DM Rules vs. Server Rules

[TarnishedSoul]

My question pertains to ADM Ninox's recent post meant to explain his/her preferences.

And please inform me in advance of your character's Lore skill breakdown if you intend on making a Knowledge check. I will not accept blanket Lore rolls so as to emulate omniscience.

Given that there are currently no Knowledge skills available, and the server rules state...

– You are required to play what is on your Character Sheet. For example, no role-playing of another Race if it does not appear on your Character Sheet. In-character (IC) lying and misinformation about your Character's skills, profession and morality is fair and acceptable, but Role-play which does not reflect the Abilities, Feats and Skills that exist on your Character Sheet, is not acceptable.

...I am curious as to what players are supposed to do in this situation. If players are meant to provide a breakdown of how their Lore is distributed, then 1) how will this be monitored to ensure that a PC doesn't distribute one way for one event and then another way for another event, and 2) how will bonuses (from items, Bardic Lore, etc.) be applied?

Lastly, if players are meant to further distribute how their skill points are applied, then can we please get a list of all the available Knowledges? Some people aren't as familiar with the PnP aspects as they are the NWN2/BG mechanics.

[DM Golem]

Hi

I'll break my response down a bit but if you are worried about having to do this all the time, don't! Its just the way certain DMs handle things.

...I am curious as to what players are supposed to do in this situation.

The rules about playing whats on one's sheet, like other rules, are a default unless DMs give express permission otherwise in the context of their events. DMs can set rules for their events and provided they aren't abusive, they are free to do so as they wish, and free to enable unusual RP situations. This is not the only way DMs allow off character sheet roleplay or other roleplay that is unusual, another example is use of PNP spells for example, or special considerations regarding death, or PVP.

Thus, players should comply with the rules in the DM threads if a given DM points them that way during that DMs event. Not outside it, though

I don't really consider lore/knowledge a "play whats on your sheet" issue though. The intent of that rule is to prevent power RP. Being LESS expert in some areas than the raw lore skill would suggest is the opposite of that. Lore/knowledge is IMO a good RP rule of thumb to avoid being expert at everything and promote RP'd "scholars and experts".

If players are meant to provide a breakdown of how their Lore is distributed, then 1) how will this be monitored to ensure that a PC doesn't distribute one way for one event and then another way for another event,

Its not a general rule so on a per DM basis, most likely. And relying on player trust.

and 2) how will bonuses (from items, Bardic Lore, etc.) be applied?

Usually I apply them as bonuses to each field of knowledge, asking only the raw skill points be divided up. I do ask for bardic lore to be divided up, or did the time it came up.

Note that it would be open to ADM Ninox to do it differently.

Lastly, if players are meant to further distribute how their skill points are applied, then can we please get a list of all the available Knowledges? Some people aren't as familiar with the PnP aspects as they are the NWN2/BG mechanics.

You'll find the same system in my rules thread. Its actually derived from the approach the Candlekeep player guild takes. Heres the relevant part from my thread:

Six: Lore Skill
I use the following system related to lore skill in my events, asking players to break down their lore points into specialties. Rolls based on pure lore will be unlikely to be honoured.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/knowledge.htm

Knowledge (Int; Trained Only)

Like the Craft and Profession skills, Knowledge actually encompasses a number of unrelated skills. Knowledge represents a study of some body of lore, possibly an academic or even scientific discipline.

Below are listed typical fields of study.

• Arcana (ancient mysteries, magic traditions, arcane symbols, cryptic phrases, constructs, dragons, magical beasts)
• Architecture and engineering (buildings, aqueducts, bridges, fortifications)
• Dungeoneering (aberrations, caverns, oozes, spelunking)
• Geography (lands, terrain, climate, people)
• History (royalty, wars, colonies, migrations, founding of cities)
• Local (legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws, customs, traditions, humanoids)
• Nature (animals, fey, giants, monstrous humanoids, plants, seasons and cycles, weather, vermin)
• Nobility and royalty (lineages, heraldry, family trees, mottoes, personalities)
• Religion (gods and goddesses, mythic history, ecclesiastic tradition, holy symbols, undead)
• The planes (the Inner Planes, the Outer Planes, the Astral Plane, the Ethereal Plane, outsiders, elementals, magic related to the planes)

Check
Answering a question within your field of study has a DC of 10 (for really easy questions), 15 (for basic questions), or 20 to 30 (for really tough questions).

In many cases, you can use this skill to identify monsters and their special powers or vulnerabilities. In general, the DC of such a check equals 10 + the monster’s HD. A successful check allows you to remember a bit of useful information about that monster.

For every 5 points by which your check result exceeds the DC, you recall another piece of useful information.


Action
Usually none. In most cases, making a Knowledge check doesn’t take an action—you simply know the answer or you don’t.


Try Again
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.


Synergy

• If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (arcana), you get a +2 bonus on Spellcraft checks.
• If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (architecture and engineering), you get a +2 bonus on Search checks made to find secret doors or hidden compartments.
• If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (geography), you get a +2 bonus on Survival checks made to keep from getting lost or to avoid natural hazards.
• If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (history), you get a +2 bonus on bardic knowledge checks.
• If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (local), you get a +2 bonus on Gather Information checks.
• If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (nature), you get a +2 bonus on Survival checks made in aboveground natural environments (aquatic, desert, forest, hill, marsh, mountains, or plains).
• If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (nobility and royalty), you get a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks.
• If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (religion), you get a +2 bonus on turning checks against undead.
• If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (the planes), you get a +2 bonus on Survival checks made while on other planes.
• If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (dungeoneering), you get a +2 bonus on Survival checks made while underground.
• If you have 5 or more ranks in Survival, you get a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks.

Untrained
An untrained Knowledge check is simply an Intelligence check. Without actual training, you know only common knowledge (DC 10 or lower).

(((formatted courtesy of Grymhild)))

You will notice that there can be more fields of knowledge; its somewhat limited only by player creativity. I'd likely give more information to someone rping being exceedingly specialist, myself.

Lastly, if players are meant to further distribute how their skill points are applied

Just to repeat, this is only mandatory in events with DMs who ask for it; its not a general rule (Although as I said above its a good guideline!). You don't have to do it otherwise!

[TarnishedSoul]

I had no idea that this stuff was available, so I'll be divvying up as applicable and appending the information to my PC's biography.

Thanks for the response!

[DM Golem]

so I'll be divvying up as applicable and appending the information to my PC's biography.)

Thats actually a pretty good place to put it for people who are keen on adopting this.

[DM Ninox]

Thank you very much for your question and feedback, TarnishedSoul!

When I made my DM haunt thread I did consider posting something similar to what Golem has on there just so this would not be confusing. It seems I should now go and do just that!

I appreciate DM Golem's answer and details, too! That's why Golem is HDM and I'm just a newbie