Shadowrun:SITS - Detection

Detection Spells

This category of spell is all about heightening your senses, honing one element or another to be sharper, to cross long distances or pass through barriers, all in the interest of gaining information you would not otherwise have. For Detection spells, the Sorcery + Magic test is opposed by Body + Willpower when the targets are living beings, Object Resistance when they are not.

The amount of information gained from Detection spells is based on the Detection Spells Results table.

Detection spells are typically cast on a subject that may be the caster (Range: Touch); the sensory enhancement often occurs in an area separate from the subject. Unlike many spells that require line of sight to the target, the area of sensory expansion can be separated from the subject by walls or barriers. The range for this area is the magician's Magic rating + Spellcasting test Net Hits in meters.

Detection Spell Results Table

Many detection spells require reference of the Detection Spell table.

Net Hits Results

1 General information without details

Examples: Two life forms are present. It's a medical device. Some sort of spell is active.

2 More information about form and function without specifics

Examples: Both lifeforms are animals. The medical tool is for diagnostics. The spell is an illusion spell.

3 Detailed specifics

Examples: The two animals are dogs. The medical device develops an internal scan of possible injuries. The illusion spell is Mass Confusion.

4 Critical details are provided, including emotions and functions.

Examples: The two dogs are angry and hungry. The medical device seems only partly functional. The Mass Confusion spell was casted by a powerful magician.

Spell Descriptions

Range

Touch: The target needs to be touched - succeed on an additional unarmed Close Combat attack that deals no damage prior to casting the spell or make contact with a willing target to heal them, award them a sense, or otherwise connect a magical effect to an individual. If the Close Combat test exceeds the target's Defense or meets it with a tie, the spell takes effect.

Line of Sight: The caster needs a physical line of sight to the target - optical lenses such as binoculars count as physical line of sight; magical effects and digitized images such as thermographic goggles do not.

Line of Sight (Area): This means the spell has a line-of-sight range and also has an area effect which starts at a 2 Meter radius sphere.

Special: The range is defined in the write-up for this specific spell.

Duration

Instantaneous: These spells take effect immediately, then dissipate.

Sustained: These spells last as long as the caster keeps it in operation. Dropping a sustained spell requires no use of an action; the magician simply stops holding it. Each Sustained spell incurs a -2 Dice Pool Modifier as long as it is Sustained.

Limited: These spells have set endpoints that they cannot be sustained beyond but can be dropped earlier than that if desired.

Permanent: These effects do not dissipate and stay in place without any effort or focus on the part of the caster. Permanent spells simply become a full part of the world.

Type

Mana: Mana spells interact solely with the astral plane; they may affect living beings, as living beings have an astral component, but they have no effect on nonliving, non-astral entities such as drones, streetlights, or glass.

Physical: Physical spells only affect the physical realm, which means they cannot be used on the Astral, and do not affect anyone astrally projecting or spirits that have not manifested. They do, however, affect anything on the physical plane.

Drain Value

This is the base value that casters must resist to avoid experiencing Drain. It can be increased if casters use Amp Up or Increase Area to adjust their spells.

Detection Spell Range

Detection spells are typically cast on a subject that may be the caster (Range: Touch); the sensory enhancement often occurs in an area separate from the subject. Unlike many spells that require line of sight to the target, the area of sensory expansion can be separated from the subject by walls or barriers. The range for this area is the (Magic rating of the caster + Spellcasting test net hits) meters.

Analyze Device

Range: Touch

Type: Physical

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 2

Effect: After an opposed test versus the device's Object Resistance, net hits provide a number of information on the device's purpose, condition, or function.

The first time a character tries to use a device while sustaining this spell, they receive rerolls equivalent equal to their net hits on the test.

Description: This spell provides information about an unknown device based on the strength of the spellcaster's magic.

Analyze Magic

Range: Touch

Type: Physical

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 3

Effect: Treat this spell as if the spellcaster were assensing. The opposed test is equivalent to the total hits on the original skill test (Conjuring, Enchanting, or Sorcery) that created the magical effect being analyzed x 2.

Description: Sometimes you want to know what magic does without going astral - and that's when you Analyze Magic.

Analyze Truth

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 3

Effect: With at least 1 net hit, you gain the understanding if the target is telling the truth - or at least if they believe they are telling the truth.

The spellcaster must directly hear the statement to evaluate it - written statements, recordings, or audio/video transmissions cannot be used.

Description: Popular with law enforcement, Mx. Johnsons, and social magicians, analyze truth allows for the spellcaster to gain an understanding on if the subject they came into contact with believes they're telling the truth.

Translate

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 4

Effect: An unwilling target can resist with Body + Willpower.

Edge and rerolls cannot be gained or spent when performing any social skill test through Translate.

Both subjects must be able to see and hear each other for the spell to be effective.

The hits from the test determine the quality of the translation; with relatively few net hits, the GM can introduce elements of uncertainty into what the caster is hearing or what others hear them say.

Description: Translate creates a low-level telepathic connection between the subject and a specific target within sense range. Good for casual conversation but not diplomatic negotiations, Translate allows for communication with a clunky feel, with all the nuance of tone and specific word choice removed.

Clairaudience

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 3

Effect: By selecting a subject and an area within their line of sight - which can be altered with Increase Area and subsequently moved by the subject with Shift Area - the subject of the spell can hear sounds within a chosen target area while the spellcaster sustains it. Any hearing augmentations do not have any effect, and the subject cannot hear anything but sounds in the area they are currently observing.

Description: The person on whom this is cast gains the ability to hear distant sounds with the clarity as if they were standing right there next to them.

Clairvoyance

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 3

Effect: By selecting a subject and an area within their line of sight - which can be altered with Increase Area and subsequently moved by the subject with Shift Area - the subject of the spell gains the ability to see distant sights. The subject can only see visuals in the target area while this spell is in effect and any visual augmentations do not have any effect.

Description: The person this spell is cast upon gains the ability to be transported to a distant area, seeing the surroundings of it as if they were standing there.

Death Replay

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 4

Effect: Experience the last moments of a living creature's life. Must be used within (Creature's Essence) hours of its death.

Description: This spell gives the subject information about the immediate cause of death for a recently deceased creature and the circumstances surrounding their demise. The subject experiences the last few moments of the victim’s life through blurred visions and visceral sensations, which can be quite unnerving if the victim suffered an unnatural death.

The spell must be cast within a number of hours from the time of death equal to the victim’s Essence (so if it’s a dead street sammie, you’d better hurry). If the victim’s death was particularly violent, the gamemaster may call for a Composure Test with a threshold equal to any appropriate Background Count in order to use the spell.

Dragon Astral Signature

Range: Line of Sight (Area)

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 5

Effect: Gain the ability to assense the astral signatures of the user's local environment to determine if a dragon, or dragon magic, is present in the area.

Description: Rumors suggest that this spell was developed by an S-K Prime operation monitoring dragon hunter groups operating in Europe and Asia, and it has been leaked to the underground to test how the dragons will respond to this new threat.

Mana Window

Range: Line of Sight

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 3

Effect: Mana Window is opposed by a dice pool equal to the Mana Barrier's Structure Rating. If Mana Window achieves more hits, then the window appears on the barrier.

The window is 2 Meters in diameter; additional hits increase the transparency area by 2 Meters, up to the caster's Magic rating in Meters.

Description: As with all things magical, wards and barriers will prevent spells - including area spells - from working on the other side.

Mana Window temporarily lifts the mystical veil wide enough for the magician to perceive and cast spells through.

Mana Window only works for spells and astral perception, it does not remove the barrier or allow astral entities to cross through.

Astral Window

Range: Line of Sight

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 3

Effect: Open up a window to the astral plane, visible even to the mundane. The window is small, 1/2 Meter in diameter. Anyone within Line of Sight of the sphere can use Perception as astral perception to see the "other side" of the sphere.

The Increase Area effect can be applied to Astral Window to increase the diameter of the sphere by a 1/2 Meter up to the user's Magic rating in Meters.

With a Shift Area Minor Action, the sphere can be moved to a location within the magician's line of sight.

Description: Magic is hard to explain to the mundane, like color to someone who is blind. It can be hard to explain even to other mages sometimes, with the wide breadth of fantastical imagery and pure life essence that the astral is made of.

Any spell - mana or physical - or astral entity intercepted by or crossing through an Astral Window becomes visible from the material plane.

The spell does not convey any knowledge to the viewer of what they are actually looking at.

Astral Message

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 3

Effect: Send a short, verbal message of 100 words or less through the astral plane without the need to create a watcher.

The spellcaster must have personal experience with the target's astral form or possess a material link.

Description: Create a message that will seek out a target's aura that is known to the magician which cannot be stopped by any obstacle beyond extreme background count or anti-magical measures.

Mindlink

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 3

Effect: As long as you get a single hit on a Sorcery + Magic test, you have a link. The caster and the subject must remain within range of each other for the link to continue functioning; if they move out of sense range and then come back into it, they can pick up the communication again, as long as the spell is continously sustained.

Description: Commlinks and text messaging? So passé. Just throw your thoughts into someone else's mind for the ultimate in rapid communication! With this spell you can share mental communication in whatever form makes sense to you and the subject of the spell.

Mindnet

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 4

Effect: Communicate telepathically with multiple people or creatures at once.

Once any participants have left range of the spell, it must be recast for them to once again gain the benefits of Mindnet, though the other participants may continue to participate in the link as long as they remain in range and the spell is sustained.

Increase the drain by 1 for every creature connected after the first, with a maximum number of subjects equal to the caster's Magic rating.

Description: A variation of Mindlink designed to allow telepathic communication between a group of voluntary people.

Everyone in the group can freely talk, exchange images, and emote as long as they remain within range of the target of the spell.

Broadcast

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 3

Effect: Begin one-way communication to all subjects within the spell's sense range.

Targets can attempt to resist the Broadcast spell as a Direct Combat spell.

Description: Functioning similar to Mindlink, this allows the magician to communicate with all intelligent beings within its range.

The communication is one-way only, primarily intended to issue commands to subordinates rather than act as a tactical communications system.

Mind Probe

Range: Touch

Type: Physical

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 5

Effect: Roll Sorcery + Magic vs. Willpower + Logic; net hits determine how much information the subject pulls out of the target's head.

Description: The subject of this spell can dig into a target's mind, seeing how many of their thoughts they can discern - while also attempting to sort what is true from the lies they tell themselves.

Thought Recognition

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 4

Effect: Scan the surface thoughts of an individual for confirmation if that individual is thinking of a particular person, place, event, or thing.

Description: A less intrusive form of Mind Probe. The casters grants the subject the ability to scan the target's surface thoughts for a particular word, phrase, sound, or image chosen when the spell is cast.

The spell does not dig through the target's brain for information; it merely verifies if a target is actively thinking about a particular person, place, event, or thing.

Investigators often use this spell to determine if a target has knowledge of something - such as a murder weapon - that they otherwise wouldn't to determine if they are involved with a crime and many spies use this spell to determine if someone is tailing or looking for them.

Area Thought Recognition

Range: Line of Sight (Area)

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 6

Effect: Scan the surface thoughts of everyone within an area for confirmation on if anyone is thinking of a particular person, place, event, or thing.

The spell does not dig through the target's brain for information; it merely verifies if a target is actively thinking about a particular person, place, event, or thing.

Detect Enemies

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 3

Effect: Detect anyone within the sense's range who has hostile intentions towards the caster.

Description: This spell lets the subject know if anyone within the sense's range has hostile intentions toward them. It only works on people - not things - and it only detects people who have hostility specifically to the subject, not generalized anger at all metahumanity.

Detect Individual

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 4

Effect: Attempt to detect a specified individual.

Description: The magician is able to detect the presence of a particular individual anywhere within the range of the sense. The magician needs to specify the individual during casting, someone they know or at least have met in the past.

Detect Life

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 3

Effect: Detects sentient beings within the sense's range.

Description: Are there people hiding in that pile of rubble? Or in the forest thicket? This spell will point them out for you. Despite its broad-sounding name, it does not detect every living thing, but rather focuses on sentient beings.

Detect Magic

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 4

Effect: Detect magic

Description: No one wants to sort through an entire landfill to find the magic ring sitting amid all the trash but sometimes that's the job. This spell alerts the caster to any forms of active magic within the sense's ranger. This includes foci, reagents, active spells, wards, alchemical preparations, spirits, and active rituals.

It does not include Awakened people, critters, astral signatures, alchemical preparations that have been triggered or lost their potency, or the effects of permanent spells once they have become permanent.

Detect [Life Form]

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 3

Effect: Detect all of a specified lifeform within the range of the sense.

Description: The subject detects all of a specified type of life form within the range of the sense and knows their number and relative location.

Each type of life form the caster might want to detect is a different spell which all must be learned and cast separately.

Examples include Detect Orks, Detect Elves, Detect Canines, and so forth.

Detect [Object]

Range: Touch

Type: Physical

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 4

Effect: Detect a specified type of object within range of the sense.

Description: The subject detects all of a specified type of object within range of the sense and knows their number and relative location.

Each type of object requires a separate spell, e.g. Detect Guns, Detect Computers, Detect Explosives and so forth.

These spells must all be learned and cast separately.

[Sense] Cryptesthesia

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 6

Effect: Each Cryptesthesia spell allows the subject to utilize a different augmented sense at a chosen point within the spell's range.

Each sense requires a different spell. For example, Sonar Cryptesthesia, Low-Light Cryptesthesia, Thermographic Vision Crypesthesia.

Magicians cannot use senses granted by Cryptesthesia to target others with spells.

The caster must touch the subject to trigger the spell.

Description: Also known as "paranormal perception," this is an advanced form of Clairvoyance and Clairaudience and allows the subject to mimic the effects of Low-Light Vision, Thermographic Vision, Ultrasound, Enhanced Hearing, or more.

Borrow [Sense]

(Single Sense)

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 4

Effect: The magician selects one sense (sight, hearing, smell, or taste) from a subject and with a Minor Action can switch to perceiving that sense from the subject's perspective instead of the magician's own.

Resisted by the subject with Body + Willpower, but the subject does not have a conscious notion of the spell taking effect.

Description: Enable the subject to borrow a single sense from a chosen target within range of the spell. If the target fails to resist the spell, the subject perceives with the target's sense as if it were their own.

Any enhancement (such as thermographic vision, low-light vision, high frequency, etc.) that the subject has with that sense is included in the perception the caster gains.

Astral, virtual, and augmented reality perception cannot be channeled through these spells.

Not admissible as legal witness material, except in Tír Tairngire and Tír na nÓg.

Passenger

(Multi-Sense)

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 5

Effect: Allows the magician to perceive all the senses of the subject at once.

Resisted by the subject with Body + Willpower, but the subject does not have a conscious notion of the spell taking effect.

Description: Literally see through the eyes of a CEO or listen in on their privileged conversations - at least until a corp mage manages to trace the spell back to you.

Any enhancement (such as thermographic vision, low-light vision, high frequency, etc.) that the subject has with that sense is included in the perception the caster gains.

Astral, virtual, and augmented reality perception cannot be channeled through these spells.

Not admissible as legal witness material, except in Tír Tairngire and Tír na nÓg.

Animal [Sense]

(Single Sense)

Range:

Type:

Duration:

Drain Value:

Effect:

Resisted by the subject with Body + Willpower, but the subject does not have a conscious notion of the spell taking effect.

Description: Do you want to know where your cat goes, or what rat or pigeon tastes like? Your pet can share that with you. Do you want to experience flight like that of a bird? Now you can - by hitching a ride in the mind of a pet or another animal.

Any enhancement (such as thermographic vision, low-light vision, high frequency, etc.) that the subject has with that sense is included in the perception the caster gains.

Astral, virtual, and augmented reality perception cannot be channeled through these spells.

Not admissible as legal witness material, except in Tír Tairngire and Tír na nÓg.

Eyes of the Pack

(Single Sense)

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 4

Effect: When the magician casts this spell, the designated person within the spell's grouping shares their sense of sight with all others.

With a Minor Action, the magician can switch which person within the spell group is the one sharing their vision.

Can only be performed on willing subjects.

Increase the drain by 1 for every creature connected after the first, with a maximum number of subjects equal to the caster's Magic rating.

Description: Become your own SimStar without the technology. Share your POV with your friends and family as you tour famous locations like the Space Needle or participate in the entertainment such as the Running of the Bulls.

Any enhancement (such as thermographic vision, low-light vision, high frequency, etc.) that the subject has with that sense is included in the perception the caster gains.

Astral, virtual, and augmented reality perception cannot be channeled through these spells.

Not admissible as legal witness material, except in Tír Tairngire and Tír na nÓg.

Scrutinize

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 4

Effect: Allows the caster to be hyper-aware of an object or area. The Observe in Detail Major Action becomes a Minor Action while the spell is sustained and used for the object.

This spell allows for extra details to be learned with Observe in Detail.

Each Net Hit provides one type of detail that can be learned.

Description: Do you have an eye for detail? Do you need one? Look no further than Scrutinize. Scrutinize can be used to appreciate the different shades of blue, the ridges of a natural brush on canvas, and yes, count the number of jellybeans in a jar.

Warning: Can cause severe OCD or hyperacusis if sustained for longer than 8 hours.

Catalog

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 5

Effect: Allows the caster to be hyper-aware of an object or area. The Observe in Detail Major Action becomes a Minor Action while the spell is sustained and used for the area.

This spell allows for extra details to be learned with Observe in Detail.

Each Net Hit provides one type of detail that can be learned.

While Catalog is sustained, the magician can spend a Minor Action to view any point in the area of the spell from any perspective.

The magician gains a free Dice Reroll against invisible targets or surprise tests.

Description: If you need help putting the feng back in your shui, Scruitinize’s more powerful relative, Catalog, can help. Bring that sense of balance and harmony to the whole room. Know the right angle and distance of each object down to the millimeter with ease. In no time, you can get the dragon line flowing through the room with Catalog.

Warning: Can cause severe OCD or hyperacusis if sustained for longer than 8 hours.

Recorded Room

Range: Line of Sight (Area)

Type: Physical

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 5

Effect: Makes a visual image of a room, including many fine details.

With a Major Action, the magician can alter their perspective and observe any details within the room while sustaining the spell according to the Detection Spell Table.

Description: This spell makes a visual image of a room, including any details not readily visible to an observer's perspective, such as a chair behind a desk.

It also copies any readily visible electronic displays or printed material. If something is obscured by another object, like a piece of paper covered by a book, only the readily visible characters are recorded.

Spatial Sense

Range: Touch

Type: Physical

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 4

Effect: Grants the subject an innate awareness and knowledge of their physical surroundings within range of the spell in terms of landscape, geography, and architecture based on the Detection Spell results table.

This only lasts as long as the spell is sustained and is not retained when the spell ends, although the subject can attempt to make a map or recite directions before the spell ends.

This spell does not detect security features or living beings, and mana barriers are detected as "blank" spots.

Description: Allows for a subject to gain an innate awareness of the area around them, ranging from a general idea of what's where to a rough map of the area, to knowing each exit and how secure they are.

The spell works three dimensionally and may uncover hidden layout features such as ventilation shafts, secret rooms, and sewer tunnels.

Combat Sense

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 3

Effect: Net hits on the Spellcasting test are added to the subject's Defense and Surprise Test dice pools as long as the spell is sustained.

Description: The subject gets a heightened awareness of possible dangers and the ability to react to them faster.

Enhance Aim

Range: Touch

Type: Physical

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 3

Effect: Each net hit scored by the caster decreases negative range modifiers by 1.

If a weapon has no range in a category, it cannot be fired.

Enhance Aim is cumulative with other targeting devices, implants, and abilities (laser sights, scopes, smartlinks, adept powers, etc.).

The spellcaster must touch the subject to trigger the spell.

Description: Magically improve a voluntary target's natural ability to aim with ranged weapons.

Enhance Arc

Range: Touch

Type: Physical

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 5

Effect: Each net hit scored by the caster awards a +1 Dice Pool Modifier to the target's melee attacks.

Enhance Arc is cumulative with other targeting devices, implants, magical abilities, etc.

Description: Magically improves a target's to hit with a melee weapon, making it seem like an extension of the self.

Hawkeye

Range: Touch

Type: Physical

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 5

Effect: Gain a +1 Dice Pool Modifier for any visual Perception tests with each hit gained when casting Hawkeye.

This effect is cumulative with other perception aids, implants, and abilities.

Description: Hawkeye improves a voluntary subject's visual acuity beyond the norm - even in addition to cybernetic enhancements, adept powers, or other spells.

Night Vision

Range: Touch

Type: Mana

Duration: Sustained

Drain Value: 4

Effect: Gain Low-Light Vision.

Description: Night Vision grants a voluntary subject low-light vision like that provided by the cybernetic and mechanical enhancements.