Streetwise skill not needed

[Zurai]

Streetwise requires an hour to go and talk to the locals this is far different than nature or dungeoneering.

Some uses of both Nature and Dungeoneering - relating to finding what you need - also take 1 hour.

 

[mvincent]

Streetwise DID combine two skills: Gather Information, and Knowledge: Local.

Except in 3.5, "Knowledge: Local" was commonly used to obtain monster information about humanoids.

In 4e that is now usually handled via the Nature skill.

 

[doctorhook]

Here's something to ponder:
It's called Streetwise but it's based on Cha. Wouldnt that make it Streetcharismatic?

I'm with this guy.

Seriously, I think Streetwise is the "black sheep" knowledge skill; it's not a knowledge skill explicitly, but it behaves like one. In this way, it's the urban analog to Nature and Dungeoneering.

For example, if I'm looking for food in a wilderness environment, I make a DC 15 Nature check to find enough to feed one person. In a completely foreign or alien city, I could make a DC 15 Streetwise check to determine the same thing, even if I can't read the signs, communicate with the locals, and don't know my way around. (Obviously, in more familiar urban environments, I shouldn't need to bother.) Similarly, while I'm spelunking, I can use Dungeoneering to determine which cave slimes are friendly and which ones aren't. By the same token, I use Streetwise to determine which local folks aren't to be dicked with.

I realize my examples above aren't all skill uses specified in the book, but they seem reasonable and appropriate.

Lastly, I disagree that Streetwise belongs as a part of Diplomacy (or vice versa). Diplomacy is inherently a social skill, whereas, as per a few of my above examples, Streetwise doesn't necessarily have to be.

...Which could mean that, sometimes, webrunner is right: Streetwise should use Wisdom instead of Charisma. (But only sometimes.)

 

[Zurai]

Here's something to ponder:
It's called Streetwise but it's based on Cha. Wouldnt that make it Streetcharismatic?

Here's another something to ponder:

Is a wiseguy wise, or charismatic?

 

[Duelpersonality]

Here's another something to ponder:

Is a wiseguy wise, or charismatic?

And what about cracking wise?

 

[runnerXL]

If you are wanting to make the information gathering into more of a challenge then perhaps using streetwise to find the right peple to talk to followed by diplomacy/intimidate/bluff to get the info. Doing that X times gives your players the chance to get X pieces of info from X different people, each needing different "face man" skills (diplomacy/intimidate/bluff) to get the info out of.

Example:

The parties rogue first leads the party to the hidden temple of Kord (streetwise: hard DC) where the cleric uses his Religion knowledge to sympathise with the resident priest and the wizard uses diplomacy to get info A.

Next the rogue leads the party to the city's dungeon's (streetwise: easy DC) where the fighter intimidates a prisoner to get info B.

Finally the rogue searches for the local thieves guild (streetwise: hard DC) but fails the check. He was hoping to bluff his way into finding out info C but the party will carry on without it...

You could even make each small segment a mini skill challenge - a challenge within a challenge each worth a fraction of the total encounter exp.

Another use I could see streetwisebeing used for; during an urban chase using knowledge of alleys to cut corners. Diplomacy would not work for this.

 

[Stogoe]

I might have added "Forage in Back Alleys" to the Streetwise skill use, to put it more in line with Dungeoneering and Nature. I still might.

 

[mvincent]

I note that Streetwise can be used to "locate the best deal".

That could (depending on your DM) potentially make it the most useful skill in the game.

 

[sfedi]

Streetwise also folds in the Knowledge: Royalty and Nobility

 

[Mengu]

Too many streetwisecracks in this alley...

Really a Fighter or Warlock doesn't have access to diplomacy. Streetwise is their way of contributing to social encounters. I'd leave it be. It gives a slightly different spin on how a player can approach a social challenge. The fighter perhaps doesn't know how to convince the mayor to give them a map of underground catacombs, but he might be able to sweettalk the barkeep to show him an entrace through the wine cellar.