03-21-2021, 05:43 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Jan 2009
|
Is Detect barrier-penetrating by default?
Will vanilla Detect work through walls, earth, six feet of lead, etc.? If so, what would be the appropriate value be for a limitation that didn't? If not, what would be the appropriate value be for an enhancement that did?
|
03-21-2021, 10:03 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Oct 2008
|
Re: Is Detect barrier-penetrating by default?
Well, the wording strongly implies that it does not care for barriers.
As for values, it depends really on how limiting the condition is. In general it would thus be Accessibility limitation. As a reference on one possible value: if you need to see the thing with your eyes it would be Sense-Based, Reversed (single sense)(PU8 p17) -20%. |
03-21-2021, 11:26 PM | #3 |
Join Date: Dec 2007
|
Re: Is Detect barrier-penetrating by default?
It is, yes. After all, it's how you do dowsing.
|
03-22-2021, 07:29 AM | #4 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
|
Re: Is Detect barrier-penetrating by default?
Quote:
|
|
03-23-2021, 04:30 AM | #5 | |
Join Date: Apr 2005
|
Re: Is Detect barrier-penetrating by default?
Quote:
That implies that Detect ignores barriers, which is appropriate for magical and psi powers which ignore the laws of physics. For realistic or super powers, the Special Limitations for Penetrating Vision might be applicable: -10 to -30% for Blockable, -10% to -80% for Specific. A new special limitation to Detect, "Limited by barriers" might be worth -5% per -1 penalty for intervening barriers. That's in line with the -5% per level for generic limitations like Inaccurate or Resistible. How the -1/lvl penalty is assessed depends on how the specific Detect power works, it could be -1 per inch or foot of material or -1 per barrier no matter how thick it is. For Detect powers which are specifically based on normal senses, it seems logical to apply the Sense-Based limitation (i.e., -30% for one sense, -20% for two, or -10% for 3) in some cases. For example, if you can Detect magic using your eyes (a ranged, more accurate version of Mage-Sight) buy Detect with a -30% limitation. This allows you to can see major sources of magical emanations in the open (e.g., Octarine light flooding the Discworld, magical auras from huge area enchantments, regions of Very High Mana) at great distances in good sighting conditions, but can't see them if they're covered up, far away, or if you're blindfolded, or operating in bad weather or the dark. |
|
03-23-2021, 10:31 AM | #6 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
|
Re: Is Detect barrier-penetrating by default?
Good call on using the Penetrating Vision limiters, although I'm having trouble wrapping my head around applying Specific to it. A Block seems like it might be more limiting to a Detect, since it doesn't register anything if something is shielded from the sense.
|
03-23-2021, 10:33 AM | #7 |
Join Date: Sep 2007
|
Re: Is Detect barrier-penetrating by default?
Having specific (rare?) materials capable of blocking Detect spells and abilities is a good plot hook as well.
|
|
|