dugfromthearth Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 Awhile back I researched tracking and wrote up this document. It can be used purely for flavor so that players can GM's can describe tracks, or how they track, or how they conceal tracks. It does have some mechanics in it - so you can figure out penalties for the age of tracks, terrain type, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dugfromthearth Posted October 4, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2003 I thought I could quote a bit to give you a sense of the document without you having to dl it. Leaves: Leaves bounce back when compressed but the ground underneath them does not. The leaves do get scuffed and may be somewhat disturbed. Imprint at -4, imprint is gone after one hour of aging. Wet, fresh leaves have a tendency to bruise. It takes over an hour for the bruise to appear and then it disappears in about 24 hours. Imprint is normal but disappears after 24 hours. The ground underneath leaves is usually wet and takes an imprint well +2. The leaves prevent the ground from weathering (they will disappear over the course of months). The leaves must be moved for the imprint in the ground to be seen. Pine Needles: Pine needles do compress, but poorly - imprint at -2. They weather normally. Fresh pine needles bruise like leaves. Pine needles absorb the impact and the ground beneath it does not compress. Stones: This refers to stones and boulders, not a large expanse of rock. Usually there is little dirt on stones. Dislodged stones are common but may be hard to recognize. Dry patches after rain or wet patches on a sunny day may indicate a stone has been moved. The imprint is at -5, being erased entirely after one hour of aging or 5 minutes of rain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted October 4, 2003 Report Share Posted October 4, 2003 Outstanding--very crunchy. I wish there had been more stuff like this in FH; the Hero skill system is otherwise very seat-of-the-pants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dugfromthearth Posted October 4, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2003 I am working on navigation, fishing, and climbing as well. I really would like good rules for sailing, I want to work on that at some point. I like simplicity when you are just moving the story along, but I don't like playing a character and just saying you do a skill without any idea what it actually involves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted October 4, 2003 Report Share Posted October 4, 2003 FH has more than enough material in it as it is. The sort of detail that dfte seems to have in his file (based on the quote) is what The Ultimate Skill will have -- expanded Skill descriptions aren't just useful for Fantasy, after all. The bits of it I've already written have similarly detailed coverage for Lockpicking, Climbing, and Contortionist, for example (those being some Skills I just happened to have worked on so far). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dugfromthearth Posted October 4, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2003 are you accepting contributions for that book or are you looking to write it all yourself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted October 4, 2003 Report Share Posted October 4, 2003 My current plan is to write it myself; taking "contributions" for books poses all sorts of problems. But if I think I could use some help when the time comes, I'll let you know. Right now it's not even on the schedule; I just plink at it whenever the mood strikes me. I should add that I do plan, when the time comes, to draw on the knowledge of Herodom Assembled regarding some of these Skills. For example, I'll ask SCUBA Hero for input on any advanced rules for SCUBA and underwater activities in general. When I put out the call, if you think you're qualified to discuss a particular subject or point me in the direction of good research sources, that would be a big help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dugfromthearth Posted October 4, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2003 I understand the problem with selling a product which includes something other people have written. Most of my stuff comes from research, so I will be sure to try and include a bibliography (web sites) at the bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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