Implicit detection magic

Skarg · 07-19-2018, 11:33 AM

Examples:

Calling: Lets you know if there is a being of the called type within range. If you're pretty sure you want to catch a specific person, and they're a rare type hiding somewhere, you can supposedly retrieve the nearest one... makes catching hobbit spies easy, or determining if there are any people/creatures of a certain type nearby.

Limiting spell - used on an item that works automatically when worn, allows you to detect the thing it limits even when it might not otherwise be determinable.

Expunge/Blast Trap say "any condition may be set" as long as it in co-located. Any? Can we set it to activate on spies? Disloyal people? People carrying concealed items of a type? People with IQ exactly 14? People who know the Insubstantiality spell? People who know Unarmed Combat IV? People who have met with Tollenkar in the last month?

Seems like there should be limits, or else they can be used for perhaps-too-clever information-gathering. At what point the line crosses from clever/interesting to abusive/unfun/undermining is sort of a matter of taste, but is currently left up to the GM... and unfortunately once a GM is lured into letting something clever work, may face having an inconsistent or annoying situation later.

07-19-2018, 11:33 AM	#4
Skarg Join Date: May 2015	Re: Implicit detection magic Examples: Calling: Lets you know if there is a being of the called type within range. If you're pretty sure you want to catch a specific person, and they're a rare type hiding somewhere, you can supposedly retrieve the nearest one... makes catching hobbit spies easy, or determining if there are any people/creatures of a certain type nearby. Limiting spell - used on an item that works automatically when worn, allows you to detect the thing it limits even when it might not otherwise be determinable. Expunge/Blast Trap say "any condition may be set" as long as it in co-located. Any? Can we set it to activate on spies? Disloyal people? People carrying concealed items of a type? People with IQ exactly 14? People who know the Insubstantiality spell? People who know Unarmed Combat IV? People who have met with Tollenkar in the last month? Seems like there should be limits, or else they can be used for perhaps-too-clever information-gathering. At what point the line crosses from clever/interesting to abusive/unfun/undermining is sort of a matter of taste, but is currently left up to the GM... and unfortunately once a GM is lured into letting something clever work, may face having an inconsistent or annoying situation later.