[Basic] Advantage of the Week (#40): Discriminatory Senses, Sensitive Touch

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Anthony

The problem is that you should really indicate what information you can get that cannot be gotten by just rolling well on the normal sense. A lot of examples of 'discriminatory' don't seem to be anything but a large amount of acute sense.

I thought Discriminatory senses are mostly the opposite: detecting things that no (sensible?) amount of Acute Sense will help detect. E.g. licking a fence blindfolded and realizing that it's painted in two different paints (and later figuring that this is Paint A and that is Paint B).

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Detect (based on another sense): your detect is based on another sense. You cannot roll the detect directly; instead, when you detect something with the other sense, you also know whether it contains the specified substance and may analyze it.

This is what is meant by "perception" as opposed to "sensation." For example, you have the sensation of some soft thudding noises coming from behind you and to your right; you perceive that the cat is approaching you at a run.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

I thought Discriminatory senses are mostly the opposite: detecting things that no (sensible?) amount of Acute Sense will help detect. E.g. licking a fence blindfolded and realizing that it's painted in two different paints (and later figuring that this is Paint A and that is Paint B).

Yes, equating it to Anaylze for Detect helps a lot.
I do see Anthony's point where a few examples may be useful but comparing vision to other senses helps me at least eyeball it.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by whswhs

This is what is meant by "perception" as opposed to "sensation." For example, you have the sensation of some soft thudding noises coming from behind you and to your right; you perceive that the cat is approaching you at a run.

No, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the difference between color perception and color blindness -- if you're color blind you simply cannot distinguish color. This does not prevent discriminating detected objects based on other criteria, it just means one sense has capabilities that the other lacks.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

I thought Discriminatory senses are mostly the opposite: detecting things that no (sensible?) amount of Acute Sense will help detect. E.g. licking a fence blindfolded and realizing that it's painted in two different paints (and later figuring that this is Paint A and that is Paint B).

That's why I think the Discriminatory Smell write up is not what was intended. I'm human with a human brain and nose, yet I could easily identify people, pets, and quite a lot of other information that others could not. That should just be Acute Senses, not an exotic advantage.
Around 50% of the genes coding for sense of smell are broken or permanently turned off in humans. But trying to define what no human can smell but some other animals can is rather tricky.
Much easier to describe different EM wavelengths and discrimination of colors.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Anthony

No, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the difference between color perception and color blindness -- if you're color blind you simply cannot distinguish color. This does not prevent discriminating detected objects based on other criteria, it just means one sense has capabilities that the other lacks.

So your ability would allow me to smell colors, hear faces, or see odors?

[(E)]

One thought, using animal's sense of smell to detect illness is a developing line of scientific inquiry/advancement. There may be a plausible reason to give a bonus to diagnosis from discriminatory smell/taste.*

*The historic method for detecting diabetes springs to mind.

[KarlKost]

It is very interesting that many animals have some of those senses in the real world. It's not like Detect that is far being biology (althouth I must add that many fish have Detect Electricity to such a high degree that it can sense a heart beating of another animal over several miles, and they also have some impressive 3D senses). All that makes those lab made "people" full of possibilities, since those traits can be justified for bioengeneered humans, so, even in a setting where mind reading is just fantasy, those traits are nevertheless suitable for many sci fi genres.

[KarlKost]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

I thought Discriminatory senses are mostly the opposite: detecting things that no (sensible?) amount of Acute Sense will help detect. E.g. licking a fence blindfolded and realizing that it's painted in two different paints (and later figuring that this is Paint A and that is Paint B).

Yeah, it would be it. With +4 bonuses from acute smell, you would be able to smell the stench of men; but thats pretty much it. You can only make a dintinction between different people with the discriminatory smell.

[KarlKost]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

So your ability would allow me to smell colors, hear faces, or see odors?

That's synestesia.

About "hearing faces", bats do almost that.

Oh, and that Daredevil from Marvel too