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First, let me quote this rule note:
"Naturalist (Ex): An archivist who has identified a creature with a Knowledge check appropriate to its type can use performance to share strategies for defeating it with allies in combat. The archivist and any allies within 30 feet gain a +1 insight bonus to AC and on attack rolls and saving throws against exceptional, supernatural, and spell-like abilities used by creatures of that specific kind of monster (e.g., frost giants, not all giants or all humanoids). This bonus increases by +1 at 5th level and every six levels thereafter. This language-dependent ability requires visual and audible components. This ability replaces inspire courage."
Okay, let me ask; What was the intent of this ability?
Is it only meant to be used against "monsters", or could it be used against humans, and other goodly races?
I have a player who likes the write up, but we're not totally sure how this is supposed to be able really work. We get the actual mechanics of HOW it works, via bonuses, etc., etc. Where we have some confusion is when dies it apply.
We are interested in the design-thematics as much as the RAW.
Thanks for your help!
What was the intent of this ability?
It changes Inspire Courage to a different type of bonus, but requires that you ID the creature first.
Use it like you would use Inspire Courage, to buff your party. If you want the bonus, and have ID'd the creature, you can spend your rounds of bardic performance (and the action to start it) to do so.
What sucks is when you flub the Knowledge roll. Since the Archivist can't take 10, if you roll badly you can be unable to use the ability for a long time. (My Archivist went 5 levels before we fought something I actually identified)
"Races" are "creatures." PC or NPC. Identify mundane races with a Knowledge (Nature) check.
"Races" are "creatures." PC or NPC. Identify mundane races with a Knowledge (Nature) check.
Actually, humanoids are Knowledge (Local). I would say all of the base races are common monsters, so DC:5+CR. Your DM may hand-wave the identification of the race your Bard is, or his party members, in order to avoid more roll-flubbing. ("Hrm, he's short, like me, with hairy feet, and the unmistakable scent of berry pie." [Rolls 1] "Maybe he's an orc.")
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
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| 5 people marked this as FAQ candidate. 7 people marked this as a favorite. |
First, let me quote this rule note:
"Naturalist (Ex): An archivist who has identified a creature with a Knowledge check appropriate to its type can use performance to share strategies for defeating it with allies in combat. The archivist and any allies within 30 feet gain a +1 insight bonus to AC and on attack rolls and saving throws against exceptional, supernatural, and spell-like abilities used by creatures of that specific kind of monster (e.g., frost giants, not all giants or all humanoids). This bonus increases by +1 at 5th level and every six levels thereafter. This language-dependent ability requires visual and audible components. This ability replaces inspire courage."
Okay, let me ask; What was the intent of this ability?
Is it only meant to be used against "monsters", or could it be used against humans, and other goodly races?
I have a player who likes the write up, but we're not totally sure how this is supposed to be able really work. We get the actual mechanics of HOW it works, via bonuses, etc., etc. Where we have some confusion is when dies it apply.
We are interested in the design-thematics as much as the RAW.
Thanks for your help!
It works on any creature type; the Knowledge skill lists which creatures go with which type, but off the top of my head I think it's:
arcana = constructs, dragons
dungeoneering = oozes, vermin
local = humanoids
nature = animals, monstrous humanoids, plants
planes = outsiders
religion = undead
Doesn't matter of they're "people" or "monsters" in the common sense of the world, just their creature type. DC to identify is 10+CR as baseline, and can be modified if they are very common or very rare.
By the way...
I should tell you that the "Archivist can't take 10" thing is an error in the RAW. The Lore Master ability was meant to be just shifted in level, not actually changed. When I was writing the archetype, for some reason I didn't retype the full ability. I should've simply written it like this:
Just putting a pointer to the normal bard ability would've avoided any omission or ambiguity. If you are a player, you can tell the GM this is the RAI and an error by the author of the section that should've been the RAW. However, I am not the official errata-giver, so if the GM is a stickler for official errata (or none at all), you are out of luck.
I should tell you that the "Archivist can't take 10" thing is an error in the RAW. The Lore Master ability was meant to be just shifted in level, not actually changed. (...) If you are a player, you can tell the GM this is the RAI and an error by the author of the section that should've been the RAW.
*Kisses Jason full on the lips*
"Races" are "creatures." PC or NPC. Identify mundane races with a Knowledge (Nature) check.Actually, humanoids are Knowledge (Local). I would say all of the base races are common monsters, so DC:5+CR. Your DM may hand-wave the identification of the race your Bard is, or his party members, in order to avoid more roll-flubbing. ("Hrm, he's short, like me, with hairy feet, and the unmistakable scent of berry pie." [Rolls 1] "Maybe he's an orc.")
Knowledge (local)? Is that new?
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
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Knowledge (local)? Is that new?"Races" are "creatures." PC or NPC. Identify mundane races with a Knowledge (Nature) check.Actually, humanoids are Knowledge (Local). I would say all of the base races are common monsters, so DC:5+CR. Your DM may hand-wave the identification of the race your Bard is, or his party members, in order to avoid more roll-flubbing. ("Hrm, he's short, like me, with hairy feet, and the unmistakable scent of berry pie." [Rolls 1] "Maybe he's an orc.")
Nope, it was that way in 3.5 too. Giants (now humanoids (giant)) and monstrous humanoids were nature.
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| 4 people marked this as FAQ candidate. |
In a combat with multiple creature types, can the archivist ID one creature type, start a naturalist performance, then add other creatures to the same perforce with more knowledge checks? In other words, can an archivist use Naturalist to buff the party against the BBEG ~and~ the mooks, if both are ID'd with the appropriate knowledge checks?
| 1 person marked this as FAQ candidate. |
I'd like to echo this old question. Don't know what the etiquette is on bumping or faqing an old question in this manner.