Limbs

In a race's description, the number of limbs affects spellcasting and combat abilities. A 'limb' in game terms represents an arm or other appendage that can wield a weapon or cast a spell. A large number of races have 2 limbs, some however have as many as 4 and as few as none. A race with more than 2 limbs means that race has additional arms or a prehensile tail to wield items or weapons in. A race with zero limbs lacks hands (Argus, Unicorn) or the ability to grasp or wield held items or weapons properly (Suula) and cannot cast spells with somatic components (hand gestures) properly.

Wielding and Limbs

A weapon or held item must be 'wielded' with the WIELD command to be used. Wielding requires an open limb to wield the weapon or held item in. If a race has no limbs, no items can be wielded at all. (see WIELD). Guilds that require specific weapons to be wielded (like Paladin or Fallen) or consist mainly of weapon or martial arts skills (Fighter, Monk, Sentinel, Hand) rather than spells are usually very poor choices for races with zero limbs.

Weapon fighting in the Retroverse is taught by and for races with 2 limbs. In other words, weapons in the third or fourth limb aren't going to hit, as the attack skill only covers the first two limbs. This goes for martial arts as well. You can make bare handed attacks with your third and fourth limbs, but you won't be able to incorporate weapon or martial arts attacks into your combat. There is a tertiary guild that does teach this and will allow one attack per extra limb WITH weapons or martial arts, the Dervish guild (see SKILL WHIRLING).

Without the whirling skill, weapons in the third and fourth limbs aren't very useful and will simply fail to connect in combat.

Spellcasting and Limbs

Any spell that requires a somatic component (see SOMATIC COMPONENTS) means the spell requires hand gestures in order to cast. This means that as a spellcaster, any somatic gestures you need to cast require two free limbs without anything wielded in them to cast properly, otherwise there is a one round casting penalty per limb filled. Normally this means a spellcaster wielding a pair of daggers will add two rounds to all spellcasting times, making for slower casting.

This also affects races with zero limbs. A race with zero limbs automatically incurs a 2 round penalty (one for each missing limb) when casting any spells with somatic components. A race with more than 2 limbs does NOT get a bonus to casting time for having MORE than 2 limbs open to cast with.

Races with zero limbs tend to make decent spellcasters with non-somatic spells. Many of those spells are psionic, and are found in the Psionicists Guild, a spiritual guild. No-limbed races do not suffer the 2 round penalty if the spell isn't somatic, and a large majority of psionic spells are not somatic, meaning no-limbed races are happily able to cast spells of this type without penalty.

Likewise, races that require a wielded item in order to cast spells (Fallen Fellblade, Paladin Shield, Bard Lute) cannot be used at all by races with zero limbs, and therefore no-limbed races are very ill-suited to those particular guilds.

Casting and Wielding in Combat

It's entirely possible for a three limbed race to wield a one-handed weapon like a whip or a four limbed race to wield a two handed weapon such as a polearm or ranged weapon like a bow and still use the other two limbs to cast spells with normally. It's also possible for a race with more than 2 limbs to fill those extra limbs with held items for additional stats in combat, and use the other 2 limbs to cast normally.

This is the main advantage of multi-limbed races. Likewise, the penalties in spellcasting and inability to wield weapons or held items is a disadvantage of no-limbed races. Be aware that number of limbs does affect your character whether you prefer a melee combat oriented guild or a spellcasting one.

Races with Four Limbs

Treant
Kreen
Illex
Myconoid
Pudding

Races with Three Limbs (prehensile tails)

Arakun
Muridan

Races with No Limbs

Argus
Suula
Unicorn

All other races have the normal two limbs.

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