I think most of us think of knowledge skills more of nice background skills compared to the other skills.
Sure they can be helpful, but there are other skills more in need most of the time, right?
To get me right: I really LIKE Knowledge skills and want to find a way to improve their use.
Some ideas:
1) Give every character a number of bonus Knowledge skills equal to their IN.
2) Let all or several "scholar" classes choose two specialties when taking Knowledge as trained skill.
3) Merge Knowledge skills a bit more. Like Nature and Dungeoneering, Religion and The Planes and Arkane and the Planes.
4) Find a way to give a bonus to other checks with a successful Knowledge check.
5) Make Knowledge skills more distinct. F.e. make Knowlegde (Myths & Legends) work like Bards Lore (without the "mayor's a drunk" stuff)
If you are a Cleric, it’s not possible for you to have had a profession before going into the clergy and still take both the usual Heal and Knowledge: Religion. For that matter, if you wanted to have Knowledge: Local (what minister do you know who doesn’t have a decent knowledge of his community?) you are automatically an expert. That turns the Cleric from the concerned community leader to the town busy-body.
Bottom line: Under 3P, a) you have to “waste” a valuable skill slot to take Knowledge (seriously deterring well-rounded characters) and b) you have no choice but to be an expert (no option for moderate knowledge).
Humm what about allowing you 1 knowledge skill +1 per INT mod at first level.but with a little diff rules.
so picked skills would be better then untained but mot as good as skilled
*1d20+INT mod+level so INT 10 gets 1 at +1 at 1st
humm may have to write this down. as alt skills ideal.
Hi, DracoDruid. It's nice to see someone else has similar ideas of ways to work Knowledge skills. I had thought of this variant: when you pick Knowledge as a skill you get a number of sub-skills based on 1+int bonus. this number can go up if your int bonus increases. However, you must take Skill Focus individually for each sub-skill.
Example: Liana the Rogue has an int of 13. she choses to take Knowlege as hone of her skills. She gets 3 sub-skills; 1 + 2 for her int bonus. Let's say Dungeoneering, Local and Nobility. Later she raises her int to 14. When she levels up that time, she 'learns' one more sub-skill, adding History. As a member of the local Guild, she's spent a lot of time learning the city, so she also takes skill focus in Knowledge: Local. That bonus could never be applied to her other sub-skills, but does make her the best guide in town.