What kind of info do (acute/analytical) Supersenses impart?

[Folkert]

I've been considering using the Supersenses combo "Aura Reading" for my PC which basically consists of ranged Detect (Mood), ranged Detect (Physical Condition) and Psychic Awareness.

So I've been asking myself what do these senses actually convey? (According to the fluff text, the aura shows "their mood, physical condition, and any outside psychic influences".)

What if I made the Aura Reading acute or even analytical?

Thanks!

[Folkert]

I've been considering using the Supersenses combo "Aura Reading" for my PC which basically consists of ranged Detect (Mood), ranged Detect (Physical Condition) and Psychic Awareness.

So I've been asking myself what do these senses actually convey? (According to the fluff text, the aura shows "their mood, physical condition, and any outside psychic influences".)

What if I made the Aura Reading acute or even analytical?

Thanks!

[Dr Archeville]

Well, this is the guideline I go by, based on my experiences with the somewhat similar HERO System (5th Edition).

Say you have Detect Mind. On it's own, it'd let you perceive the presence & general location of another mind, and a vague "intensity" of the mind (whether it's stronger or weaker than yours, and whether or not it's engaged in intense mental activity of some sort). It would not automatically let you know whether that mind possesses any mental powers, though knowing the "intensity" of the mind may give a clue.

Acute lets you know whose mind it is (if you already knew the mind/person beforehand), and definitely lets you know if it has psionic powers of any sort.

Analytical lets you know exactly what psionic powers the mind has (and the approximate power point total, +/- 20%) and the mind's Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma scores (+/- 20%). It's the "look at the character sheet" level of detecting.

No version of Detect Mind would let you know of any mental Complications (like phobias) or Drawbacks, even with Acute or Analytical.

Now, keep in mind Aura Reading (as given in UP) consists of three separate super-senses, so you'd need to get Acute or Analytical (or whatever) for each one separately. (Or pay double and get them for the entire Mental sense type.)

I'd say that Detect Mood would

[*:ysqxpoxg]At default, tell you if a viewed person is experiencing a mood/has emotions ("Robot Sense... tingling!"), and if so if they're more or less intense than the mood you're currently feeling. It'd probably be limited to detecting the single most powerful mood the target's feeling.
[*:ysqxpoxg]With Acute Detect Mood, you can detect all the moods a person is feeling at the time (if detecting confusion and anger in someone, you might guess that target has been recently betrayed by someone).
[*:ysqxpoxg]With Acute Analytical Detect Mood, you can detect not only all the moods a person is feeling at the time, but also get a general sense of at whom those moods are directed (confusion towards husband + anger towards sister ma lead you to = her husband cheated on her with her own sister). It might also let you gauge a target's Charisma score, as above.

I'd say that Detect Physical Condition would

[*:ysqxpoxg]At default, tell you if a viewed person is a) a physical/corporeal thing and healthier or sicker than you.
[*:ysqxpoxg]With Acute Detect Physical Condition, you could detect the general presence of illnesses (presence of tumors) or body-altering compounds (drugs or poisons) or other injuries (bullets, lacerations, etc.).
[*:ysqxpoxg]With Acute Analytical Detect Mood, you can detect exactly what drugs or poisons are in a person (or, rather, exactly what those substances are doing to the person, though not where they came from), or exactly where a bullet is lodged or a tumor is located. It might also let you gauge a target's Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution score, as above.

I'd say that Psychic Awareness would

[*:ysqxpoxg]At default, tell you if a viewed person is a) using psychic powers or is under the influence of a psychic power.
[*:ysqxpoxg]With Acute Psychic Awareness, you could detect who used the power affecting the viewed target ("This is obviously the work of Professor Psion!").
[*:ysqxpoxg]With Acute Analytical Psychic Awareness, you could detect exactly what the psychic effect is ("Jeeves, when did you get Mind Control 15?"), and the effects power point cost (as above).

The above are my own ramblings. I have no power on this board. (Yet )

[Dr Archeville]

Well, this is the guideline I go by, based on my experiences with the somewhat similar HERO System (5th Edition).

Say you have Detect Mind. On it's own, it'd let you perceive the presence & general location of another mind, and a vague "intensity" of the mind (whether it's stronger or weaker than yours, and whether or not it's engaged in intense mental activity of some sort). It would not automatically let you know whether that mind possesses any mental powers, though knowing the "intensity" of the mind may give a clue.

Acute lets you know whose mind it is (if you already knew the mind/person beforehand), and definitely lets you know if it has psionic powers of any sort.

Analytical lets you know exactly what psionic powers the mind has (and the approximate power point total, +/- 20%) and the mind's Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma scores (+/- 20%). It's the "look at the character sheet" level of detecting.

No version of Detect Mind would let you know of any mental Complications (like phobias) or Drawbacks, even with Acute or Analytical.

Now, keep in mind Aura Reading (as given in UP) consists of three separate super-senses, so you'd need to get Acute or Analytical (or whatever) for each one separately. (Or pay double and get them for the entire Mental sense type.)

I'd say that Detect Mood would

[*:ysqxpoxg]At default, tell you if a viewed person is experiencing a mood/has emotions ("Robot Sense... tingling!"), and if so if they're more or less intense than the mood you're currently feeling. It'd probably be limited to detecting the single most powerful mood the target's feeling.
[*:ysqxpoxg]With Acute Detect Mood, you can detect all the moods a person is feeling at the time (if detecting confusion and anger in someone, you might guess that target has been recently betrayed by someone).
[*:ysqxpoxg]With Acute Analytical Detect Mood, you can detect not only all the moods a person is feeling at the time, but also get a general sense of at whom those moods are directed (confusion towards husband + anger towards sister ma lead you to = her husband cheated on her with her own sister). It might also let you gauge a target's Charisma score, as above.

I'd say that Detect Physical Condition would

[*:ysqxpoxg]At default, tell you if a viewed person is a) a physical/corporeal thing and healthier or sicker than you.
[*:ysqxpoxg]With Acute Detect Physical Condition, you could detect the general presence of illnesses (presence of tumors) or body-altering compounds (drugs or poisons) or other injuries (bullets, lacerations, etc.).
[*:ysqxpoxg]With Acute Analytical Detect Mood, you can detect exactly what drugs or poisons are in a person (or, rather, exactly what those substances are doing to the person, though not where they came from), or exactly where a bullet is lodged or a tumor is located. It might also let you gauge a target's Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution score, as above.

I'd say that Psychic Awareness would

[*:ysqxpoxg]At default, tell you if a viewed person is a) using psychic powers or is under the influence of a psychic power.
[*:ysqxpoxg]With Acute Psychic Awareness, you could detect who used the power affecting the viewed target ("This is obviously the work of Professor Psion!").
[*:ysqxpoxg]With Acute Analytical Psychic Awareness, you could detect exactly what the psychic effect is ("Jeeves, when did you get Mind Control 15?"), and the effects power point cost (as above).

The above are my own ramblings. I have no power on this board. (Yet )

[Folkert]

Dr Archeville!

So we meet again, my old foe!

Seriously, good to see you here and thanks for extensive reply (which was way more detailed than I had hoped for). Gave me a lot to think about, but I've found a path to walk down now, thanks to this.

No version of Detect Mind would let you know of any mental Complications (like phobias) or Drawbacks, even with Acute or Analytical.

No problem, Detect Weakness (which I already had) got this covered.

[Folkert]

Dr Archeville!

So we meet again, my old foe!

Seriously, good to see you here and thanks for extensive reply (which was way more detailed than I had hoped for). Gave me a lot to think about, but I've found a path to walk down now, thanks to this.

No version of Detect Mind would let you know of any mental Complications (like phobias) or Drawbacks, even with Acute or Analytical.

No problem, Detect Weakness (which I already had) got this covered.