Observation
Name
Observation
Skill Attribute & Difficulty
Per - Average
Defaults
5+Per, Shadowing-5
Prerequisites
None
Description
This is the talent of observing dangerous or “interesting” situations without letting others know that you are watching. Use this skill to monitor a location, a group of people, or your immediate surroundings for concealed or tactically significant details. This is not the same as gathering clues or making a hands-on search (use Forensics and Search, respectively) – you always use Observation from a distance.
A successful skill roll lets you gather information that is not specifically hidden. For instance, you could case a bank for obvious cameras before a robbery, learn the schedule of sentries, estimate the size of a crowd, or gauge the strength of troops moving in the open. The GM may require an Intelligence Analysis roll to interpret what you observe.
To spot deliberately hidden details – e.g., someone trying to sneak up on you, an armed man hiding in the crowd, or a concealed machine-gun nest – you must win a Quick Contest of Observation skill vs. the Stealth, Shadowing, or Camouflage skill (as appropriate) of the other party.
The GM should roll the Contest in secret, and should not say, “You don’t see the machine gun nest concealed in the bushes.”
If your attempt fails, you get no details on an obvious item, or fail to spot a hidden one. On a critical failure, someone spots you and reacts poorly to the attention . . .
Specializations
None
Modifiers
Modifiers for cover, darkness, or size; -1 to -10 if the target is concealed by high-tech camouflage or “stealth” technology; +1 to +10 if you possess suitable surveillance devices (a thermograph to spot a concealed sniper, binoculars to observe troop movements, etc.) and succeed at the skill roll to operate them.
