Skills

While your character’s ability scores represent their raw talent and potential, skills represent their training and experience at performing certain tasks. Each skill is keyed to one of your character’s ability scores and used for an array of related actions. Your character’s training in a skill comes from several sources, including races, classes, and trained along the way.

	Ability	Traits
Acrobatics	dex
Animal Handling	wis
Appraise	wis
Arcana	int	Knowledge
Athletics	str
Craft	wis	Tool Proficiency
Deception	cha
Dungeoneering	int	Knowledge
Engineering	int	Knowledge
History	int	Knowledge
Inquire	cha
Insight	wis
Intimidation	cha
Medicine	wis
Nature	int	Knowledge
Occultism	int	Knowledge
Perception	wis
Performance	cha	Tool Proficiency
Persuasion	cha
Religion	int	Knowledge
Society	int	Knowledge
Stealth	dex
Survival	wis
Thievery	dex

To make a skill check, you roll a d20, add the skill's associated ability modifier, and then add any training and expertise bonuses that apply to the skill.

Ability Modifier + Training Bonus + Expertise Bonus

Sometimes, the GM might ask for an ability check using a specific skill— for example, “Make a Wisdom based Perception check.” At other times, a player might ask the GM if a certain skill check might apply. In either case, if the skill check is called for by the GM you can roll a d20 and add the bonus of your skill to the roll. The bonus of the skill can be calculated as following:

Passive Skill Checks

A passive check is a special kind of ability check that doesn't involve any die rolls. Such a check can represent the average result for a task done repeatedly, such as searching for secret doors over and over again, or can be used when the GM wants to secretly determine whether the characters succeed at something without rolling dice, such as noticing a hidden monster.

Your total passive score for a skill or ability check is calculated as following:

10 + all modifiers that normally apply to the check

If the character has advantage on the check, add 5. For disadvantage, subtract 5. The game refers to a passive check total as a score.

Skills With Different Abilities

In most situations the GM will ask for a skill check and the ability associated with it will be as described it is descriped in the above table. But sometimes the GM might ask for a specific ability in combination with a skill— for example, "Make a Strength based Intimidation check." At those times, you exchange the usual Charisma modifier with the Strength modifier when calculating the result.

Only one ability modifier can be added to a skill check at a time. If a different ability is called for, it fully replaces the original.