In Dungeons and Dragons, my character is a Bard Elf. I have the Bard Starting Package, which includes four starting skills (I can only choose 4 due to modifiers) But after "Knowledge", in parentheses it says "any". Context:
Knowledge (any) Rank 4 Ability Int
Does "any" mean I can choose any kind of knowledge from the skill descriptions, or that I already know all of the knowledge sets? I'm new to D&D so the book I am using may be a bit old and I am still learning.
Best Answer
On page 30 of the D&D 3.5 Player's Handbook, the bard starting package lists:
(my emphasis)
Knowledge ("any" or "any one") is sometimes used as a shorthand for the ability to select any of the game's Knowledge skills (listed under the skills section in the book and -- if you're playing D&D 3.5 -- listed here). Contrast it with the Druid, who can select Knowledge (nature) but not any of the other Knowledge skills.
If a bard has six skills to choose, she can have from zero to all six of them be knowledge skills. For example a bard with six skills to choose might choose Knowledge (arcana), Knowlege (religion), and Knowledge (local), leaving three additional skills to select.
Note also that by default in D&D 3.0 and 3.5 one puts four ranks in whatever skills they choose at 1st level, which is why you see "Ranks 4" next to each skill in the starting package.