Senses

One or more of your senses are improved, or you have additional sensory abilities beyond the normal senses listed in the side bar. Each of the following is a separate sensory effect. The cost per rank are noted in their descriptions. Most senses are not rank dependent so that extra ranks act only as Phantom Ranks which is pointless for innate senses.

Like all sensory effects, Senses uses the sense types as descriptors (see power effects for a list of sense types). If the sense type below says "choose one" you may choose Exotic. All senses have Permanent duration (Action: None) by default. The sense itself has personal range in that it affects you but what you can sense with it is given by the ranges listed either personal, close, perception or universal. Personal means you can only sense something within yourself (most are mental), close means you can only sense things within close range, universal range is only for communication link which lets you communicate anywhere within the same universe, and perception range means it experiences the normal -1 penalty per 15 feet. For an Illusion to trick any sense the user must know what false senses to provide. But each sense that isn't normal may be sensed differently between people so that an Illusionist would have to use Mind Reading in order to know how to trick those senses. First is a list of new Senses followed by a list of sense modifiers.

Altitude

You know approximately how high or low you are. To the nearest distance rank you know how high above the center of the planet you currently are and how far above or below sea level you are. You must be able to feel the planet's atmosphere's pressure for this sense to work because it is tactile based. If this sense is not Acute it might be tricked by artificial gravity or atmosphere. This sense also allows you to always know which way is down despite drunkenness or dizziness as long as you are not Perception Impaired. Note that this sense has no effect on a Balance (Agl) check: knowing exactly which way is down does make it any easier to remain upright or walk a tight rope, conversely Balance is impossible if you don't know which way is down at all.

Awareness

You can sense the use of effects of a particular descriptor with a successful Perception check (DC 0, with normal distance penalty). Examples include Cosmic Awareness, Divine Awareness, Magical Awareness, Mental Awareness, and so forth. You can apply other Sense effects to your Awareness to modify it. Choose the sense type for your Awareness; it is often a mental sense, but doesn't have to be. Awareness counts as an "exotic sense" for noticing effects with the first rank of the Subtle modifier (see Subtle under Extras for details).

Communication Link

You have a link with a particular individual, chosen when you acquire this option, who must also have this ability. The two of you can communicate over any distance like a use of the Communication effect. Choose a sense type as a communication medium when you select this option; mental is common for psychic or empathic links. If you apply the Dimensional modifier to your Communication Link, it extends to other dimensions as well (see Dimensional under Power Modifiers for details).

Danger Sense

When you would normally be surprised in combat, make a Perception check (DC 0): One degree of success means you're not vulnerable although you still take a -10 penalty to initiative, but with two or more degrees of success means you are not surprised at all (suffer neither) and may act normally. Failure means you are surprised as normal (suffer both). The GM may raise the DC of the Danger Sense check in some circumstances. Choose a sense type for your Danger Sense. Sensory effects targeting that sense also affect your Danger Sense ability and may "blind" it or trick it.

Detect

You can sense a particular item or effect by touch with a Perception check. Detect has close range and only indicates the presence or absence of something (being neither acute nor accurate). The presence or absence can be detected on a scale such as knowing the difference between mild, hot, and very hot while not knowing any more about the temperature (tactile). Detect can sense small changes when moving from one thing to another (such as "getting warmer") but has difficulty comparing things indirectly, for that see the acute modifier above. Choose what sense type your Detect falls under (often mental). This sense is close range, to change this see Ranged. Note that the difference between an allergy character complication and a detect with an allergenic descriptor is whether or not it is useful: if it is useful then it must be detect.

Direction Sense

You always know what direction north lies in and can retrace your steps through any place you've been.

Distance Sense

You can accurately and automatically judge distances that you can perceive with another sense.

Full Spectrum Vision

Includes Infravision and Ultravision. You can see all forms of electromagnetic waves: ultraviolet, infrared, radiation, microwaves, x-rays, radio, and other wavelengths. This also includes visible light but that is covered by normal vision which is required for this sense. Normal vision already includes acute which is important for this sense because otherwise vision would be obscured by a cacophony of visuals. Being able to see Radio waves will not allow you to understand the message being sent for that Analytical is required.

Infravision

You can see in the infrared portion of the spectrum, allowing you to see heat patterns. Darkness does not provide concealment for objects differing in temperature from their surroundings. You can use Tracking to follow a heat trail that living creatures (and some machines) naturally leave behind (although it diffuses quickly).

Postcognition

Your senses extend into the past, allowing you to perceive events that took place previously. You can make Perception checks to pick up on past information in an area or from a subject. The Gamemaster sets the DC for these checks based on how obscure and distant in the past the information is, from DC 5 (for a vague vision that may or may not be accurate) to DC 20 (for near complete knowledge of a particular past event as if you were actually present). Your normal (present-day) senses don't work while you're using Postcognition; your awareness is focused on the past. Your postcognitive visions last for as long as you concentrate. Postcognition does not apply to sensory effects like Mind Reading or any other ability requiring interaction. Postcognition may be Limited to past events connected to your own "past lives" or ancestors, reducing cost to 2 ranks.

Precognition

Your senses extend into the future, allowing you to perceive events that may happen. Your precognitive visions represent possible futures. If circumstances change, then the vision may not come to pass. When you use this ability, the Gamemaster chooses what information to impart. Your visions may be obscure and cryptic, open to interpretation. The Gamemaster may require appropriate Perception skill checks for you to pick up on particularly detailed information, with a DC ranging from 5 to 20 or more. The GM can also activate your Precognition to impart specific information to you as an adventure hook or plot device. Your normal (present-day) senses don't work while you're using Precognition; your awareness is focused on the future. Your precognitive visions last as long as you concentrate. Precognition does not apply to sensory effects like Mind Reading or any other ability requiring interaction.

Radio

You can "hear" radio frequencies including AM, FM, television, cellular, police bands, and so forth. This allows you to pick up on Radio Communication (see the Communication effect). This is the base sense of the radio sense type. It's ranged, radius, and acute by default.

Time Sense

You always know what time it is and can time events as if you had an accurate stopwatch. For 1 rank you know exactly how long it's been since any other point you were conscious and (if you knew what time it was earlier) you'll know what time it is (assuming time has advanced normally). For 2 ranks you have some connection to an external source of time keeping which can tell you everything you need to know about time regardless of consciousness, memory, or time dilation in addition to the benefits provided by 1 rank. A human without any form of super speed can sense time with an accuracy up to a half second, robots are accurate up to a millisecond (time rank -12). If you have some form of super speed (or another reason for increased precision) you can sense time with an accuracy related to your maximum speed. For example a human with Quickness (or speed) 12 and Time Sense has an accuracy of at least up to a millisecond.

Ultra-hearing

You can hear very high and low frequency sounds, like dog whistles or ultrasonic signals, including those used by some remote controls.

Ultravision

You can see ultraviolet light, allowing you to see normally at night by the light of the stars or other UV light sources.

Sense Modifiers

The following is a list of sense modifiers. They act just like power modifiers. Some of them modify an entire sense type others only a single sense as indicated, either way the choice is made went applied. You can't choose Exotic as a sense type because it is a catch-all, if told to choose a type you may instead choose a specific Exotic type power as though it was its own type. You may modify regular senses but only the unmodified base will be Innate unless you apply Innate again. Personal ranged senses can't have any sense modifiers. Although any sense personal or otherwise can also have power modifiers.

Accurate

An accurate sense can pinpoint something's exact location. You can use an accurate sense to target something in combat. Visual and tactile senses (entire sense types) are normally accurate for humans. Cost is 2 ranks for one sense, 4 for an entire sense type.

Acute

You can sense fine details about anything you can detect with a particular sense, allowing you to distinguish between and identify different subjects. Visual and auditory senses (entire sense types) are normally acute for humans being able to see colors and brightness and the various elements of sound. Cost is 1 rank for one sense, 2 for an entire sense type.

Analytical

Beyond even acute, you can perceive specific details about anything you can detect with an analytical sense, such as chemical composition, temperature, exact dimensions or mass, frequency of sounds and energy wavelengths, and so forth. You can only apply this effect to an acute sense. Normal senses are not analytical. Cost is 1 rank for one sense, 2 for an entire sense type.

Counters Concealment

A sense type with this trait ignores the Concealment effect of a particular descriptor; you sense the subject of the effect normally, as if it had no Concealment as long as your number of applications of this sense modifier is equal to or greater than the ranks of that Concealment effect. So if you have vision that Counters Invisibility, for example, then invisible beings are visible to you. Concealed subjects seem slightly "off" to you, enough to know they are concealed to others. This trait does not affect concealment provided by opaque objects, for that, see Penetrates Concealment. Natural concealment, such as darkness, has an effective rank of 1. This trait provides no distinction between partial and total Concealment either both are ignored (if enough ranks) or both remain.

Counters Illusion

A sense type with this trait ignores the Illusion effect; you automatically get a check to notice that it is fake when you first come under the effect, if you fail you have a feeling that something is a bit off but this is not sufficient for a check to overcome it. If the illusion is not affecting your sense type then this entire effect does not apply. Whenever you make a Will defense check against an illusion effect that affects your sense type you get a bonus equal to your Counters Illusion rank. Additionally you can choose whether or not you sense any illusion you have overcome in this way which allows you to see what others are seeing or to see the truth.

Darkvision

You can see in complete darkness as if it were normal daylight; darkness provides no concealment to your vision. This is the same as vision that Counters Concealment of darkness (see above for more details). It also ignores any other kind of concealment effect of rank 1 with a darkness descriptor.

Extended

You have a sense that operates at greater than normal range. Your range with the sense--the distance used to determine penalties to your Perception check--is increased by a distance rank of 3 per Extended rank. So 1 rank means you have a -1 to Perception checks per distance rank 2 (120 feet), 2 ranks makes it -1 per distance rank 5 (900 feet), and so on. An extended sense may be limited by conditions like the horizon and physical barriers between you and the subject, unless it also Penetrates Concealment.

Low-light Vision

You ignore circumstance penalties to visual Perception checks for poor lighting, so long as it is not completely dark. This is the same as vision that Counters Concealment of darkness limited to must only be partial concealment (-1) (see above for more details). It also ignores any other kind of partial concealment effect of rank 1 with a darkness descriptor.

Microscopic

A sense with this trait can make perception checks to sense tiny or faint things nearby as though you were a much smaller size. Cost is 1 point for dust-sized objects, 2 points for cellular-sized, 3 points for DNA and complex molecules, and 4 points for atomic-sized. The GM may require an Expertise skill check to understand and interpret what you see. If you are not normal size (rank -2: 6 ft) you can still sense things much smaller than yourself but the GM will decide exactly how much smaller. For any perception ranged sense the distance rank you can sense without penalty is reduced by 1 rank while using this: ie you must be closer to see small things.

Penetrates Concealment

A sense type with this trait is unaffected by concealment from obstacles (rather than Concealment effects). So vision that Penetrates Concealment sees right through opaque objects, for example, and hearing that Penetrates Concealment is unaffected by sound-proofing or intervening materials, and so forth. With the first application the sense type penetrates a distance rank -2 (6 feet) increasing by one distance rank for each additional application in Penetrates Concealment. If you are trying to penetrate multiple barriers use their total thickness ignoring the distance between each. The obstacle need not be an object, in the case of hearing through a vacuum, in which case the thickness is equal to the distance the sense couldn't normally travel. This sense modifier does not provide Darkvision, meaning looking inside of an object may not prove useful. If you also apply Precise to the same sense type you can see partially through an object such as seeing what is written on the other side of a wall or seeing into a person instead of all the way through them (recall that it is dark inside of objects) although clever use of maximum penetration distance can also see inside a person. Note that the distance circumstance penalty to perception still applies normally. If the object is translucent to that sense type then you can also sense through it, using its opaque thickness as a base of 1 foot. For example: if there is fog that only allows vision 10 feet and you are less than 10 feet away you can see it completely (effectively rank 0) but for every 10 feet away you are count it as 1 foot (distance rank -4) thickness of an opaque object.

Radius

You can make Perception checks with a radius sense for any point around you. Subjects behind you cannot use Stealth to hide from you without some other concealment. Auditory, olfactory, and tactile senses (entire sense types) are normally radius for humans. Cost is 1 rank for use with one sense, 2 ranks for one sense type.

Ranged

You can use a sense that normally has close range (taste or touch in humans) to make it Perception ranged, with the normal -1 per 15 feet modifier. This can be enhanced with the Extended Sense effect.

Rapid

You can read or take in information from a sense faster than normal: each rank increases your perception speed by a time rank of 3 (+3, +6, etc.). You can use rapid vision to speed-read, pick up on rapid flickering between frames of a film, watch video replays in fast-forward speeds, and such, rapid hearing to listen to time-compressed audio "blips," and so forth.

Extras

Affects Others: You can grant the benefits of one or more Senses to another character. Apply Affects Others only to the ranks of the chosen sense(s). +0 or +1 cost per rank.

Area: The Area modifier only applies to Senses that affect Others, and only to extend their benefits to everyone in an area. Apply the Selective modifier for the ability to choose who in the area does and does not benefit from the Senses. To affect the area of a sense itself, use the Extended and Radius traits of the Senses effect. +1 cost per rank.

Dimensional: This modifier allows you to extend your senses into other dimensions. It applies to a single sense type of your choice for normal cost or all your senses for 5 times the cost. It also allows you to sense your approximate location in the other dimension(s). See Modifiers for a description. For a more extended range, use Remote Sensing with this modifier. Flat 1-15 points.

Innate: Senses, particularly those of aliens or constructs like robots, may be Innate, although this does not prevent sensory effects like Concealment or Dazzle from disabling them. Due to senses generally only having 1 rank this modifier costs a different amount then normal. Flat +10 points.

Ranged: Likewise, the Ranged extra only applies to Senses that Affect Others, extending the distance at which you can grant their benefits. To extend the range of a sense itself, use the Extended, Radius, and Ranged options of the Senses effect. +1 or +2 cost per rank.

Flaws

Limited: Some Senses may be Limited to only sensing certain things or only under certain circumstances. As usual, the sense must lose about half its utility to qualify for this flaw, less than that is more likely a particular descriptor associated with the sense and may constitute a complication at the GM's discretion when it comes up in play. -1 cost per rank.

Noticeable: Senses with this flaw are particularly noticeable in some way: your eyes may glow, for example, or you may emit a noticeable sound, vibration, energy, or the like for use as a sensor. Flat -1 point.

Unreliable: Some Senses may be unreliable; the GM makes checks for reliability when the sense is used. It applies to a sense of your choice. See Modifiers for a description. -1 cost per rank.