You are skilled at detecting falsehoods and true intentions.
Table: Sense Motive DC's
| Task | Sense Motive DC |
|---|---|
| Analyze Prowess | Varies |
| Hunch | 20 |
| Sense enchantment | 25 or 15 |
| Discern secret message | Varies |
Proficiency:
- Skilled: If you were aware of an opponent before rolling initiative (such as when you ambush an enemy or negotiations break down into combat, but not when both sides happen upon each other or you are surprised), you can attempt a Sense Motive check as part of your initiative check (DC = 11 + the highest Bluff modifier among your opponents or DC 15, whichever is higher). If you succeed, you gain a +1 bonus on the initiative check, plus an additional +1 for every 5 by which you exceeded the DC.
- Expert: After 1 minute of conversation, you can read a creature’s surface thoughts (as detect thoughts) by attempting a Sense Motive check at a –20 penalty opposed by the creature’s Bluff check.
- Master: You can read surface thoughts as above after 1 round. In addition, when attacked, you can attempt a Sense Motive check as an immediate action opposed by your target’s attack roll. A successful check grants a +2 insight bonus to your AC against attacks from that specific opponent for 1 minute.
- Legendary: You can read surface thoughts as above as a complex action of 2 acts. A successful check to gain an insight bonus to your AC also negates the attack that triggered it.
Uses
Analyze Prowess (Novice)
You can read a foe’s body language, movements, words, and other cues to guess its prowess and likely abilities. The DC is 10 + target’s base attack bonus + target’s Charisma modifier or 10 + target’s Bluff modifier, whichever is higher. If you succeed, you learn the target’s base attack bonus. For every 2 points by which you exceed the DC, you learn of one combat feat the target possesses. If you fail this Sense Motive check, you can make a guess at your foe’s abilities, but are aware that it is unreliable. The GM secretly takes the higher of the foe’s base attack bonus or ranks in Bluff, subtracts 4, and adds 1d8. You learn only the result, but know that it may be as much as 4 points different from the true value and could represent either combat training or the ability to fake it well.
Action: Analyzing a foe's prowess is a simple action.
Retry? No.
Discern Secret Message (Novice)
You may use Sense Motive to detect that a hidden message is being transmitted via the Bluff skill. In this case, your Sense Motive check is opposed by the Bluff check of the character transmitting the message. For each piece of information relating to the message that you are missing, you take a –2 penalty on your Sense Motive check. If you succeed by 4 or less, you know that something hidden is being communicated, but you can’t learn anything specific about its content. If you beat the DC by 5 or more, you intercept and understand the message. If you fail by 4 or less, you don’t detect any hidden communication. If you fail by 5 or more, you might infer false information.
Action: None.
Retry? No.
Hunch (Novice)
This use of the skill involves making a gut assessment of the social situation. You can get the feeling from another’s behavior that something is wrong, such as when you’re talking to an impostor. Alternatively, you can get the feeling that someone is trustworthy.
Action: At least 1 minute. You can reduce the time needed to 2d4 rounds by increasing the DC by 10. You can further reduce the time needed to a complex action of 3 acts by increasing the DC to 20.
Retry? No.
Sense Enchantment (Novice)
You can tell that someone’s behavior is being influenced by an enchantment effect even if that person isn’t aware of it. The usual DC is 25, but if the target is dominated (see dominate person), the DC is only 15 because of the limited range of the target’s activities.
Action: At least 1 minute. You can reduce the time needed to 2d4 rounds by increasing the DC by 10. You can further reduce the time needed to a complex action of 3 acts by increasing the DC to 20.
Retry? No.