Questions tagged [skills]
For questions about skills, abilities of characters that describe their capabilities in a range of areas.
852
questions
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When substituting one ability for another on a skill check which kind of check does it qualify as?
The Unearthed Arcana Monk tradition Way of the Astral Self has the following ability (page 2 of the PDF):
Arms of the Astral Self
You can use your Wisdom modifier in place of your Strength ...
10
votes
1answer
200 views
Spotting monsters in caves/corners/passage/etc
My group likes to stop and peek inside caves to look for monsters before proceeding through. They like to surprise all the time.
I already know how to spot something inside closed doors using ...
24
votes
10answers
7k views
Can you Investigate the same room twice?
I have not seen this question when searching, although someone here might be able to point me to it. I found a related one here
Situation: PC walks into a room and wants to investigate to find any ...
3
votes
2answers
418 views
Can an Arcana Check be used to modify or affect a spell being cast?
Is the Arcana Skill capable of influencing or affecting actual spells being cast or other spell-centred details? For example, are you able to influence the effect or characteristics of a spell by ...
12
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3answers
2k views
How to calculate passive perception?
For Christmas my kiddo got the D&D Starter Set and we've been going though it and the full rules we downloaded online. I'm having a hard time figuring out how the example listed in the rules gets ...
5
votes
2answers
199 views
Why stand on a mount?
Epic Ride checks confer the ability to stand on a mount. What mechanical benefit does this confer? The only description given in the SRD is:
This allows the character to stand on his or her mount’s ...
5
votes
1answer
765 views
What is dysfunctional, controversial, or negative about Epic skill checks?
I often see it said that the entire Epic Level Handbook should be dismissed as broken and frequently dysfunctional. However, outside of claims that the entire book is bad, I never see Epic skill ...
5
votes
1answer
211 views
What creatures give bonuses to Medicine rolls/checks?
I am currently using a Druid in a campaign. I want to know what creatures, if any, there are that I can Polymorph or Wild Shape (5e Druid ability allowing druids to transform temporarily into Beasts) ...
5
votes
1answer
109 views
Can you use the Disguise skill on others?
In Pathfinder, the disguise skill allows you to create disguises. Can you create a disguise for others or are you limited to creating disguises only for yourself (outside of e.g. class features ...
13
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1answer
466 views
Can Guidance give a bonus to activity that takes more than 1 minute?
Can the spell Guidance give a 1d4 bonus to an activity that takes more than 1 minute to complete?
For example, a character may have to find its way through a frozen wastelands. The activity may take ...
3
votes
1answer
52 views
Does the increase of a stat also induce the increase of corresponding skill?
If for some reason the EDU stat of a character is increased (for example they get a university diploma during a long downtime period) or (in a less likely event) the DEX stat is altered, does that ...
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vote
1answer
339 views
Can someone explain what I would be able to convince people to do with a 34 persuasion or deception check?
The character is a level 20 hexblade warlock with a 24 in Charisma due to her artifact weapon. She has the prodigy feat so she has expertise in persuasion and deception. (Bonuses add up to + 19 to ...
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vote
1answer
245 views
What are the examples of a successful DC 30 Ability Check that uses a Skill?
Simply put, are there official examples, such as a table, of DC 30 Ability Checks that use skills, for each skill?
I would like to see what the upper boundaries of a character's potential is for a ...
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3answers
2k views
Are unusually long jumps possible by RAW?
I am slightly confused about how far a PC can jump in combat. On page 182, the PHB defines the mechanics of the long jump:
When you make a long jump, you cover a number of feet up to your Strength ...
3
votes
1answer
211 views
Is an artificer's homunculus servant's passive Perception affected by its Might of the Master trait?
An Artificer's homunculus servant has the following ability:
Might of the Master. The following numbers increase by 1 when your proficiency bonus increases by 1: the homunculus's skill and saving ...
3
votes
1answer
126 views
How likely is critically succeeding on a Recall Knowledge check to identify a creature?
Monster Hunter (Ranger 1, CRB p171) gives you a minor benefit if you critically succeed on a Recall Knowledge check to identify a creature.
Recall Knowledge only says
The GM determines the DCs for ...
8
votes
1answer
667 views
Is 33 the minimum skill check result for a multiclassed 11 rogue/9 artificer using Reliable Talent, Expertise, Guidance, and Flash of Genius?
Any proficient ability check d20 roll of lower than 10 is set to 10 with the Reliable Talent rogue feature.
+17 from the Expertise rogue feature (12 + ability modifier of +5).
+a minimum of 1 from the ...
12
votes
1answer
1k views
When climbing certain terrains that require an Athletics check, do you need to make the check again every turn?
When you are climbing certain terrains that require an Athletics check, do you have to roll the Athletics check on every turn you climb? Or just once?
3
votes
1answer
31 views
How do bonus dice interact with skill improvement?
In the Pulp Cthulhu variant of Call of Cthulhu 7e, there are various ways to get bonus dice to skills (notably talents and insane talents).
Do those bonus dice also apply to skill improvement rolls? ...
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2answers
2k views
Which skill would I use for ventriloquism?
A player needs to hide the fact they are speaking, have the puppet act in a crowd pleasing manner, and fool children into believing the puppet is alive/the source of the sound.
How do I handle this ...
2
votes
1answer
116 views
How can I specialize in only Monster Lore?
I am playing a Transmuter Specialist wizard. For many of my shapechanging shenanigans my DM has asked me to roll skill checks to determine if I know enough about a monster to be able to change into ...
8
votes
2answers
159 views
Can you use the Administer First Aid skill on yourself?
The Administer First Aid skill has the text:
perform first aid on an adjacent creature
Which seems to imply that you can’t use this skill on yourself, as the target must be another creature, but I ...
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3answers
1k views
When performing an Investigation check to look for traps, do you activate any traps if you roll under the DC?
When performing an Investigation check to investigate traps, do you activate the traps if you roll under the DC?
If you are, for instance, checking out the floor looking for pressure plates and roll ...
4
votes
1answer
83 views
Are the divine shifts in the Gods of the Fall campaign setting broad or narrow?
I'm looking for some insight about the Divine Shifts in Gods of the Fall.
Do they cover all the points in their description, or are they more restricted, like skills in the Cypher System?
For ...
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vote
2answers
106 views
Is it possible to fool an animal companion?
Is it possible to fool an animal companion impersonating its owner? For example, if a druid is fighting with his party and its animal companion - let's say a wolf - would its opponent be able to get ...
3
votes
2answers
151 views
Why do some classes start with fewer trained skills?
Looking at Pre-Essentials 4th Edition classes, it seems like they map out like this:
Three trained skills:
Defenders: Battlemind, Fighter
Striker: Barbarian
Four trained skills (one max be fixed — ...
10
votes
6answers
490 views
By RAW: Does a creature know that it is hidden?
When a creature attempts to Hide it makes a Stealth check, which is compared to the passive Perception of opposing creatures that may notice it, or a group check if there is more than one.
Does the ...
4
votes
1answer
211 views
How could the passive Perception bonus of the Obsevant feat be replaced with a bonus to active Perception checks in a balanced way?
My DM doesn't tend to use passive Perception of the characters; he'll just get us to roll active Perception checks in most cases. We tend to use Perception far more than any other skill in the game.
...
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votes
2answers
311 views
how to make my will save insanely high [closed]
In my game one of our teammates has the seduction skill and continually uses it to try to force my characters in relationships with his. Needless to say, I'm not happy about it.
Since the GM won't ...
8
votes
4answers
286 views
How does failing a Sense Motive check against a Bluff affect your character's perception of the world?
There doesn't seem to be a concrete explanation for what happens to your character if you fail a Sense Motive check against a Bluff. I want to know the limits of failing a Sense Motive check, as well ...
12
votes
1answer
2k views
If a PC's ability score increases due to an item, does it increase the corresponding modifier for the ability score or any skills/attacks?
I'm a new DM. One of the PCs obtained gauntlets of ogre power, which raise the Strength score of the creature wearing and attuned to them to 19. Does this increase the modifier or any of the skill ...
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2answers
839 views
Can a human variant take proficiency in initiative?
I was making a human (variant) character, and I didn't knew what skill proficiency I could give them. I was wondering if I could give them proficiency in initiative.
Since the Jack Of All Trades bard ...
5
votes
1answer
2k views
What skill proficiencies do I get from multiclassing into Artificer?
I can't find the rules for multiclassing into Artificer. My character is starting out with Rogue through level 3 and then going into Artificer, after which I will bounce back and forth. Which skill ...
4
votes
5answers
297 views
What are the advantages of using the Intimidate skill over using the Diplomacy skill for the same purpose?
What are the advantages of using the Intimidate skill over using the Diplomacy skill for the same purpose?
There are some pretty obvious downsides to intimidation. The primary one is if it fails you ...
4
votes
1answer
179 views
Does the “Unified Theory” skill feat have any interaction with the “Natural Medicine” skill feat?
The Unified Theory skill feat states that:
Whenever you use an action or a skill feat that requires a Nature, Occultism, or Religion check, depending on the magic tradition, you can use Arcana ...
2
votes
2answers
337 views
Do these bonuses to disguise really stack together to +51 (or even more, eventually)?
Inspired by an answer to another question. My character is a Kitsune with 22 Charisma* and 8 ranks in Disguise. He has a Realistic Likeness feat. So, using logic from answer by william porter (sic!) ...
5
votes
3answers
496 views
What skills in 5e give trap knowledge (i.e. the equivalent of Dungeoneering in 4e)?
4e had a skill called Dungeoneering which was used for recognizing hazards and knowledge of some monsters. This skill doesn't exist in 5e. Clearly Perception and Investigation can be used to find ...
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9answers
3k views
What are the uses and limitations of Persuasion, Insight, and Deception against other PCs?
Yesterday, I was in a D&D 5E group. Today, I am not. We were playing Out of the Abyss, but that's redundant to my issue, I think.
Basically, the DM and I are interpreting Insight differently. He ...
3
votes
3answers
260 views
How do I know whether a 9th-level character has the correct number of skill points if they may have gained Int in the past?
Let’s say you have to study a level 9 character sheet created by another player. However, you have no record of whether the player put additional points into INT or not, and cannot ask him/her.
How ...
8
votes
1answer
172 views
Can you put ranks into knowledge skills that aren't class skills?
Can you put ranks into knowledge skills that aren't class skills?
As a sorcerer, Knowledge Engineering isn't a class skill, can I still put ranks into it so I can do Engineering checks after I level?
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3answers
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Can you shove a friendly creature?
This came up in a session recently, and we couldn't really decide on how this would work. Basically, I wanted to move through an ally's square, and then shove them backward... so I could move up to ...
3
votes
2answers
124 views
Which skill can be used to represent gambling games?
I know there is a similar question, but that one is related to D&D.
I'm planning a scene for a Vampire: The Dark Ages campaign where the players will need to participate in a gambling game - ...
3
votes
1answer
114 views
Can temporary bonuses be used for magic item crafting checks?
In pathfinder, the rules for magic item creation state that one must make a skill check at the end of the crafting process:
At the end of this process, the spellcaster must make a single skill ...
6
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1answer
130 views
Does an accidentally cursed magic item lose all other magic except the curse?
On Magic Item Creation says that
At the end of this process, the spellcaster must make a single skill check (usually Spellcraft, but sometimes another skill) to finish the item. ... Failing this ...
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3answers
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Is passive Investigation essentially truesight against illusions?
I have been thinking about this for a few days (since taking the Observant feat specifically) and have now seen my logic backed up in this question.
Let's assume a character has 20 passive ...
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3answers
2k views
If a player tries to persuade somebody, what should that creature roll not to be persuaded?
It's clear that we should roll Insight versus Deception (I guess) , but what should be rolled against Persuasion or Intimidation checks? Is the answer to this question different for NPCs and PCs?
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vote
2answers
103 views
Can I reuse a disguise check/familiarity if I'm always using a fabricated identity?
I have a character who is always in disguise and I was wondering how that affected things. Does he have to reroll his check every day? Does someone he’s known for years have a bonus to seeing through ...
4
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0answers
35 views
Can I use a Talent without initation?
I'm currently creating my first character for a Würm game. At character creation you choose a tribe (which determines starting skills) and Strengths.
My character is a Long Man (Aurignacian culture) ...
2
votes
1answer
297 views
Do lightfoot halflings get +2 to Acrobatics?
I'm creating a lightfoot halfling bard via 5e Companion App, and it automatically added a proficiency to Acrobatics. Is that legit, or do I need to remove it?
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2answers
729 views
How does a character proficient in the Medicine skill help other characters recover from diseases, injuries, or similar effects?
Recuperating is described as a downtime activity option on Basic Rules Version 1.0, page 71:
You can use downtime between adventures to recover from a debilitating injury, disease, or poison.
...
