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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Coredump" data-source="post: 2303190" data-attributes="member: 6939">Yep, I agree.Agreed in concept, but you are making assumptions. The shaft is 250', so at *max* that is as long as you can measure. It may be safer to figure it at 200'The range of the locate creature is over 800'. We don't know, but it is quite likely that there was *no* standard triangle that would work.Plus, you are assuming that locate creature works like a laser coming from your eyes. Is it measuring from your eyes? hand? feet? center of mass? What is the target location? How much error does this create? what if when you assume 90 degrees, but you are 3' lower than you should be (ie, your head and his waist), more error Again, yep in theory. But now you must make an 'accurate' measurement of 200' (ish) using knotted rope. Assuming your angles are right, and the rope is *exactly* right, etc. Pencil and paper,easily done...in the field? on the fly? hmmmm....And, you are assuming that in all the time it takes to make these measurements, he never moves.... Again, easy in theory. But actually try and do this. To make it come out right, you have to guess at the angle. Now, you can modify things when the third line doesn't match up. Or you can make 3 'sticks' first. But still, every step adds approximations and error, and that error propogates. A very small error on your measuring tool, will be a very large error in the implementation.Lets say you make it 9x12x15 inches, and are off by only a quarter inch, that can easily lead to 20' off the final.Assuming you can use a standard triangle, sure. But there is still error involved. Just the thickness of the rope/string/line/etc can mean a degree or two.Lets say after *all* of these approximations and field solutions, you end up 2 degrees off. If he is only 400 feet away, that means 14 feet off. And that is being nice.Check out how small 5 degrees is. It is hard to draw an angle that small. But if you are 5 degrees off, and he is 600 feet away, you will end up 54 feet off.Now, chances are you will still beokay. you all take 1d6 and get shunted somewhere okay. But directly to where he is?  unlikely. (It also raises the question: Does the shunting get resolved separetly for each one, or for the group as a whole. It could end up with the party being split up.)All of these measurements, *all* of them, will introduce error. Some not much, some by a lot. But they are on a very small scale, when you try and extend to 400-900 feet away, those 'very small' errors mean really far off. And intelligence really doesn't even come into play.</blockquote>

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