As I mentioned in this thread, I'm playing a half-elven spelless ranger in a game where despite the quasi-medieval fantasy nature of the setting, the campaign is definitely taking on aa western, frontiersy, almost shall I say a Firefly-esque feel to it. My ranger, for instance, is armed and dressed like Natty Bumpo, talks like Mal Reynolds, and enforces justice like Rooster Cogburn.
I got to thinking, and wondering. I was thinking about all those old westerns and frontier movies, where the Natives use birdcalls etc. to secretly communicate vocally at a distance. I wasthinking this would be an ideal ability for a character like mine to have, and was wondering if anyone had suggestions on how to play it out? I was thinking of making it a Ranger-specific variation of Secret Message, but using Survival instead of Bluff, allowing it only in a Favored Terrain, limiting the complexitity of message sent (like a fixed code) and using Knowledge: Nature to intercept instead of Sense Motive.
Thoughts?
Is "CAW! CAW!" too obvious? ;)
You mean like this?
As I mentioned in this thread, I'm playing a half-elven spelless ranger in a game where despite the quasi-medieval fantasy nature of the setting, the campaign is definitely taking on aa western, frontiersy, almost shall I say a Firefly-esque feel to it. My ranger, for instance, is armed and dressed like Natty Bumpo, talks like Mal Reynolds, and enforces justice like Rooster Cogburn.
I got to thinking, and wondering. I was thinking about all those old westerns and frontier movies, where the Natives use birdcalls etc. to secretly communicate vocally at a distance. I wasthinking this would be an ideal ability for a character like mine to have, and was wondering if anyone had suggestions on how to play it out? I was thinking of making it a Ranger-specific variation of Secret Message, but using Survival instead of Bluff, allowing it only in a Favored Terrain, limiting the complexitity of message sent (like a fixed code) and using Knowledge: Nature to intercept instead of Sense Motive.
Thoughts?
Basically it's a very simplistic fixed code that sounds like natural (bird in this case) sounds. Make it a unique language and limit the ability to learn it. You get a teacher and next time you level up you successfully understand it. Just don't write it down anywhere lest the enemy get a hold of it.
Is "CAW! CAW!" too obvious? ;)You mean like this?
+1
Basically it's a very simplistic fixed code that sounds like natural (bird in this case) sounds. Make it a unique language and limit the ability to learn it. You get a teacher and next time you level up you successfully understand it. Just don't write it down anywhere lest the enemy get a hold of it.
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Yeah, I really should have thought of that. Duh... I guess I missed my perceptio... Look! Cookies!
If you're using the Skirmisher from APG, you could also just make it a new Hunter's Trick based on Message, Animal Messenger or Whispering Wind somehow.
For the time being we're pretty much using core only, albeit my ranger is an exception -- he's the Spell-less ranger from KQ11.