Scent ability discussion with GM

[TrollingJoker]

Hi there!

I've been having a discussion with my GM and we're disagreeing on some points and would like to hear what the community has to say.

The main point is what the exact usage rules are of the Scent ability.

Specifically we want to know:

- Is it always active like sight or is it passively?
- In what situations is this even applicable?
- What difference is there between using it outside or indoors

Thank you kindly!

[GM Rednal]

1) It's both active and passive. The base effect (smell foes within your range) is always functional, but you still have to take a Move Action to figure out the direction it's coming from.

2) Pinpointing the location of foes is mostly for tracking down invisible enemies, those that are hiding, and so on.

3) Not particularly. Outdoors might be more affected by the environment (wind can affect the range Scent works at, for example), but on the whole, there's not much of a difference between indoors and outdoors.

[TrollingJoker]

GM Rednal wrote:

1) It's both active and passive. The base effect (smell foes within your range) is always functional, but you still have to take a Move Action to figure out the direction it's coming from.

2) Pinpointing the location of foes is mostly for tracking down invisible enemies, those that are hiding, and so on.

3) Not particularly. Outdoors might be more affected by the environment (wind can affect the range Scent works at, for example), but on the whole, there's not much of a difference between indoors and outdoors.

I see! I'll forward this towards my GM and I think this is a fair description of the ability.

Thanks!

[LankyOgre]

I'd think of your sense of smell. You are always smelling, just like you are always looking and hearing. If I walk into a house and there is an apple pie cooking, I don't need to take a move action to tell that there is cinnamon. Just like if there is an apple pie on the counter and I see it, I don't need to take a move action to tell that it is a pie. If it was a scent you are less familiar with or you were trying to pinpoint, then it would require actions. Just like I have to sometimes stop and smell to figure out where the toddler stashed a banana last week.
Scent could have a use in any situation. Telling that the NPC spends a lot of time around the sea, or that an item is from a pig farm. There might also be times when it will alert you to a hiding foe or allow you to explore a darkened cave. Tell that a room hasn't been open for a long time. Identify a poison or something funny in a food dish. There are a lot of clues that smell could tell you.
I think it depends a lot on the environment in general. A farm with a lot of manure, a barracks, or a kitchen might have more smells to confuse you. A closed up warehouse or empty field might have less.