Determining the Flight Path of an Arrow

[Splode]

My character is investigating the scene of a grim slaughter. One of the victims still has an arrow sticking out of his head. A Heal check reveals that this particular victim has no other wounds, and that the arrow killed him outright.

My question: I want my character to be able to estimate where the arrow was shot from based on the point of entry, strength of impact, etc. and follow the flight path back to where the arrow was shot from. What skill heck would I use for this?

[Lilith Knight]

My best guess would be knowledge dungeoneering.

[Calth]

Knowledge(Engineering) appears to be the catchall for all mathematics/real world science-based knowledge in Pathfinder, so that's what I would tend to go with, as basically you are looking at a ballistic analysis. (Knowledge(Engineering) also applies to siege engine firing, which is basically a ballistics check, which supports this)

[Gauss]

There is no current skill for this. Perhaps a Profession skill such as "Profession CSI" might work. :)

[Rathendar]

yeah...Engineering for a flight vector i suppose.

Now in my head you are Humperdink replaying that battle in the princess bride.

"The arrow struck him here, but it is obvious the body spun thirty degrees on the X axis while he tumbled forward...which would make him sprawl on the ground ..just so. But that large rock there would have tripped his forward stagger, and thus his actual starting position would be..AHA!"

[Stockvillain]

That Humperdink analogy might be a case for using Survival & its associated tracking features.

[fretgod99]

Yeah, I was going to suggest a form of tracking, because it's unlikely the body just fell without altering positioning at all.

Or maybe some perception and knowledge in tandem.

[GeneticDrift]

Ask a witness? Ask the dead guy? Is the arrow head on or at an angle? What was he doing at the time of death, if he was laying down it kinda messes with a lot of stuff.

[Splode]

Stockvillain wrote:

That Humperdink analogy might be a case for using Survival & its associated tracking features.

"Survival" was my first thought, because you're "tracking" the person that shot the arrow, but the Knowledge (Engineering) response I've been getting makes sense too.

[Bandw2]

use your levels in investigator as a bonus on a d20 roll instead of any skill. (this is a joke)

[Darkthorne68]

I'd say Survival and possibly Profession Siege Engineer. Survival IS about hunting. Knowledge Engineering is much more like Architecture. I've never seen a "detective" show where the main person solving the crimes was an Architect. "Mr. Brady, how do you think this man was killed?" "Umm Hawaiian curse?"

Maybe the average of two rolls between Survival and healing.

[LazarX]

Splode wrote:

My character is investigating the scene of a grim slaughter. One of the victims still has an arrow sticking out of his head. A Heal check reveals that this particular victim has no other wounds, and that the arrow killed him outright.

My question: I want my character to be able to estimate where the arrow was shot from based on the point of entry, strength of impact, etc. and follow the flight path back to where the arrow was shot from. What skill heck would I use for this?

Just call up CSI or Tony Stark. There isn't a skill that's going to determine the complete set of motions the body went through between the time of arrow impact and the fall of the body.

You're in a magical world.... you're supposed to call upon magic at least some of the time to get answers.

Or you ask your questions more sensibly, such as looking for tracks of the departing attackers.

[Milo v3]

Paizo had survival used for examining crime scenes in Rise of the Runelords, but I'd allow Knowledge (Engineering) to also be used in this case.

Quote:

There isn't a skill that's going to determine the complete set of motions the body went through between the time of arrow impact and the fall of the body.

You're in a magical world....

Isn't being an a magical world more justification for super-powered skill uses?