The mage can see any wear, flaws, breaks or damage to a particular object with an eye toward repairing it. Some mages liken this to comparing the object’s present state to its “ideal” or original state of existence.
Success allows the mage to know what, if anything, is wrong with the object and roughly what would be involved in fixing it (within the limits of the mage’s Skills, such as Crafts and Science).
Free Council Rote: Kicking the Tires
Often the most difficult part of effecting repairs is figuring out the problem. Whereas Discern Composition informs the caster of an object’s composition, this rote determines the object’s status. In particular, the mage learns whether or not a piece of technology is functional, how functional (if so) and how damaged (if not).