Dreamingfurther
Exemplar
Hey, since it came up last event I thought it might be useful to post a refresher specifically about how the 'Magic' qualifier can be used, both as a PC high magic ability, and as an NPC monster or high magic ability. There is a definitive ARC ruling on the matter here. It also clarifies the somewhat confusing question of what is and is not a 'game ability' for the purposes of what you can and cannot do when somewhat or entirely incapacitated by various affects.
However, since I had to read that posting 3 or 4 times to make sense of it I thought I'd briefly summarize what relevance this has to actual game play, most often.
Prison, Paralysis, and Feeblemind all completely shut down any character, (as well as sleep, death and other obvious affects). In both a Prison or Paralysis you cannot move your mouth, and hence cannot use 'arcane', 'magic', (or 'activate') affects to try and 'get out' of the situation. When Feeblemind you are too stupid to 'fix' yourself.
You can use a 'magic' or 'arcane' augmentation to free yourself from a Silence because you can still move your mouth, and the 'Magic Purify' (or whatever) call is an OOG call much like swinging a sword, and like swinging a sword can be made while silenced. You cannot use 'activate Purify' to fix a silence because the verbal to activate a magic item IS in game.
You can use a 'magic, 'arcane', or 'activate' augmentation to free yourself from a binding spell, being drained (or purified as undead), nausia, vertigo, or laugh. This is because you can still speak aloud although you can't use other 'IG abilities'.
This is not an exhaustive list, but is meant as a (relatively) simple list of what abilities and why you can and cannot use them under various somewhat common 'shut down' affects. Of course there are far more details than what I've said here but I hope this helps bring a little bit of clarity to a confusing section of our rules. Basically the last paragraph on the ARC post also sums up pretty well the 'Magic', 'Arcane', and 'Activate' forms of various affects.
Happy rules! :shades:
*Disclaimer* while I am a rules marshal in several other chapters I am not in HQ so of course my word is not final on rules matters in HQ. This post is just an attempt at helpful clarification.
However, since I had to read that posting 3 or 4 times to make sense of it I thought I'd briefly summarize what relevance this has to actual game play, most often.
Prison, Paralysis, and Feeblemind all completely shut down any character, (as well as sleep, death and other obvious affects). In both a Prison or Paralysis you cannot move your mouth, and hence cannot use 'arcane', 'magic', (or 'activate') affects to try and 'get out' of the situation. When Feeblemind you are too stupid to 'fix' yourself.
You can use a 'magic' or 'arcane' augmentation to free yourself from a Silence because you can still move your mouth, and the 'Magic Purify' (or whatever) call is an OOG call much like swinging a sword, and like swinging a sword can be made while silenced. You cannot use 'activate Purify' to fix a silence because the verbal to activate a magic item IS in game.
You can use a 'magic, 'arcane', or 'activate' augmentation to free yourself from a binding spell, being drained (or purified as undead), nausia, vertigo, or laugh. This is because you can still speak aloud although you can't use other 'IG abilities'.
This is not an exhaustive list, but is meant as a (relatively) simple list of what abilities and why you can and cannot use them under various somewhat common 'shut down' affects. Of course there are far more details than what I've said here but I hope this helps bring a little bit of clarity to a confusing section of our rules. Basically the last paragraph on the ARC post also sums up pretty well the 'Magic', 'Arcane', and 'Activate' forms of various affects.
Happy rules! :shades:
*Disclaimer* while I am a rules marshal in several other chapters I am not in HQ so of course my word is not final on rules matters in HQ. This post is just an attempt at helpful clarification.
