Bonus to Knowledge Religion check if of same faith?

[fba827]

This is really a minor question and I don't know why I am going through the trouble asking the boards, but, here goes ...

Suppose there is an artifact. And there is a Knowledge Religion and a Bardic Knowledge check available with their own respective DCs for a PC to recognize the artifact and its powers.

If a PC is a bard or cleric of the same faith as the originator of the artifact, should that PC receive a bonus on their check? The rationale being that they would have studied more about their own religion/faith than someone who is of another faith but still has ranks in Knowledge Religion.

Example: An artifact tied to the faith of the Sun God. There is a cleric of the Sun God and a cleric of the Moon god. Both have ranks in Knowledge religion so both are going to try and recognize the particular artifact.

(or substitue bard with bardic knowledge checks, etc.)

What would you say is a reasonable bonus?

None? +2 ? +4 ? Other?

Thoughts?

The situation already passed and I made a decision at the time. But I am just wondering if what I did seems fair and reasonable enough (in case it ever came up again, which it might since all magic items in my campaign really have their own history, often tied to religions) -- what would you do?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Dogbrain]

Normal check is automatic Take10. A Take10 is an automatic Take20. Mind you, I'm presuming good theological and historical education, like one sees among Jesuits, Dominicans, and their ilk.

 

[Scion]

+2 is generally the useful, all purpose, happy dm giving a bonus type of bonus I think that it works well here. It is nice, helpful, but not overpowering. Skill ranks still matter as does natural ability. All in all it helps in a lot of useful ways, plus it represents having heard about it maybe a bit more often than other things in your faith.

If it was in my campaign I would just hand out the +2. I could easily see someone ruling to give someone a bonus equal to half of their ranks in the knowledge (religion) check if the character always went to whatever services were held, carried around at least a few books of his faith, and the item was symbolic in some way.

Of course, some artifacts are just so big in the religion that it'd be foolish even to roll. Hence why I would use the +2, because if it was, 'the big stick of doom that created the world, and I use a representation of it as my holy symbol' then I wouldnt make them roll except possibly to see just how many of the little secrets they remembered or were able to gleen.

 

[Terraism]

Normal check is automatic Take10. A Take10 is an automatic Take20. Mind you, I'm presuming good theological and historical education, like one sees among Jesuits, Dominicans, and their ilk.

Of course, you can't take ten (I think) on Knowledge checks, and I know you can't take twenty. You can't take twenty on anything that can't be retried.

Anyway, I'd go with a +2. It's actually a pretty hefty bonus, all things considered.

 

[Hecateus]

I would be inclined to just give it to them; but the Pick-the-Graile scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade keeps coming to mind. Not all religions carefully define their most precious artifacts.