02-22-2021, 11:41 PM | #1 | |
Join Date: May 2020
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Psi Sense and Passive Abilities
Is a character with a passive psionic ability detected by psi sense when that ability is "used"?
For example, a character has "Regeneration (Fast) (Psionic Healing, -10%)", is wounded, and regen kicks in. Would that trigger the Psi Sense of a nearby enemy? Quote:
Thoughts? |
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02-23-2021, 02:52 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Mar 2013
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Re: Psi Sense and Passive Abilities
I would certainly count a passive ability kicking in as "uses".
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02-23-2021, 04:32 AM | #3 |
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: England
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Re: Psi Sense and Passive Abilities
For something like Regeneration (Fast) (Psionic Healing, -10%) which is either "working" or "not working" at any given time, I'd say if it was currently regenerating HP it would count as "active" for detection purposes.
Now you've asked the question, I'm not sure how I'd rule for something with the Reflexive enhancement though; is it considered "active" all the time? Hmm. Can someone with Psi Sense detect someone else with Psi Sense? |
02-23-2021, 06:58 AM | #4 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: Psi Sense and Passive Abilities
Quote:
First (and most important) - You should check with Kromm if you want the real, straight dope on such questions. When there aren't hard rules or when the answer isn't obvious, it's best to go right to the source! Second - Natch, I have ideas about answers ;) Psi Sense detects "Psionic Activity". That suggests to me that it only picks up active use, so passive abilities would only be detected if (and when) they were used actively. Regeneration is kind of a funny case, but your example build would be completely passive by the book, so not detectable. If it had Costs Fatigue (making it more like an active ability), you might rule otherwise. Just for fun, I might allow an 'active' use of Psi Sense to detect passive abilities, but I do not believe that is the actual intention. That seems to be what Psidar is for. |
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02-23-2021, 12:03 PM | #5 |
Join Date: Dec 2007
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Re: Psi Sense and Passive Abilities
I would not call Regeneration rapidly mending your flesh a passive use of psi powers any more than I'd call Healing with No Conscious Control a passive use of psi. I might exact a TDM for it though.
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02-23-2021, 06:53 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Mar 2012
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Re: Psi Sense and Passive Abilities
Being vulnerable to psionic negation and detection is why the player gets -10% discount, isn't it?
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02-23-2021, 07:38 PM | #7 | ||
Join Date: Aug 2018
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Re: Psi Sense and Passive Abilities
Quote:
It then goes in to explain how complicated it can be, like: 1) a single advantage can give both passive and active abilities 2) a single ability can have both passive and active ASPECTS The "Aura" example seems like a good one: Quote:
we have DR out there with requires IQ roll (psi powers) still called passive, even though it's kind of implied that the choice to make the roll is yours, the choice to spend FP to retry a failed is yours... P156 also has the "for an active use of a passive ability" gem too, which I'm thinking is probably Power Block |
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02-23-2021, 11:36 PM | #8 |
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Meifumado
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Re: Psi Sense and Passive Abilities
It says, "whenever anyone near you uses [psi]," which makes no reference to that use being active or passive.
I believe the designation of being active or passive is important for GURPS game mechanics in terms of what counts as a maneuvre, how many actions a character gets and so on. I would be leery of reading that as having a wider, more general, in-universe meaning.
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02-24-2021, 01:37 PM | #9 | |
Join Date: Aug 2018
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Re: Psi Sense and Passive Abilities
Quote:
1. the left column under (2.) If it's passive then only "special senses" can detect it. Active use abilities need to specify at least one of the four normal senses (vision/hearing/touch/smell) which can detect it.2. the middle column under "Obvious Effects" "isn't totally passive" is one of the three possible ways for avoiding this standard requirement:P164 also uses the "totally":buyer must describe a set of effects that are obvious to one or more ordinary human sensesThe other two are:The phrasing could be summarized like this: Abilities that aren’t currently in use, or totally passive ones, are never detectable except with a specialty of Detect specifically designed to identify individuals who have those abilities.The issue I think is maybe we don't necessarily have the clearest idea for every advantage which ones are "totally passive" vs perhaps just "semi-passive". Armor of Faith (MH1p43: No Signature -20% in 2011) vs Force Dome (PAWSp9:Visible-10% in 2016) versions of DR would be another fun thing to dabble in. I think that contrast could be resolved in remembering there's actually 2 forms of No Signature on B106, which gets weird because without separate names there might be some guesswork as to which one is intended when NS is listed. It's weird since it's written for an "attack", not DR. My guess for how this could make sense is that if we assume wild DR functions like having the 1st type of No Signature: "almost completely unnoticeable" rather than "utterly undetectable by normal means, but leaves a magical or psionic trace" I would think the latter might actually fall under one of the -5% "countermeasures" aspects of those power modifiers... but maybe not? Armor of Faith taking -20% could be intended maybe to make it the "best of both No Signatures" where it's both utterly undetectable AND doesn't leave a trace? Whereas Force Dome could basically be removing the "almost completely unnoticeable" inherent aspect of DR by making it translucent, which is not near enough to "completely" to be called "almost". P103 also mentions that: "If the ability is obvious and traceable, buy the enhancement twice" I'm thinking maybe we could call these something like "No Obvious Signature" and "No Traceable Signature" ? That said I think the -10% mana-sensitive with the -5% countermeasures built into it makes "Detect Magic" stuff able to detect force walls... so does the -10% "Mystic" power modifier give that to Mysticism Abilities except Armor of Faith because it cancels that out? |
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psionic powers |
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