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<blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 5871468" data-attributes="member: 20323"><p>I house ruled allowing Religion, Nature, and Heal to identify or interact with corresponding ritual types. Also, I suggest using some creativity when it comes to "magical phenomenon"; the entire D&D world is magical after all. If the PCs are examining some runes that the wizard detects magic on to determine they are some kind of crude magical sensors, perhaps the dwarf trained in Dungeoneering can recognize these runes as poison-to-depth readings used to alert miners in the event of breaking a poison gas pocket, and the elf trained in Perception (or an auto-success for a Linguist/bard) notices that there is a hidden pattern among the runes - a trap?</p><p></p><p></p><p>My cheat sheet has a very clear chart ( as does the Rules Compendium). <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-4th-edition-discussion/307923-d-d-4th-edition-dm-cheat-sheet.html" target="_blank">http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-4th-edition-discussion/307923-d-d-4th-edition-dm-cheat-sheet.html</a></p><p></p><p></p><p>My approach is to have a very small amount of "need to know" information - this is the stuff that sets up the premise of the game, leads to a prepared adventure, or develops an individual PC's story. Obviously if you run more linear/path games there is more "need to know" than in sandbox games.</p><p></p><p>With "need to know" information there is no roll involved, there is no skill involved, the PC's just learn it. IME experience such information is best conveyed multiple times thru a "show don't tell" model. That increases the chances of players paying attention and remembering.</p><p></p><p>Then there's everything else, which is "optional" info, and encompasses the vast majority of information the PCs may seek out. Generally if a player asks a story question that's a good indication for a knowledge check, versus top-down into initiated by the DM which is generally "need to know."</p><p></p><p>With "optional" info, a knowledge skill is usually involved. Often this will mean a roll, but sometimes "taking 10" (or a passive check) makes more sense. This can be conveyed simply from DM to player (eg. "you know the duke is alleged to have incestuous relations with his aunt"), thru a plot exposition NPC, a book, or anything really.</p><p></p><p>So that's the difference.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Quickleaf, post: 5871468, member: 20323"] I house ruled allowing Religion, Nature, and Heal to identify or interact with corresponding ritual types. Also, I suggest using some creativity when it comes to "magical phenomenon"; the entire D&D world is magical after all. If the PCs are examining some runes that the wizard detects magic on to determine they are some kind of crude magical sensors, perhaps the dwarf trained in Dungeoneering can recognize these runes as poison-to-depth readings used to alert miners in the event of breaking a poison gas pocket, and the elf trained in Perception (or an auto-success for a Linguist/bard) notices that there is a hidden pattern among the runes - a trap? My cheat sheet has a very clear chart ( as does the Rules Compendium). [URL]http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-4th-edition-discussion/307923-d-d-4th-edition-dm-cheat-sheet.html[/URL] My approach is to have a very small amount of "need to know" information - this is the stuff that sets up the premise of the game, leads to a prepared adventure, or develops an individual PC's story. Obviously if you run more linear/path games there is more "need to know" than in sandbox games. With "need to know" information there is no roll involved, there is no skill involved, the PC's just learn it. IME experience such information is best conveyed multiple times thru a "show don't tell" model. That increases the chances of players paying attention and remembering. Then there's everything else, which is "optional" info, and encompasses the vast majority of information the PCs may seek out. Generally if a player asks a story question that's a good indication for a knowledge check, versus top-down into initiated by the DM which is generally "need to know." With "optional" info, a knowledge skill is usually involved. Often this will mean a roll, but sometimes "taking 10" (or a passive check) makes more sense. This can be conveyed simply from DM to player (eg. "you know the duke is alleged to have incestuous relations with his aunt"), thru a plot exposition NPC, a book, or anything really. So that's the difference. [/QUOTE]
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