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Site Navigation   Home Advanced Rules Answers & Erratas Armour Campaign Info Catalogue of Books Equipment & Supplies Humour Magic Miscellaneous Info Monsters & Critters Psionics R.C.C.'s & O.C.C.'s Reference Material Skills Vehicles Weapons About Awards & Feedback Guestbook Links & Web Rings Search What's New	Perception: A New Attribute for Palladium Characters Modified from the original version in Protoculture Addicts #3 Revised version by Stanley Bundy (STUSBUND@ACS.EKU.EDU) The original article brought up several interesting points concerning characters' awareness of their surroundings when outside a mecha, power armor, robot vehicle, etc. The Danger Sense ability isn't quite the Sixth Sense psionic ability, and for that reason is perfectly playable. However, the idea that a high Perception would give a bonus to strike is ludicrous. After all, Perception is supposed to be about awareness, not accuracy. Therefore, I propose instead a bonus for high Perception apply to initiative, not strike rolls, which is more in line with the Danger Sense sub-ability; low Perception results in initiative penalties. Regardless, these modifiers always apply, even in mecha or robot combat. Danger Sense - What it does: Making a successful Danger Sense check allows the character to dodge, parry, or roll with an attack that normally would have been a surprise attack (with no defense). A roll gained this way would be a straight dice roll, with the character's total initiative modifier added to the roll (normal parry/dodge/roll bonuses don't apply). Optionally, the character can opt to do a simultaneous return attack instead of avoiding the attack, but again, gets no bonuses other than what is normally their initiative bonus. Negative Modifiers for low perception: this works the exact opposite way as normal checks. The character must make the Danger Sense check or suffer the penalty. Example: A person with a 4 Perception has a -2 to initiative 96% of the time, but can avoid it by rolling 4 or less on the Danger Sense check. The following chart shows the relationship between Perception score, the Danger Sense percentage, and initiative modifiers: Perception Score: Danger Sense %: Initiative Modifier: 1 1 -5 2 2 -4 3 3 -3 4 4 -2 5 5 -1 6 6 - 7 7 - 8 8 - 9 9 - 10 10 - 11 10 +1 12 10 +1 13 10 +1 14 10 +2 15 10 +2 16 15 +2 17 20 +3 18 25 +3 19 30 +3 20 35 +4 21 40 +4 22 45 +4 23 50 +5 24 55 +5 25 60 +5 26 64 +6 27 68 +6 28 72 +6 29 75 +7 30 78 +7 31 80 +7 32 82 +8 33 84 +8 34 86 +8 35 88 +9 36 89 +9 37 90 +9 38 91 +10 39 92 +10 40 93 +10 41 94 +11 42 95 +11 43 96 +12 44 97 +12 45 98 +12 Dice Rolls For Perception - By Race: Note: P.P. and Perception initiative bonuses are cumulative. Most races, such as humans, roll 3D6 for perception, gaining an additional 1D6 for a natural 16-18. Races with enhanced senses may get an additional 1D6 on top of the normal roll (resulting in 4D6, 5 if bonus die earned from roll of the first three). Characters with outstanding senses or with sense-related powers (a mutant with super hearing, juicers, etc.), get an additional 2D4 to their Perception roll. If a race has a natural Initiative bonus, check the P.P. range for the race. If the P.P. range is not sufficient to produce the initiative bonus, then the bonus must come from Perception. Example: A demon has a +6 to initiative, and a P.P. under 30. Therefore, it either has Sixth Sense or a Perception over 30. Combining Sixth Sense with Perception: Danger Sense only applies when Sixth Sense cannot pick up the threat (due to range, Mind Block, lack of ISP, etc.). Initiative bonuses are cumulative. Also note that a Danger Sense roll can be made during combat (at half normal chance) to notice a new danger's approach, unlike Sixth Sense, whose bonuses apply only in the first round. After Sixth Sense ends, Perception bonuses continue normally. Combining Martial Arts Techniques with Perception: Zanshin gives the character an additional 3D6 to his or her Perception score at all times, but the Zanshin Initiative bonuses only apply when the character is actually using his Martial Arts form. The Iai-Jutsu (fast-draw) technique is cumulative with all other initiative bonuses. Combining Perception with Robot Vehicle/Mecha Use: Danger Sense only applies against threats that don't appear on the vehicle's sensors. In power armors (including Cyclones), there are no penalties to the Danger Sense roll, but the chance is halved in robot vehicles, Veritechs, Battloids and Destroids. Of course, if a vehicle loses its radar, Danger Sense may be the only warning of an attack from behind. In a way, this type of Danger Sense use is based in intuition, not senses. Initiative bonuses still apply in these war machines, in that the character can more easily take in the action on the battlefield, and adjust attacks accordingly. Suggested Rolling methods for Perception: Race's Gaming System of Origin Number of Dice Rolled: RIFTS & Palladium Fantasy: RIFTS & Beyond the Supernatural: Robotech: 2D6 Goblins(normal), Orcs, Ogres, Gigantes Dimensional Ghouls, Entities(all), Gargoyles, Gurgoyles, Gargoylites, Grave Ghouls, Gremlins, Elementals(all) Worker & Blue Bioroids, Bioroid Terminators, Stage 1-3 Invid, Karbarrans, Spherisians 3D6 Changelings, Dwarves, Goblin Cobblers, Trolls, Bug Bears, Giants(all but Gigantes), Faerie Folk(all), Lizard Men, Maxpary Banshees, Boschala, Gargoyle Lords & Mages, Spider Demons Tyroleans(all), Stage 4-5 Invid, Perytonians 4D6 Canines(all), Elves, Bearmen, Centaurs, Demigods, Hatchling Dragons, All remaining predatory & supernatural types, up to minor demons/devils Dybbuk, Dar'ota, Hell Hounds, Malignous, Sowki, Werebeasts(all) Praxians, Garudans, Haydonites, Perytonians 5D6 Adult Dragons, Major Demons/Devils, Godlings Goqua, Mindolar, Spirits of Light Invid Regent & Regis 6D6 Ancient Dragons, Supernatural Intelligences, Gods

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