How does Vision work?

[Onkl]

Hi guys

I've just been rereading B358 but still can't really grasp how Vision and Vision rolls work in GURPS.

Let's say Joe Sixpack (10 Int, 10 Per, 10 Vision) want's to spot a house (10x10x10 yards: SM4 + 2 due to being a block) 1 mile away (Range Modifier: -18).

So, does he really have to roll 10 + 6 - 18 = -2?

What would this vision roll entail? What details of the house would he notice if he made the roll?

I'm really unclear on how this stuff works… To me it seems very, very difficult to spot something with GURPS, and since this just can't be, I must have understood something wrong at a very basic level.

Please enlighten me!

Cheers

Onkl

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by Onkl

Hi guys

I've just been rereading B358 but still can't really grasp how Vision and Vision rolls work in GURPS.

Let's say Joe Sixpack (10 Int, 10 Per, 10 Vision) want's to spot a house (10x10x10 yards: SM4 + 2 due to being a block) 1 mile away (Range Modifier: -18).

So, does he really have to roll 10 + 6 - 18 = -2?

You can get a +10 for the house being in plain sight, and up to +5 for taking extra time.

[Onkl]

Originally Posted by NineDaysDead

You can get a +10 for the house being in plain sight, and up to +5 for taking extra time.

Where did you get the +10 for "being in plain sight" from? It's not on B358 afaik.

[Turhan's Bey Company]

Originally Posted by Onkl

Where did you get the +10 for "being in plain sight" from? It's not on B358 afaik.

You failed your Vision roll. From the example on p. B358:

To spot something in plain sight – e.g., a car coming toward you on the road – roll at +10.

[Onkl]

Originally Posted by Turhan's Bey Company

You failed your Vision roll. From the example on p. B358:

D'oh!

Thank you very much... ok, that make the whole Vision chaos I had in my head go away. Now, what kind of details would making that roll encompass?

[Onkl]

Originally Posted by Onkl

D'oh!

Thank you very much... ok, that make the whole Vision chaos I had in my head go away. Now, what kind of details would making that roll encompass?

To clarify, what kind of statements would Joe be able to make about that house after he made his Vision check? What kind of details would he be able to see?

->

10 + 6 (SM) + 10 (Plain Sight) -18 (Range) = 8

If I were GM I would rule, the better he makes his roll, the more details he sees. But what is the baseline... what does see notice when he just rolls an 8?

[vicky_molokh]

Of course, maybe the house is actually a character, resisting your check with its Stealth and/or Camouflage. Kinda like a psychic blueberry muffin.

[Turhan's Bey Company]

Originally Posted by Onkl

To clarify, what kind of statements would Joe be able to make about that house after he made his Vision check? What kind of details would he be able to see?

At the very least: That it exists. Where it is. Gross physical characteristics like shape, a rough approximation of size, and color.

That's a substantial distance and penalty, so I might require additional rolls for things like number and placement of windows and doors.

[Langy]

Originally Posted by Onkl

To clarify, what kind of statements would Joe be able to make about that house after he made his Vision check? What kind of details would he be able to see?

->

10 + 6 (SM) + 10 (Plain Sight) -18 (Range) = 8

If I were GM I would rule, the better he makes his roll, the more details he sees. But what is the baseline... what does see notice when he just rolls an 8?

He'd be able to recognize that it's a house, probably what color it is and general shape, too. He wouldn't be able to make out any details that are SM+5 or smaller, however, like what the door looks like.

[Onkl]

Originally Posted by Langy

He'd be able to recognize that it's a house, probably what color it is and general shape, too. He wouldn't be able to make out any details that are SM+5 or smaller, however, like what the door looks like.

Thank you very much! This is exactly what I have been looking for!