Questions tagged [skills]
Abilities of characters that describe their capabilities in a range of areas.
0
votes
1answer
114 views
Can I use Acrobatics to jump over an enemy that missed me?
Whether or not a character hits is determined by a roll of a die. Say that they roll low so they failed to hit me, and I want to flip over top of the enemy to get behind them.
Is this legal, and what ...
4
votes
1answer
61 views
The Ankheg's skills aren't matching up, what am I missing?
I'm having some fun playing around with the GM stuff for Pathfinder for the first time, mostly I've only run other systems and been a player for Pathfinder, so I was wanting to take a crack at running ...
48
votes
6answers
6k views
I deciphered the meaning of a cryptic language out-of-game: should my character know what the meaning is?
I have just started my first D&D 5e campaign, and have encountered a seemingly mind-controlled bandit who keeps writing the same thing over and over on the wall. Our DM wrote out what it looks ...
2
votes
0answers
52 views
How can I get a player to remember his character's bonuses? [duplicate]
In my Dungeons & Dragons group(s), we have a player who can never remember ability scores, spells, bonuses, etc. We currently have two groups, and he is in both. We enjoy playing with him, but it ...
3
votes
1answer
79 views
How does Detect Magic interact with Spellcraft?
One of my players has a constant detect magic and is claiming that being able to literally see magic should give a bonus to Spellcraft to determine what spells are being cast. Is this reasonable and ...
13
votes
2answers
695 views
Does posing as a guard use Deception or Stealth?
A PC in my campaign that is tailing an NPC. She is basically posing as one of his body guards.
At some point I want him to suspect that maybe something is up, and I'm thinking she would either roll a ...
13
votes
1answer
685 views
What skill is used when a PC creates a map in game?
I am creating a cartographer character, in my group's upcoming Out of the Abyss game, who was hired to create a map of the Underdark. I imagine that would involve a skill check each time he adds to ...
19
votes
6answers
2k views
Does a player know if their Intimidation attempt worked?
I am going to be a first-time DM for my group. While I was planning the first session, I just thought about my players interrogating (torturing) a creature.
If a character tries an Intimidation (or ...
7
votes
4answers
1k views
Where did the concept of Passive Insight come from?
Recently-ish, Critical Role has introduced a concept that I had never heard of before: passive Insight. Now, it makes sense to me conceptually, as well as being useful for that table and their trigger-...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
What skills are Drow proficient in?
I've been trying to find out what skills Drow have options to be proficient in, typically a race offers a few choices but only allows you to pick two, and your class gives you two more, followed by ...
8
votes
3answers
312 views
How long should a Performance last to earn a living?
If a bard (or anyone skilled in Performance) wants to earn a living during downtime without paying for any lifestyle expenses, how long should the performance last?
Chapter 8 in the PHB states the ...
19
votes
1answer
2k views
Are there mistakes on the pregenerated Starter Set wizard and ranger character sheets?
I am returning to D&D having not played since first edition and am trying to get my head around the character building process before I try and explain it to some new players.
I have been ...
1
vote
6answers
194 views
Developing skillcheck DCs for an adventure
I'm looking something alongside the lines of:
Calculating and balancing challenge ratings
...but for DCs for skillchecks in an adventure. Traps, chests, climbing, swimming, etc. how hard those ...
4
votes
0answers
66 views
What's a reasonable way to make the DC 15 Athletics check for running balanced?
M&M 3E allows an Athletics check as a Free action to add one rank to your speed that round, effectively doubling your speed.
You can make a DC 15 Athletics check as a free action to run faster: ...
10
votes
3answers
217 views
How often can one do a Knowledge check to identify a creature?
The SRD section on Knowledge says:
Try Again
No. The check represents what you know, and thinking about a topic a
second time doesn’t let you know something that you never learned in
the ...
6
votes
1answer
228 views
Do Sleight of Hand checks cover stealthiness?
The PHB and basic rules describe Sleight of Hand checks as follows:
Whenever you attempt an act of legerdemain or manual trickery, such as planting something on someone else or concealing an object ...
11
votes
2answers
396 views
What values do I recalculate when I Wild Shape?
When I Wild Shape, I take a beast's STR, DEX, and CON scores. I keep my proficiency bonus and my INT, WIS, and CHA scores. I will focus this question on the assumption I'm proficient in Athletics, and ...
5
votes
2answers
218 views
How quiet is a creature that's not moving?
A typical adventurer in a breastplate and employing a heavy wooden shield suffers a −6 armor check penalty on appropriate skills, including the Move Silently skill.
But, with that in mind, what's the ...
1
vote
2answers
81 views
How does the Skillful Moment spell interact with skills taking time to use?
The Skillful Moment spell (Dragon #350, p. 78) has the following effect on the caster:
Upon casting this spell, you channel a future result of one designated course of action into an act you're ...
4
votes
1answer
59 views
Do alternate class skills granted by racial substitution levels stay class skills for later (non-substitution) levels?
I'm trying to make an NPC that's a Fighter(5)/Knight Protector (6). According to the Complete Warrior sourcebook, the requirements for the Knight Protector prestige class are:
Base Attack Bonus: +5
...
1
vote
2answers
83 views
If you have expertise in a skill, is only your initial proficiency bonus doubled, or does it scale as you level up? [duplicate]
I understand that having expertise in a a skill doubles your proficiency in it, but is it just the initial proficiency that's doubled or does it include proficiency you gain from leveling up?
e.g. If ...
3
votes
2answers
165 views
What is the effect of the Circlet of Persuasion?
I am unsure of how the Circlet of Persuasion is supposed to work, specifically what checks it applies to.
It says:
This delicately engraved silver headband grants its wearer a +3 competence bonus ...
3
votes
1answer
93 views
Can a bipedal eidolon ride a mount?
If I level up my eidolon's ride skill, can I have it ride into battle?
2
votes
2answers
632 views
Does the Inquisitive Rogue's Ear for Deceit feature mesh with their Insightful Fighting feature?
There are two features that an Inquisitive Rogue (XGtE, p. 45-46) gains:
Ear for Deceit
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you develop a talent for picking out lies. Whenever you ...
5
votes
2answers
113 views
Would Operative's Specialization Skill Mastery apply to Trick Attack?
Specialization Skill Mastery states
When attempting a skill check with a skill in which you have the Skill Focus feat, you can take 10 even if stress or distractions would normally prevent you from ...
11
votes
2answers
732 views
Should the DCs for skill checks be higher or lower than saves?
I'm homebrewing a rotten, collapsible staircase. I want there to be a Dex check to climb it, but if they fail the check, they can make a save to avoid falling.
Should the check or the save be of a ...
2
votes
3answers
204 views
How can I appropriately scale the DC for the Madness Effect from the Sunken Asylum adventure for Pathfinder when converting it to D&D 5e?
I'm a D&D 5e system GM who runs a West Marches style campaign where I run a session a week with all sorts of adventures. This means I borrow a lot from the internet and quite often take monsters ...
7
votes
3answers
1k views
Can a Medicine check to stabilize a PC be performed multiple times?
During our last D&D 5e session, one of the player characters went down. As the healer was a bit too far away, another PC tried to stabilize the other PC with a Medicine check.
Unfortunately, they ...
4
votes
1answer
61 views
How should I run an encounter involving scouting out an area then setting an ambush afterwards?
Currently, I am designing a campaign in Mouse Guard 2nd Ed involving the patrol delivering the mail to all of the minor settlements in the territories and stumbling into huge conflicts through doing ...
8
votes
3answers
649 views
PHB typo: Can the target of a shove contest it with Dexterity (Acrobatics)?
In the D&D 5th Edition Player's Handbook on page 195 under Shoving a Creature:
Instead of making an attack roll, you make a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target's Strength (...
1
vote
1answer
83 views
Mythic GM fate system and Pathfinder character skills
I am having trouble understanding how you combine these. Specifically, the perception and knowledge skills seem like they would have quite a bit of weight on the questions asked. The other skills seem ...
1
vote
1answer
92 views
When making a Wild Empathy check, do any of the bonuses from Diplomacy apply?
When making a Wild Empathy check, do any of the bonuses from Diplomacy apply? Ranks, skill focus, traits, etc.
The ability says:
This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the ...
2
votes
2answers
130 views
Can a Magus's Black Blade perform skill checks other than the ones listed on the Bladebound page?
I've just made a Bladebound Magus in Pathfinder, and I could not find a lot of information on whether the Magus's black blade could perform skill checks other than the ones listed on the Bladebound ...
-1
votes
2answers
190 views
When failing an ability check, can a player's skill score be reduced as a consequence? [closed]
When trying to lockpick a padlock with a rusty nail I found in the guano excrement of a cell in a Bugbear cave, my DM had me roll for lockpicking. I rolled a 7 and he ruled that I rolled badly and ...
24
votes
5answers
3k views
Is a speech trying to convince a crowd of something a persuasion or a performance check?
If I'm say, trying to convince a group of soldiers to follow me(a player) into a fight, or a crowd to riot, or otherwise convincing a large group of people via oration to do something (maybe it's a ...
14
votes
3answers
305 views
Can I choose a skill that the person on my left already has, during character creation in Paranoia Red Clearance Edition?
In 2016 Paranoia during character creation player on my left gets the exact opposite of what I choose. If I write +4 in Throw, she gets -4.
I cannot choose a skill I got negative modifier previously ...
1
vote
1answer
328 views
If I have expertise in a skill and I take Aereni Expertise over the Elf Weapon Training, does that mean that I would have quadruple proficencey bonus? [duplicate]
I'm making a new character and she is a Wood Elf rogue. The rouge gets to choose two skills that he is proficient in at level one and give themselves expertise in it instead. A Wood Elf has access to ...
31
votes
6answers
7k views
In a PvP arena, how can other characters deal with a Rogue with Expertise in Stealth?
I'm running an arena-style fight between a lot of PCs. It's now getting to the point that there are few enough PCs that they are beginning to take levels to counter one another.
One of the players ...
5
votes
4answers
670 views
What skill proficiency might apply if a player were attempting to teach a class at a university?
A lore bard in our party is going for a Dr. Jones feel and wishes to share some of his aquired knowledge of other cultures at a gathering of scribes. There is not a specific desired outcome, and it's ...
1
vote
3answers
250 views
What wins, an aced die or a higher roll?
If you were doing a contested skill check, if one person got an ace on their d4 and it ended up to becoming a 6, and the other rolled a d10 and ended up getting an 8, who wins?
Basically is it ...
3
votes
1answer
366 views
How to calculate a revised ranger's animal companion's skill bonuses?
The Beast Conclave revised ranger (from Unearthed Arcana: Revised Ranger) gains an animal companion. The Companion's Bond feature description states:
Your companion uses your proficiency bonus ...
16
votes
4answers
2k views
What happens if a cleric chooses a duplicate skill for their class and domain?
I have a player who has chosen to be a Knowledge Cleric.
For class skills, she chose proficiency in History and Insight.
For additional domain skills, she chose proficiency plus expertise in ...
8
votes
3answers
3k views
When is Passive Investigation used?
In the Sunless Citadel module, from Tales from the Yawning Portal, Passive Perception is mentioned about half a dozen times, but Passive Investigation isn't mentioned once.
However, both passives are ...
7
votes
4answers
484 views
How do I handle baby creature followers/pets in Out of the Abyss?
I am new to DMing, and I am running the official Out of the Abyss adventure.
My players found some eggs. When the eggs hatched, baby hook horrors popped out. The players saw them and decided to try ...
10
votes
3answers
2k views
Are ability bonuses added to skills you don't have?
In 5e I know you add your ability modifier and proficiency bonus to your skills that you chose when creating your character, but what if you don't have that skill, do you still add the corresponding ...
1
vote
2answers
277 views
Influencing a PC's attitude with Intimidate
Intimidate states
You can use Intimidate to force an opponent to act friendly toward you for 1d6 × 10 minutes with a successful check. The DC of this check is equal to 10 + the target’s Hit Dice + ...
7
votes
5answers
167 views
What are the expected consequences of allowing characters to exceed the skill cap?
As I prepare to run my first game of Fate Core, a player and I are designing a new race of intelligent dinosaurs. The dinosaurs have advanced skill in genetic engineering, and they strongly believe in ...
-1
votes
1answer
146 views
Is it beneficial to trade a skill for better saving throws for a spell-less Ranger? [closed]
I'm working on a new character, which will be a spell-less ranger. In this case, I'm multiclassing a Rogue / Ranger, with a preference for melee (over ranged).
For the sake of this question, assume ...
12
votes
3answers
2k views
If I'm proficient in Investigation, and take the Investigator feat and the Prodigy feat, do I have triple proficiency?
I have a Half Orc who is proficient in Investigation so I was wondering, can I take the Investigator feat and also the Prodigy feat to gain triple proficiency on Investigation checks?
If I become ...
18
votes
8answers
3k views
How should a GM properly handle the Bluff skill when it's used to Deceive or Lie?
Bluff states
You know how to tell a lie.
Check
Bluff is an opposed skill check against your opponent’s Sense Motive skill.
Deceive or Lie
If you use Bluff to fool someone, with a ...
