Piercing Gaze

Ability Type: Spell, Difficulty 16
Provided By: Simple Light Magic

Spell Type: Elemental, Darkness
Form: Contained
Function: Sensory
Power Cost: Minimal to 6, Variable
Duration: Maintainable

Piercing Gaze grants its caster unusual clarity of vision, helping to reveal the effects of magic on the world around him, as well as making him more resistant to extremes of light and darkness. Although Piercing Gaze cannot reveal spells that operate only on the Astral Plane, it allows its caster to see where magic is affecting the physical world – helping him to see through illusions, detect enchanted items, sense when others are using magic to enhance themselves and tell the difference between magical and mundane effects in general.

The insight gained through use of Piercing Gaze is not necessarily enough to determine the exact nature of magic observed, but it does provide a +2 bonus to General Knowledge: Mage Lore checks to identify magic and gives a +1 Awareness bonus to spot anyone whose attempts at Stealth are aided by magic. Finally whenever a mage using Piercing Gaze encounters an illusion he can sense that it is false so long as Piercing Gaze's Casting Total exceeds that of the illusion. In addition if Piercing Gaze has an investment of Power equal to or exceeding that of the illusion then he may choose to look right through it and see the world as it really is instead, though only illusions that the spell has revealed to him can be pierced in this fashion.

Nightvision Bonus: +2
Dazzling Resistance Bonus: +4
General Knowledge: Mage Lore to Identify Observed Spells: +2
Awareness vs Magical Stealth: +1
Illusion Detection: any illusion with Casting Total lower than that of Piercing Gaze
Illusion Piercing: any detected illusion containing an amount of Power less than or equal to the amount invested in Piercing Gaze