B.3 Senses

Blindsense: A creature with blindsense can sense the location of everything in its surroundings. It does not need to use its eyes to gain this benefit. This ability works regardless of concealment, invisibility, or light levels. Blindsense always has a specific range limit, and provides no benefit beyond that range. However, it only grants knowledge of location, not actual sight, so does not mitigate any miss chances that would apply. It also does not mitigate cover or otherwise allow sensing through objects that block line of effect. Blindsense does not require using eyes.

Blindsight: A creature with blindsight can perceive its surroundings perfectly regardless of concealment, invisibility, or light levels. It does not need to use its eyes to gain this benefit. This allows the creature to ignore all miss chances caused by those effects. Blindsight always has a specific range limit, and provides no benefit beyond that range. It also does not mitigate cover or otherwise allow sensing through objects that block line of effect. Blindsight does not require using eyes.

Darkvision: A creature with darkvision can see perfectly in both complete darkness and dim illumination just like a human does in bright illumination. Darkvision always has a specific range limit, and provides no benefit beyond that range. As long as a creature with darkvision is in bright illumination or brilliant illumination, their darkvision stops working. The darkvision briefly stays disabled even after they leave the lit area. Darkvision requires using eyes, and is disabled while you are dazzled (20% miss chance, no special vision).

Lifesense: Lifesense functions like blindsense, except that it only grants knowledge of the location of living things. This includes both creatures and non-creatures, such as plants.

Lifesight: Lifesight functions like blindsight, except that it can only see living things. This includes both creatures and non-creatures, such as plants.

Low-light Vision: A creature with low-light vision can see perfectly in dim illumination, just like a human does in bright illumination. This provides no benefit in areas of complete darkness. Low-light vision requires using eyes, and is disabled while you are dazzled (20% miss chance, no special vision).

Scent: A creature with the scent ability has an unusually good sense of smell. It gains a +10 bonus to scent-based Awareness checks. In addition, it is able to follow scent-based tracks (see Tracking).

Telepathy: A creature with telepathy has the ability to mentally communicate with other nearby creatures. All telepathy abilities have a defined range. Unless otherwise specified, a telepathic creature can only communicate with one creature at a time.

As a free action, a telepathic creature can open a telepathic communication channel with one creature it sees within the range of its telepathy ability. That channel remains open until the telepathic creature dismisses it. The target does not have to be willing to receive telepathic communication in this way. While this channel is open, the telepathic creature can cause the target to “hear” the telepathic creature’s voice inside the target’s head. If the target attempts to mentally reply while the channel is open, the telepathic creature can similarly “hear” the reply in its head as if the target was speaking. This does not generally grant the ability to detect any other thoughts, though exceptionally stupid targets may accidentally broadcast their private thoughts.

Telepathic communication uses words, so it still requires a shared language to be intelligible, even though the words are only imagined. A telepathic creature may attempt to telepathically communicate with creatures without a language, though this is generally unproductive. A skilled telepath can customize the mental “voice” it projects in the same way that a creature can attempt to disguise or alter its voice when speaking.

Tremorsense: Tremorsense functions like blindsense, except that it requires an uninterrupted path through solid objects instead of line of effect. This makes it incapable of sensing flying creatures, but it ignores cover and can even sense through solid obstacles that are no more than half a foot thick.

Tremorsight: Tremorsense functions like blindsight, except that it requires an uninterrupted path through solid objects instead of line of effect. This makes it incapable of seeing flying creatures, but it ignores cover and can even see through solid obstacles that are no more than half a foot thick.