harsh judgement

[Anonymous]

Does the telchoi battle cry, Harsh Judgement, reveal only foes hidden by concealment, or can it pierce magikal disguises? For instance, if a heleghast shifted into a commoner is standing in front of the telchos, and the telchos uses harsh judgement for some reason, will the telchos be able to tell there is a heleghast in front of him?

 

[simjimm]

I'd say no, it only negates concealment. The text specifies it detects enemies, and a Helghast will be trying to look friendly. Also its a battle application, not a Sense Evil spell. But its really up your GM's interpretation.

 

[Methos]

i go with simjimm on that

let the brotherhood face a heleghast

 

[Anonymous]

Well, as I interpret the kai and the dessi can both detect heleghasts with sixth sense and prophecy powers. Thus, I wanted ot make sure if the telchos could do so or not.

 

[Mongoose Doghouse]

Harsh Judgment is mostly concerned with locational concealment; to break it down into game terms directly means it will temporarily (for 1 round) negate Stealth, invisibility and concealment.

The fact of the matter is that the Telchoi developed this Cry to prevent ambushes and aid in tracking fleeing enemies. In many ways it is a very unsubtle power, like many of the Telchoi abilities. It is simply not designed for counter-espionage and the piercing of disguises (mundane or otherwise). The Harsh Judgment ability basically picks up on the unshielded hostility of a hiding enemy to pinpoint his position - a disguised enemy is deliberately masking his own identity (not his physical location), so the ability will literally ignore a disguised enemy.

Cheers,

 

[raethryn]

Well from what I remember of the game books, sixth sense really did nothing to detect a Helghast. Maybe under the new Tiers it could. However, I have to agree that the battle cry only detects hidden or stealthy people and creatures in order to prevent spying or ambushes eh.

 

[simjimm]

Well, as I interpret the kai and the dessi can both detect heleghasts with sixth sense and prophecy powers. Thus, I wanted ot make sure if the telchos could do so or not.

This is perhaps making the powers a little too powerful- the only way 6th sense would work would be its detect 'the most dangerous thing' tier. The Kai wouldn't know it was a Helghast- just that it presented an unspecified but real threat.

Prophecy would be cryptic in its response, like most fortune telling, so the dessi may see a vision of himself or his mates being stabbed by a disguised man, but he wouldn't inherently know it was a Helghast. If they use the 'weal/woe' power, they may get bad vibes off the Helghast, but little else.

 

[raethryn]

I agree with that interpretation. If sixth sense could detect a Helghast then we probably would've seen Lone Wolf use it if he had it on the way to Durenor.

 

[Anonymous]

Good call; I reread sixth sense and realized the kai would not specifically know it was a heleghast, even at the highest tier. He would realize tere is a very real threat, but thats it.

The dessi however, will know it is a heleghast, as the prophecy's highest power text reads. Evil opponents will blaze with a red light, and the power can pierce all magikal disguises. Thus, it is in effect similar to detect evil (brotherhood0, but more powerful, since it can also detect anything hidden by magik.

And thanks Ian for the offcial answer. I understand now; enemies waiting in ambush will be detected. Enemies hiding via magik, or even mundane disguises, will not be.