Pathfinder 2E Brainstorm: Counting in Game

[JmanTheDM]

Admittedly a silly question, but help me out I'm stuck.

The feat "Eye for Numbers" link and the Cantrip "approximate" link both essentially allow you to quickly count things. examples given is quickly estimating treasure.

there's no specific rule given for the time it takes to count treasure, and discounting this one case. where else would this cantrip or feat be useful? Any ideas where this could come up in game?

Cheers,

J.

 

[Retreater]

Anytime you need to quickly count anything, like the feat description says. The number of books on a shelf. Number of people in a bar. Number of stones on the floor. Number of arrows in a quiver. Number of packs of rations in a backpack.
Number of feats in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook? Number of marginally useful spells in supplements?

 

[Justice and Rule]

Admittedly a silly question, but help me out I'm stuck.

The feat "Eye for Numbers" link and the Cantrip "approximate" link both essentially allow you to quickly count things. examples given is quickly estimating treasure.

there's no specific rule given for the time it takes to count treasure, and discounting this one case. where else would this cantrip or feat be useful? Any ideas where this could come up in game?

Cheers,

J.

A lot of it would be RP-driven, but stuff like force numbers and dispositions for an enemy, where you could (at a glance) get an accurate idea their force when you talk to a general or some such thing. Given that you can do it in the space of an action, you'd put yourself at less risk of being discovered and be able to more quickly return back with the news.

 

[JmanTheDM]

what's funny (IMO), is the spell approximate is range 10ft, area 1 cubic foot, 2 action spell, so its clearly a coin counting and sorting spell. I suppose a GM can house rule that time to count and sort piles of treasure takes longer than 2 actions (which seems reasonable), but, like, when others are healing and refocusing after battle, isn't that also a good time to spend counting the loot?

@Retreater LOL!

@Justice and Rule I also thought of the scout counting armies. seems reasonable and oddly situational. also any mass social encounter where you need to quickly assess who's on your side vs not to sense the odds - perhaps?

Cheers,

J.

 

[JmanTheDM]

more broadly (sorry to double post). I know I don't, but does anyone play in or run games where instantly knowing the #'s of something matters to the game? What was the situation where this was important to the story?

cheers,

J.

 

[Justice and Rule]

@Justice and Rule I also thought of the scout counting armies. seems reasonable and oddly situational. also any mass social encounter where you need to quickly assess who's on your side vs not to sense the odds - perhaps?

Cheers,

J.

I mean, at a certain level it is? It's a level 1 feat, which means that it can't be too powerful. But a quick and automatic ability to guesstimate something is valuable because it forces the GM to give you accurate information.

more broadly (sorry to double post). I know I don't, but does anyone play in or run games where instantly knowing the #'s of something matters to the game? What was the situation where this was important to the story?

cheers,

J.

Again, information gathering, largely. Organization. If you are quickly moving through something or wanted to gain information while still in the middle of a fight, you can do so at a glance. It's a flavor feat, one that isn't powerful but can help you in some edge cases. The bonus to Decipher Writing when it comes to mathematics would probably be more helpful, with stuff like cryptography and understanding formulas that could potentially be important to a plot.