Estimating the Power of an opponent

[Joshua Randall]

Sword and Fist also has some rules for using Sense Motive to scope out an enemy's power level.

[gripe] However, it requires you to spend 3 rounds observing the creature in combat. Now if you're about the fight the guy, that doesn't do you a whole heck of a lot of good, does it? [/gripe]

 

[Nikosandros]

I think there's also a spell somewhere ("powersight"?) that tells you how many HD the target has. Can't remember where it's from, though.

Yes. Power Sight is a first level druid spell from Masters of the Wild.

 

[the Jester]

Yes. Power Sight is a first level druid spell from Masters of the Wild.

...which totally breaks verisimilitude, imho. "Daddy, what's a hit die?"

Better to have broken the creature's HD into strengths like the aura you detect with detect evil and such. Maybe differentiate it more, into about 6-8 levels or something to give a finer "resolution", but at least that's believable. "This beast is of Incredible power!" is a lot more believable in game than "this beast has 15 Hit Dice!"

 

[Larcen]

...which totally breaks verisimilitude, imho. "Daddy, what's a hit die?"

Better to have broken the creature's HD into strengths like the aura you detect with detect evil and such. Maybe differentiate it more, into about 6-8 levels or something to give a finer "resolution", but at least that's believable. "This beast is of Incredible power!" is a lot more believable in game than "this beast has 15 Hit Dice!"

I hardly think a PC would use the term Hit Dice in game, even with this spell. More like the caster is aware of a numerical scale for monsters and the spell tells the caster where on the scale a given creature lies.

This reminds me of the in game problem with magical plusses for weapons or armor. We decided in our group a long time ago never to say in game "This is a +5 sword!". Instead, the PC would say "This a sword of the fifth power!" Sounds better.

So, in short, use "that bear is an eighth order creature!", or something like that, instead of "that bear has 8 Hit Dice!"