Karma powers are a feature present in The Sims 3 for PS3 and Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo 3DS, as well as The Sims 3: Pets for PS3 and Xbox 360, and Nintendo 3DS. They are a series of special powers that can be activated to cause specific effects on Sims, pets, or their surroundings. Most powers take effect instantly, but some powers last for a set duration.

The exact mechanics of how karma works differs between each game, but in all games karma powers are categorized as either "Good Karma" (those which have positive or beneficial effects) and "Bad Karma" (those which cause negative effects).

Overview

The Sims 3 (PS3/Xbox 360)

In The Sims 3 for PS3 and Xbox 360, some karma powers are available from the start, however others must be unlocked by completing specific challenges, at which point they become available for purchase in the Challenge Shop. Once purchased, the karma power will always be available for use.

One karma point is accrued for every wish a Sim fulfils. At midnight, the "Hour of Reckoning" occurs, in which between 9—15 karma points are awarded, and there is a small chance of a random karma power being cast on the household. The alignment of the power that is chosen is determined by the alignment of the powers the player has most recently used; if many good karma powers have been activated, then a bad karma power is likely to be selected, and vice-versa.

Each use of a karma power increases the chance of a subsequently-used power to backfire by 5%. When a backfire occurs, a bad karma power will be activated on the household, and the backfire chance is reset to 0.

Challenge Shop

The Challenge Shop offers a variety of rewards that can be purchased with Challenge Points, earned from completing Challenges. Some of these rewards relate to karma powers, and are listed below:

Icon	Name	Cost	Description	Notes
	Karma Boost	500 Challenge Points	Earn supplementary karma with each wish completed!	Earn 1 extra karma point for each completed wish.
	Supplementary Karma	500 Challenge Points	Earn more karma with each wish completed!	Earn 1 extra karma point for each completed wish.
	More Karma	500 Challenge Points	Earn supplementary karma with each wish completed!	Earn 1 extra karma point for each completed wish.
	Karma Power: Divine Intervention	300 Challenge Points	This divine power lets you turn a ghost back into a living Sim!	Must complete "I Double Dare Ya" challenge to unlock.
	Karma Power: Good Times	150 Challenge Points	This divine power lets you turn a ghost back into a living Sim!	Must complete "Happiness...It Stacks" challenge to unlock.
	Karma Power: Stroke of Genius	150 Challenge Points	The Good Times power removes all bad feelings from a Sim.	Must complete "Classy" challenge to unlock.
	Karma Power: Get Lucky	300 Challenge Points	For half a day, your Sim will be super lucky!	Must complete "You Never Forget Your First" challenge to unlock.
	Karma Power: Fire Storm	100 Challenge Points	Rain fire and gemstones from the skies!	Must complete "Fun for the Whole Family" challenge to unlock.
	Karma Power: Giant Jackpot	200 Challenge Points	Money doesn't grow on trees, but you can create it out of thin air with this power!	Must complete "Home Is Where the Simoleons Are" challenge to unlock.

The Sims 3: Pets (PS3/Xbox 360)

In The Sims 3: Pets for PS3 and Xbox 360, a similar karma system returns, including many of the same karma powers (though some have been renamed). Many new powers have been added, with some now affecting pets as well as human Sims. In this game, karma points are only accrued by completing wishes and solving mysteries. The "Hour of Reckoning" mechanic from the previous game is no longer present.

There is a karma meter that spans from -100 to +100; if the player spends more points than they hold, the meter will go into a negative balance, risking a backlash. When a backlash occurs, the karma spinner will determine the player's fate. If the spin lands on red, a bad karma power will be triggered to balance out the karma meter. The severity of the power that is triggered is determined by the negative balance of the meter; i.e. the lower the meter dips into the red, the worse the triggered power will be.

Challenge Rewards

All of the available karma powers are initially locked, and must be unlocked through purchasing Challenge Rewards using points accrued from completing Challenges. Unique to this game, the effect of specific karma powers can be enhanced by purchasing upgrades for them from the Challenge Reward shop.

The Challenge Rewards list is divided into 11 tiers. Each tier after the first is locked, requiring 3 rewards in a single tier to be purchased for the subsequent tier to unlock. The rewards offered are a mixture of karma powers, "karmic adjustments" that effect how karma is earned and how much can be stored, and "power upgrades" for specific karma powers to make them more effective. After purchasing an upgrade, the karma power icon in the karma power menu will alternate between blue and yellow.

The tiers and the respective rewards for each are listed below:

The Sims 3 (Wii)

The Sims 3 for Wii features karma powers, but does not feature the karma system seen in the PS3 and Xbox 360 games. There are no karma points, and powers are simply redeemed using lifetime happiness points to use on demand. After a Sim uses any karma power, they will receive a +50 "Wonderful" moodlet which lasts for 12 hours.

The Sims 3 (Nintendo DS)

The Sims 3 for Nintendo DS, karma powers must be unlocked by going to specific locations after obtaining a certain amount of lifetime happiness. 50,000 points is required to unlock all karma powers. There is no cost to cast a karma power, but some powers can only be used once per day, or even one-time only.

The Sims 3: Pets (Nintendo 3DS)

In The Sims 3: Pets for Nintendo 3DS, karma powers may be cast in exchange for Nintendo 3DS Play Coins (a system currency that is shared between games).

Powers

• The Sims 3 (PS3/Xbox 360)
• The Sims 3: Pets (PS3/Xbox 360)
• The Sims 3 (Wii)
• The Sims 3 (Nintendo DS)
• The Sims 3: Pets (Nintendo 3DS)

Icon	Karma Power	Alignment	Description	Cost
	Instant Beauty	Good	Give any Sim in your household an instant makeover by taking him or her back to Create a Sim!	10 Karma Points
	Good Times	Good	Remove bad moodlets from everyone at the same time to put all your Sims in a better mood![note 1]	30 Karma Points
	Bless the Mess	Good	Instantly repair and clean anything broken, dirty or messy!	35 Karma Points
	Super Satisfy	Good	Satisfy any Sim by maximizing all of his or her needs at once!	40 Karma Points
	Stroke of Genius	Good	Make any Sim learn skills at a super-accelerated rate for a few hours!	40 Karma Points
	Get Lucky	Good	Make any Sim super lucky in love, at work, at finding rare items and even catching fish!	50 Karma Points
	Giant Jackpot	Good	Let any Sim hit the jackpot with free money from the heavens! Drop anywhere between §1000 and §15,000 instantly!	60 Karma Points
	Divine Intervention	Good	Bring any dead family member back to life! Use on their ghost.	75 Karma Points
	Cosmic Curse	Bad	Lower any Sim's needs to rock bottom instantly!	5 Karma Points
	Fire Storm	Bad	Rain fire and brimstone down on the world with a flaming meteorite shower!	15 Karma Points
	Quake Maker	Bad	Shake the world and watch things break and burn!	20 Karma Points
	Poltergeists	Bad	Haunt any house with these angry ghosts to scare the living daylights out of your Sims!	20 Karma Points
	Epic Fail	Bad	Make any Sim an epic failure in love, career, and even in simple household tasks for a few hours!	25 Karma Points

Icon	Karma Power	Alignment	Description	Cost
	A Little Sunshine	Good	Fill all of a Sim's needs bars a small amount. They can keep doing what they're doing a little longer!	10 Karma Points
	Instant Beauty	Good	Give one of your Sims or pets a makeover in Create a Sim or Create a Pet!	20 Karma Points
	Good Times	Good	Good Times are sure to be had when you remove everyone's bad moodlets! It's a great way to guarantee your party is a great success, or to help overworked Sims recover for some weekend fun![note 1]	30 Karma Points
	Lucky Break	Good	Sims blessed with this power will experience a Lucky Break at every chance they get. Send them to work or school and they are bound to have things go their way. Opportunities will also fall into their lap, and pay out exorbitant rewards!	30 Karma Points
	Lucky Find	Good	Sims who look will often find, but Sims blessed with this power will find even better! Try looking for your favourite collectibles, catching fish, digging, or exploring places such as the mausoleum and the lighthouse!	30 Karma Points
	Bless The Mess	Good	Instantly repair and clean anything broken, dirty or messy!	35 Karma Points
	Super Satisfy	Good	Satisfy any Sim by maximizing all of his or her needs at once!	40 Karma Points
	Stroke of Genius	Good	Give Sims a Stroke of Genius to greatly increase their learning speed. Not only will Sims learn skills faster, dogs and cats will learn from praise and scolding exceptionally fast!	40 Karma Points
	Get Lucky	Good	Make any Sim Get Lucky in love! Any social situation a lucky Sim finds him or herself in will lend itself to instant attraction of friendship.	50 Karma Points
	Giant Jackpot	Good	Give your Sims a Giant Jackpot of Simoleons!	60 Karma Points
	Ghostify	Good	Wouldn't it be cool to be a ghost? Sims can be Ghostified to receive all of the benefits of those lucky incorporeal beings!	100 Karma Points
	Transmogrify	Good	Transmogrify a Sim into a dog, or a dog into a cat, or a cat into a Sim! The possibilities are endlessly entertaining!	150 Karma Points
	Divine Intervention	Good	Divine intervention can bring a ghost of a family member back to life!	150 Karma Points
	Cosmic Curse	Bad	Lower any Sim's needs to rock bottom instantly!	7 Karma Points
	Epic Fail	Bad	Make any Sim an epic failure in love, career, and even in simple household tasks for a few hours!	15 Karma Points
	Cry Havoc	Bad	Sims in the area will start an all-out brawl! It's a riot!	15 Karma Points
	The Sickness	Bad	Sims in the area will come down with The Sickness, an illness spread via billowing green clouds! Symptoms may include soreness, nausea, chronic flatulence and projectile vomit.	15 Karma Points
	Feral Possession	Bad	Cats and Dogs will become temporarily possessed with feral instincts! Possessed pets from all over the neighborhood will be drawn to the area, wreaking havoc on any couch, carpet, or Sim unfortunate enough to be in their way!	18 Karma Points
	Ghost Invasion	Bad	They're in your house! Scaring your Sims! They're angry ghosts and it don't look good!	22 Karma Points
	Solar Flare	Bad	Unleash a rogue solar flare on your Sims and watch as mayhem ensues!	45 Karma Points
	Fire Storm	Bad	Rain fire and brimstone down on the world with a flaming meteorite shower!	56 Karma Points
	Meteor Strike	Bad	Sometimes it rains rocks... big ones... from space. You don't want to be under one.	67 Karma Points

Icon	Karma Power	Alignment	Description	Cost
	Make It Rain	Good	Vista Beach is usually sunny but if overcast skies and showers are preferable, make it rain!	500 Happiness Points
	Super Satisfy	Good	Fulfill a Sim's needs completely for immediate happiness!	1,000 Happiness Points
	Giant Jackpot	Good	Make a Sim instantly filthy stinking rich; it's better than a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.	5,000 Happiness Points
	Epic Fail	Bad	Unleash a random bad Karma Power on any unfortunate Sim for a bargain amount of points. You might not get to choose the misfortune that befalls them, but it will feel almost as good as if you had.	2,000 Happiness Points
	Fury	Bad	Turn any Sim into a boiling cauldron of rage! Make sure you're not too close if you don't want to be part of the mayhem.	2,000 Happiness Points
	Cosmic Curse	Bad	Maybe some Sims don't deserve happiness. Maybe some Sims deserve instant bladder failure.	3,000 Happiness Points
	Nudist Camp	Bad	Make a Sim's clothes instantly vanish! Recommended in public and crowded areas for maximum embarassment.	3,000 Happiness Points

Although the official strategy guide for the Wii version lists Get Lucky as an available karma power, it was cut from the game before release and cannot be used.

Icon	Name	Alignment	Description	Usage
	Winter Wonderland	Good	Winter really is the best time of the year, and now it can be the best time of year all year! Head back to the ruins to turn Winter Wonderland on or off.	Endless
	Cosmic Curse	Bad	Is your Sim really sick of a conniving townie, but worried about upsetting a friend if they act on it? Instant hate does the trick. Socialize with any Sim and select Cosmic Curse to activate this power.	Daily
	The Muse	Good	The inspiration from this power increases your creative skills, aiding the ability of your Sim to create better quality food and paintings.	One off
	Giant Jackpot	Good	A chance for money for your Sim... or not! Greed can be fun, but it can also bite your Sim. Beware! Head up to the view below the lighthouse and use the bench to activate Giant Jackpot.	Daily
	The Riddler	Good	The inspiration from this power increases your Sim's mechanical and cognitive skill aiding the ability of your Sim to win more chess matches and upgrade items faster.	One off
	Epic Fail	Bad	Curse any Sim with clumsy fingers and watch chaos ensue! It might be best to cast it in their house not yours. Socialize with any Sim and select Epic Fail to activate this power. Make sure they aren't in your house!	Daily
	Casanova	Good	Sometimes love seems impossible, but when your Sim is a Casanova sometimes the impossible becomes possible. Socialize with any Sim and select Casanova to activate this power.	Daily
	Super Satisfy	Good	Life is so wonderful! Your Sims feel super satisfied and is ready to face the future with new found hope. Look for the Wrought Iron Trellis near the Lighthouse to activate Super Satisfy.	Daily
	Bless the Mess	Good	Blessings only occur when there is no one around, when those little wonders are set free messes just seem to magically be cleaned and fixed. Head back to the Landgraab household and have a chat with their yard gnome to turn on and off this Blessing.	Endless
	Wormhole	Good	The power to open up space time to travel somewhere quickly is amazing, though overuse can cause unexpected things to happen. Select any area to travel to in the Neighborhood or Map View and Activate Wormhole to warp around town.	Endless

Icon	Name	Alignment	Description	Effect	Cost
	Mr. Fix It	Good	Instantly repair a broken object. Just the thing for Sims who prefer to leave the handiwork to others!		1 Play Coin
	Inspire	Good	Activate this power to gain a point in one of your skills - though you never know what skill inspire will strike!	Adds one level to either athletic, charisma, cooking, handiness, logic, or guitar.	2 Play Coins
	Energize	Good	Is your Sim feeling down in the dumps? Use Energize to maximize their needs and improve their mood!	Works similarly to Super Satisfy.	2 Play Coins
	Calming Winds	Good	Breathe in. Breathe out. Feel these mood boosting winds. And watch them put the fires out.		3 Play Coins
	Holy Simoleons	Good	There is a legend that a rich pilot likes to drop bags of money from his plane. Activate this power to send him on a flight!		5 Play Coins
	Nauseate	Bad	Use to immediately and repeatedly discharge the contents of a Sim's stomach.	Causes a large garlic-scent cloud around the target Sim. Empties the Hygiene motive and makes them vomit soon after, causing a vomit pile object on the floor. Only after vomiting once do they get the "Nauseous" moodlet. When it runs out, the Sim will go to a toilet to vomit a second time, though it will not be shown in the action queue.	1 Play Coin
	Shock	Bad	This power creates an immediate and socially awkward release of the bladder.	Causes Bladder motive failure, empties the Hygiene motive, spawns a puddle on the floor, and gives the Sim the "Embarrassed" moodlet even if they are inside their own house. Does not cause any electric shocks.	1 Play Coin
	Singe	Bad	Give an Sim that just-electrified feeling. Be careful - too much electricity leads to bad things for Sims!	Makes the Sim singed from an on-the-spot electric shock. Using it on a Sim who is already Singed will not cause any additional effects.	1 Play Coin
	Foul Winds	Bad	Foul Winds are blowing in. They bring trash and stench, so beware the awful smell!	Includes the effects of "Nauseate", but can affect multiple Sims, and spawns circa 10 trash piles.	3 Play Coins
	Shake it Up	Bad	This power really shakes things up! Caution: can cause busted pipes, broken appliances, and fire.	Spawns several fires on the lot. Most appliances that can break, will break.	4 Play Coins

Gallery

The karma power menu as it appears in The Sims 3 for Xbox 360.

The interface to choose a karma power on The Sims 3: Pets for Xbox 360.

Solar Flare being casted at Precious Pets Park & Gazebo

A Little Sunshine being casted near the lighthouse

Transmogrify being casted.

Meteor Strike in progress.

Notes

References