Animals and Perception

[larsdangly]

One approach you can take that doesn't require any new stats or types of rules is to adjust the odds of the roll (either adding or subtracting to the number of dice rolled or to the stat in question) based on how challenging the perception task is given the 'perceiver's suite of senses and reasoning power, with extreme cases leading to automatic failure or success.

A slime can't detect an illusion at all, so no effect. A cow can detect it but can't reasonably be expected to disbelieve it, so generally no chance to disbelieve. A leopard has outstanding night vision and smell, so maybe it rolls to search for hiding critters with a +4 or +8 bonus to IQ (or rolls 1 or 2 fewer dice). And so forth. The published game provides little guidance as to how this sort of thing should be adjudicated, but at least in this case you would be working within the basic structure of the rules rather than adding a new layer of stats or whatever.

[Anthony]

You can always roll vs adjDX. For most 'did I spot this' as opposed to 'did I recognize this' issues, dexterity and perception are pretty closely correlated (there's a reason we talk about eye-hand coordination).

[ldorn]

Why not just assign an animal Alertness and or Acute (sense) if it is in the nature of the animal.

A dog might have Acute Smell (works like Acute Hearing but only on scent based tasks). The dog would still have a low IQ for most things, but would roll against IQ 9 or higher when making this check.

For example: a dumb mutt might roll vs. IQ 9 while a dog the equivalent of Rin-Tin-Tin or Lassie might roll vs. IQ 15 - 20 (or whatever the GM feels is right).

[Skarg]

Originally Posted by ldorn

Why not just assign an animal Alertness and or Acute (sense) if it is in the nature of the animal.

A dog might have Acute Smell (works like Acute Hearing but only on scent based tasks). The dog would still have a low IQ for most things, but would roll against IQ 9 or higher when making this check.

For example: a dumb mutt might roll vs. IQ 9 while a dog the equivalent of Rin-Tin-Tin or Lassie might roll vs. IQ 15 - 20 (or whatever the GM feels is right).

If you get a copy of the (pre-4e, out of print) GURPS Bestiary book, such values have already been worked out. And lots of other animal stats that could be adapted to TFT.

[ak_aramis]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

I prefer, "The early bird gets the worm, but the early worm gets eaten."

As such creatures would be played entirely by the GM, specific numbers aren't really needed anyway.

You have just demonstrated a complete failure to grasp the problem:

a LOT of TFT play was, and is likely to remain, GM-less solo play, with no authority to make those calls.

Thinking of it solely as a GM issue ignores a rather large part of the existing player use.

[Flyndaran]

Yep. I didn't see what sub-forum this was from. I know absolutely nothing about TFT. I deleted my post.
Edited to add, "Sorry."

[Nils_Lindeberg]

If we give unspecified conditional bonuses to races, like +1 damage with ax/mace or +3 DX when shooting and throwing, I have no problem giving animals bonuses to special actions. The easiest would be +X to IQ-rolls when "being true to its nature". That is a predator being out hunting in its preferred terrain or a guard dog doings its job in a city. And noticing stuff is something almost all creatures has as part of their nature, but in different ways.

This way we don't need more talents or an extra attribute. We don't give Halflings a specific talent even though the ability could easily be converted in to Missile Weapons and Thrown Weapons. And we don't give the halflings an extra super script to DX for ranged weapons or a new attribute for ranged attacks. So let's stay with the established rules we have and avoid making up new ones if the old ones can be recycled. :-)

[flankspeed]

I will throw my two cents worth into the ring with some house rules. Since they are house rules, I posted them over in the House Rules section. Here they are:

Perception Rolls (Including Non-Humanoid Creatures)

http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=159547