Knowledge (Scatology)

Knowledge (Scatology) (Int; Trained Only)

Use this skill to obtain various information through studying solid waste. This can involve examining, feeling, dissecting, or even tasting the waste. 

Check: You can identify the type of creature, what it ate, whether it has an illness, and when it defecated through studying its solid excrement. The table below gives the DCs for various tasks that require Scatology checks. Most of these tasks can be accomplished at once, if you want to accomplish all of them with one action, do not roll separate checks, simply go by the highest DC. Success means all tasks are accomplished together. 

Scatology DC   Task

10                        Identify what type of creature made the solid excrement.

15                        Determine how long ago (in days) the creature defecated. It should be assumed that after two weeks, age can only be determined to be two weeks old or more.

15                        Determine what the creature ate. 

20                        Determine whether the creature has an illness.

25                        If the creature has an illness, determine what that illness is.

30                        If the creature was under a magical effect while defecating, you may determine what the effect was 

Scatology DC Modifier   Condition

+5                                        After precipitation. 

+10                                      Decomposers (i.e. maggots, dung beetles, etc.) have begun to eat      the fecal matter.

-2                                         Temperature is below freezing. 

-2                                         There is over 2 pounds of scat.

Action: A Scatology check requires a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity.

Retry: Yes, but the original sample is wasted, another sample must be found.

Special: Survival may be used to accomplish these tasks, albeit at a -5 penalty to checks. Survival may not be used to accomplish a Scatology check of DC 20 or higher.

Synergy: If you have 5 or more ranks in Survival, you get a +2 bonus on Scatology checks.