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#721319 29/10/20 04:54 AM
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The game is more focused on combat than anything else. Since that is the core of the gameplay I think we need to make sure Skills are being used in combat.

Seems the perfect thing to change would be EXAMINE?! Why is that a thing? It needs to be based on a skill and not just automatic. And the skill needs to change with the creature and/or npc in question!

Instead of praying skills get added for useful things outside of combat (usually just social checks every hour or so)
In tabletop you usually have to do a check to know anything about a monster other than what it looks like.
Imagine doing this on your turn and telling your players the weakness! HOW AMAZING WOULD YOU FEEL? You just handed your friends the Key to victory. THIS IS WHY WE PLAY BARDS!
(Maybe make it a bonus action since larian like bonus actions!)

SKILLS TO USE!

ARCANA: Use Arcana for: Aberrations, Celestials, Constructs, Elementals, Fey, Fiends, some Monstrosities (when magic was used to create them), and Undead that were created with magic.

HISTORY: Use History for any monster type, but only if you, as the DM, know of, or wish to add an historical event in the campaign world that would be relevant. Just because a player can try using this skill doesn’t mean you are obligated to provide an answer every time.

NATURE:Use Nature for Beasts, Dragons, Elementals, Fey, Giants, Humanoids (from the Prime Material Plane), some Monstrosities (if they are naturally occurring), Oozes, and Plants.

RELIGION:Use Religion for Aberrations, Celestials, Elementals (as worshiped by cults), Fiends, and Undead.

Some game masters don't use these well cause they are too "GAMEY" Well its perfect for a videogame!

Activate EXAMINE receive information based on check!

Monster Knowledge results:

Name, type, and keywords
DC: level of creature

Powers
DC: 5 plus level

Resistances and vulnerabilities
DC: 10 plus level

Rare tier
+5 to the DC

Unique tier
+10 (boss enemy) to DC

This would affect what you get when you click examine. EXAMINE WOULD BECOME AN ACTION OF SOME SORT AND REVEAL THIS FOR THE ENTIRE PARTY!


EXAMPLE IN GAME:
Roll a check on a GOBLIN lv 5
To know everything about the goblin the DC would be 10 plus level (5) for a total of DC 15

You succeed the roll and get to examine the mosters abilities now you know his abilities and weaknesses/resistances

Last edited by IAmPageicus; 29/10/20 05:01 AM.
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The whole thing makes the fight even longer because then I have to scan each fight first what the opponent has? Then I'd rather throw away my oil barrels or the inventory or use my ranger and stealth kill everything. I hate long fights unnecessarily.


And the way the cube system is currently running, forget it. I got myself a d20 dice and whenever I have to dice in the game I also roll the dice and the result is perverse. In the game I only roll low numbers 1-9 70% of the time, my real dice looks exactly different. How do you explain that Before you add more dice options here you should first revise the dice because it doesn't help to have a +5 bonus if you still have to load 8x to roll over the 5. because I keep rolling a 3 4 or 1.

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I think it would not add to battle length. It will be the same length as clicking examine only it will have a dice roll and then show you what you can see. This could be used to add more dramatic weaknesses as well. Pathfinder 2e has had tremendous positive feedback on their knowledge check and weakness use. Sometimes its what is better for the game. This would make bards useful again. As is... what is the point of a bard in this divinity 3 system?

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It's a cool idea, i imagine this as an automated check for all party members at the beginning of the fight and you can then examine if the game tells you you realised something interesting. it would even reduce the combat time if you realize the weakness early and action accordingly. dnd has a couple of monsters with high resistances and vulnerabilities, knowing about those can be a game changer at the first encounter with those creatures. also as you said this would encourage to have a diverse party as then all of your party members would be expert on different enemies
The game already has the examine interface implemented so it would be nice if somehow it would be layered how much info you can read from there. even books about creatures it could make more worth to read.

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Only good for the first playthrough though, unless we add some type of random element.
Otherwise the second time time you have the encounter (which seems like a given in larian mechanics) you will already know.
Also it's generally not too difficult to guess weaknesses when they exist. whaat? the ice monster doesn't like fire? spoilers.

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This doesnt work in a videogame, a DM might manage how much info to tell you depending on your roll, and help you if they need to balance the combat. But in a videogame if you leave that to RNG is just another thing that can go wrong and you may never find out the creature's stats if you have bad luck (you can have a lot of arcana an still have a critical miss). Also many players already know the weaknesses to certain creatures, and this mechanic will only push some of them to use google, this is a game that already wants you metagame the hell out of it, sadly.

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Originally Posted by drimaxus
This doesnt work in a videogame, a DM might manage how much info to tell you depending on your roll, and help you if they need to balance the combat. But in a videogame if you leave that to RNG is just another thing that can go wrong and you may never find out the creature's stats if you have bad luck (you can have a lot of arcana an still have a critical miss). Also many players already know the weaknesses to certain creatures, and this mechanic will only push some of them to use google, this is a game that already wants you metagame the hell out of it, sadly.

Just have (some of?) the information revealed after killing a monster. Representing knowledge your character has gained through fighting this monster or studying it's corpse.

This way, knowledge checks can help you get through a first fight with a monster.
But if you have bad luck, then you'll still have information for later encounters.

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Originally Posted by whalesecrets
Only good for the first playthrough though, unless we add some type of random element.
Otherwise the second time time you have the encounter (which seems like a given in larian mechanics) you will already know.
Also it's generally not too difficult to guess weaknesses when they exist. whaat? the ice monster doesn't like fire? spoilers.

Same with table top. But there is a gentleman's rule: only use character knowledge instead of player knowledge.

To the OP. A great idea. I myself am deliberately ignoring current implementation of EXAMINE, cause it feels like cheating.

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Huge +1 from me. It is a good way to make INT less of an obvious dump stat in that if everyone has at least decent INT they'll be more likely to pass the necessary check.

It would also make Nature checks a bit more useful and less situational.

If we're very concerned about it only being good for your first run maybe successfully passing a knowledge check on a creature gives you unique loot, as you've recognized what the valuable bits from the monster are and know how to harvest it.

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Elimination of dump stats is a huge goal for me. The problem is the game puts combat at the front of any and all quests as the major solution. This means the point of skills that are not combat based are minimal. The game is like playing with a 4e game master at best. Sure as hell is not something you would ever experience with a 3.5 game master or an experienced 5e one unless it was for streaming purposes.


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