Mr Scruffy's Intelligence

[Qwertystop]

According to http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#divination, scrying spells are invisible, and can only be noticed by someone with Int 12 or more, and they need to make a DC 20 Int check. In #698, Mr Scruffy notices the scrying spell, and cats have Int 2 according to the Monster Manual I. What do you make of this?

[Maxios]

Maybe Mr. Scruffy is:

An evil genius
The cat of that one James Bond villain
Possed by the spirt of Shojo
A normal cat

[jywu98]

Maybe he's a druid that got cursed to stay in wildshape as a cat,:smallbiggrin:

[zimmerwald1915]

Maybe he's a druid that got cursed to stay in wildshape as a cat,:smallbiggrin:
Maybe he's Ian Starshine under a Baleful Polymorph.

[jywu98]

Maybe he's Ian Starshine under a Baleful Polymorph.

That's permanent?

[zimmerwald1915]

That's permanent?
Yes. Yes it is. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/balefulPolymorph.htm) Of course, targets of BP have their ability scores adjusted to the average of the resultant creature.

[King of Nowhere]

For a serious answer, in the real world animals can perceive things man cannot. Just like Celia can perceive an abjuration by the way her teeth tingles, maybe a cat can perceive a scrying sensor because it electrify his fur or something.

Anyway, mr Scruffy has shown over timne that he's more clever than a normal cat. He's taking bonuses from being an animal companion, but he probably was smarter than the average cat even before.
After all, if the average person has an int of 10 but someone may reach 18 (without counting aging and leveling), so a smart cat may have an int of 3 or 4. I know the rules say no, but it makes sense. Cramping together theh intelligence of every complex animal at 2 is a big semplification

[zimmerwald1915]

Anyway, mr Scruffy has shown over timne that he's more clever than a normal cat. He's taking bonuses from being an animal companion, but he probably was smarter than the average cat even before.
Animal Companions don't gain bonuses to INT the way Familiars do. IF his INT is higher than normal, which we don't know for sure (the Giant could be playing with the rules for detecting scrying sensors), it's coming from a source other than his status as an Animal Companion.

[brionl]

According to http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#divination, scrying spells are invisible, and can only be noticed by someone with Int 12 or more, and they need to make a DC 20 Int check. In #698, Mr Scruffy notices the scrying spell, and cats have Int 2 according to the Monster Manual I. What do you make of this?

Have you ever seen a cat sitting there staring at "nothing"? They are looking at a scrying sensor. :)

[Dr.Epic]

Maybe Mr. Scruffy is:

An evil genius
The cat of that one James Bond villain
Possed by the spirt of Shojo
A normal cat

A fictional character in a comic LOOSELY based on D&D rules

[Crisis21]

Rule of Drama. If only one being is going to notice an event that may be important to the main characters, it will be the one least capable of communicating that knowledge. The only exception is if the main characters knowing is necessary to the plot.

Edit: While I'm not as familiar with the rules as some, I would deduce that part of the check to recognize scrying is determining that the funny feeling you're getting is someone scrying on you.

[skarl]

wow, what you are saying, it's almost as if someone has ever scryed you!

[Voice of Reason]

Or, it could just be a visible sensor, and Mr. Scruffy just happened to be the only one looking in its direction. Even core D&D has spells that do that (ex. Prying Eyes (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/pryingEyes.htm)).

[OskarderDrachen]

Of course he's more intelligent than normal.

He provoked and prolonged the extended bar-fight by flipping the bowl of maggots over the table of the not-yet-involved-people.

Heard what Belkar said, thought about it, formed a plan of *exactly* what to do, picked out the means to do it, and executed the plan, in one frame.

Wizard scary intelligent, that cat.

[Carduus]

I'm not familiar with NPC classes, but could Mr. Scruffy have gained anything from being the cat of a high-level NPC for years?

[Deliverance]

Mr. Scruffy learned his trade at the very knees of the highly intelligent ruler of Azure city as seen here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0404.html). Only a fool would underestimate the intelligence of Mr. Scruffy! He may appear to be just another white cat of no distinction, but behind those innocent eyes and bristling whiskers a devious mind surpassing mere feline cruelty and curiosoty by far lies in wait to trap the unwary and control the weak of mind. Released from his long servitude to the master of Azure city, Mr. Scruffy now operates free of constraints and the enslavement of Belkar Bitterleaf to his will is only the first step of his plans... :smallcool:

Mark my words. Mr. Scruffy will be at the final gate come hell or high water. He's got a plan. :smalleek:

[Scarlet Knight]

He's Draketooth in illusionary form...he started as a black cat but his fur/hair turned white with age. Think about it! What better revenge for someone who hates paladins than to have them clean your litterbox!

[Barstro]

He's Draketooth in illusionary form...he started as a black cat but his fur/hair turned white with age. Think about it! What better revenge for someone who hates paladins than to have them clean you litterbox!
I like this one. Could Drakie's illusion convince people of his size and mass, though?

[Scarlet Knight]

I figure being epic level has to count for something...

[zimmerwald1915]

Mr. Scruffy learned his trade at the very knees of the highly intelligent ruler of Azure city as seen here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0404.html). Only a fool would underestimate the intelligence of Mr. Scruffy! He may appear to be just another white cat of no distinction, but behind those innocent eyes and bristling whiskers a devious mind surpassing mere feline cruelty and curiosoty by far lies in wait to trap the unwary and control the weak of mind. Released from his long servitude to the master of Azure city, Mr. Scruffy now operates free of constraints and the enslavement of Belkar Bitterleaf to his will is only the first step of his plans... :smallcool:

Mark my words. Mr. Scruffy will be at the final gate come hell or high water. He's got a plan. :smalleek:
You've got it backwards. Shojo learned everything he knew from Mr. Scruffy. But Mr. Scruffy did not teach Shojo all that he knew.

[Darthteej]

The same way that dogs have detect evil as a spell like ability(no, I'm not going to hyperlink).

It really isn't that uncommon a trope though, for animals to be given the ability to notice something that humans can't, which is based upon the fact that they apparently can. (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/can-animals-predict-disaster/introduction/130/)

[ericgrau]

Well of course Shojo never died but instead transfered to Mr. Scruffy's body. That's the real reason they couldn't rez him. That's also the real reason he sought out Belkar and later gave him the hallucination. He's been communicating openly with Girard. /wild-theory

[grassy]

Mr. Scruffy is a nothlit.

[Nimrod's Son]

He's Draketooth in illusionary form
Isn't everyone?

[Doxkid]

Mr. Scruffy is a nothlit.

Vizor Three's nonlith, of course. Or, perhaps, Elfangor wasn't dead after all!

[zimmerwald1915]

Vizor Three's nonlith, of course. Or, perhaps, Elfangor wasn't dead after all!
C'mon. Someone sympathetic died within the first forty pages of an ostensibly children's book. Are you going to take that away?

[Prowl]

Mr. Scruffy is a cat, which in my experience makes him at least twice as intelligent and ten times as observant as the average human being.

[ObadiahtheSlim]

Mr. Scruffy doesn't use the d20 system. He uses the SPECIAL system. He has a 10 in perception. Probably a high luck as well.

[KoboldRevenge]

http://www.dvhardware.net/news/dune_cat.jpg
This is how smart Mr scruffy is. He's smart enough to harvest the spice.:smallbiggrin:

[Squiggly-Thing]

:smallbiggrin:Genius Cat of Doom!:smallbiggrin:

[cho_j]

Personally, as someone who has never played D&D (though I plan to start very soon!), and yet enjoys the comic IMMENSELY, I'm of the opinion that Mr. Scruffy is a normal, somewhat clever cat (he's kept out of danger so far, hasn't he?) and there's no reason for him not to notice an eyeball looking right at him.

'Course, I also really enjoyed this theory:

Have you ever seen a cat sitting there staring at "nothing"? They are looking at a scrying sensor. :)
So THAT'S what my cat was always doing! Who was watching my back yard?!

-Cho

[faustin]

Blackwing, the only obstacle in Mr Scruffy´s plans.... for now .:smallamused:

[DragonOfUndeath]

as you can see in comic 750# mr scruffy is leading blackwing into a trap so that one obstacle is clearly not gonna be an obstacle anymore :smalltongue:

[Ender Wigin]

Its Mikos spirit hidden in Mr.Scruffys body!

...Okay, thats probibly not going to be it, considering that Mr.Scruffy acts Waaaaay diffrently than Miko, such as siding with Belkar and running away from a scrying spell and Blackwing. I just realy want to see Miko return, and right her wrongs, and kill Belkar. (Now that I think about it, I should change my post on http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=9562786#post9562786 from Varstilis to Miko. I have a new favorate!:smallredface: )

I just realy want to see that hot kung-fu samari chick in action, even if it means doing it as a cute, fuzzy little cat. Sigh...

[jywu98]

Somehow the person who is now Mr Scruffy was related to a cat and POAed himself.:smallbiggrin: