Can this be done? I can't find any rules references allowing this and in general, it's always bothered me (Captain, there are seven life forms aboard. One Vulcan. Two Human. All are right handed and one has to pee). I know that there's some whacky tech in 40K, but pinging life on a vessel or planet from the ship seems a little...too much? Anyway, if there's a place to find solid rules allowing it, please share.

I would say that there are definitely Auspex devices that would be able to scan life signs - but I don't think I would allow it to be as exact as you were joking.

Tech-Use with a varying degree of difficulty depending on the term "Life". Orks and humans and tyrannids all have radically different "life" signatures I would imagine.

So yes - I'd allow them to "detect life" - and maybe even "species" - but only "heavy" or "light" amounts - perhaps locations where they're "heavy" and "light"

In the scanning rules, it doesn't mention life, so I was wondering of there are any.

There is a line I've been using when situations like this come up in any sprawling science-fantasy RPG.

"You can't apply a Star Trek solution to a Star Wars problem."

In short, scanning for life signs aboard another starship is generally impossible when I run Rogue Trader. That being said, there are plenty of things the Explorers can scan for that can bring similar results. Such as...

• Scan life support systems to estimate the size of the crew a ship can support.
• Scan for heat signatures too big to be vermin but too small to be machinery.
• Scan for vox-chatter from private communications devices or networked data-slates.

Hmm... good question. In fluff a handheld auspex can be calibrated to detect human life signs within a certain distance. I would imagine that the much more powerful systems on a star ship could be calibrated to give at least a none/some/many response.

Thank you Baronlveagh - that's what I was basing my opinion on - but I didn't have my books available and wasn't 100% sure of the hand-held's capabilities. I had "thought" you could scan for life with them- but wasn't sure.

So - if a handheld device can do it.. I'd sure allow someone on an ancient vessel.

I just wouldn't make it so clean - like your Star Trek joke - of course.

Scanning rules under Starships, page 217: Focused Augery. You could use this success system to do the following (this is not official, but I use it to great effect)

Challengin (+0) Scrutiny+Detection Test.

Basic Success= Planet can basically support life= Air, water

One Degree= Above, plus notable toxins and emissions in the atmoshphere

Two Degrees= Above, plus mineral wealth, life form basic types (mammals, insects, etc.)

Three Degrees= Above, plus if their is society on the world (Eldar, Human, etc.)

Grand Inquisitor Fulminarex said:

But that doesn't necessarily give you signs of life. I'd say that you can scan as Attila suggested.

"Signs of life"??? What do you think mammals are?

Grand Inquisitor Fulminarex said:

I think, with this one, it might be more appropriate to scan for presence/absence/rough concentrations of advanced technology (sources of heat and electromagnetic radiation, etc) and the presence and concentration of artificial structures, rather than have Augurs able to detect such a nebulous concept as 'society'.

I am trying to simplify it as much as possible. Personally, the info revealed would be the presence of various industrial related gasses in the atmosphere, presence of strange energy fluctuations across the surface, and so forth. Details would have to be investigated further.

Grand Inquisitor Fulminarex said:

Oh, duh. Yeah. I was half-asleep when I skimmed over that. Hmm...this could be useful. Thanks!

N0-1_H3r3 said:

Just remember that there is probably going to be an NPC who takes the raw data from the augurs, then spends some time interpreting it. So he could identify a society, or he could make a big mistake.

This was my reasoning Bilateralrope, since you would assume that 30,000 crewmen are not all hauling shells into place.

I don't allow my PCsto scan for lifeforms, but their sensors can detect huge masses of life forms like forests.

Handheld auspexes i'd say look for very different things over very different distances than ship augurs. It makes sense for a hand held auspex to be able to search for lifesigns but ships augurs are made to detect other ships and celestial bodies, they are hugely powerful but totally lack that kind of fine detail. Heat signatures i'd allow though.

Bilateralrope said:

Oh, agreed, but there's still a lot of room for different interpretations. One thing I've done a few times with my group is follow on from sensors and scanners being called Augurs and Auspexes (terms related to divination) and the trappings of mysticism that surround technology is describe the act of interpreting information from these devices as "Electromancy" - the character is essentially using readings of electromagnetic radiation, etc, to discern information not easily discernable through natural means... it's a form of divination, having as much in common with fortune telling as scientific examination. One of the more favourable effects is that it allows me as the GM to convey all sorts of information in a variety of ways, while still leaving a healthy dose of uncertainty, where more clinical, more sci-fi terms often carry unintentional connotations of precision and rigorous accuracy.

Electromancy is an interesting term. I thought Augury was strange enough!