Superheroic d20 Characters

This paper is a brief primer in how d20 (D&D 3rd Edition) statistics can be used to describe wildly inhuman abilities, such as would be seen in comic-book type superheroes or, presumably, deity-level entities.

Superheroic Abilities in d20 Terms

Fortunately, the D&D Player's Handbook provides an excellent starting place on p. 142 with Table 9-1, "Carrying Capacity", which shows a geometrically increasing maximum load as the Strength ability increases (the text notes that maximum load is the same as maximum dead-lift, the amount a character can lift over his or her head). Each +10 Strength connotes a x4 increase in maximum load; so, each +5 Strength indicates a x2 increase in max. load; and for a perfectly smooth interpolation, each +1 Strength means a x1.1487 increase in max. load. Note that this progression breaks down at the lowest level; if it were perfectly consistent, the max. loads at the bottom end would be something like Str 0 = 25 lb./ Str 1 = 30 lb./ Str 2 = 35 lb./ Str 3 = 40 lb./ Str 4 = 45 lb. (as opposed to Str x10 lb. as it officially stands). Further note that the actual carrying capacity is also proportional to a creature's size, according to the text; for example, a Colossal creature can lift x16 the weight that a man-sized creature with the exact same Strength ability score could.

Conversion from Marvel Super Heroes to D&D

The abbreviated table for d20 Strength below includes the Marvel Super Heroes game rank indicated for each approximate block of Strength scores. (Keep in mind that very large creatures listed with a certain lift capacity will in reality have a lower actual Strength score, as noted above.) Using this as a basis allows us to convert any of the Marvel Super Heroes abilities into approximate D&D-style statistics. It seems sensible to convert MSH abilities in the following way: Fighting = Base Attack Bonus (according to "modifier" on the table below); Strength = Strength; Agility = Dexterity; Endurance = Constitution; Reason = Intelligence; Intuition = Wisdom; and Psyche = Charisma. The notable systemic changes in this regard would be that in MSH, Agility is the basis for ranged attacks (in D&D, BAB modified by Dex), and Intuition provides the modifier to initiative rolls (in D&D, it's Dex, not Wis).

(Note also that the chart below has had some smoothing performed on it, since the official MSH strength categories are quite irregular. By the book, the categories would convert to the following Strength values: Feeble:5, Poor:10, Typical:15, Good:20, Excellent:25, Remarkable:32, Incredible:48, Amazing:60, Monstrous:63, Unearthly:65.)

Superheroic characters, of course, will also have a variety of Special Abilities as listed in the D&D Dungeon Master's Guide p. 71-83. Of particular note will be things like rays, regeneration, resistance to energy, cold and fire, incorporeality, invisibility, and so forth. Damage reduction ("body armor" in the MSH system) should be analyzed with an eye toward being able to protect against a blow with a Strength modifier of the same rank (as shown below). Most MSH-style magicians will be Sorcerers in the D&D system.

D&D Tremendous Strength
StrengthModifierDead Lift/Max. LoadSmooth MethodTons
1-510290
2-420330
3-430380
4-340440
5-350500
6-260570
7-270660
8-180760
9-190870
1001001000
1101151150
12+11301320
13+11501520
14+21751740
15+22002000
16+32302300
17+32602640
18+43003030
19+43503480
20+54004000
21+54604590
22+65205280
23+66006060
24+77006960
25+78008000
26+89209190
27+81,0401,0561
28+91,2001,2131
29+91,4001,3931
30+101,6001,6001
31+101,8401,8381
32+112,0802,1111
33+112,4002,4251
34+122,8002,7861
35+123,2003,2002
36+133,6803,6762
37+134,1604,2232
38+144,8004,8502
39+145,6005,5723
40+156,4006,4003
41+157,3607,3524
42+168,3208,4454
43+169,6009,7015
44+1711,20011,1446
45+1712,80012,8016
46+1814,72014,7047
47+1816,64016,8918
48+1919,20019,40210
49+1922,40022,28711
50+2025,60025,60113
51+2029,44029,40815
52+2133,28033,78117
53+2138,40038,80519
54+2244,80044,57522
55+2251,20051,20326
56+2358,88058,81729
57+2366,56067,56334
58+2476,80077,61039
59+2489,60089,15145
60+25102,400102,40751
61+25117,760117,63559
62+26133,120135,12868
63+26153,600155,22178
64+27179,200178,30389
65+27204,800204,816102
66+28235,520235,272118
67+28266,240270,257135
68+29307,200310,445155
69+29358,400356,608178
70+30409,600409,635205
71+30471,040470,548235
72+31532,480540,518270
73+31614,400620,894310
74+32716,800713,220357
75+32819,200819,276410
76+33942,080941,103471
77+331,064,9601,081,045541
78+341,228,8001,241,796621
79+341,433,6001,426,451713
80+351,638,4001,638,564819
81+351,884,1601,882,219941
82+362,129,9202,162,1051,081
83+362,457,6002,483,6101,242
84+372,867,2002,852,9221,426
85+373,276,8003,277,1521,639
86+383,768,3203,764,4641,882
87+384,259,8404,324,2402,162
88+394,915,2004,967,2552,484
89+395,734,4005,705,8862,853
90+406,553,6006,554,3513,277
91+407,536,6407,528,9833,764
92+418,519,6808,648,5434,324
93+419,830,4009,934,5814,967
94+4211,468,80011,411,8535,706
95+4213,107,20013,108,7966,554
96+4315,073,28015,058,0737,529
97+4317,039,36017,297,2098,649
98+4419,660,80019,869,3049,935
99+4422,937,60022,823,86911,412
100+4526,214,40026,217,77913,109

Notes: This is as per D&D 3rd Edition PH p. 142 (Table 9-12). The smoothing method works for Strength 4 and up. Actual maximum load is proportional to creature size (PH142).

Appendix

View a rich-text version of this page here.
See my starting attempts at converting MSH characters here.
Download a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet of expanded Strength values here.
A free supers rules supplement from Nightshift Games is available here.