Knowledge (monster) skill - how would you do it?

[Kahuna Burger]

The first thing that popped into my mind in seeing this skill is the fact that the sources of information (old books, talking to "experts") would be notoriously unreliable. Great way to derail the players even with a good check.

The same could be said of arcana, planes or any other knowlege skill, really, but that isn't the way they work.

Why would you want to 'derail' players who are willing to spend the skill points and roleplay the research? I don't play against my characters. What would be the point?

If people can't challenge players without changing the rules on them (you got a 25 on your skill check but it fails horribly! Because I can't handle the results of you not going into combat blind!) they should turn them over to a DM who can.

Kahuna Burger

 

[Fenris]

Why would you want to 'derail' players who are willing to spend the skill points and roleplay the research? I don't play against my characters. What would be the point?

If people can't challenge players without changing the rules on them (you got a 25 on your skill check but it fails horribly! Because I can't handle the results of you not going into combat blind!) they should turn them over to a DM who can.

Kahuna Burger

Because I have players that can quote stats and descriptions for most monters. By leading them slightly astray, it challenges some of the Players assumptions. It is metagaming, but after so many years you have to due something to keep the players on their toes. And I am refering to nocturnal vs diurnal or solitary vs pack type of information not very game breaking. But that is also why I have more homebrew monsters that are newly "discovered" and therefore not as well characterized.