Are knowledge skills auto or asked?

[killem2]

Do you ask your players to make checks for like auto knowledge or do you wait until your players ask to make the checks?

[Fates]

That's totally your call. If you don't want the players to know that there is something to know if they don't know it, roll it secretly for them. If it doesn't matter, do either one.

[Cog]

Why 'or'? If there's something you think they ought to know, have them roll; if there's something they want to know, let them roll. The two options aren't contradictory.

[Slipperychicken]

For fairness sake, it should be rolled whenever the information potentially revealed would impact the PCs' decision-making process, whether the players request the check or not. Additionally, the PCs should be allowed to declare Knowledge checks on any subject they wish, and receive the appropriate information.


Think about it this way. If you walk past the flag of a country you did a report on last semester, that information springs unbidden to your mind -you can't choose not to remember it. Even when knowing the events of the Bosnian War of Independence wouldn't be very useful at that moment, you still remember.

[Curmudgeon]

It doesn't seem fair for me to have the DM roll for PCs; if it later turns out they would have succeeded on anything 2 or higher, but the DM rolled a 1, you would expect complaints. Just "take 10" for them.

[dascarletm]

It doesn't seem fair for me to have the DM roll for PCs; if it later turns out they would have succeeded on anything 2 or higher, but the DM rolled a 1, you would expect complaints. Just "take 10" for them.

That makes sense. If the knowledge pops up in their head they are taking 10, but if they want to think about it, they make the roll.

[Nizaris]

Generally I use auto-10 on general information and rolls for specifics or less common knowledge.

Running with Bosnia, I have 1 rank in Knowledge (Geography) and Int mod of 3.
I know there's a country named Bosnia (DC 7 and with 1 rank I can take 10.)

Knowing which continent it's on (DC 10 and rolled), pretty good chance I know it's in Europe.

General region / its exact location on a map (DC 12/15)

The same can be done with history. Knowing the Bosnian War was a thing is probably general, what their flag looks like or specifics about the war requires a roll unless the PC's backstory gives a good reason as to why they already know it, like living there or studying it.

[navar100]

It's reverse metagame - information the characters know but the players don't. It is unfair to deny players information their characters would know because the players were unaware they needed to ask about it for the situation that comes up. The only person who knows everything that goes on all the time every time is the DM. Everything is always obvious to the DM. The players do not have such omniscience. Tell them what their characters know or ask for a roll with a reasonable DC.