Making use of Knowledge checks

[Agent_0042]

I'm trying to write up some class features based on making use of knowledge checks or substituting them for other checks, and I'm curious about what is already out there. I know of Dark Knowledge as an Archivist, and the Knowledge Devotion feat. Are there any other official feats/class features/whatnot that add utility to the Knowledge skills?

[King Atticus]

The feat Knowledge Devotion fits the bill pretty well:


Knowledge Devotion

Type: Domain
Source: Complete Champion

You can use your knowledge to exploit your foes' weaknesses and overcome their strengths.

Prerequisite: Knowledge (any) 5 ranks.

Benefit: Upon selecting this feat, you immediately add one Knowledge skill of your choice to your list of class skills. Thereafter, you treat that skill as a class skill, regardless of which class you are advancing in. Whenever you fight a creature, you can make a Knowledge check based on its type, provided that you have at least one rank in the appropriate Knowledge skill.
You then receive an insight bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls against that creature type for the remainder of the combat. The amount of the bonus depends on your Knowledge check result, as given on the following table.

Check Result/BonusGranted

15 or below
+1

16-25
+2

26-30
+3

31-35
+4

36 or higher
+5


You can make only one Knowledge check per creature type per combat. If you fight creatures of multiple types during the same combat, you can make one Knowledge check per type, thereby possibly gaining different bonuses against different opponents.
This benefit is an extraordinary ability.

[begooler]

I thought Factotum had some of what you're looking for, but none of their abilities are actually based on knowledge checks, just intelligence checks or their intelligence bonus. Still, some of those features could be used as inspiration for some knowledge-based mechanics.

Incantations from Unearthed Arcana (you can find them in the SRD) are based on skill checks, and many of them are knowledge checks.

The last thing I can think of at the moment is the feat in Races of the Wild, "Magic of the Land" where you make a DC 15 (something around that) Knowledge Nature check when you cast a targeted spell, and upon success heal targets of that spell for a small amount. I think there may be a few similar feats, but you can also use that as a starting point to make more of them.

[Cicciograna]

Some time ago I made up this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167683). Could it be useful?

[FMArthur]

I had thought that Savant from Dragon Compendium got something for it being good at Knowledge, but I must have been thinking of Archivist.

Savants do get an ability to enhance their knowledge checking, though. It's the ability to make a second Knowledge check once per subject per level that you use your class level and Int mod instead of the skill for. It's a bit vague on what situations it applies to, but I would think that it could be any Knowledge-check situation. Basically a worse version of the gnome feat Trivial Knowledge that is tied to your Savant class level (and the class isn't very good).

[MurphysLaw159]

There is a PrC buried somewhere in City Scape that uses knowledge checks to gain... something. It's been so long since I read that class I can barely remember anything about it aside from being mostly unimpressed by the class as a whole.

[Zaq]

There is a PrC buried somewhere in City Scape that uses knowledge checks to gain... something. It's been so long since I read that class I can barely remember anything about it aside from being mostly unimpressed by the class as a whole.

Urban Savant. Nothing that'll knock your socks off, but a solid class in its own right.

[Thurbane]

Urban Savant. Nothing that'll knock your socks off, but a solid class in its own right.
One of the nicest things about that PrC is that it can give a Wizard or Sorc the ability to cast in light armor with no ASF.