05-03-2017, 10:45 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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Detect Advantage: Transient or Switchable?
I was building an ability using Detect, and it occurred to me that I'm not sure whether Detect is normally transient (that is, it works once when activated, does its thing, and turns off on its own) or switchable (meaning, its activated by the user, and stays on until they choose to turn it off again).
I think the description in Basic leans more towards transient - you get one Sense roll, which potentially finds whatever, then turns off. If you want to keep sensing stuff, you have to keep making new rolls every turn. But I could see an argument to be made for switchable, allowing you to make one Sense roll when you first turn Detect on, and then, as long as you keep concentrating, you can keep detecting things inside your range, "noticing" them whenever they come within the range established by your first Sense roll. What do people think? Is Detect transient or switchable by default? And if it's transient, what would be the appropriate value of an enhancement to make it switchable? I'm thinking +50%, personally, but that's just a hunch. |
05-03-2017, 11:43 AM | #2 | ||
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Germany
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Re: Detect Advantage: Transient or Switchable?
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05-03-2017, 11:46 AM | #3 |
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Yukon, OK
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Re: Detect Advantage: Transient or Switchable?
I think its Transient but you can keep it up with concentration so a series of transient like if your trying to locate something.
Reflexive is good for making it more continuous since it becomes self activating.
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05-03-2017, 11:58 AM | #4 |
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Snoopy's basement
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Re: Detect Advantage: Transient or Switchable?
As written, it's transient (and pretty useless).
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05-03-2017, 02:01 PM | #5 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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Re: Detect Advantage: Transient or Switchable?
What's the logic for Switchable, here? I can see Reflexive (though I'd argue that a switchable Detect wouldn't necessarily have to have Reflexive's "activate upon stimulus" element), but I don't see what Switchable on it is "turning off"?
Would you say you still have to make Sense rolls every turn with Reflexive on Detect, though? |
05-03-2017, 02:11 PM | #6 | |
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Yukon, OK
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Re: Detect Advantage: Transient or Switchable?
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As to having to make Sense rolls it depends on what your doing. As long as you maintain Concentration and the subject does not hide or somehow conceal itself normal Detect wont require a new Sense Roll. Reflexive just takes care of the Concentrate/Ready Requirement such that it is a Free Action to keep an eye on something. If looking for something new than I would require a new Sense roll. Reading Reflexive (Powers, p. 109) helps here as it is goes into detail in working specifically with Detect.
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05-03-2017, 02:21 PM | #7 | ||
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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Re: Detect Advantage: Transient or Switchable?
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For that matter, Detect actually says you sense the "nearest" source of the substance, not all sources. It's been clarified that you can "screen out" sources you already know about or that fall below your chosen significance threshold (so Detect Life isn't actually useless, always detecting yourself or the bacteria on your skin), but once you've activated Detect, can you continue to sit there and Concentrate, each second finding another source? Or do you have to keep re-rolling Sense rolls every second, each time specifying that you're ruling out all the sources you've already discovered? Quote:
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05-03-2017, 03:25 PM | #8 | ||
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Yukon, OK
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Re: Detect Advantage: Transient or Switchable?
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I pretty much consider Reflexive to turn Detect into a normal passive sense like vision or Hearing (Though its still a Vague sense, per Powers: Enhanced Senses.
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05-03-2017, 03:53 PM | #9 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Germany
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Re: Detect Advantage: Transient or Switchable?
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EDIT: Switchable, in this case, is meant to modify Reflexive, not Detect itself, if that is what bothers you.
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Feel free to add 'IMO' where appropriate. Last edited by Imion; 05-03-2017 at 04:08 PM. |
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05-03-2017, 04:22 PM | #10 |
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Yukon, OK
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Re: Detect Advantage: Transient or Switchable?
Go with Selectivity than as that is specifically what it is for.
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