Presence Sense (Sensitive Psionic)

[Prysus]

Greetings and Salutations. Okay, I've been working my way through a project (almost finished) and I noticed something unusual in the Presence Sense psychic power (PF2 main book, page 171).

The "range" is listed as 120 ft diameter. This makes it a 60 ft radius.
The power lets you sense if something is near (50 ft or less) or far (beyond 90 ft).

Setting aside the fact that 51-90 ft isn't addressed at all, how can you sense something is "far" (beyond 90 ft) if you can only sense up to 60 ft away? Now I will note that Rifts Ultimate Edition and Rifts GM Guide use the term "area" to describe the range, NOT "diameter." Now Palladium has used the term "area" to mean both diameter and radius, so that in itself is not clarification (though it is possible it could mean radius, which would have the power description make more sense).

I will note that I'm a little sick and my cognitive function has been slightly impaired, so maybe I'm missing something obvious. If so, let me know. Otherwise, how would you interpret the range of this power? Thank you for any input. Farewell and safe journeys.

[kiralon]

I would say the range of the power is supposed to be 120ft radius, and that it got edited a bit but the editor didn't read the blurb about what the power does, just its range. (First ed has a 100ft radius)

[drewkitty ~..~]

Everything you said was correct. However, you can sume this up to a badly writen Psi power.

While it is related to the sense (SN) evil and sense (SN) good, it does not have the resting/inactive range and active range aspects of those two powers.

If I would rewrite the power so that its inactive ranges are the ones presented in the power as is. And with the active range having a greater and '/L' aspects.

[ShadowLogan]

I would say the range of the power is supposed to be 120ft radius, and that it got edited a bit but the editor didn't read the blurb about what the power does, just its range. (First ed has a 100ft radius)

+1

I reviewed the Psi Powers in 2E Main Book, and Presence Sense is the only one that lists a diameter for range, all the other powers are either "self", "touch", or "radius" (for all practical purposes line of sight amounts to radius). Only one power breaks with this and just lists it as a range with no qualifier. So I would go with diameter is a typo and it should be radius given the text of the power.

[Axelmania]

how can you sense something is "far" (beyond 90 ft) if you can only sense up to 60 ft away?

Ley line range boost?

[drewkitty ~..~]

how can you sense something is "far" (beyond 90 ft) if you can only sense up to 60 ft away?

Ley line range boost?

Doesn't being on LL and LLN interfers with sensitive psi powers?

[Hotrod]

For this issue, just treat all the ranges as either radii or diameters, and your problem should be solved.

There is a deeper problem, however. Sensitive psi-powers and "detect ___" skills are, by nature, difficult to implement in the course of gameplay. In order to play them as written, a GM must understand the full text of a each character's sensitive powers, their range, the full nature of what they're sensing, and the scope of what information they can glean. For activated powers, this is a little annoying, but if you go by the "player must tell the GM what they're trying to sense" rule and allow the GM to volunteer further information at his/her discretion, it's workable.

Where things get really hairy is when passive sensory abilities come into play, such as Sixth Sense and the Psychic Sensitive's intrinsic abilities. Now the GM has to know and keep track of these abilities all the time and roll where appropriate without telling characters what he/she is rolling for. In practice, this usually doesn't happen.

What actually happens is the GM surprises the party, at which point players who have passive detection abilities object with a "How did my character not sense that?" At that point, the GM usually does one of a few things: rewinds the scenario and lets the characters sense it, grants the antagonist NPCs some special ability to remain undetected, blames the player for not trying to detect the threat, or shrugs and ignores the objection. If the GM rewinds the scenario, then the surprise nature of the scenario goes away, potentially ruining the effect the GM was going for. If the GM does any of the other options, then the player will feel an understandable frustration at his/her character's powers (potentially character-defining powers) getting ignored.

I'd be curious to know how other GMs and players approach handling detection powers.

[dreicunan]

One GM just would rewind when he forgot about Sixth Sense and just ruled that sometimes it gave much clearer pictures of what was about to happen than others. We found that fair.

[Axelmania]

how can you sense something is "far" (beyond 90 ft) if you can only sense up to 60 ft away?

Ley line range boost?

Doesn't being on LL and LLN interfers with sensitive psi powers?

The only thing I remember is they impede the free class-specific powers of Psi-Stalkers and Psi-Hounds.

As for other classes who can sense the supernatural (psyscape 3rd eyers, psi-sensitives) I can't remember anything about ley lines jamming the scent.