Knowledge (local)

[Raven Guy]

I have a question regarding the Knowledge (local) skill. Is it necessary to specify a geographical area when you buy ranks in this skill like a city or a country? I remember seeing this in a lot of 3.5 products. How is this handled in Pathfinder?

[Booksy]

RAW it allows you to use it in any community. Kind of like Streetwise in the old WW WoD system. Some GM's may make you specify a community/kingdom/country - but I personally feel that gets covered by other Knowledges, usually History, Geography or Nobility.

The way I've always looked at Knowledge (Local) is that you can walk into any community, and immediately pick up if you're in a safe/dangerous part, and where to start looking for local gossip, and then learn as much as you can (that could be 3 seperate tests, or 1 all encompassing - again depends on your GM)

[Quatar]

No theres no Knowledge (Local - Cheliax) or (Local - Sandpoint)

Someone said Knowledge (local) should better be called Knowledge (humanoid) because its pretty much that. What Knowledge (arcana) tells you about Dragons and knowledge (planes) about Balors, Know(local) tells you about humanoids.

The regional aspect comes in the form of the DC.
Questions about your hometown and immediate region that you're familiar with are DC 5 or so and super easy. The wider country maybe DC 10. Specific towns there might be DC 15, depending on how much you'd know (a town your home has regular trade with would be DC 10 someone you barely have contact to but still int he same country DC 15).
Stuff about a place on the other side of the world would be DC 25 or 30 or even higher.

It doesn't really matter where you are right now for that, if you're a Sandpoint local, then Sandpoint checks are always DC 5 and Magnimar would probably be DC 10 even if you happen to be in the Shackles right now. While questions about the Shackles would be DC 20ish or so probably.

Once you've lived there a while or had dealings with them, the DC gets lower.

[GM Jeff]

I'd say it's what it says in the book. What you know about legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws, customs, traditions, and humanoids. It's not based on where you currently are.

A player can asks what he knows about the people in the city he's in right now, or he can ask what he knows about the people in a city that's 500 miles away. Or even, what he knows about a dwarven city, deep underground. Is there an underwater city? What do I know about that? Is there a city on the moon? He can ask about that.

The GM then determines the DC based on what you want to know. Common knowledge questions should be easy at a DC 10. (What's the closest town where we can rest?) Stuff you shouldn't know gets a higher DC of 20, or even 30. (Is there a city on the moon? What are the people like there?)

I'm sure if you're familiar with a certain area (hometown, base camp, etc.), the GM can give you a bonus to your check.