Horns are a great and cool tool, and one vastly underused. Perhaps one of the reasons for such, is the bizarre way how they work.
Now - I understand that a Listen check to determine the (more or less) precise distance from the horn, is good. But to determine the direction from where the blow comes, and if you fail it, you are told a random one, that could very much well be on a completely other side? It's not like Ymph is New York's street when a green light just flashed by, with the horns being pushed everywhere. Any normal human being can tell relatively well the direction from where a very loud sound comes from, without too much problems - and we're adventurers, after all, so technically speaking, most of characters are a cut above a typical commoner.
I do agree, the horns should be tweaked.
Could switch it so the listen check is to determine distance, if you fail it you're told the wrong distance, instead of wrong direction.
Quote from: Vlaid;292948Could switch it so the listen check is to determine distance, if you fail it you're told the wrong distance, instead of wrong direction.
I like that, and would even suggest that if you fail the DC you simply get "You are unsure of the distance."
Alternatively, the accuracy of the direction could be affected. Instead of a precise "North by northwest" you might end up just getting "Somewhere in the northern 180 degrees of you" etc.
It would be cool to make it similar to the tracking check. e.g.
Listen check vs DC(w/e):
Critical Failure:- You fail to notice anything
Failing it by so many points:- Extremely distant (general direction)
Failing it by few points:- Direction given (No distance)
Succeeding it:- Direction given/Rough Distance