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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rod Staffwand" data-source="post: 6536387" data-attributes="member: 6776279">I actually misremembered 5e having a very similar section to 4e on monster lore checks. First World problem: too many game books...Checking 5e's skill section we have references to knowing about animals or monsters in the arcana ("inhabitants of other planes"), nature and survival skills. Survival actually mentions identifying owlbear tracks.Obviously, your concept of your campaign world and the presence of monsters in it are a huge factor in the appropriateness of monster lore checks. Though I do think if you want to maintain an air of mystery you probably shouldn't just grab bog-standard baddies from the MM.Still, the thread is on the complexity of tactics in D&D rather than monster lore. My point was that identifying the strengths and weaknesses of enemies through skills, spells or careful observation is a valid (perhaps essential) endeavor and one that holds true in D&D.A subset of this as mentioned previously (by iserith, I believe) is knowing the goals of your enemies (or at least giving the PCs and their enemies goals other than wiping the other side out). Knowing that the carrion crawler just wants food means that the party might be able to distract it with Ye Olde Ren Faire Turkey Leg. Knowing that the goblins are demoralized from the harsh treatment of their green dragon overlord means they might be primed to break and run--or turn traitor.Some DMs might be free with this information ("the carrion crawler hungers for all in its path!" or "the goblins attack half-heartedly, falling back into defensive postures more often than not"), others might call for a check to get it or force the PCs to happen upon the intel naturally.</blockquote>

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