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Am I correct in thinking that everything with the mental trait activates?
If so, it lets someone detect lies at a lower level and more accurately. Also someone asking to pass the salt and their head exploding is a funny visual.
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...huh. It should maybe be limited to magical effects, I'd think.
Anyway, you won't know what Mental effect they're using since it is apparently quite a broad category. Perhaps they were just trying to Make a good Impression.
Also, you probably don't want to murder most things you want to test for lies.
I think it would be reasonable to restrict this to supernatural/magical mental effects. If you include mundane effects then most social encounters would trigger this; instead of a lie detector you could use for assassination e.g. politician trying make a good impression to get your vote or make a request of you.
The fear aura makes me wonder if there's a practical way to get this on all party members (more practical than everyone taking an occult caster class/archetype).
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I agree with the others here suggesting that it should be triggered only by special effects that are prompted via spells, feats, or other special abilities and not just routine stuff like Intimidation or other Skill Checks that can be done with or without Training.
Otherwise, you'd be able to set this off by scowling at someone or holding up a sign with some simple arithmetic written on it to set this off, just a bit silly.
It's absolutely hilarious RAW. Some homeless peasant asks you for some coins and his head explodes. You're then left there having to explain why you walk around town with beggar-murdering magical protections...
Limiting it to Mental abilities that have a spell attack roll or require a Will save may work.
I think the mundane stuff is the person rolling against your Will DC. Though there may be supernatural abilities that do that too, if not now, perhaps there needs more wording for futureproofing.
Hostile magical, Mental effects?
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I'm not sure that's the exact cutoff point I'd pick - for example scare to death is a lot less innocent and but doesn't require a will save. It's not magical but it's also not entirely what I'd call mundane or "everyday" anymore.
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I'm not sure that's the exact cutoff point I'd pick - for example scare to death is a lot less innocent and but doesn't require a will save. It's not magical but it's also not entirely what I'd call mundane or "everyday" anymore.
Sure, but it would still be weird for Animus Mine to trigger on that. It's still just being really scary- there isn't any supernatural link for the Animus Mine to follow back, or however that works.
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"Now, this last bit is very important. This courtroom uses animus mines as lie detectors. They're starkly lethal, and on a bit of a hair trigger. So... don't lie. Also, don't try to distract anyone while you're up there, or try to make yourself seem sympathetic, or ask for anything... and by all the gods don't try to be witty."
"What about just looking pathetic and hoping they won't hurt me?"
"Do you want to die?"
It is too bad that 'hostile action' isn't defined well enough to have the spell trigger on 'hostile mental actions'.
Though it does look like the wording of the spell was changed slightly somewhere in the past two and a half years.
The first creature that uses a magical mental effect against you triggers the animus mine,
@Sanityfaerie: Wasn't there a post before yours that you were responding to? Either I am going absolutely insane or something got deleted.
I'd allow a player to make a 3rd level version of the spell that lets you fine-tune the trigger condition. So you could use it as a more persuasive single-target zone of truth if circumstances called for such.