to normal, but he doesn t gain back any of
To reflect this, characters can do Knockback (KB).
If a character takes
his lost STUN.
Knockback is most appropriate for Superheroic
damage from an
If a character has to recover from being
campaigns.
attack in the Segment
Stunned in his Phase, but takes damage in that Seg-
To determine how much Knockback a char-
in which he takes a
ment prior to when his Phase begins, he cannot
acter suffers from being hit, the attacker rolls 2d6
Recovery, the Recovery
recover from being Stunned that Phase. He must
(+1d6 if the attack is Armor Piercing, does Killing
fails; he gets no STUN
try to do so on his next Phase instead.
Damage, uses Martial Arts, or the target uses Cling-
or END back and has
ing; -1d6 if the target is in the air or in zero grav-
wasted his Phase.
ity). He subtracts the total rolled from the amount
Knockout
of BODY rolled on the attack dice.
If the amount of STUN damage a character If the result is negative, no Knockback occurs;
HOLDING AND
suffers from a single attack or multiple attacks the defender remains where he was standing before
ABORTING
(after subtracting his defenses) is greater than his the attack.
STUN, he is Knocked Out. A character who is If the result is 0, the character is Knocked
A character can Hold his
Knocked Out has OCV 0, DCV 0, and ECV 0, and Down.
Phase (or a Half Phase) to
any attack that hits him does 2x STUN. At the end If the result is positive, the target is Knocked
act later, or in a later Seg-
of the Segment, any of his Powers which are not Back that many inches. If he hits a solid object ment. If two characters
want to act at the same
Persistent turn off. (like a wall or a tree), he takes a number of dice of
time, determine who goes
To regain consciousness, a Knocked Out char- Normal Damage equal to the inches of Knockback.
first with competing DEX
acter must take Recoveries (see sidebar)  in fact, If he hits nothing, he lands on the ground and takes
Rolls.
that s all he can do until he wakes up (though he half that much Normal Damage.
cannot take a Recovery in the same Segment when A character who s Knocked Down or Knocked
A character can Abort his
he was Knocked Out, even if he has a Phase). But Back is  prone. While prone he has half DCV. He
next Phase to act before
if he s deeply unconscious, he may not get to take must spend a Half Phase in his next Phase getting
he normally would, but
a Recovery every Phase (see accompanying table). to his feet or reorienting himself, which restores his only to take a defensive
action (like Dodging). He
When the character s Recoveries make his STUN DCV to normal.
cannot Abort right after
total positive, he wakes up and can take whatever
making an attack (he
must wait until the next
Segment).
ENDURANCE IN COMBAT
STR costs 1 END per 10 STR used. Powers cost 1 END per 10 Active Points used.