D&D 5E Knowledge skills in combat

[ad_hoc]

I haven't run/played it yet. If this came up in game I'd probably ask the players if they were taking an action or two during combat to look up info on the monsters and that I'd consider them incapacitated while they were doing it.

Keep in mind that it only takes an action to take out a scroll, read it, and cast the spell on it.

 

[Oofta]

Keep in mind that it only takes an action to take out a scroll, read it, and cast the spell on it.

But this isn't a spell scroll the person is reading, it's reading a reference manual. In combat. First they have to look up the monster category then cross reference with the index (which always sucks) and then read through the entry which is going to be 10 times longer than it needs to be because Volo.

So if I were running the game I would assume the book was referenced off-line and gives a benefit to checks. Not at the table.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

So two friends of friends are rubbing each other wrong. Sorry Sos you're SOL. Talk to the dm about knowledge check in combat. I would say burn your action and roll the check. Talk with this goober about your problem with him. If he does not change, don't play with him. Remember no gaming is better than bad gaming.

Honestly...i avoided stepping on his toes as best i could. But my character is a knowledge heavy dude. I never intended for him to get bent out of shape. Its like it just happened as if its what he decided he wanted actively or something. As if hes being weirdly territorial.

Good advice though. Thats what ill do. Imma start burning actions to JUST roll knowledge checks (if he will even allow them. This guy has him thinking combat would prevent me from even doing such a check due to issues with focusing when there is combat)

 

[Son of the Serpent]

What I would do is try to explain to the DM that there is no explicit rule preventing you from using knowledge skills in combat.

Sadly, however, 5e does not offer advice as to how they might be used. At my table, I have implemented a few simple guidelines for knowledge-based checks in combat:

• You can make an Insight check to ascertain the enemy's morale, as well as who the leader of the group is.
• You can make an Arcana check to see what type of spells/abilities the enemies are using.
• You can make a Nature check to learn more about enemies who are Beasts or Fey (this one is only sometimes implemented).
• You can make a Medicine check to try to ascertain how many hit points the enemy has remaining, and so on and so forth...

Just try to explain to the DM that you don't even need a special homebrew system for this to work. Skills should be able to do what they normally do, regardless of the situation. Of course, not all skills are always applicable, and there is an immense amount of DM purview that comes into play.

Do you have any RAW saying skills should do what they normally do in combat? Because this player basically has the dm convinced that only what specifically has combat mentioned in its description has any capacity during combat.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

But this isn't a spell scroll the person is reading, it's reading a reference manual. In combat. First they have to look up the monster category then cross reference with the index (which always sucks) and then read through the entry which is going to be 10 times longer than it needs to be because Volo.

So if I were running the game I would assume the book was referenced off-line and gives a benefit to checks. Not at the table.

if you have a plus 12 to every knowledge though the issue is less to do with time taken to look something up (most of the time) and more to do with questions like "does this character know relevant information X before having ever entered this combat. At least it feels like that.

 

[Oofta]

if you have a plus 12 to every knowledge though the issue is less to do with time taken to look something up (most of the time) and more to do with questions like "does this character know relevant information X before having ever entered this combat. At least it feels like that.

What I was talking about initially was referencing a book during combat. Reading a manual takes more than a few seconds.

It's different than a bonus to know about monsters because you studied a book during downtime.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

What I was talking about initially was referencing a book during combat. Reading a manual takes more than a few seconds.

It's different than a bonus to know about monsters because you studied a book during downtime.

Ah. You were talking about literally reading a book at that moment whereas i was talking about likely hood to know due to accumulated knowledge over years or more recently (either) prior to the combat. Sorry i got confused. I see.

 

[jasper]

What I was talking about initially was referencing a book during combat. Reading a manual takes more than a few seconds.

It's different than a bonus to know about monsters because you studied a book during downtime.

hmm sarge sarge the monsters are shooting at us and eating the bard.
Sarge, "well shoot back!"
hmmm sarge sarge I am scared and where is my l.a.m. manual.
Sarge, "fool you don't have time to read a manual in combat.
Hmm. I remember. FRM-72a, Forgotten Realms Manual dash 72 a. Firing of Light Anti-Monster rocket. Stand. Left foot toward target. Pull pin with right hand. Knock rear cover off with right hand. Slide left hand down to top of tube to insure top cover is removed. Grasp firmly with left hand 2 inches below the top of tube. Right hand one inch above end of tube. EXTEND until locked. Push in to insure lock. Rotate to shoulder while bringing right forward so the body is positions at a 45 degree angle toward target. Take sight picture. With right hand pull safety forward. Move right hand to trigger. With right thumb under the tube and four fingers on trigger, squeeze trigger.....
BOOM,
I did it sarge.
Sarge, "Yea. But you took the bard with it.
This way we get first crack at the bar maids off post next pay day week end.

 

[Son of the Serpent]

hmm sarge sarge the monsters are shooting at us and eating the bard.
Sarge, "well shoot back!"
hmmm sarge sarge I am scared and where is my l.a.m. manual.
Sarge, "fool you don't have time to read a manual in combat.
Hmm. I remember. FRM-72a, Forgotten Realms Manual dash 72 a. Firing of Light Anti-Monster rocket. Stand. Left foot toward target. Pull pin with right hand. Knock rear cover off with right hand. Slide left hand down to top of tube to insure top cover is removed. Grasp firmly with left hand 2 inches below the top of tube. Right hand one inch above end of tube. EXTEND until locked. Push in to insure lock. Rotate to shoulder while bringing right forward so the body is positions at a 45 degree angle toward target. Take sight picture. With right hand pull safety forward. Move right hand to trigger. With right thumb under the tube and four fingers on trigger, squeeze trigger.....
BOOM,
I did it sarge.
Sarge, "Yea. But you took the bard with it.
This way we get first crack at the bar maids off post next pay day week end.

presumably a knowledge skill wouldn't typically mean you're looking it up right then. the book doesn't have the knowledge skill after all. you do. was definitely a funny joke though.

 

[Coroc]

the dm and i have been told by a fellow player who dm's that the fact my wizard functionally has expertise in all knowledge skills is not usable during combat at all. i can't ask him if i "know" anything, during combat. can't ask if i know about a monster. know any of its vulnerabilities. commonly known weaknesses. rarely known ones. i have a +12 to all knowledges. i can't ask to know any sort of thing about combat? really? is there anything about this that isn't quite right? he's been told he shouldn't ask me to roll any knowledges at all when i see a creature. basically this player in and out of combat keeps finding reasons to say knowledge skills basically just don't have functions.

Well, why? This is excellent roleplaying, the fighter shouting to the wizard to reveal some weakness about a mob. Although if I DM this normally is no arcana check but a nature check, unless the mob is some outer plane or magic beast. If it were undead maybe a religion check would help.