I'm thinking that the Auspex/Scanner is less suited to passive sensory enhancement (Awareness) and better suited to enhancing active scanning (Search). Tech-Use would still be needed for calibrating the device to notice things that human senses couldn't normally detect.
Feedback?
HappyDaze said:
I'm thinking that the Auspex/Scanner is less suited to passive sensory enhancement (Awareness) and better suited to enhancing active scanning (Search). Tech-Use would still be needed for calibrating the device to notice things that human senses couldn't normally detect.
Feedback?
My group has inadvertantly played this way for a while now- no one seems to remember they have the Auspex and so basically declare that they turn it on and scan about the area with it
As Search is (supposed to be) used to find hidden folks when actively looking for them, it makes sense to me.
I suppose it depends on how it's hooked up- if it's integrated say into your PA Hud, the marine would get bleeps, sweeps, and creeps on his hud, where adding to awareness would make some sense.
In RT you use Scrutiny to read the ships sensors, iirc.
Alex
ak-73 said:
In RT you use Scrutiny to read the ships sensors, iirc.
Alex
That's correct, but it still seems wrong to me that the skill used to determine the veracity of statements and the motivations of others is what you use for looking at a sensor screen.
Scrutiny is nothing really to do with operating a scanner. It's an interpersonal skill.
Search does make more sense, but Marines aren't very good at it, so it would be a choice for them of being ok at awareness, using a scanner in one hand and still... only being ok with it, as the bonuses for its use coupled with the poor Search skill can never hope to touch a good awareness skill backed up with the SM's heightened senses and autosenses.
So although Search makes more sense as a skill, it also rather removes the benefits of using an auspex - which is having more chance of spotting something, traded off by the cost in Requisition, and the use of a free hand. I'd personally stick to giving it an Awareness bonus and require Tech Use for 'tricky' stuff. That way it's still worth carrying.
Siranui said:
Scrutiny is nothing really to do with operating a scanner. It's an interpersonal skill.
Search does make more sense, but Marines aren't very good at it, so it would be a choice for them of being ok at awareness, using a scanner in one hand and still... only being ok with it, as the bonuses for its use coupled with the poor Search skill can never hope to touch a good awareness skill backed up with the SM's heightened senses and autosenses.
So although Search makes more sense as a skill, it also rather removes the benefits of using an auspex - which is having more chance of spotting something, traded off by the cost in Requisition, and the use of a free hand. I'd personally stick to giving it an Awareness bonus and require Tech Use for 'tricky' stuff. That way it's still worth carrying.
Simply having an amazing Awareness doesn't help much if you tank your Search. I think having the bonus to Search would be quite helpful. Also, Heightened Senses can certainly help with Search too.
And while I agree that sensor reading and Scrutiny don't seem like a good connection, Scrutiny is describe in Deathwatch as noticing details of people and objects. I guess that you can run with the objects bit and pull it in for sensors too if you like.
Siranui said:
Scrutiny is nothing really to do with operating a scanner. It's an interpersonal skill.
Well, you do have to interact with the machine spirits to get the information you're looking for.
Hiromoon said:
Siranui said:
Scrutiny is nothing really to do with operating a scanner. It's an interpersonal skill.
Well, you do have to interact with the machine spirits to get the information you're looking for.
That would be Tech-Use. It's the interaction skill used when dealing with Servitors, and machine spirits are far less complicated than that.
HappyDaze said:
That would be Tech-Use. It's the interaction skill used when dealing with Servitors, and machine spirits are far less complicated than that.
Shh! They think they're people! Do you really want to have the Servitors rise up against us? It'll be like the Machine Plague of 2352!
Anyway, from Rogue Trader:
The Scrutiny Skill helps assess the people or objects the Explorer encounters. The character uses it to determine an individual's truthfulness, his motives and generally appraise his personality and temperment. It can also be used to examine an object in detail, noticing small detailsa nd characteristics that might pass unseen in a casual inspection. For starship auspex returns, it allows determination of a vessel's mass, velocity, and more.
Doesn't seem to be as 'interpersonal' as implied previously.
Hiromoon said:
Doesn't seem to be as 'interpersonal' as implied previously.
Yeah, but there is overlap of some sorts.
Alex
ak-73 said:
Hiromoon said:
Doesn't seem to be as 'interpersonal' as implied previously.
Yeah, but there is overlap of some sorts.
Alex
How about this:
Tech-Use: Auspex gains a bonus due to tweaking or allows a re-roll to any Search tests done by the user immediately after tweaking?
Scrutiny: Auspex gives mass/number of objects and so forth