Role Playing Tracking

[FrozenSolid]

So as a ranger or associated skill set when you look at the tracks and click on them it gives you details like what race the creature what armor it has on and whether it entered or left a zone.

This is great! But the tracking is /super/ specific. It can tell a deep gnome from a rock gnome, a sun elf from a moon elf etc.

SO

This can become a problem for evil people hiding on the surface. I've been walking behind elves before stooped down to the tracks to notice one of the elves is not an elf at all but in fact a drow.

I've also done the same with Vampires. Which is specifically where I think this matters most.

Based on the IC information my character can glean from tracks I can begin to point out things that shouldn't be. I know this is hard for vampires, because a part of their RP exists with being able to blend into normal society, but if my ranger can pick their foot prints out every time they transition? It won't take long IG to deduce who is leaving those tracks.

And that could derail vampire RP pretty quick, like I mentioned, being apart of society is an advantage a vampire has.

So I guess my questions are this:

What specifically does a vampire do that leaves a vampire track?

If I chose to ignore the tracks that would be an OOC choice choosing to ignore IC information. But OOCLY I want the vampire to do their thing!

Should races like this have an ability to hide their tracks? Or force a roll on tracks like these that requires a really high search to be able to accurately deduce what it is?

[Mr_Rieper]

I think it comes down to how you handle it. Allow it to enhance your roleplay, rather than having your character merely freak out and start a witchhunt.

You could use the information to your advantage WITHOUT ignoring it or naming+shaming. Tell only a handful of people, hunt for more clues on this person. Have your character ask them poignant questions that try to dig deeper into what kind of dirty drow they are, and what they are up to.

Then, when everything is confirmed, create and lead them into a trap where they cannot escape, and finish it. It's a lot more fun than crying wolf.

That being said, if you genuinely don't have the time to deal with it, just pass the information along and encourage somebody else who is interested to look into it. Remember your character cannot be "mechanically certain" about something, you are going to have to explain it IC why you think this person is a drow. Having "drow feet" is not an acceptable answer. Show some knowledge on drow mannerisms, or the kind of boots they prefer to wear, or the way they walk, or whatever. Don't just say "He's a drow. I'm totally certain because I'm a tracker and I know these things" and expect people to believe you.

As Joe once said: "When in doubt, be tasteful". You don't have to be Mr Nice Guy and avoid confronting the drow entirely, you can be smart about it and have him get involved too. No doubt he'll start to sweat when people suspect him.

It's not about conflict. It's about giving things the chance to progress. Imagine it like a cooking pot. Throw your ingredients in, turn up the heat and allow it to cook. Don't just go "DROW REEEEEEE" and tip it over.

[Aodh Lazuli]

So I guess my questions are this:

What specifically does a vampire do that leaves a vampire track?

When I was playing a ranger, I played some of this sort of thing out with scent and smell rather than actual physical marks. If someone is supposed to look like <insert race here>, then think about other sensory input... maybe think about it from a behavioural standpoint. Observing where they position themselves within a group and so on...

You might also be able to play out "Not being sure, but there's something not right about this dude" - if it's a set of tracks that don't match what you can see with your eyes - and particularly if its something the character hasn't encountered before... This is likely to give the player of the tracked character a bit of wriggle room.

[Mr_Rieper]

So I guess my questions are this:

What specifically does a vampire do that leaves a vampire track?

If I chose to ignore the tracks that would be an OOC choice choosing to ignore IC information. But OOCLY I want the vampire to do their thing!

Should races like this have an ability to hide their tracks? Or force a roll on tracks like these that requires a really high search to be able to accurately deduce what it is?

Seems I forgot about the questions:

1. Could be a few things. Unusual body heat (if the tracks are fresh), weight distribution on their feet (if they appear to be carrying quite a large amount but their tracks are featherweight) and that sort of thing. Maybe even a persistent injury that shows in their gait, or style of walking. Basically your character would be suspicious if something doesn't add up. So consider what your character would find "normal" about tracks, and work backwards from there. Who knows, maybe you might revolutionize how tracking RP is done, if its good enough to catch on.

Basically if the person weighs as much as a duck, then they must be a witc- vampire. Definitely a vampire.

2. See my first answer.

3. They should and shouldn't. Perform effectively gives people to the ability to become somebody else. Sometimes people are just master actors. But it's difficult to perform or bluff the way you walk and the footprints you leave behind. I think there should be a limit to how much information rangers can deduce, it would take an extremely knowledgeable tracker to tell somebody's life story from their boot print.

[Dr_Hazard89]

Dragons had the same problem. When in human form they would still leave dragon tracks, so when a ranger comes snooping in their wake they're finding dragon tracks everywhere!

Vampires all wear boots with little flappy-bat prints on the heel, and that's why they leave vampire tracks. You can tell it's a vampire by the bat shaped imprint in the mud, and if you look very close you can see the Hot Topic tm aswell.

[FrozenSolid]

Yeah, so far with abnormal tracks I usually do what I think is fair RP. I think it's reasonable to assume that Drow, for example, leaving a very specific foot print given the terrain they travel is often different then surface elves and races. But yeah still requires a pretty keen eye to pick out the differences.

As far as tasteful RPing goes I think that makes enough sense. I'll likely elude to what was found to raise some measure of awareness of the presence of one while leaving room for doubts and speculation. That way the information is not entirely being ignored without also just going crazy.

I like the suggestions for /how/ one might track a vampire. I'll include some of that in if Faeren spots the tracks again. Given my characters experiences I think it's fair to say she has honed her ranger skills to a fine point.

[Cerk Evermoore]

Detect evil finds evil players. Just one of the things you should be careful about, no disguise is perfect after all.

[caldura firebourne]

Detect evil finds evil players. Just one of the things you should be careful about, no disguise is perfect after all.

Detect evil is also not perfect, with a half decent will save a little bit of bluff, And a little bit of luck, I managed to play an evil character who "befriended" a paladin, sure every now and again I would fail my save and be detected as evil, but my character had set in the paladin's mind that there was absolutely no way she was evil.

This ended hilariously in some innocent deaths at the paladin's sword.

Also theres a few message boards in the rnager cabin in the arelith forest with some lovely and awesome pointers about how to RP tracking

As a hunter IRL most of what is there is spot on and accurate to what tracking really is like.

[Dr_Hazard89]

Detect evil finds evil players. Just one of the things you should be careful about, no disguise is perfect after all.

Only if they fail a will save, right?

[caldura firebourne]

Detect evil finds evil players. Just one of the things you should be careful about, no disguise is perfect after all.

Only if they fail a will save, right?

Right

[Aodh Lazuli]

Detect evil finds evil players.

I'm not sure what is the most horrifying part of this statement... That there are evil players - or that somehow, through the magic of technology, Neverwinter Nights sees into your soul.

[Mouthy Expert]

I don't have a tracker, but if I did, I'd probably rp identifying ud races as something like finding traces of some kind of moss that's native to the ud on their footprints.

[Cortex]

Detect evil finds evil players.

I'm not sure what is the most horrifying part of this statement... That there are evil players - or that somehow, through the magic of technology, Neverwinter Nights sees into your soul.

Power Word Kill also kills players, it's why few people dare use it.