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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Markn" data-source="post: 4970027" data-attributes="member: 21827">Passive knowledge check work well.  The basic premise is that in each tier as you rise higher in the tier and your passive check gets higher you will begin to know more and more about the monsters you are facing.  Once you reach the next tier, the DCs are bumped up and the process begins again.  It seems to be pretty solid.  Of course, pure min-maxing can break this but I think it takes a fairly concerted effort to break the intent behind the design.On the other hand, I have yet to find the proper medium to give the info out.  I've tried just giving the monster lore but that doesn't seem to follow the intent for monster knowledge since there are different DCs for powers, key words, etc.  Then I tried giving the knowledge info out at the beginning of each players first turn in combat, but that became a literal pain as combat would stop so I could give info out.  Ultimately, while the passive check design is nice, the presentation has yet to feel right so that there is a flow of combat.  It would be nice to give out a piece of info here or there but giving it out over time seems to rob the PC who invests in the skill.  Still not sure how to hand out the info but I am very happy with the passive check mechanic and so far works fantastically.The other thing I have noticed in this thread, is that DMs give out different info - some giving monster lore (which doesn't seem to fit with the knowledge check IMHO), others giving out more crunch.  This area could be greatly improved by WotC.  In fact, I would like to see a future MM have an appendix that discussess the use of this, how to present it and offer options for different playstyles.  It may even go a long way to getting people purchase future MM's instead of just rehashed monsters.  While they have done a great job with PHB and DMG (from a driving interest in the sales of future volumes perspective), they have yet to hit on a "draw" for the MM other than leaving a few key monsters for MM2 but I suspect with each MM iteration they will have less and less sales.  I predict the next great innovation for D&D will be MM design.</blockquote>

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