The Sight

At will, a practitioner may activate or deactivate The Sight. This causes him to "see" magic. He is not literally "seeing" it, as it is not made of visible light, but rather internalizing it in his own way, as a sixth sense; most visualize magic with colors and metaphoric imagery, often imagery that is not physically possible (such as nonexistent colors), but some simulate other senses, or invent wholly new ones. The effect is the same.

The practical effect:

• All active magical effects, such as ongoing spells, are plainly visible, unless specific action was taken by the caster to hide them.
• Magical potential (in game terms, the presence of the Magic power source) is clearly visible in all major talents, more subtlely in minor or untrained talents. With training and skill, this ability can be honed to detect specific power levels, affinities, etc in subjects.
• The true nature of magical beings is revealed, unless magic is used to conceal this signature. Examples: possessed mortals, glamered fey, etc.
  • "Magical Beings": outsiders, spiritual entities, magically-gifted individuals. Does not necessarily include all supernatural creatures; undead in particular do not have magical auras simply for their race (though many develop supernatural powers with the aid of their racial talents).

There are downsides to the Sight:

• Everything "seen" can never be unseen. The Sight is not physical, and therefore memory of it is not stored in the brain--it is stored in the soul, magical essence, or what-have-you. Thus, it can be recalled with perfect clarity, regardless of intervening time, brain damage, or any effort to forget it. This isn't always a downside, but foul magicks can be terrible to behold, much less recall forever.
• Magical auras excessively more powerful than a practitioner is ready to handle can overwhelm the senses; this can disable or harm the practitioner. There is no way to "partially" use the Sight, to "peek" at an aura to determine if it safe to look at, prior to opening the Sight fully. This can lead to difficult choices, weighing the risks of using the Sight against its many practical benefits.