The Spell See Aura

[darthauthor]

The Spell See Aura

Question #1:
"Can the spell tell if someone is pregnant?"

[ShadowLogan]

The Aura of the developing fetus is likely to get lost in the 'background' of the mother's own aura if it even has a separate aura (or when it develops). Think of it this way would you be able to spot the aura of a Fly or Mosquito or a Gnat on a person (both alive)? What about bacteria (which we all have on our skin and in our digestive track)? What about animals that swallow another whole (live) being, would you be able to watch it slide down the gullet via aura (or would you be able to spot a concealed weapon via its aura)?

I think the easiest answer would be to say no, at least until late-term (3rd Trimester) but by then it likely is physically noticeable (among other things).

[darthauthor]

Well written.

[darthauthor]

Can the spell or psionic power "See Aura" be a substitute for normal vision when:

Someone is temporarily blind by a flash bang grenade or a spell like "Blinding Flash"?

It would only last for one melee round or whatever its duration is but and the range would be limited to its description but (assuming ones natural eyes are not damaged) could a person activate this power or spell and remove the de buff penalities of being temporarily blinded?

[ShadowLogan]

I think it's going to come down to a few factors:
1. the type of blindness (examples: blinding light, absence of light, obstruction/blindfold, bio-manipulation, etc)
2. how you see the ability in question working in terms of biology (ex. does the state of the eyes actually matter, what about the optic nerves)
3. how the aura is presented to the user (which may vary)

In general I would say that yes you can use See Aura this way, but keep in mind how the aura would be presented to the user will ultimately determine how useful it would be in terms of compensating for blindness. There might also be forms of blindness that See Aura will not compensate for (like a blindfold as its aura swamps everything else out for example).

[Grazzik]

I play it as fuzzy blobs of swirling colors, so you may see a dull gray blob in front of you so you can avoid it, but you wouldn't know that the blob is a desk or sofa or... you just know it is an inanimate object. Same with people, you just might be almost able to say the blob is vaguely humanoid, but that's about it. Really, the point of the power is to interpret the aura, so maybe you could tell the blob in front of you is a high powered mage, which must be Fred since Fred is the only high powered mage in town. But for purposes other than avoiding stubbing your toe, you can't see any defined shapes and "see" people or objects in detail.

[darthauthor]

1. I agree with the blindfold example.

2. I believe that a person, using See Aura, could and would recognize someone they know and have seen their Aura before (like facial recognition).

3. I do NOT believe it would work in any kind of magic darkness or obstruction (like an Area of Effect CLOUD).

4. The darkness of night, fog, or smoke from a fire or grenade, I believe, would block a person's vision regardless of See Aura.

5. I believe that you are right about Bio-manipulation that makes one blind. I would also think that Psionic invisibility would make a person ignore them regardless of "See Invisibility.

6. Situations I am asking about:

(A). After the spell "Blinding Flash?"

(B). 4th level spell: Chromatic Protection (from the book, Book of Magic, Page 100)

(C) Any others like that you can think of that I can't.

7. Would a naturally blind man or woman be able to see with "See Aura?"

[ShadowLogan]

Quick tidbit I found in RUE's description of Nightvision psionic power, it can also be used to polarize one's own vision.

Re: #7.
would a naturally blind individual be able to see with "See Aura"?

Of the two naturally "blind" races in WB30 (the Slurmph and the Altaran D-Bees) that (quickly) come to mind, the Altaran has fixed psionic powers but does not include "See Aura" (nothing indicates they cannot use the ability via other means, like when linked to an Eye of Eylor). The Slurmph (sp?) lacks traditional eyes and visual range (using a region of light sensitive skin, and they don't see in the traditional visible light part of the spectrum), but it can and does use "See Aura" as a zero-ISP cost psionic power.

So the answer appears to be a yes, though how they interpret the information the power gives them maybe of more limited use than to a sighted person. (though it might be worth considering if a psychic can use bio-manipulation to reverse blindness, even temporarily as there are two powers that manipulated normal vision).

Re: #6
It's going to come down to how the "blindness" manifests itself coupled with how the psionic power presents the information. Remember "blindness" amounts to a spectrum of states.

If the Google search AI results are to be believed what you would see when subject to a flash bang effects is a blind white light while under its effects, which could apply to the spell "Blinding Flash". That could mean an aura could be "lost" in the glare so to speak, it's really going to be dependent on how you see the power presenting its information to the user.

[darthauthor]

By natural blindness I meant something more like someone who went blind naturally and NOT born blind.

I guess the root of my question revolves around how "See Aura" can be used.
In particular, if one is blinded in a particular way, can they use "See Aura" as a spare tire sight or temporary vision until their vision can be restored (the psychic power or spell or flash bang wears off after it has run its duration).

[ShadowLogan]

There are three problems with your basic question of "Can I use See Aura to compensate for a state of blindness?":
1. Blindness, even natural or being born, does in fact run a spectrum of results. This complicates matters in terms of where situationally one lands on this spectrum could have different results than landing elsewhere. (Yeah I know "blind flash" results are what you are looking at specifically, but a more broad frame work should also be addressed with the basic question to avoid coming back with variant scenarios)

2. How biology of the "See Aura" user factors in isn't mentioned. At least two vision related psychic powers are clear that they manipulate existing biology to function, and two more that don't mention it at all (including See Aura). Couple that with the two blind D-Bees mentioned previously and how they related to "See Aura" and their biology suggesting you need a functional vision system. Now a more expansive review might turn up something else in terms of relationship, but this is off the top.

3. How See Aura's information is presented to the user (as I've said). Is it closer to video games that "enhance" your vision to see important things (giving clear-ish outlines, like the old Star Wars Jedi Knight series Force Sight, or KOTOR's Force Sight you can learn from Visas, or in Elder Scrolls Detect Life which is less clear in presentation IIRC, etc) or is more ill defined like "Aura photography" and its "blobs"? How distinct is the visual information too, is it "soft" or "hard", "dull" or "vibrant". These are things to consider because how they get "configured" could get lost in one type of blindness, but not another.

For example, we can look up what you would experience (visually) when under the effects of a flash bang (close approximation of Blinding Flash), which is an overpowering white light. A Soft/Dull Aura could be "lost" in the light, but something Hard/Vibrant might still stand out. And that's ignoring the shaping of the information. So this information is important, but it isn't stated which way in the power (there might be fluff elsewhere) so ultimately it will come down to the GM.