Shattered Kingdoms

Alright this has bugged me for some time. Mostly because I have a really bad memory and have to lug around the only book in the realms on herbs. I am just wondering why there is no Herb Lore skill. In mechanics it would be like identify but only for herbs. Shamen, Barbarians, and Scouts could all have the skill, though it would be redundant for Shamen and barbs beyond knowing.

Thoughts?

There's no point in this unless new herbs come in. If you'd play a scout character long enough, you begin to be able to id which herbs are good, bad, worthless, or just downright do nasty stuff. I want new herbs first - then herb lore. Also, there's no STORY behind the herbs. It's a plant. It grows in xxx. It does xxx. The end.

Stop lugging the book and copy it to a universal notepad. I keep a quick-linked notepad document in my toolbar so I can put information like that into it and get access to it quick when I need it. You should see all the sextant coordinates and notes on objects and NPCs I've made.

I've done exactly the same, Oggie.

but honestly, a brand new scout to the game, who has no prior knowledge of herbs doesn't want to eat herbs to see what it does....i think "Herb Recognition" would be better suited for this....it tells you where it grows and what it does...

Or perhaps the recognition would be possible after you've tasted it once. You may not want to test something, which brings to mind 'perhaps there was a reason I haven't put this in my mouth yet' vs. someone telling you something was safe and you had. (word of mouth). That'd save a bit of notepadding, as well as remain IC, least for the things you've previously used.

Tell <insert bard/priest/sorceror/paladin/hellion...whoever else has identify spell or lore> Excuse me sir/my lady. Could you help me determine the use of a herb I collected from the wilds? It looked quite interesting to me when I came across it.

I just do not really see a need for herb lore skill. When I played a scout I had an alias only keep good herbs and drop the others to use when you walk around. There are not that many herbs and lots of them have the same effects as other ones. I think there are only 3 herbs that have harmful effects with out a positive effect and only two herbs that have a powerful bad effect.

If you are a scout the trick is knowing where to find what herb and at what level you can find it and what level its useful.

It seems silly to me that as a scout becomes more experienced he can locate more and more herbs. He just don't know what they do?!? How the hell can he recognize them then?

Trial and error will give one the benefit of experience. The affects on the herbs don't change, so once you know it, you know it. If its too hard to:

1) try the herb and make a list of their affects
2) read the book
3) ask a identify/lore capable PC to identify the affects

Then maybe you're playing the wrong game.

Some player(s) have gone to great length to make an IC reference available in game. Myself, whenever I play a scout, I always had an alia set up for sorting herbs. I suppose if there were a beneficial use for negative herbs, then their inclusion into the herbalism skill would make me happy. Then it would explain why a seasoned veteran would pick up deadly poisonous herbs instead of just ones that do good things.

A