[X] My Assistant

[JoelHalpern]

On page 301 the BBB seems to say that detecting a concealed item is a percetption test. That seems to make sense.

However, there is no threshold given.
Does this mean that one success is what is needed?
And if it was deliberately hidden, it is supposed to be a Palming+Agility test. That rather stretches the meaning of palming.
If the regular threshold is more than 1, then sometimes it can be easier to spot something that ws deliberately hidden.

So I assume that the normal test is Intuition+Perception(1) with modifiers for deliberate inspection, concealability, and a lined coat affecting the dice pool?
Guard would presumably be 3+3? And unless you distract them, they are presumably neither + or - for attention (if you attract their attention they get the +2?)

If I read this right, normal concealment by someone who has 5 agility and no palming would be 1 purchased hit. So the a guard looking over the person (like the bodyguard for someone you are meeting, or a cop who stopped you to ask a question because you look a little odd, or ...) would be rolling about 6 dice to spot your commlink or heavy pistol under your lined coat, with a threshold of 2 successes (to beat your one success?) Better not try for that very often, as he makes the roll 65% of the time.

And unless you are VERY good, you better not bother trying to conceal anything harder.

Joel

[Adarael]

Don't forget three things:

1) It's threshold 1 plus whatever successes you get. So that's a base of 2 with bought successes. The rationale being that something simply placed out of sight sans a roll requires a threshold 1 to spot, so any additional successes are added to the perceiver's threshold.
2) Bought successes are less efficient than rolled successes. 3 dice rolled will generally equal 1 successes, versus 4-to-1 for bought successes.
3) The successes past threshold determine how much info the cop gets. 1 net success is "something is there." You need 3 over threshold to determine what, generally, it is.

[JoelHalpern]

...
3) The successes past threshold determine how much info the cop gets. 1 net success is "something is there." You need 3 over threshold to determine what, generally, it is.

That would be very important. If the cop / guard needs 3 net successes to have some idea what is there, then the chances change dramatically.
(Obviously, there are situational mods. If they are already searching you, then you are in trouble. Probably then the hider needs a net hit against the searchers, at least.)

Joel

[Adarael]

They'd generally need 1 net hit unless their clothing was capable of covering it fully and without incident - like hiding a light pistol under a trenchcoat or something.

Weapon spotting tests otherwise follow standard Perception Test threshold rules, which goes a long way toward alleviating the whole "Why does anyone carry guns?" question. If a cop stopped everyone with "something" under their jacket, or even someone with "something vaguely tube-shaped" under their jacket, they'd be stopping damn near every person on the street.

[RunnerPaul]

If a cop stopped everyone with "something" under their jacket, or even someone with "something vaguely tube-shaped" under their jacket, they'd be stopping damn near every person on the street.

Witness this video of a cop frisking a guy and finding "something vaguely tube-shaped" that he's concealing.