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<blockquote data-quote="TheCosmicKid" data-source="post: 7680771" data-attributes="member: 6683613">This argument puts me in a tough position.&nbsp; On the one hand, I really hate to accuse people of playing D&amp;D &quot;wrong&quot;.&nbsp; But on the other, I think the game does have certain reasonable expectations that the DM do a certain amount of preparation and/or possess a certain ability to improvise. If the DM honestly hasn't decided what's coming up next, isn't he going to have to make something up pretty soon anyway?&nbsp; He just has to treat tracking as if the players walked into the next encounter, except they get the information about it without actually being there.&nbsp; How is this contrary to &quot;gaming procedure&quot;?&nbsp; And if it is, what about the host of divination spells that can provide much more specific and detailed information about what's coming up next?&nbsp; Hell, what about mundane stuff like gathering rumors and looking through telescopes?&nbsp; I don't think you're identifying a problem with tracking -- I think you're identifying a much larger issue you have with the way information flows in D&amp;D.The ability to collect more information is not situational.In a computer RPG, I might represent a ranger class' tracking ability by putting extra information on their minimap, like with the hunter in WoW.&nbsp; Or perhaps a visual overlay to see where creatures are, like Batman has in the Arkham series.&nbsp; Wouldn't this be really really useful -- not just situationally, but generally?&nbsp; The question is how the concept translates to the tabletop.I'm certainly on board with the ranger being the &quot;Be Prepared&quot; class.&nbsp; It sets them apart from fighters and barbarians, and it has the added perk of being the Boy Scout motto.&nbsp; But I don't think the tracking ability should be dissociated from the actual act of tracking.&nbsp; Tracking is fundamentally about acquiring information.&nbsp; If it doesn't do that, if it just gives you a buff, it's a conceptually broken mechanic.&nbsp; Think about it.&nbsp; If you say, &quot;I track,&quot; and the DM just says, &quot;Okay, you are now prepared -- bonus on your next save&quot;, what just happened?&nbsp; Your ranger presumably learned something about the nature of the next threat, but the player didn't.&nbsp; What if there are other useful preparations that might be made?&nbsp; Might the characters wish to discuss tactics?&nbsp; The party can't do any of that, because the ranger's knowledge is in a sort of limbo state -- Schrödinger's Knowledge, if you will.&nbsp; Furthermore, how can we adjudicate if the ranger's preparation applies to the next saving throw?&nbsp; What if the next saving throw comes from something that the ranger couldn't have tracked -- say, a wizard teleports in and casts a spell?If, on the other hand, you say, &quot;I track&quot;, and the DM says, &quot;Okay, you learn that a blue dragon passed by two hours ago -- bonus on saves against the dragon&quot;, then you know what your character knows, the party can discuss tactics, and if you are surprised by a teleporting wizard, we know that the bonus doesn't apply to that.Under those circumstances, why on earth was the DM planning an escort-the-merchant mission in the first place?&nbsp; What made him think that the players might be interested in that if only they couldn't track?&nbsp; Again, it doesn't seem like tracking is the real problem here.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="TheCosmicKid, post: 7680771, member: 6683613"] This argument puts me in a tough position. On the one hand, I really hate to accuse people of playing D&D "wrong". But on the other, I think the game does have certain reasonable expectations that the DM do a certain amount of preparation and/or possess a certain ability to improvise. If the DM honestly hasn't decided what's coming up next, isn't he going to have to make something up pretty soon anyway? He just has to treat tracking as if the players walked into the next encounter, except they get the information about it without actually being there. How is this contrary to "gaming procedure"? And if it is, what about the host of divination spells that can provide much more specific and detailed information about what's coming up next? Hell, what about mundane stuff like gathering rumors and looking through telescopes? I don't think you're identifying a problem with tracking -- I think you're identifying a much larger issue you have with the way information flows in D&D. The ability to collect more information is not situational. In a computer RPG, I might represent a ranger class' tracking ability by putting extra information on their minimap, like with the hunter in WoW. Or perhaps a visual overlay to see where creatures are, like Batman has in the Arkham series. Wouldn't this be really really useful -- not just situationally, but generally? The question is how the concept translates to the tabletop. I'm certainly on board with the ranger being the "Be Prepared" class. It sets them apart from fighters and barbarians, and it has the added perk of being the Boy Scout motto. But I don't think the tracking ability should be dissociated from the actual act of tracking. Tracking is fundamentally about acquiring information. If it doesn't do that, if it just gives you a buff, it's a conceptually broken mechanic. Think about it. If you say, "I track," and the DM just says, "Okay, you are now [I]prepared[/I] -- bonus on your next save", what just happened? Your ranger presumably learned something about the nature of the next threat, [I]but the player didn't[/I]. What if there are other useful preparations that might be made? Might the characters wish to discuss tactics? The party can't do any of that, because the ranger's knowledge is in a sort of limbo state -- Schrödinger's Knowledge, if you will. Furthermore, how can we adjudicate if the ranger's preparation applies to the next saving throw? What if the next saving throw comes from something that the ranger couldn't have tracked -- say, a wizard teleports in and casts a spell? If, on the other hand, you say, "I track", and the DM says, "Okay, you learn that a blue dragon passed by two hours ago -- bonus on saves against the dragon", then you know what your character knows, the party can discuss tactics, and if you are surprised by a teleporting wizard, we know that the bonus doesn't apply to that. Under those circumstances, why on earth was the DM planning an escort-the-merchant mission in the first place? What made him think that the players might be interested in that if only they couldn't track? Again, it doesn't seem like tracking is the real problem here. [/QUOTE]

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