Alternative Knowledge Rules [Tome of Maybe]

[Kaelik]

I'm never happy with any knowledge rules.

Here's another attempt.


You have knowledge Ranks in various skills using skill points. This governs how those skill points actually tell you about a monster you run into.

Step 1: Character Creation and level up. Whenever you put a rank in Knowledge (Arcana, Dungeoneering, Religion, Nature, The Planes) you pick one creature that you know a lot about and you write it down in your knowledge list. If you ever encounter that monster or anything that monster does you just can figure out that's what it is. This doesn't apply to spell like abilities, but does apply to supernatural ablities, even when there's no other reason you would know. You can tell a Red Dragon's Fire from another fire source from inspecting the ashes, you can tell when something has been animated by a Morhg, and you can tell that it was specifically a Badger that made this burrow. You also know everything about this monster and can just ask to look at the stat block or check with the DM before you make a decision to make sure you understand it right.

There is no CR limit or anything else to the creatures you can tag this way.

Step 2: Encountering something you don't know. Whenever you see some weird steve (everything you haven't tagged is a steve) you can ask questions about it. But those questions have to relate to some quality of a monster on your tagged list. You can even use this on effects when the Steve is not present (some burned buildings, a track, a slime trail, whatever.) Though again, only supernatural, natural, and extraordinary abilities. Not spell likes, which you would roll spellcraft against like normal.

All questions come at the cost of your daily question allotment which is equal to your knowledge bonuses (total across all knowledges even non monster ones like geography) divided by 5.

If you have a high int score but only put points in knowledge (planes) you might end up at level 1 asking 10 questions to compare things to your four outsiders.

Some examples:

Is this monster immune to electricity like my main man, the Balor?

Wow, does this thing have Regeneration like a troll?

Does this dude cast Blasphemy like a Balor?

Does this guy have true seeing like a Balor?

I'm going to keep asking about Balots, so this guy explode on death like a Balor?

Is there a dumb ritual thing these monsters can do like a Vrock?

Does this have Damage Reduction like a Hellcat?

Does this thing have a fly speed like a Dragon?

Does it Petrify people like a Medusa (asked about a Cockatrice, the answer is it Petrifies differently, like this.)

Does it cast spells as a Sorcerer of Xth level like a Couatl? (Yes for sorcerer casting monster, and give the level, but No for Planatar cleric casting)



The DM should answer with "Not like a Dragon, but X" where X is the fly speed in this case.

Likewise "explode on death" if it does any kind of attack on death, ect.





Obviously I'm just slamming this out right now, it's based on some thought about theories of knowledge rules, but I haven't sat down to look at D&D monsters recently and the numbers are pretty seat of the pants. 4 ranks is supposed to be just one question at level 1, but if several party memebers are doing questions I don't want it to be like "literally 40 questions" at level 10 or whatever, so I wanted it to be some multiple number.