Knowledge (Nature)

Description

Ability Score Used:	Intelligence
Armor Check Penalty Applies?	No

You are educated in aspects of the wilderness, which allows you to answer both simple and complex questions on that topic. Specifically, Knowledge (Nature) allows you to make checks to reveal information on animals, fey, monstrous humanoids, plants, seasons and cycles, weather and vermin.

Characters who have the bailiwick skill Naturalism from their character class (or some other source) gain ranks in Knowledge (Nature) automatically, at a rate of one rank per rank placed in Naturalism. A character can never have more ranks in a skill than his character level.

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 the natural world, such as animals, plants, seasons and cycles, and inclement weather, atmospheric and natural environmental hazards. Knowledge (Nature) grants character the ability to identify or relate information about such topics, but does not grant any ability to endure or survive in the wilderness (that requires Survival). Survival tells a character which plants or berries are edible and which will make you sick, while Knowledge (Nature) tells a character where such plants grow best, other uses for the plants or berries (besides stuffing them in your mouth), which animals like to eat them, etc. Where Survival is the practical application of wilderness skills, Knowledge (Nature) is a deep understanding of why the plants, animals, weather, and terrains interact the way that they do. Knowledge (Nature) is also closely related to Profession (Alchemist), and Profession (Herbalist), though those skills are aimed at profiting from herb lore, rather than granting any deeper understanding.
Action Required:	Free action
DC of Check:	Answering a question on a nature-related 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. Some examples of basic tasks include: Identify natural hazard 15 + hazard's CR Identify a common plant or animal 10 Identify unnatural weather phenomenon 15 Determine artificial nature of feature 20
Modifiers to Check	Familiar Territory: -5 to the DC Your homeland: -10 to the DC Inside a city or otherwise heavily modified ground: +5 to the DC Unusual or rare terrain: Atop a fresh lava flow, inside a titanic beast, the Unterwelt, etc. +10 to the DC On a different but similar plane of existence: The Ether, the Plane of Shadow, The First World, etc. +15 to the DC On a different but non-hostile plane of existence: The Plane of Air, Elysium, The Silver Fields, etc. +25 to the DC On a wildly different plane of Existence: The Azure Sea, The Plane of Earth, the Plane of Water, etc. +35 to the DC On a wildly different and hostile plane of existence: The Plane of Fire, the Nine Hells, the Abyss, etc +40 to the DC Very Bad Places: The Sunward Reaches, The Infinite Well, Temperest, Hellcore, Lavarna, etc. +50 to the DC The Edge of Reality: Apocolyptica, The Outer Dark, The Fount of Reality, The Nascent Seed, etc. +60 to the DC
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: Animals, Fey, Monstrous Humanoids, Plants, Vermin

You can use this skill to identify animals, fey, monstrous humanoids, plants, or vermin, 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 nature 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. Familiar Territory: -5 to the DC Your homeland: -10 to the DC Inside a city or otherwise heavily modified ground: +5 to the DC Unusual or rare terrain: Atop a fresh lava flow, inside a titanic beast, the Unterwelt, etc. +10 to the DC On a different but similar plane of existence: The Ether, the Plane of Shadow, The First World, etc. +15 to the DC On a different but non-hostile plane of existence: The Plane of Air, Elysium, The Silver Fields, etc. +25 to the DC On a wildly different plane of Existence: The Azure Sea, The Plane of Earth, the Plane of Water, etc. +35 to the DC On a wildly different and hostile plane of existence: The Plane of Fire, the Nine Hells, the Abyss, etc +40 to the DC Very Bad Places: The Sunward Reaches, The Infinite Well, Temperest, Hellcore, Lavarna, etc. +50 to the DC The Edge of Reality: Apocolyptica, The Outer Dark, The Fount of Reality, The Nascent Seed, etc. +60 to the DC
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