Perception: A New Attribute for Palladium Characters

(Modified from the original version in Protoculture Addicts #3)

Version 2.1, by Stanley Bundy 2/17/1999

One thing the Palladium system always seemed to be lacking was a measure of the characters' ability to notice things around them. The attribute this is based off of was the first attempt to do so, back in the late 1980s, in the RPG section of Protoculture Addicts, which was then the official Robotech fanzine. Later, another version appeared in Nightspawn/Nightbane, but that version was too much like the unwieldy Horror Factor to be useful, in my opinion.

The original article brought up several interesting points concerning characters' awareness of their surroundings when outside a mecha, power armor, robot vehicle, etc. The Danger Sense ability isn't quite the Sixth Sense psionic ability, and for that reason is perfectly playable. However, the idea that a high Perception would give a bonus to strike is ludicrous. After all, Perception is supposed to be about awareness, not accuracy. Therefore, I propose instead a bonus for high Perception apply to initiative, not strike rolls, which is more in line with the Danger Sense sub-ability; low Perception results in initiative penalties. Regardless, these modifiers always apply, even in mecha or robot combat.

Danger Sense - What it does: Making a successful Danger Sense check allows the character to dodge, parry or roll with an attack that normally would have been a surprise attack (with no defense). Such a roll would be a straight dice roll, with the character's total initiative modifier added to the roll (normal P/D/R bonuses don't apply). Optionally, the character can opt to do a simultaneous return attack instead of avoiding the attack, but again, gets no bonuses other than what is normally his bonus to initiative rolls.

Negative Modifiers for low perception: this works the exact opposite way as normal checks. The character must make the Danger Sense check or SUFFER the penalty. Therefore, a person with a 4 Perception has a -2 to initiative 96% of the time, but can avoid it by rolling 4 or less on the Danger Sense check. 

  Perception Score | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
-------------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
  Danger Sense (%) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 20 |
  Initiative Mod.  |-5 |-4 |-3 |-2 |-1 |   |   |   |   |    |    |    |    |    |    | +1 | +1 |

  Perception Score | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 |
-------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
  Danger Sense (%) | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 75 | 78 | 80 | 82 | 
  Initiative Mod.  | +1 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +3 | +3 | +3 | +4 | +4 | +4 | +5 | +5 | +5 | +6 | +6 |

  Perception Score | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 |
-------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
  Danger Sense (%) | 84 | 86 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 |
  Initiative Mod.  | +6 | +7 | +7 | +7 | +8 | +8 | +8 | +9 | +9 | +9 |+10 |+10 |+10 |

Dice Rolls For Perception - By Race:

Note: P.P. and Perception initiative bonuses are cumulative.

Most races, such as humans, roll 3D6 for perception, gaining an additional 1D6 for a natural 16-18.

Races with enhanced senses (Robotech Garudans, Palladium & Rifts Canines, Elves, young Dragons, Altarans, etc.) get an additional 1D6 on top of the normal roll (resulting in 4D6, 5 if bonus die earned from roll of the first three). Note that if a race has superior senses in one area, but weakened or non-existent senses in another, to modify the roll required for a perception check to suit the situation.

Races with outstanding senses or with sense-related super powers (Robots, Adult Dragons, a mutant with super hearing, etc.), get an additional 2D6 to their Perception roll.

Bonuses:

The bonuses for level advancement from Nightbane (+1 at 3rd, 9th, and 15th levels) can be used with this system, if desired. Racial bonuses listed in Nightbane also apply with no modification to this stat.

Combining Sixth Sense with Perception:

Danger Sense only applies when Sixth Sense cannot pick up the threat (due to range, Mind Block, lack of ISP, etc.). Initiative bonuses are cumulative, though. Also note that a Danger Sense roll can be made during combat (at half normal chance) to notice a new danger's approach, unlike Sixth Sense, whose bonuses apply only in the first round. After Sixth Sense ends, Perception bonuses continue normally.

Combining Martial Arts Techniques with Perception:

Zanshin gives the character an additional 3D6 to his or her Perception score at all times, but the Zanshin Initiative bonuses only apply when the character is actually using his Martial Arts form. The Iai-Jutsu (fast-draw) technique is cumulative with all other initiative bonuses.

Combining Perception with Robot Vehicle/Mecha Use:

Danger Sense only applies against threats that don't appear on the vehicle's sensors. In power armors (including Cyclones), there are no penalties to the Danger Sense roll, but the chance is halved in robot vehicles, Veritechs, Battloids and Destroids. Of course, if a vehicle loses its radar, Danger Sense may be the only warning of an attack from behind. In a way, this type of Danger Sense use is based in intuition, not senses. Initiative bonuses still apply in these war machines, in that the character can more easily take in the action on the battlefield, and adjust attacks accordingly.

Converting the Nightbane Perception ability to this system:

First of all, the IQ Perception bonuses no longer apply, since this stat has its own modifiers for high and low perception. However, the class, race and level bonuses do apply. Checks are as follows:

Easy: Roll under twice the attribute on 1D20.

Moderate: Roll under the attribute on 1D20.

Challenging: Roll under ½ the attribute on 1D20.

Difficult: Roll under ¼ of the attribute on 1D20.

As for skills adding or subtracting to Perception rolls, I suggest that use of one of the skills just increases or decreases the difficulty of the check by one step (as above), on successful use of the skill (roll the skill check FIRST). This is more simpler than the Nightbane system, though it can still be used by making modifiers apply to the viewer's/listener's Perception attribute (as opposed to the opposed roll system), before assigning the difficulty, and remember that lower rolls are better for this Perception system