Perceive health

Empaths have a special ability to perceive the life essences of the people and animals (and some highly-evolved intelligent plantlife) around them. This action trains empathy. As they gain skill, these sensations gain clarity and they'll be able to pick out certain properties of the individual (whether in hiding, if they have a disease, etc).

• Fellow empaths, visible or hidden (in which case the name is not revealed)
  • "The presence of Xxxxxxx, a fellow Empath." or "The presence of an unseen fellow Empath."
• non-empaths (profession indifferent), visible or hidden (name not revealed)
  • "The presence of Xxxxxxx." or if hidden "An unidentifiable presence."
• NPC characters and creatures (eg shopowners, smelly cat, etc)
• critters and other beings (type indifferent--can see horses, goblins, and guardian spirits equally well)
• undead and evil or cursed creatures (appear as malign presences)
• hidden critters (indistinguishable from non-empaths)

With the right amount of skill the Empath can further detect the health status of an individual:

• dying state/low vitality
  • "The presence of Xxxxx, whose grasp on life is tenuous."
• disease
• poison
• parasites such as blood worms

With increasing skill, an Empath will be able to sense life essences in other rooms farther and farther away, eventually encompassing a very large area indeed. Note that when a person/critter is hidden, this ability does not grant any mechanical bonus towards defeating stealth or pointing them out.

Warning: At times your senses will be overwhelmed. When this happens you will be stunned and also take internal head and nerve damage.