• 150 abilities
  • Checked October 2026

Power Ideas for OCs

Press the button for five abilities, each with its limit and how to show it in a drawing.

Power Ideas for OCs

All 150
  1. Becomes any beast they have touchedLimit: keeps one trait each time. Show it: a person with whiskers, a tail and one feathered ear.
  2. Turns up whatever a stranger has mislaidLimit: never their own keys. Show it: pockets full of single gloves.
  3. Stops a storm by taking it indoorsLimit: it rains on them inside for a week. Show it: a private cloud over a bed.
  4. Knows which floorboard is loose before stepping on itLimit: floors only. Show it: one board outlined, a foot stretched over it.
  5. Calls a breeze by whistlingLimit: the tune sets the direction and they know two tunes. Show it: grass bent one way.

Next step Deal the past that explains itDesign who has this ability

All 150 abilities

Body and movement 25

  • Balances on anything, however thin Limit: only while looking straight ahead. Show it: one foot on a washing line, eyes level.
  • Carries a load a cart horse would refuse Limit: only on the back, never in the arms. Show it: a piano strapped on like a backpack.
  • Climbs any surface that four bare fingers can touch Limit: gloves stop it. Show it: fingertips flat on glass, boots dangling.
  • Drops any distance and touches down like a cat Limit: has to land on both feet. Show it: a deep crouch and dust that does not rise.
  • Fits through any opening a cat's whiskers would clear Limit: must breathe out first and hold it. Show it: shoulders folded, halfway through a fence.
  • Folds flat as paper and slides under doors Limit: a draft can blow them about. Show it: a thin side-on figure with curling edges.
  • Grows a hand's width taller when angry Limit: shrinks back at the first laugh. Show it: cuffs riding up the wrists.
  • Has a grip nothing can pull open Limit: cannot let go until they sneeze. Show it: white knuckles around a rope, others tugging.
  • Hits any target they name before throwing Limit: a silent throw misses. Show it: a speech bubble and a curved line to the target.
  • Holds as still as a statue for hours Limit: cannot blink while doing it. Show it: a bird perched on the shoulder.
  • Hovers while humming one steady note Limit: drops when the note breaks. Show it: toes pointed down, mouth in a small O.
  • Jogs from dawn to dusk without tiring Limit: sleeps for as long as they ran. Show it: worn-through soles and a calm face.
  • Keeps their footing on ice, oil and wet tile Limit: trips on dry flat ground like anyone. Show it: upright in a crowd that is mid-slip.
  • Leaps exactly as far as they can see Limit: fog shortens it. Show it: a long dotted arc toward the horizon.
  • Lengthens one arm until it reaches across a room Limit: the other arm shortens to match. Show it: one long reach, one sleeve hanging empty.
  • Moves in total silence Limit: their voice is twice as loud to make up for it. Show it: no motion lines, one huge speech bubble.
  • Plucks any flying object out of the air Limit: the catching hand goes numb for a while. Show it: one arm limp, one hand full.
  • Runs along walls for as long as one breath lasts Limit: one breath. Show it: body sideways to the floor, hair hanging toward the real ground.
  • Sees their own next step lit up on the ground Limit: one step ahead, no more. Show it: a single glowing footprint in front of the lead foot.
  • Shakes their clothes bone dry with one shrug Limit: the water lands on whoever stands nearest. Show it: a dry coat, a ring of drops flying outward.
  • Skates across any flat floor in ordinary shoes Limit: cannot stop quickly. Show it: a spray of sparks behind the heels.
  • Swims as fast as they run Limit: only in fresh water. Show it: a wake like a boat's behind one swimmer.
  • Tucks up tight and bounces like a rubber ball Limit: cannot steer once rolling. Show it: three ghosted positions down a staircase.
  • Turns a fall into a glide with a coat or a cape Limit: needs a long drop to start. Show it: the coat spread flat like a kite.
  • Walks on their hands as easily as on their feet Limit: everything falls out of their pockets. Show it: coins and keys raining past the face.

Elements and weather 25

  • Bends a short rainbow between two fingers Limit: needs both sun and water. Show it: a small arc of color over a wet hand.
  • Borrows the color of the sky Limit: turns gray on dull days. Show it: hair and coat shading from blue to sunset orange.
  • Calls a breeze by whistling Limit: the tune sets the direction and they know two tunes. Show it: grass bent one way.
  • Carries a flame in a cupped palm without a burn Limit: it goes out if the hand closes. Show it: light on the face from below.
  • Draws the heat out of whatever they hold Limit: the heat goes to their ears. Show it: a frosted cup, two glowing red ears.
  • Flattens choppy water in a circle about their boat Limit: the circle is as wide as their voice carries. Show it: flat water ringed by chop.
  • Freezes water by blowing on it Limit: it takes one long breath. Show it: frost ferns spreading from pursed lips.
  • Grows moss wherever they sleep Limit: cannot choose not to. Show it: a green outline of a sleeper on a stone floor.
  • Is followed by flower heads the way the sun is Limit: weeds too. Show it: every stem in the picture bent one way.
  • Keeps a gust of wind in a jar Limit: one gust a jar, and the jars rattle. Show it: a belt of jars with the lids strapped down.
  • Makes it rain over a space the size of a table Limit: has to stand under it. Show it: one small cloud, one soaked character.
  • Makes stone as soft as clay for a moment Limit: only what one palm covers. Show it: a handprint pressed into a wall.
  • Parts fog like a curtain Limit: it closes again behind them. Show it: a clear tunnel one person wide.
  • Persuades a stream to change course a little Limit: the stream wants a favor back. Show it: kneeling on the bank, one hand in the water.
  • Pulls a rope of water up out of a river Limit: it falls when they look away. Show it: a twisting column with a fish in it.
  • Raises a wall of sand Limit: only where sand already lies. Show it: a curved wave of grains, each one a dot.
  • Raises steam from any water Limit: cannot see through it either. Show it: a white cloud with two feet under it.
  • Sculpts snowdrifts from a distance, hands in pockets Limit: it melts at the usual speed. Show it: a snow figure half built, nobody near it.
  • Sets a wick burning with a glance Limit: cannot put them out the same way. Show it: a row of wicks, flames leaning toward the eyes.
  • Sinks into the earth to the knees and cannot be shoved Limit: has to dig out afterward. Show it: cracked ground around both shins.
  • Stores the charge of one lightning strike Limit: it leaks into any metal they touch. Show it: hair on end, sparks at a door handle.
  • Strikes sparks by snapping their fingers Limit: wet hands do nothing. Show it: a star-shaped flash at the fingertips.
  • Turns puddles into windows on the sky elsewhere Limit: only skies they have stood under. Show it: stars in a daytime puddle.
  • Wakes embers that look dead Limit: cannot start a fire from nothing. Show it: gray ash with one orange line running through it.
  • Warms a room just by being in it Limit: gets colder themselves. Show it: everyone else in shirtsleeves, the character in a scarf.

Mind and senses 25

  • Can sketch from memory anyone they have passed in the street Limit: never the names. Show it: a wall of sketched faces with blank labels.
  • Counts anything at a glance Limit: cannot stop counting. Show it: tiny numbers over a flock of birds.
  • Draws a perfect plan of any room after one look Limit: the ink fades by morning. Show it: a floor plan with the pen still wet.
  • Dreams of places before visiting them Limit: the dream leaves out the people. Show it: an empty street in a notebook, the same street busy behind.
  • Feels a stare as a tap on the shoulder Limit: cannot tell a friendly stare from another. Show it: a head turning, a small star on the shoulder.
  • Feels the mood of a crowd like weather Limit: cannot pick out one person. Show it: one small cloud or sun over a whole audience.
  • Hears a heartbeat from across a room Limit: their own drowns it out when nervous. Show it: small ripples around another figure's chest.
  • Hears the last thing said in an empty room Limit: one sentence only. Show it: an ear to the wall, faint letters in the air.
  • Hears their own name spoken anywhere in town Limit: not what was said next. Show it: tiny speech marks drifting in from the page edges.
  • Knows how long any job will take Limit: knowing does not make it quicker. Show it: small clock faces floating over a list.
  • Knows the next word anyone is about to say Limit: has to say it out loud. Show it: two speech bubbles sharing one tail.
  • Knows the way back to anywhere they have slept Limit: nowhere else. Show it: a faint thread from the chest trailing off the page.
  • Knows what an object was last used for by holding it Limit: only the last use. Show it: a key in the palm, a small door in a thought bubble.
  • Listens through a wall by pressing a palm to it Limit: one wall thick. Show it: a hand flat on plaster, sound rings around it.
  • Names the ingredient a dish lacks Limit: only after tasting it. Show it: a spoon at the lips, one jar glowing on the shelf.
  • Reads a book by holding it shut Limit: forgets the ending. Show it: both palms on a closed cover, eyes shut.
  • Reads scrambled letters as if they were in order Limit: reads ordinary print slowly. Show it: a jumbled sign, a clear thought bubble.
  • Sees a faint thread between people who look out for each other Limit: cannot see their own. Show it: thin gold lines across a crowd.
  • Sees the path a thrown ball will take Limit: only once it has left the hand. Show it: a dotted arc ahead of the ball.
  • Sees warm things glow after dark Limit: daylight dazzles them. Show it: a dark scene with orange figures, the character in tinted glasses.
  • Smells whether someone nearby is afraid Limit: a cold blocks it. Show it: nose lifted, a thin wavy line from another figure.
  • Speaks a language for one day after hearing it sung Limit: gone by the next sunrise. Show it: music notes turning into letters.
  • Tells the real one from the copy at a touch Limit: gloves ruin it. Show it: two identical vases, a fingertip on each.
  • Thinks twice as fast while upside down Limit: only then. Show it: hanging by the knees from a branch over a chessboard.
  • Understands animals but cannot answer them Limit: listening only. Show it: a bird in full chatter, the character taking notes.

Time, place and luck 25

  • Ages a thing by touching it: iron rusts, bread goes stale Limit: cannot make it new again. Show it: a new key rusting from the top down.
  • Always loses the toss, and the loss always helps someone else Limit: it never helps them. Show it: a coin on its losing side, a friend cheering.
  • Arrives exactly on time, always Limit: never early. Show it: a clock striking as one foot crosses the threshold.
  • Bottles one hour of each day for later Limit: bottled hours go flat in a week. Show it: a shelf of corked bottles glowing faintly.
  • Finds a coin whenever they need exactly one Limit: never two. Show it: one coin shining between paving stones.
  • Folds a map to bring two towns together Limit: the fold must follow an old crease. Show it: a creased map, two towns touching, one stride between.
  • Gets a second try at one moment each day Limit: must do it differently. Show it: two overlapping poses, one faded.
  • Is found only by those who have stopped searching for them Limit: friends who search walk straight past. Show it: a figure waving in a crowd, a searcher facing the other way.
  • Is never standing where bad luck lands Limit: someone nearby is. Show it: a smashed flowerpot beside a calm walker.
  • Keeps a pocket that opens onto a shelf at home Limit: only what fits through the pocket. Show it: an arm in a coat pocket up to the shoulder.
  • Knows which of two choices is the luckier Limit: not why, and not for whom. Show it: two doors, one with a faint glow around the frame.
  • Makes whatever they drop land upright Limit: toast still lands butter side down. Show it: a pencil standing on its point.
  • Meets the person they need at every crossroads Limit: and the one they are avoiding. Show it: a signpost, two figures on different roads.
  • Pauses one falling object in the air Limit: one at a time, and only while pointing. Show it: a cup hanging under a fingertip.
  • Reaches any place by a route nobody else knows Limit: it takes as long as the usual way. Show it: an alley opening where the map shows a wall.
  • Returns to the starting point by walking straight ahead Limit: works only on islands. Show it: footprints leaving one way and arriving from the other.
  • Rolls whatever number they call Limit: only with borrowed dice. Show it: dice in mid-air showing the called faces.
  • Sends a note to themselves one hour back Limit: seven words. Show it: a slip of paper appearing in a coat pocket.
  • Shortens any road by walking it backward Limit: cannot see where they are going. Show it: heels leading, milestones flicking past.
  • Slows falling rain, leaves or snow to a drift Limit: within arm's reach only. Show it: drops hanging around the body like beads.
  • Steps back three paces in time Limit: three of their own paces, no more. Show it: three faded footprints and a ghost of themselves.
  • Stretches a minute into five for themselves Limit: gets five minutes hungrier. Show it: everyone else blurred, the character sharp and eating.
  • Trades positions with their own mirror image Limit: the image gets a turn outside in return. Show it: a mirror showing the character's back.
  • Turns any doorknob and steps back into the room they were in before Limit: one way only. Show it: a doorway showing a different floor and a different light.
  • Turns up whatever a stranger has mislaid Limit: never their own keys. Show it: pockets full of single gloves.

Small and odd 25

  • Always has the right tiny thing: a pin, a string, a button Limit: nothing bigger than a thumb. Show it: an open palm of small objects.
  • Bakes a loaf that stays warm for a week Limit: one loaf a day. Show it: a steaming loaf inside a backpack.
  • Calls pigeons by name and they come Limit: pigeons only, and they expect crumbs. Show it: hat, shoulders and arms full of birds.
  • Changes eye color with the day of the week Limit: cannot choose which. Show it: seven small eye swatches down the margin.
  • Finds the wanted page of any book in one go Limit: only books they dislike. Show it: a thumb in a thick book, one eyebrow up.
  • Folds a ladder or a chair flat enough for a pocket Limit: it creases. Show it: a chair with fold lines like a letter.
  • Gets directions from their own shoes Limit: the left and the right disagree. Show it: toes pointing two ways at a fork in the road.
  • Gives off a faint light while telling the truth Limit: a fib shows as a dull patch. Show it: a soft outline that dims mid-sentence.
  • Grows a flower from every button they sew on Limit: the flowers need watering. Show it: a coat with daisies down the front.
  • Hiccups in colors Limit: cannot stop on purpose. Show it: small colored puffs rising from behind a hand.
  • Hums a full chord all by themselves Limit: dogs gather. Show it: three lines of music from one mouth and a ring of dogs.
  • Keeps a cup of tea at the perfect warmth Limit: one cup at a time. Show it: steam in a neat spiral that never fades.
  • Knows which floorboard is loose before stepping on it Limit: floors only. Show it: one board outlined, a foot stretched over it.
  • Lifts any label away whole, with no scraps left Limit: only stickers. Show it: a whole label lifting cleanly, a proud thumbnail under it.
  • Lights the nearest lamp with a sneeze Limit: the next sneeze puts it out. Show it: a hand under the nose, a lamp just lit.
  • Loosens any knot by humming at it Limit: their own shoelaces tangle as it happens. Show it: a neat coil of rope, laces in a snarl.
  • Makes a teapot, a boot or a hat seem to talk Limit: their lips still move. Show it: a speech bubble with its tail on a teapot.
  • Makes any hat fit Limit: the hat keeps its new size. Show it: a tiny crown or a huge helmet sitting perfectly.
  • Makes soap bubbles as tough as glass Limit: someone has to collect them. Show it: a net bag of bubbles over one shoulder.
  • Never casts the same shadow twice Limit: cannot choose the shape. Show it: an ordinary figure with an antlered shadow.
  • Never spills a drop Limit: only while not thinking about it. Show it: a tray at a wild tilt, every drink level.
  • Picks the ripest fruit in the bowl Limit: only after knocking on each one. Show it: knuckles on a melon, ear close.
  • Tells the hour by looking at a cat Limit: needs a cat. Show it: a cat whose eyes are two small clock faces.
  • Throws paper planes that always come back Limit: to the back of the head. Show it: a looped dotted path, a plane nose-first in the hair.
  • Turns anyone's handwriting neat by tapping the page Limit: their own turns to scribble. Show it: tidy script on one page, chaos on the next.

With a heavy cost 25

  • Becomes any beast they have touched Limit: keeps one trait each time. Show it: a person with whiskers, a tail and one feathered ear.
  • Borrows another person's skill for an hour Limit: the lender is without it for a week. Show it: a violinist staring at a silent bow.
  • Brings a dying garden back to green Limit: one lock of their hair turns white each time. Show it: full flower beds, one new white streak.
  • Calms any animal with a hand on its neck Limit: carries the animal's fright for the rest of the day. Show it: a quiet horse, a shaking hand.
  • Commands the tide for one night Limit: cannot go near the sea for a year after. Show it: boots pointed inland, a shell on a string.
  • Finds the flaw in any plan at a glance Limit: can no longer finish a plan of their own. Show it: a red circle on a blueprint, a desk of half-built models.
  • Flies, and lands a year older Limit: each flight costs a year. Show it: gray at the temples on a young face.
  • Gets one true answer from anyone asleep Limit: pays with a memory of their own. Show it: a photograph with one face gone blank.
  • Gives their own luck away to others Limit: it runs out for good. Show it: a jar of four-leaf clovers with three left.
  • Hears every thought in a room Limit: cannot shut it off, so lives far from town. Show it: a lone hut, earmuffs on a hook.
  • Keeps a memory safe for someone else Limit: gives up one of their own to make room. Show it: a locket with another person's picture.
  • Lifts anything, then cannot feel their hands until morning Limit: numb hands after every lift. Show it: a boulder overhead, mittens on.
  • Makes a passer-by's wish come true Limit: never their own, nor a friend's. Show it: a coin tossed to a passer-by, their own hands empty.
  • Makes anyone believe one sentence Limit: can never say that sentence again. Show it: a list of lines, each one crossed out.
  • Mends a cut by taking the scar themselves Limit: every scar stays. Show it: a clear arm on one figure, a new line on the mender's.
  • Runs faster than sound Limit: arrives having forgotten why they ran. Show it: a skid mark, a puzzled face, a note pinned to the sleeve.
  • Sees through any disguise Limit: can no longer enjoy a play or a magic trick. Show it: arms folded in a laughing audience.
  • Shields a whole street from harm Limit: cannot move while it holds, and it holds until dawn. Show it: arms out under a dome line.
  • Speaks once in a voice nobody can refuse Limit: then a year without speaking. Show it: a chalk slate on a neck cord.
  • Springs any padlock or bolt with a tap Limit: each time, one door of their own shuts for good. Show it: a ring of keys with one snapped off.
  • Stops a storm by taking it indoors Limit: it rains on them inside for a week. Show it: a private cloud over a bed.
  • Takes on another person's tiredness Limit: has to sleep it off for both. Show it: one figure bright, one asleep standing up.
  • Tells the future once, then forgets the day they told it Limit: a whole day gone each time. Show it: a diary with pages torn out.
  • Vanishes from sight, then cannot be heard for an equal stretch Limit: silent afterward for the same length of time. Show it: an empty speech bubble.
  • Walks through fire unharmed Limit: feels cold for a month after. Show it: wrapped in blankets beside a summer window.

How it works

These power ideas for OCs each come as three things: what the character can do, the limit that keeps it fair, and how to show it in a drawing. There are 150, made up for this page.

Read the full guide

Character ability ideas in six groups

The list under the button narrows the abilities to Body and movement, Elements and weather, Mind and senses, Time, place and luck, Small and odd, or With a heavy cost. Small and odd suits a side character; With a heavy cost suits a lead whose story turns on the price.

Read the limit first

The limit is where scenes come from. Climbing that gloves stop, a rain cloud you have to stand under, a map that folds only on an old crease: each says what can go wrong, and that is the picture to draw.

  • Change the limit before you change the power. A limit of your own makes the ability yours.

Questions and answers

What is a good power for an OC?

One with a limit you can draw. Hovers while humming one steady note gives more to draw than plain flight, because the note can break. Every ability here carries its limit for that reason.

Are these powers taken from comics, games or shows?

No. All 150 were written for this list in plain words, with no game rules: no damage numbers or levels. Old ideas such as flying or changing shape appear with a limit of our own.

Can I give one character two abilities?

Yes. Take two and keep both limits. A character who folds flat as paper and also makes it rain over a table already has a problem, and a problem is a story.

How do I show a power that cannot be seen?

Use the Show it part of the line. Mind and senses abilities are drawn through what surrounds the character: tiny numbers over a flock of birds, a faint thread trailing off the page, speech marks drifting in from the edges.

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