Alter Aura, See Aura, and Alignment.

[Robroy]

In Rifts Ultimate Edition first printing, pg. 166 Alter Aura description says "Alterations include: Conceal one's true alignment and cover it with a false one (any)."

Yet on pg. 175 See Aura description says "Note: A psychic can not tell one's alignment by using this power."

The description of Alter Aura indicates that a person's Aura can show their alignment and See Aura says it doesn't. Is this a discrepancy or am I missing something?

[Grazzik]

In Rifts Ultimate Edition first printing, pg. 166 Alter Aura description says "Alterations include: Conceal one's true alignment and cover it with a false one (any)."

Yet on pg. 175 See Aura description says "Note: A psychic can not tell one's alignment by using this power."

The description of Alter Aura indicates that a person's Aura can show their alignment and See Aura says it doesn't. Is this a discrepancy or am I missing something?

It may be that the aura indeed shows alignment to those who can interpret it, but the garden variety See Aura power doesn't reveal it and another power is required. For example, the super psi-power Radiate Horror Factor (pg 182) relies on alignment to radiate an aura of power and certain alignments have a higher horror factor. To change one's good alignment to a false evil one could impact the radiated aura and increase the horror factor a bit.

The spell Sense Evil (pg 199) has a note that it can be fooled by the psi-power Alter Aura. The psi-power Sense Evil does not have the same note, only making reference to Mind Block. This may be an intentional difference and not an oversight, as there are a couple other differences between the spell and psi-power:
- The description of the spell says the spell doesn't work in the instance of a magic circle, while the psi-power does.
- For a mage to sense evil, they have to cast the spell. However, all psychic sensitives sense SN evil on some level even without the psi-power.

With regard to Rune Weapons that are restricted to certain alignments as described in WB2 pg 128, it could be argued that changing one's alignment via Alter Aura may allow use of the rune weapon as the weapon may be sensitive to a user's aura to determine alignment.

[drewkitty ~..~]

In Rifts Ultimate Edition first printing, pg. 166 Alter Aura description says "Alterations include: Conceal one's true alignment and cover it with a false one (any)."

Yet on pg. 175 See Aura description says "Note: A psychic can not tell one's alignment by using this power."

The description of Alter Aura indicates that a person's Aura can show their alignment and See Aura says it doesn't. Is this a discrepancy or am I missing something?

They are copy & paste artifacts, from a failure to edit the text that was originally from ether PF1 or HU1. Where the user could see the good/evil of a person. In the current standard rules only the supernat. show their alinement in their aura.

[Robroy]

Okay. So the description of Alter Aura indicates that it only effects your aura and those that can see them.

The spell Sense Evil only gets a save if using Alter Aura. Both spell and psionic Sense Evil only detect evil if a human is immediately evil intentions. Or Diabolic by spell.

Maybe it would work if we just spit the difference and say instead of seeing a specific alignment (principled, anarchist, aberrant ect.) See Aura can determine good, selfish and evil, and that is what you change with Alter Aura.

Remind the players that just because you see an evil person does not make them a criminal.