Which knowledge fields do you feel the game is missing?

[Yanisa]

Heya Playgrounders,

As I was working on some house rule/tweaks for the knowledge skills, I suddenly realized that I kind of condensed the pile from 10 to 8. While I am all for condensing, I felt 10 is a nice magic number and I might be able to fill up the spots with some knowledge fields that are missing.

For those curious my current list is: Anthropology (Local, Nobility, and a bit of Geography), Arcana, Divine (Religion), Dungeoneering, Engineering, Nature (+The other bit of Geography), Planes, History

Personally I wanted to do something with Mathematics, due my players often wanting to calculate insane things in game.

So, like the title says:
Which knowledge fields do you feel the game is missing?

[Waker]

I'd say it could use General Science. Obviously D&D is a fantasy game, but there are certain aspects of physics and chemistry that aren't really covered by any of the Knowledge skills. If you had a question on identifying a metal, or knowing which gases could make something float... Depending on the question you could stretch it as being answered with Nature or maybe even Architecture/Engineering, but a proper skill set aside specifically would be better.

[killem2]

Politics.

This should be in there.

I agree on the science part. I would also like to see some Knowledge that deals with criminal activities.

[Shining Wrath]

I'd say in a D&D world, especially if you allow Artificers, that Magic Items might be a separate knowledge field. You wouldn't be able to craft something, but you'd know what feats and materials and spells were needed to do so. And you might fold in UMD, which I always felt was a weird skill made weirder by basing it off of Charisma. Doesn't it make sense that in a word with Rods of Lordly Might that someone would study things of that nature?

Depending on your campaign, military strategy and tactics. What makes an Alexander great? Is it just that he's a 20th level Warblade, or does he have knowledge of how to maneuver troops, manage supply lines, and all that stuff?

Law. If you're trying to sneak into Lawful Evil Kingdom, exactly what do their passports look like?

[BWR]

I've often considered splitting K. (planes) into several different ones. Technically, you can know just about everything of multiple infinite or near-inifinite places but need seperate skills for every single minor place and creature type on your home plane. Either it should encompass all planes, including the Prime, or it needs a serious overhaul.


But ones I want to bring back:
K. (fantasy physics) and Craft (fantasy engineering) from Champions of Mystara.
FP - The ability to design a device to carry out some relatively complex function based on a pseudotechnological theory. FP is the principle that if something looks like it ought to work - even if the inner workings might not be possible in the real world - chances are it will work.

FE - The practical skill complementing FP, allowing you to craft what you've designed.

The moment one of my players wants to play a gnome, I'll bother to convert them.

[Bakkan]

It's missing Knowledge relating to mathematics, astronomy, etc. I think this is sufficiently different from architecture and engineering to justify a separate skill.

EDIT: possiblt also Knowledge(psychology) or something to predict behaviors or draw conclusions from observing people a la Sherlock Holmes

[Alefiend]

FP - The ability to design a device to carry out some relatively complex function based on a pseudotechnological theory. FP is the principle that if something looks like it ought to work - even if the inner workings might not be possible in the real world - chances are it will work.

There's a skill for "Da red ones go fasta?" :smallconfused:

[Slipperychicken]

Personally, I feel like the current list covers everything you'd actually need or want in most D&D games.


Politics.

This should be in there.

I agree on the science part. I would also like to see some Knowledge that deals with criminal activities.

Politics is already covered by Nobility and Royalty. Knowing who's who (and who does what) in the political ecosystem is the majority of that skill's function. History would help too.

Criminal activities would mostly fall under Local, but might sometimes be Nobility and Royalty depending on circumstances.



EDIT: possiblt also Knowledge(psychology) or something to predict behaviors or draw conclusions from observing people a la Sherlock Holmes

Sounds a lot like a comically high Sense Motive to me. Also, the new Sherlock totally has Legend Lore at-will, and continuous (Su) Detect Thoughts.


I'd say in a D&D world, especially if you allow Artificers, that Magic Items might be a separate knowledge field. You wouldn't be able to craft something, but you'd know what feats and materials and spells were needed to do so. And you might fold in UMD, which I always felt was a weird skill made weirder by basing it off of Charisma. Doesn't it make sense that in a word with Rods of Lordly Might that someone would study things of that nature?


Pathfinder has people make Spellcraft checks to identify magic items, and to craft magic items if you have the appropriate feat.

[Yanisa]

I'd say it could use General Science.

It's missing Knowledge relating to mathematics, astronomy, etc.
This! This is what I was searching for.

I will sum it up as: Science (astronomy, chemistry, mathematics, physics)

I also like the idea of fantasy physics, but it sounds a bit to cartoonish and hightech for my setting.


I'd say in a D&D world, especially if you allow Artificers, that Magic Items might be a separate knowledge field.
General speaking I feel magic items are covered greatly between Knowledge (Arcana), Spellcraft and Use Magic Device. Adding another skill might annoy casters.


And you might fold in UMD, which I always felt was a weird skill made weirder by basing it off of Charisma
UMD and charisma might sound weird, but remember sorcerers also cast off charisma. You can influence raw arcane power with a strong presence and a charming smile.


Depending on your campaign, military strategy and tactics.
I feel this is already covered, but not by the 10 default knowledges as far as I see. Still I don't think my PC would be interested in the option, but it a nice skill for NPCs.

Something like: Warfare (military campaigns, strategy, tactics, siege weapons)


I've often considered splitting K. (planes) into several different ones. Technically, you can know just about everything of multiple infinite or near-inifinite places but need seperate skills for every single minor place and creature type on your home plane. Either it should encompass all planes, including the Prime, or it needs a serious overhaul.
Yeah DnD is wonky like that. For some reason Angels, Devils and Elementals are the same type of creature. But I am not looking for massive overhauls. I was considering some sort of specializing system that a PC can choose to get bonus points on part of the check, but penalties to general knowledge. So you could be well known in elemental, but don't know as much about demons.

[Fouredged Sword]

Knowledge Martial Lore is already built into the rules and covers military, wars, and the people who fight in them.

[Shining Wrath]

Something like: Warfare (military campaigns, strategy, tactics, siege weapons)


I was thinking of an NPC I've got penciled in who is an Alexander-type character. The reason the Dwarven lands haven't been overrun by the salamander horde is that he really is that good. In fact, he's driven one salamander lord to the brink of madness through utter pwnage.

And he can't fight to save his life, so he's got bodyguards.

D&D doesn't really make room for that sort of character.

EDIT: Martial Lore is from Tome of Battle and covers recognizing maneuvers and what school they are from. It contains nothing, as written, about command of an army.

As an aside, the Tome of Battle idea of "scripts" for maneuvers always struck me as totally hokey.

[Slipperychicken]

I was thinking of an NPC I've got penciled in who is an Alexander-type character. The reason the Dwarven lands haven't been overrun by the salamander horde is that he really is that good. In fact, he's driven one salamander lord to the brink of madness through utter pwnage.

And he can't fight to save his life, so he's got bodyguards.

D&D doesn't really make room for that sort of character.


If you want room for that kind of guy in a low-fantasy setting, I recommend ACKS (Adventurer Conqueror King System). It has a focus on leadership as a route to power, as opposed to newer editions of D&D where PCs just sort of turn into superheros.

Also D&D is built for small, quick combats, and starts to break down once more than 10 combatants are involved. It doesn't really represent large-scale battles.

[pwykersotz]

I personally like Knowledge Physics and Knowledge Temporal Mechanics. For those darned Chronomancers.

[TrueJordan]

Knowledge (mathematics) would be cool, I feel like it should be off wisdom though, since math is largely based on logic. And I second Knowledge (psychology). Knowledge (business), maybe?

[sleepyphoenixx]

Knowledge:Warfare is added in Complete Warrior iirc. For most of the other things mentioned i prefer to use profession since they have theoretical and practical parts.
Splitting a single field into two skills is a pretty big resource drain since most classes don't get that many skill points.

[Shining Wrath]

If you want room for that kind of guy in a low-fantasy setting, I recommend ACKS (Adventurer Conqueror King System). It has a focus on leadership as a route to power, as opposed to newer editions of D&D where PCs just sort of turn into superheros.

Also D&D is built for small, quick combats, and starts to break down once more than 10 combatants are involved. It doesn't really represent large-scale battles.

Oh, he does his stuff off-screen. The PC's will not be involved in any large battles. They may get hired to track down the assassins sent after the guy, though; you'd be surprised how nervous everyone near a dwarf kingdom gets when they suddenly start fighting like ten times their number, develop cave-lizard based cavalry so they have mobility with all that implies, et cetera.

[VoxRationis]

Knowledge (mathematics) would be cool, I feel like it should be off wisdom though, since math is largely based on logic. And I second Knowledge (psychology). Knowledge (business), maybe?

I thought it was that Intelligence represented logic and problem solving and Wisdom represented intuition and awareness. You couldn't have any absent-minded math professors if math were based on Wisdom. That said, the distinction between the two abilities is always a little hazy and doesn't really reflect human cognition very well.

[Yanisa]

Knowledge:Warfare is added in Complete Warrior iirc. For most of the other things mentioned i prefer to use profession since they have theoretical and practical parts.
Splitting a single field into two skills is a pretty big resource drain since most classes don't get that many skill points.

Complete Warrior allows history to determine the (current) organization of an army.

However I did found a 3.0 Knowledge (War), from Oriental adventures. Pretty much covers with I said, so I just reinvented the wheel war.


I thought it was that Intelligence represented logic and problem solving and Wisdom represented intuition and awareness. You couldn't have any absent-minded math professors if math were based on Wisdom. That said, the distinction between the two abilities is always a little hazy and doesn't really reflect human cognition very well.

Int deals with reasoning, which is logic. Wisdom deals with perception, which has nothing to do with knowledge, logic or mathematics. The distinction is quite clear, but they translate horrible to real life. (Like a lot of dnd is prone to)

Besides that I do feel Psychology is pretty much covered by Sense Motive, at least for your average adventure party. If you want to go in-depth that it would warrant a knowledge check. But imagine the paladins trying to figure out why all goblins are evil based on psychology.

Business is covered by Craft and Profession (which is an odd wisdom skill.), which both are also sorta of knowledge skills in their own ways.

[Immabozo]

Yeah DnD is wonky like that. For some reason Angels, Devils and Elementals are the same type of creature. But I am not looking for massive overhauls. I was considering some sort of specializing system that a PC can choose to get bonus points on part of the check, but penalties to general knowledge. So you could be well known in elemental, but don't know as much about demons.

For the record, from a game design stand point, designing the knowledges to describe every detail of several infinite planes and then a new set for each individual plane, is absurd. Especially in a system SO rules heavy like 3.5. I think we can be happy they decided to cut corners on a few points, especially one not likely to see as much play.

also, how about Knowledge (chemistry) and knowledge (things that go boom) in conjunction with magic/psionics that create items? I am a little more familiar with psionics, and psionic creation of vegetable matter is a very low level power, metals and rare materials is only slightly higher (2 and 4 or 5?)

[Yanisa]

For the record, from a game design stand point, designing the knowledges to describe every detail of several infinite planes and then a new set for each individual plane, is absurd. Especially in a system SO rules heavy like 3.5. I think we can be happy they decided to cut corners on a few points, especially one not likely to see as much play.
Lucky for me that my campaign setting only has 4 planes, saves me a lot of head-scratchers, I hope.


also, how about Knowledge (chemistry) and knowledge (things that go boom)

Knowledge (Things that go BOOM!) is probably covered by either Alchemy or Chemistry. I still like the name though.

[Immabozo]

Lucky for me that my campaign setting only has 4 planes, saves me a lot of head-scratchers, I hope.

I am curious, which ones? I'm guessing The Abyss, The 9 Hells, some kind of heaven and maybe Limbo?


Knowledge (Things that go BOOM!) is probably covered by either Alchemy or Chemistry. I still like the name though.

Maybe you can make those skills synergize, but the Knowledge (things that go BOOM) is rather specialized and can be more effective, maybe?

[squiggit]

I think the silliest thing about Outsider knowledge is that someone with a high knowledge(religion) score won't know anything about angels or devils despite them being cornerstone elements of said religion.

I don't really think condensing planar knowledge into one skill is that absurd though, from a design point having a separate skill for every (major) plane would just be an obnoxious tax.

It might be doable though if you made Knowledge separate from the skill system altogether so you don't have those weird conflicts (So you get X points in skills like always but you get a separate Y skills to just devote to knowledge and information).

[ryu]

Lucky for me that my campaign setting only has 4 planes, saves me a lot of head-scratchers, I hope.



Knowledge (Things that go BOOM!) is probably covered by either Alchemy or Chemistry. I still like the name though.

Also knowledge of those things should totally allow the wizard to get cheeky with chemical reactions and special materials. Maybe even design some custom spells to get some good blasty damage in lower slots, or perhaps conjuring of permanent special materials.

[Immabozo]

Also knowledge of those things should totally allow the wizard to get cheeky with chemical reactions and special materials. Maybe even design some custom spells to get some good blasty damage in lower slots, or perhaps conjuring of permanent special materials.

would be funny to find the Adamantine and Mithral are highly explosive when introduced to X and Y in the right amounts....

[Felvion]

Knowledge science describing simple physics laws and maths.Synergise it with engineering and/or nature.

Knowledge literature and philosophy would be really cool imo. It kinda speaks for itself.
It may bring Perform (oratory) to mind but thats totally different. Perform relies on charisma and it could vary from stand up comedy to a political- militarian speech.
Anyone with some ranks in Knowledge literature and philosophy could add a bonus to his charisma based checks that involve the use of language. He could also attain new languages easier.
In my current campain we homebrew a skill called knowledge tactics, same use with knowledge warfare.

In some campains, usually low-magic ones, I make arcana and planes the same skill.

[Keneth]

Technically, the game is not missing anything. Knowledge skill is not a limited set, the listed fields of study are just the most common ones. There's nothing stopping you from investing into Knowledge (mathematics).

[Grinner]

I'd like it if Knowledge(Local) was used properly. As I understand it, it's intended to represent Knowledge of a specific locality, not to function as a catch-all.


Technically, the game is not missing anything. Knowledge skill is not a limited set, the listed fields of study are just the most common ones. There's nothing stopping you from investing into Knowledge (mathematics).

Except the Great DM in the Sky willing, you might find a use for it once, maybe twice in a campaign.

[d13]

Knowledge (Local) should actually be Knowledge (<Blank>), where Blank is exchanged to whichever place the character in question is most familiar with.

AND should be possible to "train" more than one time, for each new location.


But we all know that wouldn't be feasible, considering the way Skill Ranks work in 3.5

[NichG]

If I were to redesign the Knowledges I'd do the following. First, a new general rule:

- Every two ranks in a Knowledge skill allows you to pick one sub-topic in which you can be considered 'specialized', much like how ranks of Speak Language allow you to learn specific new languages. You are considered conversed in a standard set of basic knowledge in anything you are specialized in - this lets you take 10 on Knowledge checks in those areas (e.g. if you know about Carceri, you know about Carceri, no futzing around). If you double-specialize, you can take 20. *For some Knowledges, specialization is necessary to make certain checks at all.

- At character creation, you are automatically considered to be specialized in Knowledge(Local) for the place you grew up, even if you have no ranks.

Why these rules? I want to get rid of Speak Language and make it part of a Knowledge skill. This makes it easy to do so. I also want to make 'Local' really have that 'Local' property.

Now, the 'new' Knowledges:

Knowledge(Local): You have a general ability to quickly get up to speed with where things are on a nearby scale. This allows you, after a day or so, to make checks about local culture, customs, and very broad aspects of a local area you visit such as what kind of government a place has or where certain businesses are likely to be (but not specific or secret details). If you are specialized in an area, you speak the local language and can make checks to determine more specific details - what is the best tavern in town, what is the open secret that everyone from this place knows about the mayor, etc. Cannot specialize in Planes/etc - that is part of Knowledge(Planes). In a Planescape campaign, this should be merged with Knowledge(Planes).

Knowledge(Planes): As per the book. Specializations are specific planes. Specialization allows you to speak the language of a plane. Also, if you are double-specialized in a plane, you know how to find likely sites for a portal to that plane and portals out of that plane, and can identify them if you encounter them.

Knowledge(History): Merges with Nobility and Royalty as per the book. Specializations are specific countries, periods, or events. Double-specialization means you have access to primary sources, sometimes apocryphal or semi-secret (e.g. 'there was a secret tunnel that only a few people know about that the old king used to visit his mistress')

Knowledge(Nature): As per the book. Specializations are environment types.

Knowledge(Arcane): As per the book. Specializations are schools, descriptors, or types of magic like 'outsider magic', 'truenaming', 'wards', etc. Double specialization gives +1 to saves and dispel checks against that type of magic.

Knowledge(Geopolitics): Merges with geography. Lets you know about regions, races, kingdoms, etc. Specializations are regions. Double specialization means you can ask about things from a specific point of view (e.g. you not only know about the conflict between Kingdom A and Kingdom B, but you can say what each side thinks the conflict is about and also what each side says the other side thinks the conflict is about).

Knowledge(Religion): As per the book, specializations are specific faiths or specific subtopics (Undead, divine magic, etc). Double specialization means you know the inner-circle rituals and observances of a specific faith, even if those would normally be secret knowledge.

Knowledge(Natural Science): Merged with Dungeoneering and Architecture/Engineering. This covers things such as geology, chemistry, physics, etc - such as they are in D&D. Double-specialization means you're aware of fringe theories in the area, some of which might be a bit ahead of their time (no nuclear physics though).

Knowledge(Legend): Whereas Arcana might tell you of the properties of dragons and their classification, Legend would tells you stories about specific dragons (or heroes or kings or whatever). This skill can be used to know something about legendary figures. This doesn't tell you true things necessarily, but it tells you the kinds of things you would get from Legend Lore (and the DC is higher for people who are less renowned). Specializations are types of legends (warriors, mages, dragons, etc). Double specializations mean you can tell what parts of the legend are a lie and may know some secret things (DM discretion)

Legend can also apply to legendary locations, such as making a check to know the legend of the Tomb of Horrors, etc.

Knowledge(Esoterica): Mathematics, cryptography, riddles, things known to be false, dead languages, facts about carpentry tools, the poems of an ancient sailor, and the like are the provenance of this skill. This is a catch-all for things that are not important enough to warrant their own Knowledge category, but are obscure enough that their knowledge should not just be assumed outright. For this skill you can only make checks for things in which you are specialized or double-specialized, but those can be any class of 'missing Knowledge' and cover things that would reasonably be found in e.g. the best reference libraries available in your accessible civilizations.

[Philistine]

Heya Playgrounders,

As I was working on some house rule/tweaks for the knowledge skills, I suddenly realized that I kind of condensed the pile from 10 to 8. While I am all for condensing, I felt 10 is a nice magic number and I might be able to fill up the spots with some knowledge fields that are missing.

For those curious my current list is: Anthropology (Local, Nobility, and a bit of Geography), Arcana, Divine (Religion), Dungeoneering, Engineering, Nature (+The other bit of Geography), Planes, History

Personally I wanted to do something with Mathematics, due my players often wanting to calculate insane things in game.

So, like the title says:
Which knowledge fields do you feel the game is missing?

Nothing. 3E does not need any more Skills split off from what it already has, because it already has far too many discrete Skills (especially given the paucity of Skill Points, even for supposedly "highly skillful" character classes such as Rogue). Tweaking the Skill system is a fine and noble goal, but your every effort there needs to be toward cutting and consolidating Skills - not further bloating out 3E's skill list to make it even worse than it already is. Although I suppose that if you're going to do an insane thing, you might as well do it for a terrible reason like "to make it a magic number."

If your group really spends a lot of time "calculating insane things" in character, first ask yourself if that's something you're really going to make them roll for; if yes, why not just run it as a straight Int check with an appropriate DC? Because while you could make Know(Math) a skill, who's going to have the free Skill points to actually invest in it?


I'd like it if Knowledge(Local) was used properly. As I understand it, it's intended to represent Knowledge of a specific locality, not to function as a catch-all.
I suspect you actually wouldn't like that much. If it were used properly, as you describe it, then you wouldn't be able to recognize others as members of your own species even with ranks in Know(Local) if they came from more than a few miles away. 3E's Skill system is plenty bad enough already, we don't need to make it worse.

[Slipperychicken]

Except the Great DM in the Sky willing, you might find a use for it once, maybe twice in a campaign.

But how is my Rogue supposed to steal money from banks without the ability to create masterwork financial instruments?

[TuggyNE]

But how is my Rogue supposed to steal money from banks without the ability to create masterwork financial instruments?

Aren't those a special use of the Bluff skill, introduced in Cityscape?

[Yanisa]

I am curious, which ones? I'm guessing The Abyss, The 9 Hells, some kind of heaven and maybe Limbo?
Alignment(al), Elemental, Material and Astral. Easy, simple to remember and covers all the basics, I'm not going to have any focus on the planes so details aren't needed.


Nothing. 3E does not need any more Skills split off from what it already has, because it already has far too many discrete Skills (especially given the paucity of Skill Points, even for supposedly "highly skillful" character classes such as Rogue). Tweaking the Skill system is a fine and noble goal, but your every effort there needs to be toward cutting and consolidating Skills - not further bloating out 3E's skill list to make it even worse than it already is. Although I suppose that if you're going to do an insane thing, you might as well do it for a terrible reason like "to make it a magic number."

If your group really spends a lot of time "calculating insane things" in character, first ask yourself if that's something you're really going to make them roll for; if yes, why not just run it as a straight Int check with an appropriate DC? Because while you could make Know(Math) a skill, who's going to have the free Skill points to actually invest in it?

I play Pathfinder so I already have a nice conceded skill list compared to the truckload of 3E. The funny thing is the current group I run is already heavily knowledge devoted, got all skills covered and is still craving for more.

Besides I neither want to bloat out the list or condense it, I feel ten is a nice number of knowledge skills, I just happen to condense by accident and wondered if I could find other knowledge fields to cover the gaps. Like myself and others noted many of these ideas can be rolled back into existing skills, so I might still end up with 8 knowledge skills. Eight very bloated knowledge skills. I will also get my groups opinion on it, so we will see.

For now, I do like the suggestions. So keep them coming.

[Agincourt]

I suspect you actually wouldn't like that much. If it were used properly, as you describe it, then you wouldn't be able to recognize others as members of your own species even with ranks in Know(Local) if they came from more than a few miles away. 3E's Skill system is plenty bad enough already, we don't need to make it worse.

Nonsense. This is unsupported by either interpretation of Knowledge (Local). A character is always allowed to know "common knowledge" without any ranks in Knowledge skills. See untrained Knowledge checks (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/knowledge.htm). The DM sets the DC for the intelligence check. For something like recognizing one's own species, the DC should be low enough that a character could only miss if there are other negative modifiers involved (say, distance, darkness, or something else that impairs perception.)

[hemming]

Knowledge (Economics) (trade, bartering, supply and demand, merchant guild law)

- I like the idea of this one, not sure how practical it really is for a given game/character - also overlaps with diplomacy and appraise a bit


Knowledge (Humanities) (art, literature, philosophy, rhetoric, prose, theatre)

-Another fairly impractical skill, but I've had players that would have taken this one for the flavor and found ways to use it I wouldn't expect

[Shining Wrath]

Random thought which I offer randomly:

DM's should allocate skill points as a consequence of PC activities whenever level-up occurs.

E.G., "Last level you guys spent considerable time in the Elven Kingdom of LeafUsAlone. If you didn't speak Elven before, you do now. You each get 2 skill points for knowledge(local) for LeafUsAlone. You each get 1 skill point for knowledge(nature) for spending so much time in the forest. You each get 1 skill point for knowledge(religion) because you learned so much about the elven pantheon - except you, Cleric of Correlon Larethian, because you already knew that stuff".

[Grinner]

I suspect you actually wouldn't like that much. If it were used properly, as you describe it, then you wouldn't be able to recognize others as members of your own species even with ranks in Know(Local) if they came from more than a few miles away. 3E's Skill system is plenty bad enough already, we don't need to make it worse.

Knowledge(Local) is used to identify creatures? I thought it was for knowing things like where the best barbecue in town can be found...It strikes me as a bit bizarre that a character with ranks in Knowledge(Local) knows where to find the best inns everywhere.

[Juntao112]

Random thought which I offer randomly:

DM's should allocate skill points as a consequence of PC activities whenever level-up occurs.

E.G., "Last level you guys spent considerable time in the Elven Kingdom of LeafUsAlone. If you didn't speak Elven before, you do now. You each get 2 skill points for knowledge(local) for LeafUsAlone. You each get 1 skill point for knowledge(nature) for spending so much time in the forest. You each get 1 skill point for knowledge(religion) because you learned so much about the elven pantheon - except you, Cleric of Correlon Larethian, because you already knew that stuff".

Perhaps they should do the same for feats and class levels.

[Yanisa]

Knowledge(Local) is used to identify creatures? I thought it was for knowing things like where the best barbecue in town can be found...It strikes me as a bit bizarre that a character with ranks in Knowledge(Local) knows where to find the best inns everywhere.

We have a different topic (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=337630) about whether Local should apply to one region, or all the regions. :smallwink:

Besides Local deals with legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws, customs, traditions, humanoids. So if you want to identify a human, an elf or a lycanthrope, knowledge local is your go to skill.
In fact knowledge local does nothing for the best barbecue in town or the finding the local inn, those are uses of the gather information skill. (Unless the steak is legendary)

[hemming]

We have a different topic (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=337630) about whether Local should apply to one region, or all the regions. :smallwink:


I was holding back from discussing it here (for once!) :smallbiggrin:

-------------------------

Knowledge (Psionics) is pretty dependent on your game, but think it is worth at least an honorable mention

[Grinner]

We have a different topic (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=337630) about whether Local should apply to one region, or all the regions. :smallwink:

Yes, I saw that yesterday but elected to refrain from butting into the ongoing discussion.


Besides Local deals with legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws, customs, traditions, humanoids. So if you want to identify a human, an elf or a lycanthrope, knowledge local is your go to skill.
In fact knowledge local does nothing for the best barbecue in town or the finding the local inn, those are uses of the gather information skill. (Unless the steak is legendary)

I don't know, though. There's an icky dissonance between the narrative intent and mechanical truth of Knowledge(Local) there.

[Yanisa]

I don't know, though. There's an icky dissonance between the narrative intent and mechanical truth of Knowledge(Local) there.

But the mechanical truth is what we see in the rules. And what we can see in the rules is a knowledge skill that deals with humans, humanoids, and cultural aspects of humans and humanoids.
In my opinion local is a horrible chosen name to confuse people, most likely a relic from earlier editions. But that's an opinion and people can have different opinions about the whole thing. For me it was the reason why I dumped Local in my homebrew campaign setting and went with anthropology.

There might be room for both interpretations. One dealing with the cultural studies, and with the more real local things, like the famous counties method of making legendary steaks. Your mileage may vary.

[BWR]

There's a skill for "Da red ones go fasta?" :smallconfused:

A bit more 'scientific' than that, but yeah. It's how Mystaran gnomes (and later Tinker gnomes from Dragonlance) make their stuff, like biplanes mounted with dual fireball wands.