I don't know because I don't know what the heck the check is for. Are you identifying a bag of holding or a holy avenger? Are you remembering your birthday or a long forgotten civilization? Are you trying to identify a chicken or the digestive system of a manticore? Are you determining what incense is appropriate or are you preaching a holy text from memory? If you are the DM, that is up to YOU. It all depends on context, etc. Many checks don't even have success or fail. Use INT checks as an opportunity to think "How much do they remember?". Maybe they get some details and miss others.
Against Favored Enemies you have advantage on survival and intelligence checks. While survival is easily useful in the wilds, many people don't understand the importance of the intelligence bits.
Monstrosities for example: You could remember events in HISTORY where a hero defeated a hydra in a specific way. Using NATURE, you can derive where a manticore could be hiding. Using ARCANA, you can find how and why a gorgon works. Using RELIGION, you can recall the spiritual significance of an ancient kracken. If your DM is creative, the rangers abilities can be used as an opportunity for the DM to straight up TELL you the strengths and weaknesses of the monster you know lots about. An excuse for Metagaming.
That is the hidden strength of the ranger: So many people think about how situational the class is, but don't take the opportunity to exploit that. Combating favored enemies don't give you an advantage? It is up to the DM to make a creative advantage that the PC can enjoy.
Against Favored Enemies you have advantage on survival and intelligence checks. While survival is easily useful in the wilds, many people don't understand the importance of the intelligence bits.
Monstrosities for example: You could remember events in HISTORY where a hero defeated a hydra in a specific way. Using NATURE, you can derive where a manticore could be hiding. Using ARCANA, you can find how and why a gorgon works. Using RELIGION, you can recall the spiritual significance of an ancient kracken. If your DM is creative, the rangers abilities can be used as an opportunity for the DM to straight up TELL you the strengths and weaknesses of the monster you know lots about. An excuse for Metagaming.
That is the hidden strength of the ranger: So many people think about how situational the class is, but don't take the opportunity to exploit that. Combating favored enemies don't give you an advantage? It is up to the DM to make a creative advantage that the PC can enjoy.
If you wanted a list of which skill would certain type of creature default to, I believe it goes mostly like this:
Arcana: Aberrations, Constructs, Elementals, Dragons, Oozes, possibly Fey, Monstrosities, and Fiends. History: Giants and Humanoids, possibly anything involved in relevant historic events. Nature: Beasts, Plants, possibly Dragons, Fey, and Monstrosities. Religion: Celestials, Fiends, and Undead.
Lots of overlap. Monstrosities usually fit themselves into the natural order as beasts (Nature), but many of them were created by wizards (Arcana). Someone rolling Arcana to determine what they know about Perytons might have different information from someone rolling Nature for that. A Construct crafted by angels would most likely fall closer to Religion than Arcana.
Going with 8 or 10+CR for DC works for the lower tiers, while in higher tiers you might be better off with just the CR. Or just go with 10, 15, 20, 25 depending on how rare the creature is.
Hitting the DC or possibly even only coming close to it might give one piece of important information (trolls don't like fire is the classic one). While going over or well over it might get the list of possible attacks, resistances, and immunities. Failing this check by 5 might also be an opportunity for misguided or wrong information, depending on how cruel your DM is feeling at the time, and might be based in superstitions your character has heard and thought true.
As either a player or a dungeon master, how does your table adjudicate knowledge checks?
Arcana, history, nature, Religion, and even medicine?
Arcana: Knowledge of magic: How it works, what it is, etc. Used to identify spells, magic items, curses, etc.
History: Knowledge of past events. Pretty basic, but useful. Can be adapted by the DM to remember events in previous sessions.
Nature: Knowledge of wildlife & biology. Recognize weather, tracks, dung, animals, etc. Natural world.
Religion: Knowledge of spiritual practice, myth, tradition, etc. Or to identify gods.
Medicine is an intuition based check, and is thus not based in Intelligence.
My only good homebrews: Races, Subclasses.
An aspiring DM and Homebrewer. Ask me if you need anything.
What about setting DCs, what kind of information is got/given for levels of rolls, any "failing forward", etc?
I don't know because I don't know what the heck the check is for. Are you identifying a bag of holding or a holy avenger? Are you remembering your birthday or a long forgotten civilization? Are you trying to identify a chicken or the digestive system of a manticore? Are you determining what incense is appropriate or are you preaching a holy text from memory? If you are the DM, that is up to YOU. It all depends on context, etc. Many checks don't even have success or fail. Use INT checks as an opportunity to think "How much do they remember?". Maybe they get some details and miss others.
My only good homebrews: Races, Subclasses.
An aspiring DM and Homebrewer. Ask me if you need anything.
Alllllllllrighty. Since this is the ranger forums, how about a knowledge check on a favored enemy? Say monstrosities.
Against Favored Enemies you have advantage on survival and intelligence checks. While survival is easily useful in the wilds, many people don't understand the importance of the intelligence bits.
Monstrosities for example: You could remember events in HISTORY where a hero defeated a hydra in a specific way. Using NATURE, you can derive where a manticore could be hiding. Using ARCANA, you can find how and why a gorgon works. Using RELIGION, you can recall the spiritual significance of an ancient kracken. If your DM is creative, the rangers abilities can be used as an opportunity for the DM to straight up TELL you the strengths and weaknesses of the monster you know lots about. An excuse for Metagaming.
That is the hidden strength of the ranger: So many people think about how situational the class is, but don't take the opportunity to exploit that. Combating favored enemies don't give you an advantage? It is up to the DM to make a creative advantage that the PC can enjoy.
My only good homebrews: Races, Subclasses.
An aspiring DM and Homebrewer. Ask me if you need anything.
I love the way you think!
If you wanted a list of which skill would certain type of creature default to, I believe it goes mostly like this:
Arcana: Aberrations, Constructs, Elementals, Dragons, Oozes, possibly Fey, Monstrosities, and Fiends.
History: Giants and Humanoids, possibly anything involved in relevant historic events.
Nature: Beasts, Plants, possibly Dragons, Fey, and Monstrosities.
Religion: Celestials, Fiends, and Undead.
Lots of overlap. Monstrosities usually fit themselves into the natural order as beasts (Nature), but many of them were created by wizards (Arcana). Someone rolling Arcana to determine what they know about Perytons might have different information from someone rolling Nature for that. A Construct crafted by angels would most likely fall closer to Religion than Arcana.
Going with 8 or 10+CR for DC works for the lower tiers, while in higher tiers you might be better off with just the CR. Or just go with 10, 15, 20, 25 depending on how rare the creature is.
Hitting the DC or possibly even only coming close to it might give one piece of important information (trolls don't like fire is the classic one). While going over or well over it might get the list of possible attacks, resistances, and immunities. Failing this check by 5 might also be an opportunity for misguided or wrong information,
depending on how cruel your DM is feeling at the time,and might be based in superstitions your character has heard and thought true.Art Portfolio