Knowledge checks for identifying creatures?

[Bloodgruve]

How often can one do a knowledge check to identify a creature?

Once an encounter?
Once each time a new creature shows up?
Only the first time you encounter a creature?
Can you retry when you gain a rank?

Some undead show up. Cleric fails his knowledge religion check. After a few rounds later some more of the same kind join the encounter. How is this handled.

Thanks,

Blood~

[NoACWarrior]

Since the try again option for knowledge checks is "No" I would only allow 1 knowledge check per monster race encountered, until your next rank gained.

But if you abuse it - the DM would have to keep track of the attempts.

In the practical attempt I'd just say you'd get 1 per creature per encounter, and that you study a book to learn more or meditate - just a house rule.

[Kazudo]

Knowledge Checks represent what your character knows. If you fail a knowledge check, pfft, your character just doesn't know it.

If more show up, you STILL don't know any more about them than "sometimes they like to attack in packs", which is something your character can have observed, and even then (unless you role your character this way), it's risky to assume that to be true since you have limited instances.

Now, I as a DM make an obvious exception for observed knowledges. If you watch a creature go walking habitually through an ocean of fire without popping a spell (assuming you'd recognize the spell), you can assume that it has AT LEAST Fire Resistance to some degree. But as far as knowledge checks go, if you fail it, you fail it until you get another rank in the skill similar to Spellcraft checks to learn a new spell.

[Doc_Maynot]

As a DM I let them do 1 per species, if they fail they have to wait until they get extra points in that Knowledge because they learned more about the topic, maybe their knowledge about anthropology (Local) has increased to where they now know that black Elf is a Drow, and has heard/read that they have SR, or perhaps something else.

[Alex12]

We tend to go with once every few rounds, possibly more often at the DM's discretion, based in part on their demonstrated abilities. You might not be able to tell what that goblinish-looking thing is just by looking at it, but once it drops a Dimension Door, you can narrow it down enough to go "oh, that's a barghest"

The fact that I'm generally the only one in the group who pays attention to the Knowledge skills is, I suspect, part of the reason this isn't abused.

[Gildedragon]

Try Again: No. The check represents what you know, and thinking about a topic a second time doesn’t let you know something that you never learned in the first place.

As such you need to gain a new rank to try again.
I think the PH or the DMG actually spell it out.

There are however abilities that let you try again on Knowledge checks. Can't remember which but there are a few

[Kazudo]

As such you need to gain a new rank to try again.
I think the PH or the DMG actually spell it out.

There are however abilities that let you try again on Knowledge checks. Can't remember which but there are a few

I don't think they do. With Spellcraft, if you're attempting to transcribe a spell into your spellbook, if you fail the spellcrafting check you can't learn that spell until you gain another rank in spellcraft.

Knowledge Devotion permits you to make Knowledge checks once per encounter on a specific creature type (IIRC), but it doesn't say whether you gain the knowledge from the check in addition to the additional damage every time, or just the additional damage.

EDIT: In fact, without evidence to the contrary, I believe that by RAW if you fail a knowledge check you cannot make that knowledge check again EVER. Your character could obtain the information other ways (other characters knowledge checking and relaying the information to the party), but your character literally doesn't know and has to actually learn it.

[Slipperychicken]

Immediately, the first time you see it (or hear reference to it) in the campaign. Or if you request one before that point. If you don't make the Knowledge check then, you get to learn the hard way (i.e. by experience, chatting up a sage, hitting up the library, doing research, etc).


I do like the idea of allowing you to re-attempt the check each time you gain a rank in the relevant skill.

[Bloodgruve]

I was guessing either once per campaign or retry when a rank is gained.



Thanks for the responses.

Blood~