Skill Examples (5A)
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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.
Lore Check
Many skills allow lore checks in their area of expertise. The GM may allow other skills to make lore checks. General rules for lore checks are given here, with specific descriptions in each skill.
Lore checks are almost always Intelligence checks (knowing about stuff). The difficulty depends on the obscurity of the information sought or the rarity of the creature to be identified. Making a Lore check is a bonus action. If you are not trained in the skill the check is based on, you can only attempt this check once per hour. If the Lore is connected to your race, class, or background, you have advantage on the roll, if it is alien you suffer disadvantage. If you succeed in recalling lost or unknown information you surmise the information on the spot. The GM is always free to embellish or add to the information gained, even adding untruths on lower rolls.
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A common use of Lore is to identify a creature. The DC is usually 15 + 1/2 the creature's level. 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.
A successful check allows you to 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 useful information.
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Skill List
When the DC of a skill use has a list of several values, generally based on someone else's skills, always use the highest number.
Many checks have a difficulty equal to another creature's passive value. This is 10 + ability modifier + proficiency modifier. This 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 of discovery.
Acrobatics
Your Dexterity (Acrobatics) check covers your attempts to stay on your feet in a tricky situation, such as when you’re trying to run across a sheet of ice, balance on a tightrope, or stay upright on a rocking ship’s deck. The GM might also call for a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to see if you can perform acrobatic stunts, including dives, rolls, somersaults, and flips.
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Diving Into Water
You can use the Acrobatics skill to safely dive into water without taking damage. You can safely dive into water from a height equal to twice your Acrobatics check. The difference in your check becomes your falling height and calculates your falling damage (if any).
Escape Bonds
Your training and flexibility in Acrobatics allows you to slip bonds and escape from grapples.
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By suffering disadvantage on your Acrobatics skill check to escape bonds, you can do so without being noticed.
Kip Up
You can get back to your feet by doing a flip back onto your feet. With a successful Acrobatics check (DC 15), you stand up from a prone position as a bonus action and do not spend extra movement to stand. If you fail, you spend the normal amount of movement to get up. If you fail the roll by more than 5, you spend half your movement without getting up.
Maintain Balance
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. If you fail by more than 5 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. A balancing pole (8 sp, 10 lbs.) grants advantage on the balance check.
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Move through an Enemy Square
you can move through an enemy square with an opposed Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. When moving in this way, you move at half speed. 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 fail by more than five you fall prone in the last legal space before you enter the opponent's space.
Roll with Fall
When you deliberately fall any distance, even as a result of a missed jump, an Acrobatics skill check allows you to reduce the effective height of the fall by the result of the check. You become prone if you take damage from a fall.
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.
You also 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.
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 an action and activate a trick.
Fast Mount or Dismount
You can attempt to mount or dismount from a mount by making a Dexterity (Animal Handling) skill check. If you fail the Animal Handling check, mounting or dismounting takes half your movement. If you fail by more than 5, 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.
Placate Beast
You can silence an angry beast or convince it to leave you alone. You can attempt to influence a beast’s mood by offering it a treat appropriate to its appetite and making an Wisdom (Animal Handling) check against DC 10 + the beast's Charisma saving throw. If you do not have a treat to offer you have disadvantage. If you have a particularly succulent treat, you have advantage. If the check succeeds, the beast ignores you. If you exceed the DC by 10, the target regards you as friendly for the next 1d4 hours. Failure results in you provoking an attack from the creature and you cannot try again against the same target for 24 hours. This skill works only against creatures of the beast creature type.
Spur Mount
You can spur your mount to greater speed as a bonus action with a DC 12 Wisdom (Animal Handling) skill check. Each attempt, successful or not, inflicts 1 hit point of damage to the mount. A successful Animal Handling check increases the mount’s speed by 10 feet for 1 round. You can use this ability every round, but the mount becomes fatigued after a number of rounds equal to its Constitution score. This ability cannot be used on a fatigued mount.
Stay Mounted
You can react instantly to try to avoid falling when your mount rears or bolts unexpectedly or when you take damage with a DC 10 Dexterity (Animal Handling) skill check. This usage does not take an action.
Study Beast
Many beasts rely on relatively simple tactics and maneuvers in combat. You can spend an action to closely study a beast in combat. Make a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check, DC of this check is 15 + the beast's Intelligence score. If the check succeeds, you know hat non-magical attacks the beast has and gain a +2 bonus on Armor Class against the creature as you learn to anticipate its actions in combat. If you fail, you cannot try again against the same creature type for 24 hours.
Use Mount as Cover
You can react instantly to 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 fail by more than 5, you fall off your mount. Using this option is a reaction.
Teach an Beast a Trick
You can teach a beast with an intelligence score of 1 to 4 a group of tricks with one week of work and a successful Animal Handling check against DC 10 + the beast's Charisma saving throw. An beast can learn one group of tricks for each point of its Intelligence score. See Tricks, below.
Tricks ==== You can order a beast with an intelligence score of 1 to 4 to perform a specific trick. Each requires an action and a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check. The tricks are arranged into groups. An animal can be trained in certain groups of tricks; 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 trained to perform a certain trick and is not accustomed to you, you have disadvantage.
Combat Training
• Attack (DC 10) ==== • 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. • • 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. • • 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. • • Maneuver (DC 15) ==== • The beast uses a specific combat maneuver on command. A beast only performs maneuvers against targets it would normally attack. This trick can be taught to a beast multiple times. Each time it is taught, the beast can be commanded to use a different combat maneuver. • • War Mount (No DC) ==== • The beast counts as trained for war when used as a mount. • 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. • • 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. • • 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. • Social Training
• 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. You can make a Charisma (Animal Handling) check as if it was a Charisma (Perform) check to entertain. • • 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. • • 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. • Independence Training
• 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. • • Sneak (DC 15) ==== • The beast can be ordered 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. • • Get Help (DC 20) ==== • With this trick, a trainer 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 the handler, even if that means journeying a long distance to the last place it encountered the target creature. • • 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. • Domestication
• Work (DC 5) ==== • The beast carries, pulls, or pushes a medium or heavy load and works until exhausted. The creature becomes docile unless otherwise ordered. A creature that lacks this training might attack if improperly handled and becomes demoralized if used for work and loses any other groups of tricks it might have been taught. • • Stay (DC 5) ==== • 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. • • Call (DC 10) ==== • The beast comes if called. • • 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. • Hunt Training
• Track (DC 10) ==== • The beast tracks the scent presented to it. (This requires the beast to have the scent ability) • • 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 social training. • • Detect (DC 15) ==== • The beast is trained to seek out the smells of explosives and poisons, unusual noises or echoes, 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. • • 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. • • 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 with this trick may attempt Wisdom (Survival) checks to provide food for others or lead them to water and shelter. A beast with this trick may use the Help action to assist Survival checks made by its handler for these purposes. • Loyalty Training
• Exclusive (DC 15) ==== • The beast takes directions only from the handler who taught it this trick. If a beast has both the exclusive and serve tricks, it takes directions only from the handler that taught it the exclusive trick and those creatures indicated by the trainer’s serve command. A beast with the exclusive trick does not take commands from others even if it is friendly or helpful toward them (such as through the result of an animal friendship spell), though this does not prevent it from being controlled by other 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 a trip combat maneuver that applies to all creatures riding it, and that does not provoke opportunity attacks. A beast that knows the throw rider and exclusive tricks can be instructed to attempt to automatically throw anyone other than its trainer who attempts to ride it. •
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.
Identify Magic
You can identify a spell effect that is in a fixed location with an Intelligence (Arcana) check of DC 10 + spell level. If you see the spell being cast or a visible effect of the spell, you gain advantage on this skill use.
You can identify a magic item with an Intelligence (Arcana) check depending on the rarity of the item. If you are not proficient with Arcana, you suffer disadvantage on this skill use.
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On a failed roll, the character must wait at least 24 hours before attempting a new Arcana check to identify the item.
Identify Magical Materials
You can identify materials manufactured by magic with an Intelligence (Arcana) check of DC 10 + spell level.
Planar Lore
You can recall Lore about the planes of existence with an Intelligence (Arcana) check.
Analyze Magic Trap
After you (or an ally within 30 feet) discover a magic trap using the Investigation skill or by other means, you can attempt to determine the exact nature of the trap using detect magic and the Arcana skill. The DC of this check equals 5 + the level of the spell. 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.
Determine Spellcaster Power
Observing an opponent cast a spell in action, you can, as a reaction, with a successful opposed Intelligence (Arcana) check, identify the opponent’s caster level and the highest spell level they can cast. If the spellcaster uses a feat or special class ability when casting the spell, that too is identified if you beat the difficulty by 5.
Athletics
Your Strength (Athletics) check covers difficult situations you encounter while climbing, jumping, or swimming. Examples include the following activities:
Jumping
You can use the Acrobatics and Athletics skills to make jumps. You can make a Dexerity (Acrobatics) or Strengh (Athletics) check to hump farther. The DC is your Strength score. On a success you increase your effective Strength score for this jump by 2 and your effective Strength bonus by 1. For each 5 points of margin on the roll, you gain this bonus again.
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 (Acrcobatics) 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 distance. 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.
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 Dexerity (Acrobatics) or Strength (Athletics) check. Similarly, gaining any distance in rough water might require a successful Strength (Athletics) check.
Climbing
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 climb check that fails 5 or less means that you make no progress, and one that fails by more than 5 means that you fall from whatever height you have already attained. The DC of the check depends on the conditions of the climb.
Compare the task with those on the following table to determine an appropriate DC.
You need both hands free to climb, but you may cling to a wall with one hand while you 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 check against the DC of the slope or wall. Failure means you fall from your current height and sustain the appropriate falling damage.
If you can brace yourself against another wall or surface, you gain advantage on the check. If any of the surfaces are slippery (from rain, greased, polished, etc.) the checks are made with disadvantage. You can also climb at full speed by making the Athletics check with disadvantage. The use of pitons (or a climber’s kit) grants advantage.
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Catch Yourself When Falling
It’s incredibly difficult to catch yourself while falling. Make an Athletics check with a DC equal to the climb DC at disadvantage to do so.
Catch a Falling Character While Climbing
If someone climbing above you or adjacent to you falls, you can attempt to catch the falling character if he or she is within your reach. Doing so requires a successful Athletics check DC 15 + the faller's Strength bonus.
Expeditious Climb
In return for suffering disadvantage on your Athletics check to climb, you can move with such speed and vigor that you do not lose your Dexterity bonus to AC while climbing and climb at your full movement speed.
Swim
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 by 4 or less, you make no progress. If you fail by 5 or more, you go underwater. Once you succeed by 5 or more, you have got a grip on the situation and need not make any more Strength (Athletics) checks until conditions grow worse.
If you are underwater, either because you failed an Athletics check or because you are swimming underwater intentionally, you must hold your breath. See drowning, below.
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Each hour that you swim, you must make a Constitution save against the swim DC or gain a level of exhaustion.
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 Rules
Any character can hold her breath for a number of rounds equal to twice their Constitution score. If a character takes any strenuous 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 check, they begin to drown. In the first round, they become incapacitated and their hit points are reduced to 0. When characters are drowning, they make death saves as normal.
Unconscious characters must begin making Constitution saves immediately upon being submerged (or upon becoming unconscious if the character was conscious when submerged). 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.
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 and slightly change 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.
Convey Secret Message
You can use Deception to pass hidden messages to another character without others understanding your true meaning. The DC of this check is 15 for simple messages and 20 for complex messages. If you are successful, the target automatically understands you, assuming you are speaking in a language that it understands. If your check fails by 5 or more, the message is misinterpreted. If the check fails against an observer's passive Insight check the observer notices something happening, if the check fails by more than 5 the observer understands the message conveyed.
Deceive or Lie
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 believability 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).
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Fast-Talk
With meaningless fast-talk and quick thinking you can sometimes converse your way out of a problem you talked yourself into. The use of fast talk happens after you have just failed a Persuasion or Deception check. If you have failed that check by 5 or more, you would normally have disadvantage on future attempts. However, with a successful fast-talk attempt, you are able to recover from your failure and regain the target’s (relative) trust. If, after your failed Persuasion check, you also fail on your fast-talk use of Deception, and you fail by 5 or more, you also deeply insult your target. If it was an attempt to influence a given creature’s attitude, you make the character’s attitude worsen by yet another step (so, two steps total since you failed by 5 or more on the initial Persuasion check), and if it was a request, you cannot make any other requests of the target for 24 hours. Once you attempt this skill use (successfully or not), you cannot use it against the same target again for 24 hours.
Feign Death
You can use a reaction to make a Charisma (Deception) check when you take damage. Make the Deception check with a DC equal to any observer’s passive Wisdom (Insight) or Wisdom (Perception). You fall prone and drop any items you hold during the attempt. You are prone, but are not considered helpless, as you can try to defend yourself against a coup de grace or similar attack at the last moment. If you attack an opponent who thinks you are dead, you gain advantage on your first attack against that opponent.
Feign Weakness
You 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.
Distraction
With a successful Charisma (Deception) check, you create a large obvious distraction that draws everyone’s attention for 1 round. The DC of this check is equal to your opponent’s passive Insight score. Allies are able to use the Stealth skill or to flee until they are out of sight during this time. Unless you fail the Deception check by more than 5, those distracted do not realize you were intentionally making a distraction.
Obfuscate Spellcasting
When casting a spell, you can attempt to hide its verbal, somatic or material components and thus make it harder for others to recognize that you are casting a spell. Make a Dexterity (Deception) check opposed by any observing creature’s Wisdom (Perception) check (spellcasters gain advantage on their Perception check). Each observer who fails to beat your Deception check fails to determine that you are casting a spell. If creatures can see the spell’s effect project outward from you, they know you cast a spell, but only after the casting finishes. You must perform this Deception check at the time you cast the spell. A creature can substitute Intelligence (Arcana) (Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard), Intelligence (Investigation) (Artificer), Intelligence (Nature) (Druid, Ranger), or Inteligence (Religion) (Cleric, Monk, Paladin, Warlock) as relevant for the spell cast.
Seduction
Some enjoy sensual pleasures for the acts in and of themselves, while some use them as a means to a greater end. You can 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, one who only likes blonde-haired women, or someone who has taken a vow of celibacy). Before you can get to the point where a sated partner can be used for gather information, or if you are just seeking sensual pleasures, you must first get through the target’s defenses and lure him or her into intimacy. You must succeed at a Charisma (Deception) check against their passive Wisdom (Insight). When intimacy is about to begin, they can make a Wisdom (Insight) check against your passive Charisma (Deception) to notice something wrong at the last minute. This skill use requires an evening of socializing and usually somewhere private to retire to. If you successfully seduce a target, further attempts to seduce that person into your bed gain advantage. If you fail the check, however, you are rebuffed and may not make another seduction attempt against the same target for at least 1 week. 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 makes regular reports to you, in attempts to keep your favor, about any specific topic you designate. You may have a number of partners that provides these benefits equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). A seduced creature that you snub or rebuff may become hostile.
Spread Rumors
Rather than seek out information, you can spread rumors of your own invention across town. Make a Deception check to create false rumors. For 1d3 weeks after this check, anyone looking for information regarding the topic of your rumor might uncover your falsehoods in place of useful information. If Investigation checks made by others are less than your Deception check, they uncover your rumor instead of the information they want. If they exceed your check by 5 or more they recognize your rumors as false.
Suggestion
You can use Deception and Persuasion together to make a request of a creature, without it 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. You discuss topics subtly relevant to the request, asking leading questions and narrowing the scope of the conversation so that the target eventually decides to take a specific action you have led it to. You first attempt a Deception check to convince the target that your request was actually its idea. If successful, you then attempt a Persuasion check to make the request of the creature, treating its attitude toward you as indifferent for this single request (regardless of its actual attitude).
History
Your Intelligence (History) check measures your ability to recall Lore about historical events, legendary people, ancient kingdoms, past disputes, recent wars, and lost civilizations. This covers the Lore of giants, goblinoids, and humanoids.
Determine Age of Construction
With a DC 10 Intelligence (History) check, you can identify and determine the age of ruins or structures. If the structures are more than 500 years old, the DC increases to 15. If they are more than 1000 years old, the DC increases to 20.
Know Historical Facts
You can delve into general historical knowledge with a Intelligence (History) Lore check.
Local Knowledge
You know the local laws, customs, nobility and, popular locations with a Intelligence (History) Lore check.
Appraise Art Object
A successful Intelligence (History) Lore check will allow you to identify the value of an art object. If you fail the check by more than 5, you widely exaggerate or misidentify the value of the item.
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
When trying to communicate with someone with whom you do not share a common language, you can watch his body language, listen for changes in his tone of voice, and use other subtle clues to determine the gist of what he is 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:
- Table
Discern Secret Message
You may use Insight skill to detect that a hidden message is being transmitted via the Deception skill. See Deception for how this is done.
Hunch
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, andthe feeling may come to you after the fact. This is not an action.
Read Target
You can sometimes 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 Deception check to read your foe’s intentions. If your check succeeds, you learn what your foe plans to do on her next action. You learn only general information, such as whether your foe intends to cast a spell, use a ranged attack against a specific target, or flee. You do not learn exactly which spell she plans to use, but you do know their target. You may then take your action as normal. 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.
You may also use this skill in combat to attempt to determine your foe’s next attack. This gives the foe disadvantage on the attack or you advantage on any saving throw. Others can benefit for this is you cry out.
You can also use an 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 relative level of skill. After studying someone for three rounds, you may make an Insight check at DC 20 to search for subtle clues, such as calluses on a person’s hand, his peculiar stance that indicates he studied at a fencing school, or the faint traces of spell components staining his fingers. If your check succeeds, you determine what classes someone has levels in and what professions or crafts he practices. If you attempt to use this skill against a disguised person, your Insight check made at disadvantage, as you might falsely predict their disguised attempt. On a successful check, you notice that your subject seeks to conceal his true identity otherwise you get the information the disguised person wishes to provide. If you exceed the check by 10 or more you make an educated guess at the total character level (but not racial Hit Dice).
Sense Enchantment
You can tell that someone’s behavior is being influenced by an enchantment effect even if that person isn’t aware of it. The usual DC is 25.
Intimidation
When you attempt to influence someone through overt threats, hostile actions, and 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.
Awe
You can use a Strength or Dexterity, etc., (Intimidation) check to show off your skill at arms, magic or any other pursuit that might impress an onlooker. You make an Intimidate as a bonus action while performing another action in an awe-inspiring manner. If your check succeeds, you gain advantage on all Charisma skills against that target for 1 round. For each additional five points over the target’s Wisdom score you achieve, you extend the duration of advantage on Charisma skill checks by one additional round. This is a mind-affecting effect.
Deadly Boast
As you hew through your enemies, you use threats, taunts, and a bloody display of your martial prowess to strike terror into your remaining opponents. If you defeat an opponent by dropping her from full hit points to zero hit points on your turn, you may make an Intimidate check against all foes of the same or lower level within 30’ as a bonus action. If your check succeeds, the foe gains the frightened condition for one round. For each additional five points over the target’s Wisdom score you achieve, they are frightened for one additional round. This is a mind-affecting effect.
Threaten/Intimidate
You make a threat of a physical (Strength) or more subtle nature (Charisma) against a target. As an action, make an Intimidate skill check against a target within 30’. If your check succeeds, the foe gains the frightened condition for one round. For each additional five points over the target’s Wisdom score you achieve, they are frightened for one additional round. This is a mindaffecting effect.
You can also use this skill to lean on a target and force them to to act friendly towards you for 1d6x10 minutes. On a successful check, the target will possibly give you information you desire, take actions that do not endanger it, or offer other limited assistance. All of these actions are at the GM’s discretion and after the Intimidate expires, if the target feels youacted out of bounds the target treats you as unfriendly and may likely report you to local authorities.
You gain advantage on threatening targets if you are one or more sizes larger, and suffer disadvantage if you are one or more sizes smaller.
Torture
Torture is a finely honed skill in some creatures’ repertoires, whether used to elicit information or simply for pleasure. However, torture is an unreliable means of gaining accurate information:
The victim will say anything to end the pain or frustrate his captors. You can use Intimidate to force an opponent to act helpfully toward you or speak truthfully with a successful check. The target makes an opposed Constitution or Wisdom save (target’s choice) to resist. The NPC then provides Information based on your success or failure. A failure by 5 or more results in the target providing false information. You can make this check only once per day against a particular target, and its effects last until the next day.
You cannot take 20 on this check. Creatures immune to critical hits, pain, or fear effects cannot be intimidated in this way.
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, find a hidden door or device, 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 10 + the Ability modifier and proficiency bonus of the maker of that item. This can be assumed to be 10 for simple home-made items, 15 for most crafted items, 20 for masterwork craftsmanship and 25 for unique items and hierloms.
Appraise Item
You can use Intelligence (Investigation) to appraise the value of most items. Use item Difficulty (above). If you succeed by 5 or more, you also determine if the item has magic properties, although this success does not grant knowledge of the magic item’s abilities. If you fail the check by less than 5, you determine the price of that item to within 20% of its actual value. If you fail this check by 5 or more, the price is wildly inaccurate, subject to GM discretion.
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 the hoard.
Finally, if you beat difficulty of 20, you know if an item is particularly valuable to certain buyers, who may be willing to pay more for that particular item.
Detect Forgery
You can use the Intelligence (Investigation) to detect if a 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).
Determine a Magic Item’s Properties
You can use Investigation to determine a magic item’s properties in lieu of the Arcana skill. When you do so, you suffer disadvantage on the check.
Gather Information
You can use Intelligence (Investigation) 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) or Intelligence (Investigation) check of the local leader of the creatures you are gathering information about, whichever is higher. 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.
While seeking out news and information, you can choose to keep a low profile. You focus on overhearing conversations, drawing inferences from peoples’ behavior, and spying on others. You suffer disadvantage on your attempts, but you avoid leaving any clues about the information you seek. Otherwise, the target is permitted a Charisma (Persuasion) or Intelligence (Investigation) against your Charisma (Persuasion) or Intelligence (Investigation) - whichever is higher - to hear about your askinga round.
Assess Damage
You can look over an item 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 DC is equal to the object’s AC), the GM tells you the object’s hardness, how many hit points of damage it has taken, and how many more it can withstand before being ruined. This skill does not work on constructs or undead.
Identify Weak Spot
As an action, make a DC 25 Intelligence (Perception) check to pinpoint a weak spot in an object or weapon. This object must be in your threatened area in order for you to examine an object closely enough. If you succeed, you gain advantage on sunder attempts against that weapon or a +2 bonus to damage against an object.
You can also use this skill against armor. As an action, make a DC 25 Intelligence (Perception) check against a foe who stands in your threatened area. If you succeed, you gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls against this foe for the rest of the encounter. For this check to be effective, your target must have an armor or natural armor bonus to Armor Class from some type of observable armor, crafted, natural, or magical
==== Evidence Analysis:
Deduction
Cross Examining
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-esamination is a separate task, usually using Charisma (Intimidation) or Charisma (persuasion). A cross examination requires up to an hour (a short rest). Make a Wisdom (Investigation) check with a DC equal to the target's Intelligence (Deception) or Wisdom (Insight) (whichever is higher). A cooperative target does not require this roll. Once successful, a 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 cuircusmtantial evidence. A cross examination that fails by more than five gives misleading conclusions, while a higher roll gives additional detail for every 5 points over the difficulty.
Medicine
Autopsy
By combining medical knowledge with alchemical techniques, it is possible to gain a significant amount of information from a corpse without the use of magic. The Intelligence (Medicine) skill forms the basis of forensic pathology, and allows you to test the characteristics of blood and is required for certain advanced actions.
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.
- Table
Performing an autopsy requires a long rest (and hour). You can spend additional hours to get a better result.
Time is the enemy of the pathologist. Every twelve hours that passes from the point of death adds 2 to the DC of any autopsy check. In a swampy or tropical environment, this penalty is doubled; in an especially dry environment it is halved. The spell gentle repose will preserve a body in its current condition for the duration of the spell.
If an attempt to hide the information was made, the check is opposed to the oppnent's passive Intelligence (Medicine) check.
During the course of an autopsy, you may also make an Intelligence (Investigation check check to notice any unusual details, see Investigation.
Diagnose
As an action, you can examine their wounds or condition and determine several facts about the poison, disease, or condition affecting her and a rough estimate of their hit points (25% crippled, 50% injured, 75% battered, or mostly unharmed). You cannot use this skill to know the hit point totals of creatures, merely there relative health in relation to those hit points.
If a detrimental condition or effect had a saving throw you may attempt to diagnose it. At the start of your next turn the GM makes a secret Intelligence (Medicine) check for you with a DC equal to or exceeding the DC of the spell or effect that caused the detrimental condition.
On a successful check, you determine the nature of the problem, the future effects, the amount of potential harm or hindrance it will cause (for example how much damage it will do), and its potential duration. A successful diagnosis grants you advantage on subsequent attempts to aid the victim. A misdiagnosis causes disadvantage to such skill checks.
First Aid
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 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check. A stable creature doesn’t make death saving throws, even though it has 0 hit points, but it does remain unconscious. The creature stops being stable, and must start making death saving throws again, if it takes any damage. A stable creature that isn’t healed regains 1 hit point after 1d4 hours.
Identify Drugs/Pharmaceuticals
The Intelligence (Medicine) skill can be used to identify and understand pharmaceuticals. The DC varies by rarity. If the substancehas a save DC, that is also the identification DC.
Malpractice
You need to use Charisma (Deception) and Medicine to effectively malpractice. 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 and end your move adjacent to your patient to malpractice. You make the check as an action and deal hit point damage to the creature at the beginning of your next turn equal to your Medicine skill check. 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. A suspicious observer may take an action to make a Wisdom (Insight) or Wisdom (Medicine) against your passive Charisma (Deception) If someone successfully performs a first aid check before the beginning of your next turn, the damage is negated.
Provide Long-Term Care
Providing long-term care means treating a wounded person for a day or more. If your Medicine check is successful, the patient may expend Hit Dice and automatically gain the maximum result.
You can tend as many patients as you Wisdom score at a time. You need a few items and supplies (bandages, salves, and so on) that are easy to come by in settled lands. Giving long-term care counts as light activity for the healer.
You cannot give long-term care to yourself.
Treat Deadly Wounds
You must expend a use from a healer’s kit to perform this task. You suffer disadvantage on your check if you lack a healer’s kit.
When treating deadly wounds, you can restore hit points to a damaged creature. Treating deadly wounds forces a character to expend a use of their daily Hit Dice. These Hit Dice are rolled as normal.
Treat Disease
To treat a disease means to tend to a single diseased character. Every time the diseased character makes a saving throw against disease effects, you make a Medicine check. The target may use your Medicine check or their own save roll as their saving throw against the effect.
Treat Poison
To treat poison means to tend to a single character who has been poisoned and who is going to take more damage from the poison (or suffer some other effect). Every time the poisoned character makes a saving throw against the poison, you make a Medicine check. The target may use your Medicine check or their own save roll as their saving throw against the effect.
Nature
Your Intelligence (Nature) check measures your ability to recall Lore about terrain, plants and animals, the weather, and natural cycles.
Draw Map
The character can draw a map that records the group's progress and helps the characters get back on course if they get lost. Such a map is highly idiosyncratic and hard for other's to use; making a map generally understandable requires lots of time and the proper artisan's tools.
Know Hazards
You can use Lore to know about dangers in the environment you are traversing. On a result of 20 or more, you provide advantage on Wisdom (Perception), Wisdom (Survival), and Intelligence (Investigation) checks against a specific common hazard selected by the GM.
Know Environmental Dangers
A Wisdom (Nature) Lore check will allow you to identify hazards of your current environment. Correctly identifying a hazard ahead of time gives advantage on checks to notice that hazard.
Identify Natural Creature
You can identify beasts, giants, and, plant creatures. See Lore above.
Identify Value of Gems and Precious Metals
A successful DC 10 Intelligence (Nature) check will allow you to identify the value of a gem or precious metal, not including jewelry. If you fail the check by more than 5, you widely exaggerate or misidentify the item.
Know Geography
You can use Lore (see above) 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.
Know Location
You can use Intelligence (Nature) Lore checks (see above) 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.
==== Read Map. Most maps are just sketches with invented notation and very hard to read (DC 20), but even commercial maps are not so easy to understand (DC 10). A failure means you are confused and uncertain. You can retry after taking a short rest. A failure by more than 5 means you misread the map.
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.
Notice Someone
Perception has a number of uses, the most common of which is that 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 against hidden creatures. If you are successful, you notice the opponent and can react accordingly. If you fail, your opponent can sneak past you or attack when you are unaware.
Perception is also used to notice fine details in the environment. The DC to notice such details varies depending upon distance, the environment, and how noticeable the detail is. The following table gives a number of guidelines.
- Tables
Read Lips
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 20, 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. If the check fails by 5 points or more, you draw some incorrect conclusion about the speech.
Performance
Your Charisma (Performance) check determines how well you can delight an audience with music, dance, acting, storytelling, or some other form of entertainment.
Each of the nine categories of the Perform skill includes a variety of methods, instruments, or techniques, a small sample of which is provided for each category below. Choose a number of fields equal to your proficiency bonus you are proficient in. Performing in a category of Performance you know gives you advantage.
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Influence Crowd
Some performers are able to use their skills to not only earn money and impress an audience, but also to influence that 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 attitudes. You need not have a common language with the audience, and might even affect creatures lacking a language, at the GMs whim.
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
An item is worth only what someone will pay for it. To an art collector, a canvas covered in daubs of random paint may be a masterpiece; a priestess might believe a weathered jawbone is a holy relic of a saint. 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 failure cuts the price to 30%. When buying, the normal price is 100%. A success raises the price to 150%. A failure lowers the price to 65%. 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.
If the bargaining check succeeds by 10 (minimum difficulty 25) 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 ad may come back to haunt you, but is also very profitable, as determined by the GM. You need not use this opportunity.
Bribery
A character can attempt to bribe an NPC for a much better Persuasion result. The formula to bribe a target is their level squared x10 gp.
A bribe of this value or greater grants advantage on a Persuasion check or allows for a reroll on a failed attempt. Some NPCs might be greatly offended by attempted bribes and this could cause disadvantage however. Bribery generally do not work when Bargaining with professional merchants who understand economics, but might work on nobles and other buyers unaware of how commerce works.
Wisdom (Insight) or Intelligence (History) can be used to find out if bribery is applicable and to know the right bribe.
Complicate
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 (Persuasion) check. The other participants in the discussion make opposed Insight checks; if you succeed, then you can prevent any of the discussion’s participants from coming to agreement for a single day, without seeming to be interfering. Each participant that beats your Persuasion check realizes what you are doing.
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.
Influence Attitude
You can change the initial attitudes of non-player characters with a successful Persuasion check. Influencing attitude suffers disadvantage against creatures of any attitude other than indifferent - moving someone from friendly to helpful is hard and usually requires actions rather than words. 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. 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 five different attitudes, from worst to best: hostile, unfriendly, indifferent, friendly, and helpful.
A hostile creature may attack you, and is not interested in talking. Creatures start out hostile towards known enemies, such as enemy soldiers, bandits and prey, and races and religions hostile towards one another.
An unfriendly creature dislikes you, and any Persuasion checks against such a creature is at disadvantage. Creatures that are not used to strangers are generally unfriendly 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. This does not apply to bargaining or influencing attitude.
A helpful creature is close to you and will offer reasonable help unasked. Once a creature’s attitude has shifted to helpful, the creature gives in to most requests without a check, unless the request is against its nature or puts it in serious peril. Persuasion tasks against a helpful creature have advantage, but may later worsen their attitude if they feel you took advantage of them.
Success If you succeed, the character’s attitude toward you is improved by one step.
Failure – If you fail the check by 5 or less, the character’s attitude toward you is unchanged. If you fail by more than 5, the character’s attitude toward you is decreased by one step. if they end up unfriendly or hostile, they don't want to spend any more time socializing.
Make a Request
If a creature’s attitude toward you is not hostile, you can attempt to make requests of the creature. This is an additional 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.
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Parley
Using your skills of persuasion, you call for a temporary halt to fighting. On a success, the enemies are willing to accept your surrender. On a success of 5 or more 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- this generally requires a Charisma (Intimidation) check against your passive Charisma (Persuasion).
You have disadvantage on this check if the enemy are hostile or unfriendly, 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 to erupt into a fight, but has not yet done so, you have advantage.
Gather Information
As per the Investigation skill, but you can use Charisma (Persuasion) instead. Bribing the common folk or plying them with free drinks might grant advantage on the check.
Religion
Your Intelligence (Religion) check measures your ability to recall Lore about deities, rites and prayers, religious hierarchies, holy symbols, and the practices of secret cults.
Identify Divine Magic
You can Determine Spellcaster Power, Identify Magic, Identify Magic Materials, and Analyze Magic Trap using Religion in lieu of Arcana. This requires that the magic is religious, which usually means it is created by a celestial, fiend, or undead. The cleric, monk, paladin, and warlock classes also use divine magic.
Identify Supernatural Creature
You can make Lore checks to identify celestials, fiends, and undead.
Recognize Iconography
You are familiar with many of the gods and their iconography and can make Lore checks to identify them. Even if your Lore check fails, you can make an additional Wisdom (Religion) check to understand the alignment of the religion.
Mythology
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.
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.
Draw Hidden Weapon
When you draw a hidden weapon, make an Dexterity (Deception) check opposed by your foe’s passive Wisdom (Perception). If your check succeeds, you gain advantage on your next attack. If you fail, you draw the weapon but do not get advantage. If your check fails by more than 5, you drop the weapon. Hiding a weapon is a separate task, see Hide Object below. Once you have been seen drawing a hidden weapon, you suffer disadvantage on further tests to do so in the same fight.
Entertain
You can also use Charisma (Sleight of Hand) to entertain an audience as though you were using the Performance skill. In such a case, your “act” encompasses elements of legerdemain, juggling, and the like.
Hide Object
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 (including thieves tools) gives you advantage and opponent's disadvantage. An object larger than a large dagger gives you disadvantage and observers advantage. You must also 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 a +5 modifier. (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
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 fail by more than 5, you fail to notice that you are observed. You can do this in combat, but only if you are involved in a grapple. 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
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
Hide
While sneaking, you can spend an action each round to focus on hiding. When an opponent tries to spot you, you can make a Wisdom (Stealth) check, and if the result is higher than your passive Dexterity (Stealth), you can use the better result. You cannot move when hiding.
Sneaking
As an action you can make a Dexterity (Stealth) check against the Wisdom (Perception) of any observer. This requires you to have cover, or that all observers are distracted, such as by Deception or having enemies closer than you are. After an attempt to sneak you may not move further this round. You remain in hiding until the end of your next turn or until you attract attention to yourself. If you make an attack you have advantage, but stop sneaking. If you begin a round sneaking you can remain sneaking without having to roll again as long as you do not move and do not attract attention to yourself.
Tail
You discreetly follow another person, using the city crowds, jungle foliage, or other cover to conceal your presence. You keep your quarry in sight, carefully monitoring him 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). Other creatures can spend actions to make Wisdom (Perception) checks against your passive Wisdom (Stealth) to spot you.
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.
The character can try to prevent the group from becoming lost, making a Wisdom (Survival) check when the DM calls for it. (The Dungeon Master's Guide has rules to determine whether the group gets lost.) This does not cover navigating in an area without landmarks, such as at sea or in the deep desert, that requires navigator's tools.
Track
A character can follow the tracks of another creature, making a Wisdom (Survival) check when the DM calls for it. (The Dungeon Master's Guide has rules for tracking.)
Forage
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. (The Dungeon Master's Guide has rules for foraging.)
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. If you move at three-quarters your normal movement rate, you can destroy signs of your passage). Anyone attempting to track you must not only beat the DC of the environmental conditions, but also your passive Wisdom (Survival).
Determine Distance
By concentrating for 1 minute, and making a Wisdom (Survival) DC 15 check you can determine the distance between two points within your line of sight. If the check fails, you cannot determine the distance. If you succeed, the GM tells you the distance in a reasonable unit of measure. If you fail the check by 5 or more, the GM adds or subtracts (at his option) 1d20 of the same units to or from your measurement. You cannot determine the distance between two towns down to the nearest foot, but you can judge how many miles separate them. You may also use this skill to determine the size and dimensions of a subterranean chamber that you cannot fully see, using echoes, and telltale rock formations (DC 20).
Find Path
One excellent 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 fails by more than 5, you find a path to nowhere and get lost.
Intuit Depth
By concentrating for five minutes, you can gauge your current depth beneath the earth’s surface. The GM makes this check in secret. If the check is successful (DC 20), you correctly deduce your depth. If you fail the check by 10 or more the GM gives a misleading estimate.
Know Direction
You can 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 miss the check by more than 5, you misidentify which way is north.
Predict the Weather
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.
Track
To find tracks or to follow them for 1 mile requires a successful Wisdom (Survival) check. You must make another Survival check every time the tracks become difficult to follow. You move at half your normal speed while following tracks (or at your normal speed by suffering disadvantage). The DC depends on the surface and the prevailing conditions, as given on table.
- Tables
For a group of mixed sizes, apply only the modifier for the largest size category.
Survive in the Wilderness
You can keep yourself and others safe and fed in the wild. See Table ==== Survival DCs by Task for DCs for various tasks that require Survival checks.
Tool Kits
Disguise kit
You can create a disguise for yourself or another. This usually takes a short rest and you can work on a number of disguises equal to your proficiency bonus with the disguise kit. A very simple disguise, making someone less distinctive can be made in a minute.
Use Intelligence + proficiency bonus when making disguises. Creating a generic character like a servant, waiter or laborer at DC 10. Creating a disguise of a particular role, such as a city guard, has a DC of 15. Imitating a particular person has a DC of 25. If you have access to appropriate clothes and accessories, you gain advantage.
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.
- Table