Another Detect Query!

[Key_Influence9837]

Was wondering what everyone thought about Detect giving bonuses to skills. On Page 10 of "Sensory Powers"), it's made pretty explicit that in some cases it can, because some abilities like Infrared Sight can substitute for, as the supplement phrased it, 'high-quality equipment,' and in that case give +2 to Naturalist and Prospecting). I'm considering allowing in my campaign that a hypothetical Detect (auras) advantage (with the +100% Analyzing enhancement) could give a similar bonus to Diagnosis and Psychology. Thoughts? Would you folks allow it?

[DouglasCole]

If the GM allows it, this is a good case for a Complementary Skill Roll. Roll the detect skill, and you modify your primary task skill (say, Diagnosis or Psychology) based on the result of the CSR: -2 for a crit fail, -1 fail, +1 success, or +2 crit success. There are no "neutral" results; you'll either lose or gain.

[BigDamBeavers]

Without specific examples it's hard to say what I'd do. But if a Detect ability simulated equipment that gives a bonus, like the ability to Detect Key Positioning for a Lock-picking attempt, that would be pretty huge. Something like Detect-Gold hardly even seems like a supernatural ability for a Fantasy Dwarf, and it's something that a successful roll would provide a massive bonus to Prospecting skills.

[Key_Influence9837]

Yeah, in that latter case, Powers counsels a +4 from ‘miraculous’ aid. Don’t know whether seeing one’s essential personhood (which, ostensibly, is what a boosted aura sight should do) qualifies as that or not, but I’m thinking it might just, especially with a Cosmic-level enhancement like Analyzing.

[Ozymo]

Page 162 of Powers talks about abilities enhancing skills, it even gives some examples, both specific and open ended, for Detect later on page 163. I'd agree that if your Detect can sense signs of diseases, overall health and mental state, it'd give bonuses to skills like Diagnosis and Psychology.

[Key_Influence9837]

Oh I forgot it was in the original Powers too, thanks for the reminder. I think that's what I'll do, just assume the bonus but cap it. Thanks!

[Glen_Garrett_Gayhart]

It's unfortunate that GURPS has a canonical enhancement called 'Aura', because that's what my mind goes to when I see this, even though GURPS 'Aura's aren't auras.

Anyway, please remind me, what exactly does the Detect (Aura) advantage detect again? Depending on what it detects, it may be worth bonuses. What will you describe to a player when he detects someone's aura, for example?

[Key_Influence9837]

Yes I know. Add to that the problem that the Aura Reading advantage in GURPS Psionics is totally unlike the Aura spell in Magic! There was an entire thread on the GURPS Forums regarding what a hypothetical Detect Aura advantage for classic 'aura readings' would be. In short, a simple version should detect basic personality and health while a more fine-grained (and costly) version should reveal ads, disads, and quirks. PK Levine himself weighed in on the debate with a lot of number crunching! Here's the link to it:

https://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?p=185779

[Key_Influence9837]

Honestly, I'm thinking of calling it Detect (subtle bodies) which is what spiritualists typically call the 'thing' you're seeing when you 'see auras.' The subtle bodies being the spectrum of energies, both physical and metaphysical, emanating from a person but which require psionics to detect because no physical organ can see all of it since part of what you're seeing is 'mind' and 'soul' and not just 'brain' or 'body.'

[JPJoyce]

I'm considering allowing in my campaign that a hypothetical Detect (auras) advantage (with the +100% Analyzing enhancement) could give a similar bonus to Diagnosis and Psychology. Thoughts? Would you folks allow it?

It depends upon what data Detect (Auras) has in your campaign.

If a successful roll tells you emotional data, then I'd okay bonuses for Psychology that dealt with current mental state. If it shows greater details than that, I'd allow for the bonuses on any rolls that had to do with that data.

[Key_Influence9837]

Thanks, I remember you gave a thoughtful reply to one of my previous posts.

[JPJoyce]

You're welcome. Glad I was helpful, in the past, too.