Eureka! Knowledge Skills!

Perhaps the most underrated subsection of skills in gaming are those that fall under the classification of knowledge skills. It isn't even the players' fault that these abilities get a short shrift. A lot of DMs just don't know how to make it worthy and effective to put a knowledge skill to use in the action-packed encounters that make up the majority of the game.

That's because most people initially view knowledge skills as something that is used before and after encounters rather than playing a major part in them. This is true, but if you are a DM that really wants to encourage a variety of character types and different methods of problem-solving, it will behoove you to make knowledge checks more useful to players.

Why Knowledge is Important

Knowledge skills and intelligence stand as a counterpoint to tricks like lock-picking or rope-swinging. They're not often viewed as equally practical, but if you showcase their uses in your games they certainly can be. Most good stories have at least one character who favors brains over brawn, so why not include that as a viable option in your games? The problem is applying knowledge effectively in encounters requires some homework on the part of player or DM. How does knowledge help you when a dragon is bearing down on you with its flame breath? Or when a cavern tunnel begins to collapse?

Knowledge skills should ideally have enough utility to measure up against other skills when choosing which abilities to develop. They shouldn't be limited to trivial or inconsequential effects in the game world. It's easier said than done, because by their very nature they require a lot more on-the-fly creativity and improvisation. Once you get the hang of it though, your players will be encouraged to use the skill more often and your adventuring parties will become more versatile and interesting as a result.

Brainy Characters as Support Characters

In encounters, knowledge is primarily a support skill. This means that it has indirect effects instead of direct ones such as causing damage. If a brainy character wants to take thoughtful action, they should be able to do so in a way that either opens up new avenues for more direct options, or provides a bonus to another action. That means you can reward them with a piece of secret info such as what the monster is vulnerable to (a new option) or give them a bonus for knowing a trick like having a water-soaked blanket to throw over their head during a fire (bonus to an existing option.) 

Adventure smarter, not harder

This is not to say that you need to make an intelligence roll to be a smart player. It just means that you can let your character's intelligence work for you. The thing to remember about smart characters is that they should not be limited by the critical thinking abilities of the player controlling them. If your player doesn't have a lot of clever ideas for thinking their way out of a situation, it shouldn't mean they are relegated to playing dumb mooks. They can instead make a knowledge check to come up with a clever thing their character can do in a given situation. 

A player should not feel like they have to do all the thinking for their brainy character, otherwise their intelligence stat would be immaterial. When your genius level wizard misses something in a dungeon because the player miscounted doors, it will make the players start to wonder if that stat makes any difference at all. 

Consider intelligence attributes a 'safety net' for getting through critical thinking scenarios. It doesn't do all the thinking and planning for the player, but it provides helpful tips to keep them smart. So when it comes to puzzles, the smart character shouldn't be able to cheat their way through it... but it's not unreasonable to give them a bonus hint if they succeed at an intelligence check.

As was mentioned before, providing a circumstance bonus or new option are the main ways that the knowledge skill helps out during encounters. Between encounters it provides additional clues and useful background info to the players. But coming up with results to be gained from any knowledge check is the hardest aspect of the skill, and why it can be such a headache at times. The trickiest part is that any success needs to imbue the player with knowledge that actually makes a difference. This is what really brings value to the skill and makes it useful in your games.

There should be a noticeable benefit to having the information when compared to not having it. It can't be superfluous or trivial. Knowing that some ancient ruins were built by goblins should help with translating signs, or preparing for goblinoid enemies. If the goblin backstory just a interesting historical detail then you should also include some more useful information, like the legend of a secret entrance behind a waterfall. Make your players see the benefits of spending points on knowledge, because they can think their way out of situations and sometimes avoid combat in a way that still feels compelling and fun!

Smart characters can make even supper an adventure!

Ideas From Players

Another quirky method of gleaning ideas for the application of the skill is to ask the player to propose a fact themselves. I was introduced to this idea of prescriptive knowledge checks in the excellent FATE game system. The player proposes something like "I remember that this variety of poison can be neutralized by citrus. Hand me that orange!" The DM then rolls behind the screen, modifying the roll based on how unlikely the statement seems. Then, if the player succeeds, that statement now becomes true in the game world. It is now a true fact that they may act upon and they gain all of its benefits. However, if the roll fails... the fact is not actually correct, but they think it is true, and you get to enjoy whatever hijinks follow from that misinformation.

Even if you don't ever use this technique, it may still be useful to crowd-source ideas for a knowledge check result. I often ask the players what they might include in a given scene, and when it comes to these situations a little friendly advice from your game table couldn't hurt. What might a monster's secret weakness be? What special technique do you remember for dealing with a giant wasp? Throw it out there and see what the players think. The collaborative aspects of game-running can often give rise to the coolest and most memorable moments.

Happy ventures!