Page 161 - DnD_5e_Players_Handbook_(BnW_OCR)

before you apply it. For example, the rogue's Expertise is holding closed. In situations like these, the outcome
feature doubles the proficiency bonus for certain ability is determined by a special form of ability check,
checks. If a circum stance suggests that your proficiency called a contest.
bonus applies m ore than once to the sam e roll, you still Both participants in a contest make ability checks
add it only once and multiply or divide it only once. appropriate to their efforts. They apply all appropriate
By the sam e token, if a feature or effect allows you bonuses and penalties, but instead o f com paring the
to multiply your proficiency bonus when making an total to a DC, they com pare the totals of their two
ability check that w ouldn’t normally benefit from your checks. The participant with the higher check total wins
proficiency bonus, you still don’t add the bonus to the the contest. That character or monster either succeeds
check. For that check your proficiency bonus is 0, given at the action or prevents the other one from succeeding.
the fact that multiplying 0 by any number is still 0. For If the contest results in a tie, the situation remains the
instance, if you lack proficiency in the History skill, same as it was before the contest. Thus, one contestant
you gain no benefit from a feature that lets you double might win the contest by default. If two characters tie in
your proficiency bonus when you make Intelligence a contest to snatch a ring off the floor, neither character
(History) checks. grabs it. In a contest between a monster trying to open
In general, you don’t multiply your proficiency bonus a door and an adventurer trying to keep the door closed,
for attack rolls or saving throws. If a feature or effect a tie means that the door remains shut.
allows you to do so, these same rules apply.
Sk i l l s
A b i l i t y C h e c k s Each ability covers a broad range of capabilities,
An ability check tests a character’s or monster’s innate including skills that a character or a monster can be
talent and training in an effort to overcom e a challenge. proficient in. A skill represents a specific aspect of an
The DM calls for an ability check when a character or ability score, and an individual’s proficiency in a skill
monster attempts an action (other than an attack) that demonstrates a focus on that aspect. (A character’s
has a chance of failure. W hen the outcom e is uncertain, starting skill proficiencies are determined at character
the dice determine the results. creation, and a monster’s skill proficiencies appear in
For every ability check, the DM decides which of the six the monster’s stat block.)
abilities is relevant to the task at hand and the difficulty For example, a Dexterity check might reflect a
of the task, represented by a Difficulty Class. The more character’s attempt to pull off an acrobatic stunt, to palm
difficult a task, the higher its DC. The Typical Difficulty an object, or to stay hidden. Each of these aspects of
Classes table show s the most com m on DCs. Dexterity has an associated skill: Acrobatics, Sleight of
Hand, and Stealth, respectively. S o a character w ho has
proficiency in the Stealth skill is particularly good at
T y p i c a l D i f f i c u l t y C l a s s e s
Dexterity checks related to sneaking and hiding.
Task Difficulty DC
The skills related to each ability score are shown in
Very easy 5
the following list. (No skills are related to Constitution.)
Easy 10
S ee an ability’s description in the later sections o f this
Medium 15
chapter for examples of how to use a skill associated
Hard 20
with an ability.
Very hard 25
Nearly impossible 30 Strength Wisdom
Athletics Anim al Handling
To make an ability check, roll a d20 and add the Dexterity Insight
relevant ability modifier. As with other d20 rolls, apply Acrobatics Medicine
bonuses and penalties, and com pare the total to the DC. Sleight of Hand Perception
If the total equals or exceeds the DC, the ability check Stealth Survival
is a success—the creature overcom es the challenge Charisma
Intelligence
at hand. Otherwise, it’s a failure, which means the Deception
Arcana
character or monster makes no progress toward the Intimidation
History
objective or makes progress com bined with a setback Perform ance
Investigation
determined by the DM. Persuasion
Nature
C o n t e s t s _______________________________ Religion
Som etim es one character’s or monster’s efforts are Som etim es, the DM might ask for an ability check
directly opposed to another’s. This can occur when both using a specific skill—for example, “Make a W isdom
of them are trying to do the sam e thing and only one (Perception) check.” At other times, a player might ask
can succeed, such as attempting to snatch up a magic the DM if proficiency in a particular skill applies to a
ring that has fallen on the floor. This situation also check. In either case, proficiency in a skill means an
applies when one of them is trying to prevent the other individual can add his or her proficiency bonus to ability
one from accom plishing a goal—for example, when a checks that involve that skill. Without proficiency in the
monster tries to force open a door that an adventurer skill, the individual makes a normal ability check.