False information and Knowledge checks

[JoeJ]

There's nothing in the rules about giving the player false information if they badly fail a Knowledge check, but realistically it should be possible to remember something incorrectly. Perhaps on a failure by 5 or more? (Yes, I know that requires either rolling secretly or letting the player roll but not telling them the DC.) Thoughts?

[Bruno Kristensen]

I think it would be a good idea, but yeah, requires either secret roll or other "fix"

[RDM42]

Well, depending on the complexity of the check you could give them broadly correct information with critical errors imbedded in it. And they have to wonder which parts are truth and which fiction ...

[JoeJ]

I figure that combining that with my longstanding habit of treating "official" stat blocks as merely suggestions should make it very hard for players to metagame encounters.

To be fair, though, I would only apply this if the character really can make a Knowledge check. If they don't have the skill and the DC is over 10, then the character doesn't even know enough about the situation to remember anything incorrectly. Sometimes a little knowledge can be more dangerous than none at all!