Powers and Skills
On this page we will be discussing the different super-powers and special skills characters have that they can bring to bear in their stories.
Powers break down into several major categories.
- Alteration – The Power changes the normal body structure of the character.
- Cosmic – The Power allows command of mighty forces such as Space and Time.
- Elemental – The Power allows command of the forces of the elements.
- Magical – The Power allows the character to access the occult forces.
- Mental – The Power allows the character abilities using only the power of the mind.
- Nature – The Power allows the character abilities related to the natural world involving plants and animals.
- Sensing – The Power allows the character’s natural senses to be increased or to work in fantastic ways.
- Transportation – The Power allows the character a way to transport themselves beyond the normal methods such as walking or running.
Of course, there are some overlaps, but for my purposes of simplifying things, this is how we are going to proceed when we discuss “super powers”
ALTERATION
Most powers in this category involve the alteration of the character’s body in some dramatic fashion.
Acid – The ability to project or secrete an acidic substance.
Adhere – The ability to project or exude a sticky-glue like substance.
Attach – The ability to remain in contact with a surface, such as a vertical wall or even upside down, without any additional help.
Camouflage – The character’s body becomes the same as the background they are standing in front of, rendering them invisible to the casual eye.
Claws – The character’s hands and/or feet actually act as claws that can cause major damage.
Duplicate Powers – This character can duplicate the powers of any other character.
Duplicate Self – This character can create duplicates of themselves.
Duplicate Skills – This character can ape the skills of any other character.
Energy Beam – The character is able to send out a destructive beam of energy.
Entangle – The character can trip a target up in some form of trap.
Explosion – The ability to generate an explosion either centered on the character’s body or externally placed.
Extra Appendage – The character has an extra arm, leg, or even a tail that acts as another arm or leg.
Flatten – This character can go from three-dimensional to two-dimensional and cause themselves to become paper thin.
Force Shield – The character has the ability to generate a shield of energy, sometimes this encircles the entire body, sometimes it is only a partial shield.
Growth – This character can grow to great heights keeping their weight and mass proportional, while they become an easier target they also possess great strength.
Immunity – There are a great deal of Immunity powers, such as Immunity from Heat/Fire or Immunity from Cold, these powers protect the character from the specific condition specified. Characters can be Immune to any condition that may cause harm.
Increase Density – This character can increase their mass.
Invisibility – This character can turn completely transparent and undetectable to the senses, usually sight is the sense effected.
Invulnerability – This character is practically impervious to damage.
Phasing – The character can walk through solid objects such as walls without damaging the wall or suffering any harm.
Pheromones – This character gives off pheromones that arouse those attracted to the character, these characters become instant allies.
Poisonous – This character exudes a poison/toxic substance which will cause considerable damage should someone not be protected.
Projectiles – This character can fire projectiles from their body, such as spines.
Reflection – This character possesses an intrinsic field that reflects incoming attacks and sends them outward again, usually at their originating target.
Regeneration – This character heals from damage much quicker than normal healing will afford.
Shape Changing – This character can change the shape of their entire body or just a part of their body, usually this is done to turn into animals, but some characters can become inanimate objects like couches.
Shrinking – This character can reduce their height and mass to the point of becoming microscopic and even beyond.
Skin Armor – This character can cover their body in a sheath (usually metal, but sometimes wood) that offers protection against attacks.
Sun is Life – This character absorbs solar energy to live.
Super Breath – This character can inhale and take in a great volume of air or can exhale with such force to knock over objects and enemies.
Super Speed – This character moves a great deal quicker than a regular character.
Survival – This character can survive the hostile environment of outer space without need of protection or an air supply.
COSMIC
Continuum Mastery – This character can control the natural course of events and make alterations to their benefit.
Disintegration – This character can reduce an object’s atoms down to nothingness in an instant so that no trace is found again.
Force Control – This character taps into the energies of the universe in order to manipulate that energy into solid objects.
Increase the Speed of Time – This character can increase the rate an object ages.
Time Travel – This character can move along the time stream freely.
ELEMENTAL
Absorption – This character can absorb energy attacks, specific to the type of energy such as Electricity or Fire.
Air Control – This character can control a certain amount of air to cause wind gusts, gales, or tornadoes.
Darkness – The character controls the ability to generate fields of darkness rendering normal vision useless.
Earth Control – This character is able to control a certain volume of earth, rock, mud, etc.., at a time.
Elemental Form – This character can touch any object and then they become a living creature made of that object, such as wood, iron, or rubber.
Fire Blast – The character can send out a blast of flame.
Fire Breath – The character can exhale a stream of fire from their mouth.
Fire Control – This character can control a certain volume of flame.
Fire Sheath – The character can command their body to be engulfed in flames and remain unharmed.
Fireworks – This character can create explosions like fireworks.
Fog Bank – The character can create a dense fog obscuring vision.
Glow – The character possesses an aura that glows gently providing light to the surrounding area, and also informing enemies of their location.
Gravity Control – This character can either increase or decrease gravity’s pull on an object.
Ice Blast – The character can send out a ray of ice, sometimes this is pictured as icicles, snowballs, or just a freeze ray.
Ice Control – The character can control a certain amount of ice.
Ice Sheath – The character can cover their body with a layer of ice acting as armor.
Light Blast – The character can unleash a sudden blast of light causing those unshielded to be blinded.
Lightning – The character can send out a blast of electrical energy.
Magnetic Control – The character can control magnetic waves, attracting and repelling objects.
Sonic Blast – The character can expel an ear piercing scream either in a direct line or in a circle surrounding the character.
Stretching – The character’s body become elastic and can reach farther than normal and becomes harder to damage via punctures.
Thunder – The character controls a slow, low rumbling sound to a sudden ear-splitting roar.
Vibrations – The character creates vibrations through the air to cause items to crumble or shatter.
Weather Control – The character can control the weather and all things that come with it.
MAGICAL
Animate Dead – The ability to raise undead minions.
Animate Elements – The ability to create minions out of the major elements earth, fire, water, and air.
Animate Image – The ability to cause images to come to life and act under your direction.
Animate Objects – The ability to imbue a sense of life to inanimate objects.
Aware – The ability to be aware of what is going on in the mystic and/or physical realms.
Enchant – The ability to increase another character’s powers and abilities temporarily.
Exorcism – The ability to cast out hostile spirits and the powers of the infernal realms.
Fixed – The ability to remain attached to the earth regardless of the forces against you.
Magic Blast – The ability to project a blast of magical energy at a target.
Magic Field – The ability to project a field of magical energy around you for protection.
Magical Ability – This allows a character to use any power on this list but with a magical bent, such as while Fire Breath is not in the mystic list, the Demon Etrigan breathes fire.
Probability Control – The ability to control luck to cause hexes or boons as needed.
Sorcery – The ability to cast spells. Usually spell casting will duplicate almost any other power possible.
Stasis Field – The ability to freeze others using magical energy.
Transformation – The ability to change one object into another.
Transmutation – The ability to change one element into another.
Vampirism – The ability to drain a character’s life force.
Voodoo – The ability to create dolls of your foes to use against them later.
MENTAL
Attune Object – This character can “tune in” to a specific object and locate it.
Broadcast Empath – A character that can make others feel emotions to debilitating effects, such as rage, sorrow, or elation.
Comprehend Languages – This character can absorb and understand a language they have never heard before and be fluent instantaneously.
Control – The character can exert mental control over another and get that other character to do their bidding.
Detect – A character with Detect can discover the location or absence of whatever they are trying to detect. Be it, good/evil, a type of energy, or if someone lies.
Empathy – This character can sense the mood of a person or crowd.
Fear – This character can mentally scan an opponent and bring forth their fears in a personal illusion as a mental attack.
Healing – This character can mentally heal wounds and then take on some of the damage themselves.
Hypnosis – This character can mesmerize another character and sway them to their bidding.
Illusions – This character can create amazingly realistic illusions including elements of sight, sound, & smell.
Immobilize – This character can freeze another character using only their mind.
Instant Recall – This character has a “photographic” memory and remembers any factoid or image it has viewed.
Iron Will – This character is a master at resisting mental control powers.;
Mental Blast – A bolt of force that goes from one character’s mind to another to do damage.
Mind Erase – A telepathic erasing of a character’s memories.
Mind Probe – A telepathic intrusion on an unwilling target.
Mind Shield – A barrier around a telepath’s brain to protect from mental assaults.
Possession – This character can enter another person’s body and control them completely.
Postcognition – This character can sense where an object has been in the past.
Power Block – This power allows a telepath to temporarily prevent a character from using their powers.
Precognition – This character can view glimpses of the future.
- Battle Precognition – This specialized type of precognition allows the precog to view an opponent’s moves before they make them.
Psionic Shield – A mental shield that protects the telepath’s physical form.
Pyrotechnics – Using their minds, a pyrotechnic causes objects to catch on fire without any obvious flame going from the user of the power to the target.
Radio Waves – This character can listen in on, transmit, and project radio waves from their person.
Scrying – This character can view another area far away from themselves.
Sensory Block – This character can block all others from sensing the area they are in.
Super Ventriloquism – This character can throw their voices perfectly.
Suspended Animation – This character can enter a suspended animation state where they rest and heal.
Telekinesis – The ability to move objects with your mind.
Telepathy – The ability to speak to another character using only your mind.
NATURE
Animal Abilities – The character can take on the abilities of an animal, proportional to their humanoid form. Such as: If a character was to mimic the abilities of an Eagle, they could fly and see at great distances. If they were to take on the abilities of an elephant, they would gain a modicum of protection from damage via the skin armor and enhanced strength.
Animal Sight – The character has the ability to view what a specific animal is viewing.
Command Animals – This character gives direct orders to animals and the animals will obey.
Command Plants – This character gives direct orders to plants and the plants will obey.
Control Plant Growth – This character can control the rate that a plant grows.
Fight or Flight – This character has a sense of when danger is going to strike before it strikes, making the character difficult to surprise.
Speak with Animals – This character can communicate with animal life.
Speak with Plants – This character can commune with plants for information.
Summon Animals – This character can summon a specific animal or a group of non-specific animals to aid them in times of need or to serve as transportation.
SENSING
Dark Vision – This character can see in the dark as if it were a bright day.
Directional Hearing – This character can find where a sound originates.
Extended Hearing – This character can hear objects far beyond a normal human’s limits.
Heat Vision – This character can send out a beam of destructive energy from their eyes.
Hypersensitive Touch – This character can form intensely accurate and detailed visual pictures in their head from what their fingers touch.
Infra-Red Vision – This character can detect heat signatures in complete darkness.
Microscopic Vision – This character can see things on an atomic level.
Radar Vision – This character does not “see” in the traditional sense, but sends out waves that bounce back to them so that they have vision like that of a bat.
Super Hearing – This character can hear sounds outside of the normal decibel range of hearing.
Telescopic Vision – This character can see at great distances.
360 Degree Vision – This character can see all around them and has no blind spot.
Tracker’s Scent – The character is able to detect odors and then follow that odor to its source.
True Vision – This character can see through illusions and other visual tricks.
X-Ray Vision – This character can see through objects, typically this does not work against objects behind lead barriers.
TRANSPORTATION
Digging – The character can pass through Earth as easily and as quickly as they pass through the air.
Flight – The character can fly through the air by breaking the bonds of gravity.
Gliding – The character can glide through the air on active air currents.
Jumping – The character can jump/leap at a fantastic height and rate.
Running – The character can run at an accelerated rate.
Swimming – The character can swim as fast as they operate on land, if not quicker.
Teleportation – The character can disappear in one place and then reappear in another instantaneously.
Traverse Dimensions – The ability to move from one dimension to another instantaneously.
Walk On Air – The character walks on air as if it were solid ground.
Warp – This character can open a rift in space and follow it through to the other side to another place.
Water Movement – This character moves as easily in water as we do in air.
SKILLS
The difference between a power and a skill is a skill is anything that a normal human could do with enough time and training. No matter how many times you squint your eyes, you will not be able to see through your hand to view the bones and blood vessels underneath, but with enough training you certainly could become adept at investigation work or scientific pursuits.
- Animals – A character able to work and train with animals.
- Artistry – A character who is an apt performer in the fine arts, be it acting, dancing, painting, etc..,
- Athletics – This character is a natural athlete and has trained very hard to stay at a level able to compete in the Olympics.
- Charismatic – This character has a presence that garners attention from others.
Very few characters in the DCU can match Batman for detective skills and charisma.
- Connected – This character has some pull in a certain arena, be it highly respected in their work life, a social group, etc.., They are able to pull favors as needed with only slight requests.
- Detective – This character is adept at discovering clues, following clues to leads and putting the pieces together to a successful conclusion.
- Inventor – This character is able to build items to use in their crime fighting career.
- Martial Artist – This character has been trained in at least one form of unarmed combat.
Without a doubt the Black Canary is one of the foremost martial artists of the DCU, even Batman acknowledges this fact and she also rides a mean motorcycle.
- Medicine – This character is skilled in the medical arts.
- Military Training – This character has served with the military and/or has received military training.
- Occultist – This character is familiar with the occult, arcane lore and objects.
- Scholar – This character is at least a Masters to PhD in a given field(s) of study.
- Scientist – This character is gifted in the pursuit of science.
- Spy – This character is extremely familiar with espionage and subterfuge techniques.
It takes a superb spy to hide amongst their compatriots, like Mockingbird in the Secret Six.
- Survival – This character is able to survive in the harshest of environments without the comforts of home. The can find the necessities: food, water, and shelter when needed.
- Thief – This character is able to slip past security, break into the safest places, and escape unnoticed.
If anyone is a thief in the DCU, it is Catwoman. She is also a weapons master with a whip.
- Vehicles – This character is a skilled driver of the vehicle of choice.
- Weapons – This character is gifted with at least one type of weapon.
