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davwalp
2007-11-21, 08:16 AM
Track Magic
You can follow the traces of magical creatures across most types of terrain.
Prerequisites – Knowledge Arcana 10+, Spellcraft 10+
Benefit – You are trained to track magical creatures and magic users across most types of terrain by the distinct traces of magical residue they leave behind. Also, you can detect what spells your target may have cast and at what times.

To track: Knowledge Arcana check to find the trace and for every hour while tracking. Base DC 20

Identify a spell cast by the target: Spellcraft check DC 15 + 2 for every level of the spellcaster level of the target and +1 for every 30 minutes since the spell was cast.

Determine when the target cast a spell: same as identify but requires a separate skill check.





Ok...I found this feat in some supplement somewhere. I'd really like to use it in my campaign but it the mechanics definitely need to be fleshed out.


Some questions to consider:

1. Should this feat only track 'active' spell residues or lingering residues of expired spells? What is the decay rate of a the residue of an expired spell? Should more powerful spells be easier to track (bigger auras)?

2. Should it apply to spell-like effects?

3. Should it apply to all magic types or only arcane magic?

4. Modifiers? What could affect the spell residue? What if multiple spells were cast in the same location (kind of like physical tracks overlapping)? How does caster level (prey and tracker) affect the modifiers? Can a caster 'mask' or 'disguise' his spell residue? Are spell residues generalized or unique like fingerprints?

5. Other stuff....


Any ideas are welcome and appreciated.

Also, if anyone knows the supplement where this feat can be found (not sure if it was WOTC or not) I would like to have the reference as well.


Thanks. :smallsmile:

Azerian Kelimon
2007-11-21, 08:56 AM
Seems nice. Maybe succeeding on the check means you can detect a specific magical trail as if you were using a Detect Magic attuned to the tracked guy. Permanenced spells could lower the DC by 5, and some spells could make tracking harder or impossible (Nystul's aura trick). What about that?

davwalp
2007-11-21, 11:31 AM
Yeah, I definitely like using the Detect Magic rules as a base. Will have to play around with it a little. Maybe cast Detect Magic to find the aura and then use Track Magic feat to follow it....although the more I look at it, it seems like this feat is probably redundant with a Permanent Detect Magic spell anyway...

Still, I like the idea of modifiers to the tracking action...permanent spells, Nystul's magic aura, etc....

Hmmm...this might be a case of making life more difficult than it needs to be

:smallannoyed:

davwalp
2007-11-21, 02:45 PM
Track Magic – You can follow the traces of magical creatures across most types of terrain.
Prerequisites – Knowledge Arcana 10+, Spellcraft 10+, ability to cast Detect Magic
Benefit – You are trained to track magical creatures and magic users across most types of terrain by the distinct traces of magical residue they leave behind. Also, you can detect what spells your target may have cast and at what times.


Tracking spell auras:
Cast Detect Magic to find magical auras. Make a Spellcraft skillcheck to identify and begin tracking a specific aura. Make a new Spellcraft check every hour or when conditions change.

You move at half your normal speed (or at your normal speed with a -5 penalty on the check, or at up to twice your normal speed with a -20 penalty on the check)

A spellcasters can track both active spells and lingering auras of expired spells. See below for duration of lingering spell auras.

Base DC 20

DC modifiers:

Strength of aura
Faint aura (0-3 lvl spell) +2
Moderate aura (4-6 lvl spell) 0
Strong aura (7-9 lvl spell) -2
Overwhelming aura (epic) -5

Every eight hours since spell expiration +2 (cummulative)
Conflicting auras +2 for each additional spell aura in the immediate area
Target is under effect of Nondetection spell +10

Tracking the aura of a Permanent spell -2
Tracking spellcaster is under effect of a Permanent Detect Magic spell -10


Identify a spell cast by the target:
Spellcraft check DC 15 + 2 for every level of the spellcaster level of the target and +1 for every 30 minutes since the spell was cast.


Determine when the target cast a spell:
same as identify but requires a separate skill check.


Lingering spell auras:
An arcane tracker can sense lingering auras of expired spells with a great degree of skill. Instead of the durations listed under Detect Magic, use the times below.

Aura Strength Duration
Faint 1d6 hours
Moderate 1 day (24 hours)
Strong 1d6 days
Overwhelming 1d6 weeks

davwalp
2007-11-21, 02:46 PM
Improved Track Magic - You can identify specific spellcasters via their unique spell auras
Prerequisite - Track Magic, Know Arcane 15+, Spellcraft 15+
Benefit - Once you have learned a specific spellcaster's aura, you can always positively identify that aura with a successful Track Magic check. Furthermore, you gain +2 circumstance bonus for all Track Magic checks against that spellcaster.