Knowledge: Local?

[DonTadow]

Perhaps you could apply a -2 circumstanial modifier when the PC is out of a familiar area. After some time in the new region (maybe a month) and maybe some gather information checks, the PC is considered acclimated: he's met the important folks, knows where the best taverns are, etc.

If you take a party-hopper out of his local scene, he'll be disoriented for a bit but will catch on to the new area pretty quick.

But then you miss the point, do you apply a penallty for knowledge of religion checks if the pc is not of that religion?

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

I've replaced Knowledge: Local with Knowledge: Streetwise from d20 Modern. As Tonguez notes, PCs are the most cosmopolitan people in any setting, widely-travelled and quick to pick up foreign ways.

It's really no mechanical change, but phrasing it that way allows the more universal use of the skill to make sense.

 

[ARandomGod]

Because that's not what "Local" means. If the skill were called "Knowledge (demography & folklore)" then I would agree with you, and maybe it should be, but it's not.

But local does mean the area you are in, which means whatever area you're IN> Sure, you don't know anything about the area across the country... until you get there.

I just find the restriction to be very odd, and contrary to the way all other Knowledge skills work.

It is. But as it's obviously a house-rule, it's OK that it be as contrary as the GM wants it to be.

 

[DonTadow]

But local does mean the area you are in, which means whatever area you're IN> Sure, you don't know anything about the area across the country... until you get there.




It is. But as it's obviously a house-rule, it's OK that it be as contrary as the GM wants it to be.

Houserules aside, As fars as RAW it does not state it being to a particular local. It actually makes no sense when you limit it to a local the pc is familiar with if you think all of the knowledge skills are based off of things the pcs learned and studied. Knowledge local, like the others, could be picked up from a book or text.

 

[Storm Raven]

But then you miss the point, do you apply a penallty for knowledge of religion checks if the pc is not of that religion?

For the record: yes.

Here's how I run Knowledge: Local - the player defines the "Local" that his knowledge applies to. The larger the area, the more generalized the knowledge.

If you pick a single city, you are going to know about every significant personage in the city, all of the political and commercial machinations, minute details concerning the history and development of the city and so on.

If you pick an entire nation, then your information will be more generalized, and not as detailed.

If you pick the entire material plane, then you get really broad stuff. At that point you are better off taking Knowledge: History, Knowledge: Geography, and so on.

 

[Storm Raven]

Why? Why can't it be "information about areas"? Why can't it tell you about legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws, customs, traditions, and humanoids, like it says it does?

Because the skill is not "Bardic Lore".

 

[ARandomGod]

Because the skill is not "Bardic Lore".

Agreed. Therefore you can't use it to identify magic items.... or do anything other than what's described in the skill description. Having it be bardic lore would be giving it the ability to do more than is listed in the skill description, which would be a house-rule. However having it do anything LESS than described is also a house-rule.

 

[Storyteller01]

To the original poster:

Sounds right to me. Knowledge (local) is only used for specific regions, but doesn't require much is the line of research. You already know the knowledge.

If you are away from the province and have access to natives, you can use Gather Information. Roughly the same quality of info, but Gather Info requires an evenings worth of time to gain that info.

 

[DonTadow]

For the record: yes.

Here's how I run Knowledge: Local - the player defines the "Local" that his knowledge applies to. The larger the area, the more generalized the knowledge.

If you pick a single city, you are going to know about every significant personage in the city, all of the political and commercial machinations, minute details concerning the history and development of the city and so on.

If you pick an entire nation, then your information will be more generalized, and not as detailed.

If you pick the entire material plane, then you get really broad stuff. At that point you are better off taking Knowledge: History, Knowledge: Geography, and so on.

Ok, with this being in the rules forum, I think we should stick to RAW. Raw says what is says. I think of the skill as a geography book. And obviously a person with knowledge local has read up on local cities. He'd knows how the city's run, folklore about cities, history of hte city and powersources. The better he roles the more he knows. If a person has the knowledge skill they roll it when they enter the city and that roll displays what they know about the city or how much informaiton I would give them. IF a person increases his knowledge skill as the game goes by, he has to say how he did it and mosto f the time it is by reading or studying (as most knowledge skills are gained in my game.

As far as religion, how much of ascholar on religion can someone be if they only know the religion that they deal with.

 

[Connorsrpg]

I am one that believes K:local should be 'local'.

yes, other skills, may also be considered 'local'. Ie knowing about own religion first and then other deities from same religion and then what about other religions entirely?

I use the following table to represent this. I use it for practically all Knowledge skills, including local. From our House Rules - NB: area where PC grew up could also be another area where PC takes ranks in K:local - making this a very useful skill I need to write that in...mmm. How many ranks? Sorry, ranting, here is the cut from our House rules:

Knowledge: In general the following circumstance modifiers apply to all Knowledge skill checks according to how close one is to where they grew up for a majority of their life. These modifiers represent knowledge of people, places, things that originated from the given area, not necessarily where they may be encountered:
Vicinity (Examples Modifier)

Immediate locale - Home town/village, local city neighbourhood, surrounding vale, part of woods, etc. Eg: Town of Rutherford. (+10)

Home area - Rural community and surrounding farms, city quarter, part of large or whole of small forest/marsh/hills, bay area, etc. Eg: Town of Rutherford and surrounding farms and southern Ralferst Forest (in which Rutherford lies). (+5)

Home division - Duchy, barony, county, whole of large city, whole of large forest/hills/marsh, whole of and bordering areas for small forest/hills/marsh, coastline, etc. Eg: Duchy of Dalgani. (+2)

Home region or land - Country, kingdom, land division (as described in Homelands document). Eg: Brymoria. (+0)

Surrounding region or land - Country, kingdom, land division that borders upon homeland or a region where people have settled recently from homeland. Eg (using Brymoria as homeland): Borderlands, Chandalaya (east), Dalelands, Mornalduum Heights, Thaldaria (all bordering) & Crescent Isles, North Frontier, Brandon, Southern Baronies (where Brymorians have settled recently). (-2)

Near region or land - Country, kingdom, land not bordering homeland but considered near enough to encounter through trade/war etc (usually other side of bordering regions). May also apply to kingdoms that border regions where people from your homeland have settled. Eg (using Brymoria as homeland): Danirheim, Bador, Ashville, Dlactland, Cavandare, Chandalaya (west), Relvoor (all near Brymoria) & Agea, Avalin, Matusuland, Carantha, South Frontier, Lizardspine Mountains (all lands/regions bordering those where Brymorians have recently settled). (-5)

Distant or foreign land - One a character may have heard of, but has no relationship with one’s homeland. (-10)

Appologies for layout. Table didn't come over

I could easily do this using egs from another CS if that helps. This is from our home brew and uses places familiar to our players.

Some may find it complicated, but when you have a map and know the regions it works wonderfully (oh and when set out in a easy to undertand table )