Being A Sensate |
The first issue for a Sensate is "How do we know anything for certain?" For centuries people thought a reference to Aristotle or the Bible was "proof". Sensates are sceptics, they want to be shown, they want to see the proof with their own eyes. They don't want to hear about your vacation in Cancun, they want to go there, feel the sunshine for themselves. To the Sensates, the only proof of anything, even something that appears completely self-evident, is Direct Experience. No amount of expert testimony or reference to studies or ancient sages is going to convince a Sensate of anything. Sensates never jump to conclusions or rely on assumptions. They want Proof. The second thing about Sensates is that are voraciously curious. They want to know EVERYTHING, and they want to know it in intimate detail. A Sensate must not be afraid to try anything or to learn anything. No idea or experience must be avoided as "too weird" or "too radical". There must be no limits to what a Sensate will do to gain more experience, short of obvious self-destruction. Get a broken heart. Stick a hand in the fire. Eat that foreign food. Travel off the beaten track. Bad experiences are often the most informative, and must never be shied away from. If one doesn't like an experience spend some time figuring out "Why?" really examine it without fear or hesitation. Finally, there's the effect of exploring and savouring a lifetime of experience without fear or hesitation: An Open Mind. Its hard to be a prejudiced or bigoted when one's travelled the world, made love to men and women of every hue, eaten food from every country in the world, travelled in jungles and deserts and ancient cities, and participated in the cultures met along the way like a native would, dancing the dances and singing the songs of every people met,studying their traditions to add richness to one's own. |
This is the path to real enlightenment and an appreciation not just of the universal similarities of all people, but for the real value of their differences. Furthermore, assimilating knowledge tends to make the mind more flexible and creative. The more one knows about the world, the more prepared one is to face obstacles, and the more one see connections between seemingly unrelated events, enabling one to be more creative and revealing hidden insights into the nature of reality. Sensates know that the more they learn the more is revealed to them. And knowledge is power... |
Feats for Sensate Characters
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| Connoisseur | Species Adaptation |
| Through long experience with one subject, the Sensate has gained a special appreciation of the subtleties of a specific field of study. Whether it is vintage wines, types of kisses, or forms of torture, the connoisseur can recognise the best when she sees it, and has expert knowledge of her field gathered from direct experience. Prerequisites: membership in the Society of Sensation. Benefits: The Sensate gains a +4 competence bonus on Bardic Knowledge and Appraisal checks when dealing with a single narrow area of interest. Special: This feat may be taken again, but its effects do not stack. Each time it is taken it applies to a new field of study. DMs may require the player of the Sensate to go on adventures related to the field of interest before allowing the purchase of this feat. | By long study and association with members of a particular non-human species, the sensate can adapt her abilities to affect that species. Prerequisites: knowledge (one species) 5+. Benefits: The Sensate can extend feats, skills, spells, and abilities that normally only apply to humanoids to one species. Special: This feat may be taken again, but its effects do not stack. Each time it is taken it applies to a new species. DMs may require the player of the Sensate to go on adventures related to the species of interest before allowing the purchase of this feat. |
| Unflappable | Shockproof |
| The sensate is experienced in dealing with many types of people's behaviour and customs, so it is very difficult to make the sensate angry or upset. Prerequisites: Broad Knowledge, Diplomacy 3+. Benefits: The sensate gains a +4 competence bonus on checks vs. effects that cause anger such as the Emotion spell. | The sensate has seen so much that nothing can shock them anymore. Prerequisites: broad experiences, Will saving throw bonus +8 or higher. Benefits: The sensate gains a +4 competence bonus against effects that cause fear or revulsion, and is immune to non-magical versions of these effects. |
| In Crowd | Social Sensitivity |
| The sensate knows all the most popular places to shop, eat, and party, and knows how to get the best treatment at exclusive venues. Prerequisites: broad experiences, information gathering 3+. Benefits: the sensate gains a +4 competence bonus on checks to locate, enter, and receive pampered treatment from exclusive shops, restaurants, bars, and social groups. | The Sensate is acutely sensitive and responsive to the feelings and motivations of others and observant of people's actions and body language. Prerequisites: broad experiences, Wis 13+, Cha 13+. Benefits: listen, spot, sense motive, and innuendo are class skills for the Sensate, and the Sensate receives a +2 competence bonus on each of them. |
| Rapid Assimilation | Sensory Trance |
| The Sensate can rapidly learn and adapt to a new culture's customs and etiquette, making them second nature in a matter of weeks. Prerequisites: Broad Experiences, Diplomacy 5+, and Wisdom 13+. Benefits: The Sensate can make a Diplomacy check to learn the common customs of another culture after 1d4 weeks of intensive study and participation in the local daily activities. If the check is successful, the Sensate can take 10 on all further Diplomacy checks while dealing with members of the culture studied. Special: The Sensate gains a +2 synergy bonus on knowledge, bluff, sense motive, and innuendo checks related to members of the culture studied. | The Sensate has learned to enter a trance that focuses attention on a single sense. The trance boosts perception temporarily but penalises the other senses of the Sensate. Prerequisites: concentration 8+, keen senses, 1 other keen sense feat (focusing on a sense requires the appropriate keen sense feat), Wis 15+. Benefits: The Sensate can focus all attention one sense at a time. If the Sensate makes a successful Concentration check, the Sensate gains a +10 bonus on all spot and search checks with that single sense (or listen checks if the sense focused on is hearing), but suffers a -5 penalty on checks using all other senses. Entering the sensory trance is a full round action, and the sensate can take no action but defend herself while in the trance. The Sensate can maintain the trance for 1 round per level. |
| Internalise Experiences | Perceptive Deductions |
| The Sensate has mastered their perceptions and learns faster and easier from the experiences of life than other characters. The Sensate can internalise what he experiences, deriving more benefits from everyday events. Prerequisites: keen senses, all 5 keen sense feats, broad experiences, and Wis 19+. Benefits: The Sensate gains a 10% experience bonus at the end of an encounter if a Concentration check vs. DC 20 +level is passed. If the Sensate fails the check by more than 10 points his perceptions were completely skewed and he suffers a 10% experience penalty on the encounter. DMs must authorise what they consider a single encounter. | The Sensate is used to noticing subtle nuances and minutiae others miss, and can spot clues in the environment when exploring an area. Prerequisites: keen senses, Int 13+, Wis 13+. Benefits: the Sensate can apply the bonuses from both Int and Wis to Search and Listen checks if an extra round is spent picking out minute details. |
| Tantric Dark | Tweaker Insight |
| The Sensate has used meditation and physical training to discover the inner workings of his mind and body, releasing a small amount of psionic power. Prerequisites: membership in the Society of Sensation, concentration 5+, connoisseur (tantra). Benefits: the Sensate gains a single 0-level psionic power and 1 power point per day. Special: this feat may be taken more than once, but its effects do not stack. Each time it is taken, the Sensate learn another 0-level psionic power and gains 1 power point. Sensates with this feat may learn psionic feats if they have enough power points to use them. | The Sensate is used to experiencing altered states induced by drugs, and can easily distinguish between hallucinations and reality. Prerequisites: membership in the Society of Sensation, concentration 5+, connoisseur (drugs). Benefits: The Sensate can make a spot check with a +10 bonus to identify any illusion on sight. |
| Tweaker Resistance | Sensate Focus |
| The Sensate has built up his resistance to toxins and his body breaks down alcohol and drugs at a rapid rate. Prerequisites: membership in the Society of Sensation, connoisseur (drugs), great fortitude. Benefits: The Sensate gains a +4 bonus on Fortitude checks to resist poisons and drugs. | The Sensate has developed a strong, focused mind by dedication to studying a single speciality, protecting the Sensate from mental influences. Prerequisites: membership in the Society of Sensation, concentration 8+, connoisseur (any), Will save bonus +8 or better. Benefits: the Sensate is completely immune Compulsion effects such as sleep, hold or charm. |
| Resource Notes | Become a Sensate Today! |
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 Click to subscribe to the Club Sensation group on Yahoo!Club Sensation is a faction cell of the Society of Sensation, the only real life cell of the imaginary planar factions of Planescape. To learn more just join up and start reading the messageboard. |
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Tell us about the experiences you have gained through your travels, and the lessons you learned from them. Take a recording stone and make an entry with all the juicy details included. Describe the experience from each of your senses, and share how it change who you are... Add a Recording Stone View the Sensorium  |
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