? bout gather info & bard knowledge

[HippoLord]

Basically, what does gather information offer that bardic knowledge doesn't already seem to give you? I had thought that bardic knowledge was more along the lines of the identify spell and a mishmash of the other knowledge skills (kind of like Cliff Clavin knowledge versus the wizard's Frazier Crane knowledge skills) but all of the examples in the PHB seem much more like gather info skill. I had figured that I would pick this skill but if you can know the local knight's family tree and a wizard's childhood name how much more would it really offer?

 

[Crothian]

Gather info is going around and asking people. It's investigating and hitting the streets.

Bard Knoweldge is relying on the thousands of conversations you've heard and the bits and pieces of facts you've picked up along the way.

 

[HippoLord]

Okay, I kinda figured that part out, but --- doesn't that make the knowledge that they are getting the same!? So, effectively the difference is gather info takes a night and some money to pull off while bard knowledge checks are free? That would make gather info only useful as a backup for a bard and not a skill likely to get picked very often.

 

[Crothian]

It really depends on the info they are trying to gather. I guess this really falls in the grey area of DM judgement. I use Bardic Knowledge more for info that deals with legends, tales, and other things in the Bards domain. I use Gather Info to learn rumors of the area and inffo on specific people tied to that area.

 

[Garmorn]

Here is the way I see the diffence between the two.


Bardic Knowlage. Stuff of ledgend or acient knowlage. Who killed the King's Greatgrandfather or where was the City of Om?

Gather Information: Things that a now and change or known only by the particpates and maybe a small circle around them. How do you contact the smuggler guild? Who killed the girl that was found by your door this morning?