complex gestures and incantations

[secretID]

What's the effective difference? I know what Gestures does. I know what 2-handed (an issue independent of "complex") Gestures does. I know what Incantations does.

 

What does "complex" do, in practice? One thought I have is requiring a DEX roll and/or INT roll under certain circumstances, but I hate fuzzy stuff like that.

 

This is a supers game.

 

Thanks for any ideas.

[Ki-rin]

Re: complex gestures and incantations

 

Complex Gestures and Incantations means that you can't do this and do anything else at the same time. You can't do it while riding your horse or eating your lunch or reading something not immediately related to the spell in question.

 

You can't do it if you are sick enough that you can't concentrate. You can't do it if you are significantly conjested. You certainly can't do it if you have lost your voice. You can't do it if you are restrained in any way that involves the limbs needed for the gestures.

 

This is not a great effort like lifting a heavy weight. But it takes enough of your attention and concentration that you can't do =anything= else while performing the spell.

[prestidigitator]

Re: complex gestures and incantations

 

First, Gestures and Incantations are usually used for heroic games, not superheroic ones. Second, where are you seeing references to "complex" Gestures or Incantations?

[secretID]

Re: complex gestures and incantations

 

First' date=' Gestures and Incantations are [i']usually[/i] used for heroic games, not superheroic ones. Second, where are you seeing references to "complex" Gestures or Incantations?

It's in Hero Designer, though I can't find it in 5e.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: complex gestures and incantations

 

It's in Hero Designer' date=' though I can't find it in 5e.[/quote']

 

It's from Fantasy Hero pages 254-255:

 

GESTURES

Another common procedure in many magic systems is the need to make arcane (or holy) hand motions. In the HERO System, the Limitation Gestures represents this method of spellcasting.

 

Per the rules, Gestures must be obvious (clearly visible from a distance) and not mistakable for any other type of arm/hand motion. At the GM’s option, characters may reduce the Limitation’s value to -0 (total, even if a spell requires two-handed Gestures throughout) to represent the fact that the spell requires hand motions, but those hand motions are slight, subtle, or can be disguised as something else. See Sleight Of Hand, page 95.

 

At the GM’s option, for an additional -¼ Limitation, characters can define their Gestures as complex. This means they’re particularly difficult to get right. If the spell involves a Required Skill Roll (or the like), that roll suffers a penalty of -3 because of the complex Gestures. If it has no Required Skill Roll, the character must make a DEX Roll at -3 to cast the spell properly.

Even if the GM does not use the complex Gestures rule, he can impose penalties on Required Skill Rolls (or require DEX Rolls) if something might interfere with a character’s ability to Gesture. Examples include being in a cramped or cluttered area (-2 penalty), or perhaps wearing armor (penalty equals the armor’s DCV penalty or -2, whichever is worse — a good way to discourage wizards from armor use).

 

Normally a character can only cast one spell at a time when using Gestures. The GM may allow him to “combine” the Gestures for two spells and cast them both at once, but this entails a -2 penalty per spell (thus, a minimum of -4) to the Required Skill Rolls for both spells (or one DEX Roll at that penalty for each spell cast).

 

The rules note that “Gestures require a minimum of one hand to perform. If a character must use both hands to perform Gestures, the Limitation is worth an additional -¼.” In the case of Fantasy races with more than two usable hands/arms, “two-handed” Gestures require all of the manipulatory limbs.

[secretID]

Re: complex gestures and incantations

 

Cool - thanks.

[Sean Waters]

Re: complex gestures and incantations

 

NB Gestures and incantations so 'complex' they require concentration should probably be built with the 'Concentration' limitation too.

 

Under the new Requires a Roll rules I'm not sure 'complex' is meaningful at all.