Senses (3.X)

[afroakuma]

I'm trying to obtain a comprehensive list of senses in D&D 3.X. So far, I'm aware of:

Sight
Sound
Touch
Taste
Smell

Blindsense
Blindsight
Lifesense
Mindsight
Tremorsense

Are there any others that I am lacking?

[AmberVael]

Touchsight.

It doesn't technically fall under any of the above sense types, which makes it unique if only by having no real counter.

Oh, and Synesthete might count, if only for its strangeness.

Also, you might actually want to make Darkvision its own sense type, considering it has some differences from regular sight.

Also: Scent.

[Eldariel]

I'm trying to obtain a comprehensive list of senses in D&D 3.X. So far, I'm aware of:

Sight
Sound
Touch
Taste
Smell

Blindsense
Blindsight
Lifesense
Mindsight
Tremorsense

Are there any others that I am lacking?

You missed one we humans have: position sense/proprioception (basically, it's what allows us to know the position of our limbs and such without seeing/hearing/smelling/feeling/tasting them)

[Tsotha-lanti]

You missed one we humans have: position sense/proprioception (basically, it's what allows us to know the position of our limbs and such without seeing/hearing/smelling/feeling/tasting them)

Well, if you want to get that picky, there's also thermoception (sense of heat) and nociception (sense of pain)...

[Dr_Horrible]

Well, you probably want to ignore the actual human senses and just put them in all in game terms, IE:

Sight-Spot checks
Low-Light Vision
Darkvision
See Invis
True Seeing
Hearing-Listen checks
Blindsense
Blindsight
Mindsight
Tremorsense
Touchsight
Search checks- (use sight most often, sometimes touch)
Abilities that allow perfect knowledge of direction even underground.
Assorted sundries
(Things like knowing that someone passed your save, or that they have SR/DR/ER)

[Olo Demonsbane]

@Eldariel-Its called kinetic.

Also, there is organic, which is internal feelings like fear . I didn't think that was a sense, but my english teacher says it is

[oxybe]

Common Sense, but that seems to be lacking from a lot of adventurers

out of curiosity, any particular reason your making this list, other then curiosity?

[Tsotha-lanti]

@Eldariel-Its called kinetic.

Also, there is organic, which is internal feelings like fear . I didn't think that was a sense, but my english teacher says it is

No, body/limb position sense is "proprioception," like Eldariel wrote. And there's no "organic sense" - emotional reactions, no matter how instinctual, aren't "senses." Fear is not some kind of physical phenomenon you sense. I am puzzled.

[Jarawara]

Add to the list: Doomsense.

Often combined with a barely audible chuckle that only the PC can hear, Doomsense is when the PC realizes that his DM just confirmed a critical on him. Or perhaps it's something more serious...

Doomsense can be felt by the entire party at times, even though only one PC might have been the cause of it.

[afroakuma]

out of curiosity, any particular reason your making this list, other then curiosity?

Concocting a new homebrew spell for a macabre stealth BBEG: sensory deprivation, which slowly erodes every one of the victim's senses.

[Jarawara]

Edit: Doubleposted. Internet can be crazy sometimes.

[Chronos]

Touchsight.

It doesn't technically fall under any of the above sense types, which makes it unique if only by having no real counter.

It's still blocked by the Slayer's Cerebral Blind ability, as it's a "power that reveals location".

[lsfreak]

Sense of gravitational pull/up-and-down. Don't know if this is different from sense of balance or not, been too long since I was in a psych class.

[Vexxation]

Concocting a new homebrew spell for a macabre stealth BBEG: sensory deprivation, which slowly erodes every one of the victim's senses.

I don't know if you know this, but sensory deprivation already exists, page 182 of the Spell Compendium.

It doesn't do what you want, though. It gets rid of them all at once. Poof. Gone.

[afroakuma]

It's also an illusion that allows a Will save to disbelieve, allows spell resistance and allows telepathic and empathic links.

Mine is a good deal scarier precisely because the erosion takes away the ones you miss least and then works its way up. You are left with nothing except the certainty that in a place you can no longer perceive, at once horribly distant and terrifyingly close, there is a thing that wants to hurt you.

[Teron]

Sounds like a bitch to actually stat, but that's your business.

As a point of interest, Rich Burlew originally created sensory deprivation for the Dragon article mentioned here.

[afroakuma]

Well, here's the draft.

Sensory Deprivation
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: S, M, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. +10 ft./level)
Target: One living creature
Duration: Permanent (D)
Saving Throw: Will partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

Calling upon the powers of unlife, you unleash a vile spell to strip all senses from the victim. The spell's initial effects last for 10 rounds; dispel magic, remove curse or break enchantment cast on the subject during this time stops further effects, but leaves permanent any effects that have already transpired. Each round also imposes a cumulative -1 penalty to skill checks.

A successful Will save slows the spell's progression, doubling to 2 rounds the amount of time it takes for each stage to progress, and alerts the victim immediately to her missing senses. This may give her time to take action before the spell has completely resolved.

Round 1: Touchsight, moment of prescience and foresight no longer function for the subject.
Round 2: Tremorsense and stonecunning no longer function for the subject.
Round 3: Taste no longer functions for the subject.
Round 4: Blindsense and blindsight no longer function for the subject.
Round 5: Lifesense, mindsight and synesthete no longer function for the subject.
Round 6: Smell, scent, low-light vision and darkvision no longer function for the subject.
Round 7: Tactile sensation and innate spell effects (detect thoughts, true seeing etc.) no longer function for the subject.
Round 8: Telepathy, telepathic links and empathic links no longer function for the subject. Thermoception no longer functions for the subject.
Round 9: The subject is deafened. Proprioception no longer functions for the subject, rendering her helpless.
Round 10: The subject is blinded and is no longer able to sense her surroundings in any fashion, except to experience pain.

A heal spell reverses the effects of one round, beginning at the latest round experienced. Regenerate and greater restoration each reverse the effects of the last two rounds experienced. Remove blindness/deafness is ineffective against the effects of this spell. A wish or miracle will reverse the spell entirely.

Material component: An egg coated in wraith dragon tar.

Focus: A black sapphire worth at least 1000 gp.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Add to the list: Doomsense.

Often combined with a barely audible chuckle that only the PC can hear, Doomsense is when the PC realizes that his DM just confirmed a critical on him. Or perhaps it's something more serious...

Doomsense can be felt by the entire party at times, even though only one PC might have been the cause of it.

See also: Failed Spot checks.

[Severedevil]

A permanent, crippling debuff with no save? Is there a reason this is fifth level and not tenth?

[Dr_Horrible]

{Scrubbed}

[Fcannon]

There's also sense of balance, aka equilibrioception. It's the sixth exteroceptive sense in humans, the others being the five classic senses.

[afroakuma]

{scrubbed}

Excuse me? You're making personal attacks based on flaws in a homebrew?

[ZeroNumerous]

He has a point. It is exceedingly cruel to use on PCs if they can't see/hear it because that will make it impossible to identify and thus impossible to treat. If you use it, it's basically telling the PCs that you want to kill them.

[afroakuma]

It responds to all the conventional treatment methods.

More importantly, he could have actually delivered constructive criticism instead of {scrubbed}

[Sstoopidtallkid]

It responds to all the conventional treatment methods.

Not really, no. All of the treatment methods are at least a level higher, and require repeated castings. Even at level 16, how many Heals are you going to have prepared? I would gladly use this on any foe that doesn't have access to casting, because even if we run, we can come back and CDG with impunity in 2 minutes. It's not just a debuff, it's win on a timer, no save. Yeah, there are ways of stopping progression, but pretty much if you get hit, you're screwed without a prepared Cleric. I say this is MDJ-levels of jerkishness, and would leave games over it.

[afroakuma]

Not really, no. All of the treatment methods are at least a level higher, and require repeated castings. Even at level 16, how many Heals are you going to have prepared? I would gladly use this on any foe that doesn't have access to casting, because even if we run, we can come back and CDG with impunity in 2 minutes. It's not just a debuff, it's win on a timer, no save. Yeah, there are ways of stopping progression, but pretty much if you get hit, you're screwed without a prepared Cleric. I say this is MDJ-levels of jerkishness, and would leave games over it.

So do you have a recommendation on fixing it? Does this draft work better?

Sensory Deprivation
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: S, M, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. +10 ft./level)
Target: One living creature
Duration: Permanent (D)
Saving Throw: Will partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

Calling upon the powers of unlife, you unleash a vile spell to strip all senses from the victim. The spell's initial effects last for 10 rounds; dispel magic or remove curse cast on the subject during this time stops further effects, but leaves permanent any effects that have already transpired. Each round also imposes a cumulative -1 penalty to skill checks.

A successful Will save limits the spell's progression to 1d6 rounds and instantly signals the victim that something is amiss.

Round 1: Touchsight, moment of prescience and foresight no longer function for the subject.
Round 2: Tremorsense and stonecunning no longer function for the subject.
Round 3: Taste no longer functions for the subject.
Round 4: Blindsense and blindsight no longer function for the subject.
Round 5: Lifesense, mindsight and synesthete no longer function for the subject.
Round 6: Smell, scent, low-light vision and darkvision no longer function for the subject.
Round 7: Tactile sensation and innate spell effects (detect thoughts, true seeing etc.) no longer function for the subject.
Round 8: Telepathy, telepathic links and empathic links no longer function for the subject. Thermoception no longer functions for the subject.
Round 9: The subject is deafened.
Round 10: The subject is blinded and is no longer able to sense her surroundings in any fashion, except to experience pain.

A break enchantment spell reverses the effects of the last round experienced and stops further progression of the spell. Heal, regenerate or greater restoration stop the progression and reverse the effects of the most recent 1d4 rounds. Remove blindness/deafness is ineffective against the effects of this spell. A wish or miracle will reverse the spell entirely.

Material component: An egg coated in wraith dragon tar.

Focus: A black sapphire worth at least 1000 gp.

[arguskos]

Not really, no. All of the treatment methods are at least a level higher, and require repeated castings. Even at level 16, how many Heals are you going to have prepared? I would gladly use this on any foe that doesn't have access to casting, because even if we run, we can come back and CDG with impunity in 2 minutes. It's not just a debuff, it's win on a timer, no save. Yeah, there are ways of stopping progression, but pretty much if you get hit, you're screwed without a prepared Cleric. I say this is MDJ-levels of jerkishness, and would leave games over it.

Ok, normally I respect your opinion man, but on this I think you're seeing things wrong.

Consider it this way: yes, no one, and I do mean NO ONE will be able to solve it right when they get smacked with it. However, take a day or two after getting smacked with it, and you'll be fine. Really. A Cleric can have something like 8+ Heals in one day's loadout, and once they're gone, he can just REST AGAIN and do it more in another 8 hours.

Given, as a combat spell, this thing is brutally powerful. I'd call it 8th level and add a more expensive material component, and then it's better. Otherwise, yeah, it's a PC death waiting to happen. Of course, if you are planning on using such a spell on the PC's, you probably have a plan in mind. afro, you might want to amend it so that a heal/restoration/whatever will not only reverse the effects, but also halt the spells progress. This really helps make it less brutal. Other than those two bits of advice, I like the idea here.

EDIT: afro, I see you already beat me to the punch. I like that one faaaaar more. Maybe make it level 6 though, just to be sure people are more likely to have an answer?

EDIT 2: Why is this here, and not in Homebrew, if you're posting drafts and the like? Just a thought.

[afroakuma]

EDIT: afro, I see you already beat me to the punch. I like that one faaaaar more. Maybe make it level 6 though, just to be sure people are more likely to have an answer?

No can do; it's stuck at level 5.

EDIT 2: Why is this here, and not in Homebrew, if you're posting drafts and the like? Just a thought.

I posted the original just to show the people who'd contributed to the original question.

[arguskos]

No can do; it's stuck at level 5.

Uh... homebrew. By definition, no, it's not.

Course, you know that, meaning you have a reason. Probably that your BBEG needs it to be level 5 for some reason.

In that case, perhaps a more stringent material component? Have you considered making it a Corrupt spell (BoVD), meaning it causes ability damage to cast? It's a drawback, but if the dude is evil enough, this would totally work as a Corrupt spell. Just a thought.

Really, I think that it needs SOME limiting factor to balance it a little more. That's just me though. The spell itself is good though, IMO. Just make the casting a bit harder, and it's set.

[Baalthazaq]

Hmmm, this reminds me of something I drew up a while ago. Let me see if I can find it. I basically gave my players my own "taint" rules. Every day they made a fort save or took on D3 points of taint.

The fort save started at 10 but went up by 1 every day, knowing they'd be there 15 days. They each had a shard that protected them from D6 points before collapsing.

Each point of taint gave them 1 ability drain to a stat of their choice. Each failed fort in addition to taint gave them an effect. If they suffered more taint than their total (original) con, they got a spectacular death.

Some were semi instant (From my excel table:"Your bones seemingly vanish, leaving you in an agonizing pile of flesh."), some instant ("You inflate and explode sending shards of bone and a disgusting black ooze at your party members, they take D3 Taint and D20 Peircing Damage" 10ft radius. Refsaves).

A couple of ones where they walked around for a couple of days not knowing they were going to die for example:

Roll a D10 for each of these effects:
Blindness.
Deafness.
Invisibility.
Silence.
Ethereal.

The D10 is how many days it takes to set in. So they randomly vanish from existence in different parts. Slowly cutting them off from the world, and cutting the world off from them.

I actually made an NPC who had been affected by the effect thousands of years ago, and then went nuts when the ghost touch staff the party was carrying nudged him. The first release from sensory deprivation in 4000 years.

Party had no idea what was going on while they wrestled with whatever was trying to take the staff off them.