Pathfinder Staff

[kosmit]

haha, got ya! You thought I am gonna ask about d20 ED conversion? Not even close! ;p

Ok, no more jokes. Does the "Perception Tests" adds to Detect Trap, Search and other abilities like this?

Thread Rank Two
Effect : The wielder gains a +2 rank bonus to the Tracking talent
and a +2 bonus to Perception Tests.

It is found in GMC p. 36

[Tanthalas]

The phrase 'Perception Tests' to me just means the checks GMs call for to notice things. The wording in this case is vague, as it should probably say 'Perception-only Tests'. Tracking itself is a Perception based talent, so why would it list it out separately? Unless it is meant to provide a whopping +4 steps to tracking test.

The ruling at my table would be that it only helps Perception-only and not talents related to Perception.

[kosmit]

Honestly I don't know how to treat it. If item goes with bonus to haggle tests it both apply to Talent, Skill and Charisma Test while haggling.

I would allow the bonus with talents like Search, Detect Trap and so on, but I am not sure whether to use +4 or +2. +4 is more logical in this case but it would be a bit OP.

[Tanthalas]

As a GM I have my players give me 'Perception Tests' all the time. It is one of my fiendish ways of depriving wizards of their karma. A +2 step bonus to Perception-only is pretty handy and probably rivaled only by Charisma-only in usability. I'm pretty sure the intended reading is +2 to the tracking talent and +2 to Perception-only rolls. That seems potent to me, but not OP.

Of course, whatever works for your game!

[Panda]

I concur: it would only grant a bonus to Perception-only tests. Otherwise, you are effectively looking at a +2 Step bonus to Perception. Which is mind-boggling.

[kosmit]

Damn, with Perception-Only it will make this very weak. If Scout can use his Search+Karma instead of Perception+2 (and Karma) he/she will definitely go for the first option...

[Panda]

It's simple enough for you to change it into a +2 Ranks to the Search talent.

[Telarus_KSC]

Yes, that's what I'd do. Also, note that when a magical item gives "+X Ranks to Talent Y", that any character without that Talent now has it at Rank X.

[kosmit]

If I can do a Mastery Item (277, PG) with "+2 to close combat attack tests" (which would apply to every talent which is close combat attack test) I can make it +2 to searching tests (which would apply to Search, Detect Trap, Detect Weapon and maybe 1-2 other talents/skills)?

[Panda]

You can do whatever you would like. If you want to hew closer to the spirit of the rules, I would recommend against that.

The key difference is in the applicability of a close combat test versus a searching test. The former primarily affects two talents, Melee Weapons and Unarmed Combat, of which a small number of characters (t'skrang) actually use both. The end result being that the majority of characters would only benefit from the bonus to one talent, which is functionally a lot like giving a bonus to just one talent. There is also Swift Kick, but empirical evidence suggests that is primarily used by t'skrang as well.

However, none of that particularly matters if you want to give a bonus to searching tests. It probably won't have an impact on your game (other than possibly having to write some clear distinctions on what exactly a "searching" test is, but not all players are as draconian as mine have been in the past). Do what works best for you and your group; the rules as written are just a place to start.