D&D 5E Knowledge: Nobility and Local?

[Derren]

Only big problem I see with adding "far greater granularity" on to the 5e system is avoiding the problems that such granularity caused in a system like 3e/3.5e. The problem where the DM would have to make the DC of tasks really high to challenge the players that concentrated on certain skills, which made those tasks impossible for most others. Every lock becomes a superior lock with DC 40 after a certain level and every enemy has +30 perception.

Only if you scale the DC according to the level of the party like it was the rule in 4E instead of using the DC according to the simulated circumstances like the 3E skill system was supposed to be used. That way even a high level party can face average locks. Sure, they are no challenge for an expert lockpick. But someone who just dabbled in it might still face a challenge.

There is one problem though and it is not limited to skills . The D20. Especially with 5Es supposedly flat math the randomness blots out nearly everything a skill system has to offer unless you set the "bound" so high that you basically reach 3E level of skills.

Still I believe that the advantages of a fine granular skill system far outweigh any disadvantages as it allows for more characterization and avoids issues like they are presented in this thread where someone who knows animals also knows geography because they are lumped together into the same skill.

 

[Psikerlord#]

I think there's too many knowledge skills as it is. I'm very happy nobility and the infinitely-iteratable Local have gone.



As others have said History covers all of these. In addition, the background gives some learning -- I do't expect a commoner folk-hero to know heraldry, but a noble would. That's part of the virtue of the backgrounds -- they let the player sell why their character knows this. ("I'm a sailor! I've travelled to every port in the land, of course I know a bar in this town.")



I think if the character hasn't seen it before, a straight unmodified Int roll should do fine.

I agree, History is good in 5e, andthank god local lore is gone, that was terribad. I am also a fan of int checks to know what monsters are, get clues about them, etc... makes int less of a dump stat.