Niche D20Associated Ability Modifier: Focus
You are capable of detecting lies, intentions, and feints. Sense motive is a skill that usually should be rolled in secret by the GM so a player is unaware how good their hunch about a situation would be; as a failed check could result in false information.
You are capable of detecting lies, intentions, and feints. Sense motive is a skill that usually should be rolled in secret by the GM so a player is unaware how good their hunch about a situation would be; as a failed check could result in false information.
Common Uses
Sense motive is made as an opposed roll against another creature’s Bluff skill usually; with the higher of the check winning. While sense motive will not give you the truth, it can be used to determine the presence or absence of a lie.
Sense motive has a number of other uses usually with their own DC:
Hunch
You can use your intuition to assess a social situation to determine if something is wrong. Usually a DC 20 check, this does not reveal specifics though it may grant a character a sense of distrust or unease even if unfounded. A failed check usually grants no evidence in either direction while a failure by one degree or more usually results in false information causing a character to become suspicious when no suspicion is present.
Detect Enchantment
You can attempt to determine if a creature’s behavior is unnatural and being controlled by magic. This DC is usually 25; though some effects may have their own listed DC. If you are unfamiliar with the creature the DC is increased by an additional 5, or reduced by 5 if you are very familiar with the creature.
Discern Secret Message
See the “Pass Secret Message” ability of the bluff skill.
Action/Retry
Gaining information with Sense motive takes 1 minute, though does not take an action when used against a Bluff check such as a Bluff check made to feint.
You cannot retry a failed sense motive check, though you may continue to make Sense Motive checks against each new bluff check made against you.