Determining danger without Danger Sense

[randian]

You are about to walk into a danger that is perceivable by your senses, but whose danger is inobvious. A cloud of gas, a light switch covered with something harmful, a food laced with a poison. The thing might be dangerous, might be harmless. Even if you have an Analytic sense that's only going to give you the composition of the substance, not its effect on the human body.

 

What sort of skills should a hero have in order to raise the alarm? Chemistry is obvious. KS: Poisons. Pharmacology. How many others? Might just be cheaper to buy the darn Danger Sense instead of a dozen skills.

[Vondy]

Re: Determining danger without Danger Sense

 

I've always taken talents to be an optional mechanic. Very useful, but not obligatory to use. Just make a Perception roll. You can apply modifiers based on how obvious or subtle the sensory danger cue is. There are tables for perception roll modifiers in the book. I'm not sure how apropos skill rolls are in split second situations, but if the character has a few seconds to process you could have them be complimentary rolls to perception, which is really just an instinctive, sense based intelligence rolls.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Determining danger without Danger Sense

 

What you are describing seems like a sort of 'combat deduction' which is really already covered by Danger Sense which is really just a an 'everyman' Enhanced Sense.

 

I would also recommend taking another look at the Intuitional form of DS:

 

from 6e1 page 112:

 

Intuitional (-5 points):

This form of Danger Sense cannot be bought to detect Any Danger, nor can it cover more than the character’s Immediate Vicinity. It represents an almost preternatural intuitive ability that tells the character that “Something’s not right here....” Characters with Intuitional Danger Sense get their full DCV against dangers, but cannot make attacks at full OCV if they make the roll by half. Because Intuitional Danger Sense derives, in part, from a character’s experiences, the GM may apply modifiers based on how familiar a particular danger would be to the character. Characters can also buy Danger Sense with some Sense Modifiers (see Enhanced Senses, 6E1 207). For example, a character could apply Discriminatory or Analyze to Danger Sense to provide him with precise information of the danger facing him, regardless of whether he makes a half roll (see below). Bonuses from Enhanced Perception apply to Danger Sense rolls.