Toggle Theme

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

Rules Index | GM Screen | Player's Guide
Chapter 10: Game Mastering / Difficulty Classes / Specific Actions / Recall Knowledge

Creature Identification

Source Core Rulebook pg. 506 2.0
A character who successfully identifies a creature learns one of its best-known attributes—such as a troll’s regeneration (and the fact that it can be stopped by acid or fire) or a manticore’s tail spikes. On a critical success, the character also learns something subtler, like a demon’s weakness or the trigger for one of the creature’s reactions.

The skill used to identify a creature usually depends on that creature’s trait, as shown on Table 10–7, but you have leeway on which skills apply. For instance, hags are humanoids but have a strong connection to occult spells and live outside society, so you might allow a character to use Occultism to identify them without any DC adjustment, while Society is harder. Lore skills can also be used to identify their specific creature. Using the applicable Lore usually has an easy or very easy DC (before adjusting for rarity).

Table 10-7: Creature Identification Skills

Creature TraitSkills
AberrationOccultism
AnimalNature
AstralOccultism
BeastArcana, Nature
CelestialReligion
ConstructArcana, Crafting
DragonArcana
ElementalArcana, Nature
EtherealOccultism
FeyNature
FiendReligion
FungusNature
HumanoidSociety
MonitorReligion
OozeOccultism
PlantNature
SpiritOccultism
UndeadReligion