Skill Examples (5A)

Starfox's 5th Edition Fan Page

You might have noticed that skills are incredibly fast and loose in 5th edition. The intention is that the GM has a lot more room to adjudicate what is right for their game. However, some may also find this freedom a little confusing. Below we have fleshed out the skills to some additional degree and provide options for that skill's use.

When the DC of a skill use has a list of several values, generally based on someone else's skills, use the highest number unless otherwise noted.

I changed many tasks to have a difficulty equal to another creature's passive value. This is 10 + ability modifier + proficiency modifier. This is to avoid having to record the check result creatures achieve on tasks such as stealth and disguise. It also prevent a good roll carrying through an entire story; each time an opponent makes a check, there is a real danger. An opposed check is the same as a check against a passive value.

On addition to rolls of 1 or 20 being critical or fumbles, a roll that fails by 10 or more is a fumble and a roll that succeeds by 10 or more is a critical.

Strength

Strength measures bodily power and the extent to which you can exert raw physical force.

Athletics

The Athletics skill reflects aptitude in certain kinds of Strength checks. Examples include the following activities:

• You attempt to climb a sheer or slippery cliff, avoid hazards while scaling a wall, or cling to a surface while something is trying to knock you off.
• You try to jump an unusually long distance or pull off a stunt mid-jump.
• You try to force a door open or closed.
• You try to drag or topple a heavy weight.

Climbing, Swimming, and Crawling While climbing or swimming, each foot of movement costs 1 extra foot (2 extra feet in difficult terrain) unless a creature has a climbing or swimming speed. At the DM's option, climbing a slippery vertical surface or one with few handholds requires a successful Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Strength (Athletics) check. Similarly, gaining any distance in rough water might require a successful Strength (Athletics) check.

Swimming

Part of movement

Make a Strength (Athletics) check once per round while you are in the water. Success means you may swim at up to half your base speed as your movement. If you fail you make no progress. If fumble, you go underwater. On a critical you have got a grip on the situation and need not make any more Strength (Athletics) checks until conditions grow worse.

Each hour that you swim, you must make a Constitution save against the swim DC or gain a level of exhaustion. If you are underwater, either because you failed an Athletics check or because you are swimming underwater intentionally, you risk Drowning.

Swimming Difficulties

Water Conditions	Swim DC
Calm water	5
Rough water	10
Stormy water	15

Swimming in Armor If you attempt to swim while wearing armor, you suffer disadvantage on your Strength (Athletics) check if your armor provides a penalty to Stealth checks. If a creature with a swim speed wears heavier armors, its swim speed is reduced in the same way as land speed.

Drowning Any character can hold her breath for a number of rounds equal to twice their Constitution score. If a character takes any actions (such as an Attack or Dash action), the remaining duration that the character can hold her breath is reduced by 1 round. After this period of time, the character must make a DC 10 Constitution save every round in order to continue holding her breath. Each round, the DC increases by 1.

If the character finally fails their Constitution save, they begin to drown. In the first round, they become incapacitated and their hit points are reduced to zero. Drowning characters make death saves as normal and might wake up and thus get a chance to pass a Swim check to get air. Characters who are or become unconscious while in water must begin making Constitution saves immediately. Once they fail one of these checks, they immediately drop to 0 hit points and begin making death saves.

It is possible to drown in substances other than water, such as sand, quicksand, fine dust, and silos full of grain.

Climbing

Part of movement

With a successful Athletics check, you can advance up, down, or across a slope, wall, or other steep incline (or even across a ceiling, provided it has handholds) at half your normal speed. A slope is considered to be any incline at an angle measuring less than 60 degrees; a wall is any incline at an angle measuring 60 degrees or more. A failure means that you make no progress, a fumble means that you fall from whatever height you have attained. The DC of the check depends on the conditions of the climb.

You need both hands free to climb, but you may pause a climb and cling to cast a spell or take some other action that requires only one hand. While climbing, you can’t move to avoid a blow, so opponents have advantage on their attacks against you. Anytime you take damage while climbing, make an Athletics. Failure means you fall.

If you can brace yourself against another wall or surface, you gain advantage on the check. The use of pitons or hand-and-footholds placed before you climb grant advantage. If any of the surfaces are slippery (from rain, greased, polished, etc.) the checks are made with disadvantage.

Compare the task with those on the following table to determine an appropriate DC.

Climbing Difficulties

Climb DC	Example
5 (Easy)	Knotted rope, rickety ladder
10 (Moderate)	Rope, very rough wall, ship’s rigging
15 (Hard)	Rough wall or tree
20 (Difficult)	Smooth wall with no handholds
25 (Very Difficult)	Polished wall
-5	Positive incline (60 degrees)
+5	Negative incline or overhang

Catch Yourself When Falling It’s incredibly difficult to catch yourself while falling. Make a Strengh (Athletics) check at disadvantage to do so.

Rappelling: Climbing down a rope can be done at a much accelerated rate by rappelling. This requires a belt or other sturdy attachment point on your person. Rappelling is done at normal land speed with advantage, or at double land speed without advantage. A creature can use land or climb speed to determine rappelling speed.

Vigorous Climb If you do not otherwise have disadvantage, you can climb at full speed by making the Athletics check with disadvantage. On a success you move with such speed and vigor that you do not lose your Dexterity bonus to AC.

Catch a Falling Character

Reaction

If someone falls, you can attempt to catch the falling character if they are within your reach. Doing so requires a successful Athletics check with a DC equal to the falling creature's Strength score. If the creature would take falling damage, subtract your Strength (Athletics) check from the damage and split the remainder between you two.

Jumping

Part of movement.

You can use Dexterity (Acrobatics) and Strength (Athletics) to jump.

Long Jump. When you make a long jump you cover a number of feet up to your Strength score if you move at least 10 feet immediately before the jump. When you make a standing long jump, you can leap only half that distance. Either way, each foot you clear on the jump costs a foot of movement. This rule assumes that the height of your jump doesn't matter. such as a jump across a stream or chasm. At your DM's option, you must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Strength (Athletics) check to clear a low obstacle (no taller than a quarter of the jump's distance), such as a hedge or low wall. Otherwise you hit it. When you hit an obstacle or land in difficult terrain you must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to land on your feet. Otherwise you land prone.

High Jump. When you make a high jump you leap into the air a number of feet equal to 3 + your Strength modifier if you move at least 10 feet on foot immediately before the jump. When you make a standing high jump, you can jump only half that height. Either way, each foot you clear on the jump costs a foot of movement. You can extend your arms half your height above yourself during the jump. Thus. you can reach above you a distance equal to the height of the jump plus 1 1/2 times your height.

Extended Jumps. Bonus Action

As a bonus action you can make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Strength (Athletics) check to jump farther. The DC is your Strength score. On a success you increase your effective Strength score by 2 and your effective Strength bonus by 1 for this jump only. For each 5 points of margin on the roll, you gain this bonus again.

Disarm

Attack

When you want to disarm a creature, you can use the Attack action to make a special melee attack, a disarm. If you’re able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action, a disarm attempt replaces one of them.

The target of your disarm must be no more than one size larger than you and must be within your reach. Make a disarm check instead of an attack roll: a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). If you succeed, you disarm the target and the weapon lands in 1d6 squares away in a random direction. On a critical success, you can either pick up the weapon (if you have a free hand), damage the weapon (takes a long or short rest to repair with the appropriate tools), or the weapon lands in a space of your choice within 30 feet.

Grappling

Attack

Quoted from the combat rules. When you want to grab a creature or wrestle with it, you can use the Attack action to make a special melee attack, a grapple. If you’re able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action, a grappling attempt replaces one of them.

The target of your grapple must be no more than one size larger than you and must be within your reach. Using at least one free hand, you try to seize the target by making a grapple check instead of an attack roll: a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). If you succeed, you subject the target to the grappled condition (see appendix A). The condition specifies the things that end it, and you can release the target whenever you like ( no action required).

Escaping a Grapple (Action): A grappled creature can use its action to escape. To do so, it must succeed on a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by the grappler's Strength (Athletics).

Moving a Grappled Creature (Part of movement): When you move, you can drag or carry the grappled creature with you, but your speed is halved, unless the creature is of a size smaller than you.

Grappled Condition A grappled creature's speed becomes 0, and it can't benefit from any bonus to its speed. The condition ends if the grappler is incapacitated (see the condition). The condition also ends if an effect removes the grappled creature from the reach of the grappler or grappling effect, such as when a creature is hurled away by the thunderwave spell.

Overrun

Part of movement.

As a part of movement you can barge through other creatures' space with Strength (Athletics). You provoke attacks of opportunity normally for this movement. Occupied spaces are difficult ground.

Make one Strength (Athletics) check and compare the result to each target's passive Strength (Athletics). If your size is larger than that of a creature moved through, success is automatic. On a failure against one or more creatures, you end up in the last legal space before entering the space of the creature you failed against.

Shove

Attack

From the combat rules. Using the attack action , you can make a special melee attack to shove a creature, either to force it prone or push it away from you. If you’re able to make multiple attacks with the attack action , this attack replaces one of them. The target must be no more than one size larger than you and must be within your reach. Instead of making an attack roll, you make a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). If you win the contest, you either force the target prone or push it 5 feet away from you. A pushed target decides where to go, as long as it moves away from you.

If you wish to push the target into a precise space, even one that is not away from you, you can do so by taking disadvantage on the Athletics roll to shove.

Feat of Strength

Bonus action

When the rules call for a Strength check, you can use Strength (Athletics). This includes tasks like bursting bonds, forcing open a stuck, locked, or barred door, move or tip an heavy item like a large rock, pillar, or statue.

Pushing Strength For tasks that depend on Strength score or encumbrance limits rather than Strength checks, you can use the Athletics skills to temporarily push your Strength as a bonus action . Make a Strength (Athletics) check, the DC is your own Strength score.

Critical Failure: You gain the poisoned condition until you finish a long or short rest.

Failure: You cannot push yourself with this task until you finish a long or short rest.

Success: You increase your effective Strength score by 2.

Critical Success: You increase your effective Strength by 5.

Dexterity

Dexterity measures agility, reflexes, and balance.

A Dexterity check can model any attempt to move nimbly, quickly, or quietly, or to keep from falling on tricky footing. The Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth skills reflect aptitude in certain kinds of Dexterity checks.

Acrobatics

Part of movement

The GM might call for a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to see if you can perform acrobatic stunts, including dives, rolls, somersaults, and flips. These are generally used to overcome terrain, but might also place you in an advantageous position with the DM's approval.

Agile Maneuvers

You can practice #Climbing, #Disarm and #Jumping using Dexterity (Acrobatics) in lieu of Strength (#Athletics).

Balance

+ Balancing	Conditions	DC Modifier
Light Obstructions (gravel, sand, brush)	DC 5
6" to 12" wide	DC 5
Severe Obstructions (thick brush, rubble)	DC 10
2" to 6" wide	DC 10
Steep slope 45-60 degrees)	DC 15
1/10" to 1" wide	DC 15
Severely Unsteady (earthquake)	DC 20
1/10 inch wide or less	DC 20

Part of movement.

You can use Acrobatics to move on narrow surfaces and uneven ground without falling. A successful check allows you to move across such surfaces. A failure means you do not move. A fumble means you fall. If you take damage while Maintaining Balance, you must immediately make another Acrobatics check at the same DC to avoid falling or being knocked prone. If the surface is unsteady or slippery, such as wet stone or a slack line, you have disadvantage.

Climb A Larger Creature

+ Damage Falling Off A Creature	Size	Falling Damage
Medium	No damage
Large	1d6
Huge	2d6
Gargantuan	4d6

Action, later bonus action.

You can climb a creature two or more size categories larger than you. You need a free hand to do this. Use an action to make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check against the target's passive Dexterity (Acrobatics). If you win, you move into the target creature's space and cling to its body. Each round while climbing a creature you must take a bonus action and repeat the check or fall off.

While in the target's space, you have advantage on attack rolls against it, and the larger creature suffers disadvantage on attacks against you.

The larger creature can attempt dislodge you as an action -knocking you off, scraping you against a wall, or grabbing and throwing—by making a Strength (Athletics) check against your passive Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.

Falling off a creature does damage depending on the creature's size. If you were scraped off by the creature itself, add its Strength bonus to damage.

Escape Bonds

Short rest.

Your training and flexibility in Acrobatics allows you to slip bonds during a short or long rest. The DC is the passive Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) of the binder, or 20 for manacles. By taking disadvantage on your Acrobatics skill check to escape bonds, you can do so without being noticed while under observation.

Kip Up

Part of movement.

You can get back to your feet by doing a flip back onto your feet. With a successful Acrobatics check (DC 20), you stand up from a prone position without spending extra movement to stand. If you fail, you spend the normal amount of movement to get up. If you fumble, you spend half your movement without getting up.

Move Through Enemy

Part of movement.

You can move through an enemy square with an opposed Dexterity (Acrobatics) check as an action or bonus action . If the creature whose space you move through is incapacitated, the DC is 10. If you do not succeed in your Acrobatics check, your movement for the round ends in front of the enemy’s square and you do not pass through. If you fumble, you fall prone in the last legal space before you enter the opponent's space.

Squares occupied by creatures, friend or enemy, are difficult ground.

Roll with Fall

Reaction

As a reaction you can roll Dexterity (Acrobatics). DC is the number of feet you fell. On a success, you take no damage and roll to your feet. Even on a failure you reduce the damage; you take 1d6 falling damage plus 1d6 damage for every 10 point you fail by.

Diving into water, emergency sail, or other cushioning surface halves the difficulty of rolling with the fall.

Sleight Of Hand

Whenever you attempt an act of legerdemain or manual trickery, such as planting something on someone else or concealing an object on your person, make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. The GM might also call for a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check to determine whether you can lift a coin purse off another person or slip something out of another person’s pocket.

Binding

Action

You can use ropes or cuffs to bind a creature that is helpless or does not resist. Binding sets the difficulty of #Escape Bonds. You can attempt to bind or cuff an unconscious or restrained creature as an action , this requires an opposed Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. You can use Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) in lieu of Dexterity (Acrobatics) to #Escape Bonds.

Draw Hidden Weapon

Action

As you draw a hidden weapon as an action . Make an Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check opposed by your foe’s passive Wisdom (Perception). If you succeed you can attack with this weapon as a part of the same action. If your check succeeds, you gain advantage on your attack. If you fail, you draw the weapon but cannot attack. Once you have been seen drawing a hidden weapon, you suffer disadvantage on further tests to do so in the same fight. #Hide Object is a separate task you must have done beforehand.

Fake-Out

Action

As an action you can distract an opponent within 5 ft. Make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check against the target's Wisdom (Perception). On a success the target is stunned until the end of your current turn.

Fuddle Spellcasting

You can #Obfuscate Spellcasting using Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) in lieu of Charisma (Deception).

Hide Object

Action

You can hide an object on your person. You can do this as a part of palming an object or with a separate action with the same difficulty. A creature inspecting you can take an action to make a Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check against your passive Charisma (Sleight of Hand). A physical search gives a +5 modifier on this action.

A thumb-sized or smaller object gives you advantage and opponent's disadvantage. Any object larger than a dagger gives you disadvantage and observers advantage. You must wear sufficient clothes or accessories to make the task credible. If you are wearing very heavy clothing, the DM may extend the size of objects you can hide.

An object crafted to look harmless at double the normal cost gives you advantage regardless of the objects size, as long as the object seems harmless and fits in the persona you are using. (The cost of enchanting the item does not change.) Examples include holy symbols with hidden features, items disguised as jewelry or ornaments, instrument cases with nefarious content, bladed boots, cane swords, umbrella shields, and fighting fans.

Palm Object Action

A DC 5 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check lets you palm a coin-sized object. The difficulty is 10 for a palm sized object, 15 for an object long as your underarm, and 20 for an even larger object. When you use this skill under close observation, your skill check is opposed by any observer’s passive Wisdom (Perception). You are assumed to notice if you are seen and abort the attempt, but if you fumble, you fail to notice that you are observed.

The object is assumed to be in another's possession, but not safely secured. A secured or attached object (such as a ring or earring) gives you disadvantage, while an unattended object gives you advantage.

Plant Item You attempt to plant an object on another's person. This is the reverse of Palm Object and has the same difficulty. If you both palm and plant an object you have to spend separate actions and make separate rolls.

Stealth

Make a Dexterity (Stealth) check when you attempt to conceal yourself from enemies, slink past guards, slip away without being noticed, or sneak up on someone without being seen or heard.

Hide

Action

As an action you can make a Dexterity (Stealth) check against the Wisdom (Perception) of any observer. This requires you to have cover or concealment, or that all observers are distracted. You remain in hiding until the end of your next turn or until you attract attention to yourself. If an enemy during the enemy's turn is in a position such that you have no cover or concealment against them, they spot you. If you make an attack you have advantage, but stop hiding.

If you begin a round hiding you can spend an action to move while hidden without having to roll again as long as you do not attract attention to yourself. Alternatively, you can take some other action that won't attract attention, but then you cannot move. Finally you can stay still and #Lie Low to focus on hiding.

Lie Low

Action

If you begin your turn in stealth, you can spend an action each round to focus on hiding. Opponents suffer disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) check against your Dexterity (Stealth) to spot you. You cannot move while doing this.

Marathon Stealth

Using Stealth over long distances can quickly grow repetitive. To simplify the process, only make a Stealth check when circumstances change, such as moving from one terrain into another. The GM should always require Stealth checks at obstacles, such as when climbing a fence or wading a moat. Marathon Stealth cannot be used when within 60 ft. of an enemy.

Tail

You discreetly follow another person, using the city crowds, jungle foliage, or other ubiquitous cover to conceal your presence. You keep your quarry in sight, carefully monitoring them while remaining far enough in the background to evade his sight. Every ten minutes of your pursuit, make a Wisdom (Stealth) check against your target’s passive Wisdom (Perception). Creatures in the vicinity can spend actions to make Wisdom (Perception) checks against your passive Wisdom (Stealth) to spot you.

Constitution

Constitution measures health, stamina, and vital force.

Constitution checks are uncommon, and no skills commonly apply to Constitution checks, because the endurance this ability represents is largely passive rather than involving a specific effort. A Constitution check can model your attempt to push beyond normal limits. The DM might call for a Constitution-based skill check when you try to accomplish tasks of endurance. In these cases, you must use Constitution rather than the ability the skill is normally connected to.

• Constitution (Athletics) to hold your breath, force march, or labor for hours without rest.
• Constitution (Survival) to survive without food or water
• Constitution (Persuasion) to quaff an entire stein of ale in one go
• Constitution (Investigation) to cram for an exam or read a book burning the midnight oil.

Camouflage

Action

You can use an action and your Stealth to hide creatures or object, who remain hidden until they move. You need to use materials from the environment to create a camouflage, which is hard in areas with little or no litter. The Perception DC to spot camouflage is your Passive Wisdom (Stealth).

Intelligence

Intelligence measures mental acuity, accuracy of recall, and the ability to reason.

An intelligence check comes into play when you need to draw on logic, education, memory, or deductive reasoning. The Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, and Religion skills reflect aptitude in certain kinds of intelligence checks.

Lore

Action, reaction, or bonus action.

Many skills allow lore checks in their area of expertise. The most common uses of Lore involve Arcana, History, Nature, and Religion. The GM may allow other skills to make lore checks, and even lore checks related to tool proficiencies. General rules for lore checks are given here, with specific descriptions in each skill.

Lore checks are always Intelligence checks. The difficulty depends on the obscurity of the information sought or the rarity of the creature to be identified. You can make a Lore check as a reaction, bonus action , or as an action. You can try each of these actions once in a given situation, for a total of three attempts at each task. If the Lore is connected to your background, you have advantage on the roll, if it is alien you suffer disadvantage. The GM is always free to embellish or add to the information gained, even adding untruths on lower rolls.

+ Lore	Condition	DC	Examples
General information	5	Are oysters really food?
Specific information	10	Are oysters appropriate food on a date?
Rare or ancient lore	15	Blue oysters produce black pearls, useful in necromancy.
Rare or ancient lore	20	Black pearls are useful in necromancy.
Secret lore	25	Feeding a blue oyster a chip of onyx causes it to make a black pearl
Lost or unknown information.	30	Blue oysters were created by aboleth in the distant past.

Identify Creature

Action, reaction, or bonus action.

A common use of Lore is to identify a creature. If you pass DC 10 you have a general idea about what type of creature this is, but have no details. If you beat a DC of 15 + 1/2 the creature's challenge you can identify the creature by name and remember a bit of useful information about that creature. For every 5 points by which your check result exceeds the DC, you recall another piece of increasingly obscure information. A common, well known, or notorious creature gives advantage on this roll. A very rare or secretive creature gives disadvantage on the check. As creatures of higher level are naturally rarer, this should be used with caution and only for creatures that are rare or secretive compared to the norm for their level.

+ Lore and Creature Types	Type	Description	Lore
Aberration	Aberrations are utterly alien beings often associated with the Far Realm.	Arcana
Beast	Beasts include all varieties of ordinary animals, dinosaurs, and giant versions of animals.	Animal Handling or Nature
Celestial	Celestials are creatures of weal native to the Upper Planes.	Arcana or Religion
Construct	Constructs are made, not born. Golems are the iconic constructs.	Arcana
Dragon	Dragons are large reptilian creatures of ancient origin and tremendous power. Also creatures related to dragons, but less powerful.	Arcana, History, or Nature
Elemental	Elementals are creatures native to the elemental planes.	Arcana or Nature
Fey	Fey are magical creatures tied to the forces of nature.	Arcana or Nature
Fiend	Fiends are creatures of wickedness that are native to the Lower Planes.	Arcana or Religion
Giant	Giants tower over humans and their kind. They are human-like in shape, though some have deformities.	History
Goblinoids	The races of goblinoids (goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears).	History
Humanoid	Humanoids are the main peoples of a fantasy gaming world, both civilized and savage.	History
Monstrosity	Monstrosities defy categorization, and serve as a catch-all category for creatures that don’t fit into any other type.	Nature
Ooze	Oozes are gelatinous creatures that rarely have a fixed shape.	Arcana or Nature
Plant	Plants in this context are vegetable creatures, not ordinary flora.	Nature
Undead	Undead are once-living creatures brought to a horrifying state of undeath.	Arcana or Religion

Appraise Item

Action, reaction, or bonus action.

You can use #Lore to appraise the value of most items. Ordinary valuables use the #History skill, other skills cover items related to their field. If you score a success, you also determine if the item has magic properties, although this success does not grant knowledge of the magic item’s abilities. A critical success identifies the item's properties. A failure gives a very rough estimation of value, with a 50% error margin. If you fumble, the price is wildly inaccurate, you fail to notice an item of value or grossly overestimate its value.

You can also use this check to determine the most valuable item visible in a treasure hoard or on a person. You find the highest value item whose item difficulty (above) you meet. You can also use this check to determine the rough value of an entire hoard with a roll against the highest item difficulty in that hoard.

Read Books of Lore

Short rest.

The information from books is much more substantial that that from ordinary #Lore checks, but books are hard to read and understand.

Most documents are hand-written, often in obscure dialects and dealing with difficult subjects. A #Lore check to find relevant facts in a book can be attempted each long or short rest. The DC depends on the book and what kind of information you seek; the older and more complex the book is, and the more specific the information, the higher the difficulty. A success allows you to find what information the book has on the subject. If you fumble, you cannot attempt again until you level up.

To answer specific difficult questions, extract obscure information, or other deep reading requires a better roll or further long rests and successful #Lore checks.

Read Map

10 minutes

Most maps are just sketches with invented notation and very hard to read (DC 15), but even commercial maps are not so easy to understand (DC 10). A failure means you are confused and uncertain. You can retry after an hour. A failure by more than 10 means you misread the map.

What skill is used depends on the map. This list is not exclusive, several skills can cover a certain sibject. #Arcana for planar maps and magical phenomena such as geomancy and ley lines. #History for political maps, city maps, maps of trade routes, and others that deal with humanoids and their activities. #Nature for geographical maps and maps of natural phenomena, including such things as ley lines and geomancy. Maps of fairy and the inner planes. #Religion for maps of the outer planes, the shadow plane, and maps showing religious affiliation or sacred sites. #Cartographer’s Tools and Navigator’s Tools apply to reading every kind of map.

Arcana

Your Intelligence (Arcana) check measures your ability to recall #Lore about spells, magic items, eldritch symbols, magical traditions, the planes of existence, and the inhabitants of those planes. This covers aberrations, constructs, dragons, elementals, and monstrosities. Arcana covers all planes and all magic. The #Nature and #Religion skills also covers magic, but is focused of one particular area of magic as well as providing other lore.

Evaluate Magic

Action.

A successful DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check will allow you to identify the value magic and magic paraphernalia, such as spell components, enchanting materials, and magic items. If you succeed with this but the item has no magical use or significance, you learn that this is so.

Identify Magic

Magic takes many forms, and Arcana is the skill to recognize them all. Other skills such as #Religion and #Nature can identify specific types of magic, but Arcana works on all kinds. If you have the Detect Magic spell active when you are trying to identify magic, you have advantage on the Intelligence (Arcana) check.

Identify Spell Action, reaction, or bonus action.

As an action , reaction , or bonus action you can identify a spell effect with an Intelligence (Arcana) check of DC 15 + spell level. You can only attempt each type of action to identify a specific magic once. You can try again after a long rest. If you do not see the spell being cast or a visible effect of the spell, you have disadvantage.

+ Identify Magic	Rarity	DC
Common	DC 10
Uncommon	DC 15
Rare	DC 20
Very Rare	DC 25
Legendary	DC 30

Identify Magic Item Short rest or action

It normally takes a short rest to identify a magic item. No check is required, but curses are not detected. By spending an action and making an Intelligence (Arcana) check you can identify an item quickly. On a failure, you still identify the item, but not any curse or side effect. On a success, you identify the item as above, and get a bad feeling if there is any curse or side effect. On a critical you identify most curses or side effects. The GM may still keep certain effects hidden for plot reasons.

Identify Magical Materials Action

You can spend an action to identify materials manufactured by magic with an Intelligence (Arcana) check of DC 10 + spell level. You can only attempt this check once for each batch of materials.

Analyze Magic Trap Action

You can spend an action to attempt to determine the exact nature of a magical trap you know about. The DC of this check equals 15 + the level of the spell or 15 + 1/2 the challenge of a trap. If you succeed, you know what spell the trap triggers. If the trap triggers more than one spell, check separately for each one. This knowledge grants you no advantage for disarming the trap, but it does tell you what to expect should the trap go off. You can only attempt this check once for each trap.

Determine Spellcaster Power Reaction

Observing an opponent cast a spell you can, as a reaction with a successful opposed Lore check against Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) or Charisma (Deception) check, identify the opponent’s caster level and the highest spell level they can cast.

Magical Research Weeks

You can work on designing new spells and magic items or reverse-engineer old ones. This is a kind of downtime activity. Check with your GM if this is allowed in your game.

Identify Creatures

Action, reaction, or bonus action.

You can identify aberrations, celestials, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiend, ooze, and undead. See #Lore above.

Planar Lore

Action, reaction, or bonus action.

You can recall #Lore about the planes of existence with an Intelligence (Arcana) check. On the Inner Planes and the Far Realm you can use Arcana in lieu of #History to know of personalities, events, and history.

History

Your Intelligence (History) check measures your ability to recall #Lore about events, people, kingdoms, disputes, wars, and civilizations. History is the skill to know about dragons, giants, goblinoids, and humanoids and is a catch-all skill for the doings of such creatures both in the past and the present. Because news travels slowly in most fantasy worlds the information you recall about things a long way off might be out of date. For example, when you identify a coat of arms from a foreign country, you may recall information about the parent or grandparent of the current wearer.

A History check to recall general information has a DC of 10. If the information you seek is more than 500 years old, the DC increases to 15. If they are more than 2000 years old, the DC increases to 20. Specific information, such as details of an individual creature that is not famous or historically significant can require a critical success.

On subjects relevant to your background you have advantage, on alien subjects from strange times and places you suffer disadvantage.

Determine Age of Construction

Action, reaction, or bonus action.

You can identify and determine the age of ruins or structures and which culture built them.

Evaluate

Action, reaction, or bonus action.

A successful check will allow you to identify the value of things on the market. If you fumble, you greatly overestimate or fail to recognize the value of a find.

Identify Dragons and Folk

Action, reaction, or bonus action.

You can identify dragons, giants, goblinoids, and humanoids. See #Lore above.

Know Historical Facts

Action, reaction, or bonus action.

You can delve into general historical knowledge with a Intelligence (History) #Lore check.

Local Knowledge

Action, reaction, or bonus action.

You know the local laws, customs, nobility and, significant places with a Intelligence (History) #Lore check.

Investigation

When you look around for clues and make deductions based on those clues you make an Intelligence (Investigation) check. You might deduce the location of a hidden object, discern from the appearance of a wound what kind of weapon dealt it, or determine the weakest point in a tunnel that could cause it to collapse. Poring through ancient scrolls in search of a hidden fragment of knowledge might also call for an Intelligence (Investigation) check.

Perception generally deals with creatures, while Investigation covers locations and objects, but there is some overlap.

Item Difficulty Investigation checks directed at objects have a DC 5 + the Ability modifier and proficiency bonus of the maker of that item. This can be assumed to be 5 for simple home-made items, 10 for most crafted items, 15 for masterwork craftsmanship and 20 or higher for unique items and heirlooms.

Assess Damage

Action.

You can look over an object as an action and accurately measure how much damage the object has taken and how much more punishment it can take. With a successful check, the GM tells you the object’s Armor Class, how many hit points of damage it has taken, its damage threshold, and how many more it can withstand before being ruined.

Cross Examining

Hour.

Asking someone a series of questions to reveal what they know, and possibly to make connections the witness did not even realize they knew. This requires a cooperative target. (Convincing someone to accept a cross-examination is a separate task, usually using Charisma (Intimidation) or Charisma (Persuasion)). A cross examination requires an hour of time. Make an opposed Intelligence (Investigation) check. A cooperative target has DC 10. A successful cross examining gives a detailed account of the target's experiences.

Even if you uncover that the target did something criminal, cross examination is not a confession and at best circumstantial evidence.

Decipher Text or Speech

Action

You can decipher languages you don't know as an action with an Intelligence (Investigation) check. The DC for straightforward statements is 20, increasing with the complexity of the subject and formality of expression. A success gives a gist of what is related, a critical success gives full understanding. If you know a language in the same language family, add +10 to this check.

Deduction

Short rest.

During a short rest, you can try to correlate what clues you have and test a theory of what really happened. As a player you must make a description of events as you think they are. The GM rolls your Intelligence (Investigation) check against the highest passive Intelligence (Investigation) among the opposition. On a success, the GM gives a general assessment of your case, rating it as entirely false, mostly false, somewhat true, or mostly true. The GM may deem the clues you have to weak to even try, weak (disadvantage), strong, or complete (advantage).

Detect Forgery

Action

You can use the Intelligence (Investigation) to detect if a document or crafted good is real or a forgery. This generally requires time to examine the object in close proximity and an Intelligence (Investigation) check against item difficulty (see above).

Evidence Analysis

Minute.

After you have #Searched an area, you can spend a minute of time to try to reconstruct what happened there. Make an Intelligence (Investigation) check against the highest Intelligence (Investigation) among the opposition. On a success you get a general idea of events.

Identify Artificer Powers

Action

You can #Identify Magic of constructs and artificers using Investigation in lieu of #Arcana.

Search

Action

As an action you can search a 15 ft. square area (all squares adjacent to you if you are Small or medium in size) for any hidden object. This includes traps and secret doors, but also clues, evidence, hidden treasures and such. The DM makes an Intelligence (Investigation) check for each object you can find.

Nature

Your Intelligence (Nature) check measures your ability to recall lore about terrain, plants and animals, the weather, and natural cycles.

Evaluate Natural Objects

Action.

A successful DC 10 Intelligence (Nature) check will allow you to identify the value of things found in nature, such as gems, precious metals, natural magic, and other finds.

Harvest Poison

Minute.

You can harvest natural poisons using Wisdom (Nature) instead of #Poisoner’s Tools. Roll Intelligence (Nature) for such tasks.

Identify Natural Creature

Action, reaction, or bonus action.

You can identify beast, dragon, elemental, fey, monstrosity, and plant creatures. See #Lore above.

Identify Natural Magic

Action, reaction, or bonus action.

You can #Identify Magic against natural magic using Nature in lieu of #Arcana. Natural magic is that created by a beast, fey, ooze or plant. The barbarian, druid, and ranger classes also use nature magic.

Know Geography

Action, reaction, or bonus action.

You can use #Lore to know about geographic locations. You knowledge focuses on terrain, flora, and fauna, but you will also know the locations and extent of settlement, if not much about what is inside each settlement. You can also gauge the approximate distance between two points and determine the size and dimensions of a subterranean chamber that you cannot fully see using echoes and telltale rock formations.

Know Hazards

Action, reaction, or bonus action.

You can use #Lore to know about dangers in the environment you are traversing. You can assist Strength (Athletics), Dexterity (Acrobatics), Wisdom (Perception), Wisdom (Survival), and Intelligence (Investigation) checks against natural hazards. You do this with advice, which allows you to assist at a range of 30 feet.

Know Location

10 minutes

You can use Intelligence (Nature) #Lore checks to know where locations are relative to you, even without a map. With a map or rutter, you have advantage. With a faulty guide, you have disadvantage. This does not cover navigating in an area without landmarks, such as the sea or deep desert, that requires navigator's tools.

Religion

Your Intelligence (Religion) check measures your ability to recall #Lore about deities, divine planes of existence, rites and prayers, religious hierarchies, holy symbols, and practices.

Identify Divine Magic

Action, reaction, or bonus action.

You can #Identify Magic using Religion in lieu of #Arcana. Religions magic is used by a celestials, fiends, undead, and the cleric, monk, and paladin classes.

Identify Mythical Creature

Action, reaction, or bonus action.

You can make #Lore checks to identify celestials, fiends, and undead.

Mythology

Action, reaction, or bonus action.

You know a wide amount of information about the gods and their various mythologies. You can make #Lore checks about gods, their servants, mythological beings, and spiritually significant places and events.

Outer Planar Lore

Action, reaction, or bonus action.

You can recall #Lore about the planes of existence with an Intelligence (Religion) check. On the Outer Planes you can use Religion in lieu of #History to know of personalities, events, and history.

Recognize Iconography

Action, reaction, or bonus action.

You are familiar with the gods and their iconography and can make #Lore checks to identify them. As long as the check is 5 or higher you realize the alignment of the religion unless the iconography was deliberately designed to mislead.

Wisdom

Wisdom reflects how attuned you are to the world around you and your perceptiveness and intuition.

Animal Handling

When there is any question whether you can calm down a domesticated animal, keep a mount from getting spooked, or intuit an animal’s intentions, the GM might call for a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check.

Racial Beast Affinities

+ Racial Affinity for Beasts
Race	Creature affinities
Boggard	Toad
Catfolk	Felines
Changeling	By father's race
Cyclops	Cockatrice, pig, goat
Dark Creeper	Bat
Dwarf	Ram, bear, raven
Elf, Aquatic	Aquatic shellfish, sea horse
Elf, Drow	Spider, lizard
Elf, High	Cooshee, eagle, horse
Elf, Other	Cooshee, deer
Giant, Cave	Lizard
Giant, Cloud	Griffon, roc
Giant, Fire	Hell hound
Giant, Frost	Winter wolf
Giant, Hill	Dire wolf
Giant, Stone	Cave bear
Giant, Storm	Griffon, roc, shark
Gillmen	Squid
Gnoll	Hyena, hyaenodon
Gnome	Badger, weasel
Goblin	Wolf
Grippli	Frog
Halfling	Dog, pony
Hobgoblin	Leopard
Human	Dog, house cat
Kitsune	Fox
Lizardfolk	Dinosaur
Locathah	Fish
Merfolk	Dolphin, porpoise
Orc	Boar
Ratfolk	Rat
Sahuagin	Shark
Skum	Ooze, Shark
Tengu	Blackbird
Vishanka	Snake

Racial affinities are cultural and physiological traits that make certain creatures easier to train for certain people. A matter of shared perceptions, modes of communication, social organization, and food preferences, these traits create a strong compatibility between certain intelligent races and species of creatures. A tame beast will never attack a type of creature with racial compatibility, even if provoked. Such beasts are safe to have around children who have a racial affinity, and are often kept as pets in the home. Beasts consider creatures they have affinity for and know well to be pack mates and seek to protect them.

Other Affinities

• Any Animal Handling task directed at a creature you have beast affinity for has advantage—except the tasks described here that require beast affinity.
• Animal Handling can be used as if it was #Persuasion to #Influence Attitude of a creature you have beast affinity for. A creature that is made friendly this way can be tamed and/or trained.
• A familiar or companion normally chosen from a restricted list can instead be a creature you have affinity for that fulfills the size and challenge requirements of the ability you want to use it for.

Identify Beasts

Action, reaction, or bonus action.

You can identify creatures of the beast type. See #Lore.

Placate Beasts

1 minute

You can silence an angry beast or convince it to leave you and yours alone. You can attempt to influence a beast’s mood by making an Wisdom (Animal Handling) check against the beast's passive Charisma saving throw. If you offer a particularly succulent treat, you have advantage. If the check succeeds, the beast ignores you as long as you do not move close to it or its family. Failure means you cannot try again against the same target for 24 hours. A fumble provokes an attack from the creature.

Read Beasts

Action

Beasts rely on simple tactics and maneuvers in combat. You can #Read Action against a beast using Animal Handling in lieu of Insight.

Ride Beasts

Part of movement.

A common use of Animal Handling is to control a mount.

• Push Mount You make a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check to control your mount when you attempt a risky maneuver, applying your Animal Handling proficiency bonus to the animal's Dexterity (Acrobatics) and Strength (Athletics) checks.

• Avoid Fall You can react instantly to try to avoid falling or to land safely when your mount falls, rears, or bolts unexpectedly with a DC 15 Dexterity (Animal Handling) skill check. This usage takes no action .

• Control Mount in Battle In place of your own movement, you can attempt to control a mount not trained for combat riding while in battle with a DC 10 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check. If you do not use a hand to direct the mount, the DC becomes 15. If you fail the Animal Handling check, you can do nothing else in that round. You do not need to roll for mounts trained for combat, but it will not attack unless you use some task to make it do so.

• Fast Mount or Dismount You can attempt to mount or dismount from a mount without spending movement by making a Dexterity (Animal Handling) skill check. If you fail the Animal Handling check, mounting or dismounting takes half your movement. If you fumble, you spend half your movement but fail to mount. The difficulty depends on the size of the mount: Medium 5, Large 10, Huge 15, Colossal 20.

• Spur Mount You can spur your mount to greater speed as a bonus action with a DC 15 Wisdom (Animal Handling) skill check. Each attempt, successful or not, inflicts 1 hit point of damage on the mount. A successful Animal Handling check increases the mount’s speed by 10 feet for 1 round. You can kill your mount this way. A fumble 10 means your mount attempts to throw you.

• Use Mount as Cover As a reaction you can drop down and hang alongside your mount, using it as cover with a DC 15 Dexterity (Animal Handling) skill check. If you fail your Animal Handling check, you don’t get the cover benefit. If you fumble, you fall off your mount. If your armor gives disadvantage on Stealth it also gives disadvantage on this check.

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Trick Instruction

1 week

You can teach a beast group of tricks with one week of work and a successful Animal Handling check against DC 15 + the beast's Charisma saving throw. An beast can learn one group of tricks for each point of its Intelligence score. See #Trick Orders for how to use tricks.

A beast that has been taught a specific trick and that is not with a handler and ends up in a situation where that trick would be appropriate, its handler can make a Handle Animal check without advantage to see if the beast performs the appropriate trick.

Trick Orders

Bonus action.

You can order beasts to perform a specific trick. You can give orders to a single beast as a bonus action or number of beasts equal to your Charisma as an action . Make a single Animal Handling check to control one or multiple beasts. The tricks are arranged into groups. An animal can be trained in certain groups of tricks (see #Trick Instruction); ordering these tricks gives you advantage on the Wisdom (Animal Handling) check and allows the beast to add your Animal Handling proficiency bonus to any check required when executing the trick. If the beast is not accustomed to you, you have disadvantage on Trick orders. Against a beast that has a handler, the minimum difficulty of this is the handler's passive Wisdom (Animal Handling). You have perfect control of beast followers gained as class features, including creatures like familiars that are of another creature type. Such beasts need not be taught tricks and trick orders are automatically successful.

Combat Training

• Attack (DC 15) The beast attacks apparent enemies. You may point to a particular creature that you wish the beast to attack, and it will comply if able. Normally, a beast will attack only Beasts, Giants, Goblinoids, and Humanoids. Ordering a beast to attack another type of creature has a DC of 20.
• Bombard (DC 20) A flying beast can deliver projectiles on command, attempting to drop a specified item that it can carry (often alchemist’s fire or some other incendiary) on a designated point or opponent. The beast cannot throw the object, and must be able to fly directly over the target.
• Help (DC 10) The beast can use the Help action to aid a specific ally in combat. You may point to a particular creature that you wish the beast to aid, and it will comply if able. The beasts aid grants advantage on the helped creature's first melee attack or disadvantage on the first melee attack against the helped creature.
• War Mount (No DC) The beast counts as trained for war when used as a mount.

Discipline Training These tasks are very simple and master trainers generally do not bother to train beasts they expect to use themselves this way, in order to be able to teach other tricks. This means that their beasts are fidgety around strangers, which is often just what the trainer wants.

• Call (DC 5) The beast comes if called.
• Domestic (DC 5) The creature does not attack or bother other creatures.
• Serve (DC 15) A beast with this trick willingly takes orders from a creature you designate. The creature can instruct the beast to perform tricks using its own Wisdom but your Animal Handling proficiency bonus on the check instead of its own. The beast treats the designated ally as friendly. The beast can be taught recognize a number of creatures equal to its Intelligence score. It takes a week to change who the beast serves.
• Stay (DC 10) The beast stays in place, waiting for you to return. It does not challenge other creatures that come by, though it still flees or defends itself if attacked.
• Work (DC 5) The beast carries, pulls, or pushes a medium or heavy load and works until exhausted. Using a highly trained beast for work tends to demoralize the creature.

Guard Training

• Defend (DC 15) The beast defends you (or is ready to defend you if no threat is present), even without any command being given. Alternatively, you can command the beast to defend specific other creatures. The beast can be taught recognize a number of creatures equal to its Wisdom score When defending, it can cause one attack per round against an adjacent creature that attacks a creature it guards to be made with disadvantage.
• Guard (DC 15) The beast stays in place and prevents others from approaching. It makes threatening noise when it detects the approach of others it is not familiar with.
• Menace (DC 15) A menacing beast attempts to keep a creature you indicate from moving. It does its best to intimidate the target, but only attacks if the target attempts to move from its present location or take any significant action (particularly a hostile-seeming one). As soon as the target stops moving, the beast ceases attacking, but continues to menace.
• Watch (DC 10) The beast can be commanded to keep watch over a particular area, such as a campsite, and raise an alarm if it notices any sizable or dangerous creature entering the area.

Hunting Training

• Fetch (DC 10) The beast goes and gets something, usually small prey you just shot. If you do not point out a specific item, the beast fetches some random object. This trick also appears under show training.
• Hunt (DC 10) This trick allows a beast to use its natural stalking or foraging instincts to find food and return it to the beast’s handler. A beast can attempt Wisdom (Survival) checks to provide food for others or lead them to water and shelter and use the Help action to assist Survival checks made by its handler for these purposes.
• Search (DC 15) The beast seeks out unusual smells, noises, air currents, and other common elements signifying potential dangers or secret passages. When commanded, the beast uses its Perception skill to try to pinpoint the source of anything that strikes it as unusual about a room or location and goes on point. Note that because the beast is not intelligent, any number of strange mechanisms, doors, scents, or unfamiliar objects may catch the beast’s attention. If shown an example of what it is to detect, it can limit its search to that one thing.
• Seek (15) The beast searches an area for creatures. If you present an object worn by a creature in the area, the beast will seek for that specific creature.
• Track (DC 10) The beast tracks the scent presented to it. (This requires the beast to have the scent ability)

Independence Training

• Break Out (DC 15) On command, the beast attempts to break or gnaw through any bars or bindings restricting itself, its handler, or a person indicated by the handler. If not effective on its own, this trick can grant the target character advantage on skill or ability checks to escape bonds. The beast can also take certain basic actions like lifting a latch or bringing its master an unattended key. Weight and Strength restrictions still apply, and pickpocketing a key or picking any sort of lock is still far beyond the beast’s ability.
• Flee (DC 15) The beast attempts to run away or hide as best it can, returning only when its handler commands it to do so. Until such a command is received, the beast does its best to track its handler and any creatures with him or her, remaining hidden but within range of its sight or hearing. This trick is particularly useful for thieves and adventurers in that it allows the beast to evade capture, then return later to help free its friends.
• Get Help (DC 20) With this trick, you can designate a number of creatures up to the beast’s Intelligence score as “help.” When the command is given, the beast attempts to find one of those people and bring her back to you, even if that means journeying a long distance to the last place it encountered the target creature.
• Sneak (DC 15) You order the beast to make Stealth checks in order to stay hidden and to continue using Stealth even when circumstances or its natural instincts would normally cause it to abandon secrecy.

Obedience Training

• Exclusive (DC 15) The beast takes directions only from you until ordered otherwise. If a beast has both the exclusive and serve tricks, it takes directions only from you and those creatures you indicated. This does not prevent it from being controlled by enchantment spells (such as dominate animal), and the beast still otherwise acts as a friendly or helpful creature when applicable.
• Throw Rider (DC 20) The beast attempts to fling a creature riding it to the ground. Treat this as Shoving a Creature.

Show Training

• Bury (DC 10) A beast with this trick can be instructed to bury an object in its possession. The beast normally seeks a secluded place to bury its object. The beast can be instructed to fetch an item it has buried.
• Deliver (DC 15) The beast takes an object (one you or an ally gives it, or that it recovers with the fetch trick) to a place or person you indicate. If you indicate a place, the beast drops the item and returns to you. If you indicate a person, the beast stays adjacent to the person until the item is taken.
• Entertain (DC 15) The beast can dance, sing, or perform some other impressive and enjoyable tricks suitable to its species to entertain those around it. See the Performance skill for how to exploit this.
• Fetch (DC 10) The beast goes and gets something. If you do not point out a specific item, the beast fetches some random object. This trick also appears under hunt training.

Insight

Your Wisdom (Insight) check decides whether you can 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.

Comprehend Language

Action.

When trying to communicate with someone with whom you do not share a common language, you can watch their body language, listen for changes in tone of voice, and use other subtle clues to determine the gist of what they are trying to say. A successful Intelligence (Insight) check allows you to pick up the basics of a conversation carried on in a foreign language. You must be able to see and hear the creature you wish to use this skill on.

The level of comprehension is determined by the result of the skill check:

+ Comprehend Languages
History Check	Level of Comprehension	Example
5	You can sense the mood of the creature.	This goblin is nervous about something.
10	You have a general sense of what the creature is talking about.	This goblin is nervous about the well water.
15	You pick up half the specific details about what a creature wants.	This goblin thinks the well water is poisoned.
20	You fully comprehend what a creature is trying to communicate.	This goblin is trying to tell us that orcs poisoned the well.

Discern Secret Message

No action.

You may use Wisdom (Insight) to detect an attempt to #Jargon.

Eavesdrop

1 hour.

Similar to #Gather Information, but instead of asking around you merely try to overhear what is said. This gives you disadvantage, but won't alert enemies unless you fumble.

Hunch

No action.

This use of the skill involves making a gut assessment of the social situation with a DC 20 Wisdom (Insight) skill check. You can get the feeling something is wrong. This is always vague, you do not know what triggered the reaction, and the feeling may come to you after the fact. This is no action .

Read Action

Action

You can read an opponent’s body language and eyes to determine the nature of their next action. As an action , you can attempt an Insight check opposed by your opponent’s passive Charisma (Deception) to read your foe’s intentions. If your check succeeds, you learn what your foe plans to do on her next turn. You learn only general information, such as whether your foe intends to cast a spell, make an attack against a specific target, or flee. You do not learn exactly which spell she plans to use, but you do know their target. Note that the result of your action, and others’ actions, could cause the target to change her mind. You only learn what she is planning to do at the moment you act. If you do this successfully and warn the opponent's target ( no action ) without the opponent realizing, or if you are the target, the opponent suffers disadvantage on their action.

Read Profession

Action

You can use Insight check to read a target’s profession. You can examine the subtle physical and social traits exhibited by someone to determine their trade and level of skill. After studying someone for a minute, or as an action in combat, you may make an Insight check against their passive Charisma (Deception) to search for subtle clues, such as calluses on a person’s hand, a peculiar stance that indicates they studied at a fencing school, or the faint stains of spell components. On a success, you learn one of the following, generally in this order: what skills they are trained in, what classes they have levels in, what weapons, tools, or spells they habitually use, and what level they are.

If you attempt to use this skill against a disguised person, this becomes an attempt to discover the use of a #Disguise kit.

Sense Enchantment

Action.

You can tell that someone’s behavior is being influenced by an enchantment effect. The DC is the save DC of the spell or ability.

Medicine

A Wisdom (Medicine) check lets you try to stabilize a dying companion or diagnose an illness.

Autopsy

1 hour.

It is possible to gain a significant amount of information from a corpse. The table below indicates the type of information that can be gained with a Wisdom (Medicine) check (the check is made in secret by the GM, see retry), along with the DC of the check.

Nature of Information	Check Result
Cause of Death	10
Time of Death	15
Presence of Foreign Substance or magic	15
Nature of Foreign Substance or magic	20

Performing an autopsy requires an hour. You can spend additional hours to get a better result.

If an attempt to hide the information was made, the check is opposed to the opponent's passive Intelligence (Medicine) check.

During the course of an autopsy, you may also make an Intelligence (Investigation) check to notice any other physical evidence, as #Search.

Care

Long or short rest.

You can provide for resting creatures, improving their chances of recovery over a long or short rest. You can tend as many patients at a time as you bonus in Wisdom (Medicine). You can be your own patient. You can give long-term care to ten times as many if you work at it full time, but then you are spending all your time at this and cannot provide for yourself or benefit from the period of rest. Also see the downtime activity of recuperating.

Short-Term Care Short-term care helps during a short rest:

• Each patient recovers an additional number of Hit Points equal to your Medicine proficiency bonus.
• Each patient may add your Medicine proficiency bonus to any saving throw against any lasting debilitating effect that allows a saving throw during the period rest.

Long-Term Care Providing long-term care means treating a patient during a long rest:

• Each patient recovers an additional number of hit dice equal to your Medicine proficiency bonus. They cannot exceed their normal maximum number of hit dice.
• Each patient may add your Medicine proficiency bonus to any saving throw against any lasting debilitating effect they are suffering that allow a saving throw during the rest.

First Aid

Action.

A dying creature can be stabilized so that it isn’t killed by a failed death saving throw. You can use your action to administer first aid to an unconscious creature and attempt to stabilize it, which requires a successful DC 5 Wisdom (Medicine) check. On a critical success, the creature becomes conscious at 1 hp.

Identify Pharmaceuticals

Action, reaction, or bonus action.

You can take an Intelligence (Medicine) check as a #Lore check to identify and understand potions, oils, drugs, poisons, and other pharmaceuticals,. The DC varies by rarity. If the substance has a save DC, that is also the identification DC. Otherwise use #Lore difficulties.

Malpractice

Action

You need to use Charisma (Deception) and Medicine to effectively malpractice without it being noticed. Rather than performing first aid or some other form of treatment on a helpless or willing creature you intentionally bungle the job in order to ensure that the creature perishes or is severely injured.

You must spend an action adjacent to your patient to malpractice. You deal 1d6 your Wisdom (Medicine) bonus hit points in damage. If under observation (including a conscious patient), also make a Charisma (Deception) check against observers' passive Wisdom (Insight) or Wisdom (Medicine), a failure on your part results in them detecting your malpractice and they may attempt to intervene. The casue of this damage is not immediately apparent, but can be noted with #Evidence Analysis and an Intelligence (Investigation) check opposed by your Wisdom (Medicine).

Torture

1 hour.

Torture is a finely honed skill in some creatures’ repertoires, whether used to elicit information or for entertainment . However, torture is an unreliable means of gaining accurate information. A torture session lasts an hour. The target can attempt a Charisma (Deception) against your Wisdom (Insight) to give you false information. You can use Wisdom (Medicine) against the target's passive Wisdom or Constitution Save DC to force them to speak. Once they are speaking, you must make a Wisdom (Insight) check (DC 20) to elicit useful information. If you fumble, the victim says anything that will please you, which only reaffirms what you already think you know. Once the torture is done, the target becomes dying. Creatures immune to critical hits, pain, or the frightened condition cannot be tortured.

Treat Ailment

Action.

You can spend an action and an application of a healing kit to treat an effect that requires further saving throws at a later time. This is commonly poison and disease, but also includes a number of spells and other effects. The patient can add your Medicine proficiency bonus to any further saving throws against that condition until their next long rest.

Triage

Action.

Triage is used to quickly diagnose a living creature's condition. This is an action . During the turn when you perform triage, you can analyze any creature within 5 feet. You can move from creature to creature and triage each of them. The DC is usually 10 but might vary for unusually common or rare conditions. On a success, you can grade the creature's condition as:

1. Likely to live, regardless of what care they receive;
2. Unlikely to live, regardless of what care they receive;
3. Treatable, immediate care may make a positive difference in outcome.

On a critical success you identify the exact conditions, damage, and remaining points of the patient.

Perception

Your Wisdom (Perception) check lets you spot, hear, or otherwise detect the presence of creatures. It measures your general awareness of your surroundings and the keenness of your senses. For example, you might try to hear a conversation through a closed door, eavesdrop under an open window, or hear monsters moving stealthily in the forest. Or you might try to spot things that are obscured or easy to miss, whether they are orcs lying in ambush on a road, thugs hiding in the shadows of an alley, or candlelight under a closed secret door.

#Perception generally deals with creatures, while #Investigation covers locations and objects, but there is some overlap.

When a roll is made against passive Perception, it is usually not so important to learn who actually spotted the event. But in cases when it is important, all potential observers make Wisdom (Perception) checks. The high roller, and all who succeed against the triggering roll, notice the event. This can apply to other skills used as passive defenses, such as Investigation and Insight.

Read Lips

Action.

To understand what someone is saying by reading lips, you must be within 30 feet of the speaker, be able to see him speak, and understand the speaker’s language.

When you make the attempt, the GM makes the roll in secret (DC 15, but it increases for complex speech or an inarticulate speaker). You must maintain a line of sight to the lips being read. If your Perception check succeeds, you can understand the general content of a minute’s worth of speech, but you usually still miss certain details.

Spot

+ Spot DCs	Detail	Perception DC
Hear the sound of battle	0
Notice the stench of rotting garbage	0
Detect the smell of smoke	0
Notice a conversation. A result of 10 allows you to hear what is said.	0
Notice a visible creature	0
Determine if food is spoiled	5
Hear the sound of a creature walking	5
Notice a whispered conversation. A result of 20 allows you to hear what is said.	10
Hear the sound of a key being turned in a lock	15
Hear a bow being drawn	20
Sense a burrowing creature underneath you	25
Notice a pickpocket	Opposed
Notice a creature using Stealth	Opposed
Perception Modifiers	DC Modifier
Distance over 40 ft.	-5
Through a closed door	-5
Through a wall	-10 or more
Asleep	Disadvantage

Action

Passive Wisdom (Perception) sets the DC of an opponent’s Stealth check. You can also take an action on your turn to make a Wisdom (Perception) check a against hidden creatures' passive Dexterity (Stealth). If you are successful, you notice the opponent and can point them out to your allies.

The DM can call on you to make Wisdom (Perception) checks to notice various events, and you can spend an action to look for things you failed to notice initially.

Survival

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.

Determine Travel Time

1 minute.

By concentrating for 1 minute, and making a Wisdom (Survival) DC 15 check you can estimate the travel time between two points within your line of sight.

Exploration

Survival is one of the main skills used for Exploration, including Chronicle, Cook, Cover Tracks, Hunt and Gather, Pathfinding, Scout, and Track.

Find Path

Part of movement.

A risky use of the Survival skill is to allow quick movement through wilderness terrain. Whenever you are moving in trackless terrain you may attempt a DC 20 Survival check to locate a path through the terrain as though it were a road or trail for the purpose of determining your overland speed. This benefit also extends to your allies or traveling companions. If this roll fumbles, you find a path to nowhere and get lost. Also see the Pathfinding exploration action.

Fire-Starting

1 minute or an action.

You can spend a minute and make a Survival check to start a fire without fire-starting gear. This can light a torch, lantern, campfire, even a bonfire. If you need to first gather fuel, that is a separate task with the same time and difficult but also depends on the environment. The DC is 15 in dry conditions, 20 when things are moist, and 25 or higher in a downpour. If you fail by more than 5, you need to gather new fuel, use another torch, or re-fuel your lamp to try again.

If you have fire-making tools, such as a tinderbox or magnifying glass in sunlight, attempting to start a fire is an action instead of taking a minute.

Forage

1 day's travel. The character can keep an eye out for ready sources of food and water, making a Wisdom (Survival) check when the DM calls for it. Also see the Hunt and Gather exploration action.

From the DMG: Characters can gather food and water a s the party travels at a normal or slow pace. A foraging character makes a Wisdom (Survival) check whenever you call for it, with the DC determined by the abundance of food and water in the region. DC If multiple characters forage, each character makes a separate check. A foraging character finds nothing on a failed check. On a successful check, roll ld6 + the character's Wisdom modifier to determine how much food (in pounds) the character finds, then repeat the roll for water (in gallons). The food and water requirements noted in the Player 's Handbook are for characters. Horses and other creatures require different quantities of food and water per day based on their size. Water needs are doubled if the weather is hot.

+ Foraging DCs	Food and Water Availability	DC
Abundant food and water resources	10
Limited food and water resources	15
Very little, if any, food and water resources	10

+ Food and Water Needs	Creature Size	Food per Day	Water per Day
Tiny	1/4 pound (0.1 kg)	1/4 gallon (1 litre)
Small	1 pound (0.5 kg)	1 gallon (4 litres)
Medium	1 pound (0.5 kg)	1 gallon (4 litres)
Large	4 pounds (2 kg)	4 gallons (15 litres)
Huge	16 pound (8 kg)	16 gallons (60 litres)
Gargantuan	64 pounds (30 kg)	64 gallon (240 litres)

Intuit Depth

Action.

You can gauge your current depth beneath the earth’s surface. The GM makes this check in secret. If the check is successful (DC 15), you correctly deduce your depth. If you fumble the GM gives a misleading estimate. You can only attempt this task once between long rests.

Know Direction

1 minute.

Outdoors, you can spend one minute determine true north in relation to yourself with a DC 20 Wisdom (Survival) check. If you can see the sky or have a compass you have a +10 on this check. If you fumble, you misidentify which way is north. You can only attempt this task once between long rests.

Navigate

Passive.

You try to prevent the group from becoming lost, making a Wisdom (Survival) check when the DM calls for it. In an area without landmarks, such as at sea or in the deep desert, navigator's tools are helpful—lack of such tools gives disadvantage while proficiency allows the use of Intelligence (navigator's tools) instead of Wisdom (survival). Also see the Pathfinding exploration action.

From the DMG: Becoming Lost Unless they are following a path, or something like it, adventurers traveling in the wilderness run the risk of becoming lost. The party's navigator makes a Wisdom (Survival) check when you decide it's appropriate, against a DC determined by the prevailing terrain, as shown on the Wilderness Navigation table. If the party is moving at a slow pace, the navigator gains a +5 bonus to the check, and a fast pace imposes a -5 penalty. If the party has an accurate map of the region or can see the sun or stars, the navigator has advantage on the check. If the Wisdom (Survival) check succeeds, the party travels in the desired direction without becoming lost. If the check fails, the party inadvertently travels in the wrong direction and becomes lost. The party's navigator can repeat the check after the party spends 1d6 hours trying to get back on course.

+ Wilderness Navigation	Food and Water Availability	DC
Grassland, meadow, 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

Predict Weather

10 minutes.

You can predict what the weather will be up to 24 hours in advance. For every 5 points by which your Survival check result exceeds 15, you can predict the weather for one additional day in advance. Later events, especially magic, can invalidate your prediction.

Survive Wilderness

Passive.

You can substitute saving throws and ability checks made to avoid natural hazards with your Wisdom (Survival) check.

Track

Part of movement.

From the DMG: Tracking Adventurers sometimes choose their path by following the tracks of other creatures-or other creatures might track the adventurers! To track, one or more creatures must succeed on a Wisdom (Survival) check. You might require trackers to make a new check in any of the following circumstances:

• They stop tracking and resume after finishing a short or long rest.
• The trail crosses an obstacle, such as a river, that shows no tracks.
• The weather conditions or terrain changes in a way that makes tracking harder.

The DC for the check depends on how well the ground shows signs of a creature's passage. No roll is necessary in situations where the tracks are obvious. For example, no check is needed to track an army advancing along a muddy road. Spotting tracks on a bare stone floor is more challenging, unless the creature being tracked leaves a distinct trail. Additionally, the passage of time often makes tracks harder to follow. In a situation where there is no trail to follow, you can rule that tracking is impossible.

The Tracking DCs table offers guidelines for setting the DC or, if you prefer, you can choose a DC based on your assessment of the difficulty. You can also grant advantage on the check if there's more than one set of tracks to follow, or disadvantage if the trail being followed passes through a well-trafficked area. On a failed check, the character loses the trail but can attempt to find it again by making a careful search of the area. It takes 10 minutes to find a trail in a confined area such as a dungeon, or 1 hour outdoors.

+ Tracking DCs
Surface Condition	Survival DC
Soft surface such as snow	10
Dirt or grass	15
Bare stone	20
Each day since the creature passed	+5
Creature left a trail such as blood	-5

Also see the Track exploration action.

Track by Scent Creatures that have advantage on Perception checks using smell can track by scent, using a different set of DCs.

+ Tracking by Scent DCs
Condition	Survival DC
Area has light traffic, typical wilderness	10
Area has medium traffic such as a road or trail	15
Area has heavy traffic, such as a settlement	20
Each day since the creature passed	+5
Creature left a trail such as blood	-5

Cover Tracks You know not only how to find signs that mark the passage of men and animals but also how to make your own tracks more difficult to follow. Anyone attempting to track you and your group must not only beat the DC of the environmental conditions, but also your passive Wisdom (Survival).

Also see the Cover Tracks exploration action.

Charisma

A Charisma check might arise when you try to influence or entertain others, when you try to make an impression or tell a convincing lie, or when you are navigating a tricky social situation. The Deception, Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion skills reflect aptitude in certain kinds of Charisma checks.

Deception

Your Charisma (Deception) check determines whether you can convincingly hide the truth, either verbally or through your actions. This deception can encompass everything from misleading others through ambiguity to telling outright lies. Typical situations include trying to fast-talk a guard, con a merchant, earn money through gambling, pass yourself off in a disguise, dull someone’s suspicions with false assurances, or maintain a straight face while telling a blatant lie.

If an opponent wants to believe you, is drunk or otherwise impaired, or you have convincing proof of your deception, you have advantage on the roll. If your deception is highly unlikely or the target mistrusts you, you have disadvantage on the roll.

Blend In

You can move into a large crowd of people by slightly changing your appearance to resemble those around you. You may also use this Deception check as a Stealth check to #Hide in plain sight. However, you may only use Deception in this manner if there is a group of people nearby in which you can hide. For example, you could blend into a small group of beggars by grabbing a nearby filthy, soiled cloak, draping it over your shoulders, and sitting down amongst them. Obviously, this skill does not prevent anyone who witnessed your attempt from pointing you out to any pursuers or enemies.

Distraction

As a reaction with a successful Charisma (Deception) check against the passive Wisdom (Insight) of observers, you can create a very short distraction, just enough to allow you or an ally to abort a failed #Sleight Of Hand or #Stealth check. An action so aborted can be attempted again on a later round. If you fumble those you attempted to distract realize where you are and that you were attempting a distraction.

Diversion

Action.

As an action with a successful Charisma (Deception) check against the passive Wisdom (Insight) of all observers, you create a diversion that draws everyone’s attention until the start of your next round. Creatures can now #Hide without cover or concealment. Unless you fumble the Deception check, those diverted do not realize you were intentionally making a distraction.

Fast-Talk

Reaction.

With meaningless quick thinking and smooth talking you can sometimes converse your way out of a problem you talked yourself into. The use of fast talk is a reaction you can use after you fail a Persuasion or Deception check. With a successful fast-talk attempt, you are able to recover from your failure and regain the target’s trust. Once you attempt this skill use (successfully or not), you cannot use it against the same target again until you finish a long or short rest.

Feign Death

Reaction.

You can use a reaction to make a Charisma (Deception) check when you take damage. The DC is passive Wisdom (Insight) or Wisdom (Medicine) of any observers. You fall prone. You are not helpless, and you can defend yourself against an attack, but doing so ends the pretension. If you attack an opponent who thinks you are dead, you gain advantage on your first attack against that opponent and do not suffer disadvantage for being prone.

Feign Weakness

You use an action to attempt to convince your target you are weaker than you actually are through your actions and posture. If your opponent has seen you take an offensive action, you suffer disadvantage on this roll. If you are one size smaller than your target and have taken no offensive actions against it, you gain advantage on this skill use.

Feint

Action.

As an action you can distract an opponent within 15 feet. Make a Charisma (Deception) check against the target's Wisdom (Insight). On a success you or an ally of your choice have advantage on attacks against the target until the end of your next turn.

Filibuster

1 minute, hour, or day depending on circumstances.

Sometimes you find it to your advantage to delay the resolution of a specific discussion for a while (or even indefinitely). Every time you attempt to complicate a situation in order to delay resolution you make a single Charisma (Deception) check. The other participants in the discussion make opposed Wisdom (Insight) checks; if you succeed, you can prevent the discussion’s participants from coming to agreement for a single day (shorter periods for less important discussions), without seeming to be interfering. A participant that beats your Persuasion check can overcome your interference. If you fumble against anyone, it is obvious to all.

The danger associated with this activity is directly related to the importance of the situation. Complicating the negotiations between two countries on the brink of war exposes you to a high degree of risk. Similar actions taken to delay the discussions of a sea captain and a merchant so that your party can get onto a ship carry a fairly low degree of danger.

Gather Information

1 hour.

You can use Charisma (Deceit) to gather information about a specific topic or individual. To do this, you must spend at least 1d4 hours canvassing people at local taverns, markets, and gathering places. The DC of this check is the passive Charisma (Persuasion) of the local leader of the creatures you are gathering information about. The information you get depends on the degree of success; a failure gets how the target likes to be described, a success gains basic truthful information, and for each five points of margin on the roll you learn one piece of obscure or secret information. The GM might rule that some topics are simply unknown to common folk.

The opposition are allowed an opposed Charisma (Persuasion) check to hear about your meddling. To avoid this you can instead #Eavesdrop.

Jargon

Action.

You can use Wisdom (Deception) to pass hidden messages to another character without others understanding your true meaning. The difficulty is the passive Wisdom (Insight) of those who might overhear. The intended hearer usually understands you, assuming you are speaking in a language that they understand. If you fail, other listeners catch on that you said something odd and suspicious, or you fail to get the message through. If you fumble, the listener understands what you are saying and you fail to realize they do, or the intended listener misinterprets. If you speak thieve's cant, you have advantage on this roll. If both you and the listener knows thieve's cant, success is automatic.

Lie

Bonus action.

If you use Deception to fool someone, with a successful check you convince your opponent that what you are saying is true. Deception checks are modified depending upon the believably of the lie. The following modifiers are applied to the roll of the creature attempting to tell the lie. Note that some lies are so improbable that it is impossible to convince anyone that they are true, though the opponent might believe that you think you are telling the truth (subject to GM discretion). In this case, advantage and disadvantage cancel each other out in such a way that if there is more of either advantages or disadvantages, the majority condition does apply.

+ Deception	Conditions	DC Modifier
The target wants to believe you	Advantage
The target is suspicious of you	Disadvantage
Lie is believable	–
Lie is unlikely	Disadvantage
Target is drunk or impaired	Advantage
You possess physical “proof”	Advantage

Obfuscate Spellcasting

Perceiving a Caster at Work Many spells create obvious effects: explosions of fire, walls of ice, teleportation, and the like. Other spells, such as Charm Person, display no visible, audible, or otherwise perceptible sign of their effects, and could easily go unnoticed by someone unaffected by them. As noted in the Player's Handbook, you normally don't know that a spell has been cast unless the spell produces a noticeable effect. But what about the act of casting a spell? Is it possible for someone to perceive that a spell is being cast in their presence? To be perceptible, the casting of a spell must involve a verbal, somatic, or material component. The form of a material component doesn't matter for the purposes of perception, whether it's an object specified in the spell's description, a component pouch, or a spellcasting focus. If the need for a spell's components has been removed by a special ability, such as the sorcerer's Subtle Spell feature or the Innate Spellcasting trait possessed by many creatures, the casting of the spell is imperceptible. If an imperceptible casting produces a perceptible effect, it's normally impossible to determine who cast the spell in the absence of other evidence.

Action.

You can spend an action to attempt to obfuscate the verbal, somatic, and material components of a spell you cast before the end of your next turn, and thus make it harder for others to recognize that you are casting a spell. You need to be in a situation where your speaking or gesturing would not attract attention; you cannot hide verbal components in silence or somatic/material components while standing at attention. Make a Charisma (Deception) check opposed by any observing creature’s passive Wisdom (Insight). Depending on what the source of your spell is, an observer can substitute Wisdom (Insight) with Intelligence (Arcana) (bard, sorcerer, warlock, wizard, aberration, construct, dragon, elemental, and monstrosity), Intelligence (Investigation) (artificer), Intelligence (Nature) (druid, ranger, beast, dragon, elemental, fey, monstrosity, plant), or Intelligence (Religion) (cleric, monk, paladin, celestial, fiend, undead) as relevant for the spell cast. If creatures can see the spell’s effect project outward from you, they know you cast a spell, but only after the casting finishes.

Play Role

Passive.

Magic or a #Disguise Kit can change your appearance, but Deception is needed to act in a role. Only check this when you are using your role in a social contest, such as giving orders or making conversation. Make a Charisma (Deception) check against the opponent's Wisdom (Insight) to pull this off. If playing your role requires information you do not have or a relationship you are not aware of, you suffer disadvantage.

Seduction

1 hour.

Some enjoy sensual pleasures for the acts in and of themselves, while some use them as a means to a greater end. This skill use requires at least an hour of socializing and usually somewhere private to retire to.

You use the Deception skill to seduce others. You suffer disadvantage when attempting to seduce a creature that is not attracted to your race, culture, gender, or proclivities (such as a faithful spouse, someone only attracted to blonde-haired women, or someone who has taken a vow of celibacy). In certain cases, seduction might simply be impossible.

You must first lure them into intimacy. You must succeed at a Charisma (Deception) check against their passive Wisdom (Insight). If you fail the check you are rebuffed and may not make another seduction attempt against the same target for at least 1 week. When intimacy is about to begin, they can make a Wisdom (Insight) check against your passive Charisma (Deception) to delay gratification. If they succeed. there is no immediate intimacy, but you can try again after a long rest.

After you have successfully seduced a target you may make one Deception check, instead of Investigation to gather information or Persuasion to suggest the target do something. Your seduced target regularly contacts you in attempts to keep your favor, which can be used to gain information or favors. You may have a number of partners that provides these benefits no greater than your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). A seduced creature that you snub, rebuff, or simply do not spend time with may become hostile.

Speak Like a Native

Passive.

You automatically speak your native language like a native, but if you want to imitate the accent of a different place, you have to roll. Speaking other languages you know, you have an accent that can be concealed as a bonus action with a Charisma (Deception) check against passive Wisdom (Insight). You cannot fool speakers in a language you do not know that you are a native, but you can emulate melody to fool someone who cannot hear or do not understand your words that you are speaking another language.

Spread Rumors

+ Sowing Rumors	Settlement Size	Time Required
Village	2d6 days
Town	4d6 days
City	6d6 days

1 or more days.

From D;G: Sowing Rumors Swaying public opinion can be an effective way to bring down a villain or elevate a friend. Spreading rumors is an efficient, if underhanded, way to accomplish that goal. Well-placed rumors can increase the subject's standing in a community or embroil someone in scandal. A rumor needs to be simple, concrete, and hard to disprove. An effective rumor also has to be believable, playing off what people want to believe about the person in question.

Sowing a rumor about an individual or organization requires a number of days depending on the size of the community, as shown in the Sowing Rumors table. At the end of the time spent sowing the rumor, the character must make a Charisma (Deception) check against the target's passive Charisma (Deception or Persuasion). If the check succeeds, the community's prevailing attitude toward the subject shifts one step toward friendly or hostile, as the character wishes. If the check fails, the rumor gains no traction, and further attempts to propagate it fail. Shifting a community's general attitude toward a person or organization doesn't affect everyone in the community. Individuals might hold to their own opinions, particularly if they have personal experience in dealing with the subject of the rumors.

Suggestion

Ation.

You can use Deception to make a request of a creature, without them even realizing you have made the request. You can gradually coax a target into thinking a suggestion is entirely its own idea, making the creature more likely to act on the idea than if you had suggested it outright. This works as #Make a Request, but you suffer an additional disadvantage.

Intimidation

When you influence someone through superiority, subtle or overt threats, hostile actions, or physical violence, the GM might ask you to make a Charisma (Intimidation) check. Examples include trying to pry information out of a prisoner, convincing street thugs to back down from a confrontation, or using the edge of a broken bottle to convince a sneering vizier to reconsider a decision.

The normal DC of Intimidation attempts is equal to the target’s passive Wisdom save or Charisma (Intimidation)—the target chooses which to use.

Bully

Action.

You can #Make a Request using Charisma (Intimidation) if you have some kind of advantage, such as higher social rank or capacity for violence. Peopled you bully may become hostile or report you at a later time.

Challenge

Action.

You can issue a challenge as an action , declaring your own merits and accusing your opponents of cowardice, you attempt to rile them into focusing on you. This affects a creature and if they are a leader it may affect their underlings. Make a Charisma (Intimidation) check against the target's passive Charisma (Intimidation) or passive Wisdom saving throw.

• On a success, the target suffers disadvantage against anyone but you. The target's attacks and ability checks suffer disadvantage, and those making saving throws against the target's effect have advantage.
• If the target is a leader of a group of NPCs, the followers of the creature you challenged suffer disadvantage on all attacks they make and may refrain from action.

If anyone but you makes an attack on the target or forces the target to make a saving throw, this effect is broken. If anyone makes an attack on the a minion of the target or forces the a minion to make a saving throw, the effect ends for all minions.

Leadership

Charisma (Intimidation) is useful for leadership. In this case, the attitude of your targets won't grow worse unless your leadership has worse than expected results.

• Take Command (Action). you can attempt to take command of a group of NPCs up to a number equal to your Charisma. The DC is the highest passive Charisma (Intimidation) in the group of NPCs. If you and they are part of an organization, and you outrank them, you gain advantage on this check. If you are comrades, success is automatic. If they are acting as a part of an organization you are not a member of, or if they outrank you, you have disadvantage.

• Command (Action or bonus action). Once you have Taken Command you can lead NPCs in combat. You can give orders to a single NPC as a bonus action or number of subordinate NPCs equal to your Charisma score as an action .

You need to do this each round, or those NPCs are under the GM's control, which usually means they take the Dodge action.

To lead a large force, you need sub-commanders that you give orders and who then relay your others to their own subordinates. An army uses multiple tiers of ranks, where a general commands a number of captains, who in turn command lieutenants, sergeants, and finally troops.

Threaten

You can make creatures frightened of you.

Scare (Action) You make a threat of a physical Strength (Intimidation) or more subtle Charisma (Intimidation) against a target. As an action , make an Intimidate check against a target within 30’. If your check succeeds, the foe is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

Triumph (Reaction) As you hew through your enemies, you use threats, taunts, and a bloody display of your prowess to strike terror into your remaining opponents.

If you defeat an opponent by dropping them from full hit points to zero hit points in a single round or by bringing them to instant death, you may make a single Charisma (Intimidation) check against all foes of the same or lower level/challenge within 30’ as a reaction Each foe who you succeed against gains the frightened condition until the end of your next turn.

Performance

1 minute or more.

Your Charisma (Performance) check determines how well you can delight an audience with music, dance, acting, storytelling, or some other form of entertainment.

+ Performance	Perform Check	Performance Quality
10	Routine performance. This level of performance in public is akin to begging.
15	Enjoyable performance.
20	Great performance. In time, you may be invited to join a professional troupe and may develop a regional reputation.
25	Memorable performance. In time, you may come to the attention of noble patrons and develop a national reputation
30+	Extraordinary performance. In time, you may draw attention from distant patrons, or even from extraplanar beings.

Optional Rule: Areas of Performance Each category of the Perform skill includes a variety of methods, instruments, or techniques, a small sample of which is provided below. Choose a number of fields equal to your proficiency bonus. Performing in a category of Performance you know, and for which you fulfill the listed prerequisite, allows you to apply your proficiency bonus twice.

1. Actor (Deception)
2. Animal Acts (Animal Handling)
3. Chanter (Religion)
4. Clown (Intimidation)
5. Dancer (Acrobatics)
6. Fire-eater (Alchemy kit proficiency)
7. Instrumentalist (Musical instrument proficiency)
   1. Keyboard instruments (harpsichord, piano, pipe organ)
   2. Percussion instruments (bells, chimes, drums, gong)
   3. String instruments (fiddle, harp, lute, mandolin)
   4. Wind instruments (flute, pan pipes, recorder, trumpet)
8. Jester (Insight)
9. Juggler (Sleight of Hand)
10. Magician (Sleight of Hand)
11. Mentalist (Investigation)
12. Poet (Persuasion)
13. Singer (History)
14. Soothsayer (Insight)
15. Storyteller (History)
16. Strongman (Athletics)
17. Tumbler (Acrobatics)
18. War Dance (Intimidation)

Influence Crowd

1 minute or more.

You can influence an audience’s attitudes (in a similar manner to using the Persuasion skill to change NPC attitudes). To influence the attitudes of a crowd, make a normal Performance check and treat the result exactly as you would the result of a #Persuasion check to #Influence Attitude. You need not have a common language with the audience, and might even affect creatures lacking a language, at the GMs whim. This generally takes longer than using #Persuasion to #Influence Attitude, and requires the audience to be willing to witness the performance.

Obfuscate Spellcasting

Action.

Perform can be used in lieu of Deception to #Obfuscate Spellcasting as a part of a performance.

Set Mood

1 minute or more.

A performer can set the mood by providing backing to other activities. Choose a mood and task, this is any one task listed under skills. As long as your Perform check is 15 or higher, checks that fit your chosen mood have advantage. This is typically social stunts like #Bully, #Influence Attitude, or most commonly #Seduction.

Persuasion

When you attempt to influence someone or a group of people with tact, social graces, or good nature, the GM might ask you to make a Charisma (Persuasion) check. Typically, you use persuasion when acting in good faith, to foster friendships, make cordial requests, or exhibit proper etiquette. Examples of persuading others include convincing a chamberlain to let your party see the king, negotiating peace between warring tribes, or inspiring a crowd of townsfolk.

The DC of Persuasion tasks is generally the target's passive Will Save or passive Wisdom (Insight). You cannot use Persuasion against a creature that does not understand you or has an Intelligence of 3 or less, tough the GM may allow such checks with disadvantage in favorable conditions. Your GM may rule that certain foes are immune to this skill use, such as fanatics who are inspired by religious or political fervor, raging barbarians, and other hateful enemies.

Bargaining

10 minutes.

An item is worth only what someone will pay for it. The target can use passive Intelligence (History) or Intelligence Tool (relevant proficiency bonus) if this is better than the standard difficulty for Persuasion (above). You can usually just accept the list price and avoid bargaining. Some merchants may insist on bargaining or refuse to bargain, depending on culture and personality.

When selling the normal price is 50% of the value. A success raises the price to 75%. A critical gives 100% price. A failure cuts the price to 35%. A critical failure brings the price down to 25%. When buying, the normal price is 100%. A success lowers the price to 65%. A critical success gives 50% price. A failure increases the price to 150% and a fumble to 200%. If you refuse an offer you bargained yourself into, you get a bad reputation in that marketplace, and all bargaining checks the next week suffer disadvantage.

On a critical success result that is also 25 or higher, you can convince the buyer the item is something other than what it is and worth an exceptional price. This is a form of fraud and may come back to haunt you, but is also very profitable, as determined by the GM. You need not use this opportunity.

Bribery

10 minutes.

The result of a failed #Persuasion check can be overcome with a successful bribe. Successful bribery allows a reroll on a Charisma (Persuasion) check. A normal bribe is the level/challenge of the target cubed in gp.

A Charisma (Persuasion) check is required to present the bribe in an appropriate manner. The DC is the target's passive Wisdom (Insight). The target's alignment affects this; or good alignment imposes disadvantage, evil alignment imposes disadvantage.

Bribery generally does not work when #Bargaining, but might work on nobles and other buyers unaware of how commerce works.

In some situations, a bribe might be required to even attempt a Persuasion check, but such bribes don't give bonuses or require checks to succeed.

Genuine Interaction

You can use Persuasion in lieu of #Deceit for #Gather Information, #Seduction, and #Spread Rumors, providing you are genuinely interested in the others' wellbeing or believe the rumors you spread.

Influence Attitude

10 minutes.

The DMG p 246 offers rules for influencing attitudes in important situations. The rules here are more simplistic and suited to less important occasions.

You can change the initial attitudes of non-player characters with a successful Persuasion check. Influencing attitude takes at least a few minutes of interaction and thus cannot be done in combat. You can do further attempts to Influence Attitude once per short rest you spend along with the target, or after a long rest. An attitude shift caused through Persuasion generally lasts for 1d4 hours but can last much longer or shorter depending upon the situation (GM discretion).

There are three attitudes, from worst to best: hostile, indifferent, and friendly.

A hostile creature may attack you, and any Persuasion checks against such a creature is at disadvantage. Creatures start out hostile towards known enemies, such as enemy soldiers, bandits and prey, and races and religions hostile towards one another. Creatures that are not used to strangers may be hostile towards anyone they do not know. People used to dealing with strangers, such as merchants, nobles, and service providers are only hostile to known rivals.

An indifferent creature has no particular attitude and is open to forming one based on impression. Creatures that do not suffer from xenophobia or prejudice are indifferent to all they do not know.

A friendly creature is well disposed towards you, and Persuasion tasks against a friendly creature generally has advantage, but may later worsen their attitude if they feel you took advantage of them. This advantage does not apply to bargaining.

Critical Success If you succeed very well, the character’s attitude toward you is improved by one step at least for a few days, possibly indefinitely if you maintain a cordial relationship.

Success If you succeed, the character’s attitude toward you is tentatively improved by one step. They treat you well for the rest of the scene, and if you reciprocate may continue to do so.

Fumble If you fumble, the target character’s attitude toward you is decreased by one step. If they end up hostile, they don't want to spend any more time socializing.

Make a Request

Action.

You can attempt to make requests of a creature. This is a Charisma (Persuasion) check, with one of the following modifiers. Some requests automatically fail if the request goes against the creature’s values or its nature, subject to GM discretion.

If you are clearly in a superior position to your target, either socially or tactically, you can use Charisma (Intimidation) or even Strength (Intimidation) to make a request. If you are socially superior and do so, this moves the target's attitude from friendly to indifferent. If you are tactically superior, this moves the target's attitude to hostile.

+ Requests
Condition	Check Modifier
Hostile	+0
Indifferent	+10
Friendly	+20
Generous compensation offered	+5

+ Requests
Check Result	Reaction
0	The creature opposes the adventurers' actions and might take risks to do so.
10	The creature offers no help but does no harm.
20	The creature does as asked as long as no risks or sacrifices are involved.
30	The creature accepts a minor risk or sacrifice to do as asked.
40	The creature accepts a significant risk or sacrifice to do as asked.

Parley

Action.

Using your skills of persuasion, you use an action to call for a temporary halt to fighting. On a success, the enemies are willing to accept your surrender and then hear you out. On a critical success your enemies halt to listen, but they remain alert and ready for a trick. You may then use other interactions as normal. Your foes still take actions on their initiative counts, either to negotiate with you, or to steel themselves to renew the attack if negotiations do not produce the desired result.

You have disadvantage on this check if the enemy are hostile, as normal. If you are winning the fight, do not suffer disadvantage trying to start a parley. If the enemy is clearly beaten, or have lost their leader, the DM may even give you advantage. If you parley in a situation that seems about to erupt into a fight, but has not yet done so, you have advantage.

Other Proficiencies

Not keyed to a specific ability score, other proficiencies include languages, tools, and vehicles.

Language

The World of Greyhawk has many languages, divided into families. See Languages of Greyhawk.

Since you do not have a proficiency bonus in languages, language-related tasks are covered by skills. Such tasks include: #Decipher Text or Speech, #Speak Like a Native, #Speak Like a Native, #Speak Like a Native, #Speak Like a Native,

Cultural Knowledge

Passive.

Learning languages, you also absorb some knowledge about the culture and know what to do and what not to do. When communicating with a creature whose native language you speak, you have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks to #Influence Attitude or #Parley. This does not apply to the locally dominant culture or to the Common language, as such speakers expect to be understood. Note that magical translation does not give the cultural background needed to gain this advantage.

Tool Kits

Tool Proficiencies are a useful way to highlight a character’s Background and talents. At the game table, though, the use of tools sometimes overlaps with the use of Skills, and it can be unclear how to use them together in certain situations. This section offers various ways that tools can be used in the game.

Tools have more specific applications than Skills. The History skill applies to any event in the past. A tool such as a Forgery Kit is used to make fake objects and little else. Thus, why would a character who has the opportunity to acquire one or the other want to gain a tool proficiency instead of proficiency in a skill?

To make Tool Proficiency more attractive choices for the characters, you can use the methods outlined under skills, below.

Components. The first paragraph in each description gives details on what a set of supplies or tools is made up of. A character who is proficient with a tool knows how to use all of its component parts.

Supplies The weight and cost of raw materials for crafting items using this set of tools. A high price here is an advantage, as it indicates the crafting materials are small which allows you to carry more of them.

Skills. Every tool potentially adds your proficiency bonus on a check when used in conjunction with certain Skills, allowing you to double your proficiency bonus provided you are proficient with both the tool and the skill. Paragraphs that begin with skill names discuss these possibilities. In each of these paragraphs, the benefits apply only to someone who has proficiency with the tool, not someone who simply owns it. With respect to Skills, the system is mildly abstract in terms of what a tool proficiency represents; essentially, it assumes that a character who has proficiency with a tool also has learned about facets of the trade or profession that are not necessarily associated with the use of the tool. In addition, you can consider giving a character extra information or an added benefit on a skill check. The text provides some examples and ideas when this opportunity is relevant.

Special Use. Proficiency with a tool usually brings with it a particular benefit in the form of a Special use, as described in this paragraph.

Sample DCs. A table in each section lists activities that a tool can be used to perform, and suggested DCs for the necessary Ability Checks.

Jury Rig (Short rest) You can use tool proficiency to create shoddy, temporary versions of mundane items. Spend a short rest and make an Intelligence (tool proficiency) check, the difficulty is the value of the item in gold pieces. If you have a destroyed item to work with, halve the DC while lack of any suitable materials doubles the DC (minimum DC 5). A jury-rigged breaks on any d20 roll of 1 involving the item. Jury-rigged items have no resale value and fall apart after 24 hours.

Alchemist's Supplies

Activity	DC
Create a puff of thick smoke	10
Identify a poison	10
Identify a substance	15
Start a fire	15
Neutralize acid	20

Alchemist’s supplies enable a character to produce useful concoctions, such as acid or alchemist’s fire. Alchemists tools are used to craft poisons, medicine, and alchemical items. There are a lot of new alchemical items described under Alchemical Substances, check with your DM to see if these are available.

Components. Alchemist’s supplies include two glass beakers, a metal frame to hold a beaker in place over an open flame, a glass stirring rod, a small mortar and pestle, and a pouch of Common alchemical ingredients, including salt, powdered iron, and purified water.

Supplies. Alchemy supplies are very compact, costing 50 gp per pound.

Arcana. Proficiency with alchemist’s supplies allows you to unlock more information on Arcana checks involving Potions and similar materials.

Investigation. When you inspect an area for clues, proficiency with alchemist’s supplies grants additional Insight into any chemicals or other substances that might have been used in the area.

Alchemical Crafting. You can use this tool proficiency to create alchemical items. As part of a Long Rest, you can use alchemist’s supplies to make one dose of acid, alchemist’s fire, antitoxin, oil, perfume, or soap. Subtract half the value of the created item from the total gp worth of raw materials you are carrying.

Brewer’s Tools

Activity	DC
Detect poison or impurities in a drink	10
Identify alcohol	15
Ignore Effects of alcohol	20

Brewing is the art of producing beer, wine, and other alcoholic beverages. Not only does beer serve as an alcoholic beverage, but the process of brewing purifies water. Brewing takes weeks of fermentation, but only a few hours of work.

Components. Brewer’s supplies include a large glass jug, a quantity of hops, a siphon, and several feet of tubing.

Supplies. Brewing supplies are grain, hops, grapes and similar materials, costing 1 gp per 10 pounds. In addition you need plenty of water.

History. Proficiency with brewer’s supplies gives you additional Insight on Intelligence (History) checks concerning events that involve alcohol as a significant element.

Medicine. This tool proficiency grants additional Insight when you treat anyone suffering from alcohol poisoning or when you can use alcohol to dull pain.

Persuasion. A stiff drink can help soften the hardest heart. Charisma (brewer’s supplies) can help you ply someone with drink, giving them just enough alcohol to mellow their mood.

Potable Water. Your knowledge of brewing enables you to purify water that would otherwise be undrinkable. You can purify a 1 gallon of water per hour.

Calligrapher’s Tools

Activity	DC
Identify writer of nonmagical script	10
Determine writer’s state of mind	15
Spot forged text	15
Forge a signature	20

Calligraphy treats writing as a delicate, beautiful art. Calligraphers produce text that is pleasing to the eye, using a style that is difficult to forge. This also give them some ability to examine scripts and determine if they are legitimate, since a calligrapher’s Training involves long hours of studying writing and attempting to replicate style and design.

Components. Calligrapher’s supplies include ink, a dozen sheets of parchment, and three quills.

Supplies. Calligraphy supplies are inks and paper, vellum, papyrus and similar writing surfaces, costing 10 gp per pound.

Arcana. Although calligraphy is of little help in deciphering the content of magical writings, proficiency with these supplies can aid in identifying who wrote a script of a magical nature.

History. This tool proficiency can augment the benefit of successful checks made to analyze or investigate ancient writings, scrolls, or other texts, including runes etched in stone or messages in frescoes or other displays.

Decipher Treasure Map. This tool proficiency grants you Expertise in examining maps. You can make an Intelligence (Calligrapher's tools) check to determine a map’s age, whether a map includes any hidden messages, or similar facts.

Carpenter’s Tools

Activity	DC
Build a simple wooden structure	10
Design a complex wooden structure	15
Find a weak point in a wooden wall	15
Pry apart a door	20

Skill at carpentry enables a character to construct wooden structures. A carpenter can build a house, a shack, a wooden cabinet, a boat, or similar items.

Components. Carpenter's tools include a saw, a hammer, nails, a hatchet, a square, a ruler, an adze, a plane, and a chisel.

Supplies. Carpentry supplies include glue, nails, and paint, costing 1 sp per 100 pounds. In addition a large volume of wood is needed, but that can usually be supplied locally.

History. This tool proficiency aids you in identifying the use and the origin of wooden buildings and other large wooden objects.

Investigation. You gain additional insight when inspecting areas within wooden structures, such as chests, because you know tricks of construction that can conceal areas from discovery.

Perception. You can spot irregularities in wooden walls or floors, making it easier to find trap doors and secret passages.

Stealth. You can quickly assess the weak spots in a wooden floor, making it easier to avoid the places that creak and groan when they're stepped on.

Fortify. With 1 minute of work and raw materials, you can make a door or window harder to force open. Increase the DC needed to open it by 5.

Temporary Shelter. As part of a long rest, you can construct a lean-to or a similar shelter to keep your group dry and in the shade for the duration of the rest. Because it was fashioned quickly from whatever wood was available, the shelter collapses 1d3 days after being assembled.

Cartographer’s Tools

activity	DC
Determine a map’s age and origin	10
Make a rutter while traveling	15
Estimate direction and distance to a landmark	15
Discern that a map is fake	15
Fill in a missing part of a map	20

Using cartographer’s tools, you can create accurate maps to make travel easier for yourself and those who come after you. These maps can range from large-scale depictions of mountain ranges to diagrams that show the layout of a dungeon level.

Components. Cartographer’s tools consist of a quill, ink, parchment, a pair of compasses, calipers, and a ruler.

Supplies. Cartographer's supplies are inks and paper, vellum, papyrus and similar writing surfaces, costing 10 gp per pound.

Arcana, history, religion. You can use your knowledge of maps and locations to unearth more detailed information when you use these skills. For instance, you might spot hidden messages in a map, identify when the map was made to determine if geographical features have changed since then, and so forth.

Nature. Your familiarity with physical geography makes it easier for you to answer questions or solve issues relating to the terrain around you.

Survival. Your understanding of geography makes it easier to find paths to civilization, to predict areas where villages or towns might be found, and to avoid becoming lost. You have studied so many maps that common patterns, such as how trade routes evolve and where settlements arise in relation to geographic locations, are familiar to you.

Craft a map. While traveling, you can draw a map as you go. See also the Chronicle exploration action.

Cobbler’s Tools

Activity	DC
Determine a shoe’s age and Origin	10
Find a hidden compartment in a boot heel	15

Although the cobbler’s trade might seem too humble for an adventurer, a good pair of boots will see a character across rugged Wilderness and through deadly Dungeons.

Components. Cobbler’s tools consist of a hammer, an awl, a knife, a shoe stand, a cutter, spare leather, and thread.

Supplies. Cobbler supplies are leather, hemp, or heavy fabrics, possibly also metal pins and buckles. Cobbler's supplies cost 1 gp per 10 pounds.

Arcana, History. Your knowledge of shoes aids you in identifying the magical properties of enchanted boots or the History of such items.

Investigation. Footwear holds a surprising number of secrets. You can learn where someone has recently visited by examining the wear and the dirt that has accumulated on their shoes. Your experience in repairing shoes makes it easier for you to identify where damage might come from.

Maintain shoes. As part of a long rest, you can repair your companions’ shoes. For the next 24 hours, a number of creatures of your choice equal to your proficiency bonus with cobbler’s tools who wear shoes you worked on can travel up to 10 hours a day without making saving throws to avoid exhaustion.

Craft hidden compartment. With 8 hours of work, you can add a hidden compartment to a pair of shoes. The compartment can hold an object up to 3 inches long and 1 inch wide and deep. Your passive intelligence + tool proficiency determines the intelligence (investigation) check DC needed to find the compartment.

Cook’s Utensils

Activity	DC
Create a typical meal	5
Duplicate a meal	10
Spot poison or impurities in food	15
Create a gourmet meal	15

Adventuring is a hard life. With a cook along on the journey, your meals will be much better than the typical mix of hardtack and dried fruit.

Components. Cook’s utensils include a metal pot, knives, forks, a stirring spoon, and a ladle.

Supplies. Cooking supplies include salt and spices,, costing 1 gp per 1 pound. A pound of supplies can last you a very long time as long as raw foods are available. You also need foodstuffs such as meat, vegetables, and grain which is acquired locally. You can also use trail rations, which strictly don't need to be cooked but can be made much more appetizing this way.

History. Your knowledge of cooking techniques allows you to assess the social patterns involved in a culture’s eating habits.

Medicine. When administering treatment, you can transform medicine that is bitter or sour into a pleasing concoction.

Survival. When foraging for food, you can make do with ingredients you scavenge that others would be unable to transform into nourishing meals.

Prepare meals. As part of a short rest, you can prepare a tasty meal that helps your companions regain their strength. You and up to five creatures of your choice regain 1 extra hit point per hit die spent during 15 minutes, provided you have access to your cook’s utensils and sufficient food.

Glassblower’s Tools

Activity	DC
Identify source of glass	10
Determine what a glass object once held	20

Someone who is proficient with glassblower’s tools has not only the ability to shape glass, but also specialized knowledge of the methods used to produce glass Objects.

Components. The tools include a blowpipe, a small marver, blocks, and tweezers. You need a source of heat to work glass.

Supplies. Glassblowing supplies are lime, charcoal, and various minerals used to color glass, costing 1 gp per 1 pounds. The raw material is sand, but a large amount of heat are needed, which usually consumes a lot of fuel.

Arcana, History. Your knowledge of glassmaking techniques aids you when you examine glass objects, such as potion bottles or glass items found in a treasure hoard. For instance, you can study how a glass potion bottle has been changed by its contents to help determine a potion’s effects. (a potion might leave behind a residue, deform the glass, or stain it.)

Investigation. When you study an area, your knowledge can aid you if the clues include broken glass or glass objects.

Identify weakness. With 1 minute of study, you can identify the weak points in a glass object. Any damage dealt to the object by striking a weak spot is doubled.

Herbalism Tools

Activity	Dc
Find common plants	5
Notice poison	10
Find rare plants	15
Identify poison	20

Proficiency with an herbalism kit allows you to identify plants and safely collect their useful elements.

Components. An herbalism kit includes pouches to store herbs, clippers and leather gloves for collecting plants, a mortar and pestle, and several glass jars.

Arcana. Your knowledge of the nature and uses of herbs can add insight to your magical studies that deal with plants and your attempts to identify potions.

Investigation. When you inspect an area overgrown with plants, or a situation involving medicines, your proficiency can help you pick out details and clues that others might miss.

Medicine. Your mastery of herbalism improves your ability to treat illnesses and wounds by augmenting your methods of care with medicinal plants and gather charges for a healing kit.

Nature and survival. When you travel in the wild, your skill in herbalism makes it easier to identify plants and spot sources of food that others might overlook.

Identify plants. You can identify most plants with a quick inspection of their appearance and smell.

Identify Items

All tool kit proficiencies can be used to identify items relating to or made with that tool kit. For example, smith's tools gives #Lore and can #Assess Damage, #Detect Forgery, and #Identify Magic about items made of iron and about a smiths tools and workshop, including anvils, bellows, charcoal, and the various sands and liquids used in the craft. Likewise, proficiency in a type of vehicle lets you do the same with regards to vehicles, draft animals, and suitable routes of travel.

Jeweler’s Tools

Activity	DC
Modify a gem’s Appearance	15
Determine a gem’s History	20

Training with jeweler’s tools includes the basic techniques needed to beautify gems. It also gives you expertise in identifying precious stones.

Components. Jeweler’s tools consist of a small saw and Hammer, files, pliers, and tweezers.

Supplies. Jeweler's supplies are the stones and precious metals to be worked, of no significant weight.

Arcana. Proficiency with jeweler’s tools grants you knowledge about the reputed mystical uses of gems. This Insight proves handy when you make Arcana checks related to gems or gem-encrusted items.

Investigation. When you inspect jeweled objects, your proficiency with jeweler’s tools aids you in picking out clues they might hold.

Evaluate Gems. You can Identify gems and determine their value at a glance.

Leatherworker’s Tools

Activity	DC
Modify a leather item’s Appearance	10
Determine a leather item’s History	20

Knowledge of leatherworking extends to lore concerning animal hides and their properties. It also confers knowledge of leather armor and similar goods.

Components. Leatherworker’s tools include a knife, a small mallet, an edger, a hole punch, thread, and leather scraps.

Supplies. Leatherworking supplies include leather, glues, rivets, thread, and cord, costing 1 gp per 10 pounds.

Arcana. Your expertise in working with leather grants you added insight when you inspect magic items crafted from leather, such as boots and some bags and cloaks.

Investigation. You gain added insight when studying leather items or clues related to them, as you draw on your knowledge of leather to pick out details that others would overlook.

Identify hides. When looking at a hide or a leather item, you can determine the source of the leather and any special techniques used to treat it. For example, you can spot the difference between leather crafted using dwarven methods and leather crafted using halfling methods.

Mason’s Tools

Activity	DC
Chisel a small hole in a stone wall	10
Find a weak point in a stone wall	15

Mason’s tools allow you to craft stone structures, including walls and buildings crafted from brick. Masonry also includes creating and supporting tunnels and dungeons.

Components. Mason’s tools consist of a trowel, a hammer, a chisel, brushes, and a square.

Supplies. Mason's supplies are mainly lime, costing 1 gp per 10 pounds. The raw material is stone, but quite a lot of wood is used as scaffolding in any significant building project.

History. Your Expertise aids you in identifying date of construction and purpose of stone construction, along with Insight into who might have built it.

Investigation, Perception. You gain additional Insight when inspecting areas within stone structures. You can spot irregularities in stone walls or floors, making it easier to find trap doors and Secret Passages.

Demolition. Your knowledge of masonry allows you to spot weak points in brick walls. You deal double damage to such structures with your weapon attacks.

Painter’s Tools

Activity	DC
Paint an accurate portrait	10
Create a painting with a hidden Message	15
Create an original painting	20

Proficiency with painter’s supplies represents your ability to paint and draw. You also acquire an understanding of art history, which can aid you in examining works of art.

Components. Painter’s supplies include an easel, canvas, paints, brushes, charcoal sticks, and a palette.

Supplies. Painter's supplies are lime, pigments, canvasses, and oils, costing 1 gp per 10 pounds.

Arcana, history, religion. Your training aids you in uncovering lore of any sort that is attached to a work of art, such as the magical properties of a painting or the origins of a strange mural found in a dungeon.

Investigation. When you inspect a painting or a similar work of visual art, your knowledge of the practices behind creating it can grant you additional insight.

Painting and drawing. As part of a short or long rest, you can produce a simple work of art. Although your work might lack precision, you can capture an image or a scene, or make a quick copy of a piece of art you saw.

Potter’s Tools

activity	DC
determine what a vessel once held	10
create a serviceable pot	15
find a weak point in a ceramic object	20

Potter’s tools are used to create a variety of ceramic objects, most typically pots and similar vessels but also tiles, stoves, chimneys, pipes and other objects made out of clay.

Components. Potter’s tools include potter’s needles, ribs, scrapers, a knife, and calipers.

Supplies. Potters need no supplies and can find suitable clay in most locales. A simple oven can be built in a day of work.

History. Your expertise aids you in identifying ceramic objects, including when they were created and their likely place or culture of origin.

Investigation, perception. You gain additional insight when inspecting ceramics, uncovering clues others would overlook by spotting minor irregularities.

Reconstruction. By examining pottery shards, you can determine an object’s original, intact form and its likely purpose.

Smith’s Tools

activity	DC
sharpen a dull blade	10
repair a suit of armor	15
sunder a nonmagical metal object	15

Smith’s tools allow you to work metal, heating it to alter its shape, repair damage, or work raw ingots into useful items.

Components. Smith’s tools include hammers, tongs, charcoal, rags, and a whetstone.

Supplies. Smith's supplies include metal, fine charcoal, and various clays and sand for foundry work, costing 1 gp per 10 pounds.

Arcana and history. Your expertise lends you additional insight when examining metal objects, such as most weapons.

Investigation. You can spot clues and make deductions that others might overlook when an investigation involves armor, weapons, or other metalwork.

Repair. With access to your tools and an open flame hot enough to make metal pliable, you can restore 10 hit points to a damaged metal object for each hour of work.

Tinker’s Tools

activity	DC
temporarily repair a disabled device	10
repair an item in half the time	15
improvise a temporary item using scraps	20

A set of tinker’s tools is designed to enable you to repair many mundane objects. Though you can’t manufacture much with tinker’s tools, you can mend torn clothes, sharpen a worn sword, and patch a tattered suit of chain mail.

Components. Tinker’s tools include a variety of hand tools, thread, needles, a whetstone, scraps of cloth and leather, and a small pot of glue.

Supplies. Repairs need only thread, glue, scraps of metal, cloth, and leather that can usually be scavenged. Constructing mechanical devices like clockwork, traps, and toys requires hardwood and soft metals like tin and brass, costing 10 gp per pound.

History. You can determine the age and origin of objects, even if you have only a few pieces remaining from the original.

Investigation. When you inspect a damaged object, you gain knowledge of how it was damaged and how long ago.

Repair. You can restore 10 hit points to a damaged object for each hour of work. For any object, you need access to the raw materials required to repair it. For metal objects, you need access to an open flame hot enough to make the metal pliable.

Weaver’s Tools

activity	DC
repurpose cloth	10
mend a hole in a piece of cloth	10
tailor an outfit	15

Weaver’s tools allow you to create cloth and tailor it into articles of clothing.

Components. Weaver’s tools include thread, needles, and scraps of cloth. You know how to work a loom, but such equipment is too large to transport.

Supplies. You can make thread from flax, wool, cotton and similar raw materials costing 1 gp per 100 pounds. You can weave fabric from thread costing 1 gp per 30 pounds. You can sew clothes from fabric costing 1 gp per 10 pounds.

Arcana, history. Your expertise lends you additional insight when examining cloth objects, including cloaks and robes.

Investigation. Using your knowledge of the process of creating cloth objects, you can spot clues and make deductions that others would overlook when you examine tapestries, upholstery, clothing, and other woven items.

Repair. As part of a short rest, you can repair a single damaged cloth object.

Craft clothing. Assuming you have access to sufficient cloth and thread, you can create an outfit for a creature as part of a long rest.

Woodcarver’s Tools

activity	DC
craft a small wooden figurine	10
carve an intricate pattern in wood	15

Woodcarver’s tools allow you to craft intricate objects from wood, such as wooden tokens or arrows.

Components. Woodcarver’s tools consist of a knife, a gouge, and a small saw.

Arcana, history. Your expertise lends you additional insight when you examine wooden objects, such as figurines or arrows.

Supplies. Woodcarver's supplies are various oils and rare woods, costing 1 gp per 10 pounds. Simple projects require only wood you can easily scavenge.

Nature. Your knowledge of wooden objects gives you some added insight when you examine trees.

Repair. As part of a short rest, you can repair a single damaged wooden object.

Craft arrows. As part of a short rest, you can craft up to 20 arrows. As part of a long rest, you can craft up to twenty. You must have enough wood on hand to produce them.

Adventuring Tools

These tools are not primarily used to craft, but instead cover other fields.

Disguise Kit

activity	DC
a generic character like a servant, waiter, or laborer	5
cover injuries or distinguishing marks	10
a particular role, such as a city guard or liveried servant	10
a particular person	20
situation	skill modifier
disguised as different gender	-1
disguised as different race	-1
disguised as different age category	-1
disguised as different size category	-5

You can create a disguise for yourself or another. Use intelligence + proficiency bonus when making disguises. This usually takes 15 minutes and you can create a number of disguises equal to your proficiency bonus with the disguise kit at the same time. A very simple disguise, making someone less distinctive, can be made in a minute.

If you don’t draw any attention to yourself, others do not get to make perception or insight checks. If you come to the attention of people who are suspicious (such as a guard who is watching commoners walking through a city gate) the disguise is tested. If you are impersonating a particular individual, those who know that person gain advantage on their perception or insight checks. Furthermore, they are automatically considered to be suspicious of you, so opposed checks are always called for. When a disguise is tested, observers can make an intelligence (investigation) or wisdom (insight) against the 10 + the disguised character's charisma modifier + the proficiency bonus of the creator of the disguise.

The effectiveness of a disguise depends in part on how much of a change is attempted. This affects both the initial disguise check and the difficulty of penetrating the disguise.

Forgery Kit

Activity	DC
Mimic a type of document	10
Mimic handwriting	15
Duplicate a wax seal	20

A forgery kit is designed to duplicate documents and to make it easier to copy a person’s seal or signature.

Components. A forgery kit includes several different types of ink, a variety of parchments and papers, several quills, seals and sealing wax, gold and silver leaf, and small tools to sculpt melted wax to mimic a seal.

Supplies. Forgery supplies are inks, wax, and paper, vellum, papyrus and similar writing surfaces, costing 10 gp per pound.

Arcana. A forgery kit can be used in conjunction with the arcana skill to determine if a magic item is real or fake.

Deception. A well-crafted forgery, such as papers proclaiming you to be a noble or a writ that grants you safe passage, can lend credence to a lie.

History. A forgery kit combined with your knowledge of history improves your ability to create fake historical documents or to tell if an old document is authentic.

Investigation. When you examine objects, proficiency with a forgery kit is useful for determining how an object was made and whether it is genuine.

Other tools. Knowledge of other tools makes your forgeries that much more believable. For example, you could combine proficiency with a forgery kit and proficiency with cartographer’s tools to make a fake map.

Forge document. As part of a short rest, you can produce a forged document no more than one page in length. As part of a long rest, you can produce a document that is up to a dozen pages long. Your passive Intelligence (Forgery Kit) determines the DC for someone else’s Intelligence (Investigation) check to spot the fake, or the DM may allow you to roll against their passive value.

Gaming Set

Activity	Dc
Catch a player cheating	15
Gain insight into an opponent’s personality	15

Proficiency with a gaming set applies to one type of game, such as three-dragon ante or games of chance that use dice.

Components. A gaming set has all the pieces needed to play a specific game or type of game, such as a complete deck of cards or a board and tokens.

History. Your mastery of a game includes knowledge of its history, as well as of important events it was connected to or prominent historical figures involved with it.

Insight. Playing games with someone is a good way to gain understanding of their personality, granting you a better ability to discern their lies from their truths and read their mood.

Sleight of hand. Sleight of hand is a useful skill for cheating at a game, as it allows you to swap pieces, palm cards, or alter a die roll. Alternatively, engrossing a target in a game by manipulating the components with dexterous movements is a great distraction for a pickpocketing attempt.

See also: Downtime activities: gambling.

Navigator’s Tools

activity	DC
Plot a course	10
Discover your position on a nautical chart	15

Proficiency with navigator’s tools helps you determine a true course based on observing the stars. It also grants you insight into charts and maps while developing your sense of direction.

Components. Navigator’s tools include a sextant, a compass, calipers, a ruler, parchment, ink, and a quill.

Survival. Knowledge of navigator’s tools helps you avoid becoming lost and also grants you insight into the most likely location for roads and settlements. This applies to tasks like #Know Geography, #Know Location, and #Read Map.

Sighting. By taking careful measurements, you can determine your position on a nautical chart and the time of day.

Poisoner’s Tools

activity	DC
spot a poisoned object	10
determine the effects of a poison	20

A poisoner’s kit is a favored resource for thieves, assassins, and others who engage in skullduggery. It allows you to apply poisons and create them from various materials. Your knowledge of poisons also helps you treat them.

Components A poisoner’s kit includes glass vials, a mortar and pestle, chemicals, and a glass stirring rod.

Supplies Poisons are nor really made, they are refined from natural toxins such as toxic herbs and minerals and the poison glands of venomous creatures. Often such supplies are good only for one specific poison. General poison supplies cost 100 gp per pound.

Crafting During downtime between adventures, a character can use crafting to create poison. Not all poison ingredients are available for purchase, and tracking down certain ingredients might form the basis of an entire adventure.

Harvest poison You can attempt to harvest poison from a poisonous creature, such as a snake, wyvern, or carrion crawler. The creature must be incapacitated or dead, and the harvesting requires ld6 minutes followed by a DC 20 intelligence (poisoner's tools) check. On a successful check, you harvest enough poison for 1d4 doses. On a failed check, you are unable to extract any poison. If you fumble, you are subjected to the creature's poison. The extracted poison can be used within 1 hour, by using the part of the creature that delivers the toxin. More commonly it is preserved and used as a raw material to bottle natural poison, providing the raw material needed. The value of a harvested poison is half that of a consumable of the creature's challenge rating.

Bottle natural poison If you have access to a harvested poison, you can refine it and put it in a bottle to preserve it for later use. The list price of such a poison is the cost of a consumable of a level equal to the creature's challenge.

During overland travel you can harvest poison components.

History. Your training with poisons can help you when you try to recall facts about infamous poisonings.

Investigation Your knowledge of poisons has taught you to handle those substances carefully, giving you an edge when you inspect poisoned objects or try to extract clues from events that involve poison.

Medicine. When you treat the victim of a poison, your knowledge grants you added insight into how to provide the best care to your patient.

Nature, Survival. Working with poisons enables you to acquire lore about which plants and animals are poisonous.

Perception You have developed an instinctive danger sense that helps you notice toxic creatures and substances.

Handle poison. Your proficiency allows you to handle and apply a poison without risk of exposing yourself to its effects.

Musical instruments

activity	DC
Identify a tune	10
Make a successful performance	15
Improvise a tune	20

Proficiency with a musical instrument indicates you are familiar with the techniques used to play it. You also have knowledge of some songs commonly performed with that instrument.

History. Your expertise aids you in recalling lore related to your instrument.

Performance. Your ability to put on a good show is improved when you incorporate an instrument into your act. A character proficient in a musical instrument can stage a #performance using charisma + proficiency bonus. Depending on the instrument, this might use some other ability, such as dexterity for a stringed instrument or constitution for a wind instrument.

Compose a tune. As part of a long rest, you can compose a new tune and lyrics for your instrument. You might use this ability to impress a noble or spread scandalous rumors with a catchy tune.

Vehicles

activity	DC
Navigate rough terrain or waters	10
Assess a vehicle’s condition	15
Efficient Travel	DC
Frequently traveled routes	5
Secondary routes	10
Routes less traveled	15
Off route	20 and up

Proficiency with vehicles grants the knowledge needed to handle vehicles of that type, along with knowledge of how to repair and maintain them. In addition, a character proficient with vehicles is knowledgeable about anything a professional sailor, teamster, or air pilot would be familiar with, such as information about local communication channels, tying knots, and assessing weather conditions.

• Air vehicles (5a) covers balloons, gliders, dirigibles, airplanes and airships.
• Ice vehicles (5a) covers vehicles that use the low friction of snow and ice, such as skis, skates, sleds, and ice yachts.
• Land vehicles covers a wide range of options, from chariots and howdahs to wagons and carts.
• Later vehicles covers anything that navigates waterways.

Animal handling You can train beats to pull vehicles and gain insight into which are suitable draft beasts and select good creatures on the market..

Efficient travel. Most vehicle checks are Wisdom checks. Muscle-powered vehicles you power yourself, like carts and canoes, use Strength. A critical success reduces speed by 20%. A successful roll indicates normal travel time. A failure increases travel time by 25%, while a fumble indicates some kind of mishap.

Arcana. When you study a magic vehicle, this tool proficiency aids you in uncovering lore or determining how the vehicle operates.

Investigation, perception. When you inspect a vehicle for clues or hidden information, your proficiency aids you in noticing things that others might miss.

Vehicle handling. When piloting a vehicle, you can apply your proficiency bonus to the vehicle’s AC and saving throws.

Thieves' Tools

activity	DC
Pick a lock	varies
Pisable a trap	varies

Perhaps the most common tools used by adventurers, thieves' tools are designed for picking locks and foiling traps. Proficiency with the tools also grants you a general knowledge of traps and locks.

Components. Thieves' tools include a small file, a set of lock picks, a small mirror mounted on a metal handle, a set of narrow-bladed scissors, and a pair of pliers.

History. Your knowledge of traps grants you insight when answering questions about locations that are renowned for their traps.

Investigation. You gain additional insight when looking for traps, because you have learned a variety of common signs that betray their presence. You add insight to intelligence (investigation) checks to spot and analyze traps.

As an action , you can try to analyze a known trap. This reveals the entire stat block of the trap. The DC is the same as for disabling a trap, but there is no danger.

Disarm trap. As an action , you can try an intelligence or dexterity (thieves' tools) against a trap's disarm DC in order to disarm it. You can then either destroy the trap, or just suspend its function, reactivating it with another check. You can try again. If you fumble you trigger the trap.

Open lock. As an action , you can try an intelligence or dexterity (thieves' tools) against the DC of a lock. If you fumble, you cannot proceed with this lock until you take a long or short rest. Certain safes and other complex locks might be much harder, with special rules.

Set a trap. Just as you can disable traps, you can also set them. As part of a short rest, you can create a trap using items you have on hand. Your passive Intelligence (Thieves' Tools) becomes the DC for someone else's attempt to discover or disable the trap. The trap deals damage appropriate to the materials used in crafting it (such as poison or a weapon) or damage equal to half the total of your check, whichever the DM deems appropriate.

You can deploy a trap that has been crafted and is ready to be set up and deployed. It requires an Intelligence (Thieves Tools) check with a of DC 15 + 1/2 the challenge level of the trap. A failure means you cannot figure out how to effectively place that trap in this location. A fumble means you are caught in the trap, which is then destroyed. Traps that depend on terrain features, such as a pit trap, can only be deployed if such a terrain feature is available.

Traps can also be deployed faster, but such makeshift deployment is much less effective; reduce the perception and disable device DCs of the trap by 5 if you spend 1 minute and 10 if you spend just an action .