Whenever a character attempts some action or another, he must normally make a FEAT roll; FEAT being an acronym for a Function of Exceptional Ability or Talent. This is, of course, unless said action is dreadfully simple, such as lifting up a sheet of loose leaf paper. A FEAT roll is made by rolling a d100, and checking the result against the rank in question on the Universal Table. This procedure is the basis for all action in the Universal Heroes RPG, and after playing for a bit, will come to you naturally.

On the Universal Table (if you are now looking at it), you will see four color bands that stretch through the ranks. When making FEAT rolls, a white result usually indicates failure. A green result represents success. A yellow result shows exceptional success. Finally, a red result is the best success that the character can achieve at that rank.

For example, let us say that we are witnessing a hero in mortal combat with his arch nemesis. In order to hit his foe with a left hook, the hero must make a successful FEAT roll based on his Ftg (off) rank. Normally, a green result will do, so the character rolls the dice. The player rolls a 42. Cross referencing the die roll against the character's Ftg (off) rank, the hit will succeed if a 42 on the chart is a green on that character's Ftg (off) rank.

This is a simplification of the variables that can occur in combat, but this will do for the time being.

FEAT Intensities

Intensity is a rank that is associated with most every action or phenomena, a benchmark for characters who may attempt such an action or interact with such phenomena. When attempting a FEAT roll, a character's rank will be compared to the intensity of such an action. The result of this comparison will determine if the action in question is possible, and if it is, how difficult the action will be.

To determine the inherent difficulty of a given FEAT roll, compare the ability or power rank in question to the intensity of the FEAT. If the intensity is more than three ranks below the rank being checked, the FEAT is considered to be automatic in most cases. Automatic FEATs are things the character would normally accomplish with great ease, such as lifting a glass of water, trying to remember where his house is, and doing repetitive tasks such as working on an assembly line.

If the intensity is one to three ranks below the ability or power rank being checked, the FEAT requires that the character roll at least a green result on the Universal Table. This is a rather easy task, but still has a small chance of failure. Also, a green result is often required for most FEATs that do not have an intensity applied to them; this is to speed up game play, and to make things simpler overall.

If the intensity is equal in rank to the ability or power rank in question, the FEAT requires a yellow result in order to succeed. This represents a FEAT that truly tests the character, but isn't too much for him. On the other hand, if the intensity is one rank higher than the rank being checked, a red FEAT is required for success. This describes a FEAT truly at the limits of a character's ability, one that is likely to fail, but not doomed from the start.

Now, if the intensity of the FEAT is two or more ranks higher than the ability or power rank in question, the FEAT is an impossible one, beyond the abilities of this character. If the character is in a life or death situation, the Judge may allow the character to make a red FEAT roll anyway, if he is very, very nice. However, he is more than likely to double or even triple the amount of Karma required to make this FEAT succeed, or he may even disallow the use of Karma on this roll altogether.

A listing of standard intensities is given on table ??, at the end of this book.

Column Shifts

Often, a FEAT can be more or less difficult to execute, depending on the circumstances. For example, shooting a fast moving, randomly dodging target while standing on oil-slicked ice and dodging incoming fire yourself is a bit more difficult than hitting a stationary target in a shooting range on a sunny afternoon. Circumstances like these are handled by column shifts (CS).

A +1 CS, to the right on the Universal Table, is a shift for the better. This means the circumstances for executing this FEAT are better than is normal. A -1 CS, to the left on the Universal Table, is a shift for the worse. This will demonstrate an added difficulty that the character attempting the FEAT must overcome. Additional CS one way or the other demonstrate extreme help or hindrance concerning the FEAT to be attempted.

There are three types of CS in the Universal Heroes game. The first CS is the inherent CS. It is a +/- CS that occurs because the character has a talent or quirk that aids or hinders the FEAT roll in question. This will usually come in the form of a +1 or +2 CS, but if the character has a bad quirk or lacks a talent vital to the FEAT, the inherent CS may be in the negative, as well.

Second is the buddy CS. This involves a person lending a helping hand to the character who is attempting the FEAT roll. As long as the helping hand has a rank within +/- 1 CS of the score being checked, the person rolling this FEAT adds a +1 CS to his roll. For example, two characters attempt to lift an 800 pound object (an Excellent weight), and only have Good Strength scores.

Added together, the character rolling makes his FEAT at a +1 CS, making the FEAT require only a yellow result, instead of the original red. Now, the buddy CS must be used with common sense. Otherwise, you could possibly end up with 512 people of Feeble (2) strength hitting one target to inflict Unearthly damage. This is impossible, as that many folks couldn't assault a single opponent, but shows that without thought, a Judge can be overwhelmed by players abusing the buddy CS.

Finally, there is the situational CS, a type of Column Shift not covered by the other types of CS. Many situational CS are presented on table ?.

Types of FEATs

Ability FEATs are those that are based on a character's seven basic abilities – either Ftg, Agy, Str, End, Rsn, Int, or Psc. These are the easiest to manage, in that ability scores from one character to another work exactly the same, and it is often easy to determine when one is required. However, the Str score is somewhat mysterious in this regard, in that by itself, it doesn't describe how much a character can lift – at least, in standard gravity. As such, here is the weight intensity table:

Table 2: Weight Intensities

Rank	Weight
Feeble	up to 50 lbs.
Poor	up to 100 lbs.
Typical	up to 200 lbs.
Good	up to 400 lbs.
Excellent	up to 800 lbs.
Remarkable	up to 2000 lbs. (1 ton)
Incredible	up to 10 tons
Amazing	up to 50 tons
Monstrous	up to 75 tons
Unearthly	up to 100 tons
Shift X	up to 150 tons
Shift Y	up to 200 tons
Shift Z	up to 500 tons
Class 1000	up to 1000 tons*
Class 3000	up to 3000 tons*
Class 5000	up to 5000 tons*

*assuming something so heavy can be lifted and maintain structural integrity; these are large objects, already!

Power FEATs are similar in function to Ability FEATs, in that it is usually easy to tell when one is needed; instead of referring to an ability score, however, a power rank is used to resolve this type of action. Nominally, power FEATs are streamlined to work in the normal way; any variations are noted in a power's description. One thing to note is that some powers operate at a significant range; if a power's range isn't noted, refer to table 3 to see how far one can reach with such an ability.

Table 3: Standard Power Ranges

Rank	Range
Shift 0	contact
Feeble	contact
Poor	1 area (44 yards)
Typical	2 areas
Good	4 areas
Excellent	6 areas
Remarkable	8 areas
Incredible	10 areas
Amazing	20 areas
Monstrous	40 areas (one mile)
Unearthly	60 areas
Shift X	80 areas (two miles)
Shift Y	160 areas
Shift Z	320 areas (eight miles)
Class 1000	one hundred miles
Class 3000	ten thousand miles
Class 5000	one million miles

Another odd kind of power FEAT is the power stunt. A power stunt is a use for a power that is not accounted for in the standard definition of the power. If the Judge allows one to try it, the first time a power stunt is attempted, it will fail unless a character passes a red FEAT roll. The next two times a character attempts a power stunt, the difficulty is yellow. Finally, the last seven times a character attempts said stunt, he need only roll a green power FEAT.

After he has tried a stunt ten times, the character is thought to have mastered this stunt, and need not make FEATs just to see if the stunt will work – it is now part of his standard power usage. At any rate, each time a character tries a power stunt, he must pay 100 karma points if he wishes to have any prayer of success. This forces characters to pay for their new power stunts – though they are nonetheless cheaper to work out than new powers altogether; that costs a lot more karma – and is much, much more dangerous to the character.

Talent FEATs are those required when one, well, attempts to use a skill in the course of a game. These are primarily based on ability scores, but modified as per the talent's description. Normally, a talent applies a positive Column Shift modifier to an ability (or power) FEAT, but some skills offer other advantages. However, if a character tries an action requiring a skill he lacks, he will do so at a penalty; in other words, attempting brain surgery without the medicine skill is a very, very bad idea.

Now, the basic penalty for attempting a talent FEAT without the proper talent to back it up is –2 CS. However, if a character has a similar skill that could help a FEAT out where a N/PC lacks the exact talent, this penalty is reduced to a mere –1 CS; similar weapons or technical training, for instance. In the end, however, if game Judge feels an action can't be made without the right talent to back it up, the task is simply impossible.

Popularity FEATs are normally required when a player wants something from a body, whether it be information, money, equipment, or anything else. When a character attempts such a FEAT, his popularity score is the base rank he will use on this roll. This rank is then given potential Column Shift modifiers based on the situation at hand. There's only a few basic CS modifiers to this FEAT, and they're listed on the following table:

Table 4: Popularity FEAT Modifiers

CS	Situation
+3 CS	Target benefits greatly
+2 CS	Target of same mindset
+1 CS	Target benefits somewhat
-1 CS	Item is of Good value
-2 CS	Item is of Remarkable value, or is at risk of not being returned
-3 CS	Item is placed in danger or is unique

Of course, these Column Shifts aren't all that goes into the Popularity FEAT roll. No, the general disposition of the person a character asks for aid decides the color difficulty of a popularity FEAT. A green FEAT is called for when one is friendly to the character attempting the popularity FEAT. Those neutral to the character make for a popularity FEAT of yellow difficulty. A red popularity roll is necessary with unfriendly people are the subject of this FEAT.

But what does all this mean, you ask? Well, friendly NPCs are those who are good friends with the character, or folks listed as his contacts. Neutral NPCs're are people who don't know a character (but have heard of him) or large bodies of strangers. Unfriendly NPCs include total strangers, folks who haven't heard of the character, neutral folks the fellow has ticked off by not returning an item previously, or persons having opposing popularity (negative vs. positive).

Finally, hostile individuals are people who're actively opposed to a character, or sworn enemies. A popularity FEAT is unnecessary with such folks, as they are considered impossible FEATs for the purpose of this roll. They will never help a character thanks to the whims of a die roll; in fact, they'll never help a character at all, unless doing so would help their specific agenda significantly.

Resources FEATs are made when a body attempts to buy something. The intensity of this FEAT is dependent on the cost rank provided with the item to be purchased. Now, this FEAT will be automatic under several conditions (a rich guy buying some hamburgers, for example), and a roll isn't needed. The trick is that when a resource FEAT is rolled, it represents a large dent of the character's personal wealth.

As such, a character can make but one resource FEAT roll per week. All other attempts will automatically fail; think of this as a short-term cash shortage or some such. Furthermore, without the assistance of another character (per a buddy CS – see below), no one can purchase any item whose price rank is greater than their own resources rank – without the assistance of a bank loan.

A loan allows a character to make said resource FEAT roll – if red - but the trick is that he must pay back the loan. Once a month, a character who has a loan must pass a resource FEAT of an intensity equal to the price rank of the object purchased –2 CS, for a number of months equal to the number of ranks in the price rank (Good priced items will take four months to pay off, Unearthly expensive items take ten, etc...).

Material Strength

One last area that deeply involves both intensity and Column Shifts is relative strength of a given material. Material Strength (m.s.) is the overall strength of a material, if you didn't see that one coming. Mostly, m.s. is used when a person or weapon attempts to break (or break through) an object, like a street, wall, or vault, for instance. Common material strengths are listed on table 5.

Table 5: Material Strengths*

Rank	Materials
Feeble	Brush, clothing, glass, electronics, paper
Poor	Crystals, ice, plastics, particle board
Typical	Interior walls, rubbers, sheet metal, wood
Good	Aluminum, plastic, light machinery, asphalt
Excellent	Concrete, bullet proof glass, iron, outer walls
Remarkable	Reinforced concretes, steel, solid stone
Incredible	Plast-steels, volcanic rock, heavy machinery
Amazing	Granite, high strength steel, osmium steel
Monstrous	Diamond, super heavy alloys, titanium
Unearthly	Iridium, generic mystic alloys

* materials of greater m.s. than those listed are often campaign specific uber-materials, those that are 'unbreakable' or otherwise have special properties. Materials of this variety are campaign specific, and beyond this table's intent.

The thickness of a mass or object also plays a part in determining its m.s. If an item is less than 2 inches thick, the m.s. of this item is the listed value -1 CS. If the item is between 2 inches and one foot thick, it is of standard m.s. If the item is between 1 and 2 feet thick, it's m.s. is the listed value +1 CS. Finally, if an object is 2 feet thick or more, its m.s. is the listed value +2 CS.