D&D 5E UA Primeval Awareness Hysteria

[Lord Twig]

I've been wanting to bring this subject up for a while. When the Unearthed Arcana Revised Ranger came out a lot of people panicked when they saw Primeval Awareness. It can be used an unlimited times a day! You know of every enemy in range! Pure madness!

Of course this ignores the ability that is already in the game that lets you detect every creature that is not blocked by cover or concealment, yet is somehow not a problem.

"I want to know which creatures are present within line of sight, their number, general direction and distance," the player calmly declares.

Oh my gods! He can do this every round and it doesn't even require an action! What if he is in a town square! Now the DM needs to determine the number of creatures in the square, their race, gender, hair color, manner of dress, where they are located, and so much more that the character is entitled to know!

"There are about 100 people of various races milling about and doing business in the square," the DM replies. "Also a few horses, either ridden or pulling a cart and a few dogs dodging between peoples legs."

"I spend a minute to know what beasts are within 5 miles of me," says the player of the ranger.

Ah ha! What will the DM do now?

"There is the usual assortment of animals outside the town, like rabbits and squirrels, a couple deer, and a stray wolf pack at the very edge of your range. Also numerous dogs, cats, rats and other such creatures in town," the DM answers. "Was there anything specific you were looking for?"

"Nope! Just curious."

"Okay. What do you do now?"

And the quest continues! Some how Primeval Awareness didn't destroy the game, or even really delay it.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Great post! Very informative.

 

[Creamsteak]

I was one of the people that commented in the negative for it and still do.

It's not that it would ever be an actual problem in my real games, I have mitigating factors like common sense and playing with friends that share game goals with me. I don't think the "solution" you describe is incorrect, but I think you are conflating your own sense of common sense with what kinds of rules should be in the rulebooks.

It's actually a bit funny to me that in that same article they introduced the more restrictive rules for animal companions, where once again the rules could work fine for your group or mine, but some people do end up finding themselves in groups where very explicit clear rules work and open-to-interpretation rules create problems. Let's say a GM, for any reason, doesn't believe your druid can shapeshift into a dire wolf, versus a player who presumes they can always play a dire wolf druid. I don't have these problems currently, but I have seen these kinds of problems before.

The awareness this granted I didn't like because it was worded more in the explicit rules way and not the interpretive way you're using, and with it's explicit wording it made it seem like monster radar that would raise questions I couldn't easily answer.

Really, at the end of the day I would imagine this skill itself, especially under the interpretation you are using, also just seems like "information you might get from the Survival skill". There's a good argument that just giving rangers double (or even triple) proficiency to survival and maybe the relevant knowledge skill when tracking their favored enemies might have been a cleaner solution on all counts.

 

[iserith]

Yep, and I think this question:

"Was there anything specific you were looking for?"

Or something like that question should precede the DM narrating the result. It makes adjudication so much easier.

 

[GameOgre]

Party Ranger-BUT NOT one cow in the town? I find this suspicious! There is a bovine conspiracy afoot! I accost the cook at the tavern! Just where do you get the meat you devil! WHERE DO YOU GET THE MEAT!

TAINTED MEAT! TAINTED MEAT!

OH GOD! What did I eat? Who did I eat? YOU FIEND!

DM(thinking on his feet)-ooook, The Cook jerks out of your grasp and makes a animalistic sound as she bounds over the counter. As you turn to face her you notice everyone in the Inn is suddenly standing there features suddenly seem broader. The cook walks forward pointing her cleaver towards the party as she transforms into a werecow" We get our meat from travelers like YOU"

Another game destroyed by random questions.

 

[Creamsteak]

Another game destroyed by random questions.

A game destroyed or a game made?

 

[ArchfiendBobbie]

"I use Primeval Awareness! How many favored enemies are within range?"

"46."

"Why so many? Are you trying to TPK us?"

"You're in a kobold den. At least half of them are children."

So many ways to use abilities like this to mess with the players...

 

[Lord Twig]

Party Ranger-BUT NOT one cow in the town? I find this suspicious! There is a bovine conspiracy afoot! I accost the cook at the tavern! Just where do you get the meat you devil! WHERE DO YOU GET THE MEAT!

TAINTED MEAT! TAINTED MEAT!

OH GOD! What did I eat? Who did I eat? YOU FIEND!

DM(thinking on his feet)-ooook, The Cook jerks out of your grasp and makes a animalistic sound as she bounds over the counter. As you turn to face her you notice everyone in the Inn is suddenly standing there features suddenly seem broader. The cook walks forward pointing her cleaver towards the party as she transforms into a werecow" We get our meat from travelers like YOU"

Another game destroyed by random questions.

Now the adventurers know why everyone else in the village was cowed. It also explains the corpse they found the other day that had been mootilated. Still, if they play their cards right they can milk the situation for all it is worth!

 

[Lord Twig]

Yep, and I think this question:

"Was there anything specific you were looking for?"

Or something like that question should precede the DM narrating the result. It makes adjudication so much easier.

Yes, this was exactly my point. If a character looks around a village square they see villagers in the square. If they look around the square for a halfling with a patch on one eye that's a different question. Maybe they'll see him, maybe they won't.

Likewise if the ranger isn't looking for anything specific when he use Primeval Awareness he would learn that there is all the usual beasts about. Maybe that wolf pack might be a little unusual so close to the town. And if he makes a Wisdom check he might notice the disturbing lack of cows...

 

[Caliban]

I think it could be a lot of fun for the DM.

"I have favored enemy undead. I'm in the middle of town, how many undead are within range?"

"Hmm...About 5,000."

"What? That's greater than the population of the town! No one's been reporting any undead hordes!"

Cue panicked investigation. Eventually they learn there is a necropolis in caverns a mile beneath the town, just chock full of undead minding their own business. Until the adventurers show up looking for them anyway...