Reffy's page

(Please forgive the uninspiring topic title)

I have a few questions about knowledge skills.
In my group, there's always one character that has very high knowledge skills, all of them. They can easily roll 20+. I'm talking about bards, investigators and wizards. There could be more classes.

The problem I'm having as a GM is that I don't know what I should tell them when they roll knowledge skills. I feel like I'm telling them way too much. Which makes my story weaker, since I want them to discover mysteries etc. on their own. A bit like the Lovecraftian/Cthulhu franchise.
But I also don't want to punish them for putting ranks in the knowledge skills.

When they roll high on a knowledge check when encountering a monster, should I just give them the bestiary?

When they roll knowledge checks on a large forest they have to go through. Do I tell them every creature, disease, food and hazards they could encounter?

And the big problem I'm having with my current campaign is; When is this knowledge updated?
In example: The group enters the capital of a country. They roll knowledge checks about the government/kings and the like. They know that a queen is ruling this city.

Well, in my campaign that queen has been missing, for a day. So for them to figure this out, they have to "gather information." Which is in the diplomacy skill now?
What if the queen has been missing for a week? Or a month? When does it stop from being a gather information check, to being a knowledge check?

Me and my group had a discussion about surprise rounds.
The situation was this:

The players are standing in front of a group of bandits on an open field. The tensions are high, but no one has drawn a weapon.
Suddenly, a player says: "I shoot an arrow on the bandit leader."

Some players claimed he should have gotten a surprise round.
I (the GM), disagreed.

The rules say: "When a combat starts, if you are not aware of your opponents and they are aware of you, you’re surprised."

The bandit leader was talking with his second in command, but he wasn't talking with his eyes closed. He was aware. And even if he wasn't, many of the other bandits were definitely aware.

I think some players assume that when they shout "attack" they get a free action.

Would like to hear some thoughts about this.