Scent Hounds

[Taunya]

What might be an interesting addition to the game is scent hounds, which have been used since the middle ages for tracking both game and humans. Two notable examples are the Bloodhound, which are used to this day, and the Scottish Sleuthhound (What the modern word sleuth gets its meaning from).

These hounds could work as a primitive form of track, and only usable if you have an article that has been worn by the quarry, or a pelt from the type of animal you're seeking.

syntax: scent (hound) (item) - set scent for hound to follow
        order (hound) trail - Attempts to follow the scent, moving the direction it leads if found.

Compared to track:
Pro: It will allow a possibility to follow a trail in rooms that players cannot normally track in: indoor, sewers, water, etc.
Pro: If the scent is found, it's sure to be the quarry you're seeking.
Pro: Could possibly 'mark' the quarry to the owner if they're hiding in the room.
Pro: Doggie!

Con: Slower, threaded action with a chance of failure (Perhaps higher in certain types of rooms, like city streets, where there's lots of distractions).
Con: Only follows only the most recent exit by the quarry.
Con: Only one attempt is possible per room per day.
Con: It requires an item last worn by the quarry (or a pelt of an animal of the same sort if tracking an animal).
Con: Pricey doggie. Perhaps Breedable with husbandry, with a long time to harvest comparable to Charalin horses.

All the usual limitations of track applies: only 10 tracks are recorded per room, they fade, etc.

[The_Last_Good_Dragon]

I'd like this idea, but would like to see some more limitations put on it — maybe restricting use to once per IRL day, or something? Once a day per room seems a bit generous.

[Taunya]

Well, how I picture it working is using 'order (hound) trail' in each room, each step of the way. Each use will probably take... 30 seconds or so for the thread to finish and move to the next room if successful. (In other words, if you're following a trail for 30 rooms, it'll take at least 15 minutes)
But if it can't find the trail in a room, it can't find the trail. However, you might be able to pick it up again if you try each room from that point (or maybe you won't.)

Another addition I thought of is having an RPyell each time the dog finds the scent and moves to the next room, warning the quarry if you're getting close. Something like 'rpyell The bay of a hound rings out.'

[chronodbu]

I rather like this idea. My only disagreeance is being able to use the hound to find a trail in water, but only because realistically water should throw them off.

[DeadHandsome]

Actually, in truth walking through water actually causes your scent to plume if you're being tracked by a bloodhound. It's not an effective means of hiding your scent trail.

[Taunya]

I learned that on Mythbusters myself! haha
Though even so, perhaps like my suggestion of city streets, the chance of success could be lower in water.

Also, for a touch of nostalgia...

[Kinaed]

Someone link me to that Mythbusters episode? I'm very curious.

[Taunya]

Sent you a tell in-game with the link.
If anyone else wants a watch, send a tell to Prisca.

Also a fun excerpt from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleuth_hound :

Boece's account
OF THE MERUELLUS NATURE OF SYNDRY SCOTTIS DOGGIS
In Scotland ar doggis of meruellous nature, For abone the commoun nature and condition of doggis, quhilkis ar sene in al partis, ar thre maner of doggis in Scotland, quhilk ar sene in na vthir partis of the warld.... The thrid kynd is mair than ony rache*, Reid hewit or ellis blak with small spraingis of spottis, and ar callit be the peple sleuthoundis. Thir doggis hes sa meruellus wit, that yai serche theuis and followis on thaym allanerlie be sent of the guddis that ar tane away. And nocht allanerlie fyndis the theif, but inuadis hym with gret cruelte. And youcht the theuis oftymes cors the watter, quair they pas, to cause ye hound to tyne the sent of thaym and the guudis, yit he serchis heir and thair with sic diligence, that be his fut he fyndis baith the trace of the theif and the guddis. The meruellous nature of yir houndis wil have na faith with vncouth peple. Howbeit the samyn ar rycht frequent and ryfe on the bordouris of Ingland and Scotland. Attour it is statute be the lawis of the bordouris, he that denyis entres to the sleuthound in tyme of chace and serching of guddis, salbe haldin participant with the cryme and thift committit.[4]

Rendered into modern English:

In Scotland there are dogs of a marvellous nature, for above the common nature and condition of dogs which are seen in all places, there are three sorts of dogs in Scotland which are seen in no other parts of the world..... The third kind is larger than any pack-hound, red coloured or else black with small streaks of spots, and they are called sleuth-hounds by the people. These dogs have such a marvellous cleverness that they seek for thieves, and follow them only by the scent of the goods that are taken away. And not only find the thief but attack him with great cruelty. And though the thieves often cross the water, where they pass to make the hound lose the scent of them and the goods, yet he searches here and there with such diligence that by his foot (ie by the foot-scent of the thief) he finds both the trace of the thief and his goods. The marvellous nature of these hounds will not be believed by ignorant people. Nevertheless, the same hounds are very frequent and common on the borders of England and Scotland. In addition it is established by the laws of the border that he that denies entry to the sleuth-hound on an occasion of pursuit and searching for goods shall be held as an accomplice to the crime and theft committed.

[The_Last_Good_Dragon]

I'm just still not so sure how enjoyable this would be from a gameplay perspective. I think it's a really cool idea, but I don't really like the idea of players getting access to a prop item that enables them to bypass having a skill themselves. I'm not fully sure how tracking works as-is, but I would prefer the bloodhound: (a) speeding up (or removing fatigue costs from) tracking as-is, (b) potentially providing new information that tracking can't determine (maybe the direction the tracks lead?), (c) providing the ability to track across hard surfaces, but NOT providing track skill itself.

I'm just not typically in favor of hard increases to the coded rank of a skill on mundane objects — if someone can't track, I'd not like for them to be able to by throwing money at the problem (buying a bloodhound).

I wonder if this might be a great idea for a spell, though, too? Maybe an earth mage able to summon a hound that can track physical movements with high accuracy but its presence be in the astral?

[Taunya]

I understand where you're coming from, but as proposed it's very far from a replacement for the track skill. It's very primitive in comparison, and besides having a dog, it requires one to acquire a piece of clothing or item that the quarry had last worn as well.

Tracking with the track skill is instant, doesn't incur any fatigue, shows not just where tracks lead, but where they came from, how long ago, the pace they walked at, and more. And it's not just for a particular quarry, you can see the last 10 entries into the room. Though the lower the rank you have the fewer clues you have on if you're following the right trail or not.

In short, it'd be a great supplement but not total replacement for the track skill. They would both have strengths and weaknesses (e.g. track doesn't have a chance of failure, but can't be used in certain types of rooms; hounds could be used anywhere but have various chances of failure). They would work best in tandem, making up for each other's weaknesses.

I actually like the idea of it as a spell in addition. The Darkhounds from the Wheel of Time series comes to mind.