Touch Spells and Abilities

Some spells and abilities have a range of "touch". This page explains how these effects work, with everyone's comfort in mind.

Delivering Touch Effects Safely Where the intended recipient of the effect can see you, "hover hands" (holding your hand within 6 inches / 15cm without making contact) is preferable. Only make physical contact if there are no alternatives, and be considerate of where you are putting your hands. We will always ask monsters who have touch attacks or abilities to deliver these effects using a dagger or similar sized physrep.

Touch Spells

Offensive touch spells (combat spells with a range of touch) such as Wounding and Paralysis are a general exception to the rule that spells occur at the end of the vocals, as follows:

• On completing the vocals of such a spell, the caster may "hold" the spell in their hand for up to 15 seconds, to get into position to deliver the attack.
• They complete the spell by touching their target, accompanied with the spell's effect or damage call.
• If the caster does not deliver the effect within those 15 seconds, the spell is wasted (along with the magic points).
• If the caster casts any other spells or uses any other skills during this time (such as to counter another spell), the "held" spell is immediately dropped and the magic points are spent.
• As with all touch or weapon attacks, the spell occurs at the moment the caster says the call. If, at that time, the touch misses or is prevented from making contact with its target, the attack fails and the magic points are spent.
• Touch spells may be countered at any point in the window between the vocals and the call, as well as immediately after the call.

Non-Damaging Touch Effects

Certain skills allow characters to deliver non-damaging effects through touch (such as Ranger's Mundane Sleep).

• The target must be aware of the character at the moment of delivery. If approaching from behind or out of the target's line of sight, the character must first get the target's attention (such as by calling out, or moving into their field of view).
• The character should hold their hand within 6 inches (15cm) of the target and make the call. No physical contact is required or expected; if contact is made, it should only be on the arm.
• If the target moves out of range before the call is made, the effect fails and any associated resources are spent.

Healing and Surgery

• The caster must hover their hand within 6 inches (15cm) of the injured area and chant continuously to administer healing. No physical contact is required or expected.

Hands-On Healing Curious Pastimes understands that some players feel that a degree of contact enhances their immersion. Provided all participants give their explicit, mutual consent, players may make physical contact during healing or surgery roleplay (such as holding a hand on the injured area, or roleplaying bandaging a wound). Consent should be confirmed before contact is made.

Grappling

In most circumstances, real-life grappling, wrestling or manhandling is strictly forbidden at Curious Pastimes events.

To simulate grappling, three characters must place their hands on (or over) a target character's arms or shoulders and declare that they are grappling them. A grappled character must willingly accompany their grapplers where taken, even if asleep or mortally wounded. A conscious character may roleplay ineffectually struggling if appropriate, but may not physically resist in any way.

Special grappling rules apply to characters with the damage call Strength.

Friendly Grappling Curious Pastimes understands that some players feel that a degree of contact enhances their immersion. Provided all participants give their explicit, mutual consent and no-one else is close enough to be impacted, players may engage in safe, restrained physical grappling. Physical grappling is never permitted in any battle or skirmish, even between consenting participants.

Countering and Resisting

• Touch spells may be countered at any point between the vocals and the call, as well as immediately after the call.
• Mundane touch effects cannot be countered magically, but may be resisted by appropriate defensive abilities (such as Iron Body).

Touch Effects with Weapons

When calling an effect which is usually a touch effect with a weapon (such as calling Fumble with a sword blow), the effect's usual range does not apply.

• The effect call only works if the blow lands on its target.
• If the call normally targets a person, parrying the blow prevents the effect.
• If the call normally targets an object, parrying the blow inflicts the effect on the parrying weapon.
• If the call fails (misses or is blocked), any associated resources are still spent.
• Effect calls work even if the damage is stopped by the target's armour.
• An effect given with a touch or weapon attack only affects the target struck, even if the call would normally apply to multiple targets (such as Flare).

Special rules apply to poison calls.