Each skill proficiency mentioned earlier in this chapter is detailed in the following rules, along with the most common uses for each skill. These rules don't contain an exhaustive list of all of a skill's possible applications and other examples might be found throughout the rules.
Skills with Different Abilities
Each skill proficiency is associated with an ability check. For example, the Intimidation skill is associated with Charisma. In some situations, the GM might allow you to apply your skill proficiency to a different ability check if the normally associated ability is far less relevant than the alternative ability to the appication of the ability check. For example, if a character tries to intimidate someone through a show of physical strength, the GM might ask for a Strength (Intimidation) check rather than a Charisma (Intimidation) check. That character would make a Strength check and add their Proficiency Bonus if they have Intimidation proficiency.
Dexterity (Acrobatics)
Your Dexterity (Acrobatics) check covers your attempt to perform acrobatic stunts, or stay on your feet in a tricky situation.
Acrobatic Stunts
You can make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check try to perform acrobatic stunts, including dives, rolls, somersaults, and flips as a
Bonus Action.
| Stunt | DC |
|---|
| Tumble through an enemy's space | 15 |
| Slide down a staircase on your shield | 20 |
| Run up to half your Speed up a vertical surface | 25 |
- Success: You successfully perform the stunt, and any distance covered by the stunt doesn't use your movement this turn.
- Failure: You fail to perform the stunt.
- Major Failure: As Failure, but you also fall Prone.
Balance
You must make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check when you try to move across a surface that's less than a foot wide (such as a ledge), or across an unstable surface (such as a rickety rope bridge).
| Surface | DC |
|---|
| Narrow or unstable | 15 |
| Very narrow (less than 6 inches wide) | +5 |
| Narrow and unstable | +5 |
- Major Success: You can move across the surface.
- Success: As Success, but the every foot of movement on the surface costs 1 extra foot.
- Failure: Your Speed becomes 0 for the rest of the current turn, but you manage to stay aloft and don't fall.
- Major Failure: You fall and your Speed becomes 0 for the rest of the current turn. If the surface was unstable but not narrow, you fall Prone. If the surface was narrow, you fall off it.
Escape from a Grapple
You can use an
action and make successful a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to escape from a creature that has you grappled. The DC for this check is equal to the grappler's Passive Strength (Athletics) rating.
Escape from Restraints
After spending five consecutive minutes wrigging and contorting the restrained appendages as an action, you can make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to escape a restraint. The DC to escape a particular kind of restraint is listed in its description.
Intelligence (Arcana)
Your Intelligence (Arcana) check measures what you know about magic-related lore and magical effects.
Harvest Creature Parts
You can Harvest ingredients from Aberrations, Constructs, Elementals, Fae, and Monstrosities.
Identify a Spell
You can use your
reaction and make an Intelligence (Arcana) check to identify a spell that you can see being cast, or use a bonus action or reaction on your turn to identify a spell if you can see its effect after it is cast. The DC equals 15 + the spell's level regardless of what spell list the spell originates from. If you have the spell memorized or among your spontaneous spells, you automatically know what the spell is, no reaction or bonus action required.
Recall Knowledge
As a bonus action, you can make an Intelligence (Arcana) check to recall knowledge about:
Creatures. Aberrations, Constructs, Elementals, Fae or Monstrosities.
Magic. Spells, magic items, eldritch symbols or magical traditions.
Planes. The Elemental, Ethereal, or Astral plane.
Strength (Athletics)
You make a Strength (Athletics) check when a physically demanding situation requires muscular strength and technique, applied to cover difficult situations you encounter while climbing, jumping, or swimming.
Brawn
You can use an
action and make a Strength (Athletics) check try to briefly exert brute force.
| Example | DC |
|---|
| Force open a stuck door | 12 |
| Hang on to a wagon while being dragged behind it | 15 |
| Tip over a Large sized statue | 25 |
Climbing
You can attempt to climb up or down a surface as part of your movement. A more challenging surface (detailed in the table below) might require a Strength (Athletics) check to traverse. Avoiding hazards while scaling a surface, or clinging to it while something is trying to knock you off also uses your Strength (Athletics).
| Surface | DC |
|---|
| Uneven surface (cave wall) | 10 |
| Rough surface (brick wall) | 15 |
| Surface is slippery or wet | +5 |
| Surface is smooth or has few handholds | +5 |
Grappling
You can use your Strength (Athletics) to grapple another creature as part of an Unarmed Strike. Alternatively, you can use an
action to aid another yourself or another creature in escaping a grapple with this skill. See Grapping in the rules glossary for details.
Jumping
You can try to jump an unusually long distance as part of your movement. See "High Jump" and "Long Jump" in the rules glossary for details.
Swimming
You can attempt to swim as part of your movement. Swimming or staying afloat in more difficult conditions (detailed in the table below) might require a Strength (Athletics) check. Struggling to swim or stay afloat in areas of thick seaweed, or resisting creatures attempts to push or pull you underwater use this your Strength (Athletics) as well.
| Water | DC |
|---|
| Rough and treacherous currents | 15 |
| Storm-tossed waves | 20 |
Charisma (Deception)
Your Charisma (Deception) check determines whether you can tell a convincing lie, or wear a disguise convincingly.
Bluff
Your Charisma (Deception) check is opposed by an observer's Wisdom (Insight) check. Your check might be opposed by multiple Wisdom (Insight) checks, depending on how many observers can see and hear you, and are interested in what's going on.
| Bluff Modifier | DC |
|---|
| Bluff is hard to believe | +5 |
| Believing the bluff requires risk or sacrifice from the target | +5 |
| Target or observers are Hostile | +10 |
| Target or observers are Unfriendly | +5 |
| You have a known reputation for being dishonest | +10 |
Charisma (Engagement)
Your Charisma (Engagement) check determines how well you can command attention, and make a positive impression on others. This might be delighting an audience with music, dance, acting, storytelling, or some other form of entertainment. It could also include being an affable host, befriending someone over an evening out, or even gather information by engaging with the locals.
Gather Information
After spending an hour chatting up the locals, you can make a Charisma (Engagement) check to try and find out what's going on in a settlement.
| Settlement and Information | DC |
|---|
| Typical settlement | 10 |
| Hostile settlement | 15 |
| Extraplanar or alien settlement | 20 |
| Desired information is obscure | +5 |
| Desired information is kept secret | +10 |
Perform
You can spend up to a workday (8 hours) attempting to impress an audience with a performance that might include singing, dance, acting, storytelling, or some other form of artistic expression. Make a Charisma (Engagement) check at the start of the performance.
| Performance | DC |
|---|
| A performance that is memorably horrible for the audience. | 5 |
| A mediocre performance that is neither moving nor memorable to the audience. | 10 |
| A routine performance consistent with the average street performer. | 15 |
| A great performance comparable with the quality of a professional troupe. | 20 |
| A memorable performance comparable to that of a renowned troupe sought after by noble patrons. | 25 |
| An extraordinary performance solidifying the performer as a virtuoso. | 30 |
For performances longer than an hour, the GM may have you repeat the check at the start of each hour.
Wisdom (Insight)
Your Wisdom (Insight) check determines whether you can discern a person's mood and intentions.
Sense Motive
As a bonus action, you can have the GM make a Secret Wisdom (Insight) check for you, to attempt to determine the true intentions of a creature, such as when searching out a lie or predicting someone's next move. Doing so involves gleaning clues from body language, speech habits, and changes in mannerisms.
| Task or Relationship | DC |
|---|
| Discern lie | Target's Charisma (Deception) check |
| Sense motive | 15 |
| Sense outside influence | 20 |
| Target is well known to you | -5 |
| Target is unfamiliar to you | +5 |
- Success: Depending on the task: you get a bad vibe when discerning a lie, discover a clue about the target's objective in an encounter when sensing their motive, or sense whether an outside influence is present on someone.
- Failure: You gain no specific insight into the target, and can't try again until circumstances change.
- Major Failure: You may gain incorrect insight into the target or situation.
Charisma (Intimidation)
You use your Charisma (Intimidation) when you attempt to awe or threaten someone into doing what you want.
Coerce
After spending at least 1 minute in conversation with a creature, you can make a Charisma (Intimidation) check with a DC equal to the creature's Will Save.
| Circumstances | DC |
|---|
| The threat exploits the target's fears | -5 |
| The target is Loyal or Fearless | +5 |
| The target is Loyal and Fearless | +10 |
| The threat isn't significant to the target | +10 |
Intelligence (Investigation)
You use your Intelligence (Investigation) when a situation requires a sharp eye for details, clues, patterns, and logical connections. You also use the skill when conducting any kind of research.
Find Secret
You physically search a room, making an Intelligence (Investigation) check to find secret doors, simple traps, hidden compartments and other details that might not be readily apparent.
| Secret | DC |
|---|
| A typical secret door or simple trap | 15 |
| A secret compartment in a piece of furniture | 20 |
| A well-hidden secret door | 25 |
Searching a room takes a number of minutes equal to the room's square footage (the GM can estimate and round up in the case of oddly shaped rooms) divided by 100, so a 300 square foot room would take 3 minutes to thoroughly investigate.
Wisdom (Medicine)
A Wisdom (Medicine) check lets you try to stabilize a dying companion, diagnose or treat an illness, or determine what killed the recently slain.
First Aid
You can use first aid to stabilize a dying creature as an action, making a Wisdom (Medicine) check with a DC equal to 10, or half the target's negative hit points expressed as a positive number, whichever is higher. The creature regains hit points equal to the amount by which your check's total exceeded the DC. You cannot raise a creature's hit points higher than 1 in this way.
Harvest Creature Parts
You can Harvest ingredients from Humanoids and Giants.
Treat Affliction
After you spend at least 8 hours caring for a creature suffering from a disease or injury, make an Intelligence (Medicine) check against the disease's DC.
- Success: The chosen diseases level decreases by an amount equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1).
- Failure: The target has Advantage on their next Fortitude Save against the chosen disease.
- Major Failure: The target has Disadvantage on their next Fortitude save against the chosen disease.
After you attempt to Treat a Disease for a creature, you can't try again until after that creature's next save against the disease.
Intelligence (Nature)
Your Intelligence (Nature) check measures your ability to
recall knowledge about terrain, plants and animals, the weather, and natural cycles.
Harvest Creature Parts
You can Harvest ingredients from Beasts, Dragons, Oozes, or Plant creatures.
Gather Reagents
You can spend
1d4 minutes and make an Intelligence (Nature) check to harvest herbs and natural reagents. If you have a
Herbalism Kit and are proficient with it, you can add your proficiency bonus to this check. If you have proficiency in Nature as well, you gain Expertise on this check.
Recall Knowledge
As a bonus action, you can make an Intelligence (Arcana) check to recall knowledge about:
Creatures. Beasts, Dragons, Oozes, or Plants.
Environment. Terrain, flora, or weather.
Wisdom (Perception)
Your Wisdom (Perception) check lets you spot, hear, or otherwise detect the presence of something. It measures your general awareness of your surroundings and the keenness of your senses.
Spot
As a bonus action, you can make a Wisdom (Perception) check to spot hidden enemies or small objects from afar. When attempting to spot a hidden enemy, the DC is equal to the enemy's Dexterity (Stealth) check.
Listen
As a bonus action, you can make a Wisdom (Perception) check to listen for signs of danger, or to overhear a conversation from a short distance away.
| Task | DC |
|---|
| Shouts or Conflict | 0 |
| Normal Conversation | 5 |
| Whispers | 15 |
| Through a door | +5 |
| Noisy environment | +5 |
| Through a wall | +10 |
| More than 50 feet away | +1 (for every 10 feet) |
Charisma (Persuasion)
Your Charisma (Persuasion) check represents your ability to honestly and graciously convince someone of something.
Request
When you make a request of a creature couched in terms that the GM determines they could accept given the current circumstances, you can make a Charisma (Persuasion) check.
| Request and Relationship | DC |
|---|
| The request requires no risk or sacrifice | 10 |
| The request requires minor risk or sacrifice | 20 |
| The request requires significant risk or sacrifice | 30 |
| The creature is Hostile | +15 |
| The creature is Unfriendly | +10 |
| The creature is Indifferent | +5 |
| The creature is Friendly | -2 |
| The creature is Helpful | -5 |
| The creature is Devoted | -15 |
| Roleplay versus creature's Persona | Varies |
- Major Success: The creature agrees to the request without qualifications.
- Success: A Friendly or Indifferent creature agrees to the request, but an Indifferent creature might demand some added provisions or alterations to the request.
- Failure: The creature refuses the request, but if Friendly or Indifferent, the creature may be open to renegotiating the request in 24 hours. A Hostile creature might oppose you and even take risks to do so.
- Major Failure: The creature refuses the request, and if Friendly or Indifferent, the GM may determine that their attitude toward you decreases due to the temerity of the request. A Hostile creature disregards future requests and might take great risks to oppose you in the future.
If a request is unsavory, impossible, or fundamentally at odds with the creature's beliefs, even the most friendly NPCs might not agree to it. The GM determines the reasonability of a request.
Intelligence (Religion)
Your Intelligence (Religion) check measures what you know about deities, rites and prayers, religious hierarchies, holy symbols, and the practices of secret cults.
Harvest Creature Parts
You can Harvest ingredients from Celestials, Fiends, or Undead.
Recall Knowledge
As a bonus action, you can make an Intelligence (Society) check to recall knowledge about:
Creatures. Celestials, Fiends, or Undead.
Planes. The Abyss, Elysium, Hades, Hell, Heaven, Nirvana.
Theology. Deities, religious heirarchies and rites, holy symbols, and cults.
Intelligence (Society)
Your Intelligence (Society) check measures what you know and can recall about historical events, people and places, as well as how those events inform the traditions, culture and civilizations of today.
Navigate Settlement
You can make an Intelligence (History) check when you begin traveling through a settlement in search of a particular location.
| Settlement and Location | DC |
|---|
| Village or Hamlet | 10 |
| Town | 15 |
| City | 20 |
| Landmark Location | -10 |
| Alien, outlandish, or sprawling settlement | +5 |
- Success: You find the location while traveling normally.
- Failure: You are unable to find the location but realize you're off course and can repeat the attempt after 10 minutes.
- Major Failure: You become lost and arrive at a different location, but can repeat the attempt after 1 hour.
Recall Knowledge
As a bonus action, you can make an Intelligence (Society) check to recall knowledge about:
Creatures. Humanoids or Giants
History. Historical events, legendary people, ancient kingdoms, past disputes recent wars, and lost civilizations.
Society. Current leaders, significant personalities, laws, customs, and traditions.
Dexterity (Stealth)
You make a Dexterity (Stealth) check when a situation requires you to move unseen or unheard, blend into surroundings or avoid detection.
Hide
You can use an action to conceal yourself, making a Dexterity (Stealth) check while Heavily Osbscured or behind Three-Quarters Cover or Total Cover. You are considered Concealed from any creature that was distracted or otherwise unable to see you when you took the Hide action as long as the result of your Dexterity (Stealth) check is higher than their Passive Wisdom (Perception rating). If you can see a creature, you can discern whether it can see you.
While you are Concealed from a creature, the creature can attempt to reveal your location using the Sense bonus action to make a Wisdom (Perception) check. On a success, you are no longer Concealed from that creature.
If you move more than half your Speed during a turn while Concealed from a creature, the creature has Advantage on their Wisdom (Perception) check (including their passive rating) and if you ever move into a space that has unblocked line of sight (No Cover and not Heavily or Lightly Obscured) from a creature, you are no longer Concealed from that creature.
You must reattempt your Dexterity (Stealth) check if the GM determines that the circumstances or specific nature of your attempt to hide has changed. For example, if you're sneaking into the medical tent in a camp and successfully make your first Dexterity (Stealth) check, but then decide you want to sneak over to the camp's barracks, you make a new attempt to hide.
Dexterity (Thievery)
Your Dexterity (Thievery) check is used when attempting thievish acts such as picking a pocket, concealing a handheld object, or performing legerdemain.
Disable a Trap
You can use the Utilize action and make a Dexterity (Thievery) check when trying to prevent a trap from triggering. You need to be aware of a trap to try and disable, as explained in Wisdom (Perception).
| Trap | DC |
|---|
| Average Trap | 10 + Half the Trap's Level |
| Complex Trap | +2 |
| Magical Trap | +2 |
Open Lock
You can use the Utilize action with
Thieves' Tools to make a Dexterity (Thievery) attempt to pick a lock. If you don't have
Thieves' Tools but have some other fine implements with which to manipulate the lock, the GM may let you attempt the check with Disadvantage.
Pick Pocket
You can use the Utilize action and make a Dexterity (Thievery) check to lift a small object (such as a pouch, or necklace) from a creature without that creature being aware of the theft. The chosen object must be an object that the creature isn't holding. The DC of the check equals 10 + your target's Passive Perception rating.
- Success: You get the object, and the target doesn't notice your theft.
- Failure: You don't get the object but the target doesn't notice your attempt.
- Major Failure: You don't get the object, and the target notices your failed attempt.
Sleight of Hand
You can use the Utilize action and make a Dexterity (Thievery) to try and palm an unattended object small enough to fit into your hand, or to perform an act of legerdemain. Any creature within 60 feet with a Passive Perception rating greater than the result of your Dexterity (Thievery) check notices you pick up the object, or sees through your act of legerdemain.
Wisdom (Wilderness)
The GM might ask you to make a Wisdom (Survival) check to follow tracks, hunt wild game, guide your group through frozen wastelands, identify signs that owlbears live nearby, predict the weather, or avoid quicksand and other natural hazards.
Follow Tracks
You can use the Search action to look around for tracks, making a Wisdom (Wilderness) check.
| Ground Surface | DC |
|---|
| Soft ground such as snow or mud | 10 |
| Dirt or grass | 15 |
| Bare wood or stone | 20 |
| Each day since the creature passed | +2 |
| Rain or snow since the creature passed | +5 |
| Creature left a trail such as blood | -5 |
| Group of more than 5 creatures passed | -5 |
| Huge or larger creature | -5 |
Forage
You can forage by spending at least an hour scoping the area for food and water sources, at the end of which you make a Wisdom (Wilderness) check. If you engage in the Forage activity while traveling, every four hours spent traveling equals a single hour of dedicated foraging, so you would make a single Wisdom (Wilderness) check after every four hours.
| Availability and Environment | DC |
|---|
| Abundant food and water sources | 10 |
| Limited food and water sources | 15 |
| Very little, if any, food and water sources | 20 |
- Major Success: You find pounds of food and gallons of water equal to twice your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 2 pounds of food and 2 gallons of water).
- Success: You find pounds of food and gallons of water equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1 pound of food and 1 gallon of water).
- Failure: You find no food or water.
Instead of making a Wisdom (Wilderness) check, you can choose to use your Passive Wisdom (Wilderness) rating instead, you must make this decision before you roll.
Handle Animal
You can attempt to Influence an animal as an action, making a Wisdom (Wilderness) check. An animal is most commonly a Beast, but can be any creature with beast-like characteristics as long as its Intelligence Score is less than 5 and it cannot speak a language. The animal must be within 30 feet of you, and must be able to see and hear you.
| Handling | DC |
|---|
| Calm an animal | 10 + Half the Beast's Level |
| Frighten off an animal | 15 + Half the Beast's Level |
- Success: The animal responds to your handling.
- Failure: The animal ignores your attempt at handling it.
- Major Failure: The animal becomes Hostile if it isn't already, and makes all its attacks against you with Advantage until the end of its next turn.
Navigate Wilderness
You can navigate the wilderness as you travel by making a Wisdom (Wilderness) check at the start of each day's journey. If you cease traveling in the wilderness for more than 2 hours (either to rest, enter a dungeon or tomb, or enter a settlement), you must repeat the check when you begin your journey anew.
| Terrain | DC |
|---|
| Grassland, meadows, farmland | 5 |
| Arctic, desert, hills, or open sea with clear skies and no land in sight | 10 |
| Forest, jungle, swamp, mountains, or open sea with overcast skies and no land in sight | 15 |
Instead of making a Wisdom (Wilderness) check, you can choose to use your Passive Wisdom (Wilderness) rating instead, you must make this decision before you roll.
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