Human Form Question?

[citadel97501]

Hello all,

I was just wondering if the Human Form power, requires time before activating your power?  I am having trouble defining the difference between Human Form and Human Guise if it doesn't?

For instance lets say I was a character who has mastered offensive blasts with his evocation, so well that he can use blasts of low power without getting tired, but that it makes his hands glow with blue fire when used?

Would this be a legitimate Human Form effect, or would he be forced to spend an action or so summoning up the requisite power?

[UmbraLux]

Both are normally going to require an action (or be part of another action such as shape changing).  Powers affected by Human Form (at least 2 refresh worth) are powers you don't have access to while human.  You have to change form to use them.  Human Guise on the other hand is just a "disguise" - you don't lose access to any powers.

[sinker]

The reason why you're having such a hard time finding the difference is because the difference isn't in Human Form's write up. If you read the beginning of the shape changing powers section it says that, unless mentioned otherwise in the power, all shape changing powers require a supplemental action to change. Human Guise mentions that the guise is simply dropped (without an action) with the use of the powers.

So yeah, with Human Guise the character has access to the power all of the time without using a separate action. The guise being dropped is part of the character's main action (using the power) so that action is not penalized.

With Human Form the character has no access to those powers unless he spends a supplemental action to change forms. Since changing forms is it's own action any further actions on that exchange (like using the power) will be at a -1.

[citadel97501]

Thank you, Sinker.

[Becq]

Actually, Human Guise has another benefit in that defensive powers are also always on/available, too.  A werewolf who is in human form does not benefit at all from defensive powers such as Toughness, Recovery, or Speed -- until they take an action to shift.  A White Court Vampire can use his dodge bonus from Inhuman Speed reflexively, though doing so will cause his Guise to suffer (probably in the form of glowing white eyes).