Noticing FX
From D20advanced
The ability to notice FX follows certain basic guidelines:
- Active FX are noticeable in some way: a visible display, an audible noise, a powerful vibration, and so forth. The exact display associated with the FX depends on the descriptors, approved by the GM.
- Passive FX are unnoticeable, although they can be noticeable, if you wish (with the application of the Noticeable FX drawback).
- If a passive FX’s duration is changed, it becomes noticeable, unless the Subtle FX feat is applied. This includes passive FX added to an active Container structure. Active FX remain noticeable, even if their duration is changed, unless the Subtle FX feat is applied to them.
- Sensory FX are by definition noticeable to the sense(s) they affect. So a sight-dependent FX is noticeable visually, and so forth. This means mental sensory FX are noticeable only to mental senses. The Subtle FX feat can conceal the source of a sensory effect, but not its actual effect on the senses. A Subtle Visual Dazzle, for example, might use an undetectable medium to cause temporary blindness, but victims of the effect still know they’re unable to see. Likewise, the Concealment effect is “noticeable” in that concealed subjects actually “disappear” from the affected sense, but they do not otherwise call attention to themselves.
Contents |
Noticeable FX
Noticeable FX are automatically detected by whatever senses are appropriate, depending on their descriptors. Normally, no Perception check is required, but the GM can ask for one if the circumstances wouldn’t allow observers to take 10. The DC of the Perception check is 10 (since observers can normally take 10 to automatically succeed).
Sensory FX
Sensory FX like Illusion and Obscure can conceal other effects just as they do anything else. So the flash of an energy blast is concealed by a Visual Obscure FX just like an ordinary flashbulb would be. Concealment hides personal range FX, but not others, so an invisible character’s force field cannot be seen, but his force blast can, unless it’s Subtle.
Mental FX
Mental sensory FX are noticeable only to those directly affected by them (who sense them automatically) and to observers with a ranged mental sense, such as Mental Awareness. Unnoticeable FX become noticeable with an application of the Noticeable FX drawback.
Subtle FX
Subtle FX are either noticeable only with a Perception check (DC 20) or automatically with a specialized sense other than the standard visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, and mental senses. This usually means Enhanced Senses based in a different sense type. For example, an FX based on invisible radiation is noticeable to a detect radiation sense (or perhaps to infravision or ultravision, if it’s the right wavelength), but unnoticeable to other senses. Noticeable FX can be made subtle with the application of one rank of the Subtle FX feat.
Unnoticeable FX
Unnoticeable FX are truly undetectable by any sense, although their consequences may still be noticeable. So, for example, a protection effect (which is permanent) is normally unnoticeable: you can’t tell by looking at or even touching someone with protection whether or not they have an increased Toughness resistance. However, you can certainly see (or at least surmise) that someone has Impervious Toughness when you see bullets bouncing off them! Likewise, although a Subtle Mental Damage may be completely undetectable, the FX’s victim still knows he’s hurt (if the attack damaged him), as do others if the attack does enough damage to visibly daze the target or worse (although neither will necessarily know the cause of the damage).
Noticeable FX can be made unnoticeable with the application of two ranks of the Subtle FX feat.
