#ability checks

Which is just silly.

Clerics shouldn't have to roll to recall information about religion in general, their own religion, or religions their deity is affiliated with. They should just know that shit, just like druids and rangers should just know about the flora and fauna in their favoured terrains. They shouldn't have to roll to know what monster they're facing or whether that flower is edible or not.

1. What are Skill Tests?

Skill tests are a special type of saving throw. The idea is that different character abilities can work together to overcome specific obstacles.

2. How are these different from Skill Checks? How do I calculate them?

Normal skill checks use a d20+ability bonus+ skill proficiency bonus (if applicable). Skill tests use d20+saving throw proficiency bonus(es)+ability bonus. This means that a character must be proficient in at least one of the two ability saving throws before a skill test can be attempted, and that if a character is proficient in BOTH ability saving throws, they can add the proficiency from both.

How about an example:

Andor the lvl 1 Wizard is battling against Lusrix the Mind-Bender. Lusrix has successful trapped Andor within an illusory labyrinth, his comrades looking on in terror as the wizard stands transfixed. How will our hero overcome this obstacle?

Andor, being a wizard, is proficient in Intelligence and Wisdom saving throws. Andor can, if he chooses, attempt a Test of Will to force himself out of this false reality. Andor picks Wisdom as the basis for the saving throw, giving himself +2 to the roll (saving throw proficiency). Andor adds his Intelligence bonus (+2) PLUS his existing Intelligence saving throw proficiency (+2). This gives Andor a +6 to his Test of Will. If he succeeds, the fact he knows that the labyrinth isn’t real will connect with his subconscious understanding of reality, and the spell will dissipate. If he fails, his mind will not accept the conflict, and he will remain at the mercy of his enemy...

3. When should I use Skill Tests?

You should employ skill tests if they work with the narrative. Choose a skill test only if a) the player can convince you their abilities work thematically with the situation or b) YOU think the situation fits with the category of the skill test.

4. What types of Skill Tests exist?

Please bear in mind that how I organize these skill-tests does not mean they must be handled in that order. For example, Tests of Prowess can use Dexterity OR Strength as the base saving throw proficiency:

Strength & Dexterity = Prowess (Your muscles and tendons have been honed to the point you can overcome mortal limitations of speed and power.)

Strength & Constitution = Immunity (Your organ systems are powerful enough to flush out the harmful substance before it can effect you.)

Strength & Intelligence = Discipline (Your mind and body are so in sync that you are able to push through involuntary responses of pain.)

Strength & Wisdom = Posture (You are able to position yourself in such a way that you succeed in holding your ground.)

Strength & Charisma = Exhibition (Your physical presence causes others to defer to your suggestions.)

Dexterity & Constitution = Reflex (Your automatic nervous system has been trained to quickly react against danger.)

Dexterity & Intelligence = Cleverness (You make a correct decision with limited time and limited knowledge.)

Dexterity & Wisdom = Instinct (You have a gut feeling that danger is close and position yourself out of harm’s way before it’s too late.)

Dexterity & Charisma = Fluency (You have a good grasp of the language and culture of the locals to quickly adapt your mannerisms.)

Constitution & Intelligence = Sanity (Your brain is capable of containing the extraordinary knowledge presented without breaking)

Constitution & Wisdom = Hope (You endure the physical or psychological hardship presented to you because you recognize that it will end.)

Constitution & Charisma = Grit (Your strength of personality prevents you from giving up when you fail.)

Intelligence & Wisdom = Will (Your know enough about yourself and reality to overcome the challenge presented to you.)

Intelligence & Charisma = Argument (Your knowledge of the facts and how you present them are enough to cause your opponent to concede.)

Wisdom & Charisma = Conviction (You believe in your ideals strongly enough that others cannot make you change them.)

This is another example of a method I’ve used for so long that I’d forgotten it wasn’t standard.

Long story short, the article tackles the topic of rolls that “don’t matter”. This is certain to be a point of some contention, but I’ll say I generally come out on the side of avoiding rolls until their results would actually matter.

This means that, for example, a player in a game run this way would not need to constantly say “I am checking for traps” at every encounter area of a hallway. Likewise, they would not need to roll a stealth check to creep along a hallway they don’t know is empty. Instead, the moment they are risk of triggering a trap, or being seen by someone, the DM would only then call for a roll from the affected players and the results would be immediately determined and declared.

Note that it’s entirely up to your group which rolls they want to be declared beforehand, and which could use this rule.

Some benefits:

Saving time

Assuming players make the rolls and not the DM - It avoids that awkward moment when a player suddenly changes their mind about sneaking forward because their Stealth/Hide/Move SIlently roll result was low. 

Similarly, it avoids each player deciding to “try it too” in cases where the players that rolled before them failed, and then sending that one successful player forward as the only character that ‘actually’ took the action to its full conclusion.

Make pamphlets for your players if their character receives books in game with instructions. Perhaps it’s a book to help harvest sellable or usable items from creatures if they have proficancy in survival. Perhaps it’s a guide to poison (from the DMG p.258)when they have proficancy with a poisoners kit. Perhaps it’s a list of medicinal herbs or tinctures they can find/craft/use in game if they have proficancy with a herbalism/healers kit. Perhaps it’s a book regarding the common gods in the campaign with a bit of backstory for each god, and if they come across a religion they’re unfamiliar with they can get more panphlets to add to their knowledge if they have proficancy with religion. Perhaps if they have Dragons as their favored enemy they can have a book about the different types of dragons and knowledge their character would know in game.

Pro: your players won’t have to ask you “would my character know anything about this?” For common questions and basic knowledge. This also REALLY gets them into character and it allows them to know where the line is for meta gaming, it overall enriches the experience

Con: in the case of the survival book, don’t put the DC for the survival check, otherwise they’ll EXPECT all the harvested materials rather than relying on the luck of the dice. Maybe don’t include prices on sellable goods either otherwise they won’t enjoy the haggling

You decide when a player makes a d20 test based on what the character is trying to do. Players shouldn't just roll ability checks without context they should tell you what their characters are trying to achieve and make ability checks only if you ask them to. When a situation comes up and you're not sure how to adjudicate it using the rules use these questions to help you decide

Is a D20 test warranted: If the task is trivial or impossible don't bother with a d20 test. A character can move across an empty room or drink from a flask without making a Dexterity check whereas no lucky die roll will allow a character with no ordinary bow to hit the moon with an arrow. Call for a d20 test only if there's a chance of both success and failure and if there are meanigful consequences for failure.

What kind of D20 test: If a character is actively trying to do something use an ability check. If the character is reactively trying to avoid or resist something use a saving throw.

Which ability does the test use: Think about which ability has the most influence on a character's chance to succeed on the ability check or saving throw. Also consider whether a skill or tool proficiency might apply to an ability checks.

What's the DC: Based on how hard you think the task should be set the DC as follows 10 for easy 15 for moderately difficult or 20 for hard.

Ability Checks: An ability check is a test to see whether a character succeeds at a task the character has decided to attempt.

Proficiency: When the rules or a published adventure calls for an ability check a skill or tool proficiency is often called out for example "a character who succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check can puzzle out the magic involved." Sometimes the rules allow for any one of 2 or more proficiencies to apply to a check. When deciding what check a character should make be generous in determining if the character's Proficiency Bonus comes into play. You might specfically ask for a Intelligence (Arcana) check or you can ask for an Intelligence check and let the player negotiate with you to see if one of the character's skill or tool proficiencies applies.

Trying Again: Sometimes a character fails an ability check and the player wants to try again. In many cases failing an ability check makes it impossible to attempt the same thing again. For some tasks however the only consequences of failure is the time it takes to attempt the task again. For example failing a Dexterity check to pick a lock on a treasure chest doesn't mean the character can't try again but each attempt might take a minute. If failuire has no consequences and a character can try and try again you can skip the ability check and just tell the player how long the task takes. Alternatively you can call for a single ability check and use the result to determine how long it takes for the character to complete the task.

Group Checks: Group checks are a tool you can use when the party is trying to accomplish something together and the most skilled characters can cover for characters who are less adept at the task. To make a group ability check everyone in the group makes the ability check. If at least half the group succeeds the whole group succeeds. Otherwise the group fails. Group checks aren't appropriate when one character's failure would spell disaster for the whole party such as if the characters are creeping across a courtyard while trying not to alert the guards. In that case one noisy character will draw the guards attention and there's not much that stealthier characters can do about it so relying on individual checks makes more sense. Similarly don't use a group check when a single successful check is sufficient as is the case when finding a hidden compartment with a Wisdom (Perception) check. Consider using group checks in situations such as:

Research Tasks: The characters are trying to learn about an ancient prophecy from an archive. The characters make a Intelligence (Investigation) check to find sources in the archive characters who are knowledgeable about such topics and about research methods in general can tell the other characters the most likely places to direct their search. If the group check is successful the characters find enough different sources to paint a clear picture of the prophecy otherwise their information is incomplete.

Roped Together: The characters are tied together as they scale a cliff or cross a rickety rope bridge. If one or 2 characters the successful characters can stop their fall and prevent such disaster but if more than half the party fails the whole group fails. You could also apply this idea to something like a long swim where strong swimmers can help weaker ones.

Social Situations: One character offends someone at a diplomatic event and a noble demands the adventurers be escorted from the premises. The characters can make a group Charisma (Persuasion) check to avoid getting thrown out they just need a few convincing arguments and the ability to smooth over any gaffes. You could apply this same principle to other Charisma checks using Deception Intimidation or Performance.

Passive Checks: Ability checks normally represent a character's active effort to accomplish something but occasionally you need a passive measure of how good a character is at doing a thing. Passive Perceptions is the most common example. You can extend the concept of a passive ability check to other abilities and skills. For example if your game features a lot of social interaction you can record each character's Passive Insight score calculated in much the same way as Passive Perception: 10 plus all modifiers that normally apply to a Wisdom (Insight) check.

Attack Rolls: In combat an attack roll is used to determine whether an attack hits. You can also r use attack rolls to resolve noncombat activities that are similar to attacks used in combat such as an archery contest or a game of darts. Assign an AC to the target decide whether the character is proficient wiht the weapon used then have the player make an Attack Roll.

Saving Throws: In contrast to an ability check a saving throw is an instant response to an effect and is almost never made by choice. A saving throw makes the most sense when something bad threatens a character and the character has a chance to avoid or resist it. Most of the time a saving throw comes into play when an effect such as a spell monster ability or trap calls for it telling you what kind of saving throw is involved and providing a DC for it. In other situations that call for a saving throw it's up to you to decide which ability score is involved.

Difficulty Class: You establish the Difficulty Class for an ability check or a saving throw when a rule or an adventure doesn't give you one.

Very Easy: Most people can accomplish a DC 5 task with little chance of failure. Unless circumstances are unusual let characters succeed at such a task without making a check. Although Easy is DC 10 Moderate is 15 Hard is 20 Very Hard is 25 Nearly Impossible is 30.

Easy Moderate and Hard: These are the most common difficulties and you can run your game using only them. A character with a 10 in the associated ability and no proficiency will succeed at an easy task around 50 percent of the time. For a moderate task a character needs either a higher score or proficiency to have a similar chance of success whereas a hard task typically requires both to have a similar chance. If you can't decide between 2 levels of difficulty choose a DC somewhere in the middle such as 17 or 18 fir a task that is a little easier than hard.

Very Hard and Nearly Impossible: A DC 25 task is almost out of reach for low level characters but more reasonable after level 10 or so. Low level characters have no chance to accomplish a DC 30 task while a level 20 character with proficiency and a relevant ability score of 20 still needs a 19 or 20 to succeed at a task of this difficulty. If you're setting the DC for a saving throw don't go lower than 10 or higher than 20.

When the outcome of an action is uncertain the game uses a d20 roll to determine success or failure. These rolls are called d20 tests and they come in 3 kinds: Ability Checks Saving Throws and attack rolls. They Follow these steps

1 Roll 1d20: You always want to roll high. If the roll has Advantage or Disadvantage you roll 2 d20s but you use the number from only one of them the higher one if you have Advantage or the lower one if you have Disadvantage.

2 Add Modifiers: Add these modifiers to the number rolled on the d20:

The Relevant Ability Modifier

Your Proficiency Bonus if Relevant: Each Creature has a Proficiency Bonus a number added when making a D20 test that uses something such as a skill in which the creature has proficiency

Circumstantial Bonuses and Penalties: A class feature a spell or another rule might give a bonus or penalty to the die roll.

3 Compare the Total to a Target Number: If the total of the d20 and its modifiers equals or exceeds the target number it succeeds. Otherwise it fails. The DM determines target numbers and tells players whether their rolls are successful. The target number for an ability check or a saving throw is called a Difficulty class or DC. The target number for an attack roll is called an Armor Class or AC which appears on a character sheet or in a stat block.

Ability Checks: An Ability Check represents a creature using talent and training to try to overcome a challenge such as forcing open a stuck door picking a lock entertaining a crowd or deciphering a cipher. The DM and the rules often call for an ability check when a creature attempts something other than an attack that has a chance of meaningful failure. When the outcome is uncertain and narratively interesting the dice determine the result.

Ability Modifier: An ability check is named for the ability modifier it uses a Strength check an Intelligence check and so on. Different ability checks are called for in different situations depending on which ability is most relevant.

Ability Check Examples

Ability Make a Check to

Strength Lift push pull or break something

Dexterity Move nimbly quickly or quietly

Constitution Push your body beyond normal limits

Intelligence Reason or remember

Wisdom Notice things in the environment or in creatures behavior

Charisma Influence entertain or deceive

Proficiency Bonus: Add your Proficiency Bonus to an ability check when the DM determines that a skill or Tool proficiency is relevant to the check and you have that proficiency. For example if a rule refers to a Strength (Acrobatics or Athletics) check you can add your Proficiency Bonus to the check if you have proficiency in the Acrobatics or Athletics skill.

Difficulty Class: The Difficulty Class of an ability check represents the task's difficulty. The more difficult the task the higher its DC. The rules provide DC's for certain checks but the DM ultimately sets the info below presents a range of possible DC's for ability checks.

Typical Difficulty Classes

Task Difficulty DC

Very Easy 5

Easy 10

Medium 15

Hard 20

Very Hard 25

Nearly Impossible 30

Saving Throws: A saving throw (also called a save) represents an attempt to evade or resist a threat such as a fiery explosion a blast of poisonous gas or a spell trying to invade your mind. You don't normally choose to make a save you must make one because your character or a monster (if you're the DM) is at risk. A save's result is detailed in the effect that caused it. If you don't want to resist the effect you can choose to fail the save without rolling.

Ability Modifier: Saving throws are named for the ability modifiers they use: a Constitution saving throw a Wisdom saving throw and so on. Different saving throws are used to resist different kinds of effects as shown below.

Saving Throw Examples

Ability Make a Save to

Strength Physically resist direct force

Dexterity Dodge out of harm's way

Constitution Endure a toxic hazard

Intelligence Recognize an illusion as fake

Wisdom Resist a mental assault

Charisma Assert your identity

Proficiency Bonus: You add your Proficiency Bonus to you saving throw if you have proficiency in that kind of save.

Difficulty Class: The Difficulty Class for a saving throw is determined by the effect that causes it or by the DM. For example if a spell forces you to make a save the DC is determined by the caster's spellcasting ability and Proficiency Bonus. Monster abilities that call for saves specify the DC.

Attack Rolls: An attack roll determines whether an attack hits a target. An attack roll hits if the roll equals or exceeds the target's Armor Class. Attack Rolls usually occur in battle but the DM might also ask for an attack roll in other situations such as an archery competition.

Ability Modifier: Below shows which ability modifier to use for different types of Attack Rolls

Attack Roll Abilities

Ability Attack Type

Strength Melee attack with a weapon or an Unarmed Strike

Dexterity Ranged attack with a weapon

Varies Spell attack (the ability used is determined by the spellcaster's spellcasting feature)

Some features let you use different ability modifiers from those listed. For example the Finesse property lets you use Strength or Dexterity with a weapon that has that property.

Proficiency Bonus: You add your Proficiency Bonus to your attack roll when you attack using a weapon you have proficiency with as well as when you attack with a spell.

Armor Class: A creature's Armor Class represents how well the creature avoids being wounded in combat. The AC of a character is determined at character creation whereas the AC of a monster appears in its stat block

Calculating AC: All creatures start with the same base AC calculation:

Base AC=10 + the creature's Dexterity modifier

A creature's AC can then be modified by armor magic items spells and more.

Only one base AC: Some spells and class features give characters a different way to calculate their AC. A character with multiple features that give different ways to calculate AC must choose which one to use only one base calculation can be in effect for a creature.

Rolling 20 or 1: If you roll a 20 on the d20 (called a natural 20) for an attack roll the attack hits regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC. This is called a critical hit. If you roll a 1 on the d20 (a natural 1) for an attack roll the attack misses regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC.

Advantage/Disadvantage: Sometimes a d20 test is modified by Advantage or Disadvantage. Advantage reflects the positive circumstances surrounding a d20 roll while Disadvantage reflects negative circumstances. You usually acquire Advantage or Disadvantage.

Roll 2 d20s: When a roll has either Advantage or Disadvantage roll a second d20 when you make the roll. Use the higher of the 2 rolls if you have advantage and use the lower roll if you have Disadvantage. For example if you have Disadvantage and roll a 18 and a 3 use the 3 If you instead have Advantage and roll those numbers use the 18.

They Don't Stack: If multiple situations affect a roll and they all grant Advantage on it you still roll only 2 d20's. Similarly if multiple situations impose Disadvantage on a roll you roll only 2 d20's. If circumstances cause a roll to have both Advantage and Disadvantage the roll has neither of them and you roll 1 d20. This is true even if multiple circumstances impose Disadvantage and only 1 grants Advantage or vice versa. In such a situation you have neither Advantage nor Disadvantage.