Sensing Alternative Motives

The English language is really lacking a word here. Germans have Menschenkenntnis which basically translates to Knowledge of human nature. Oh, there's even a wiki article with that title.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_of_human_nature

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>>49997434
That's actually pretty interesting.
In the same vein, I guess you could use psychology, but psychology isn't a very fun word.

>>49997434
Weird that English doesn't have a word for this.

I'd go with <Assess>
It fits, and it's also good for a joke or two, which is always a bonus.

>>49997386
Discernment or Perspicacity.

English has a word for everything, motherfuckers. And if it doesn't, it steals it from another language and makes off like a bandit.

Exalted has "Read Intentions."

Discern?

I think sense motive is fairly appropriate.

Empathy alone isn't enough. Just because you're empathetic, doesn't mean you'll recognize the crocodile tears as such. It's often used against you.

Source: I've dealt with a few manipulative fuckers and the empathetic people they manipulate.

EG: if you leave me, I'll kill myself, boohoohoo

>>49998290
That's why I'm filing it under Cunning, not Charisma.

>>49997386
Why not rename use magic device and keep sense motive?

>>49997386
Body Language, you can add read or interpret in front if you like.

>>49997386
Insight?

4e does it

>>49998290
>Empathy alone isn't enough. Just because you're empathetic, doesn't mean you'll recognize the crocodile tears as such. It's often used against you.

bullshit
wikipedia:
>Empathy has many different definitions that encompass a broad range of emotional states, including caring for other people and having a desire to help them; experiencing emotions that match another person's emotions; discerning what another person is thinking or feeling;[8] and making less distinct the differences between the self and the other.[9]

>>49997386
Deduce Pathos

>>50000955
i keked

>>50000830
It's very possible they posted about something similar happening on imgur recently, or saw that same post I saw. Regardless, it's likely they're speaking more from ire than sense.

>>49998226
It also butchers it's pronunciation for no good reason most of the time. Oh English, you mutt of a language.

>>49999356

5e does it too

I like it because it also lends itself to things other than merely reading people. Makes it more of a "I have a bad feeling about this..." skill.

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>>49997386
after starting this thread and reading the suggestions I'm left with a few possibilities.

Alternatives to "Sense Motive"
> Insight (a little too broad)
> Read/Discern Motive/Intent (I'd like to keep it one word if possible)

Alternatives to Use Magic Device
> Make using a magical device an Alchemy check
> Make using a magical device a base Magic ability check (Magic is one of the six basic abilities in this case)
> list "Devices" under Magic, as the skill for examining and using magical devices

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>>50001642
>>50001637
>>49999356
Alternatively I could make a catch-all "I've got a good/bad feeling about this/them," named Insight, Instinct, Intuition, or something similar; probably file it under Wisdom if I went that route.
...If I were to file it under Wisdom I'd need to appropriate one of the standing Wisdom skills into a Cunning skill; to avoid Wisdom breaking the testing soft-cap of 10 skills. Or... idk, depending on how I word/use it Instinct could be Cunning, couldn't it? The ability to combine reason with subconscious vibes to feel out a situation?

>>49997386
"Interpret"

Skills
Knowledge (Bullshit)

>>49997434
I think the equivalent would be social engineering in English.