Electromagnetic optics [UT]

[Anaximander]

It happens about once a game session. The gadgeteer in the group wants to design some whacked out something or other and I'm not too clear on how it ought to work in game. He'd like to build some EM optics into an eyepiece. His planned application for it is tracking the location and movements of robots, but what other uses might it have? How might I govern the use of it in game? Is there an existing device like this in the rules I could use as a guideline? Thanks all in advance for your help.

[Anthony]

Step 1: ask the gadgeteer what he thinks the device should do.
Step 2: decide whether it's actually possible for him to do that.

[Anaximander]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Step 1: ask the gadgeteer what he thinks the device should do.
Step 2: decide whether it's actually possible for him to do that.

done and done. See above for details. I don't see why optics can't be designed to percieve electromagnetic fields, but what applications could that have and how do I stat that out?

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Anaximander

done and done. See above for details.

Nope, he didn't specify what he thought 'EM optics' would actually do. Realistically, the term is gibberish, all optics are EM optics because light is electromagnetic.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Anaximander

done and done. See above for details. I don't see why optics can't be designed to percieve electromagnetic fields, but what applications could that have and how do I stat that out?

What are "electromagnetic fields" in this case? In particular, why would robots radiate them?

There's not much of a way to "see" a magnetic field around an object directly. If you're inside the field you can "feel" it but to see a a magnetic field you have to see it affect some object (like iron filings or charged particles) and deduce its' presence from that.

If your player is trying to make a set of goggles that "Detect Robots" and "EM fields" is his technobabble then that is a specific case of the Detect Power. You build it as a Power with the Gadget Limitiation and Detect Robots is what it does and all it does.

If he wants something wider I guess he could go for "Detects Ferrous Metal" but that's a wider category than Robots and he'll pay more pts for it.

However, as a physically realistic device this idea probably isn't going anywhere.

[Anaximander]

Originally Posted by Anaximander

His planned application for it is tracking the location and movements of robots

howzat sir isaac?

[Langy]

I think he wants something similar to Batman's 'Detective Mode' vision in the Arkham Asylum/City games, but without the X-Ray vision bit - it can highlight active electronics, etc, allowing Batman to follow the path of a wire from a door to the button that opens the door, for example.

In any case, mechanically it's just Hyperspectral Vision with the Extended Low/High Band enhancements, allowing him to see things like microwave radiation emanating from a cellphone, etc.

[Ulzgoroth]

My guess (and it is a guess, because it's still rather underspecified) for the desired effect would be some form of Detect (Electrical currents). That could potentially spot and depending on its modifiers possibly identify and assess the activity of any active electrical device in range. Depending on sensitivity it also might pick up biological nervous systems.

[Joseph Paul]

Take a look at the UT Radscanner. It is not your father's 3rd edition Radscanner. Specifically it will detect electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and powercells. It will give bearing and distance. If you limit it to recognizing the signatures of robots you would have what he wants. Anything that doesn't match the profiles already loaded would be ignored or reported as anomalous.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

My guess (and it is a guess, because it's still rather underspecified) for the desired effect would be some form of Detect (Electrical currents). That could potentially spot and depending on its modifiers possibly identify and assess the activity of any active electrical device in range. Depending on sensitivity it also might pick up biological nervous systems.

You seem to be describing Scanning Sense (Field Sense) [10].