Superpower (Metapower)
EFFECT
Cost 5 JP
Activate 1 PP; use activated
Sustain 1 PP per round; swift action
Range 60 feet; Power Resistance no
DESCRIPTION
The superhero can sense when certain kinds of powers are used in his near vicinity. If a power is activated or sustained in range, the superhero will sense it. As a move action, the superhero concentrates on the power and can get a general sense of direction (i.e., approximately North, or West, or North-West, etc.). If the superhero expends a second move action, either on that or a subsequent round, and only while still in range, he can get a sense of distance to within 20 feet (i.e., if it were 25 feet away, he’ll sense “between 20 and 40 feet”). On the third round, the superhero can tell what the power’s strength. The strength levels are: up to 25 JP is “Minor.” Between 26 JP and 50 JP is “Moderate.” Between 51 JP and 75 JP is “Major.” Finally, 75 JP and up is “Overwhelming.”
The superhero also detects anyone who has powers that are not activated and who passes within half of his Power Detection range. Concentrating on the power yields the same results, and takes as much time, as detailed above. If a target has more than one active power, the superhero will sense the total JP of all of them.
This power cannot cancel for the miss chance of concealment, but it does add a +10 bonus to his Perception check to sense the physical presence of a concealed character whose powers the superhero has Detected (invisible, in the dark, behind a curtain, etc.). The superhero also might be able to extrapolate a position based on his observations in concert with the power (i.e., his GM tells him that he hears someone in the closet and he senses a power in that direction, less than 10 feet away), but that kind of problem-solving is up to him.
Although the superhero can, technically, sense someone using Mental Invisibility with this power, their power sees to it that he does not notice that he senses it.
Enhancements and limitations
- Enhancement: Broad Detection (Cost: 2 JP): The superhero can now detect the use of Gadgets and magic items (including Iconic Items). However, the superhero can detect only Gadgets/items that require activation. Thus, the superhero cannot detect a Magical sword +2 (no activation), but he can detect a Belt of Flight if the wearer is flying. Instantaneous effects hit the superhero like a flash, so he has no opportunity to sense distance, or strength, but if the same effect is used again on a subsequent round during the same encounter, that second use counts as his second round of detection (distance), and a third use a third round (strength). Thus, if a black mage were to use three Ruin spells from a wand in his range over the course of six rounds, the superhero would detect, first, the power’s use, second, its distance, and third, it’s strength. The JP strength of a Magical item is double its caster level.
- Enhancement: Detect Anomaly (Cost: 2 JP): The superhero has the ability to detect major anomalies in the natural space-time continuum, provided they are within 500 feet of his location. These anomalies include wormholes, cosmic portals, altered time-flow, astral gates, tears in space-time, dimensional rifts, distorted geometry, and the like. The superhero will have only a general sense of the direction of the anomaly until he is within 60 feet of it, at which time he will know its precise location.
- Enhancement: Detect Entity (Cost: 2 JP): The superhero now has the ability to detect the presence of significant beings (more than 10 hit dice) that have the Outsider, Extraplanar, Aberration, or Undead types, including infernal beings, celestials, deities, elementals and other such beings. The Entities in question do not have to have or use any powers for the superhero to detect them. Their mere presence is sufficient. The superhero can detect Entities at double the normal distance, and automatically pinpoint their location if invisible or otherwise concealed.
- Enhancement: Enhanced Range (Cost: 2 JP): His Power Detection now functions out to 30 feet further than usual. The superhero can take this enhancement twice, for a maximum range of 120 feet.