You can detect a specific substance or condition, even when it is shielded from the five human senses. This requires one second of concentration, after which the GM will secretly make a Sense roll for you (see Sense Rolls, p. 358). The range modifiers from the Size and Speed/Range Table (p. 550) apply. You may buy a special Acute Sense (p. 35) to improve the roll, thereby increasing your effective range.
On a success, the GM tells you the direction to the nearest significant source of the substance, and give you a clue as to the quantity present. On a failure, you sense nothing.
Detect also includes the ability to analyze what you detect. This requires an IQ roll; the better the roll, the more precise the details. For instance, if you had Detect (Metal), you could tell gold from iron on a successful IQ roll, and might learn details – such as whether the gold is in the form of ore or bars, and its precise purity – on a critical success.
The base cost of Detect is as follows:
- Rare (sorceresses, fire magic, zombies, gold, radar, radio): 5 points.
- Occasional (spellcasters, magic, undead, precious metal, electric fields, magnetic fields, radar and radio): 10 points.
- Common (humans, supernatural phenomena, supernatural beings, metal, electric and magnetic fields): 20 points.
- Very Common (all life, all supernatural phenomena and beings, all minerals, all energy): 30 points.
Note that the ability to detect certain phenomena can often justify other advantages. For instance, Detect (Magnetic Fields) could explain Absolute Direction.
Special Enhancements
Precise: On a successful Sense roll, you also learn the distance to whatever you detect. (double the cost)