>Florence Ambrose < had something to say about the abilities of her wolf senses.
How do you handle smell IYTU, particularly Vargrs'?
How do you handle smell IYTU, particularly Vargrs'?
Vargr Sents
- Thread starter Hecateus
- Start date
Same as for any other "extended" senses: If there's something particularly interesting about what would be seen by that sense, I mention it. if not, I let the player ask about it and make it up then if need be.
Now, when I KNOW some one has extended senses while I'm building, I DO have to think about it a bit more when I'm making a world or situation. Most people think about only what would be seen. Sometimes you consider the sounds, if there are any of note, sometimes smells as well. How often do you consider the touch or the taste of something? Only as necessary, right? What if some one sees only in IR? Or radar? Or ultrasound? Or is blind? Then you have to consider sources of input OTHER than sight.
When I make stuff, I make as much of the planet and surrounds as is reasonable; anywhere the characters are LIKELY to go. If the stuff is happening in the city, I make up the important parts. If it's the wilderness, I take care of that. If they're going to other worlds, I do system generation and subsector generation (or more), and generate the basic details of where they are likely to go, and get more in depth where they are sure to go. No one has time to build a full universe, complete in every detail, and then REMEMBER it all upon command, so you have to make what you can, and make things up as you go if the PCs get away from your details.
When you have other senses besides sight to consider, you have to think about it more carefully. And then be sure to add the appropriate notes to your material, so that when some one goes there, you've got all the useful "sense" information in one place.
Really, what else is there to do but think about it a little more than you otherwise would? If you want woodlands information, take a walk in the woods. If you want suburban info, take a walk in the suburbs. If you want slum info, drive through one with your doors locked and perhaps a friend in the car to back you up.
You're walking through the woods. You hear a creaking sound, like a rusty door hanging ajar. Is some one about to spring a trapdoor on you? Next, you hear the sound of static pervading the air. Are you about to be assaulted with Rock and Roll? You find that you can see trees that are about 1/4 mile away. You look around and the person who just walked past you a minute ago is gone. Are they hiding from you? If you've never been to the woods, you'd never know what to do about these situations. It's harder to do this with things like IR and echolocation, so you'll have to do the best you can, and read up on their characteristics.
Now, when I KNOW some one has extended senses while I'm building, I DO have to think about it a bit more when I'm making a world or situation. Most people think about only what would be seen. Sometimes you consider the sounds, if there are any of note, sometimes smells as well. How often do you consider the touch or the taste of something? Only as necessary, right? What if some one sees only in IR? Or radar? Or ultrasound? Or is blind? Then you have to consider sources of input OTHER than sight.
When I make stuff, I make as much of the planet and surrounds as is reasonable; anywhere the characters are LIKELY to go. If the stuff is happening in the city, I make up the important parts. If it's the wilderness, I take care of that. If they're going to other worlds, I do system generation and subsector generation (or more), and generate the basic details of where they are likely to go, and get more in depth where they are sure to go. No one has time to build a full universe, complete in every detail, and then REMEMBER it all upon command, so you have to make what you can, and make things up as you go if the PCs get away from your details.
When you have other senses besides sight to consider, you have to think about it more carefully. And then be sure to add the appropriate notes to your material, so that when some one goes there, you've got all the useful "sense" information in one place.
Really, what else is there to do but think about it a little more than you otherwise would? If you want woodlands information, take a walk in the woods. If you want suburban info, take a walk in the suburbs. If you want slum info, drive through one with your doors locked and perhaps a friend in the car to back you up.
You're walking through the woods. You hear a creaking sound, like a rusty door hanging ajar. Is some one about to spring a trapdoor on you? Next, you hear the sound of static pervading the air. Are you about to be assaulted with Rock and Roll? You find that you can see trees that are about 1/4 mile away. You look around and the person who just walked past you a minute ago is gone. Are they hiding from you? If you've never been to the woods, you'd never know what to do about these situations. It's harder to do this with things like IR and echolocation, so you'll have to do the best you can, and read up on their characteristics.
Ganidirsii O'Flynn
SOC-12
I am a big fan of playing Vargr, Hec', and I admit the scent thing is kinda tricky. Traveller doesn't really have a mechanic for it, T20 gives you the Alertness Feat for free, and G:T gives you +4 Smell/Taste and +2 each on Spot and Listen tests (with Alertness +1 included). With those mechanics, it can be easier, but TheDS is right when is uses his descriptions... While you may have access to more information, it is how that it is presented to you that makes playing an alien fun. To use an old cliche', don't "play a human in a furry suit, play an alien with their own senses, rationales and modivations".
Hey if you think playing a Vargr is fun on the sense-o-meter, how about a K'kree....
Hey if you think playing a Vargr is fun on the sense-o-meter, how about a K'kree....
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