How can you recreate the Carrying Capacity of heavy-hitters in comics without loading them up with numerous counts of Heightened Strength and without causing super-strong characters to do disproportionately large amounts of damage?

Step 1
Calculate carrying capacity normally to determine how much the character can easily lift in combat, including brawling attacks. Calculate HTH damage normally.

Use the standard V&V formula at this point.

[(S/10 x S/10 x S/10)+ E/10] x 1/2 Weight = Carrying Capacity.

Character Weight: 200 lbs.
S = 10, E = 10, CC = 200 lbs.
S = 20, E = 10, CC = 900 lbs.
S = 30, E = 10, CC = 2,800 lbs.
S = 40, E = 10, CC = 6,500 lbs.
S = 50, E = 10, CC = 12,600 lbs.
S = 90, E = 10, CC = 73,000 lbs.

Step 2
To more closely represent characters in Marvel Comics (especially since 1980), include a fourth S/10 when multiplying how much the character can lift/press with both hands and when exerting extra effort (requires one action per turn, PR = 1 per turn). This option has little effect on average-Strength characters but offers exponentially high results for those with Heightened Strength.

Here’s the optional formula.
[(S/10 x S/10 x S/10 x S/10) + E/10] x 1/2 Weight = Carrying Capacity.

Character Weight: 200 lbs.
S = 10, E = 10, CC = 200 lbs.
S = 20, E = 10, CC = 1,700 lbs.
S = 30, E = 10, CC = 8,200 lbs.
S = 40, E = 10, CC = 25,700 lbs.
S = 50, E = 10, CC = 62,600 lbs.
S = 90, E = 10, CC = 656,200 lbs.

Step 2 on Steroids
To emulate the exceptionally stronger characters from DC, add a fifth S/10 to the formula (with the same action and PR requirements from above).

Here’s the enhanced optional formula.
[(S/10 x S/10 x S/10 x S/10 x S/10) + E/10] x 1/2 Weight = Carrying Capacity.

Character Weight: 200 lbs.
S = 10, E = 10, CC = 200 lbs.
S = 20, E = 10, CC = 3,300 lbs.
S = 30, E = 10, CC = 24,400 lbs.
S = 40, E = 10, CC = 102,500 lbs.
S = 50, E = 10, CC = 312,600 lbs.
S = 90, E = 10, CC = 5,905,000 lbs.

Sounds nice and simple. Have you play tested to see how it works in gameplay?

Cool idea, though without the HP modifier of the weight/STR, your MegaMan, might not be able to withstand his own punch...

Definitely something to think about.

Hammer wrote on Oct 19^th, 2009 at 3:18pm:


I've always liked one mechanic of the Mutants and Master Minds game. You can buy Super Strength. Super Strength gives you extra carrying cap/lifting, but it doesn't allow you to do any additional HTH damage.

polarboy wrote on May 26^th, 2010 at 8:39pm:


This is a pretty simple formula that makes logical sense.  As long as people have a calculator handy, it's easy enough to do.

I'm pretty sure we've got some rules that spell out some movement minuses depending on how encumbered one is as well (I think it's part of a magazine article that dealt with a number of things like this), but I'm going to have to double-check to make sure.