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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AuraSeer" data-source="post: 1740296" data-attributes="member: 1331">IMC I do make an actual Knowledge check for anything except plot-specific information. The NPC's effort and answer depend greatly on his attitude.A helpful character or a paid sage will take the time to answer as well as possible. (I use a house rule that allows taking 20 on a Knowledge check if one has access to a library; assistants or librarians could Aid Another.) If he finds the answer he will report it in detail, in written form if appropriate; otherwise he'll admit he does not know.A friendly character will make a regular Knowledge check, using reference books if available, but will not take 20. He will report accurately on what he finds.An indifferent character will take 10 on the check, and will not bother using references. If he knows the answer he'll give it.An unfriendly character would like to mislead the PCs. He will either claim lack of knowledge, or make up a lie. Either way, the questioning PC gets a Sense Motive check against his Bluff check. Only if the Bluff fails do I bother making the Knowledge roll (because if the PCs believe his lie, it's not important whether he knows the truth).Hostile characters won't answer questions at all. The attitude must first be changed by use of Diplomacy or Intimidate.Of course the above is all generalities, and there are exceptions to every rule. A helpful NPC might refuse to answer questions about one sensitive topic; an unfriendly NPC might truthfully direct the PCs to their destination dungeon, in the hopes that they'll get killed by its guardian monsters.Plot info works entirely differently. If progress depends on the characters learning a fact, then any appropriate expert will automatically know (or be able to research) that fact. There are few things more frustrating than having a campaign stall because your expensively-hired sage botched a Knowledge check.When the PCs absolutely must be kept in the dark about a certain question-- well, that smells like railroading, so redesign the adventure if possible. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> Otherwise, no one knows the answer. If an NPC does know the answer, he refuses to talk. If compelled, charmed, or skillfully tortured, he drops dead of a heart attack before the words leave his mouth, and speak with dead mysteriously fails to work on his corpse. (It's a hokey solution, I know, but there are few good remedies for bad adventure design.)</blockquote>

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