What sort of skill check would you use?

[MadScientist]

In my next game the PC's may decide to investigate the death of young woman in town. In this case she was killed by a group cultists that worship Baal, the great hunter and warrior.

Anyway when they killed her they tried to make it look like she was mauled by an animal by using fake claws. If the PCs get a close look at the body what sort of skill check would you use to allow them to determine that the wounds weren't caused by an animal? Knowledge Nature? Wilderness Lore? Heal?

 

[hong]

I'd say Knowledge (whatever), depending on the type of creature that caused the kill. The PHB lists out the Knowledge skills that apply to each creature type, eg Knowledge (religion) for undead, Knowledge (arcana) for dragons, etc.

 

[Piratecat]

Heal would tell you how big the claws were, but I think that knowledge:nature would reveal that they weren't from a real animal.

 

[MadScientist]

Thanx for the responces Hong and PC. My gut was telling me that Knowledge (Nature) was the skill I should use, but for some reason I felt like I needed to get some other opinions. I guess Knowledge (Nature) it is.

 

[Zaruthustran]

Thanx for the responces Hong and PC. My gut was telling me that Knowledge (Nature) was the skill I should use, but for some reason I felt like I needed to get some other opinions. I guess Knowledge (Nature) it is.

I generally use Heal for all types of forensic checks: how long a body's been dead, cause of death, etc. And, like everyone else, I'd ask for know: nature to see if a person recognized the wounds as being inconsistent with normal animal attacks.

-z

 

[fba827]

In my next game the PC's may decide to investigate the death of young woman in town. In this case she was killed by a group cultists that worship Baal, the great hunter and warrior.

Anyway when they killed her they tried to make it look like she was mauled by an animal by using fake claws. If the PCs get a close look at the body what sort of skill check would you use to allow them to determine that the wounds weren't caused by an animal? Knowledge Nature? Wilderness Lore? Heal?

I'd definately say that a Knowledge Nature check would be needed to determine that it isn't an animal.

A Heal check would be able to tell what what, clinically, caused the death "i.e. a slash to the stomache and heart" - (that slash of course could be a claw, certain knives, etc.)

just my two cents anyway.

 

[the Jester]

I'd prolly allow either a knowlege (nature) or heal check, whichever the pc preferred.