Recall Knowledge [one-action]

The following skills can be used to Recall Knowledge about the listed topics. Some topics might appear on multiple lists, but the skills could give different information. For example, Arcana might tell you about the magical attacks of a magitech robot, whereas Crafting could tell you what material it's made of and what sort of damage bypasses its resistances.

• Arcana: arcane theories, magical traditions, creatures of arcane significance, and the Elemental, Astral, and Void planes
• Computers: digital and virtual equipment, computer programs, vidgames, and fabrication programs
• Crafting: the value of items, tech gear, engineering, unusual materials, and tech creatures
• Lore: the subject of the Lore skill's subcategory
• Medicine: diseases, poisons, wounds, and forensics
• Nature: fauna, flora, geography, weather, the environment, natural creatures (like animals, beasts, fey, and plants), the Universe, the First World, and the Elemental Planes
• Occultism: eldritch mysteries, esoteric cults, creatures of occult significance (like aberrations and spirits), anomalous locations like the Ghost Levels, and esoteric planes like the Astral Plane, Creation's Forge, the Ethereal Plane, the Netherworld, and the Void
• Performance: impressive performances, specific songs or media pieces, music groups, media personalities, and creatures who use song or dance abilities (such as magic songs or dances)
• Piloting: models of mechs, vehicles, or starships, as well as specific equipment or parts that might be installed on them, and areas of piloting significance (like black holes, interstellar phenomena, or the Drift)
• Religion: gods, their edicts and anathema, divine agents, theology, myths, creatures of religious significance (like celestials, fiends, and undead), Creation's Forge, the Void, and the Outer Spheres
• Society: celebrities, history, laws, social structures, and cultural nuances of an organized society

Using an applicable Lore to Recall Knowledge about a topic, such as Newborn Lore instead of Religion to recall details of the nascent outer god's origins, typically comes with a lower DC. Your special interests can pay off! In some cases, you can get the GM's permission to use a different but related skill, usually against a higher DC than normal. The GM might allow checks to Recall Knowledge using other skills. For example, you might assess the skill of a star athlete using Athletics. If you're using a physical skill (like in this example), the GM will most likely have you use a mental modifier—typically Intelligence—instead of the skill's normal physical attribute modifier.

When encountering a subject for the first time, your first question will likely be a basic “What is it?”, which the GM can answer with a name and basic description like, “This is the symbol of Zon-Shelyn, a recently formed composite deity of art through pain,” or “That's a tashtari, also known as a laser wolf, because it's a wolf that shoots lasers!” If you already know this base level of detail on the subject, the list below includes some reasonable questions. The GM determines what other questions to allow. Usually this is simple as long as you stick to one question. Any question must be about something observable in the game world, not the abstract numbers of the rules. The GM might tell you a malfunctioning robot's Reflex save is its weakest—translating a concept your character could understand using the game term for clarity—but wouldn't reveal the exact Reflex modifier. The GM can find more guidance in GM Core.
Creatures: “Can it be reasoned with?” “What environments does it live in?” “What's its most notable offensive ability?” “Is it highly vulnerable or resistant to anything?” “Are any of its defenses weak?”
Magic: “How can it be avoided?” “What type of people use this magic?” “How long does it last?”
Organizations: “What kind of influence does it have?” “Where is it headquartered?” “How large is it?” “What kind of members does it have?” “Who are its major authorities?” “Do they have any notable allies and enemies?”
People: “What's their personality like?” “What do they look like?” “Do they have any notable talents?” “Do they have notable allies and enemies?” “What kind of influence do they have?” “Do they have any vices?”
Sites: “What's its general location?” “How large is it?” “What's the government like?” “Do any notable people live there?” “What kind of monsters dwell there?” “What's the environment and terrain like?”