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Wind Sight (Ex): You ignore penalties to Perception
checks based on wind and the f irst 100 feet of distance.
At 7th level, you can see and hear into any area (as if
using clairaudience and clairvoyance) within range as
long as there is an unobstructed path for air to travel
between you and the target area (this does not require
line of effect, meaning the path can turn corners and
go through spaces no smaller than 1 inch in diameter).
You can use this ability a number of rounds per day
equal to your oracle level, but these rounds do not need
to be consecutive.
What kind of uses can this revelation be put to? I'm thinking espionage: reading a note or map or overhearing a conversation at a distance. Despite the name, I'm assuming this refers to all senses, not just sight, particularly since penalties to Perception due to wind would seem to be either hearing-based (roaring gales) or scent-based (upwind, etc.).
However, six seconds per oracle level seems extraordinarily limited. Most other revelation durations are measured in minutes. Is 6 seconds long enough to read or overhear more than a few words? Even a 20th level oracle gets only 2 minutes of use out of this revelation in a day. Unless there's some use for this revelation I'm missing, it seems very underpowered.
I personally like the ability. This is why:
1) It takes a standard action to use instead of 10 minutes. The Spell clairaudience / clairvoyance takes 10 minutes.
2) It lets you use both aspects of the spell at the same time. The spell doesn't.
3) You can use it to scan a room for an ambush or to create one yourself as you stand on the other side of the door. Air can get through the key hole or under the door jam.
I do agree it won't let you listen to conversations very well but its great for scouting on the fly.
I personally like the ability. This is why:
1) It takes a standard action to use instead of 10 minutes. The Spell clairaudience / clairvoyance takes 10 minutes.
2) It lets you use both aspects of the spell at the same time. The spell doesn't.
3) You can use it to scan a room for an ambush or to create one yourself as you stand on the other side of the door. Air can get through the key hole or under the door jam.
I do agree it won't let you listen to conversations very well but its great for scouting on the fly.
But is there any good reason to take it before level 7, when it's just a Perception check?
It lets you see around corners or through doors (unless the door is hermetically sealed, of course). Quite invaluable in dungeon exploration.
You can hang out safe and sound inside a friendly meat-bag's conveniently open Bag of Holding and be able to use most all your abilities besides touch and Line of Effect, for which you have to depend on said meat-bag for mobility (or your willing beneficiaries to maneuver into range) or just crawl over the edge of the Bag of Holding every once in a while... while missing out on AoE attacks and enemies who like to target Casters?
*not guaranteed to work if said ability is amended to not work thru dimensional portals ;-)
Joana Wrote : But is there any good reason to take it before level 7, when it's just a Perception check?
Yes there is but it depends on how maticulus your DM is. Technically you are supposed to get a -1 to your perception check for every 10 feet. But this ability lets you ignore the 1st 100 feet of distance. Unfortunately DM's overlook this rule but it is listed in the perception skill.
It would be better if perception was a class skill for the Oracle.
Brutesquad07 wrote:
But could you read someone's Scroll before they do?
Probably not... I think it must be in your possession... but as a DM I like that kind of creative thinking so I might reward it by saying yes! :)