One post I read here a user stated that infiltration could be used versus astral perception.

I looked all over, re-reading the sections of the book, the FAQ and the errata, and I can't find anything to either confirm or deny it, but it seems kind of hinky to me. What's the call- would a character using the infiltration skill be in any way difficult to detect via astral perception?


Ikarius

i've always ruled that it would, for the same reason that infiltration works versus, say, thermographic vision or ultrasound. of course, i also think that blindfolds block astral perception, so who knows what looney ideas i subscribe to.

Yes. Physical objects that you might hide behind on the physical plane are opaque on astral space. If you hide in a garbage can, mages can't see you through the garbage can. And if you hide in bushes and such, those are probably harder to see through on the astral than they are on the physical.

The only real difference between spotting someone infiltrating with astral perception is that normal visibility modifiers don't apply. So it doesn't matter if it's dark, or smoky, or what have you. But all that means is that the mage doesn't get the normal visibility penalites applied. They still have to make an assensing test against your infiltration to find you. And Street magic has a list of visibility penalties that only apply on the astral. In some cases it might actually be harder to find someone astrally than physically.

It's just like using the skill in the normal world. On the Astral Plane, walls, poles, and other structures (and especially living things) block the line of vision similarly to the normal world.

Bear in mind, of course, that there are restrictions to its application in both worlds. A gunman stuck in the middle of an empty football field at noon has little chance of successfully hiding. Likewise, conditions also have to be right on the Astral Plane in order to use the skill.

Edit: Doh, was writing mine when Larme was writing hers.

incidentally, smoke does cloud things up on the astral. probably not quite as much as it does meatvision, but it should still provide some modifiers at the very least.

Smoke impairs vision exactly as much as on the physical plane.

The difference is in terms of lighting, on the astral you always typically have decent light conditions as it is lit by the aura of the Earth.

Also personally I've always figured that it would be really fragging hard to use the skill in the Astral if you yourself weren't able to open your Third Eye, either through natural talent or drugs.

If you are astrally projecting, you use your Logic in place of your Agility when making Infiltration tests.

-Frank