See also: Skills
Knowledge encompasses a number of unrelated skills. Knowledge represents a study of some body of lore, possibly an academic or even scientific discipline.
Special: You can Take 10 when making a Knowledge check, but you can't Take 20.
Retry: You can't reroll a failed Knowledge check. The roll represents what you know, and thinking about a topic a second time doesn't let you know something you never learned in the first place.
Each time you select Knowledge as a Trained Skill, you must choose a field of study from the list below:
| KNOWLEDGE FIELD | ENCOMPASSESS | |
|---|---|---|
| Bureaucracy | Business Procedures, Legal Systems and Regulations, and Organizational Structures | |
| Galactic Lore | Planets, Homeworlds, Sectors of Space, Galactic History, and The Force | |
| Life Sciences | Biology, Botany, Genetics, Archaeology, Xenobiology, Medicine, and Forensics | |
| Physical Sciences | Astronomy, Astrogation, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, and Engineering | |
| Social Sciences | Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, Theology, and Criminology | |
| Tactics | Techniques and Strategies for Maneuvering in Battle | |
| Technology | Function and Principle of Technological Devices; Cutting Edge Theories and Advancements |
Common Knowledge[]
You can answer a basic question about a subject related to your field of study with a DC 10 check. For example, a DC 10 Knowledge (Life Sciences) check is enough to know that Rodians are skilled hunters.
Expert Knowledge (Trained Only)[]
You can make a Knowledge check as a Swift Action to answer a question within your field of study that requires some level of expertise. The DC of the check ranges from 15 (for simple questions) to 25 (for tough questions). The GM may adjust the DC depending on the character's personal experience.
For example, a DC 20 Knowledge (Galactic Lore) check might reveal specific information about the inhabitants of the planet Dathomir, but the DC may be lower if the character making the check has actually been there.
Additional Knowledge Applications[]
The following applications of the Knowledge skill are compiled from the subsequent Reference Books released for Saga Edition:
Anticipate Enemy Strategy (Tactics, Trained Only)[]
Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Clone Wars Campaign Guide
A good tactician can anticipate their enemy's movements and strategies, and then plan accordingly. As a Move Action, a character Trained in Knowledge (Tactics) can designate a target in their line of sight and make a Knowledge (Tactics) check to anticipate the enemy's next move. The DC for the check is equal to the target's Will Defense, or 10 + the target's CL if the target does not have a Will Defense (as is the case for Vehicles without unique Pilots).
If successful, you gain special insight into the target's strategy and can anticipate its next move. You learn what actions the target is likely to take on its next turn based on the current circumstances; if circumstances change, the target's actions might change as well, though typically unless the situation changes drastically you should have a good idea of the target's likely next action. The Gamemaster is the final arbiter of just how much information you gain through the use of this application.
Typically this does not include information on the use of Talents or Feats, but it should provide information on whether the target is going to attack, who the target intends to attack, where the target might move to, or any other special strategies the target might employ.
Battlefield Tactics (Tactics, Trained Only)[]
Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Clone Wars Campaign Guide
If you are the Commander in a Unit during Mass Combat, you can use your tactical knowledge to grant extra Standard Actions to other characters in your Unit. The base check DC for this application of the skill is 20, and it requires three Swift Actions made on consecutive rounds to activate.
Homebrew Knowledge Applications[]
| This Homebrew Content has not been reviewed in a meaningful manner. If you wish to review this content yourself, then see Untested for more details. |
The following are a collection of applications for the Knowledge skill created through Homebrew Content. Their use may only be permitted with the express permission of the Gamemaster.
Mentop (Social Sciences, Trained Only)[]
Homebrew Reference Book: Clone Wars Saga Edition Fan Sourcebook - Grand Army of the Republic (Part 1)
You can use your knowledge of the human psyche to help patients recover from their mental disorders (see Complications). A successful Knowledge (Social Sciences) check that equals or exceeds a target’s Will Defense reduces the attack bonus of their disorder by 1. Should the disorder’s attack bonus be reduced to +0, you may make an additional check at a -5 penalty. If this check succeeds, the Complication is cured.
Determine Farm Plot (Life Sciences, Trained Only)[]
Homebrew Reference Book: Clone Wars Saga Edition Fan Sourcebook - Droids
You can make a DC 20 Knowledge (Life Sciences) check modified by the table below to determine what land is arable (for a specific crop or herb) known to grow on the planet. Note that this site may be far from the player’s current location. Failure indicates that a site with the proper minerals and weather conditions cannot be located.
| DC | CONDITION |
|---|---|
| +0 | Planet is Terrestrial. |
| +5 | Planet has extreme weather conditions. |
| +10 | Planet has an extreme environment (covered in sand, snow, water, etc.). |
| -5 | Planet has abundant plant life. |
| -5 | Character has access to various maps of the planet/region. |
| -10 | Character has access to detailed sensor data of the planet. |
Farm for Credit Crops (Life Sciences)[]
Homebrew Reference Book: Clone Wars Saga Edition Fan Sourcebook - Droids
If you are at an existing farm (that has not been harvested) or a plot marked through use of Determine Farm Plot (see above), you can spend 8 hours farming for cash crops at the plot. When you do so, you make a Knowledge (Life Sciences) check to determine the value of the yield farmed. You produce crops equal in value to the result of your Knowledge (Life Sciences) check multiplied by 5 credits.
You can then sell these goods in a market, or apply them toward a Survival check made to feed a group of people at a campsite, reducing the DC by 5 so long as you have at least 5 credits worth of crops per person being fed in the check.
The use of a piece of simple farming equipment, such as a scythe or clippers, adds a +2 Equipment bonus to the check. Use of riding equipment, such as a combine or tractor, can add higher bonuses, which vary by object.
Determine Mine Site (Physical Sciences, Trained Only)[]
Homebrew Reference Book: Clone Wars Saga Edition Fan Sourcebook - Droids
You can spend 1d4 days to make a DC 20 Knowledge (Physical Sciences) check modified by the table below to determine a suitable site for mining raw materials (or a specific ore or crystal) known to exist on that planet. Note that this site may be far from the player’s current location. Failure indicates that a high-yield site cannot be located.
| DC | CONDITION |
|---|---|
| +0 | Planet known to have the desired ore/crystal present. |
| +5 | Planet has no history of the desired ore/crystal present. |
| +10 | Planet has an extreme environment (covered in sand, snow, water, etc.). |
| -5 | Planet is known to have high quantities of the desired ore/crystal present. |
| -5 | Character has access to various maps of the planet/region. |
| -10 | Character has access to detailed sensor data of the planet. |
Mine for Raw Materials (Physical Sciences)[]
Homebrew Reference Book: Clone Wars Saga Edition Fan Sourcebook - Droids
If you are at an existing mine (that has not gone dry) or a site marked through use of Determine Mine Site (see above), you can spend 8 hours mining for raw materials at the site. When you do so, you make a Knowledge (Physical Sciences) check to determine the value of the yield mined. You produce raw materials equal in value to the result of your Knowledge (Physical Sciences) check multiplied by 10 credits.
You may apply these raw materials toward the cost of construction of a single object (see Build Object). Without access to a processing plant, you may only use mined raw materials to cover up to half the cost of any given object you are attempting to build.
The use of a piece of simple mining equipment, such as a pickaxe or shovel, adds a +2 Equipment bonus to the check. Use of powered equipment, such as a beam drill or fusion extractor, or mining vehicles, can add higher bonuses, which vary by object.