So the Custom Scanner allows you to "as a move action, you can target a creature within 30 feet that is within your line of sight, and attempt a special skill check to identify it: if the creature is living, this is a Life Science Check, and if the creature is unliving, it is a Physical Science check. The DC of this check is tied to the creature's rarity, as presented on page 133 of the CRB" Op Manual, p2.
My understanding is that the current method of identifying a creature is via the Identify Creatures action on CRB 133, using the skill related to the target given by the chart on the same page. The CRB doesn't have any listed times for these actions (aside from if you are taking 20), so my campaign we have assumed it is a free action. It also doesn't have a maximum range for this. If you can see the creature, you can identify it. The DC for this is also set by the exact same chart on 133. In addition, you get additional information for every 5 above the DC your result is.
Is our understanding of this faulty, or does the Custom Scanner really just let you do what you could already do, but now at the cost of a move action, without the opportunity for bonus information, and only if you get within 30 feet of the target? Why would you ever use this ability when you already have the ability to do the exact same thing instantly, from further away, potentially using a higher skill that is more appropriate to the target, and potentially getting additional useful information?
Skill substitution. You don’t need mysticism to identify an outsider or undead.
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For Aberrations, Animals, Humanoids, M. Humanoids, Oozes, Plants, and Vermin there's no change and you're probably better off just using the free use like anyone else yes. Where this ability is relevant is Dragons, Fey, Magical Beasts, and Outsiders (Life Science) or Constructs (both magical and technological) and Undead (Physical Science.) Lets you now identify any creature while investing only 2 skills (normally getting all creature types will involve 3, though admittedly the third one is rather niche), and those two skills are skills that it seems more logical for a sciency-type to focus on anyways (as compared to Mysticism, which almost half the types used.)
Is our understanding of this faulty, or does the Custom Scanner really just let you do what you could already do, but now at the cost of a move action, without the opportunity for bonus information, and only if you get within 30 feet of the target? Why would you ever use this ability when you already have the ability to do the exact same thing instantly, from further away, potentially using a higher skill that is more appropriate to the target, and potentially getting additional useful information?
For an Int Biohacker, you likely will have Life Science, Physical Science and Engineering. This feature lets you have a good way to identify things that normally require Mysticism without taking Mysticism.
For a Wis Biohacker, you likely will have Life Science, Physical Science, and Mysticism. This feature lets you have a good way to identify things that normally require Engineering without taking Engineering.
This class feature gives you basically an inferior version of Engineering or Mysticism for free (that can only be used to identify creatures as a move action within 30'). I honestly was really hyped about using my tricorder to scan everything, but when I actually played it I realized how niche the feature is. Personally, I think something should be done to make it compelling to use even if you have the regular skill to identify.
