Can you echolocate stationary objects?

[SangoProduction]

So, Pathfinder has Tremorsense, which lets you know when there's something moving on the ground connected to the ground that you are on.

But, can you also make your own "Tremors" and and read the patterns that they bounce back to you, say for hidden objects/creatures underground? Certainly, you'd need a bunch of force, but I think a colossal dragon can provide plenty of that.

[Feantar]

You're proposing to make an active scan instead of a passive scan right? Well, going by the Universal Monster Rules (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/universal-monster-rules/) page it seems that, yes you can.

A creature with tremorsense is sensitive to vibrations in the ground and can automatically pinpoint the location of anything that is in contact with the ground.

Actually, you don't even need to cause any waves, contact with the ground is all that's necessary. You just know of anything that is connected to the ground, secret or not, if we go by RAW. Don't ask me how.

[Eldonauran]

Actually, you don't even need to cause any waves, contact with the ground is all that's necessary. You just know of anything that is connected to the ground, secret or not, if we go by RAW. Don't ask me how.
Well, technically you know SOMETHING is in contact with the ground in that specific area and can pinpoint its location. You don't know exactly what it is. It is Tremorsense, not Tremorsight.

[Silly Name]

To answer the thread's title: yep.

Now, onto Tremorsense. The game isn't too clear on how it works at a biological level (it probably depends on which creature we are talking about), but apparently by RAW creatures with it are automatically aware of anything that touches the ground. The name "Tremorsense" would imply they only perceive vibrations, but they can sense even solid walls of rock which are not vibrating.

Maybe their Tremorsense is so fine-tuned they can perceive the little tremors caused by their own movement, which reverberate all around the range of their Tremorsense? Remember that in battle, these creatures are likely to be moving and trashing around the place until the end of the battle, so even if the other party is standing perfectly still, the Tremorsense creature could still "feel" them.

[KillianHawkeye]

Well, I mean, technically everything in existence is vibrating a tiny amount all the time, right?

[SangoProduction]

Well, I mean, technically everything in existence is vibrating a tiny amount all the time, right?

lol.
Also. I love how I don't read the ability before asking such a silly question.

[Crake]

You're proposing to make an active scan instead of a passive scan right? Well, going by the Universal Monster Rules (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/universal-monster-rules/) page it seems that, yes you can.

A creature with tremorsense is sensitive to vibrations in the ground and can automatically pinpoint the location of anything that is in contact with the ground.

Actually, you don't even need to cause any waves, contact with the ground is all that's necessary. You just know of anything that is connected to the ground, secret or not, if we go by RAW. Don't ask me how.

I'm assuming this was predicated on the previous tremorsense thread which was 3.5 based. In 3.5 the creatures actually had to be moving (aka, causing tremors to be sensed), but in pathfinder that rule seems to be removed.

[Feantar]

Well, technically you know SOMETHING is in contact with the ground in that specific area and can pinpoint its location. You don't know exactly what it is. It is Tremorsense, not Tremorsight.

Debatable. Sight isn't a lesser concept than sense, as sight is a sense. It just doesn't specify the expanse of said sense - is it just detecting centres of mass, or is it more similar to a sonar thus detecting shapes and volumes. I would tend to favour the first one, but it doesn't specify.

[Eldonauran]

Debatable. Sight isn't a lesser concept than sense, as sight is a sense. It just doesn't specify the expanse of said sense - is it just detecting centres of mass, or is it more similar to a sonar thus detecting shapes and volumes. I would tend to favour the first one, but it doesn't specify.
It certainly is debatable. I'll stick within the existing terminology of the game world, rather than attempt to work my way through outside definitions and 'higher concepts' in the English language. I base my conclusion on the existing ability of blindsight and how it makes mention of 'vibrations' as one of the ways a creature might sense the presence of other creatures. As Tremorsense is not fully Blindsight, it would go to reason that it suffers from similar inability to precisely identify what is going on with the creature it is trying to sense (similar to Blindsense, but not mechanically identical).

Yes, it knows something is there. Yes, it can pinpont the creatures location (making it easy to come up from underneath, as an example). But that appears to be the extent of what it can do. Does it know the creature is wielding a greataxe? Has armor? Is going through the motions to cast a spell? No, not unless it can actively see and hear the creature through other, normal means.

[Mike Miller]

I have nothing to contribute to this thread
Well, you can't spell echolocate without chocolate!

[The Random NPC]

Debatable. Sight isn't a lesser concept than sense, as sight is a sense. It just doesn't specify the expanse of said sense - is it just detecting centres of mass, or is it more similar to a sonar thus detecting shapes and volumes. I would tend to favour the first one, but it doesn't specify.

I think that was a comparison to Blindsense vs Blindsight.