Types of Senses

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Types of Senses

This page details how the senses work in combat and how they interact with stealth and invisibility.

There are many types of senses. For game purposes, all that we worry about are the 'useful' ones. We don't really need to worry about your sense of balance, or proprioception, or a monster's ability to know that it needs to take a poop. For our purposes, we just need to concern ourselves with the senses useful for playing.

In general, these senses fall into four main categories:

• Sight
• Sound
• Smell
• Exotic

Sense	Range	Line of Sight?	Line of Effect?	Combat Targeting	vs. Stealth
Sight
Standard Vision	Varies	Yes	No	Yes	Perception check
Low-Light Vision	Varies	Yes	No	Yes	Perception check
Weak Darkvision	20 feet	Yes	No	Yes	Perception check
Standard Darkvision	60 feet	Yes	No	Yes	Perception check
Superior Darkvision	120 feet	Yes	No	Yes	Perception check
Perfect Darkvision	300 feet	Yes	No	Yes	Perception check
Sound
Standard Hearing	20 feet	No	Yes	Perception check, 50% miss chance	Perception check, 50% miss chance, ignores invisibility
Keen Hearing	60 feet	No	Yes	Perception check, 50% miss chance	Perception check, 50% miss chance, ignores invisibility
Precise Hearing	20 feet	No	Yes	Adjacent creatures	Perception check, ignores invisibility
Echolocation	30 feet	No	Yes	Yes	Perception check, ignores invisibility
Smell
Standard Scent	10 feet	No	Yes	Survival check, 50% miss chance	Survival check -20, 50% miss chance, ignores invisibility
Scent	30 feet	No	Yes	Survival check, 50% miss chance	Survival check, 50% miss chance, ignores invisibility
Keen Scent	60 feet	No	Yes	20% miss chance	Survival check +4, 20% miss chance, ignores invisibility
Perfect Scent	120 feet	No	Yes	Yes	Survival check with bonus equal to hit dice, ignores invisibility
Exotic: Tremorsense
Weak Tremorsense	30 feet	No	Yes	Yes	Perception check with bonus equal to hit dice, ignores invisibility
Standard Tremorsense	60 feet	No	Yes	Yes	Perception check with bonus equal to hit dice, ignores invisibility
Superior Tremorsense	120 feet	No	Yes	Yes	Perception check with bonus equal to hit dice, ignores invisibility
Perfect Tremorsense	300 feet	No	Yes	Yes	Perception check with bonus equal to hit dice, ignores invisibility
Exotic: Blind Sense
Weak Blind Sense	30 feet	No	No	Yes	Perception check with bonus equal to hit dice, ignores invisibility
Standard Blind Sense	60 feet	No	No	Yes	Perception check with bonus equal to hit dice, ignores invisibility
Superior Blind Sense	120 feet	No	No	Yes	Perception check with bonus equal to hit dice, ignores invisibility
Perfect Blind Sense	300 feet	No	No	Yes	Perception check with bonus equal to hit dice, ignores invisibility
Exotic: Life Sense
Weak Life Sense	30 feet	No	No	20% miss chance	Perception check with bonus equal to hit dice, 20% miss chance, ignores invisibility
Standard Life Sense	60 feet	No	No	20% miss chance	Perception check with bonus equal to hit dice, 20% miss chance, ignores invisibility
Superior Life Sense	120 feet	No	No	20% miss chance	Perception check with bonus equal to hit dice, 20% miss chance, ignores invisibility
Perfect Life Sense	300 feet	No	No	20% miss chance	Perception check with bonus equal to hit dice, 20% miss chance, ignores invisibility

Light and Darkness

The visual senses use light of various spectrums to allow the creature using it to see. Light is divided into bright light, dim light, darkness, and true darkness (as with the Deeper Darkness spell).

Bright Light

Any creature with a visual sensory organ can see an unlimited distance in bright light, assuming that no object blocks line of sight (which can include the curvature of the planet). The visual horizon is the critical determinant for distance of vision in bright light when viewing distant objects in vast, open spaces:

• For an observer standing on the ground with average height, the horizon is at a distance of 2.9 miles.
• For an observer standing on the second story of a building or a ship's deck (10 feet), the horizon is at a distance of 3.8 miles.
• For an observer standing on a hill or tower (100 feet), the horizon is at a distance of 12.2 miles.
• For an observer standing at the top of an average mountain (13,000 ft), the horizon is at a distance of 139 miles.
• For an observer atop the tallest of mountains (30,000 ft), the horizon is at a distance of 211 miles.

Normal Light

This has been removed from the game. Spells or abilities which reference normal light should be amended to state 'bright light'.

Dim Light

Standard visual sensory organs function poorly in dim light, and creatures in dim light gain concealment against creatures with standard vision. Concealment grants the concealed creature a 20% chance to be missed by attacks in combat.

Typically, a bright source of light, such as a torch, provides dim light an equal distance to its bright light radius, beginning at the edge of that bright light radius. Thus, a torch provides bright light to 30 feet, and dim light beyond 30 feet out to 60 feet. Moonlight and starlight are the most common sources of dim light that do not provide a commensurate amount of bright light. Some magic items are also capable of producing dim light without bright light.

Darkness

The area outside of any light source, beyond the reach of dim light, is considered darkness. Darkness grants total concealment to creatures within it, when perceived by creatures with standard vision. Total concealment grants the concealed creature a 50% chance to be missed by attacks in combat.

Darkness can also be created by magical spells, such as the Darkness spell. In this case, unless the spell specifically states otherwise, Darkvision still functions within the darkness.

True Darkness

This is magical or elemental darkness, and cannot be penetrated by visual senses. It goes beyond the absence of all spectrums of light, to the point of being anathema to light, actively absorbing or destroying it. All creatures in True Darkness gain total concealment (50% miss chance) against any visual senses.

Exotic

Exotic senses use none of the traditional five senses that humanoids consider 'normal'. Each of them is a specialized means of identifying and targeting creatures.

Tremorsense

• Does not require line of sight
• Requires line of effect through a specific medium (often the ground)
• Detected creatures do not have concealment

A creature with tremorsense can feel a target's contact with the surface he walks upon. Tremorsense does not require line of sight, but must trace line of effect through a solid or liquid medium (earth, water, etc.). Invisibility does not provide any benefits to stealth against creatures with tremorsense. Furthermore, creatures with tremorsense gain a bonus to their perceptions against stealthed creatures equal to their hit dice.

Tremorsense does not allow the detecting creature to distinguish between friend or foe, nor does it provide enough detail to allow the detecting creature to attempt a lore check against an unfamiliar creature, or recognize previously encountered individuals.

Detected creatures do not have concealment.

Weak Tremorsense

Any non-stealthed creature touching the designated medium (earth, water, etc.) within 30 feet is detected. The creature with tremorsense must make a perception check to detect stealthed creatures within range, but gains a bonus to its perception equal to its hit dice. The DC of the perception check is equal to the stealthing creature's stealth check result.

Standard Tremorsense

Any non-stealthed creature touching the designated medium (earth, water, etc.) within 60 feet is detected. The creature with tremorsense must make a perception check to detect stealthed creatures within range, but gains a bonus to its perception equal to its hit dice. The DC of the perception check is equal to the stealthing creature's stealth check result.

Superior Tremorsense

Any non-stealthed creature touching the designated medium (earth, water, etc.) within 120 feet is detected. The creature with tremorsense must make a perception check to detect stealthed creatures within range, but gains a bonus to its perception equal to its hit dice. The DC of the perception check is equal to the stealthing creature's stealth check result.

Perfect Tremorsense

Any non-stealthed creature touching the designated medium (earth, water, etc.) within 300 feet is detected. The creature with tremorsense must make a perception check to detect stealthed creatures within range, but gains a bonus to its perception equal to its hit dice. The DC of the perception check is equal to the stealthing creature's stealth check result.

Blind Sense

• Does not require line of sight
• Does not require line of effect
• Detected creatures do not have concealment

A creature with blindsense can feel a target's presence via some mysterious extra-sensory perception. Blindsense does not require line of sight or line of effect. Invisibility does not provide any benefits to stealth against creatures with blindsense. Furthermore, creatures with blindsense gain a bonus to their perceptions against stealthed creatures equal to their hit dice.

Blindsense does not provide any knowledge of a detected creature other than its location and whether nor not it is familiar. However, it allows the detecting creature to make lore checks against unfamiliar creatures, and recognize individuals it has previously encountered.

Detected creatures do not have concealment.

Weak Blindsense

Any non-stealthed creature within 30 feet is detected. The creature with blindsense must make a perception check to detect stealthed creatures within range, but gains a bonus to its perception equal to its hit dice. The DC of the perception check is equal to the stealthing creature's stealth check result.

Standard Blindsense

Any non-stealthed creature within 60 feet is detected. The creature with blindsense must make a perception check to detect stealthed creatures within range, but gains a bonus to its perception equal to its hit dice. The DC of the perception check is equal to the stealthing creature's stealth check result.

Superior Blindsense

Any non-stealthed creature within 120 feet is detected. The creature with blindsense must make a perception check to detect stealthed creatures within range, but gains a bonus to its perception equal to its hit dice. The DC of the perception check is equal to the stealthing creature's stealth check result.

Perfect Blindsense

Any non-stealthed creature within 300 feet is detected. The creature with blindsense must make a perception check to detect stealthed creatures within range, but gains a bonus to its perception equal to its hit dice. The DC of the perception check is equal to the stealthing creature's stealth check result.

Life Sense

• Does not require line of sight
• Does not require line of effect
• Targets must be living
• Detected creatures have concealment (20% miss chance)

A creature with lifesense can feel a living target's presence via some mysterious extra-sensory perception. Lifesense does not require line of sight or line of effect. Invisibility does not provide any benefits to stealth against creatures with lifesense. Furthermore, creatures with lifesense gain a bonus to their perceptions against stealthed creatures equal to their hit dice.

Lifesense does not provide any knowledge of a detected creature other than its location and whether nor not it is familiar. However, it allows the detecting creature to make lore checks against unfamiliar creatures, and recognize individuals it has previously encountered.

Creatures detected by lifesense have concealment (20% miss chance). Undead creatures, constructs and other entities which are not explicitly alive are not detectable with lifesense.

A creature with lifesense may also use the Survival skill to follow living creatures by their essence, making a Survival check to find or follow a track. A creature with the lifesense ability can attempt to follow tracks using Survival untrained. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10. The DC increases or decreases depending on the number of creatures being tracked and the age of the trail. For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC increases by 2. The ability otherwise follows the rules for the Survival skill in regards to tracking. Creatures tracking by lifesense ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.

Weak Lifesense

Any non-stealthed creature within 30 feet is detected. The creature with lifesense must make a perception check to detect stealthed creatures within range, but gains a bonus to its perception equal to its hit dice. The DC of the perception check is equal to the stealthing creature's stealth check result.

Standard Lifesense

Any non-stealthed creature within 60 feet is detected. The creature with lifesense must make a perception check to detect stealthed creatures within range, but gains a bonus to its perception equal to its hit dice. The DC of the perception check is equal to the stealthing creature's stealth check result.

Superior Lifesense

Any non-stealthed creature within 120 feet is detected. The creature with lifesense must make a perception check to detect stealthed creatures within range, but gains a bonus to its perception equal to its hit dice. The DC of the perception check is equal to the stealthing creature's stealth check result.

Perfect Lifesense

Any non-stealthed creature within 300 feet is detected. The creature with lifesense must make a perception check to detect stealthed creatures within range, but gains a bonus to its perception equal to its hit dice. The DC of the perception check is equal to the stealthing creature's stealth check result.