Portable Radiation Imaging Systems?

[graden1]

During a game earlier this week, the question came up, which skill should a character use with this device? Spot, Search, T/Electronics and T/Sensors all were suggested. Any guidance on this issue would be much appreciated.

For those without techno-savvy; the Portable Radiation Imaging System is a TL-12 device similar to a pair of binoculars, capable of creating false-color images in a wide range of wavelengths. (Visual, IR, UV, X-ray, passive radar, etc.)

Many thanks,

XO

 

[clementk]

T/Electronics: "Practiced in the use, operation, and repair of electronic devices." This would IMO be the best choice though I would give a synergy bonus from T/Sensors since there would be IMO similarities though T/Sensor is for bigger vehicle or ship based equipment. Search is for searching an area for hidden areas and is IMO not applicable since it usually within 3 meters and involves physically searching (moving things, knocking on walls, etc.) not just looking at something. Spot *might* apply (though only as a synergy bonus) if there is a possibility of an ambush or someone is trying to hide but I'd have the GM assign that secretly if the roll is handled by the player.

When I mean synergy bonus I would say a +1 or +2 (the latter is used in the existing T20 skill synergies) if the other skill (Spot or T/Sensors in this case) has 5 or more ranks.

HTH,
Casey

 

[Psion]

I'd lean towards T/Sensors myself. It is a sensing device.

 

[Malenfant]

T/Sensors, I'd say. While anyone can use a pair of binoculars, you'd need some kind of Sensor skill to interpret what you're seeing in the non-visible wavelengths.

 

[clementk]

After looking over MT and thinking on this a little more than last time, I’d agree with T/Sensors. Knowing how detect a ship or a comm. signal or knowing how to go to silent running is closer to using this imaging system than knowing how to use an oscilloscope, or whatever else T/Electronics covers in the operation part of its definition. Sensor Ops’ wording makes more sense since it doesn’t state “sensor equipment installed in vehicles and ships” like T/Sensors does.

I'd still give a possible synergy bonus as above for T/Electronics etc. similar to my previous post. Maybe the Electronics geek tinkered with one of these devices while fixing it.

Casey

 

[mike wightman]

I would think the onboard computer does the interpreting of the data and then produces a false colour image of what is seen in the non-visible wavelengths of interest.

I can see why you may need electronics and sensors to repair the thing, but in use is it not just hold it to your eyes and look through it?

I would give a +2 equipment bonus to spot or search rolls.

I've seen plenty of computer generated images using false colour, I understand them, and I have no sensor use skill at all

 

[graden1]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
I would think the onboard computer does the interpreting of the data and then produces a false colour image of what is seen in the non-visible wavelengths of interest.

I can see why you may need electronics and sensors to repair the thing, but in use is it not just hold it to your eyes and look through it?

I would give a +2 equipment bonus to spot or search rolls.

I've seen plenty of computer generated images using false colour, I understand them, and I have no sensor use skill at all

In this case, it's not just a matter of looking thru the binocs. The user has to select which wavelengths to use in a given situation, and possibly interpret outputs in several bands at once. Based on re-reading the skills chapter, and the above posts, I'm leaning towards using T/Electronics, possibly with a synergy bonus for Knowledge/Physics, to reflect the advantage of knowing how different bands of radiation behave, and which ones would be most useful at the time.

Sadly, not everyone understands false color imaging. True story: visiting a state D.O.T. office (no names!) last year, discussing a false-color output from a ground-penetrating radar system with one of my fellow technicians, one of the state engineers asked him "So, do those blue areas mean there's water down there?"

many thanks,

XO