Knowledge (Dungeoneering)

Description

Ability Score Used:	Intelligence
Armor Check Penalty Applies?	No

You are educated in the lore of dungeons, caves, and mines, which allows you to answer both simple and complex questions on that topic. Specifically, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) allows you to make checks to reveal information on aberrations, caverns, oozes and spelunking.

As with all skills, the uses below are merely suggestions, and by no means the full gamut of possible ways a skill can be used. Players and GM's are encouraged to find additional ways to use each skill.

General Knowledge

You know the answers to questions pertaining to dungeons, caves, mines, labyrinths, and underground structures and fortifications. You have knowledge of the natural hazards often present in such places, such as gas pockets, bad air, cave-ins, underground lakes and rivers, etc. This knowledge is relevant to both natural and manufactured underground areas. Your knowledge also allows you to intuit your general location and orientation within such areas, allowing you to navigate yourself through complicated and confusing mazes.
Action Required:	Free action
DC of Check:	Answering a question on a Dungeoneering topic has an Easy DC for the CR of the topic for really easy questions, an Average DC against the CR of the topic for basic questions, a Challenging DC against the CR of the topic for really tough questions, or a Hard DC against the CR of the topic for really tough questions on narrow or specific topics. Note that some dungeons are deliberately designed to be confusing to navigate within, and such things can provide a hard challenge for even highly skilled dungeoneers. Identify natural underground hazard 15 + hazard's CR Identify mundane mineral, stone, or metal 10 Identify magical mineral, stone, or metal Average DC vs. CR of dungeon Determine natural slope 15 Notice deceptive dungeon design Challenging DC vs. CR of dungeon Determine depth underground 20 Identify true North while underground 25 Retrace your steps in natural cave 20 Retrace your steps in a labyrinth Challenging DC vs. CR of dungeon
Modifiers to Check	Complex Complexes: If you are in a dungeon designed to be confusing, and have failed to notice this fact, all Knowledge (Dungeoneering) checks have their DC's increased by the CR of the dungeon, except for any attempt to notice the deceptiveness of the design (which remains a Challenging DC vs. CR of dungeon). Furthermore, GM's should roll these rolls in secret, as failed rolls frequently produce incorrect information. Once a character has succeeded on a notice deceptive dungeon design check, the penalty ends, and future failed Knowledge (Dungeoneering) checks no longer give false information (instead, the character realizes he doesn't know).
Take 10? / Take 20?	No
Allows Assists?	Yes (up to 5 allies)
Results of Success	You are familiar with the topic, and have useful information relating to it. The GM will tell you what you know. If you exceed the target DC by a significant amount (typically, reaching a higher difficulty threshold than what was required for the check), the GM may provide additional information to you than would be revealed by a merely successful roll.
Consequences of Failure	You don't know enough about the topic to provide any useful insight.
Retry Allowed?	No. The check represents what you know, and thinking about a topic a second time doesn't let you know something that you never learned in the first place.
Provokes AOO?	No.

Monster Lore: Aberrations, Oozes

You can use this skill to identify aberrations or oozes, and potentially even recall detailed information regarding their special powers or vulnerabilities. Creatures of other types than these require different knowledge skills to identify.
Action Required:	During combat: a free action during your turn; or: Outside of combat: A full minute of studying the creature and its habitat
DC of Check:	Basic Lore: double the monster's CR Complete Lore: 15 + double the monster's CR
Modifiers to Check	Some monsters have different target DC's. Refer to the monster's bestiary entry for details. These altered DC's are typically because the monster in question is so well known that the check is easier, or so rare that few have ever heard of them.
Take 10? / Take 20?	If you are not in combat (or in immediate danger of combat), you can take 10, but you cannot take 20.
Allows Assists?	Yes (up to 5 allies)
Results of Success	Basic Lore: You remember a little bit of useful information about that monster. GM's should either read, or allow the character to read, the introductory text of the monster's bestiary entry. Complete Lore: You know quite a lot about the monster in question, and GM's should allow that player to look over the monster's bestiary entry in its entirety.
Consequences of Failure	You don't know enough about the creature to provide any useful information.
Retry Allowed?	No. The check represents what you know, and thinking about a topic a second time doesn't let you know something that you never learned in the first place.
Provokes AOO?	No

Contemplate Answers (Epic)

You can take some time to reflect on what you do know in order to draw conclusions about what you don't know. You can contemplate the foundational knowledge of dungeoneering that you possess, and apply it to a particular question or puzzle you were previously unable to answer. By exerting your will and taking a moment to really think things through, you might discover an answer you never knew you had. Contemplate answers allows you to make a second attempt at a general knowledge check, at the cost of taking a bit longer to consider the problem. This is an epic skill use, and requires at least 21 ranks in the skill before it may be attempted.
Action Required:	Full-round action
DC of Check:	Unchanged from general knowledge: an Easy DC for the CR of the topic for really easy questions, an Average DC against the CR of the topic for basic questions, a Challenging DC against the CR of the topic for really tough questions, or a Hard DC against the CR of the topic for really tough questions on narrow or specific topics.
Modifiers to Check	Hasty Conclusions: You can attempt to contemplate answers as a standard action, instead of a full-round action, but the DC is increased by +5. You can attempt to contemplate answers as a move action, but the DC is increased by +10.
Take 10? / Take 20?	No
Allows Assists?	Yes (up to 5 allies)
Results of Success	You are able to piece together an answer from the scraps of knowledge you do possess.
Consequences of Failure	Despite really trying, you still just don't know.
Retry Allowed?	No
Provokes AOO?	No