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Am I correct? A creature with scent will detect a creature up to a certain distance. For instance, whether or not there is a creature on the other side of a door. This is done with no roll DC roll whatsoever, correct?
And if an enemy was invisible, the creature could make an attack on its enemy but still suffer some sort of concealment penalty, correct?
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I'd rule it depending on the material of the door -- some doors I would rule block scent, others don't.
I've always ruled that a creature can scent an invisible creature and find an adjacent square, attacking with the standard 50% miss chance.
How this helps the PCs is that, from a past game of mine, the assassin with Gr. Invisibility and a crossbow could only be found by the Ranger's animal companion dog (with scent) -- and then the PCs could just follow the dog and get their 50% hit-or-miss.
(Actually, that particular encounter ended up being very bad: The dog dropped to -HP in the surprise round and the PCs had NO WAY to find the GR Invisible assassin.)
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Am I correct? A creature with scent will detect a creature up to a certain distance. For instance, whether or not there is a creature on the other side of a door. This is done with no roll DC roll whatsoever, correct?
And if an enemy was invisible, the creature could make an attack on its enemy but still suffer some sort of concealment penalty, correct?
Scent will detect creatures within the range of the ability, usually 30 feet. It doesn't provide direction or distance. Using a move action will provide the direction. How a door or other concealment would affect this is not stated by the rules. I would think the door would have an impact.
A creature with scent can pinpoint a creature that is 5 feet away. Whether this requires a move action or is automatic is ambiguous as written. I understand pinpointing to require the move action.
A character can attack a square, even if they can't see their target, such as with total concealment or invisibility. Pinpointing tells the creature with scent which square to attack. The creature still has total concealment, so there is a 50% miss chance. Creatures with total concealment cannot be the subject of an AoO, even if they have been pinpointed.
A creature with scent can pinpoint a creature that is 5 feet away. Whether this requires a move action or is automatic is ambiguous as written. I understand pinpointing to require the move action.
I've always taken that this pinpointing is automatic without an action being required. Nothing says this requires an action (just as detecting an invisible creature does not say it requires an action). As soon as you move within 5 feet you know which square it occupies.
The problem I see if you require a move action to pinpoint, you use a move action to detect direction then you use another move action to move in that direction, and then require another move action to pinpoint, that's three move actions. A creature would never be able to pinpoint a moving creature.
Scent
This extraordinary ability lets a creature detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell.
A creature with the scent ability can detect opponents by sense of smell, generally within 30 feet. If the opponent is upwind, the range is 60 feet. If it is downwind, the range is 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at three times these ranges.
The creature detects another creature's presence but not its specific location. Noting the direction of the scent is a move action. If the creature moves within 5 feet (1 square) of the scent's source, the creature can pinpoint the area that the source occupies, even if it cannot be seen.
A creature with the Survival skill and the scent ability can follow tracks by smell, making a Survival check to find or follow a track. A creature with the scent ability can attempt to follow tracks using Survival untrained. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10. The DC increases or decreases depending on how strong the quarry's odor is, the number of creatures, and the age of the trail. For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC increases by 2. The ability otherwise follows the rules for the Survival skill in regards to tracking. Creatures tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.
Creatures with the scent ability can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights.
Water, particularly running water, ruins a trail for air-breathing creatures. Water-breathing creatures that have the scent ability, however, can use it in the water easily.
False, powerful odors can easily mask other scents. The presence of such an odor completely spoils the ability to properly detect or identify creatures, and the base Survival DC to track becomes 20 rather than 10.
http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/glossary.html#scent
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A creature with scent can pinpoint a creature that is 5 feet away. Whether this requires a move action or is automatic is ambiguous as written. I understand pinpointing to require the move action.I've always taken that this pinpointing is automatic without an action being required. Nothing says this requires an action (just as detecting an invisible creature does not say it requires an action). As soon as you move within 5 feet you know which square it occupies.
As said, I see it as ambiguous. The relevant text is: "The creature detects another creature's presence but not its specific location. Noting the direction of the scent is a move action. If the creature moves within 5 feet (1 square) of the scent's source, the creature can pinpoint the area that the source occupies, even if it cannot be seen."
So, without an action, it knows there is something nearby. Using a move action, it knows the direction (but not pinpoint). A further detail of knowing direction is pinpointing, which is only possible if adjacent. I find it reasonable that the pinpointing also requires the move action. So, something along the line of "Hmmm, there's something nearby....where...sniff sniff...whoa, it's right next to me..." or "Hmmm, there's something nearby...where...sniff sniff...over that way..."
The problem I see if you require a move action to pinpoint, you use a move action to detect direction then you use another move action to move in that direction, and then require another move action to pinpoint, that's three move actions. A creature would never be able to pinpoint a moving creature.
The tactics of how the ability works play out differently depending on how it is interpreted. I don't understand the fact that the tactics work out differently, or that they are more/less powerful under a given interpretation, to also dictate which interpretation is accurate. Under my interpretation, I agree it is less effective and might suggest team tactics to be most effective. Under my interpretation, the scenting creature might notice, use a move action to determine what direction or what square (if adjacent), communicate that information (if able), and still has a standard action. If using that standard action, he might choose to head in a given direction and possibly corner the creature. Another member of the party might then use the communicated information to select actions to narrow the search. I don't find teamwork to be a bad thing. I don't find the ability to be less powerful to be a bad thing, but that can also be a matter of style.
I can see it going both ways. I don't know which is accurate or correct.
I had a german shepard who did the three moves exactly the way you said. But remember it's a DC 10 to track a fresh scent trail. Most creatures with scent are also good at Survival, so they can track while moving. They CAN track a moving creature, it just takes time. Whether they can catch up the distance depends on the relative speed of the two creatures.
Makes sense to me.
To answer the question of detecting a creature through a door. Not including anything but the base modifiers, the Perception skill states, "Creatures with the scent special quality have a +8 bonus on Perception checks made to detect a scent." In the modifications table, it states, "Through a closed door +5". So other modifiers notwithstanding, the DC would be a -3 would meaning it is automatic success.