The following skill description would replace any bloodline detection
spells and abilities. It would be a class skill for wizards and sorcerers,
cross-class for everyone else. Note: The version of Skill Emphasis I use
makes the skill emphasized a class skill for that character no matter what
class s/he levels up in, so by using a feat any character could gain access
to this skill as a class skill.

Detect Bloodline (Wis; Blooded Only)
You use this skill to learn information about the bloodline of another
character, or mask your own bloodline from detection.
Rank Benefits: If you have four or fewer ranks of Detect Bloodline you
learn only that the subject has a bloodline on a successful skill
check. At 5 ranks a successful Detect Bloodline skill check will reveal
the bloodline strength (tainted, minor, major, great, true) of the
target. At 10 ranks you learn the derivation of the target. At 15 ranks
you learn the exact bloodline strength score of the character. Rank
benefits are cumulative, so if you have 15 ranks of Detect Bloodline you
learn the bloodline strength, derivation and bloodline strength score of
your target.
Check: Use the following list of DCs to make a Detect Bloodline skill
check:

Target
Bloodline DC/
Strength Modifier
True 25
Great 20
Major 15
Minor 10
Tainted 5
Physically touching target -5
Each 10` distance to target +5
Nondetection spell +caster level
Unreadable Thoughts +10
Target`s Detect Bloodline skill +ranks

A Detect Bloodline check is a full round activity. You may not take 20
on a Detect Bloodline check.
Retry: Yes, but you can make a Detect Bloodline check on the same target
only once per day. After 24 hours (or after the time of day when you
regain your spells) you may try again.
Special: If you have the Character Reading blood ability you gain +5 on
Detect Bloodline skill checks.
If you can take the Blood Scent feat you use your skill at Detect
Bloodline to track a blooded character.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Some notes:

1. I made the key ability wisdom because it seemed appropriate and because
Scry is already intelligence. Wisdom is also NOT one of the main
attributes for sorcerers or wizards, so using wisdom helps promote rounded
characters.

2. Any other things that should provide modifiers for the DC?

3. I use rank benefits to determine the effectiveness of the skill check
rather than the roll itself because of the way I set up the DCs. I use a
lot of rank benefits amongst my changes to the skill system, so this fits
into my other changes. It may not play very well using the straight skill
system. YMMV.

4. I haven`t written up the Blood Scent feat yet, but I think it`s pretty
self-explanatory. Blood Scent is to Detect Bloodline what Track is to
Wilderness Lore. I don`t think I`ll even change the DCs.

5. Right now I`m thinking this is a skill that should only be available to
scions (along with a few other "blooded skills" I`m considering) but I`m
not yet convinced that should be the case. I mean, why not a commoner with
such a skill?

Any comments?

Gary

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