Insubstantiality and Invisibility

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

You can speak, but I dunno about the rest of that stuff. Kromm has made the point a couple of times (that I've seen) that Insub. makes you perfectly silent unless you choose to speak.

It seems a bit arbitrary, at least, to say that you can be heard if you choose to speak, but not if you choose to whistle, or snap your fingers, or clap your hands. It's all a question of choosing to make sound. I suppose I can see ruling out metabolic noises, since Insubstantiality in general has no trace of physiological realism.

[Daigoro]

At the risk of further splitting hairs, would Insubstantial gear make its normal noises, such as your sword scabbard slapping against your armoured leg, or your bundle of bells and trinkets hanging off your mobile phone?

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by Daigoro

would Insubstantial gear make its normal noises

Or to be traditional: your chain clanking against itself as you carry it around? Your insubstantial gear doesn't accidentally make noises by bumping against real objects, but do your cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel make ominous atmospheric noises?

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

Or to be traditional: your chain clanking against itself as you carry it around? Your insubstantial gear doesn't accidentally make noises by bumping against real objects, but do your cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel make ominous atmospheric noises?

If you're cursed with Noisy, you're cursed with Noisy :)

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by whswhs

It seems a bit arbitrary, at least, to say that you can be heard if you choose to speak, but not if you choose to whistle, or snap your fingers, or clap your hands. It's all a question of choosing to make sound. I suppose I can see ruling out metabolic noises, since Insubstantiality in general has no trace of physiological realism.

Yes. It probably doesn't matter much if you allow Insubstantial characters to make bodily sounds of any sort, as long as it is intentional, although I'd prefer to restrict it to vocal sounds.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

Yes. It probably doesn't matter much if you allow Insubstantial characters to make bodily sounds of any sort, as long as it is intentional, although I'd prefer to restrict it to vocal sounds.

For example, you'd probably allow insubstantial Bushman spirits to make inhaled click sounds, even though those don't use the usual vocal mechanisms.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by Bruno

If you're cursed with Noisy, you're cursed with Noisy :)

Oh, I like that answer!

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

Yes. It probably doesn't matter much if you allow Insubstantial characters to make bodily sounds of any sort, as long as it is intentional, although I'd prefer to restrict it to vocal sounds.

But farting ghosts are hilarious!

[AlexanderHowl]

Most spirit templates have some form of Mute, which represents not making any sound at all.

[Daigoro]

I don't think the OP was specifically concerned about ghosts, just the combination of traits which could come up in many character types.