Sense Modifiers in combat

[randian]

How useful are certain Sense Modifiers in combat? I'm specifically thinking of Microscopic, Rapid, Discriminatory, Analyze, Dimensional, and Tracking.

 

You never need Microscopic to sense Shrunk characters, as far as I can tell.

 

Dimensional and Tracking seem utterly useless when the targets are right in front of you.

 

Smelling a gas to trigger Danger Sense shouldn't require Discriminatory or Analyze, since neither increases olfactory range like Ultrasonic or Infrared do for Hearing and Sight. All not having them did was prevent you from specifically identifying the gas.

 

Rapid just seems inapplicable, unless reading books and train station signs is a big part of your combats.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Sense Modifiers in combat

 

Rapid might be a possible counter to some super-speed based invisibility effects (like Teleportation w/Must Pass Through Intervening Space & realistic bullets built with IPE vs. Sight)

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Sense Modifiers in combat

 

Discriminatory is needed to identify a target with a perception roll. Kind of useful for avoiding 'friendly fire' situations.

[randian]

Re: Sense Modifiers in combat

 

Discriminatory is needed to identify a target with a perception roll. Kind of useful for avoiding 'friendly fire' situations.

If you're going to go that way, I would argue Discriminatory obviates the need for a perception roll. Otherwise, to be consistent, you would require perception rolls for Normal Sight to distinguish targets, something I've never seen done.

[randian]

Re: Sense Modifiers in combat

 

Rapid might be a possible counter to some super-speed based invisibility effects (like Teleportation w/Must Pass Through Intervening Space & realistic bullets built with IPE vs. Sight)

Only if said effects have specific limitations to that effect. I don't think there's a case by RAW that Rapid generally works to counter Invisibility with speed-based special effects.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Sense Modifiers in combat

 

My mistake.

I thought you were looking for ideas.

Sounds like you've already made up your mind and just want to rant.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Sense Modifiers in combat

 

In a lot of games I've run or played in, no one has enhanced senses, at least none of the players. In those games, enhanced senses make little real difference.

 

In other games, enhanced senses are bought by the players. Then it matters. Then they get to use them in combat (and noncombat) to determine where enemies are and all kinds of stuff. How much stuff? Well - how much did they spend on enhanced senses? About that much.

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Sense Modifiers in combat

 

If you're going to go that way' date=' I would argue Discriminatory [i']obviates[/i] the need for a perception roll. Otherwise, to be consistent, you would require perception rolls for Normal Sight to distinguish targets, something I've never seen done.

 

For normal sight, distinguishing between targets is a given, except in unusual situations. But what about Radar? Without the Discriminatory modifier, can you tell one 'contact' from another?

[randian]

Re: Sense Modifiers in combat

 

For normal sight' date=' distinguishing between targets is a given, except in unusual situations. But what about Radar? Without the Discriminatory modifier, can you tell one 'contact' from another?[/quote']

Presuming run of the mill targets, I would say you couldn't, but there may be extenuating circumstances making it moot. For example, if the target hasn't moved, or is flying when you know other potential targets can't, one may presume it's the same one. If you read the paragraphs under "Sight Sense Group" in the Enhanced Senses section of the Power Descriptions, it's made pretty clear that Discriminatory (partial or full) is what allows you to distinguish two people by sight. Revising my earlier comments, I would say you couldn't distinguish targets using Radar at all unless there's a perception roll modifier. For example, the GM might rule that trees need a perception roll to see with Radar, while cars or buildings don't need one, but in any case you can't distinguish a car from a truck without Discriminatory. Large or small objects might be distinguishable, given the bonuses or penalties Growth and Shrinking impose. You couldn't distinguish Ant-Man from Cricket-Man, but you could distinguish them from a human-sized target. Also, Metallo, the Metal Superhero, might have a Complication giving perception roll bonuses to Radar.