Tracking

[AndrewCarr]

After playing shadowbane i miss tracking when it's not in a game, as it was crucial to living in that game. However, most nwn module's don't have this. One great idea i saw in a LotR module was that you left footsteps behind based on your hide/move silently skills. This then allowed people to roll a dc or whatever against it with their respective skills and learn various levels of info on the walker. Such as name, level, race, faction.

[sep caldessian]

how is any of that info in character?

[Sir Sean]

Race could be determined from tracks, within limits: "Medium-sized humanoid, slender feet - but wider than most elves. Fat elf, half-elf, or skinny human or half-orc, then." "Small, bare footprints lead you think that a halfling was here."

Possibly faction as well, although this would be a hard check: "This style of boot is only made in Daeron." "You spot some threads on a bush; they are of spider-silk, probably spun by the weavers of the Shadow Legion."

A VERY difficult check might turn up some clues about class: "The individual who rested here had a sword and shield leaning up against this rock." "The footprints are accompanied by the marks of a staff." "These footprints are very difficult to distinguish, although the length of stride shows that the person was not taking great pains to move softly."

Even name could be done, although 1) the check would be nearly impossible and 2) your character would have to have knowledge of the person you were trying to track. From the standpoint of having to keep all that data around, I think it would be more bother than it's worth.

The big problem is, of course, that leaving 'tracks' will require database tracking of who has been where, where they rested, and an expire time for the tracks. It's a non-trivial problem, and could lead to an overly bloated database for little to no gain. But it's an interesting idea...

Sir Sean, DM Starknight
Oghma, God of Knowledge

[sep caldessian]

ok assuming the DC checks are appropriate, i would think the sheer volume of players going all over the place would lead to some wild and crazy scripting/persistency mightmares. play is laggy enough as it is without catering to a false skill (where does one increase the tracking skill? is it for rangers only? why? druids and rogues should be able to track, as well as the assassin prestige class, to a lesser degree. what about racial modifiers?)

i agree that it would probably be more effort/laggy than it is worth.

[Sir Sean]

Well, in PnP you can track with Wilderness Lore. The Track feat, which Rangers get for free, lowers the DC of tracking attempts by 5.

I'm not saying that it should be done, or that it can be done without too much lag, but it might be something to consider. We're just noodling ideas here at the moment.

Sir Sean, DM Starknight
Oghma, God of Knowledge

[sep caldessian]

We're just noodling ideas here at the moment.

i know, im just giving my opinions

[AndrewCarr]

You could give tracking info on a timer. say every 20 secs someone rolls against leaving tracks or not. Or you could have it at area load. Either you load in knowing who's in the area, or maybe it could be you load in the area and know who's been there and gone where recently.

And i'd say everyone should be able to track to an extent. It would just depend perhaps on wisdom, intelligence, lore(such as racial enemies or domains), and search and spot are the two skills i'd suggest for it.

And how are dc rolls in character? How are cr's that show up on examine in character? And i think Sean explained how the rest can be in character.