Scent as a Feat [Archive] - Wizards Community

Scent as a Feat [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Thiez
06-13-07, 05:13 PM I have a quick question. My memory tells me there is this book that contained a suggestion to allow Scent as a feat for Orcs and Half-Orcs. Can anyone tell me what book that was, and on which page I should look?

Thanks in advance :)
Breetai
06-13-07, 05:33 PM The only one that comes to mind is only for druids in wild shape from CompDiv
Dead_Weasel
06-13-07, 05:37 PM 3.0 DMG, IIRC. Under the "monsters as characters" section? Probably?
tarkin
06-13-07, 05:41 PM I believe that the 3.0 book mentioned Scent as a possible feat for Gnomes and 1/2 Orcs.
Ogg
06-13-07, 05:43 PM As an aside Book of 9 swords has an ability that grants you scent as well. It's level 1 so you could get it by taking a level in either warblade or Sword sage.
InkBlot
06-13-07, 05:55 PM You can get Scent as a feat using Tome Of Battle.

First, take Martial Study to gain a Tiger Claw manuever. You can take any manuever, so long as it you meet that manuever prereqs (and there are manuevers that don't have any prereqs).

Then take Martial Stance to gain a Tiger Claw stance. Choose Hunter's Stance.

BAM. You got scent.

Stances last until you decide to end them, until you switch to a different stance, or until you're knocked out. Even out of combat, they just last forever.

edit: Oh, and both of these are fighter feats, and all of this can be done at 1st level without taking any levels in any martial adept class.
Thiez
06-13-07, 06:17 PM Hmmn I've probably read it in the 3.0 DMG, so just taking Scent as a feat as I'd hoped is not going to work. Thanks for all the comments, I'll look into that Tome of Battle thing (I hear it's good for melee? :)).

My Orc melee guy is going to be very pleased.
Lazigothi
06-13-07, 06:26 PM How powerful would scent be as a feat as listed wherever it is?

I'd just make it as a natural part of some races.

As a feat, would it create an effect like blind sense or tremor sense?

I'd just assume otherwise those with a good scent sense could add conditional modifiers to certain applicable skills:

I can anticipate that scent would be useful to track, bypass visual illusion affects, find edible food, and determine a kind of overall aura of an individual (health, mood, rank) that would work for Sense Motive, Survival, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Spot, Search, and Ride.
InkBlot
06-13-07, 10:03 PM If you look in the Monster Manual, it tells you exactly what the scent ability does. If you take Martial Stance to get scent, that's exactly what you get. I'll copy/paste it here from the SRD for your convenience:

Scent (Ex): This special quality allows a creature to detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. Creatures with the scent ability can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights.

The creature can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind, it drops to 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 triple normal range.

When a creature detects a scent, the exact location of the source is not revealed—only its presence somewhere within range. The creature can take a move action to note the direction of the scent.

Whenever the creature comes within 5 feet of the source, the creature pinpoints the source’s location.

A creature with the Track feat and the scent ability can follow tracks by smell, making a Wisdom (or Survival) check to find or follow a track. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10 (no matter what kind of surface holds the scent). This 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 Track feat. Creatures tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.

Also see Scent under Special Abilities.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Thiez 06-13-07, 05:13 PM	I have a quick question. My memory tells me there is this book that contained a suggestion to allow Scent as a feat for Orcs and Half-Orcs. Can anyone tell me what book that was, and on which page I should look? Thanks in advance :)
Breetai 06-13-07, 05:33 PM	The only one that comes to mind is only for druids in wild shape from CompDiv
Dead_Weasel 06-13-07, 05:37 PM	3.0 DMG, IIRC. Under the "monsters as characters" section? Probably?
tarkin 06-13-07, 05:41 PM	I believe that the 3.0 book mentioned Scent as a possible feat for Gnomes and 1/2 Orcs.
Ogg 06-13-07, 05:43 PM	As an aside Book of 9 swords has an ability that grants you scent as well. It's level 1 so you could get it by taking a level in either warblade or Sword sage.
InkBlot 06-13-07, 05:55 PM	You can get Scent as a feat using Tome Of Battle. First, take Martial Study to gain a Tiger Claw manuever. You can take any manuever, so long as it you meet that manuever prereqs (and there are manuevers that don't have any prereqs). Then take Martial Stance to gain a Tiger Claw stance. Choose Hunter's Stance. BAM. You got scent. Stances last until you decide to end them, until you switch to a different stance, or until you're knocked out. Even out of combat, they just last forever. edit: Oh, and both of these are fighter feats, and all of this can be done at 1st level without taking any levels in any martial adept class.
Thiez 06-13-07, 06:17 PM	Hmmn I've probably read it in the 3.0 DMG, so just taking Scent as a feat as I'd hoped is not going to work. Thanks for all the comments, I'll look into that Tome of Battle thing (I hear it's good for melee? :)). My Orc melee guy is going to be very pleased.
Lazigothi 06-13-07, 06:26 PM	How powerful would scent be as a feat as listed wherever it is? I'd just make it as a natural part of some races. As a feat, would it create an effect like blind sense or tremor sense? I'd just assume otherwise those with a good scent sense could add conditional modifiers to certain applicable skills: I can anticipate that scent would be useful to track, bypass visual illusion affects, find edible food, and determine a kind of overall aura of an individual (health, mood, rank) that would work for Sense Motive, Survival, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Spot, Search, and Ride.
InkBlot 06-13-07, 10:03 PM	If you look in the Monster Manual, it tells you exactly what the scent ability does. If you take Martial Stance to get scent, that's exactly what you get. I'll copy/paste it here from the SRD for your convenience: Scent (Ex): This special quality allows a creature to detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. Creatures with the scent ability can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights. The creature can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind, it drops to 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 triple normal range. When a creature detects a scent, the exact location of the source is not revealed—only its presence somewhere within range. The creature can take a move action to note the direction of the scent. Whenever the creature comes within 5 feet of the source, the creature pinpoints the source’s location. A creature with the Track feat and the scent ability can follow tracks by smell, making a Wisdom (or Survival) check to find or follow a track. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10 (no matter what kind of surface holds the scent). This 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 Track feat. Creatures tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility. Also see Scent under Special Abilities.