[Shark World] Nautilith City

[trentonjoe]

I would remove the track PHB style from the prereqs. Let's think about a feat chain.

I would make a the first feat in the chain allow the character to track just like a land lubber would but underwater. We may have to change the modifiers though.

I would call your first, or the next in the chain, feat deep sea tracking and make the above feat a prereq. Iwould remove the ability requirements too. Track form the PHB doesn't have any right?

I would make your last feat require the above two, some psionic ability, and change it to +10 and -1 every two hours.


Just some suggetsions. I really like the idea of undersea tracking. This is great.

 

[Crothian]

I would remove the track PHB style from the prereqs. Let's think about a feat chain.

I used that because I figure tracking underwater is like thracking on land. You look for signs of something passing through the area. I added in Int And Wis minimiums because one has to understand the ocean currents and such, but actually a native underwater creature would naturally understand that, so I think I should get rid of them since I have the underwater native requirement.

I would make a the first feat in the chain allow the character to track just like a land lubber would but underwater. We may have to change the modifiers though.

So, instead of using track as a base use Underwater Track (or water ever it will be called) as a base. We will have tyo change the modifiers on the chart, but that shouldn't be to terrible.

I would make your last feat require the above two, some psionic ability, and change it to +10 and -1 every two hours.

Just some suggetsions. I really like the idea of undersea tracking. This is great.

But what psionic ability and/or feat would go good here?

 

[Tonguez]

Three points on TRACKING underwater

1. SCENT - Scent allows tracking by smell and sharks already possess this ability (real ones - will have to check the MM) Smell like sound travels further underwater and hangs longer - maybe give all undersea trackers Scent rather than Track

2. SWELLS - Polynesian and Micronesian Navigators use(d) deepsea swells and deflection swells (caused when a swell bounces of a large object like a reef or island) to determine direction and position at sea.
An aquatic tracker might use the tiny ripples caused by a creature moving through water to track it (so DC based on creature size and distance away rather than groundtype)

3. Tracks are left on the seafloor when a creature moves over it (especially crabs and shellfish) but yes they do get disturbed by currents eventually.

 

[Phowett]

Another way to track things underwater is by sound, like sperm whales do to track giant squid.

 

[trentonjoe]

1) So, instead of using track as a base use Underwater Track (or water ever it will be called) as a base. We will have tyo change the modifiers on the chart, but that shouldn't be to terrible.



2) But what psionic ability and/or feat would go good here?

1) I think this is the way to go. I'd be happy to work on the modifiers but I won't be able to get to it until atleast Sunday.

2) I thought merely the ABILITY to use psionics would be enough. If you want to get more specific I would go with some clairvoyance related power/feat.


One last thought. Maybe there could be a synergy bonus for 5 ranks in balance (for swell detection), the scent feat (or something similar), or some sort of acute hearing?

 

[Crothian]

1) I think this is the way to go. I'd be happy to work on the modifiers but I won't be able to get to it until atleast Sunday.

I agree. Work on the modifiers, I'll be helping but I can't really dive into this til late next week. My move started yesterday and I'm leaving for Pittsburgh tommorrow.

2) I thought merely the ABILITY to use psionics would be enough. If you want to get more specific I would go with some clairvoyance related power/feat.

Ir would really depend on how powerful we want the feat. We could have a basic one that any psionic could use and a more powerful one based on clairoyance. But I'll leave that up to you.

One last thought. Maybe there could be a synergy bonus for 5 ranks in balance (for swell detection), the scent feat (or something similar), or some sort of acute hearing?

How does balance help detect swells? THe scent feat helps with normal tracking, so we can wither use that bonus (+4 I think) or create a new one depending on how smells travel in water. With the acute hearing, synergy bonus for listen is the best thing I can suggest. Perhaps allow alertness to also add a +2 bonus to tracking underwater.

 

[trentonjoe]

Swells go up and down right? If you have good balance maybe you could "read" them better.

I'll write the feat up formaly this weekend.

 

[Crothian]

Swells go up and down right? If you have good balance maybe you could "read" them better.

I'll write the feat up formaly this weekend.

I just don't see how running across a balance beam can help you predict swells, that's all. I may just not being seeing it though. I'll admit that with the move and leaving for Pittsburgh soon, my mind is many places.

 

[trentonjoe]

I posted undersea tracking as a feat in house rules here:

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21171