Detect Magic and Psionics

[Erts]

Okay, due to the magic-psionic transparency rule ("Whatever effects magic also effects psionics, eg, Anti-Magic Fields also function as Anti-Psionic fields") detect magic can detect psionics.

My question is, can detect magic and other spells like it tell that something is psionics and not arcane or divine magic? As in, can it differentiate between the them?

[Prime32]

It can tell you the school of a spell, and since the disciplines of psionics don't match up perfectly I would say yes.

[AvatarZero]

It can tell you the school of a spell, and since the disciplines of psionics don't match up perfectly I would say yes.

I wonder how that works when a character who has never encountered psionics before scans something psi. I doubt there's a rule for it. Maybe it'd be fun to present it as a mystery for the player to unravel. Even a player well versed in 3.5 might not know what they were up against if they only get told that it "didn't have a school of magic". "Psionics User? Incarnum User? Shadow Weave? Binder? Shadowmage? Partially successful abjuration blocking my divination? Homebrewed alternate magic system?"

[Optimystik]

It can tell you the school of a spell, and since the disciplines of psionics don't match up perfectly I would say yes.

Actually, all the schools have a discipline analogue except Illusion - they are listed on the Power Descriptions page.

The powers all have analogues except Psychoportation, which explicitly corresponds to no school.

[Erts]

snip

The reason I'm asking is actually because in the last campaign I played in, this was the first time we came across psionics and my wizard couldn't tell what school of magic it was.

I thought it was justifiable, as it added to the mystique of story.

EDIT:

Actually, all the schools have a discipline analogue except Illusion - they are listed on the Power Descriptions page.

The powers all have analogues except Psychoportation, which explicitly corresponds to no school.

And Necromancy.

Wait, okay, scenario.

There is a psionic spell in effect, I use detect magic. Does it give me the school which it corresponds to, and not notify me that whatever cast it used psionics to do so?

[Lord Vukodlak]

Detect magic, can detect powers, their number, and their strength and location within 3 rounds. However a psicraft check is required to identify the discipline.
Just as spellcraft is required to identify the school of magic. Detect Magic just lets you see the aura your skills help you identify it.

Psionic-magic transparency does not extend to skills, the part about needing psicraft to identify the discipline when using detect magic is in the Psionics-Magic Transparency rules.

So to answer your question can detect magic tell the difference between arcane, divine or psionic? by its self no. But as spellcraft isn't applicable to identifying disciplines. You'd probably no strait away.

[Optimystik]

I agree, you need Psicraft to identify disiciplines when using Detect Magic and Arcane Sight. But what about Analyze Dweomer?

[Lord Vukodlak]

I agree, you need Psicraft to identify disiciplines when using Detect Magic and Arcane Sight. But what about Analyze Dweomer?

Analyze Dweomer doesn't require spellcraft to tell you the properties of magic so it wouldn't require psicraft to tell you the properties of psionic auras and items.

[AvatarZero]

Detect magic, can detect powers, their number, and their strength and location within 3 rounds. However a psicraft check is required to identify the discipline.
Just as spellcraft is required to identify the school of magic. Detect Magic just lets you see the aura your skills help you identify it.

Psionic-magic transparency does not extend to skills, the part about needing psicraft to identify the discipline when using detect magic is in the Psionics-Magic Transparency rules.

So to answer your question can detect magic tell the difference between arcane, divine or psionic? by its self no. But as spellcraft isn't applicable to identifying disciplines. You'd probably no strait away.

Awesome. That was the bit that interested me. Good knowledge.