What would be the recommended Skill Check to use to determine whether someone else is telling the truth or lies? That would be the Sense Motive / Insight checks in Pathfinder and D&D. I have been improvising this in Traveller using the "inverse" skills of Deception (INT) and Persuade (INT) but wonder whether I have overlooked at better way.
Which Skill Check to to use for Sense Motive / Insight?
- Thread starter Gnorr
- Start date
Terry Mixon
Emperor Mongoose
You could use Streetwise. I’d see it as an intimate BS detector.
Limpin Legin
Emperor Mongoose
Depends also upon context. Streetwise is especially intended for urban environments.
Investigate (INT) evidence for plausible truths.
Interviewing the other individual with science(psychology) (INT), and getting to know their motives.
A psion might succeed with Read Surface Thoughts (Telepathy).
Why does it have to be a skill check? "Truth" is evidence and knowledge based, but a Traveller could intuitively suss someone by spending enough time with them. Then it could be a characteristic check, such as a straight INT check, an opposed INT check, or possibly an opposed SOC check. But that probably isn't something that should be achievable in one combat round - again, it depend on context.MasterGwydion
Emperor Mongoose
Deception is the skill for lying and detecting lies when combined with SOC, INT, or EDU. Depends about what they are trying to detect the lies.
MasterGwydion
Emperor Mongoose
Remember, a cartel kingpin is a high SOC individual. Do you think that the head of a drug cartel has no Streetwise? So, while it may not work for detecting falsehoods, they would definitely have the skill.Many thanks for the ideas, it appears my guess of using Deception wasn't that far offI also would not go with Streetwise, as even very high SOC characters, who would most likely not have Streetwise, should be able to guess when they get lied to.
True
I was however more thinking about the Baroness in my current Mysteries of the Ancients campaign. And she definitely does not have Streetwise. So I will continue to use Deception for her (which she has plenty of ...)
DeepSpaceAdventures
Mongoose
Seth talks about this pretty nicely here:
Opposed Deception was a common answer the last time this came up, so you're on the right track there. Investigation (the "be a detective" skill) also works, and Streetwise situationally.
Lack of any Sense Motive/Insight skill dates back to Classic, and appears to be a deliberate design choice in Mongoose Traveller. You're not meant to be rolling those all the time. I know this doesn't match modern play styles. Still, consider rolling those less if possible.
I've especially always disliked that moment when the GM is running an NPC as squirrelly or sketchy, and the player is forced to ask for roll a skill for permission to know they're not telling the truth. Just make a play decision, it's okay. I don't know if that's happening in your game, but it is out there, influencing players.
Sometimes two or more skills apply, as with Broker or Streetwise to find a particular desired item. Use the best that counts, but there's no 3e-style synergy bonus for having both. So my list would be opposed Deception, Investigate, sometimes Streetwise depending on the lie and who's telling it. Rarely and situationally I'd consider others as well, like Broker to learn a cargo is not as advertised, but those rare ones wouldn't do anything outside their specific domain.
Lack of any Sense Motive/Insight skill dates back to Classic, and appears to be a deliberate design choice in Mongoose Traveller. You're not meant to be rolling those all the time. I know this doesn't match modern play styles. Still, consider rolling those less if possible.
I've especially always disliked that moment when the GM is running an NPC as squirrelly or sketchy, and the player is forced to ask for roll a skill for permission to know they're not telling the truth. Just make a play decision, it's okay. I don't know if that's happening in your game, but it is out there, influencing players.
Sometimes two or more skills apply, as with Broker or Streetwise to find a particular desired item. Use the best that counts, but there's no 3e-style synergy bonus for having both. So my list would be opposed Deception, Investigate, sometimes Streetwise depending on the lie and who's telling it. Rarely and situationally I'd consider others as well, like Broker to learn a cargo is not as advertised, but those rare ones wouldn't do anything outside their specific domain.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Depends on approach.
Knowledge skills will tell you when circumstances as described would be impossible, or, at least, implausible.
Interrogation will catch out details that are likely invented.
Language/body will allow interpretation of physical tells.
Knowledge skills will tell you when circumstances as described would be impossible, or, at least, implausible.
Interrogation will catch out details that are likely invented.
Language/body will allow interpretation of physical tells.
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