Insubstantial objects carried released

[Donny Brook]

If I have Insubstantiality with Can Carry Objects, what happens to insubstantial objects if I stop carrying them?

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

If I have Insubstantiality with Can Carry Objects, what happens to insubstantial objects if I stop carrying them?

Well first of all, lets eliminate what definitely doesn't happen. They don't instantly become solid retaining all their initial momentum. You gotta pay to shoot people while insubstantial. So either they stay insubstantial or they do something like drifting downward while regaining their solidity.

[the_matrix_walker]

I would say a dropped object would become substantial when it came to rest, but it would depend on whether the character also had Affects Substantial on their Insubstantial advantage. Then you have a bit more flexibility and can say it becomes solid immediately.

[Donny Brook]

Now a tangential question.
If you are carrying an air supply and it's within your carrying capacity, can you breathe from it while insubstantial?

[the_matrix_walker]

I don't see why not...

[Plane]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Well first of all, lets eliminate what definitely doesn't happen. They don't instantly become solid retaining all their initial momentum. You gotta pay to shoot people while insubstantial. So either they stay insubstantial or they do something like drifting downward while regaining their solidity.

Bullets are an interesting to think about: you're not actually touching the bullets, you're just holding the gun which holds the bullets.

So is there some kind of aura where you can designate which things to take along?

Like if the weight limit I can turn insubstantial with me is 50 pounds and I'm holding a pair of 40lbs suitcases, do I choose which one comes along mentally?

So what if you wanted to touch someone's gun and turn it insubstantial but not the bullets so the bullets fall to the ground when you take the gun?

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Plane

Bullets are an interesting to think about: you're not actually touching the bullets, you're just holding the gun which holds the bullets.

So is there some kind of aura where you can designate which things to take along?

Like if the weight limit I can turn insubstantial with me is 50 pounds and I'm holding a pair of 40lbs suitcases, do I choose which one comes along mentally?

So what if you wanted to touch someone's gun and turn it insubstantial but not the bullets so the bullets fall to the ground when you take the gun?

That would come under the category of power stunt. Ordinarily turning a gun insubstantial would turn everything inside the gun insubstantial. And if you tried to turn insubstantial while carrying more than your limit you'd probably fail.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Well first of all, lets eliminate what definitely doesn't happen. They don't instantly become solid retaining all their initial momentum. You gotta pay to shoot people while insubstantial. So either they stay insubstantial or they do something like drifting downward while regaining their solidity.

If they turn substantial before the character it permits stunts like throwing time delayed explosives, but that may not be a big concern.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Plane

Like if the weight limit I can turn insubstantial with me is 50 pounds and I'm holding a pair of 40lbs suitcases, do I choose which one comes along mentally?

Up to the GM. You might get to choose, you might just get to keep one randomly, you might bring both but leave behind 10 lbs of random stuff that was in the suitcases... or you might be literally incapable of using Insubstantiality while overencumbered. Note that last interpretation means Insubstantiality can be mitigated by just tossing enough weight (possibly in the form of chains) on the character while he/she is substantial.

Originally Posted by Anthony

If they turn substantial before the character it permits stunts like throwing time delayed explosives, but that may not be a big concern.

Time delayed explosives are still an issue if they only become substantial when the character does - toss the explosive through the wall, turn substantial, then turn insubstantial again - the explosive will stay substantial.

Part of me feels that dropping something you brought along with you into Insubstantiality-land should either be impossible (either everything sticks together, or whatever you drop just hovers within reach of you) or turn off your Insubstantiality... unless you have Affects Substantial (but in the latter case, I wouldn't let you pull off Ghostwoman/Ghost's - from Legion of Nothing - trick of pushing the barrel of a pistol through the target's armor and pulling the trigger). That pretty well avoids most of the issues, but does introduce a new one - Insubstantial characters who lack Affects Substantial have to stick to using melee weapons (or special ranged weapons/ammunition that stay Insubstantial) when fighting each other. And honestly, I think that's worth it.

[malloyd]

I personally prefer they stay insubstantial, at least for an indefinite time not under your control. Stays insubstantial eliminates virtually all the obvious abuses, if you add the rephasing at a time not under your control option it even kills the object disposal one.

I particularly like this one in the really common case where the "insubstantial" realm is effectively its own world, with its own inhabitants and objects. Carry an item from one world to another and it drop it and it stays there, no reason for an insubstantial world to be any different.