Knowledge Skills

General Skills Rules:

•  If you are not threatened or distracted you can take 10 on a roll.
• Taking 20: when you have plenty of time, 2 minutes or more and faced with no threats or distractions, you can take 20. This does not count as a ‘natural 20’ and indicate automatic success. Generally this takes 20 times longer than normal. You can’t take 20 on any check that has consequences for failure.
• “1” Rolls: When you roll a natural 1 on a skill check, roll D20 again. SUBTRACT this number from your check.
• “20” Rolls: When you roll a natural 20 on a skill check, roll D20 again. Add this number plus the 20 to your check. 

Knowledges (INT)(Trained Only)

• Retries: None
• Untrained: you can make an INT check to answer Easy questions concerning a knowledge.
• Requires: Free action
• Answer Question: requires a free action.

Action and DC:

• Answer Easy question  DC:10 
• Answer Basic Question DC:15
• Answer Tough Question DC:20-30 
• Identify creature type- appropriate knowledge DC:5+HD
• Learn about identified creature DC +10+HD
• Identify weapon style- martial lore DC: 15
• Identify martial maneuver, martial lore DC:10+LV 
• Operate Siege Engine Simple-martial lore DC:8
• Operate Siege Engine Regular-martial lore DC:12 
• Operate Siege Engine Complex-martial lore  DC:15
• Operate Siege Engine Magical-martial lore DC:20 
• Identify spell, power, maneuver DC:10+LV
• Identify Martial Arts style- Mysticism DC:10

Modifiers for identifying Spells, Powers, Maneuvers:

• Identify a spell, power, or maneuver when your classes do not give you these abilities DC:+10 
• Identify a spell that is divine if you cast arcane or arcane if you cast divine DC:+5
• Identify cleric spell if you use druidic magic, or a druid spell if you use cleric spells DC:+2
•  Identify something on your class list DC:-2
• Identify something you can currently ready, cast, manifest, or use DC:-4
• Identify Arcane Magics, Spells, Effects: DC:- Knowledge Arcana (this was previously handled by spellcraft). DC = 10 + Level of the Spell. Success indicates you know the name of the spell, the type of affect (divine, arcane, psionic etc), the level, and a general description. Success by 5 or more allows you to read the entry.
• Identify Divine Magics, Spells and Effects- Knowledge Religion: (this was previously handled by spellcraft) This includes the vestiges of the binder. DC = 10 + Level of the Spell. Success indicates you know the name of the spell, the type of affect (divine, arcane, psionic etc), the level, and a general description. Success by 5 or more allows you to read the entry.
• Identify Druidic Magic, Spells and Effects- Knowledge Nature: (this was previously handled by spellcraft) This includes the vestiges of the binder. DC = 10 + Level of the Spell. Success indicates you know the name of the spell, the type of affect (divine, arcane, psionic etc), the level, and a general description. Success by 5 or more allows you to read the entry.
• Identify Psionic Powers & Effects and Martial Arts- Knowledge Mysticism: This includes truenames as used by truenamers. Identify martial arts style: DC 10 and you learn name, its cultural origin, general philosophy, and its novice ability. For each 5 you beat the DC you know an additional feat in the style’s chain. For powers and soulmelds, DC = 10 + Level of the Spell. Success indicates you know the name of the spell, the type of affect (divine, arcane, psionic etc), the level, and a general description. Success by 5 or more allows you to read the entry.
• Identify Weapon Style of Maneuver- Knowledge Martial Lore: make Knowledge Martial Lore check, DC 15 to determine weapon style, DC 10 + maneuver level to determine the maneuver, making the check tells you the name, the level, a general description, and the school its from. Making the check by more then 5 gives the player the option to read the entry.
Learn about Creatures: DC 10 + the monsters base HD (subtract templates, advancement, and class levels) to determine the Type of creature and its approximate power, using the correct knowledge type for the creature. For every 5 points you succeed by you gain additional information in this order
• DC 10 + Base HD: Creature type and approximate power (base CR compared to your level): Equal (+/- 1 CR),Pushover (CR 2-4 or less of level), No threat (CR 5 or less), Tough Opponent (CR 2-4 over level),Overpowering (CR 5 or more over level).
• DC +5: Special attacks or abilities that would be widely known: petrifying gaze, burrowing, breath weapon,constriction, wish bestowal, etc.
• DC +10: Damage reduction and Immunities: DR/silver, immune to fire, etc.
• DC +15: Resistances and vulnerabilities: strong resistance to fire, spell resistance, vulnerable to fire,
• DC +20: Rarely used abilities, understanding of alien psychologies and motivations, individuals of the creature type

Knowledges:

• Arcana (arcane magic, constructs, dragons, magical beasts, ancient mysteries, arcane symbols, shadow mysteries)
• Architecture and Engineering (buildings, bridges, fortifications, mechanical works and devices,
• Dungeoneering (caves, caverns, aberrations, oozes, spelunking)

• Geography (lands, terrain, climates, peoples, this includes what was under the category of Knowledge local includinglaws, customs, traditions, and humanoid inhabitants of the areas)Geography is split into separate categories: 
• Arcadian Empire 
• The Jeweled Cities: the Jeweled Cities and their region.
• Middle Kingdoms: from the Savaged Coast in the South, to Timbal in the North, west of the Barrier Peaks.
• The Far North: North of Timbal and West of the Barrier Peaks including Cirdonia.
• The Fallen East: Lands east of the Barrier Peaks.
• The Desert Kingdoms: The Lands of Burning Sands, Senpat Empire and Holdings, and Harad
• The Mystic South: The lands south of the Burning Sands including Ashalan and Shai.
• The Unknown West: includes the Olman Islands and the Edge of the Western Continent and Meckros City, Farshore, Cauldron.

• History (Wars, migrations, events, famous persons and beings, legends and stories).
• Northern Continent:
• Western Continent
• Southern Continent

• Martial Lore (Tactics, military units, weapon styles, martial maneuvers, combat skills, operate siege engine)
• Mysticism (psionics. martial arts)

• Nature (Animals, fey, plants, giants, monstrous humanoids, plants, weather, vermin, druidic Magic)

• Nobility and Royalty (Lineages, leaders, heraldry, personalities, politics, factions
• Northern Continent:
• Southern Continent

• Religion (Divine Magics, Gods, goddess, holy symbols, religious traditions, holy texts, undead, binding vestiges)
• Planes (other planes of existence, outsiders, elementals)

Synergy: 

• 5 ranks in arcana gives you +2 on spellcraft, 
• 5 ranks in architecture and engineering gets you +2 on search checks to find secret doors, 
• 5 ranks in geography gives you +2 on survival checks to avoid hazards or getting lost, 
• 5 ranks in history gives +2 on bardic knowledge checks, 
• 5 ranks in the appropriate knowledge geography gives you +2 on gather information checks, 
• 5 ranks in nature gives you +2 on survival checks in natural environments, 
• 5 ranks in nobility and royalty gives +2 on diplomacy checks, 
• 5 ranks in religion gives +2 on turn checks against undead, 
• 5 ranks in planes gives +2 on survival checks on other planes, 
• 5 ranks in dungeoneering gives +2 on survival checks underground, 
• 5 ranks in survival gives +2 on nature checks.