Could you cast Scrying on a target that you only know the name of? This seems like it would be a Connection, but not give you any bonuses such as having their likeness or picture. Of course they'd get +10 to their save against the spell.
In our campaign we found the location of our next plot point some lake a ridiculously long ways away. Since you can't Teleport to a place you've never seen I figured I would use Contact Other Planes to find the name of someone who lived near the lake use Scrying on them and then Teleport to their location.
More specifically I was going to ask a lesser outer diety for the names of three different woodland creatures 100 yards to the east of the lake. This way the odds are good if the first name was a lie or random answer one of the others would be a correct target for Scrying since the spell says you can use it to target any creature. (If the idea of Scrying on woodland creatures makes no sense to you or you think they wouldn't have a name then the closest humanoid residents to the lake would do too.)
Of course this could be just an overly complicated way to Teleport somewhere you don't know where you're going and if there's an easier way I would be glad to hear it.
According to the Spell description, you only need a connection if you have no knowledge of the subject.
I think that knowing the target by name constitutes second hand knowledge, meaning it would get +5 on it's Wil save (+10 if it's on another plane).
As for your plan, I think that the rules actually allow it, but Contact Other Plane can give you completely bogus information. This is partially a 'how much do I trust my DM?' thing.
Could you cast Scrying on a target that you only know the name of? This seems like it would be a Connection, but not give you any bonuses such as having their likeness or picture. Of course they'd get +10 to their save against the spell.
In our campaign we found the location of our next plot point some lake a ridiculously long ways away. Since you can't Teleport to a place you've never seen I figured I would use Contact Other Planes to find the name of someone who lived near the lake use Scrying on them and then Teleport to their location.
More specifically I was going to ask a lesser outer diety for the names of three different woodland creatures 100 yards to the east of the lake. This way the odds are good if the first name was a lie or random answer one of the others would be a correct target for Scrying since the spell says you can use it to target any creature. (If the idea of Scrying on woodland creatures makes no sense to you or you think they wouldn't have a name then the closest humanoid residents to the lake would do too.)
Of course this could be just an overly complicated way to Teleport somewhere you don't know where you're going and if there's an easier way I would be glad to hear it.
copied from the PRD and roughly edited
Knowledge Will Save Modifier
None* +10
Secondhand (you have heard of the subject) +5
Firsthand (you have met the subject) +0
Familiar (you know the subject well) –5
Connection Will Save Modifier
Likeness or picture –2
Possession or garment –4
Body part, lock of hair, bit of nail, etc. –10
*You must have some sort of connection (see below) to a creature of which you have no knowledge.
Yeah, we've had fun with Scrying and Teleport before. Cursed BBEGs always trying to get away to fight another day. I was just making sure this made sense to anyone else too.
Any other ideas on how this could be accomplished?
Just out of curiuosity, by woodland creatures did you mean fey (what I originally thought you meant), or are you referring to squirrels and such.
Just out of curiuosity, by woodland creatures did you mean fey (what I originally thought you meant), or are you referring to squirrels and such.
Squirrels and such. Fey have devilishly high Will saves.
Interestingly enough in the actual session I specifically asked for the name of a squirrel, and then a different squirrel.
Ok. I missed the gist of your plan entirely. If I was your DM, I wouldn't allow it. It's clever, but it makes Scry too powerful in my opinion.
With regards to viewing a place in general, I think that a suped-up version of Clairvoyance is what is called for. One that can view any spot on the same plane. I just don't know what level it should be. The most convenient level would be 5th -same level as teleport.
If you're going to stick to core rules, then I don't know how to pull it off without help from your DM.
Well like I said, if you've got an issue with scrying on animals (which is legit since they are a creature). Then you could target a nearby peasant, they have terrible will saves as well.
And this is using 3 different spells, 2 of them being 5th level to accomplish it. One of them with a Will save, another with a chance to render your character useless or feed you false information, and the third can send you to who knows where*.
*I know exactly where you'll end up because my D% usually hit 90+ on Teleport rolls, and that's why when Teleporting I always have 2 castings prepared and a scroll of it on each of the party memebers.
The isssue is whether: animals have names; whether otherworldly beings know truly trivial things like the names of animals; whether an animal's name can be pronounced in any way that a humanoid caster could understand and differentiate from another animal's name (i.e. if you accept that squirrels have unique names, wouldn't any squirrel name sound like chittering to a human)
Of course, issues like these get swept under the rug, if a PC is doing things that are obviously allowed in the game. But I think your plan is just stretching the abilities of the spells involved too much. Scry was obviously meant to observe people, not places.
Edit: I don't have any problem with the scry-on-a-peasant scenario, but how fearsome a place could you be scrying on if peasants are bumbling around in the area?
Well when you're knowledge geography check tells you the lake you need to go to is like 800 miles away being able to Teleport to anywhere under 50 miles is gonna make it a lot safer trip. The target need not be human so any weak willed creature (and you're specifying with an Int over 3) will do really.
I also kind of think the spell contact other planes as getting in touch with a being that can find out the answer, not that they all know everything right that second.
The target need not be human so any weak willed creature (and you're specifying with an Int over 3) will do really
Int >3 as guideline isn't bad. It essentially adresses the point I was making. However, there are some intelligent monsters in the Bestiary (such as the Kraken), who don't strike me as ever being "conversational"(even with others of their kind). I wouldn't take it as a given that a Kraken has a name, since it's only interaction with other creatures may be to eat them.