The Enhanced Senses operative exploit is designed to be the second tier of the Nightvision - Enhanced Senses - Uncanny Senses array of exploits. Each subsequent exploit requires the previous exploit to qualify.
However, the Enhanced Senses exploit offers an alternative method of qualifying for it: possessing both Dark Vision and Low-Light Vision. Obviously any character who had these would find the Nightvision exploit useless, so this makes sense.
It seems fairly clear that possessing these abilities racially should allow a character to qualify. Androids currently are the only race that can take this route (and I believe the iconic Operative is an android). However, the text does not specify the nature of the source.
Can the character qualify for Enhanced Senses with cybernetics? Advanced Darkvision Capacitors provide both darkvision and low-light vision.
What about the Adaptive Biochains version of Advanced Darkvision Capacitors? Adaptive Biochains creates organic bodyparts that function like cybernetics, so this would essentially like being given the racial characteristics...except that they might be removed for another eye upgrade.
If non-biochains cybernetics do qualify, what about a Vesk (with racial low-light vision) wearing armor with infra-red sensors?
If any of these range of semi-permanent alternatives allow the character to qualify, what happens to Enhanced senses when the technology in question is removed? The text regrettably says you require darkvision and low-light vision to "learn this exploit", so the blindsense should remain, but common sense would imply you lose blindsense until those other senses are returned to you!
However, before you claim "Rules as Written", you should know that Chapter 8's Senses section includes the following text:
"Creatures with blindsense or blindsight typically perceive using a specific sense mechanism, indicated in parentheses after blindsense or blindsight in the creature’s statistics. If this sense somehow becomes unusable, the creature loses access entirely to its blindsense or blindsight."
Which makes sense, until you realize other applications of blindsense specify the underlying sense in this form: blindsense (other sense). Enhanced Senses has no such specification.
To make things even more complicated, Uncanny Senses requires Enhanced Senses to qualify for. However, it doesn't require low-light vision or darkvision. Even if your Enhanced Senses ceased to function because you lost your low-light vision or darkvision, you would you still have the exploit itself. Do you lose Uncanny Senses? Before you answer, you should know that despite the chain of exploits requiring you to in some way have acquired darkvision at some point, Uncanny Senses states:
"If you have darkvision, its range increases by 30 feet". :O
And lastly, what if you have a permanent, or semi-permanent sense, that must be turned on to use? Advanced Darkvision provides both darkvision and low-light vision, but when darkvision is active, it emits lasers that can be seen by advanced optics, and might give the character away. When a character possess Advanced Darkvision, but has elected to turn the lasers off, do you still have Enhanced Senses?
Enhanced Senses (Ex) You can sense your surroundings without needing to see them. You gain blindsense with a range of 60 feet. You must have darkvision and low-light vision, or the nightvision exploit, to learn this exploit.
The exploit just says you MUST have darkvision and low-light vision or the nightvision exploit to qualify. It doesn't matter what the source of darkvision and low-light vision is.
But a cybernetic is a form of equipment. As the OP alluded you can change a cybernetic for another, it's just not likely to happen frequently.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
If you remove or a temporary source wears out that was providing one or both of darkvision and low-light vision then you lose the ability to use the exploit until one or both is reinstalled or recharged.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The difference between not being able to use the Exploit and losing it entirely is fairly significant. If we were to use Theheadkase's ruling, you essentially gain blindsense (darkvision and lowlight vision), which ceases to function as per the blindsense rules when those senses are removed. However, you can still qualify for Uncanny Senses, which is blindsight.
Metaphysician's ruling has the opposite problem: if you predicate on possessing the requisite senses, rather than the feats/exploits, then Advanced Darkvision Capacitors would qualify for Enhanced Senses, which in turn would qualify for Uncanny Senses, as long as you simply possess them. Removing the Capacitors would remove Enhanced Senses, which in turn would remove Uncanny Senses. But since you still possess them, you qualify whether they are turned on or off, and Darkvision Capacitors have an inbuilt drawback of having them turned on.
| 1 person marked this as FAQ candidate. |
in hope someone knows this answer, Operative Enhanced Senses gives blindsense, but blindsense (what?)?
Personally as a GM I wouldn't allow equipment to count for feat/ability requirements.
yeah, the Blindsense is a bit odd. It would need a sense you would think.