Not really a question about what the rules say (because they don't say anything), but about how you think they should be implemented.
When created, the Knowledge (local) skill was supposed to apply to specific regions. Somehow that got lost on the way and as it is written now, the skill tells you about "legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws, customs, traditions" in every place in the whole world, and every other world.
How big do you think each region should be, for which a sub-skill of Knowledge (local) applies? Entire countries, parts of a country, or even just a city or town?
It's too weak if it only applies to specific regions. Compared to say, knowledge(nature) which applies just as broadly and makes just as little sense.
With my gaming group, it doesn't represent how much you KNOW about a given area, but how easily you are able to access the local lore, and how inclined your character is to do so, such that when we find ourselves in a brand new location, we assume that a character who made a good KN: Local check spent the travel time and downtime learning X information.
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I agree that you shouldn't make subskills of it. One can always waive or give circumstantial bonuses to Know/Local checks for areas a character is native to or familiar with.
And it goes both ways.. one can give circumstantial penalties to checks with relation to a city or culture one may never interacted with before. (a fine way to address the logical problems of a super know/local bonus being able to figure out where to find the secretive slaver's guild in a city deep in the darklands populated by humanoids the PC has never even heard of before...)
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It's too weak if it only applies to specific regions. Compared to say, knowledge(nature) which applies just as broadly and makes just as little sense.
With my gaming group, it doesn't represent how much you KNOW about a given area, but how easily you are able to access the local lore, and how inclined your character is to do so, such that when we find ourselves in a brand new location, we assume that a character who made a good KN: Local check spent the travel time and downtime learning X information.
That is my basic assumption.
With my gaming group, it doesn't represent how much you KNOW about a given area, but how easily you are able to access the local lore, and how inclined your character is to do so, such that when we find ourselves in a brand new location, we assume that a character who made a good KN: Local check spent the travel time and downtime learning X information.
This is how I would interpret it too.
When created, the Knowledge (local) skill was supposed to apply to specific regions. Somehow that got lost on the way and as it is written now, the skill tells you about "legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws, customs, traditions" in every place in the whole world, and every other world.
The skill hasn't changed from 3.0. It uses the same wording in 3.0 as it did in 3.5, or Pathfinder. The skill never required you to choose regions (except in the Forgotten Realms setting - there you had to specify where your knowledge (local) was for).
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With my gaming group, it doesn't represent how much you KNOW about a given area, but how easily you are able to access the local lore, and how inclined your character is to do so, such that when we find ourselves in a brand new location, we assume that a character who made a good KN: Local check spent the travel time and downtime learning X information.This is how I would interpret it too.
Exactly...more like a Gather Info on local stuff without taking the time involved in a Gather Info check....that's how I use it and how I've seen it explained officially.
that's how I use it and how I've seen it explained officially.
Link please?
I think comparing it to the "Gather Information" use of the Diplomacy skill is a good idea.
Both skills can acquire the same knowledge, but through different means. Diplomacy does it through talking to people, while Knowledge(local) is scholarly knowledge gained through studying (ie mostly reading books).
Right. This has come up a number of times at tables I've run/played at.
My answer has always been "I treat Knowledge (local) as skill at gathering local information, not as world-spanning knowledge at the local level."
It's the only explanation of its use (consider Haunting of Harrowstone or many other modules/adventure paths) that actually makes sense.
Now, if you were to give someone a circumstance bonus when they're in their home country/region, that would also make sense - but that's up to you.
look it up in the 3.5 FAQ. I don't feel like having a "prove every word you say" discussion.
You may need to prove it. Knowledge (local) is never mentioned in the 3.5 FAQ as far as I can tell.
Knowledge (local) suffers from its name. It makes it sound narrower then it really is. Your not forced to pick a specific religion for Know(Religion), or a specific plane for Know(Planes). Geography, History, and Nobility aren't limited to a single location either. If Knowledge (Local) is restricted to a specific location, then all of those other skills should also be restricted to a specific thing.
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look it up in the 3.5 FAQ. I don't feel like having a "prove every word you say" discussion.that's how I use it and how I've seen it explained officially.Link please?
hehe I agree with FH :) I get so darned tired of the "if you don't link it it isn't real" laziness of the internet.
I can't wait for people to get to their job application and list they have a degree in their field... and the interviewer says "Link please..." :) lol
what day were you born on? Oh... link please...
Male or female? Link please...
:)
"Local" in this case doesn't mean "immediate vicinity." It's more of a locale. For example, local government isn't about where you are. It's about the town/city. The skill only applied to specific regions in Forgotten Realms.
One thing you can do, if you want to make it more specific, is have the player pick a region and then apply a -2 penalty for each region beyond that similar to a perception check and distance.
I don't think it would really add to the game though. It's an option instead of having a dozen more skills that players already don't have enough skill points to use.
Link please?
For the 3.5 FAQ? Link
Surprised they are still available. I don't think WotC has a link to the actual page. You have to do a search for the 3.5 archive.
I assume it local based on the character and where he has been and spent real time. I'd say if you've spent at least o month in an area (a continent perhaps) you can make knowledge checks. Or at least put it in the character background that they have travled alot or a least have an interest in other cultures. Getting into modifiers I think would bog down the game.
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I personally think this is one of those skills that should have received the ax from 3.5 to Pathfinder. A Gather Information check would do the same thing and in nearly every case make more sense.
So even if you wanted to wrap G.I. into Diplomacy, it would still make sense. Though I suppose I would allow Intimidate to work as well (bully the info out of poor peasants).
Gather Information requires 1d4 hours. A Knowledge check is instant.
