Enhanced Senses, What are they, exactly? Options

[The Dread Polack]

In the Runners Companion, it says that Ghoul PCs get "Enhanced Senses (Hearing, Smell)". What exactly does this mean?

Under Critter powers, "Enhanced Senses" says:

Enhanced Senses covers any improved or augmented senses beyond the normal human range of awareness. This includes low-light and thermographic vision, improved hearing and smell, heat-sensing organs, natural sonar, and so on.

So, where do you go from there? "Improved Smell" is an adept power. Is that what you get? What does Enhanced Hearing refer to?

[The Dread Polack]

Should've looked on the other forum first. Apparently Running Wild clarifies this:

When a critter has enhanced senses for a sense that it would normally possess, such as Enhanced Hearing for a hell hound, it receives a +2 dice pool modifier to Perception Tests.

[Xenefungus]

Do you think critter rules apply for SCs, too? I haven't heard of this before.

[_Pax._]

Well, for Adept powers, it's a little better than just a +2; if there's an equivalent cybernetic or bioware system, the Adept power gives you the bonus of hte highest-available level of that system.

[Makki]

Well, for Adept powers, it's a little better than just a +2; if there's an equivalent cybernetic or bioware system, the Adept power gives you the bonus of hte highest-available level of that system.

which, I believe, you read in the FAQ. Therefore it's no rule, but someone's (not neccessarily the author) idea about what it could/should be.
The FAQ's are also older than Running Wild.

[Xenefungus]

Quote?

[_Pax._]

which, I believe, you read in the FAQ. Therefore it's no rule, [...]

However, it's the closest we have ever had to an "official answer".

[Sengir]

Do you think critter rules apply for SCs, too? I haven't heard of this before.

If the rules apply for all other critter powers a Ghoul has (Dual Natured, Natural Weapon...), why not

[Krishach]

A Critter power is a Critter power, and plays by the same rules for all critter powers. Just like the critter power Influence and the spell Influence for mages act in different ways. Ghouls can smell for perception, similar to dogs, and get +2 for their hearing, due to the Enhanced Senses power.

For the adept power, the wording must bear out.

Any sense provided by cyberware can also be provided by this power (see Street Gear, p. 310, for more information), unless an improvement involves radio or similar technological phenomena.

This to me means a sense, as in a new sense. Low light, thermal, high or low range hearing. It does not grant a particular bonus to perception, in my opinion. There is, if memory serves, Enhanced Perception for that.

[The Dread Polack]

Krishach is correct. I think it's very important to realize that Ghoul PC's are getting the critter power "Enhanced Senses" and not the adept power "Improves Senses". These things, while similarly titled, are not related. Looking up the rules for Improved Senses will not help you to understand what Enhanced Senses does for you.

The problem, previously, was that the critter power "Enhanced Senses" was not sufficiently defined in the Friends and Foes chapter of SR4 or SR4a. Even when running ghouls as a GM, it wasn't clear what this power did for ghouls. When they made ghouls a playable character type in the Runners Companion, they gave them the critter power "Enhanced Senses", not the adept power "Improves Senses", and thus players also didn't know what these powers did for their characters.

Running wild has clarified this specifically. If you are playing a ghoul, you get +2 dice when making a perception test that uses smell or hearing. Additionally, if you read on, it says on page 205:

An enhanced sense may also provide the critter with new uses for skills. Enhanced Scent, for example, allows a trained critter to track a person or prey by scent alone. Scent tracking uses Tracking + Intuition. Thresholds and dice pool modifiers are provided.

But, once again, this has nothing at all to do with the adept power "Improves Senses". So, there's really no point in discussing it here any further.

[Bearclaw]

I guess SR doesn't want to deal with the almost magical power that is a dog's sense of smell. Basically you can't hide anything from it.

[Bearclaw]

Stupid double post.
It would be really awesome if I could delete my own posts without having to ask for help.

[bannockburn]

Yes it does. Vomeronasal Organ and Olfactory Booster (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Bearclaw]

Those don't even come close. +3, really? They are the olfactory equivalent of Miracle ear. If there is something that could ever possibly be noticed by a human, there should be no rolls. Honestly, it shouldn't be considered the same sense. Mythbusters did an episode on it. They couldn't fool the dog. Not with a bunch of people all wearing the same clothes. Not running through a swamp or stream, nothing. The rules would be more like astral tracking I think.

[bannockburn]

It also says you can remember people by smell (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[_Pax._]

So the dog has +2 from it's Enhanced Smell critter power.

+3 more for Observe in Detail.

Then Dogs get Intuition 3 and Prception 2. Right there, that's 10 dice .... and I think where there's a breakdown, is in giving Dogs only Perception 2. Maybe it should be more like Perception 3, specialised in Scent. Intuition 3, Perception 3 (Scent +2), Enhanced Smell +2, and Observe-in-Detail +3 ... a total of 13 dice.

[BishopMcQ]

Bearclaw & Pax--That's where training would come in. The mythbuster's dog, K9 units etc, are all trained to be better at the process; also breed differences can adjust the stat block. As a GM, it'd be perfectly reasonable to say a pure-bred Bloodhound has a higher Perception (Scent) than a mutt.

[_Pax._]

Very good point, Bishop.

[Bearclaw]

Bearclaw & Pax--That's where training would come in. The mythbuster's dog, K9 units etc, are all trained to be better at the process; also breed differences can adjust the stat block. As a GM, it'd be perfectly reasonable to say a pure-bred Bloodhound has a higher Perception (Scent) than a mutt.

I disagree. The training doesn't make their noses better, it makes them better able to understand what their masters want. Once a dog knows it's after the smell of pot, it doesn't need to be taught what to ignore or how to smell it, it just needs to know what it is it's supposed to do. If you paired that sense with a human mind, it would be even more powerful.

Seriously, anything that you could possibly smell with out noses shouldn't require a roll for enhanced scent.