That's interesting. I know I have a rogue player in an irl game that took something that lets you use perception instead of survival. So, I'm pretty sure by raw it's just straight Survival.
But then again I am always scared to make those kind of claims. I don't really spend enough time as not GM to always know how other tables run. So, when I'm wrong on things my real life players wouldn't even know, because we mostly learned the game together and probably share all our bad assumptions.
But regardless, I'd probably stick with just survival. Double rolling for the same question just seems like a waste of time.
...But regardless, I'd probably stick with just survival. Double rolling for the same question just seems like a waste of time.
Agreed.
Here's how the skill reads:To find tracks or to follow them for 1 mile requires a successful Survival check. You must make another Survival check every time the tracks become difficult to follow. If you are not trained in this skill, you can make untrained checks to find tracks, but you can follow them only if the DC for the task is 10 or lower. Alternatively, you can use the Perception skill to find a footprint or similar sign of a creature’s passage using the same DCs, but you can’t use Perception to follow tracks, even if someone else has already found them.
So they're talking about trying to duplicate tracking with perception but not that tracking isn't used to initially detect tracks. I think about it a bit with this character. Someone might be able to see scat but not deduce what animal it came from, etc.
If you are not trained in this skill, you can make untrained checks to find tracks, but you can follow them only if the DC for the task is 10 or lower.
TIL I've been going too easy on my players who are untrained in survival, lol
The way I tend to use it, is that you CAN use Perception to find tracks, but using it to follow them is staggeringly time-consuming as you need to do a new Perception check every square or couple of ground...while with Survival, you only need to make a roll every now and then or if the conditions radically chance. And you can move at a reasonable speed instead of taking a round for every square you examine in minute detail.
Perception vs Survival, I agree with Kirsdrake. Perception is spotting stuff, Survival is knowing how to track what you have spotted. Unless the tracks a blatantly obvious (id est elephant footprints) Perception is going to require many more checks and higher DC than using Survival.
You could try substituting Knowledge (Nature) with a DC increase on top of the other situational modifiers. But I agree that Survival and Perception are separate.
A third option is spending 25 GP and using the Handle Animal Skill. Hunting Dogs can do tracking is a trained trick.
When you and Luk Luk and I were talking you talked about your findings. Did you tell us enough that I could read your findings from asking questions around the carnival yesterday?
GM Ancalima and other players? Do you think it would be too awkward if we split up? It worked in the carnival but it could add up to a lot of work for you Ancalima. Alenka is very interested in the morgue work. I'm probably most useful at the first murder site.
If you guys want to split up that's totally up to you. I doubt it even creates that much more work on my part. At the end of the day I am responding to 6 people either way.
I'm ok with whatever the group decides to do. Alenka will find interest in all the sites but she does want to see the bodies first. And she has no survival skill to help with following tracks.
@Fain
IIRC from Bonekeep, split party = faster TPK. But we aren't in Bonekeep.
If we do split the party it'd probably be best to not have 6 different, lets call them adventure threads, to have to follow. Were you thinking 1 group check's the crime scene and the other visits the morgue? I'd be fine with a 2 way split.
@Fain
IIRC from Bonekeep, split party = faster TPK. But we aren't in Bonekeep.If we do split the party it'd probably be best to not have 6 different, lets call them adventure threads, to have to follow. Were you thinking 1 group check's the crime scene and the other visits the morgue? I'd be fine with a 2 way split.
You've got my thinking exactly
When you and Luk Luk and I were talking you talked about your findings. Did you tell us enough that I could read your findings from asking questions around the carnival yesterday?
Yes
Yay.
When you and Luk Luk and I were talking you talked about your findings. Did you tell us enough that I could read your findings from asking questions around the carnival yesterday?Yes
I'm doing it mainly so that the two threads are clearly separated and thus more readable. For you guys, its not necessary, but it is a nice, clean reminder where everyone is.
So if you guys don't have more questions regarding the areas you're in, you can meet up at the jail (or somewhere else) to compare discoveries and plan your next moves.
Otherwise, let me know your next actions or remaining questions.
...you can meet up at the jail (or somewhere else) to compare discoveries and plan your next moves...
I think we planned to meet at The Locked Box - but I'd rather go to the jail first
Sorry for my delay, for some reason, the last 10 posts or so weren't showing up on my homepage as being new.
Locked Box was the plan, but I think only a few of us should interview the wife, so we can do another split.
Here are the avenues of investigation that I can see
* interview the wife
* interview the pawnbroker guards
* check the other crime scene for clues
* see if we can track down the rumour in town - either find out who actually saw something, or maybe find out who's spreading a fake rumour?
* ask around the circus/town to see if anyone knows when Walder left
* check the zoo to see if there are any critters that *could* have done the attack. Maybe also see if the zoo people have alibis.
anything else?
Adding to that...
* Interview the sphinx... assuming those things were sentient in Pathfinder. I don't know, and Thrym for sure wouldn't. Still, if she's the prime suspect we need to go see her, to make absolutely sure her claws don't match the wounds if nothing else
* Try to figure out if something beside obvious items of value is missing from the moneylender's safe... could be he was into collecting things (or holding something in secure storage for someone else), and someone wanted a thing he had badly enough to kill him... if the moneylender's ledgers won't reveal what, the wife could likely give some hints about his late husband's most recent acquisitions
* At the moneylenders' check if the door was picked. The moneylender himself was killed quickly and not apparently tortured for information, so perhaps the point was to get his key to make the hit to his treasure trove quicker
* Ask the Carnival mistress if there are any new people who have joined the group... if someone in the Carnival does end up being the killer, the recent arrivals are the most suspicious
* The night-time assault and suggestion of a humanoid claw-wielder does kind of hint at a lycanthrope (to me at least), but I doubt our lvl 1 toddlers would have a reason to jump at such conclusions from the meager evidence we have
I think the prime thing we need to do is all meet up - I need to get an idea of what you all found at the morgue and you need to hear what we've been talking about. Let's meet up at the Lock Box, that was the plan and we can discuss who will go inside.
The night-time assault and suggestion of a humanoid claw-wielder does kind of hint at a lycanthrope (to me at least), but I doubt our lvl 1 toddlers would have a reason to jump at such conclusions from the meager evidence we have
Fain had asked me a similar question via PM. To repeat what I told, I would consider the existence of werewolves and that they transform on the full moon to be common knowledge. However, last night was not a full moon.
Mostly agreeing with others here. Also, aught can mean "anything at all." Archaic terms seemed like it could be fun to use.
*Interview wife and guards. Check Locked Box ledger and inventory if we have time. Finding evidence is easier if we know what was stolen.
*Ask the mistress about troublemakers at the carnival. We already know the zoo keeper is one. What kind of beasts does he have that are trained enough to attack on command?
*Night, claws, and biped could mean many things. Luk Luk can grow claws so it isn't restricted to lycanthropes. Or even supernatural as there are claw weapons, they're just exotic. We should check for users of exotic weapons.
*Rumor mill is a good idea. We should look for odd behavior. If a local did it there could have been a build up of odd behavior prior to murder.
Holy monkey! 32 new! I have a lot to catch up on! Am getting on it ASAP.
what roll is it to figure out what creatures these are? Are they magical or would k.nature do the trick?
They are humanoids, so local.
Well, that counts Alenka out
Luk Luk would also needs to broaden her studies to make that roll.
Fain Front and back and in his hunting leathers ;)
Fain Front and back and in his hunting leathers ;)
Very cool! Did you draw it?
A bit busy this morning so I will probably progress the game forward in the evening. Sound like your next move is talk to the sheriff?
Very cool! Did you draw it?
Yes, I'm an abstract artist by training but I love to geek out over visualizing my characters. If anybody wants to send me deep details on their character's appearance I'd be happy to give theirs a go. Though I find it a personal thing, character generation. I like to get approvals from the player before posting. Also, if anyone else likes to draw I'd love to see what you come up with.
Love love love it! <3
Nice!
@Fain: Amazing as usual :)
Excellent artwork Fain. Sadly mine own hands are not made for the arts. I can do the stick figure at best :p
But I fully approve of artists doing what they love. Heck, I've commissioned a previous incarnation of Luk Luk to be drawn at a convention.
Very nice!
@Vard - where are you? Australia? Trying to do time zone math but failing. :)
PS I'm not a stalker.
PPS REALLY!
I'm in bed, but the bed is in Australia yes :)
I'm a bit drugged up.
Got kidney stones
Ah time zones...my old enemy. In a different game I was in with Angie, Shari and Kirsdrake, on those slow days at work I swear I would refresh my phone all day with no new posts. Then I would wake up in the morning to 15 new posts and think..."Damn it guys! Not again!" lol. Weirdly I am finding it a lot easier to manage as the GM. I just have to make sure to post something plot advancing before I go to sleep, then I can mop up the mess I made in the morning!
Although, I better not say more in case Angie starts tracking me down! *whispers* I hear she's a stalker... ;p
Such fun with time zones! You are waiting for the next person to post and just as the deadline to let you post is about to his everyone but YOU makes a post. Fun fun fun!
Hope you feel better Rabscuttle/Vard.
So I'm assuming that the cleric was strangled first and then 'mauled' to make it look like an animal did it? So the death was by strangulation or was she just strangled to unconsciousness and then killed by claws? The amount of blood at the scene would most likely be different depending on the scenario.
It looks like a combination. She might have been mauled while being strangled. Cause of death was likely the claws.
Aw, so not a Rasputin death?
How do I become more familiar with the world we are playing in? It only just occurred to me that a 'cleric of Erastil' might not be a cleric from the town of Erastil - yes, my face is red.
Well from the forums you can go to the book buying or the resource documents http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd
it has a search function
There are also a variety of fan wikis online you can try too. Like this one http://pathfinder.wikia.com/wiki/Erastil. TVTROPES is not so good as they lack detail on regions and cities that the wikis have. It gives good summaries on deities though for a quick look. I mention it as THAT is where I found out how Cayden Cailean became a god
Well from the forums you can go to the book buying or the resource documents http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd...
Thanks!
It's Quiet ... almost too quiet.
It's Quiet ... almost too quiet.
I'm guessing there is just some weekend catch up going.
Sorry, Shari and I in transit, we'll post tonight.
I may have poor accessto internet over the next three days. If I'm absent, please feel free to Bot me.
FYI, I'm going to be travelling starting tomorrow until next Tuesday. I should still be able to post, but it might be a little more unsteady than usual.