Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nail" data-source="post: 1428959" data-attributes="member: 224">The idea, actually, would be that we would not have to worry about when to make the check.  That is, we're rolling all of the non-visual senses into one skill.....sort of a modified "Listen" check.  (Of course, there would be range and circumstance modifiers.....we would have to sketch those out.)Heh.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  You and me both!In this "proposed" system, scent would be more powerful.....in being able to detect the opponent's location at longer range.   But unlike the present scent ability, doing so would not be automatic; there would be a skill check, modified by distance.  Moreover, we wouldn't have to distinguish what sense the creature uses....except in unusual circumstances.Let's see if I can work through an example.  Just a random setting.....A kobold rogue is sneaking into a partially fortified orc encampment, within an ancient ruined citadel.  There are orcs with guard dogs on patrol.  It's nighttime, with a few guttering torches scattered about.  The orcs and the kobold have darkvision, the dogs have low-light vision.The dogs have the scent ability, which in the new system means that they get a +8 to their Awareness check as long as their noses work and there is a scent.  The default for both of these is "yes".The rogue gets close enough that the DM requires skill checks for the rogue, the orcs, and the dogs.  Say....100 ft?  Here are the numbers:Kobold Rogue: +18 Stealth checkOrc Warrior: +1 Spot check, +3 Awareness checkDog +5 Spot check, +13 Awareness checkFor the first check, everyone rolls 10s.   Since the rogue is outside both darkvision and torchlight, the guards + dogs use their Awareness checks.  The dogs get (23 - 10 for range) 13, not enough to beat the rogue's 28.  They don't know he's there.The rogue careful advances, taking advantage of every bit of brush and cover he can, as he knows that the orc's darkvision negates the concealment darkness provides.  At about 50ft, the DM calls for another check.For this second check everyone rolls 10s.  The rogue is within darkvision range, but not yet torchlight.  Both the guards and dogs still use their Awareness skill, as they have a better chance (Orcs 13 check, Dogs 18 check)...but they still fail to notice the rogue (28 check).The rogue, using the edges of broken blocks and a few stray tufts of crabgrass, sneaks to within 10 feet of the orcs and dogs on patrol.  The DM, after raising an eyebrow for such risky behavior, calls for another check.Again, the orcs and dogs "chose" to use their Awareness skill rather than their Spot skill.  (I don't think its fair for them to get to do both, do you???  An honest question.)For this third check, everyone rolls......differently!  The rogue rolls a 6, for a total stealth check of 24.  The orc rolls a 19 (!), for an awareness check of 23.  And the dogs roll a 12, for an awareness check of 25.  The dogs know the rogue is there, and bark at him!...and further hilarity ensues, as the orcs and dogs try to Spot the rogue that's right under their noses.My thoughts exactly.   <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

Verification