Multiplicity of Knowledge skills

[MerakSpielman]

The biggies are (as we all know):

Arcana
Religion
Nature

then there are the minor ones (there were even more in the 3.0 SRD, but I can't seem to access it right now):

Architecture and Engineering
Dungeoneering
Geography
History
Local
Nobility and Royalty
The Planes

Then different books/suppliments feel the need to add even more!

If you want to be knowledgeable, you really have to spread your skill points pretty thin...

 

[Wippit Guud]

The biggies are (as we all know):
Architecture and Engineering
Dungeoneering
Geography
History
Local
Nobility and Royalty
The Planes

The extra knowledges are listed mainly because they offer synergy bonuses.
I'm sure you could take a broader knowledge (say knowledge(science)), which would allow more access to knowledges (could cover physics, engineering, geography), but doesn't grant the synergy bonuses

 

[MarauderX]

IMC I just apply an adjusted modifier for what/where the player was looking for. If a player is from a kingdom of the west and travels to the empire in the east, she won't necessarily know the customs in the empire and would make a knowledge(architecture) check (with penalties) when trying to locate a church/town hall/etc. Same thing goes for the others as needed. I really don't see much use for a long list of knowledge skills to choose from, as it just encumbers the game and gives weakens the PC's knowledge skill by having to choose separate catagories.
Or you could hire a bard who has that off-chance of knowing something about everything.

 

[Saeviomagy]

The biggies are (as we all know):

Arcana
Religion
Nature

then there are the minor ones (there were even more in the 3.0 SRD, but I can't seem to access it right now):

Architecture and Engineering
Dungeoneering
Geography
History
Local
Nobility and Royalty
The Planes

Then different books/suppliments feel the need to add even more!

If you want to be knowledgeable, you really have to spread your skill points pretty thin...

If you've got max ranks in ALL of those, you're more than knowledgable. You've got a full-blown lifetime of education in each one. You're an expert in every area of knowledge.

And you wonder why it requires an investment?

 

[ciaran00]

I have a "freeze" on all knowledge and craft skills. For knowledges I use:
Arcanum, Construction, Enterprise (trade laws, practices, etc), Governance (social laws, ruling, kings, dynasties, etc), Military, Nature, Necrology, Planar, and Religion.

In addition I have skills called Abstraction (for Math), Chemistry (was Alchemy), and Anatomy (was Heal).

ciaran

 

[pawsplay]

You only have to put ranks into skills you have an uncommon knowledge of. You could put just 1 rank in each for a "Professor" type character.

 

[Olive]

You only have to put ranks into skills you have an uncommon knowledge of. You could put just 1 rank in each for a "Professor" type character.

I have a character in my game who did this. With good intelligence, you can make a fantastic number of knowledge skills fairly useful...