Ghostwise - RPing and Rulewise

[Rashak Mani]

I picked up the Ghostwise Heritage (Halfling) feat from the FR Player's Guide:

Text below:
Benefit: After meditating for one minute, choose
one ally you can see. Whenever that ally is within
10 squares of you, any time you are both required
to make a Perception check, both of you can use the
higher result of your two rolls.
By meditating again, you can change the ally to
whom you are linked

I'm the halfling paladin and I chose the group's drow rogue to have the perception link. Its wierd though what kind of perception tests we should share ?

If we are walking down a city street and the drow notices a full clinking purse... something the halfling might actually see, but not something he would look out for. How would that affect my halfling paladin ? Would he get a mental itch about a purse ? Would he know that the rogue noticed something but undefined for the halfling ? (this is roleplay wise too)

Ruleswise... when do PCs actually don't roll perception at the same time ? What if different senses are involved ? What if the Drow is ambushed on the other side of a door ... does the halfling get a perception test ?

Another example is if the Drow is very agitated... his perception is going overtime. How does this come across to the halfling ? Wouldn't it be a perception overload ?

(I don't remember the how and why of ghostwise halfling psionics... )

 

[fissionessence]

I don't really have any answers to that, but I do have further questions for anyone who is feeling like answering

What about passive perception? In the clinking purse example above, both characters would be constantly making passive perception checks to notice such things . . . do passive perception checks count as 'you are both required to make a Perception check'? If so, would you basically both share the same higher passive perception score?

~

 

[DracoSuave]

Well, both characters use the higher roll for Perception, but that doesn't mean that success for one is success for the other.

Let's say the Drow is in an alley, and someone steals his coin purse. The Halfling happens to be beside the alley, but not close enough to see it, but he might hear it. Now let's say the difficulty for the Drow is 20, but 25 for the halfling because the halfling is outside of sight.

The Drow rolls a 14, Perception isn't his strong suit. Meanwhile the Halfling rolls a 24. The ghostwise feat kicks in, and what little bits the halfling hears autonomicly goes to the Drow, who now has his own 24 roll, which is enough to notice the thief in action.

 

[Rashak Mani]

Any more help ?

 

[CapnZapp]

Not sure I see the problem.

Nothing about this power suggests it generates Perception checks for you.

So unless the DM asks for Perception checks from the both of you (with or without this power) there's no benefit.

No "mental inklings". If you wouldn't get a roll without this power, you won't get it now.

Only if you find that both you and the player of your designated character is about to make Perception rolls do you even need to think about this power. Then you simply compare rolls, and both use the highest one to calculate the results of your checks.

And as noted above: this power only influences the die roll part of the check. You still add your individual skill bonuses to that one roll.

(Obviously Perception is one of those skills where the DM might make hidden rolls, and then it's up to him or her instead to follow this rule)

The power doesn't say anything about line of sight (except when you want to change your "partner"), so just assume the power works mystically. That is, in an unexplainable way. Magic, you know. So, yes, the power would work when you're on opposite sides of a door. Assuming you both still get to make a check, that is.

And no, you don't roll dice for passive checks, so the power doesn't apply there.

Hope that explains it?

 

[On Puget Sound]

No, I don't think you each use your own skills and characteristics. PH page 178:

SKILL CHECK
To make a skill check, roll 1d20 and add the following:
*Your base skill check bonus with the skill
*All situational modifiers that apply
*Bonuses and penalties from powers affecting you
The total is your check result

and the Ghostwise text:

any time you are both required
to make a Perception check, both of you can use the
higher result of your two rolls.

without that word "result", I would agree it is only the higher of the two rolls.

 

[Mengu]

If we are walking down a city street and the drow notices a full clinking purse... something the halfling might actually see, but not something he would look out for. How would that affect my halfling paladin ? Would he get a mental itch about a purse ? Would he know that the rogue noticed something but undefined for the halfling ? (this is roleplay wise too)

In this case the DM may choose to require the drow to make a perception check, but not the halfling. Then the power never comes into play because you are not both required to make a check.

Ruleswise... when do PCs actually don't roll perception at the same time ? What if different senses are involved ? What if the Drow is ambushed on the other side of a door ... does the halfling get a perception test ?

Again, they don't get perception checks because of each other. It just so happens when they are both required to make perception checks, they can use the higher result.

Another example is if the Drow is very agitated... his perception is going overtime. How does this come across to the halfling ? Wouldn't it be a perception overload ?

No. There is no kind of feedback between the two characters.

Think of the ability as a quick communication between the two characters. When they are in close proximity to something they might both observe, whoever gets the higher result is quick to point it out to the other. You can re-skin this ability to fit the character (or the campaign). It could simply be verbal communication or signaling, or it could be telepathic communication, or it could be that they both sensed the same disturbance in the force.

 

[Gruns]

I don't think this is complicated at all. When you and the Ghostwised person are both making a perception check, you both roll the dice. Whichever dice is higher is the one you both add to your perception skill.
Bob the halfling rolls a 7, Drzzzz'nk rolls a 13, you both use the 13. That's it.
Later!
Gruns

 

[DracoSuave]

Well, no, it's the -result- not the -roll.- Big difference. So if you roll a 20, but have +2, and the drow rolls a 15 but has a +10, then you'd use the best -result- which is 25.

 

[CapnZapp]

Well, no, it's the -result- not the -roll.- Big difference. So if you roll a 20, but have +2, and the drow rolls a 15 but has a +10, then you'd use the best -result- which is 25.

I guess the wording "result of the roll" is ambiguous.

It can mean the result of rolling the die, that is what you rolled on the die. This is commonly expressed as "the result of the die roll" without any implication of any mathematical calculations.

But you have a point - it could also be read as "the result of the check", including whatever bonuses and penalties that apply to the check. The result, not the roll, as it were.

Personally Im inclined towards the first interpretation, that is the emphasis on the roll and not the check. This also "makes sense" (to me) in that it doesnt confer any magical ability for the Halfling to shore up another characters poor Stealth. (Instead, its merely a novel take on the "roll twice take best result" mechanic, which I think is more appropriate balancewise for an easy always-working feat like this)

I guess only official word can take this much further.