M&M 3E: The mechanics of restraining arms

[SilverLeaf167]

Things like "must be able to gesture" are pretty common Power Loss complications, and Strength-based Damage for instance mentions that you must be able to move and exert your strength. However, by a strict reading of the rules, nothing short of Stunned exists to restrict what sorts of actions you can take; even being bound head-to-toe only leaves you Immobile, Defenseless and Impaired, meaning you can't walk or dodge but can still take any other actions you want, albeit at a slight penalty.

Of course, the absurdity of this means that the strict reading is obviously not the intended one, but in that case, is restraining someone's arms purely a matter of descriptors, do you yourself draw the line somewhere mechanically, or do you start fooling around with some sort of Limited Stunned effect (presumably not)?

Is restraining specific body parts simply an assumed side-effect, and does it generally count as a Complication if it happens to you in action time in a way that poses a problem?

Dunno if I'm being pedantic by even asking this.

[Cazero]

Two points :
1)The Paralyzed condition is something very good binds can inflict.
2)You're not limited to conditions from grappling or Affliction effects. Weaken and Nullify effects with appropriate limitations and descriptors can also be used.

The base rules are as they are because no superhero worth their salt would be permanently stopped from doing stuff by mundane binds made of mundane rope. Don't you know? They always escape.

[SilverLeaf167]

Paralyzed is just the next step of Stunned, which I already considered overkill for this. There are plenty of situations where you would expect specific body parts to be tied without you being entirely or even mostly paralyzed.

What do you suggest? Nullify... arms? While sort of clever, I don't think that's how the power's supposed to work, especially given how many of the things it's supposed to affect would be considered Innate. Weaken gets very weird as well.

[Cazero]

Actualy, Paralyzed is the next step of a restricted form of Stunned. Mental actions can be untertaken just fine and there are other example of this right in the SRD with conditions specific to certain senses types (blinding light : visualy Unaware). Nothing stops you from applying the same logic and making someone arm-Stunned.
And I now realize that this bit I just wrote is a better response than my previous one.

The Nullify idea is a bit questionable and probably not needed in most cases, but a Reaction (attempts to escape) Nullify [descriptor] Limited (countering only) can be a necessary component of binds tailor-made for someone with super-strength.

[Reversefigure4]

It's best not to play M&M too literally close to the rules.

If you're getting a Hero Point for the Complication, then when Dr Grip makes his grapple check, he's seized you by the wrists and incapacitated your powers. If you don't take the Hero Point, then that same grapple check has grabbed you by the arms, leaving you free to manipulate your fingers and gesture.

[Beleriphon]

It's best not to play M&M too literally close to the rules.

If you're getting a Hero Point for the Complication, then when Dr Grip makes his grapple check, he's seized you by the wrists and incapacitated your powers. If you don't take the Hero Point, then that same grapple check has grabbed you by the arms, leaving you free to manipulate your fingers and gesture.

That's a good point. Also a really good (and goofy) supervillain name. Dr Grip. I'm picturing a Mr Freeze looking guy, but in a mechanical gorilla suit.

[The_Architect]

Couldn't an Affliction simply immobilize the arms if that's what it's described to do?

I'm guessing the assumption is being bound across the waist or around the feet (like vines), but is there any reason it can't be done for arms? For instance, if someone with cold/ice powers hit you with a cumulative Affliction with Hindered and Vulnerable/Defenseless and Immobilized conditions, the descriptor for that could be that they've been encased in a block of ice. In which case they couldn't move their arms. (Someone with transmutation powers could do the same thing, Transforming the air around them into something encasing with an Affliction) But people whose powers don't involve use of their arms would still be capable of attacking.