Post/Author/DateTime	Post
J_Riley 06-10-04, 12:24 PM	How do you handle something like this? (between party members) I would assume you'd want whoever has the best 'senses' (Spot, Listen etc ranks + mods), but how do you RP that? I mean, you shouldn't just come out and say "I'm an elf with 6 ranks in Spot and 4 in Listen, I'd make the best scout". How have others resolved this via RP?
Beamup 06-10-04, 12:28 PM	I'd suggest a competition of some sort.
Astanphaeus 06-10-04, 12:46 PM	Yeah, some sort of challenge would be good. Because stats aren't everything. How a character is played can make all the difference. ~ A.
DemonMonkeyBoy 06-10-04, 12:50 PM	:b: First a question. Why can't you both go? I'll guess you don't want to be the wizards body guard and get a chance to use you skills. Solution; Rock, Paper, Knife(scissors) best two out of three gets to scout for the day. Another you could use it evens and odds. One last one Make Up a game use three D20s best two out of three wins for the day.
Ssussunriyh 06-10-04, 01:37 PM	Did I read that right? You guys are competing for the role of Professional Booby Trap Detector?? Roleplaying it? Have the characters make disparaging remarks about the inferior eyesight and hearing of the other. "Didn't you see that? It's as plain as the points on your ears / the abnormally large nose on your face!" (Or whatever stereotypical racial trait applies.) "How did you miss that one? I thought elves were supposed to have good eyesight. You're as blind as a grimlock!"
Skaboozh 06-10-04, 01:56 PM	Scout together. Have one use the aid another action to grant the other bonuses to his scouting skills. Seems like a pretty good way to encourage teamwork in the party.
danielinthewolvesden 06-10-04, 02:07 PM	Why on earth would you want to be the scout?
J_Riley 06-10-04, 03:41 PM	I was merely curious how it would be handled. My PC is an archer and is an elf and has high spot ranks - but no rogue skills. I don't particularly want to be the scout, but if no other party member can fill the role (so far we have a dwarf warrior, a monk, a cleric, a human spellcaster and undecided), then it may fall to me. I would prefer to stay to the rear and turn any enemies into pincushions, but I would also prefer we were ambushed less often as well...I wasn't necessarily thinking about detecting traps and that type of stuff. But as you can see, we don't (not yet) have a rogue or rogue like skills in out party...
Tony Vargas 06-10-04, 04:08 PM	You're not the best choice for a scout. Your good spot is a plus, but, you're not exceptionally stealty, fast or tough - and, you primary attack mode is not going to work well when you're sepparated from the rest of the party. If you were a ranger with maxed out hide/move-silently, it'd be a different story, even if you were on the 'archery path.' The Monk may actually make a good scout, especially if he puts ranks into stealth skills. Even if he doesn't, his reasonable melee ability will allow him to stand up if he's first on the scene, and his high movement (and, hopefully, tumble to avoid AoOs), will allow him to get quickly back to the party.
BlackFiend 06-10-04, 04:17 PM	The monk could do it. He's a ninja wanna bee anyways. RPing it out...we each give heroic value to things: "I'll scout all day today, if you take my watch tonite." or We simply don't use a scout. Scouts in our party tend to do stupid stuff cause they think they'll live forever and can't be seen. One scout was sent into the building to see where the hostages were kept. Fairly simple...sneak in...look around...return back and report. Well...my friend the scout...comes across the BBEG meditating, folded knees, on a prayer carpet. (This is an oriental flavored locale and enemy.) He was in full battle armor. The PC didn't ask the DM any questions...he thought...oh the BBEG is meditating, i'll sneak up and cut his head off and boo yah! (My friend has played D&D for many years. He should know...no one dies like this in D&D. Only in the movies. ;) ) Well...he attacks the fellow and the BBEG proceeds to treat our "scout" like a rag doll...just whoopin' his arse and slamming him all over the room into stuff. Obviously, the BBEG outclassed our scout by quite a bit. He never stood a chance. 2 hours later, when the scout never returned we went in after him. We set fire to the place and proceeded to use the distraction to free our friend and find the hostages. He found the hostages alright...but never made it back to tell us. When we faced the BBEG, the scene was intense. The backdrop was a burning building. An Cleric and a bowman against a talented Fighter/Monk. Our friends body was strung up on the wall, hands and feet spiked to the bamboo so that his body made an X shape. The hostages were in the room and witnessed the entire thing. Later, after getting liberated, they carried his body to their village and treated him like a hero. He died well...facing the BBEG...but yet...he was suppose to just scout ahead! He's never allowed to scout since then. ;) How do we do it... "Well...only the most senior member of the party is allowed to scout ahead or decides who scouts ahead. Its our way and saves lives, young one. When we are all dead and gone, you may scout. If you show your ability to survive and do as your told, perhaps you'll get picked to scout, son. For now...keep washing the dishes you little biotch!"
trapspringer 06-11-04, 11:12 AM	I make a great scout. I don't actually 'look' for traps, I just sorta find them. I have taken survivor levels.
Orcish Fury 06-11-04, 11:41 AM	That's why I scout on top of a riding dog. Once I spot something, I can run back at a full speed of 200 or so!
SoldierOfFortune187 06-11-04, 11:48 AM	Can you honestly visualize a bunch of adventurers, sitting around the campfire, avidly discussing just who should be the one to scout over that ridge? Its frickin' rediculous! If anything, they should be saying why they shouldn't go out there alone! Think they are the first party to ever devise the concept of a 'scout,'? Hardly! Their opponents have the same thought, but they don't send a single scout, no. They send a sweeper team of fast-moving, reasonably-stealthy warriors to go out and tag the adventuerer's postition... and wipe them out. Players aren't the only ones that can min-max Hide, Spot, or Search, and those little kobolds that you dismiss as so harmless actually get a nifty size bonus to evade your sight of them. The second the party splits up, even in the slightest, plan to be hit hard and fast by a creative DM, who will have either already incapacitated the 'scout,' or will keep him/her from hearing the skirmish and returning via any number of methods. Basically, if you think you are the best scout, that's fine, but that's no reason to think you can solo an encounter all by yourself (or get away, if you were thinking of running).
Scandal 06-11-04, 12:12 PM	we alwayse make the Druid and his animal companion scout, that way he has backup.. That spell forest fold gives +20 to hide and move silently or camoflage (spelling) is the lower level equivelent wich gives +10 to hide and move silently... Then he chooses a small inconspicuouse (spelling) form and goes and looks around.. -Scan
tiggrhoo 06-11-04, 12:28 PM	Originally posted by J_Riley How do you handle something like this? (between party members) I would assume you'd want whoever has the best 'senses' (Spot, Listen etc ranks + mods), but how do you RP that? I mean, you shouldn't just come out and say "I'm an elf with 6 ranks in Spot and 4 in Listen, I'd make the best scout". How have others resolved this via RP? I like the competition suggestion. Maybe have each party member attempt to sneak up on the rest of the party, determine some intel (like what color tunics they have) and get away without being detected. Whoever can do it is the best scout. As for wanting to be the best scout, my group is fairly heroic. Whoever can do the job best just does it, without too much worrying about the increase in personal danger. He just figures the danger to the group as a whole is less, so it's worth doing. After all, the rogue has to disarm traps whether it's safer for him personally or not, the fighter has to go toe-to-toe with the troll even if it's not his first choice. You get the idea. :)
J_Riley 06-15-04, 04:57 PM	Heh heh, problem solved. Undecided PC chose to be a druid with a wolf animal companion - which is now the scout. :D
roll8dn 06-15-04, 05:57 PM	1.) Never volunteer. 2.) Never stop to ask, "How high?" 3.) Don't be a hero. Now that that's out of the way, is there still an argument over who "gets" to be the scout?
mythandra 06-16-04, 10:09 AM	Does your character think he's the best (forget numbers, what has he seen the other character do)? Have you ever really screwed up and missed something? Has he ever really screwed up and missed somethings? If no one really stands out, it probably really is a wash. So who wants to be in the line of fire first? Point man is a death sentence.
Carkni 06-17-04, 01:28 AM	Ever notice in fantasy how the scout always is ambushed? Scouts die. It's better to be the stand-up fighter.