PC siege weapon questions

Any opinions on what knowledge skill would be appropriate for a Lore Warden who wants to study the enemy ship with a spyglass a bit before manning the ballistae and catapults (Know Thy Enemy)? Would any of the standard knowledge skills work? If a new knowledge skill would be required, what else would it be good for? The DM is a swell guy, and I imagine he'd buy a decent idea, but I'd rather approach him with a concrete idea at the outset.

And what's the deal with Profession (Siege Engineer)? Is that somehow better than Engineering? Are they duplicative or different?

Thanks!

Knowledge(engineering) is just that. Knowledge. You know lots of facts about such things. You could identify different types of siege weapons, tell someone the fundamental ideas behind wind-powered ships and what forces are involved in bringing a ship about...

But actually doing it requires a Profession(sailor) check. So actually manning a siege weapon requires a Profession(siege engineer) check. It's the hands-on experience, the difference between knowing fulcrum lengths to set the ballast at and knowing how to apply that knowledge to a real situation. A guy with just Profession(siege engineer) might not know the science behind the engines he uses, but is going to hit a target a lot better than the guy who knows physics but has never actually touched an engine in his life.

And to address your original question: To know things about the ship itself would be knowledge(engineering). The creatures on it will probably be subject to different checks.

If your GM will allow it, I would say Profession (sailor) would be the best skill to use. You're already changing the rules to use Know Thy Enemy against ships instead of against creatures, so you could exchange a Knowledge skill for a Profession skill instead.

Alternatively, you could use Knowledge (engineering), but I think Profession (sailor) is a better fit.

Thank you both. Initially I didn't think it could only be used on creatures, but I see that now. I read it to be able to affect a "target," which would include a ship or a castle or whathaveyou, but I see that later in the ability it mentions creatures specifically.

Anyhow, thank you for your thoughts.

The player's guide recommends profession (siege engineer) and engineering--is the a practical difference or a reason to take both (one is wis based, and the other int based, but any other reason)?

Profession (siege engineer) is narrowly focused on the practical operation of siege engines, and is a prerequisite for some siege engine feats in Ultimate Combat (and, like any Profession skill, you can get paid for it).

Knowledge (engineering) is a broader field of study, and probably included more "book learning" than practical ability.

Lastly, more classes have access to Profession as a class skill than have access to Knowledge (engineering).

Great, thanks.

We use Profession (Siege Engineer) to run the cannon.

We use Profession (Siege Engineer) to run the cannon.

Sorry but shouldnt that be "Excotic Weapon (Firearms)" with Cannon?

Ernest Mueller wrote:

We use Profession (Siege Engineer) to run the cannon.

Sorry but shouldnt that be "Excotic Weapon (Firearms)" with Cannon?

Nope. The Siege Engineer feat covers siege weapons, and that runs off of your profession score anyway. Ernest is in the right (though I understand he's been running a pirate game for much longer than the rest of us).

It's key because a character needs Knowledge: Engineering for Master Siege Engineer. So if a character wants that useful feat, the knowledge skill is essential. It seems impractical to spend skill points on both the knowledge and the profession, particularly with a skill-point starved class like fighter when a variety of skills are called for in the game.