Arcana
Arcana is an Intelligence-based skill that measures your ability to recall lore about spells, magic items, eldritch symbols, magical traditions, the planes of existence, and the inhabitants of those planes.
Untrained Actions
Trained Actions
Subskills
Aberration Lore
Aberrations are the strange and unusual creatures of the far realms. Experts can spend decades learning about these creatures but often end up going insane from picking up forbidden knowledge.
Arcane Spell Lore
A wizard pulls out a pinch of sulfur and bat guano. Woe to the hero who doesn’t identify a fireball spell before experiencing it firsthand.
Construct Lore
Wizards are often considered fragile or frail, their strength in the arcane leads them to have powerful bodyguards made of stone, iron, or flesh. These constructed guardians will fight to the death for their masters.
Elemental Lore
Airy assassins, powerful efreeti, and alien gem-eating mounds of rock, the elemental planes spit out all manner of unusual creature. But their long history and ties to the creation of existence make them a well studied group.
Monstrosity Lore
While natural creatures like wolves and bears are well known to all, there are rarer beings like hydras and centaurs that inhabit the lands. With unusual abilities like turning players to stone from a paralyzing gaze or dissolving metals with only a touch, it’s the wise hero who knows about these beasts.
Monster Lore
You can use Arcana, History, Nature and Theology to identify monsters and their special powers or vulnerabilities.
In general, the DC of such a check equals 10 + the monster’s CR. For common monsters, such as goblins, the DC of this check equals 5 + the monster’s CR. For particularly rare monsters the DC of this check equals 15 + the monster’s CR or more. A successful check allows you to remember a bit of useful information about that monster. For every 5 points by which your check result exceeds the DC, you recall another piece of useful information.
Skill Creature Type Arcana Aberrations, Constructs, Elementals, Monstrosities History Dragons, Giants, Humanoids Nature Beasts, Fey, Oozes, Plants Theology Celestials, Fiends, Undead