I could use a little help... { Powers, V/S/M components and energy swords }

[Raekai]

I'm working on building some powers, but I can't recall ever seeing limitations for some very basic ideas.

-Spoken components.
-Somatic components.
-Requires use of one hand.
-Requires use of both hands.

Actually... While I'm on that note... I could use some advice on creating an innate attack that works by materializing a sword made of energy. How would I represent that it could be dropped, the wielder could be disarmed, it could break, etc.? Also also, I could use a little help with the ST-Based enhancement. I'm still a little confused on how that's supposed to work.

Thanks!

[Diomedes]

"Requires Gestures" and "Requires Spoken Words" are -10% each, as found in Powers. I'm surprised they weren't in the Basic Set. One hand/two hands is below the resolution of the limitations.

For your ethereal sword, you might look at the Gadget Limitations, which include things like Breakable and Can be Stolen.

ST-Based means you add however many dice of Innate Attack you buy to your existing thr or sw damage.

[Raekai]

Originally Posted by Diomedes

"Requires Gestures" and "Requires Spoken Words" are -10% each, as found in Powers. I'm surprised they weren't in the Basic Set. One hand/two hands is below the resolution of the limitations.

For your ethereal sword, you might look at the Gadget Limitations, which include things like Breakable and Can be Stolen.

ST-Based means you add however many dice of Innate Attack you buy to your existing thr or sw damage.

I'm not sure how one hand/two hands is below that resolution. If you use a power that needs one of your hands, you are effectively without that hand. No sword, no shield, no holding something... Nothing!

For the melee attack option, it lists ST-Based as a +100% enhancement. It just feels weird that it's a flat rate to have your swing/thrust added onto an Innate Attack.

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Raekai

For the melee attack option, it lists ST-Based as a +100% enhancement. It just feels weird that it's a flat rate to have your swing/thrust added onto an Innate Attack.

It is kinda weird. Power-Ups 4: Enhancements goes into a bit more depth on this (pg 20), introducing a more limited +30% version that's appropriate to Innate Attacks that resemble real-world melee weapons. However, things get a bit complicated if the IA has penetration modifiers or some other enhancements on it; in that case you need to modify the damage contributed by your ST as well. This prevents someone with massive Striking ST from making it all ignore DR simply by buying a 1 point Cosmic (Irresistible) Innate Attack. Since this level of Cosmic is +300%, and 1d of crushing damage costs [5], this would add [15] cp per 1d of damage provided by his strength.

[Diomedes]

Originally Posted by Raekai

I'm not sure how one hand/two hands is below that resolution. If you use a power that needs one of your hands, you are effectively without that hand. No sword, no shield, no holding something... Nothing!

I believe the "Requires Gestures" limitation still lets you hold something (within reason), it's more that you can't have your hands restrained. This would explain why the RAW doesn't bother to distinguish between one hand and two – it's pretty useless to only tie up one hand, after all.

[fschiff]

Originally Posted by Raekai

-Somatic components.

"Somatic" means something else.
I want to put a needle in my eye every time I read it in this context.

Just say "Body Movement", please.

[munin]

Originally Posted by Raekai

I'm not sure how one hand/two hands is below that resolution. If you use a power that needs one of your hands, you are effectively without that hand. No sword, no shield, no holding something... Nothing! ...

Forcing you to choose between using your ability and wielding gear is little more of a limitation than forcing you to choose between one gear item and another (something you do all the time) -- it's not a significant limitation. The ability costs less because it can be neutralized by mundane methods (grappling, duct tape, etc.).

[Figleaf23]

Originally Posted by Raekai

...
-Requires use of one hand.
-Requires use of both hands.
...

Temporary Disad (One-Hand), and Temporary Disad (No Fine Manipulators).

[Bruno]

I use the following houserules, which were inspired by someone elses take on the subject.

Component: Material
Value: as per Trigger, using consumable material.

Component: Foci
Value: -5% to -10%, but see Notes.
Notes: For -5%, this is Accessibility: Must have <specific foci> somewhere on my person, where the foci are small, cheap, and can be purchased or crafted. For -10% the foci are more inconvenient to keep spares - weighing one quarter the casters Basic Lift, costing 1/5th starting Wealth, or unusually awkwardly sized and/or shaped. Foci must merely be worn on belts, placed in medicine bags, etc. to function. For alternatives, consider Gadget limitations for "this one specific item", or see the Hand components below.

Component: Facial
Value: -5%
Notes: A combination of eye brow movements, tongue movements, nose wrinkles, jaw wobbles, etc. These are very hard to prevent, but pulling faces tends to attract attention.
Facial casting can be interfered with by gagging the caster or grappling his face to generally inhibit facial movements, and by total or facial paralysis.
Often used for "Breath" and "Stare" spells.

Component: Foot
Value: -10% to -20%
Notes: -10% is simple movements, such as bouncing a leg; -20% is complex dancing. Both levels require the casters legs to be free - no ropes, not standing up to your thighs in mud, etc.
The first level can be performed while seated or prone or hanging freely by the arms (but not when crouching or kneeling), the second level requires the caster to be standing.
Either level may have difficulties imposed by bad footing, fancy dresses, cats entwined around your ankles, etc. Riding sidesaddle counts as "seated" AND "bad footing". Riding astride a mount makes either version impossible.

Component: Hand
Value: -5% to -20%
Notes: -10% is one-handed, -20% is two-handed - either assumes the caster is required to always perform the ritual empty handed or always required to perform the ritual with a specific class of object in hand(s) (a wand, a staff, a mask, a rod, a ritual dagger, a rattle, etc). Halve limitation value if the caster has a choice between empty-handed or with a specific tool.
For tool-based casters, an improvised tool can be substituted, at the expense of slowing casting time.

Component: Verbal
Value: -5% or -10%
Notes: Speaking words. For -5% this can be a whisper, for -10% this requires Projecting Your Voice Theatrically. Verbal spells can be prevented by gagging or choking the caster, muting him, magical Silence, giving him a speech impediment or a cough, etc.
The -10% level has an additional discount for being 'loud' and attracting attention, as well as slightly easier to disrupt (a sore throat can ruin a Theatrical Performance Voice, but still allow a whisper).

Component: Body
Value: -10%
Notes: This requires torso movements: think along the lines of belly dancing; this one is extremely rare. Spells requiring body movements require the spell caster to be unrestrained and unencumbered.
They can be performed while standing or while prone, but not while seated, kneeling, crouching, hanging from a rope, etc.

[Bruno]

My goal with the houserule table was to make it very clear what the limitation was "doing", in game mechanical terms. I'm a concrete thinker by nature.

Incidentally I still want to nail down the case of "What about if I have to keep Doing My Thing to keep the ability active?"

It's one thing if you have to shout and kick your heels to activate your DR, it's another thing if you have to keep shouting and kicking your heels, even aside from probably being stuck taking more Ready or Concentrate actions each turn. That's tiring and attracts attention.