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from getting spooked, or intuit an animal’s intentions, the violence, the DM might ask you to make a Charisma
DM might call for a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check. (Intimidation) check. Examples include trying to pry in-
You also make a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check to con- formation out of a prisoner, convincing street thugs
trol your mount when you attempt a risky maneuver. to back down from a confrontation, or using the edge of
Insight. Your Wisdom (Insight) check decides whether a broken bottle to convince a sneering vizier to recon-
you can determine the true intentions of a creature, such sider a decision.
as when searching out a lie or predicting someone’s next Performance. Your Charisma (Performance) check
move. Doing so involves gleaning clues from body lan- determines how well you can delight an audience with
guage, speech habits, and changes in mannerisms. music, dance, acting, storytelling, or some other form of
Medicine. A Wisdom (Medicine) check lets you try to entertainment.
stabilize a dying companion or diagnose an illness. Persuasion. When you attempt to influence someone
Perception. Your Wisdom (Perception) check lets you or a group of people with tact, social graces, or good
spot, hear, or otherwise detect the presence of something. nature, the DM might ask you to make a Charisma
It measures your general awareness of (Persuasion) check. Typically, you use persuasion when
your surroundings and the keenness of your senses. acting in good faith, to foster friendships, make cordial
For example, you might try to hear a conversation through requests, or exhibit proper etiquette. Examples of per-
a closed door, eavesdrop under an open window, or hear suading others include convincing a chamberlain to let
monsters moving stealthily in the forest. Or you might try your party see the king, negotiating peace between war-
to spot things that are obscured or easy to miss, whether ring tribes, or inspiring a crowd of townsfolk.
they are orcs lying in ambush on a road, thugs hiding in Other Charisma Checks. The DM might call for a
the shadows of an alley, or candlelight under a closed Charisma check when you try to accomplish tasks like
secret door. the following:
Survival. The DM might ask you to make a Wisdom
• Find the best person to talk to for news,
(Survival) check to follow tracks, hunt wild game, guide
rumors, and gossip
your group through frozen wastelands, identify signs that
• Blend into a crowd to get the sense of key topics
owlbears live nearby, predict the weather, or avoid quick-
of conversation
sand and other natural hazards.
Other Wisdom Checks. The DM might call for a Spellcasting Ability
Wisdom check when you try to accomplish tasks like Bards, paladins, sorcerers, and warlocks use Charisma
the following: as their spellcasting ability, which helps determine the
• Get a gut feeling about what course of action to follow saving throw DCs of spells they cast.
• Discern whether a seemingly dead or living crea-
ture is undead Saving Throws
Spellcasting Ability A saving throw—also called a save—represents an at-
tempt to resist a spell, a trap, a poison, a disease, or
Clerics use Wisdom as their spellcasting ability, which
a similar threat. You don’t normally decide to make a
helps determine the saving throw DCs of spells they cast.
saving throw; you are forced to make one because your
Charisma character or monster is at risk of harm.
To make a saving throw, roll a d20 and add the ap-
Charisma measures your ability to interact effectively propriate ability modifier. For example, you use your
with others. It includes such factors as confidence and Dexterity modifier for a Dexterity saving throw.
eloquence, and it can represent a charming or command- A saving throw can be modified by a situational
ing personality. bonus or penalty and can be affected by advantage
Charisma Checks and disadvantage, as determined by the DM.
Each class gives proficiency in at least two saving
A Charisma check might arise when you try to influence
throws. The wizard, for example, is proficient in Intelli-
or entertain others, when you try to make an impres-
gence saves. As with skill proficiencies, proficiency in a
sion or tell a convincing lie, or when you are navigating
saving throw lets a character add his or her proficiency bo-
a tricky social situation. The Deception, Intimidation,
nus to saving throws made using a particular ability score.
Performance, and Persuasion skills reflect aptitude in
Some monsters have saving throw proficiencies as well.
certain kinds of Charisma checks.
The Difficulty Class for a saving throw is determined by
Deception. Your Charisma (Deception) check deter-
the effect that causes it. For example, the DC for a saving
mines whether you can convincingly hide the truth, either
throw allowed by a spell is determined by the caster’s
verbally or through your actions. This deception can
spellcasting ability and proficiency bonus.
encompass everything from misleading others through
The result of a successful or failed saving throw is also
ambiguity to telling outright lies. Typical situations in-
detailed in the effect that allows the save. Usually, a suc-
clude trying to fast-talk a guard, con a merchant, earn
cessful save means that a creature suffers no harm, or
money through gambling, pass yourself off in a disguise,
reduced harm, from an effect.
dull someone’s suspicions with false assurances, or main-
tain a straight face while telling a blatant lie.
Intimidation. When you attempt to influence some-
one through overt threats, hostile actions, and physical
Chapter 7: Using Ability Scores
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D&D Basic Rules (Version 1.0). Not for resale. Permission granted to print and photocopy this document for personal use only.