D&D 5E What would you do about History and Religion if you shifted settings?

[Ristamar]

I agree with [MENTION=93444]shidaku[/MENTION]. Rather than simply applying negative modifiers to checks, consider modifying the answers or information provided by knowledge based skills. Instead of highlighting precise details, offer generalities and starting points for further investigation based off what they might reasonably intuit. The specificity and context of the information gleaned from checks is molded relative to their exposure to their new environment.

 

[mrpopstar]

You players may not be able to name-drop right away but if they're knowledgeable in history or religion, they'll catch on to how history has been shaped or religion has been formed fairly quickly.

Basically, you, the DM, will have to call for different religion checks. Instead of testing their skills on specific information, you'll need to test their skills on understanding how something functions. It's critical thinking vs scripted answers.

Yes! Unable to name the deity or religion, but able to recognize infernal rites and celestial prayers, recognize traditions and structure, recognize profane symbols, and recognize the universal truths of cult practices.

Could an adventurer from a setting where Loki is known recognize Cyric in the Forgotten Realms? How would training in Religion apply?

 

[Sunseeker]

Could an adventurer from a setting where Loki is known recognize Cyric in the Forgotten Realms? How would training in Religion apply?

You'd likely be looking for a rebellious attitude towards "high" gods, a natural tendency towards only getting part of the information when asking questions or if you cross-checked anything they said about history, other gods or what their plans are you'd get different answers from different members and completely contrary answers from non-followers. You'd likely not find traditional religious structures and would be unlikely to find readily available copies of dogma. (Think poorly xeroxed newsletters).

 

[Herosmith14]

Which is an excellent mechanics answer but doesn't address the DM devaluing player build choices arbitrarily. If, as a player I invest limited build resources in a proficiency under certain expectations of play at the time and then the DM changes those expectations in a permanent way to devalue them completely... yeah, problem.

As to the OP, that sounds like a decent way to handle it but I'd make sure the opportunity to do so came up quickly and not at an opportunity cost. Maybe the players can be taken in by a noble with an extensive library for a few months while they acclimate to the new world after their first shocking adventures. Maybe even then handwave the checks?

I am planning on giving them a week or two of down time pretty soon after they arrive.


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[Gardens & Goblins]

As to the OP, that sounds like a decent way to handle it but I'd make sure the opportunity to do so came up quickly and not at an opportunity cost. Maybe the players can be taken in by a noble with an extensive library for a few months while they acclimate to the new world after their first shocking adventures. Maybe even then handwave the checks?

This is what I'd do. At some point the players encounter a source of scholarly learning, be it historical or religious - a temple with a sage, a library, an ancient being and so on.

If they don't or if doing so is not appropriate, chances are they don't even need Religion or History.

It should be noted that the skill sets required to practice a scholarly pursuit of such knowledge skills will still be useful. For example, when encountering ancient ruins, a character with Religion might be able to discern a chamber's role, if it was religious, from the architecture/layout, embellishments/markings and so on. Likewise a student of history can still call upon knowledge of useful events, such as battles and clever solutions to problems (clever enough to have gone down in history, at least) and make use of them.

 

[jasper]

I think it is great idea for roleplaying. Also it could be a money sink. Does pogre go this adventure to get gold to purchase Jasper's 101 class old world history book. Or does pogre steal it. As long the players know this will be a mostly temporary thing. I would still impose a situation disadvantage check on those.
Pogre. What is the History of France for $400 Alex.? (pogre remembers shoving the dagger thru Jasper's eye when he stole all of Jasper's history books"
Alex, " Les Miserables Jean Valjean actor played this well known in character in this movie franchise? name actor, character and franchise?
Pogre, " Who is Hugh Jackman, Wolverine, Xmen."
BEEP BUZZ
Alex, "the CORRECT answer is Dwight Schultz, Howling "Mad" Murcock, A-team film franchise. It was Dwight Schultz 4 Oscar win for playing a supporting role!".
Alex, "Pogre, You are the weakest link! Good bye!" Alex pushes a blue button which drops into a vat angry were gummi bears.

 

[Li Shenron]

So, I'm planning on shifting settings with my personal group (it will be linked to the overarching story). This got me thinking about the Intelligence skills of all things. Everything the characters know would pretty much be uprooted and thrown out the window. I've come to you to critique my solution to this.

Obviously Nature, Arcana, and Investigation won't be affected, considering the laws of nature, magic, and deduction are pretty much the same throughout the DnD multiverse. My problem is with History and Religion.

Since the characters will know nothing of this new realm, any History or Religion checks they attempt to make concerning things from that realm would be at an overriding DA and a -20 penalty to begin with. The way they would do this is they would spend 8 hours in a library or university "studying" either History or Religion. They could only do this once a day, but the total days need not be continuous. Once the study session had ended, they would roll Investigation and the total would be turned into a percentage. Once a character reaches 100% in a subject, they get to make checks in that area as they normally would.

I was thinking of dropping the mod by 1 every 5%, and dropping the DA at about 70-75%. But what do you guys think?

I think you're overthinking it...

But I don't know how you normally handle Knowledge checks so I cannot say what's best for you.

In my games I actually grant Knowledge checks VERY frequently, but I tend to do so ONLY to proficient characters.

I would be more concerned on keeping some in-game consistency rather than maintain the same level of usefulness for that skill. So what I would do, is have those knowledge skills become unreliable or useless in the new world for the time being, and tell the player that this is just as fair as a Fighter losing her sword, or a Wizard having to cross an antimagic zone, or a Cleric having pissed off her deity and lose her spells for a while: it's just a chance to try and rely on a different tactic.

If the setting switch is temporary, there is nothing to worry about. If it is long-term or permanent, then of course I will gradually let the character learn and acquire knowledge, and maybe I wouldn't even require her to specify details on the how.

This kind of sounds harsh only if you really drop a totally new world that somehow was completely separated from the starting world, but that's actually not at all what happens typically with multiple planes of existence... there is always some chance that someone on the (first) material plane had already visited the other, and knowledge of it slipped out one way or another. Meaning that you can still grant some of those checks now and then, without making them feel like out of place narratively.

 

[hejtmane]

So, I'm planning on shifting settings with my personal group (it will be linked to the overarching story). This got me thinking about the Intelligence skills of all things. Everything the characters know would pretty much be uprooted and thrown out the window. I've come to you to critique my solution to this.

Obviously Nature, Arcana, and Investigation won't be affected, considering the laws of nature, magic, and deduction are pretty much the same throughout the DnD multiverse. My problem is with History and Religion.

Since the characters will know nothing of this new realm, any History or Religion checks they attempt to make concerning things from that realm would be at an overriding DA and a -20 penalty to begin with. The way they would do this is they would spend 8 hours in a library or university "studying" either History or Religion. They could only do this once a day, but the total days need not be continuous. Once the study session had ended, they would roll Investigation and the total would be turned into a percentage. Once a character reaches 100% in a subject, they get to make checks in that area as they normally would.

I was thinking of dropping the mod by 1 every 5%, and dropping the DA at about 70-75%. But what do you guys think?

Depends on how you do your campaigins

I do not use D&D lore in fact I have no clue on any D&D lore other than Dragon Lance (because I read the Dragon Lance Chronicles) and Drizzt (I read 6 of those books) after that zero nada no clue. That was never a cocern when I played in D&D and 1e we ran custom campaigins and back in 1e when they came out with Demigoods and Deties they were from real life history from Norse, Greek, Babylon etc etc then re-released in 84 as legends and lore (If my memory servers me correct)

I have read very few D&D fanatasy books in fact I get lost in the entire Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, Ebrron and Dark sun talk on this boards.

With custom campaigins I just use what i think those characters would know about growing up a set lore that every person is taught.

 

[aco175]

You could handle it with a full nights rest and some divine inspiration. You can also have and easy and quick conversion where you explain that the same gods go by different names in other lands and worlds. The sun god may be revered as a savior in one land and hated and feared in the desert. He is also called one thing in FR and another in Grayhawk. Gods know where their people are and come through with spells and such.