Psychic Signatures

[JCurwen3]

The use of powers leave traces. In Psionic Powers, they're called "Psychic Signatures". On p. 20 of that book, it adds the enhancement Low Psychic Signature. There are also ways given to Hide a Signature, and to Detect them.

I'm curious though, why was a "High Signature" or "High Psychic Signature" limitation not added? Was it a concern over abusability? An oversight? Or some other reason?

EDIT:
Obviously it's easy to just make your own: -5% for every +2 to detect. Still curious why it wasn't ever included anywhere.

[lexington]

There's no such thing as ordinary "High Signature" for non psychic powers either. I think that's meant to be covered by "Nuisance Effect: Obvious" -5%.

[JCurwen3]

Originally Posted by lexington

There's no such thing as ordinary "High Signature" for non psychic powers either. I think that's meant to be covered by "Nuisance Effect: Obvious" -5%.

I know, although there's no reason why it can't be even more obvious than -5% worth. Each +5% Low Signature represents a -2 to be detected, it would be a nice symmetry if it went the other way too, each -5% High Signature representing a +2 to be detected.

Also, a question regarding signatures - are they any rules or guidelines for the range / area effect of psychic signatures, or is that something left up to the GM on a case by case or campaign by campaign basis?

EDIT:
Forget the question about range / area effect. Stupid question.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by JCurwen3

I know, although there's no reason why it can't be even more obvious than -5% worth.

There is, actually. Once you are pretty sure to be detected by a typical psychic there's no further disadvantage.

[JCurwen3]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

There is, actually. Once you are pretty sure to be detected by a typical psychic there's no further disadvantage.

Psychic signatures are detected via Detect, and that has penalties for range. Higher psychic signatures would cancel out those penalties, so your use of your power can be detected from farther away.

From 100 yards away (assuming their Detect doesn't have levels of Increased Range), they're at a whopping -10 to their Sense roll, and 100 yards isn't really all that far away. But if your power had High Signature -25%, giving a +10 to detection, they'd be just as likely to detect your power being used from 100 yards away as they would be to detect a normal, regular psychic signatured power at 2 yards away or less.

Being detectable from far away could be quite a big deal, depending on the campaign.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by lexington

There's no such thing as ordinary "High Signature" for non psychic powers either. I think that's meant to be covered by "Nuisance Effect: Obvious" -5%.

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

There is, actually. Once you are pretty sure to be detected by a typical psychic there's no further disadvantage.

These both sound right. The appropriate Detect at short range is already reasonably likely to notice a normal signature, so (IMO) a more easily noticed one would have to be pretty obvious to rise to the level of a minor Nuisance Effect. I'm having trouble envisioning an effect based solely on noticeability that would justify more than a -5% NE... maybe in a game where detection (using Signature Sniffer and Psi Sense) is a major theme :?

[JCurwen3]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

These both sound right. The appropriate Detect at short range is already reasonably likely to notice a normal signature, so (IMO) a more easily noticed one would have to be pretty obvious to rise to the level of a minor Nuisance Effect. I'm having trouble envisioning an effect based solely on noticeability that would justify more than a -5% NE... maybe in a game where detection (using Signature Sniffer and Psi Sense) is a major theme :?

You're right - at short range. But see my post above. At 100 yards, there's a -10 penalty to standard unmodified Detect. The more levels of what I call High Psychic Signature you have on your ability, the easier it will be to detect at long range. I would think that any game where Psi Sense and Signature Sniffer are significant as psychic residue senses would justify taking -5% for each +2 to detect. Imagine the equivalent for ordinary mundane signatures - at higher signatures, things like huge flashing lights, storm clouds, thunder claps, etc. The higher the signature, the easier it will be to notice from farther away.

[Michael Hopcroft]

It occurs to me that magical powers might also have signatures. Those attuned to magical signatures might, for example, find that a place "reeks of demon" based on its magical signature. If an individual mage becomes well-known enough his own magical signature may be recognizable so that attuned people know whether he cast that spell or whether he has cast a spell in the vacinity.

Of course, most mages are not well-known enough that just anybody attuned to magic can recognize their auras. It would usually require acute personal experience with that mage, as an ally or an enemy. (Demons are a different story -- you could usually tell there were demons around without having to know what specific demon it is).

[combatmedic]

Joseph Curwen?


GAHHH!

[talonthehand]

Originally Posted by combatmedic

Joseph Curwen?


GAHHH!

That may be the oddest comment I've seen tonight.