5e: Speed Reading vs. Rapid Sense

[MrJake]

Speed Reading is a 8pt. Talent (at x1000). As a power (Enhanced Senses), you can make a sense, in this case, normal sight, into a Rapid Sense for 9 pts (at x1000).

 

Rapid Sense says: "A character with Rapid Sense can use that sense to "read" or otherwise take in or absorb data or sensations faster than normal...thus with Rapid x10, a character can perceive in a Phase what others would take a turn to perceive; with Rapid x100 he perceives in a Phase what others would take an minute to perceive; and so on."

 

For a high powered heroes or a low powered supers game, would you allow a character to purchase Rapid Sense (Sight) and simply subsume Speed Reading into it?

[prestidigitator]

Re: 5e: Speed Reading vs. Rapid Sense

 

Notice how Speed Reading is built using Rapid for Normal Sight. 6E1 p. 447.

[MrJake]

Re: 5e: Speed Reading vs. Rapid Sense

 

Notice how Speed Reading is built using Rapid for Normal Sight. 6E1 p. 447.

 

Aw, it is in 5e, as well. Teach me to post without double checking, won't it?

 

So to get the benefits for Rapid Sight and Speed Reading would be:

 

Rapid Sense (sight) (x1000) 9pts, plus Analyze (single sense) +5, 14 total active points.

 

Yes?

[prestidigitator]

Re: 5e: Speed Reading vs. Rapid Sense

 

Sure. Sounds good. Basically just removing the Limitation on only using it for reading.

[Markdoc]

Re: 5e: Speed Reading vs. Rapid Sense

 

What game benefits would it provide? Speed reading is easy enough to understand - but would it (for example) grant the benefits of extra time? If a guy examines a box to look for a secret latch, would the guy with speed sight get the 1,000 phases "extra time" bonus?

 

cheers, Mark

[prestidigitator]

Re: 5e: Speed Reading vs. Rapid Sense

 

In my mind it would allow examining more area in the same amount of time. For the same area it may or may not provide a bonus depending on the circumstances. In some cases I'd forgo the Half-Phase required to "Look" or the Full Phase required to take a "Long Look", but probably more for taking in a new situation rather than automatically gaining the bonus for a Per roll (e.g. "You jump through the door. Without taking the time to look around, your rapid senses tell you there are 37 people in the room, 7 of which are wearing the uniforms of security guards....").

[Hyper-Man]

Re: 5e: Speed Reading vs. Rapid Sense

 

What game benefits would it provide? Speed reading is easy enough to understand - but would it (for example) grant the benefits of extra time? If a guy examines a box to look for a secret latch, would the guy with speed sight get the 1,000 phases "extra time" bonus?

 

cheers, Mark

 

It could also be used as a 'prerequisite' for being able to see fast moving objects (ie; bullets in flight) and possibly deflecting them.

[Ice9]

Re: 5e: Speed Reading vs. Rapid Sense

 

I'd give the extra time bonus occasionally (in situations where extra thinking time wasn't required and the entire situation could be seen at once, without moving). More often, it would negate the "not enough time" penalty. For instance, a suspect drives past a narrow alleyway at 80 mph - normally, it would be very difficult to get a good description of his face or read his license plate, but with this ability it would be as easy as if he were stopped.

[MrJake]

Re: 5e: Speed Reading vs. Rapid Sense

 

What game benefits would it provide? Speed reading is easy enough to understand - but would it (for example) grant the benefits of extra time? If a guy examines a box to look for a secret latch, would the guy with speed sight get the 1,000 phases "extra time" bonus?

 

cheers, Mark

 

Well, the 5e rules say: "Rapid does not provide and direct bonuses to PER Rolls. But as a guideline, the GM may assume each level of Rapid counts as a +3 with appropriate PER Rolls, only to counteract penalties for performing tasks quickly (see page 45). Thus with Rapid x10, a character can perceive in a phase what other characters take 1 Turn to perceive; with Rapid x100, he perceives in a Phase what others need 1 Minute to perceive; and so on."

 

So that's something.

[pinecone]

Re: 5e: Speed Reading vs. Rapid Sense

 

Speed Reading is a 8pt. Talent (at x1000). As a power (Enhanced Senses), you can make a sense, in this case, normal sight, into a Rapid Sense for 9 pts (at x1000).

 

Rapid Sense says: "A character with Rapid Sense can use that sense to "read" or otherwise take in or absorb data or sensations faster than normal...thus with Rapid x10, a character can perceive in a Phase what others would take a turn to perceive; with Rapid x100 he perceives in a Phase what others would take an minute to perceive; and so on."

 

For a high powered heroes or a low powered supers game, would you allow a character to purchase Rapid Sense (Sight) and simply subsume Speed Reading into it?

 

Sure, why not?

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: 5e: Speed Reading vs. Rapid Sense

 

What game benefits would it provide? Speed reading is easy enough to understand - but would it (for example) grant the benefits of extra time? If a guy examines a box to look for a secret latch, would the guy with speed sight get the 1,000 phases "extra time" bonus?

 

cheers, Mark

 

This is one of those cases where the level of detail in the campaign is an important factor. Some GM's will simply 'fudge' this, others will encourage a PC to take skill levels defined as 'rapid cognition' or whatever. Still others would suggest a VPP for 'speedster tricks' to cover all possibilities. -- or in this case perhaps something more narrowly defined for a character who can think and perceive very quickly, regardless of how fast they move. ("He's a speedster, but only from the neck up.")

[Hyper-Man]

Re: 5e: Speed Reading vs. Rapid Sense

 

It's worth noting that the Talent Speed Reading is built with Rapid Sense & the Analyze* sense modifier.

 

*Which is one step up from Discriminatory.

[Ice9]

Re: 5e: Speed Reading vs. Rapid Sense

 

"He's a speedster, but only from the neck up."

I actually had a character like this, in a Mystery Men style supers campaign. He had the ability to freeze time, whenever he wanted. But he couldn't actually move when time was frozen, not even the slightest bit - and when not freezing time, he wasn't particularly fast. So he pretty much just had the ability to look at a scene really quickly and always have a snappy comeback ready. And plenty of time to think, but he wasn't enough of a mastermind to really capitalize on that.