So, idk where exactly to put this, so I'll try here in hopes someone can answer what might (...?) be an easy question. Maybe this has been answered already somewhere and I've just never run across it.
How broadly well-known is fey lore to non-fey? Example: a pc does a history check on something that ends up being fey related, how much would they--or would they at all--already know? And along with that, are there aspects of it that might be more well-known to certain races versus others?
I ask because I'm writing a campaign that ended up featuring fey quite prominently and I'm trying to figure out how much pc's would already know by just being alive and cognizant, I guess? lol I've tried looking a few different places, but can't really get a clear answer.
I’d have them roll Arcana (the skill proficiency that relates to knowledge of the planes, including the Feywild or whatever your setting’s equivalent is) and answer the question of what they know based on the result.
How broadly fey stuff is known to non-fey is entirely dependent on the setting, the location within that setting, and the game you’re running, so it’s a big ol’ DM’s call. But the Arcana skill represents specialized planar knowledge, so it circumvents the question entirely.
The answer is going to be world and campaign specific, and character specific. And depend on what aspect they want to know. If there’s fey all over the place, more people will know more things. If fey are rare, fewer people will know things, and there will be generally fewer details known. As far as what a PC would know, do they have a background that would allow them to know more, or less, than the average person?
Put all that together, and you can come up with your DCs for any checks they want to make. If fey are common and the PC studied them, maybe a start with a DC 10 for widely known stuff and go up from there.
And of course, you can take out the guesswork and just decide how much you want them to know. Then they know that.
Knowledge checks are a bit of a pain in 5e, but I agree with Saga that Arcana is probably the best for Feys, unless they have a long history of involvement with the humans in which case history might be better for some kinds of subjects.
That's pretty much what I was thinking. I'd probably default to Arcana, but maybe allow History if the character making the Skill check was from a culture with ties to the Fey(especially Elven) or has had dealings with them. Especially if the check is about knowledge related to their activities or culture, rather than knowledge about their nature(capabilities, vulnerabilities, combat tactics, etc). One other way to limit who knows what would be to say for some checks that only someone proficient in the appropriate skill can make the check, if the information is of a type that someone wouldn't have come across unless they had actually studied such things before.
How broadly well-known is fey lore to non-fey? Example: a pc does a history check on something that ends up being fey related, how much would they--or would they at all--already know? And along with that, are there aspects of it that might be more well-known to certain races versus others?
I ask because I'm writing a campaign that ended up featuring fey quite prominently and I'm trying to figure out how much pc's would already know by just being alive and cognizant, I guess? lol I've tried looking a few different places, but can't really get a clear answer.
If you're writing a campaign in a setting where fey regularly interact with the material plane, then I'd say your players would all likely be familiar with them. Think of it like a rare but well known phenomenon in real life... like ghost sightings. Everyone is vaguely aware of ghosts and maybe has some idea of rules they've heard related to them, and the information they know might be inaccurate, but even someone who has never had a paranormal experience is aware that it's a thing people report regularly. So a history check might reveal that, say, a protective circle was erected to protect a particular place from fey, but an arcana check would reveal how it works and what specific fey it's meant to protect against.
As for races... in general elves, since they're descended from fey, and some still live in the feywilds, would have more knowledge about fey than other races. I'd say that the DC for such checks for any elf character (who was raised in a larger elf society) would be lower than for the other players.
What Fey Lore do you mean? The specific powers and abilities of Fey creatures? That's about all the Core Rules has to offer on Fey Lore. The rest is entirely up to each individual DM's campaign. It won't be the same thing in the Forgotten Realms as it is in Eberron. If you are writing a campaign of your own, you will have to create your own Fey Lore to suit yourself. Then you decide what is common knowledge in your setting, what is considered obscure, and what is only known to a few.
So, idk where exactly to put this, so I'll try here in hopes someone can answer what might (...?) be an easy question. Maybe this has been answered already somewhere and I've just never run across it.
How broadly well-known is fey lore to non-fey? Example: a pc does a history check on something that ends up being fey related, how much would they--or would they at all--already know? And along with that, are there aspects of it that might be more well-known to certain races versus others?
I ask because I'm writing a campaign that ended up featuring fey quite prominently and I'm trying to figure out how much pc's would already know by just being alive and cognizant, I guess? lol I've tried looking a few different places, but can't really get a clear answer.
Oh, wow, that got quite a few answers a lot quicker than I thought--thank you!
Thanks to SagaTympana and everyone echoing, I'll definitely make a note that arcana vs. history check will likely be what I'll go for (I'll make a note of that!)
And thanks to everyone else who was letting me know that (with some exceptions) a lot of fey knowledge will likely be up to the context of the campaign/pc's backstories. I was kind of halted in my planning before, but thanks to you guys I can get back to it! Thanks again!
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Hello!
So, idk where exactly to put this, so I'll try here in hopes someone can answer what might (...?) be an easy question. Maybe this has been answered already somewhere and I've just never run across it.
How broadly well-known is fey lore to non-fey? Example: a pc does a history check on something that ends up being fey related, how much would they--or would they at all--already know?
And along with that, are there aspects of it that might be more well-known to certain races versus others?
I ask because I'm writing a campaign that ended up featuring fey quite prominently and I'm trying to figure out how much pc's would already know by just being alive and cognizant, I guess? lol
I've tried looking a few different places, but can't really get a clear answer.
I’d have them roll Arcana (the skill proficiency that relates to knowledge of the planes, including the Feywild or whatever your setting’s equivalent is) and answer the question of what they know based on the result.
How broadly fey stuff is known to non-fey is entirely dependent on the setting, the location within that setting, and the game you’re running, so it’s a big ol’ DM’s call. But the Arcana skill represents specialized planar knowledge, so it circumvents the question entirely.
The answer is going to be world and campaign specific, and character specific. And depend on what aspect they want to know.
If there’s fey all over the place, more people will know more things. If fey are rare, fewer people will know things, and there will be generally fewer details known.
As far as what a PC would know, do they have a background that would allow them to know more, or less, than the average person?
Put all that together, and you can come up with your DCs for any checks they want to make. If fey are common and the PC studied them, maybe a start with a DC 10 for widely known stuff and go up from there.
And of course, you can take out the guesswork and just decide how much you want them to know. Then they know that.
That's pretty much what I was thinking. I'd probably default to Arcana, but maybe allow History if the character making the Skill check was from a culture with ties to the Fey(especially Elven) or has had dealings with them. Especially if the check is about knowledge related to their activities or culture, rather than knowledge about their nature(capabilities, vulnerabilities, combat tactics, etc). One other way to limit who knows what would be to say for some checks that only someone proficient in the appropriate skill can make the check, if the information is of a type that someone wouldn't have come across unless they had actually studied such things before.
If you're writing a campaign in a setting where fey regularly interact with the material plane, then I'd say your players would all likely be familiar with them. Think of it like a rare but well known phenomenon in real life... like ghost sightings. Everyone is vaguely aware of ghosts and maybe has some idea of rules they've heard related to them, and the information they know might be inaccurate, but even someone who has never had a paranormal experience is aware that it's a thing people report regularly. So a history check might reveal that, say, a protective circle was erected to protect a particular place from fey, but an arcana check would reveal how it works and what specific fey it's meant to protect against.
As for races... in general elves, since they're descended from fey, and some still live in the feywilds, would have more knowledge about fey than other races. I'd say that the DC for such checks for any elf character (who was raised in a larger elf society) would be lower than for the other players.
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What Fey Lore do you mean? The specific powers and abilities of Fey creatures? That's about all the Core Rules has to offer on Fey Lore. The rest is entirely up to each individual DM's campaign. It won't be the same thing in the Forgotten Realms as it is in Eberron. If you are writing a campaign of your own, you will have to create your own Fey Lore to suit yourself. Then you decide what is common knowledge in your setting, what is considered obscure, and what is only known to a few.
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Oh, wow, that got quite a few answers a lot quicker than I thought--thank you!
Thanks to SagaTympana and everyone echoing, I'll definitely make a note that arcana vs. history check will likely be what I'll go for (I'll make a note of that!)
And thanks to everyone else who was letting me know that (with some exceptions) a lot of fey knowledge will likely be up to the context of the campaign/pc's backstories. I was kind of halted in my planning before, but thanks to you guys I can get back to it! Thanks again!