Do intelligent monsters make Knowledge checks to identify PCs?

[Mark Hoover 330]

So, I'm making a level 1 adventure w/my favorite LE Fey creature, mites. The standard mite gets Handle Animal +0, presumably so they can control their Vermin pets/mounts/guard critters. I am repurposing some of them as dedicated pickpockets in a small settlement, so I was looking through Fey skills. Turns out Knowledge: Local is a class skill for a Fey.

That got me thinking: Knowledge: Local is used to ID Humanoids. In the skill description, it goes on to expand to:

Knowledge wrote:

Local (legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws, customs, traditions, humanoids)

Now the standard Mite only has an Int of 8. Even Trained in the skill they'd only have a +2 after putting a rank into it. Still, if they got lucky and rolled, say, a 15 against a Level 1 PC, could they ID the character? Or maybe that specific of an identification requires a DC 20.

Still, this line of thinking expanded a bit further. Could, and WOULD, intelligent monsters with the right skill ranks use Knowledge checks to ID the PCs, other monsters in their area, and so on? Could they get Circumstance bonuses if they had a Racial Hatred, or if they had access to books/lore or something? Would this even be worthwhile?

I mean, I guess not every rube Mite with a rank in Knowledge: Local can ID a character. Even then, it's not like this knowledge would do them any good in the moment. PCs use the skill this way to identify and beat a monster's defenses. Still, it might be that an elite or leader type monster with ranks in the right Knowledge skill(s) and levels of a PC class and different types of attacks could conceivably use Knowledge checks the same way as a PC right?

[marcryser]

I would say that your typical monster could make rolls to get info about PCs in the same way that characters get rolls to ID them.

However, your typical 1st level character could get a roll to recognize that they were facing a group of mites but NOT that they were facing 'Moe Mite," "Larry Mite," and "Curly Mite." The mites, like your low level PCs haven't done anything to become PERSONALLY notable.

Your mites would get a roll to recognize 'human' and with a greater success might recognize clues to give them class or level. If they were facing PCs with a reputation in the area for being terrible foes who charge into innocent humanoid villages to commit atrocities, that role might get them more info.

Basically, I think 'identity' comes along with reputation rather than total skill roll.

[Particular Jones]

I would say yes though it depends on the how tactically smart the creatures is. I can see say Orcs and especially Hobogoblins doing so. Mites in the above example would just be interested in attacking and harming the adventures.

[Mark Hoover 330]

I can see where you're coming from Marcus of the Rysing, but the skill Knowledge: Local DOES specifically state "personalities' in the description. I would think that elite Mites, say NPC leader types, might fall under that header. Similarly, if the PCs were four of only a handful of PC classed folks in a region and were the only adventurers around, couldn't the mites ID them like the celebrities they'd be?

Also, after I posed this question I thought: what USE would this be to monsters? After all, the whole point of players having their characters make these checks is to get some tactical advantage: know what kind of Energy attacks get through a monster's defenses, know if the monster has an ability that targets Will saves, and so on.

What would that knowledge do for monsters that have FIXED attacks and defenses? Like, even an orc Warrior 1 likely has a couple weapons, maybe some light armor and a shield. Even if we allow the orc to ID a PC by name as a celebrity and KNOW without a doubt that Mythryx the Magical is an elf Wizard 2 who likes throwing around Burning Hands spells, so what? The orc's spear will still deal the same amount of damage if thrown; the warrior has no Dex-enhancing abilities/magic to use; their attack strategy will likely be the same regardless of what they know of the PCs.

Nevermind I guess.

[VoodistMonk]

Mine do.

If an enemy or NPC has access to a resource, I generally try to utilize it.

I will often add a mix of monsters specifically to ensure that certain skills exist within the group... like Knowledge Local, to identify the party.

[Mudfoot]

If the orcs know that Mythryx the Wizard likes Burning Hands, they'll try to keep 15' away and take him out with arrows, thrown spears and so on. Or they'll take some precautions against fire. Or they'll know that he goes around with a sneaky rogue who must be here somewhere. Or that he's a specialist wizard who can't cast illusions.

Now an orc berserker might not bother to make these tactical distinctions, but a hobgoblin commander certainly would.

[doc chaos]

Certain creatures would recognize clerics of certain gods and that sneaky person who likes to stab people. Adventurers have a general way of dressing based on classes. A few skill points should give something to figure out the difference between a fighter and a wizard.