Monster Knowledge: My framework.

[PhoenixPhyre]

I'm a strong believer in giving players information about what their characters would know (and thus what sorts of things they're going to have to roll for). Here's my latest entry. Feel free to comment (both general and specific) about the document or to spark discussion on related topics.

This one's about Monster Knowledge--how do you know about various things you meet? How do you avoid metagaming? FYI: SA = Sanctioned Adventurer (an organization to which the PCs always belong). Many of the odder choices for uncommon/rare creatures are there (rather than legendary or unknown) because previous groups have encountered them and brought back specimens/details.

Monster Knowledge
Knowledge about monsters falls into several categories, described below. Anything below Uncommon will never be considered metagaming, even if you know it from the Monster Manual.

Common: the normal non-adventurers know just about everything about those. No check necessary.
Regional: like Common, but only in that region. Uncommon elsewhere.
Uncommon: Taught about in SA training, including practicals. Easy or medium check to remember all useful information. Automatic for those with +5 or better modifiers in the relevant skill.
Rare: Mentioned in SA training, but not trained against. Always a check to know, unless personally encountered. Medium check, but never false information.
Legendary: Mentioned in local legends or in lore. Medium/hard check to know; bad failure = false information.
Unknown: Nothing known. Hard check to deduce partial information after encountering them.


Aberrations: INT (Nature)
Common: Nothing
Uncommon: Otyugh, Cloaker
Rare: Mind Flayer
Unknown: Everything else

Beasts: INT (Nature)
Common: Everything not found below.
Regional:

Byssia: Dinosaurs, Octopus, (Giant) Sea Horse, Sharks
Remnant Dynasty: Aurochs, Mammoth, Polar Bear, Sabre-toothed tiger
Stone Throne: Quetzalcoatlus, Quipper, Flying Snake
Rare: Camel, Giant Fire Beetle, Killer Whale, Rhinoceros,
Unknown: Cranium Rat, Stirge

Celestials: INT (Religion)
Common: Duty-bound nature, general lack of interaction with mortals.
Uncommon: Legion structure (rough), basic hierarchy
Rare: Types and some individual figures (Solar-class angels)
Legendary: Everything else

Constructs: INT (Arcana)
Common: lack of intelligence, frequent spell resistance
Uncommon: Animated Armor, Shield Guardian
Rare: Stone Golem, Iron Golem
Legendary: Flesh golem, clay golem
Unknown: Others.

Demons: INT (Religion)
Common: Demon Princes (names and basic proclivities), power source (eating souls), cults (basic information)
Uncommon: Specific organizational traits and symbols for cults, effects on surrounding terrain from demonic activity
Rare: individual types, abilities, immunities/vulnerabilities

Devils: INT (Religion)
Common: Basic tendencies, Mara-deva vs Chou [organizational details, setting specific]
Uncommon: Physical characteristics/combat styles (immunities, resistances, etc)
Rare: Individual types, abilities

Dragons: INT (Nature)
Common: color/element coding
Regional:

Council Lands: metallic vs chromatic
Rare: Individuals (except Meli)

Elementals: INT (Arcana)
Common: 12 elemental sub-planes and their basic natures.
Uncommon: Mephits, Fire/Earth/Air/Water elemental.
Rare: Genies, Magmin, Azer, Gargoyle
Legendary: Others

Fey: INT (Nature)
Common: existence of courts, relationship to kami, basic propitiation practices (very regional as to which ones)
Uncommon: minor fey
Rare: Hags
Legendary: Court nobles

Giants: INT (History)
Common: (Half) Ogre
Regional:

Northern & Southern Districts, Stone Throne: Troll
Moon’s Vengeance Foothills, Council Lands: Hill/Stone Giants
Kairen Mountains, Remnant Dynasty: Frost Giants
Rare: All others

Humanoids: INT (History)
Common: All playable races, goblin, bugbear
Regional:

Byssia: Bullywug, Lycanthropes
Dreamshore: Lycanthropes
Kairen Mountains: Frost goblin (homebrew)
Uncommon: Grung, Kobold
Legendary: gnome, goliath, cysgor AKA shadar-kai
Unknown: all others

Monstrosities: INT (Nature)
Common: Worg, Hippogryph, Gryphon
Regional:

Kairen Mountains: Winter wolf
Stone Throne (all): yuan-ti other than purebloods
Sea of Grass, Southshore, Safehold: bulette, ankheg
Uncommon: Blood Hawk, Cockatrice, Rust Monster, Harpy, Ettercap, Grick, Mimic
Rare: Naga, Froghemoth, Basilisk, Manticore, Owlbear
Legendary/Unknown: All others

Oozes: INT (Nature)
Uncommon: Grey ooze, Gelatinous cube
Rare: Ooblex
Unknown: Others

Plants: INT (Nature)
Common: Blights
Uncommon: Treants, Awakened Tree
Rare: Myconid

Undead: INT (Religion)
Common: Skeleton, zombie
Uncommon: ghoul, ghast, wight, bone naga
Rare: lich, flameskull
Legendary: Others

[Innocent_bystan]

I run it as follows: when the party encounters a monster, 1 player gets to make a free Religion/Nature/Arcana/History check (whatever is appropriate)

DC 10: You know what general type of monster it is. For each +5DC you beat, the player gets to ask a question. For example, "what types of damage is the monster resistant/immune to?", "What special abilities does the monster have?", "Does the monster have some sort of weakness?"

Another player can use an action to roll another lore check and possibly ask more questions.

Simple and elegant.

[Lyracian]

I'm a strong believer in giving players information about what their characters would know (and thus what sorts of things they're going to have to roll for). Here's my latest entry. Feel free to comment (both general and specific) about the document or to spark discussion on related topics.

I had been doing something similar. I had Demons under Arcana and had not thought of using History for Humanoids (but I will now).
I know the Monster Manual classes Trolls as Giant but I put them under Nature as Aberrations; I also see Lyancantrhopes under Religion as they are often seen as the result of a Curse. That will depend on how your game world functions so may not really be relavant.

It can also be helpful to reskin monsters. Green Dragons with Fire Breath; Gorgon using Sea Hag stats or some Skeletal Ghouls to keep the party guessing. Makes them use in-character not out-of-character knowledge.


I run it as follows: when the party encounters a monster, 1 player gets to make a free Religion/Nature/Arcana/History check (whatever is appropriate)
DC 10: You know what general type of monster it is. For each +5DC you beat, the player gets to ask a question. For example, "what types of damage is the monster resistant/immune to?", "What special abilities does the monster have?", "Does the monster have some sort of weakness?"
Simple and elegant.
I like that it is, as you said, simple and easy to follow. Gives players the important information.