I was reviewing the Assensing rules (SR3 171-172) and see on 3-4 successes one can gain information of the subject's exact emotional state or impression. 5 successes determines the cause of the emotional impression.

Can this be used as a truth/lie detector by revealing a state or impression of truthfulness or deception? Even going to the 5 successes to determine what question or statement caused the subject to enter the state or form the impression?

Up to the GM, but the table is a c&p from 4E, so I guess one could just handle it like that edition did - emotional states, no precise information like 'person is lying; it would probably be as reliable as a polygraph, though. You might know your prisoner is scared, but whether they're agitated because they expect you to murder them, because you're an ork and they HATE orks, or because they're lying to you cannot be discerend. The same reason why polygraphs are a dubious means to determine anything at best (and usually fail when used against trained and/or prepared people).

I'll put it this way: The assensing table with its described results in the success ranges 3+ tend to be too detailed when taken too literal. Particularly the 5+ result is just too powerful since the described results make a whole series of spells or adept powers worthless in comparison in terms of opportunity costs and severity of drawbacks. An assensing mage would rarely ever have to rely on a spell like "Analyze Truth" and even more straining spells. It outright sucks that 5+ successes provide exact body locations for implants and accurate diagnosis for diseases and toxins.

=> I strongly advise against using the asseninsg table with the information level as per RAW. Personally I tend to shift the levels by one level =>

- 0-2: No usable information beyond the fact that there is an aura / astral body
- 3+4: The original information gained by 1-2 successes in the RAW table minus the info on the status of awakened vs. non-awakened
- 5+6: The original information gained by 3-4 successes in the RAW table plus the awakened status minus the relative power information and the exact emotional state
- 7+: The original informarion gained at 5+ successes plus the relative magic power information minus the exact power, minus the accurate medical info, minus the cause for emotional state plus exact emotional state without the ability to discern thruthfulness of things said

And generally: No integral lie detector as part of the ability to perceive the astral

I don't think that's even possible.

(He is talking about SR3.)

Bye
Thanee

I would side with no. I always try to use assensing to add flavour to NPCs. If they get a load of successes, then I go into detail about the feelings of warmth and happiness, a sense of family and connectedness,. Fire up the Hovis advert to get some classical music and add a vibe to the person. Just don't tell them it's because it was the NPCs birthday the other day and their daughter caught the sub-orbital from Australia to come spend the day with them.

Conversely some angry discordant music and a sense of impotent rage, feelings of darkness and death, and incipient violence - to the guy who cut him up on the way into the office this morning, and put a scratch all down the side of his Saab Dynamit...

Work out what your NPC is doing, and how that might come across - assensing in my book should always be a dangerous two edged sword. The cold as ice, low essence merc killer may have feelings of mild expectation and joy - he's thinking about a nice steak at lunchtime, and doesn't feeling anything about the 30 rounds he's about to punch into the crowd... Or the flighty and emotional guy that feels likes he's about to kick off is fearing the emotional rejection from his date at lunchtime, and actually appears more likely to do something extreme. Like dreams, prophecy and divination, I think this should always be regarded as an art, not a science. Skills in psychology, cold reading, body language etc can help, but are never certain. And the people who you really, really need it to work on, as mentioned previously, probably have the training to try and mask or hide it.

Right at the other end, throw them a bone sometimes, or use it to corroborate a plot drop or NPC as being "open and honest", where you need to advance the story line.

The rules should always be consistent, but the results can be fickle - at least in my opinion.