Many V&V characters have Heightened Senses that increase their detection rolls or offer night/infrared vision, without much additional detail.

Here are more specific examples of that power from the published  sources.

In Great Iridium Con, Nightshade uses this Heightened Senses Device: Miniaturized Density Scanner: enables 'x-ray vision' and sight in any conditions of light or darkness. Range = 85 inches, now Power cost.

Malastra from Great Iridium Con
Heightened Senses Device (Mask): Range is line of sight. When the mask is worn, Malastra can:
A. Detect any magical/psionic item by its aura (electric blue).
B. See the auras of individuals: evil beings will have dark red auras, good will have yellow, neutral will be green. Invisible characters and astral bodies will show auras. Enchanted individuals --under magic/psionic Mind Control or Emotional  Control, for example, will have grey auras. visual illusions will not appear at all. Characters with the weakness of Prejudice have a 50% chance of showing either color aura.
C. See intelligent beings and magical items or substances by their auras, even in complete darkness (as Darkness Control).
When wearing the mask, Malastra suffers a penalty of -1 on accuracy. There is also a chance he may be temporarily blinded by the unusually bright auras of an extremely charismatic hero: save vs. (Hero's Charisma - 19) x 2.


In Pre-Emptive Strike, Tympanus has Heightened Senses: sonar, 360 degree scanning, no bonuses to hit from rear or side, Detect Invisible (but not Non-Corporeal).

In that same module, Oberon's standard Weakness Detection power is extended with Heightened Senses: Telescopic vision, extends weakness detection range to 26".

Two modules give characters with the ability to influence nature some enhanced senses under certain situations.

The Secret of the Swamp says that characters with magnetic powers will be able to detect the location of land mines while navigating through a densely populated mine field. PR = 1 per game-inch scanned for mines.

Death Duel with the Destroyers says that characters with weather control will sense that the four-day storms at the opening of the module have a supernatural origin. (Characters with many of the powers listed on the magic/psionics table share that ability here as well.)

As an endnote to this topic, here are times when PCs must save vs. Intelligence rather than make a detection roll.

Devil's Domain
Characters must save vs. Intelligence d100 to recognize certain hieroglyphics as Babylonian, and make another Intelligence save d100 to use a key to decode the inscription.

From the Deeps of Space
Characters must save vs. Intelligence 1d100 to understand the purpose of various rooms aboard the Capellan spacecraft and to operate some of the controls.

Here are examples when intelligence or detection rolls are allowed only when characters have specific knowledge areas.

Battle Above the Earth
When using the space station's main computer: Anyone with a background in computer or electrical engineering has a chance equal to INT on 1d100 of programming the computer to do one thing they want it to do within its parameters, such as opening security areas, triggering the self-destruct mechanism, etc.

Assassin
There are trees is recorded as being planted around the time Syn Tech began operating, though the trees appear older than a few years. (This is due to a Syn Tech process that they have yet to finish. Basically, it increases tree growth at the expense of wood strength. A character with a Botany area of knowledge would have to make a Detect Hidden roll to notice and a Biology area of knowledge is required to determine the cause.)

Terra Tyrannia from This Empress Earth is training in Scientific Theory. This is the only example I've seen of an NPC training in knowledge.