Knowledge check after fight

[Dirich]

I noticed many times after a fight I do an automatic knowledge check.
E.g. a nature check after fighting animals, a religion check after fighting the water elemental in the "maze" at the beginning of the game.
What is that all about? What do I get if I succeed?
Normaly I'd expect that to be a check to verify if you can identify info about the creature, but then it would be made at the start of cobat.

[Dekkion]

When you first encounter a creature there’s a knowledge check to get all or at least some of its info before battle. After battle there’s a typically easier knowledge check to learn from the corpse either the same info if you failed the first or new info if you don’t know everything already. The type of mob determines which knowledge skill is needed to learn about it.

[Dirich]

So there's absolutely no relation between that failed check I did on the water elemental from the maze and the fact that I got no loot from him?
I sure hope that ring in the chest was worth it, then. I still can't identify it.

[Entreri]

Originally posted by Dirich:

So there's absolutely no relation between that failed check I did on the water elemental from the maze and the fact that I got no loot from him?
I sure hope that ring in the chest was worth it, then. I still can't identify it.

Knowledge arcana is used to identity items. If you go back to "base" and a party member there has that skill they get to try to identify it. If they fail I think you get another chance when you level up.

PS: You may be able to go to a merchant to get it identified. Supposedly this worked in Kingmaker, but I never tested it.

[Dekkion]

Originally posted by Dirich:

So there's absolutely no relation between that failed check I did on the water elemental from the maze and the fact that I got no loot from him?
I sure hope that ring in the chest was worth it, then. I still can't identify it.

No relation at all. The pre and post battle knowledge(xxx) checks are to learn all the stats and special attributes related to the creature(s) you just fought.
You need a character with a high enough knowledge(arcana) skill check (skill ranks + roll) to identify a magic item. This is normally done automatically, but if no one in your party has the skill or it isn’t high enough the item will remain unidentified. If you’re having trouble, try checking it’s info in the inventory page while in camp or at the city (when your MC is solo but all companions are viewable). Also try bumping up your highest knowledge(arcana) character’s intelligence (via a +int item or appropriate spell) or after leveling them and adding a skill rank