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Old 07-31-2022, 11:11 AM   #1
Axly Suregrip
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Durham, NC
Default Alertness & Naturalist talents

Hi,
Just trying to calibrate how I am doing this by checking to see how you all do it: Naturalist & Alertness talents.

Specific questions:

1) Do these combine? For example, Naturalist lets you spot a slime before it drops on you for 3/IQ and Alertness reduces ambush rolls by 1 die. So does this become 2/IQ for the adventurer with both?

I have been playing with them combining. But it seems too powerful. On the other hand having them both but not getting the benefit of synergy seems unfair and nearly pointless to have both.

2) How close to the front do they need to be? In caverns I let anyone in the front two rows of hexes in the front MHx of the party use their talent for spotting slimes, snakes, scorpions, traps, etc. Do just limit it to the front row? or expand it to the whole MHx? or to the whole party? How do you change this when outside in the wilderness? (In single file paths in the woods I keep the limit of first 2 rows, which is now first two persons).

Add any additional comments on how it has worked for you and/or why you do it the way you do.
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Old 07-31-2022, 11:26 AM   #2
Skarg
 
Join Date: May 2015
Default Re: Alertness & Naturalist talents

1) I do, yes. It is very "powerful" against slimes just sitting on the ceiling, but slimes are nuisance creatures, and this seems just a natural consequence to me.

There are other things a naturalist might get rolls to notice and understand, which could be much more difficult to notice.

Consider too, that a naturalist without Alertness can also get a 2/IQ roll to spot slimes on the ceiling, just by saying they are focusing on the ceiling (that gives them +1 die to notice things elsewhere).


2) I've handled that different ways. I either penalize or disqualify people behind the front, depending on the situation.
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Old 07-31-2022, 11:26 AM   #3
Rolando
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Panama
Default Re: Alertness & Naturalist talents

I don't see why not, the rules seems to be created to be used like that. I'm sure there are other traits that compliment.

I would allow a roll for any character in line of sight to the dropping slime start point, so if the ceiling is high and light reach it I will allow even a character in the third or further rank to be able to spot it. This is a GM call but consider lightning, how far the ceiling, etc. For me, if there is line of sight you may roll to spot.
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Old 07-31-2022, 11:37 AM   #4
Axly Suregrip
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Durham, NC
Default Re: Alertness & Naturalist talents

Found it in ITL:

ITL 121:
"Normally, the only characters who have a chance to detect
an ambush before it occurs are Naturalists (3 dice against
IQ for any animal or plant ambush), and characters with the
talent for Alertness (3 dice against IQ for any ambush at all).
A Naturalist with Alertness rolls 2 dice against IQ for animal/
plant attacks.
"

And thanks for the answers. The range to spotting tips are great. Be flexible such that it makes sense is important. And consider LOS.
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Old 07-31-2022, 12:07 PM   #5
hcobb
 
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Pacheco, California
Default Re: Alertness & Naturalist talents

Note from the Example of Map Narration at ITL 76, even the untalented can spot slimes if they are specifically looking for them as per ITL 69, and at one megahex range (the limit of torch illumination as per ITL 70).
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Old 07-31-2022, 01:31 PM   #6
Bill_in_IN
 
Join Date: Dec 2021
Location: Indiana
Default Re: Alertness & Naturalist talents

Unless there is a rule prohibiting the stacking of these talents, I see no problem with stacking them.
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