Know (Religion)

[incognito]

Besides the obvious roleplaying reason, it there any mechanics reason to take Know (Religion)? I am seeing too many Clerics L7+ with only a token 1 or 2 ranks

 

[Al]

Well, like all Knowledge skills, Knowledge [Religion] is as useful as the DM makes it. If the campaign is very orientated towards ancient prophecies, the intricacies of precise liturgical idiosyncracies and power-jostling in the ranks of the player's church, then it becomes useful. In a beer-and-pretzels dungeon hack, it is indeed of limited value.

One relatively cheap trick that the DM can pull to increase its utility is to have an ecclesiastical hierarchy with associate benefits but which requires a greater understanding of doctrine (i.e. K[R]) to advance. So, to become a bishop (say), the PC needs to be not just 8th level (or whatever) and have fulfilled various tasks for the church, but also needs a minimal number of ranks in K[R]. If the benefits are significant and tangible, then you have ascribed a mechanical usage to the skill without sacrificing verisimilitude.

 

[mikebr99]

The Contemplative PrC needs 13+ ranks in Knowledge (religion).

 

[Rill]

An Epic level cleric would need 24 ranks to be able to take the Epic Spellcasting feat. I don't believe there are any core rules that promote ranks in knowledge (religion). Of course, as mentioned above, there are plenty of role-play reasons at the DM's fingertips.


-Rill

 

[Pax]

As I view divine spellcasting as inherently difference from arcane spellcasting, I ue "Knowledge (Religion) as a Spellcraft skill thatapplies only to Divine spellcasting, and then, I apply Spellcraft only to Arcane spellcasting.

Not a core rule, but it at least promotes Clerics with higher Knoweldge (Religion) skills, who have it for a REASON ...

 

[silvertable81]

As I view divine spellcasting as inherently difference from arcane spellcasting, I ue "Knowledge (Religion) as a Spellcraft skill thatapplies only to Divine spellcasting, and then, I apply Spellcraft only to Arcane spellcasting.

Not a core rule, but it at least promotes Clerics with higher Knoweldge (Religion) skills, who have it for a REASON ...

Exactly what I was gonna say.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Besides the obvious roleplaying reason, it there any mechanics reason to take Know (Religion)? I am seeing too many Clerics L7+ with only a token 1 or 2 ranks

Roleplaying reasons are fair enough.

Some situations:
A Clr 7 of Selûne with one rank of K[R] encounters a dark-clad woman with a black disk with deep purple border on her garments. The woman stands him a drink. 5 minutes later, the Selûnite finds himself on the fugue plane.

With only one rank in K[R], combined with the Clerics only average Intelligence, it's quite possible he doesn't even know who his church's enemies are.


Or a Clr 7 of Kelemvor whith one rank is asked to speak a final prayer for a dying old man. He says he doesn't have time for this and they shall bugger off. He wonders why a couple of days later, he's thrown out of church, can't cast spells any more, and everyone shuns him.

With only one rank, you probably doesn't even know what your church does.


A DM should tell his players that Knowledge[Religion] is very important to a cleric, and that they need more than just a token rank to know all the services they must perform, and all they have to know about their religion, and on other religions as well.
If I were DM and had a player with to little ranks of Knowledge[Religion] (say, less than max Rank/2), I'd start to punish them for bad Roleplaying. (I'm so happy that you can't have illiterate wizards any more)