So I already know RAW If I took a heritage with imprecise scent then took the Feral background (which also gives imprecise scent, it wouldn't give me precise scent.
What I am asking is considering the treatment low light vision gets to stack and become Dark-vision in many instances would a character with precise scent be too op?
An Example would be a Hunting Catfolk with the Feral background. I also know they are uncommon and Rare choices respectfully but I am looking at how or if it would break the game to have a lvl 1 character with 2 precise senses.
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I don't see any reason why two sources of any sense would stack to create a better more precise sense, lacking specific language that says so (like having low light vision twice specifically says it becomes dark).
So no. You wont get precise scent.
Also I see no justification to allow it either. Low-light vision stacking to darkvision isn't all that great because a lantern can have a similar effect and invisibility still defeats it.
But turning scent into a precise sense is much more powerful, and much less likely to be negated. Standard invisibility wouldn't work. Someone would need invisibility and then to know you sense by smell and then cast negate aroma, if that's even a spell in PF2.
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RAW no, RAI no
Does it imbalance things more than lowlight to darkvision? Yes, you are gaining two precise senses, that is way better than expanding the use of a precise scent you already have imo
What I am asking is considering the treatment low light vision gets to stack and become Dark-vision in many instances...Can you give me some examples of this?
Off the top of my head, Dhampir gives you Low-Light vision, but if you already have Low-Light you get Darkvision.
However, it specifically states this. "You also gain low-light vision, or you gain darkvision if your ancestry already has low-light vision."
To my knowledge, there is nothing like this for imprecise scent. If you have imprecise scent and gain it again, it's still imprecise unless otherwise states (like how Dhampir states it for Low-Light/Darkvision)
What I am asking is considering the treatment low light vision gets to stack and become Dark-vision in many instances...Can you give me some examples of this?Off the top of my head, Dhampir gives you Low-Light vision, but if you already have Low-Light you get Darkvision.
However, it specifically states this. "You also gain low-light vision, or you gain darkvision if your ancestry already has low-light vision."
I believe the Versatile Heritages---the current ones, that is---all do this, always with the same wording. Not sure whether I've seen it anywhere else.
Precise Scent would be way too OP.
The argument would be that with two first level abilities, you get effective immunity to Blinded, Dazzled, Concealed, Invisibility, most illusions, and just about any ability or spell with the visual effect.
I could be willing to allow a "once per day for 1 minute you can treat scent as precise" ability, but that would have to be somewhere in the range of 10th to 12th level (true seeing being a level 6 spell).
I am mainly discussing having a second precise sense or maby a different one. I usually GM so this is mostly theory craft. Sent is still limited to 30' so its still not as versitile as vision.
Maby if a second instance of scent should give extra range ie add them together for a 60' range.
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I am mainly discussing having a second precise sense or maby a different one. I usually GM so this is mostly theory craft. Sent is still limited to 30' so its still not as versitile as vision.
Maby if a second instance of scent should give extra range ie add them together for a 60' range.
Or it doesn't do anything because it doesn't say it does and nothing implies it should. Anymore than taking a versatile heritage on top of a dwarf gives them true sight.
That probably reads as harsher than it needs to be. But I just don't see why you need to make up an interaction when you can just not take redundant heritages or feats. At least with the dwarf example there's a sacrifice you have to make to play the concept of a dwarf tiefling. That's not the case here.
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As others have said, RAW and RAI are that the second dose of scent does nothing. However, if as the GM you wish to make it do something, I recommend staying with your "extra range" thought instead of precision. Quantitative improvements are generally much easier to deal with than qualitative ones.
I am not die hard trying to improve characters by stacking I am just making conversation mostly.
That said if I had a character ask this I would likely go with a little extra range and maby an additional +1(circumstance) to sent related perception checks just to not waste the granted ability.
On to another related subject that isn't talked nearly enough about.
What would it take? What lvl cost ect would you put on gaining a precise sense such as smell or hearing for a player?
What effect on the game would it have? Should it have a limited range like 30' or 60'?
There are plenty of characters with heightened senses such as blind marital arts masters or whatever.
Tremor sense: Touch
Echolocation: Sound
Scent: Smell/Taste
What lvl and how many feats or what lvl items would be needed to grant abilities to use precise versions of other senses?
Would they cause any major issues ingame?
Eg A player with precise hearing at 60' would basically ignore invisibility or any illusions that don't include sound. If the opponant dosen't have foil senses you could ignore stealth within that 60' range.
Would having these abilitys bring any disadvantages such as more damage from sonic attacks or having saves one category lower vs sonic?
That probably reads as harsher than it needs to be.It does.
But I just don't see why you need to make up an interaction when you can just not take redundant heritages or feats.Really? I think it's very intuitive to think you might double up on something to make it better. You know, like Evasion and Improved Evasion. Uncanny Dodge stacking to increase the level someone needs to over come it. The already given example of Low-Light stacking to give Darkvision.
I don't see anything wrong with house-ruling some benefit if you want a character to be really good with its sense of scent. *shrug*
Low light doesn’t stack. The same option gives two different benefits depending on what you already have. There are plenty of examples of feats working in that manner, especially many skill feats that give improved bonuses the higher your skill proficiency.
As Feral easily could have worked that way too, and in fact does for vision but doesn’t for scent, I don’t think I’d give anything else. I’d let the player pick a different heritage or background instead.