Insubstantiality and fire, heat, cold

Vaevictis Asmadi · 01-12-2019, 08:29 AM

Insubstantiality protects a character from physical and energy attacks.

Does "energy attacks" include fire, heat, and cold attacks?

I'm trying to make incorporeal ghosts, which would not be harmed by heat or cold even if attacked with them (unless it's magical).

Nereidalbel · 01-12-2019, 09:02 AM

Unless it's a material or type of energy the GM has ruled affects ALL insubstantial in the campaign, an attack must be modified with Affects Insubstantial to do anything to insubstantial characters.

naloth · 01-12-2019, 09:19 AM

That's also applicable to only damage. You'll have to provide other traits to be immune to the non-damaging environmental effects (Immunity to Metabolic Hazards; Doesn't Breathe, etc).

Nereidalbel · 01-12-2019, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by naloth

That's also applicable to only damage. You'll have to provide other traits to be immune to the non-damaging environmental effects (Immunity to Metabolic Hazards; Doesn't Breathe, etc).

Those are pretty standard for ghosts, to be fair.

Vaevictis Asmadi · 01-12-2019, 01:40 PM

Yep, the dead guys I'm trying to build also have Immunity to Metabolic Hazards, Doesn't Breathe, Doesn't Eat/Drink, and Unkillable 3.

Thank you everyone. :)

Nereidalbel · 01-12-2019, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vaevictis Asmadi

Yep, the dead guys I'm trying to build also have Immunity to Metabolic Hazards, Doesn't Breathe, Doesn't Eat/Drink, and Unkillable 3.

Thank you everyone. :)

Consider replacing Doesn't Breathe with Ghost Air. Gives you an in-universe explanation on why ghosts just don't go to certain places.

Vaevictis Asmadi · 01-12-2019, 02:56 PM

What is Ghost Air?

Kelly Pedersen · 01-12-2019, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vaevictis Asmadi

What is Ghost Air?

It's a modifier from Psionic Powers (p. 14). By default, an insubstantial creature needs to breathe "normal" air, and thus has to hold its breath while passing through solid objects like walls, the ground, etc. Ghost Air changes Insubstantial so that whatever place you're in while you're insubstantial has its own air, so breath-holding is unnecessary while passing through solid stuff in the solid world. Basically, it allows ghosts to avoid having to hold their breath all the time, while still permitting things like being strangled by other ghosts, affected by clouds of ghostly smoke, and so forth, that Doesn't Breathe would rule out.

Vaevictis Asmadi · 01-12-2019, 03:09 PM

Thanks. For my concept Doesn't Breathe still makes more sense.

Nereidalbel · 01-12-2019, 03:21 PM

Ghost Air also allows for voids in the whatever ghosts "breathe." Places ghosts can't go can easily be explained away as such voids.

01-12-2019, 08:29 AM	#1
Vaevictis Asmadi Join Date: May 2007 Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota, U.S.A.	Insubstantiality and fire, heat, cold Insubstantiality protects a character from physical and energy attacks. Does "energy attacks" include fire, heat, and cold attacks? I'm trying to make incorporeal ghosts, which would not be harmed by heat or cold even if attacked with them (unless it's magical). __________________ I have Confused and Clueless. Sometimes I miss sarcasm and humor, or critically fail my Savoir-Faire roll. None of it is intentional. Published GURPS Settings (as of 4/2013 -- I hope to update it someday...)

01-12-2019, 09:02 AM	#2
Nereidalbel Join Date: May 2013 Location: Ellicott City, MD	Re: Insubstantiality and fire, heat, cold Unless it's a material or type of energy the GM has ruled affects ALL insubstantial in the campaign, an attack must be modified with Affects Insubstantial to do anything to insubstantial characters.

01-12-2019, 09:19 AM	#3
naloth Join Date: Sep 2004	Re: Insubstantiality and fire, heat, cold That's also applicable to only damage. You'll have to provide other traits to be immune to the non-damaging environmental effects (Immunity to Metabolic Hazards; Doesn't Breathe, etc).

01-12-2019, 01:40 PM	#5
Vaevictis Asmadi Join Date: May 2007 Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota, U.S.A.	Re: Insubstantiality and fire, heat, cold Yep, the dead guys I'm trying to build also have Immunity to Metabolic Hazards, Doesn't Breathe, Doesn't Eat/Drink, and Unkillable 3. Thank you everyone. :) __________________ I have Confused and Clueless. Sometimes I miss sarcasm and humor, or critically fail my Savoir-Faire roll. None of it is intentional. Published GURPS Settings (as of 4/2013 -- I hope to update it someday...) Last edited by Vaevictis Asmadi; 01-12-2019 at 02:21 PM.

01-12-2019, 02:56 PM	#7
Vaevictis Asmadi Join Date: May 2007 Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota, U.S.A.	Re: Insubstantiality and fire, heat, cold What is Ghost Air? __________________ I have Confused and Clueless. Sometimes I miss sarcasm and humor, or critically fail my Savoir-Faire roll. None of it is intentional. Published GURPS Settings (as of 4/2013 -- I hope to update it someday...)

01-12-2019, 03:09 PM	#9
Vaevictis Asmadi Join Date: May 2007 Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota, U.S.A.	Re: Insubstantiality and fire, heat, cold Thanks. For my concept Doesn't Breathe still makes more sense. __________________ I have Confused and Clueless. Sometimes I miss sarcasm and humor, or critically fail my Savoir-Faire roll. None of it is intentional. Published GURPS Settings (as of 4/2013 -- I hope to update it someday...)

01-12-2019, 03:21 PM	#10
Nereidalbel Join Date: May 2013 Location: Ellicott City, MD	Re: Insubstantiality and fire, heat, cold Ghost Air also allows for voids in the whatever ghosts "breathe." Places ghosts can't go can easily be explained away as such voids.